Two years ago, major websites like Google, Reddit and Wikipedia went dark for a day. They were protesting the then-pending "Stop Online Piracy Act," federal legislation that would have done enormous damage to the open internet by creating system of censorship and deterring digital-media innovators. The 18 January 2012 blackout created an outpouring of opposition from average Americans who suddenly realized what was at stake, and Congress backed off a bill that almost certainly would have passed otherwise.

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