FBI charges Megaupload operators with piracy crimes

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by Indio777

What I find a bit troubling about this is that many other sites could also be taken down if they are hosting copyrighted files.

For example, DropBox. I have used it to share photographs (my own) with family and friends. But what if I ripped a bunch of my copyrighted CDs and put them up on DropBox and then set up a music blog with links to those files? Not that I have any intention of doing so! But I guess DropBox could technically be found guilty of hosting copyrighted materials and shut down?

That's not quite how it works. DMCA takedown notices are issued for the illegally-posted copyrighted material (or the links to the material). The web site has to comply and remove the material or links.

The Megaupload case is a bit different than the scenario you describe, because part of the problem was allegedly not responding adequately to the takedown notices. There is a whole heckofalot more that was investigated as well, based on the list of charges against them.

You could not single-handedly get DropBox shut down with your hypothetical music blog.

[silasgreenback]

Originally Posted by spellbanisher

There are plenty of ways to classify the activities of groups like Anonymous. "Cyberterrorism" is more of a loaded political term than anything else.

I'd classify it as not helping at all.

Freaking out powers-that-be that have a record of being hostile and irrational at times may not be cyberterrorism on the level of shutting down the power grid but it's at least a little scary and a whole lot irritating.

S**t does roll downhill after all, and those entities that Anonymous are picking the fights with can afford a lot more justice than most of us.

[SneakySnake]

Originally Posted by kiwipippa

Didn't us kiwis put put a spanner in the ANZUS treaty a while ago when we refused to let nuclear subs into our harbours? Or is it still going strong?

Happy Birthday Kim Dotcom, hope Mt Eden Prison puts on a good party for you (38 today).

From the ANZUS treaty

Article III

The Parties will consult together whenever in the opinion of any of them the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened in the Pacific.

Captain subtext: We (the US) are WAY bigger than any/all of you mob put together, so you better do as we say (in lieu of protection money), or else you may find yourself alone and undefended in the big Pacific (peaceful now) ocean when the yellow hordes decide to invade southwards.

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by azazel1024

Now for some of the gunstores and dealers...well a few of them SHOULD be in jail.

not to mention any government officials who knowingly traffic thousands of firearms to violent drug cartels in another country. i dont say that to be political, only as a legal stand point

Originally Posted by Shaggy

What's the difference between these people and any other site that allows public upload/storage?

lets get this straight. Megaupload's criminal activities have nothing to do with people uploading their own personal stuff for sharing etc.

The difference here is that Mega was illegally gathering copyrighted video material ON PURPOSE and then distributing it ON PURPOSE and charging for it. the basic file storing/sharing service was basically a front for the illegitimate business and the accounts of that business were being used to launder the money from the criminal enterprise.


According to the indictment the were:

They were downloading YouTube and then uploading those videos to their site Megavideo. They were slow with the take down requests so they could grab the material them selves and push it to other sites ( Megavideo) and sell it.

edit: It also appears from further reading that takedowns werent actually done! they would simply remove the url to the material but would keep the material on the servers. that material might have other url's pointing to it that would still be in use.

They were paying people rewards for uploading certain episodes from shows, movies and software w/keys. Company employees uploaded movies they ripped from dvds themselves AT WORK.

Company executives used the internal search to find episodes of tv shows for themselves to keep.

I heard from one source( but havent seen it elsewhere yet) that they may have been offering dvd copying services for pirated first run movie sellers etc. someone would make the bootleg , upload it and then Mega would do the dvd creation and ship them to the sellers.



so yeah its not about the "front" of the house, its about the game in the back. if this is all true(heck if even part of it is true) no one should be upset with authorities for taking it down. they should be upset that the criminal activity ruined the rest of it.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

MSNBC has a partial bio on this hero of the internet.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46076072...mall_business/
Keep some soap handy, you might want to shower any slime that splatters off the screen.

Never mind the piracy empire; he's got a history of insider trading, pump-n-dump fraud, embezzlement...

(With--sorry!--hints of bribery.)

Yikes I don't think this was mainly aimed at taking down a file hosting site. That article shows just that. It's just once of things he was involved with that they could charge him with seeing they had emails and proof they kept the takedown files for their own use and was aware of pirated material and used it themselves. There is so much more to the story of what they were involved with.

I am sad to see Megaupload go. I know plenty legit users in the Sims world that used it for legit game creations. However the people that ran it obviously were into alot of bad stuff.

[kiwipippa]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

From the ANZUS treaty

Captain subtext: We (the US) are WAY bigger than any/all of you mob put together, so you better do as we say (in lieu of protection money), or else you may find yourself alone and undefended in the big Pacific (peaceful now) ocean when the yellow hordes decide to invade southwards.

