I will defend the freedom to share but will not defend someone getting filthy rich doing it.

The free flow of information on the web must be assured and protected.This free access to knowledge might be jeopardized by the copyright claims if these new regulations got enacted.

Yes there's a huge piracy issue that might cost a lot of hard-working people a lot of money but on the other hand the copyright laws should also change to accommodate the educational purpose of the internet.If they shut down file-sharing prgrams and websites, how are we going to be able to explore the massive vaults of old music which has been out of print for eternity.This kind of music is doubtless great wealth and we as music fans certainly shouldn't take this for granted.Even if music by an old and obscure artist is still commercially available, having it available online for free only makes it easier for more people to get acquainted with it and thus purchase a cd or a vinyl record later on.So old content should be allowed to circulate freely without constraints, whereas new albums, books etc. should be fairly protected and only shared freely at the artist's discretion

Hmmm...my immediate reaction is "this sucks!" And Rapidshare would seem to be a target next. (Although how does the hosting country of origin factor into this? Copyright laws exist everywhere, although I suppose the degree to which they are enforced is dependent on the pressures within each country. And in the US, the entertainment biz aggressively looks out for itself. )

I'm not so sure the US Gov is the main culprit in all of this. They are certainly partly "to blame." But I would think that it's primarily the privately-owned entertainment companies who are kicking the boot up the rear of their lobbyists to force it to this point. Which of course then gets the attention of legislators looking to satisfy influential constituents. Unfortunately, in this case, the copyright issue makes it much more difficult to argue logicially and persuasively against the action. (Well, doesn't it? Correct me if I'm wrong on that point.) That said, I'm sure most everyone here (myself certainly included) would prefer open and free everything. Sadly, I'm not sure I've heard a good argument for why I should expect a service like MegaUpload to provide me with free content that is copyrighted.

And while I may have difficulty making a argument supporting the continuation of Megaupload and all the various material they host, I have had no qualms whatsover about going ahead and downloading copyrighted material from their site. I'm hypocritical, admittedly.

However, I have always made a distinction between "bootleg" material and "pirated" material...so I can see how you CAN make a better argument that bootlegged material should fall outside of the scope of the pirated/copyrighted stuff. As somebody noted earlier, a total shutdown is a bit like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Especially when it has seemed that Megaupload administrators took the requests to remove copyrighted material seriously and very often removed the content that was copyrighted. Sigh...

I will miss Megaupload.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-01-21 08:03 by rocker1.

Megaupload had servers in the US, so they were easy to hit. Rapidshare are based in Germany, where copyright laws are different - I believe. I think the next site to get hit will be Filesonic. Also Us based.

(L-R) Bram van der Kolk, Finn Batato, Mathias Ortmann and German national Kim Schmitz, also known as Kim Dotcom, are remanded in custody at the District Court on charges in a US copyright infringement investigation in Auckland, New Zealand, 20 January 2012.


Police in New Zealand on Friday raided several homes and businesses linked to the founder of Megaupload.com, a giant file-sharing site shut down by U.S. authorities, and seized guns, millions of dollars, and nearly $5 million in luxury cars, officials said.

Police arrested founder Kim Dotcom and three Megaupload employees Thursday on U.S. accusations that they facilitated millions of illegal downloads of films, music and other content, costing copyright holders at least $500 million in lost revenue. Extradition proceedings against them could last a year or more.


[Megaupload raided]

Sorry I missed whitem8's post below.

The New Zealand mansion rented by co-operator of the file-sharing platform Megaupload, Kim Schmitz, also known as Kim Dotcom.

More from the story:

The website allowed users to download some content for free, but made money by charging subscriptions to people who wanted access to faster download speeds or extra content. The website also sold advertising.

Megaupload was unique not only because of its massive size and the volume of downloaded content, but also because it had high-profile support from celebrities, musicians and other content producers who are most often the victims of copyright infringement and piracy. Before the website was taken down, it contained endorsements from Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys and Kanye West, among others.

The company listed Swizz Beatz, a musician who married Keys in 2010, as its CEO. He was not named in the indictment and, via a representative, declined to comment.

The five-count indictment, which alleges copyright infringement as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering and racketeering, described a site designed specifically to reward users who uploaded pirated content for sharing, and turned a blind eye to requests from copyright holders to remove copyright-protected files.

The Justice Department said it was illegal for anyone to download pirated content, but their investigation focused on the leaders of the company, not end users who may have downloaded a few movies for personal viewing.

A lawyer who represented the company in a lawsuit last year declined to comment Thursday. Efforts by the Associated Press to reach an attorney representing Dotcom were unsuccessful.

Is that a pair of giraffe's in the top left corner of the picture by the trees?

Criminy!

When did this happen?
Well I'm sure megaupload is fine right?

It's a good thing they had Kim Kardashian's endorsement. Does she actually have any intellectual property (or intellect period) to be pirated?

What are the gun laws in New Zealand anyway? Another story I read about this said they seized sawed off shotguns from the home. The U.S. gun laws are considered very lacking, but even here those are illegal. It's kind of beside the point, I was just curious.

Although the company is based in Hong Kong and Dotcom lives in New Zealand, some of the alleged pirated content was hosted on leased servers in Virginia, and that was gave U.S. prosecutors jurisdiction to act.

