Business

Wikipedia dark in Web-war protest

SAN FRANCISCO — Wikipedia has gone dark as part of a protest over legislation in Congress intended to crack down on online piracy.

The English version of the online encyclopedia shut down at midnight.

The Web site will be inaccessible for 24 hours to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), introduced in the House of Representatives, and the Senate version, the Protect IP Act (PIPA).

Those logging on to the site were greeted with the message, “Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge.”

The site also provided a link to “Learn more,” which led to a Wikipedia page titled “SOPA and PIPA.”

Meanwhile, Google used its much-visited home page to protest the bills by blacking out its signature logo .

The legislation is backed by Hollywood, the music industry, the National Association of Manufacturers and the US Chamber of Commerce.

But it has come under fire from digital-rights and free- speech organizations for allegedly paving the way for US authorities to shut down sites accused of online piracy, including foreign sites, without due process and threatening the technical architecture of the internet.