Washington, D.C. (WIBX) - Two controversial anti-piracy bills in the House and Senate are causing an uproar among the Internet community.

The Stop Online Piracy Act, in the House, and the Protect I-P Act, in the Senate, are facing blowback for their wide-sweeping coverage and, for some, censorship capabilities.

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David Bagley, a lawyer in the Utica area, said if the bills are passed the effects on popular community websites could be dire.

"Community websites could even be shut down just because one or two irresponsible participants put something on there they shouldn't," Bagley said. "Then the entire website, Wikipedia [for example], might have to be shut down, at least until it's fixed. And who knows how long that's going to be."

Bagley also said the legislation may promote more lawsuits over intellectual property while threatening whistle-blowers.

Although SOPA was introduced in October with bi-partisan support, voting has been pushed back until a "consensus can be reached," following a statement from the White House expressing its disapproval of both bills.

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