CIPA Joins Ranks of Wikipedia and Reddit in SOPA Blackout
January 18, 2012
On January 18, members of The Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) participated in online blackout in protest of Congress' proposed anti-piracy legislation.
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate counterpart, the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) are designed to protect the interests of U.S. businesses and fight counterfeiting, but because of their overly broad language, legitimate websites could be shut-down overnight.
Not only would SOPA and PIPA create an 'Internet blacklist' and 'break the Internet,' but the legislation would also take away Americans' ability to order safe, affordable prescription medications from Canadian pharmacies.
"Hundreds of thousands of patients, including more than 90,000 in Florida alone, depend on CIPA member pharmacies for their prescription medications. Due to the exorbitant cost of prescription drugs in the U.S., Americans are forced to turn elsewhere and cannot survive without their access to CIPA pharmacies for vital maintenance medications," said CIPA President Troy Harwood-Jones. "SOPA and PIPA must be defeated- even the White House announced its concerns over these bills this past weekend. That's why we're joining Reddit, Wikipedia and others tomorrow in urging our customers to take action by contacting their representatives to insist they vote 'no' on SOPA."
For the entire day on January 18, visitors to CIPA member websites saw a splash page notifying them that their access to these licensed, legitimate pharmacies was in jeopardy and could be lost if SOPA is passed.
