Breaking: SOPA is dead

Five minutes ago, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, announced that his committee won't consider the Stop Online Piracy Act when it convenes in February.

In a statement sent to Politico, Smith said the bill is dead "until there is wider agreement on a solution."

"I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy," Smith told Politico. "It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products."

Meanwhile, a procedural vote on a companion bill in the U.S. Senate -- the Protect IP Act -- will be delayed.