On January 18, some websites are set to go dark to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act, the Protect Intellectual Property Act and the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act, which would effectively block Americans from portions of the internet, including the film and music industries, which often are subject to piracy.

Many students who are earning an online doctorate degree in business or an online cyber crime degree may be wondering what effect the #SOPASTRIKE will have on schoolwork. Will it likely cause inconveniences, with major sites like Wikipedia and Reddit set to participate? Wikipedia said the proposed bills "would seriously damage the free and open internet, including Wikipedia."

"If a user of a news site leaves a comment with offending material, that could be grounds for a takedown," Mashable said of the controversial bill. "And YouTube could be in hot water should it fail to promptly detect a user who uploads copyrighted material."

While homework or research projects may experience a hiccup during the strike, the inconvenience would be nothing compared to the blackouts that would envelop the internet if the bills are passed.

Stalled in the U.S. House of Representatives since October 26, a vote on SOPA - which would ban a number of sites and call for up to five years in jail for violations - is expected on January 24. Despite the large protest from some websites and internet users, the list of SOPA supporters and sponsors is extensive, including big names like Xerox, Wal-Mart, Viacom, Rosetta Stone, Sony, NBA, NFL, CBS and Ford Motor Co.

But over the weekend, SOPA received a setback when President Barack Obama said he would not support the bill. Victoria Espinel, intellectual property enforcement coordinator at the Office of Management and Budget; Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer; and Howard Schmidt, Special Assistant to the president and cybersecurity coordinator for National Security Staff, released a statement that encourages other ways of protecting against piracy.

"Any provision covering internet intermediaries such as online advertising networks, payment processors or search engines must be transparent and designed to prevent overly broad private rights of action that could encourage unjustified litigation that could discourage startup businesses and innovative firms from growing," The White House said in a statement. "We expect and encourage all private parties, including both content creators and internet platform providers working together, to adopt voluntary measures and best practices to reduce online piracy."