For those of you who haven't heard, the American government is trying to pass bills (SOPA and PIP) that will allow them to have unprecedented power to block - and take down - any website they feel is in violation of copyright.

So what does this mean?

If the Stop Online Privacy Act and Protect IP bills get passed, millions of us-based webmasters - both large and small - could be impacted. A blocked website means no traffic. No visitors equals no ad revenue, and no money means the bills don't get paid. The entire web industry, regardless if you live in America, could fall into a deep, dark depression.

What can I do about it?

Starting today, major online players such as Wikipedia have began a silent protest against SOPA by "blacking out" their websites in various ways.

• Google.com - The folks over at Google have set up a landing page titled "End Piracy, Not Liberty" which explains that ending piracy is important, but shutting down American social networks, blogs and search engines will do nothing but harm businesses and the economy.
• Craigslist.org - One of the best examples of the free and communal nature of the internet, Craigslist has set up a SOPA page expressing it's very clear opinions on what they deem to be DNS hijacking and internet blacklisting.
• AmericanCensorship.org - Probably the most visually appealing protest, AmericanCensorship.org released an attractive and informatvie infographic titled "SOPA: The Internet Blacklist Bill" which educates users on the reprocussions of SOPA, should the bill be passed.
• Wordpress.com - One of the best free blogging and CMS platforms on the web, Wordpress has blacked out their home page to support the movement and build awareness within the industry.
• Reddit.com - A leading force in the anti-blackout initiative, Reddit.com not only proposed todays date for the protest, but also released a fully blown campaign by shutting down their website and even changing their meta tags to read "reddit is offline in protest of PIPA and SOPA".

By far, one of the most enjoyable and comedic protests hail from the genius minds at TheOatmeal.com who've gone as far as creating a halarious video featuring Oprah, Jesus and a kitten BBQ.

How can I help from Canada?

Easy - follow our lead. Spread the word by blogging, updating your Twitter and Facebook feeds - and if you have a website, black it out to show your support. Chances are if these bills pass in the states, what's to say Canada won't be next?