The problem is there’s no obvious middle ground. You either force the Googles and Yahoos of the Web to delete links to pirate sites, or you don’t. You allow copyright holders to go to court to shut down sites they think are stealing their content, or you don’t.

There are three big hurdles for the Senate and House bills that caused websites to go dark Wednesday in protest. On paper, it boils down to these issues:

• Should search engines like Google be included in the bill?

• Can content owners like Walt Disney ask a court to force Internet companies to stop doing business with suspected pirate sites?

• Who should enforce the law against international pirate sites — the Justice Department or the International Trade Commission?