Leaders in the US Senate have decided to postpone a vote on the hotly contested Protect IP Act (PIPA) after a week of protest from websites and the tech community.

The PIPA, and its sister bill in the House of Representative SOPA, have been criticized as legislation that could curtail freedoms on the internet.  The Senate Leadership today has decided to pull  a planned vote on PIPA.  US Senator Charles Schumer released a statement on Facebook which explained why he agrees with pulling the vote on the bill.

I say to New York’s tech community: we have heard you. Senator Reid’s decision to pull a vote on PIPA from the Senate calendar is the right one and will allow Congress to work with stakeholders to craft a better solution that protects against piracy and doesn’t do anything to damage our dynamic tech community or freedom of expression on the Internet. I am hopeful that both sides of this debate will come together to find a consensus solution that protects American jobs threatened by illegal piracy and at the same time encourages the growth of New York’s vibrant and growing technology and Internet communities.

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