Right then, we'd better behave. I wonder if this latest bust gives us a few years' extra protection?

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by teh603

Y'know, I had it but seem to have misplaced it? I'm pretty sure I saw it in either American Rifleman or the Houston Chronicle, sometime back during the Bush jr era.

Naturally, Google turns up hunting lodges in Alaska instead of relevant court casess >.>

---.

Yes my searches came up with a few stories but no "definitive" outcome. Also in sporting magazines like Field and Stream I think.

It is not worth our time to search in detail, but I wondered if there was anything "well known."

I have carried hunters to and from their camps or even to difficult to reach perches, but never allowed them to shoot animals from the aircraft, except a few times with Wild Life types, and once an animal control officer.
I have aided in searches and rescues for people. That is far more satisfying.
Personally I no longer hunt animals except rodents or pesky varmints and mostly with traps.
When I was young I used weapons like chain guns from the craft (different from my avatar) and have some bad memories, but that is done.

Thank you for your effort.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by kiwipippa

Is this a better one? Hey, he even looks like a 1970's pop star

Yes that one's a lot better. At least he's smiling.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by silasgreenback

I'd classify it as not helping at all.

Especially with tricks like these:
http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news...cking-websites

For those that want better pics, here:
http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news...ry-cars-seized

Nice hovel he lived in.

I particularly like the story of the raid. Should make for a nice sequence in the movie version.
Maybe Borat will play him...

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

From the ANZUS treaty

Captain subtext: We (the US) are WAY bigger than any/all of you mob put together, so you better do as we say (in lieu of protection money), or else you may find yourself alone and undefended in the big Pacific (peaceful now) ocean when the yellow hordes decide to invade southwards.

Actually, NZ will be perfectly safe; what the hordes (of whatever stripe) want is Australia. Big, lightly-inhabited, lots of minerals and resources. It's the resulting flood of aussie boat-people NZ has to worry about.

(This stuff *has* been war-gamed.)

[kiwipippa]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Actually, NZ will be perfectly safe; what the hordes (of whatever stripe) want is Australia. Big, lightly-inhabited, lots of minerals and resources. It's the resulting flood of aussie boat-people NZ has to worry about.

(This stuff *has* been war-gamed.)

And Australia should be worried about the hordes of kiwis who, instead of sneaking in on leaky boats, arrive legally in commercial jets. There'll be no one left in New Zealand soon. Can't see a flood happening the other way for a while.

And for anyone interested in more details of the raid on the dotcom mansion here's a link to the NZ Herald hot off the press this morning:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10780321

[kiwipippa]

[QUOTE=fjtorres;1934244
Nice hovel he lived in.[/QUOTE]

Not a bad shack, I'd be happy with the just the pool shed.

It was built by founders of a Christmas hamper scheme.

And you beat me to the story about the raid!

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by kiwipippa

Didn't us kiwis put put a spanner in the ANZUS treaty a while ago when we refused to let nuclear subs into our harbours? Or is it still going strong?

NZ is still not allowing US warships in its harbors, and the US still doesn't like that. Although with the cold war being over, it is less of a big deal.

[Indio777]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

That's not quite how it works. DMCA takedown notices are issued for the illegally-posted copyrighted material (or the links to the material). The web site has to comply and remove the material or links.

The Megaupload case is a bit different than the scenario you describe, because part of the problem was allegedly not responding adequately to the takedown notices. There is a whole heckofalot more that was investigated as well, based on the list of charges against them.

You could not single-handedly get DropBox shut down with your hypothetical music blog.

Well, I know I could not shut down DropBox (or any other file sharing site) all by my lonesome; merely hypothetical question (and probably not a very good one).

But I wonder at what point they (the authorities) decide that a site's response to takedown notices is inadequate and take the site down. Are there any guidelines about this?

Not that I think Megaupload made a concerted effort to take down all of the copyrighted stuff they hosted.

And yes, there are lots of other charges: money-laundering, racketeering, etc. We shall see what they can make stick. I suspect a resolution will take some time. They have hired big-time lawyer Robert Bennett. Will be interesting to see what happens.

I still think the timing is a bit too much of a coincidence, given the proposed SOPA/PIPA bills. Which I am glad to say are apparently dead for the time being. I think they were poorly thought out, submitted by people who do not fully understand how the Internet works. I think there were other issues (privacy, possible censorship, etc.) that would have been involved.

[Quexos]

As opposed to freedom for big corporations to manage your life and tell you what you can and cannot have and at the price they decide ...
There's always two sides to the story, but you should know.

Originally Posted by HarryT

This would be "freedom to steal stuff", would it?