This infographic shows the overnight change in congressional supporters vs opponents of SOPA/PIPA. The effect of the blackout was a net shift of 85 votes to the side of the angels, which is now ahead by 36 votes.

The MPAA will keep on trying, of course, and we need to keep up the pressure. Here is the letter I sent to senator Maria Cantwell.

Senator Cantwell –

Thanks for your opposition to PIPA. As our world becomes more technology-driven, speech increasingly occurs through the Internet. The architecture of the Internet must be protected from the short-sighted meddling of big media corporations if our First Amendment rights of free speech are to remain meaningful.

I urge you to keep on resisting the MPAA’s attempts to abuse the democratic process. Rather than adapt to the new world of electronic distribution, they are trying to strongarm the US government into protecting their old-fashioned business models, and they will undoubtedly keep on trying regardless of the cost to our fundamental freedoms. Please stand firm and continue to protect our rights of free speech!

your constituent, and fellow Real Networks alum –
Mars Saxman

And here’s the similar note I sent to representative Jim McDermott, who appears to be leaning toward the anti-SOPA side but hasn’t come out strongly against it:

Congressman McDermott –

I’m glad to hear that you are not inclined to support SOPA. While violation of copyright licensing terms may well be a concern for those businesses which still depend on obsolete pre-digital content distribution models, this relatively minor regulatory issue in no way justifies the vast, chilling censorship regime SOPA would create across the public Internet.

As our world becomes more technology-driven, more of our speech occurs through the Internet. The architecture of the Internet must be protected from the short-sighted meddling of big media corporations if our First Amendment rights of free speech are to remain meaningful.

I urge you to vote against SOPA, and to resist its successors as well – it seems likely that SOPA will fail, but I’m sure that the MPAA will try again. Please keep on looking past their short-sighted profit-seeking motives and protect our fundamental freedoms of speech.

Thank you, from one of your constituents.

Mars Saxman