SOPA and PIPA have two major problems, which fortunately have at least put them back in the bin for a while.  The first is the motivation, stemming from RIAA, who the congress has already stupidly given the powers of police and court.  But big money behind it. 

Which is compounded by that particular animal that can complicate anything, called a politician.  Worse is the bought and paid for politician, and there might be 0.1 percent of politicians that aren't of the paid for kind.  Add in liberal amounts of total ignorance of the subject at hand, but this should surprise no one. 

To shut down a site that has a clear and proven record of hosting pirated files is one thing, which I support strongly.  To write something so broad that legitimate sites may be shut down on a complaint from a crank, no. I like to think of the two bills in question were sent back, "and this time, think before you write".

As a little reading will show MU was actively hosting pirated files, knowingly, their being shut down should cause no sympathy for them, criminals of one kind are no different than criminals of any other kind.

The "I" in Doric is Silent.