New Zealand police served 10 search warrants at several businesses and homes around the city of Auckland.

Police spokesman Grant Ogilvie said the seized cars include a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe worth more than $400,000 as well as several Mercedes. Two short-barreled shotguns and a number of valuable artworks were also confiscated, he added.

Pictures posted on Flickr and technology news website Gizmodo showed the haul included a 2010 Maserati and a pink Cadillac. One Mercedes had the personalized license place "MAFIA,"while another had a plated that read "CEO."

A report by New Zealand news website stuff.co.nz said Detective Inspector Grant Wormald from the Organized and Financial Crime Agency NZ (OFCANZ) gave details of the extraordinary raid, which had been planned for several months.

"Police arrived in two marked police helicopters," said Wormald, according to the website. "Despite our staff clearly identifying themselves Mr. Dotcom retreated into the house and activated a number of electronic locking mechanisms. While police neutralized these locks he then further barricaded himself into a safe room within the house which officers had to cut their way into."

Once they gained entry into this room they found Dotcom near a firearm which had the appearance of a sawed-off shotgun, Wormald said.

"It was definitely not as simple as knocking at the front door," he added.

New Zealand's Fairfax Media reported that the four defendants stood together in an Auckland courtroom in the first step of the extradition proceedings.

Two other German citizens and one Dutch citizen also were arrested and three other defendants — another German, a Slovakian and an Estonian — remain at large.

So Colonial is the mastermind behind all this?

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Here is how he stays in touch with IORR from his backseat:

Quote
sweetcharmedlife
So Colonial is the mastermind behind all this?

I heard on the news today that the mastermind build a house for 30.000.000 $ ...think I will open a server tomorrow.

Download@NICOS.com it's free for all of you.......... except you want high speed download

__________________________

Quote
The Sicilian
Is that a pair of giraffe's in the top left corner of the picture by the trees?

Holy Shit! I think you are right. You need Michael Jackson bucks to have that addition to your mansion.

Right or Wrong... what gives the authority of the US Gov't to arrest folks in a different country?

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Chris Fountain
Right or Wrong... what gives the authority of the US Gov't to arrest folks in a different country?

Bilateral extradition treaties...it says the NZ police did the arresting BTW.

If rules are needed, so be it. However, why aren't the copy right laws challeneged in China????? BTW here's the funny "commercial" song LOL

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Chris Fountain
If rules are needed, so be it. However, why aren't the copy right laws challeneged in China????? BTW here's the funny "commercial" song LOL

Cuz China has both nuclear weapons AND (probably more importantly), owns the US.

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Chris Fountain
Right or Wrong... what gives the authority of the US Gov't to arrest folks in a different country?

Oby, dat's who!

Yeah -Ron Paul is our only hope...and his chances look as bleak as the Ravens against the "Brady Bunch" LOL

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Chris Fountain
Yeah -Ron Paul is our only hope...and his chances look as bleak as the Ravens against the "Brady Bunch" LOL

Watch out...there's some little jerk in the FBI keepin' papers on you 6 feet high.

Quote
shadooby

Quote
Chris Fountain
Yeah -Ron Paul is our only hope...and his chances look as bleak as the Ravens against the "Brady Bunch" LOL

Watch out...there's some little jerk in the FBI keepin' papers on you 6 feet high.

Ron Paul won't get the nomination but he will keep runing through the Republican convetion so he can affect the agenda and poilicies o his party. I take comfort that some of his ideas may be coopted.

One of his personalised license plates shown on TV last night was STONED

London Street Kid
THE STONES RULE..OK!

Geez a Job I can do that!

What happened with the Pirate Bay court case? Isn't that the precedent here?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-01-21 13:32 by Silver Dagger.

Well ... this goes well beyond downloading content. It's really about "fair use"
of intellectual property. Some of the language contained in the bill even has
content creators withdrawing support as it may make it difficult for them to
promote themselves.

I hope those jerks rot in some prison dundgeon for stealing all they have from artists. I'm sure thjey will use stolen funds to get themselves out of this mess. Want to know where some of the money for MY songs is going...take a long look at that fat focker on the right. Let me have a couple minutes alone with that dude. I am pissed.

I mean c'mon what has any of those dudes done for this world except hand you the keys to someone else's property and told you in was OK to take what you wanted. I know music is important for us all but these guys are the anti-christ to the creative people who make the stuff. peace

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Naturalust

these guys are the anti-christ to the creative people who make the stuff. peace

Whoa

I know you're worked up but lets not give them that much credit. This bust will not cure the disease....anti******? C'mon

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NICOS

Quote
sweetcharmedlife
So Colonial is the mastermind behind all this?

I heard on the news today that the mastermind build a house for 30.000.000 $ ...think I will open a server tomorrow.

Download@NICOS.com it's free for all of you.......... except you want high speed download

He didn't build it. He was leasing to buy. It is a haunted mansion where a workman was killed during construction, and whose original owners became bankrupt.

Quote
StreetKidStonesRule
One of his personalised license plates shown on TV last night was STONED

Rumour has it he wanted STONES on his license plate but someone else had already got down on that one.

London Street Kid
THE STONES RULE..OK!

Geez a Job I can do that!