Well here we go! Megaupload has been shut down by the US Gov:

[www.cnn.com]

What are people's thoughts?

Inevitable. It got too high profile. The owner was flaunting it. And the high-profile celeb campaign pretty much drew a big fat target on its back.

Expect the other well-known ones to be taken out this year too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-01-20 08:58 by Nikolai.

It's all about money but in a way, I agree with this decision when it comes to protecting the work of the artists.
It's different when it deals with sharing files or any kind of document which has nothing to do with money. It's a pity cos you can't send big size files via email so it will be difficult or even impossible to do it.
It's a sad restriction.
So back to CD and DVD trading by the mail !

Maybe in a couple of years from now, people will find it absolutely bizarre to think about the freedom we had at the internet from 2000 to Jan 2012. Just like it now seems bizarre to smoke indoors at public places.

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Erik_Snow
Maybe in a couple of years from now, people will find it absolutely bizarre to think about the freedom we had at the internet from 2000 to Jan 2012. Just like it now seems bizarre to smoke indoors at public places.

Ain't it sad?
Interfering with people communicating among each other is in NO WAY a task for governments!
(Turning up Fingerprint File very loud now)

I've never been in favour of pirating commercial material, but this is sad news for many of our friends on Hot Stuff who have generously invested huge amounts of time and effort into uploading non-commercial stuff for all of us to enjoy. Those who claim to miss the good old days and the thrill of tracking down that one hugely expensive vinyl bootleg per year may get their wish sooner than they expect.

This kind of action, plus the SOPA and PIPA anti-piracy legislation in the USA, is likely to have a devastating effect, and not just on file-sharing sites. We have a case in the UK where a British student who ran a site from his bedroom offering links to pirated material (doing no actual piracy himself) is going to be extradited to the USA, like the Megaupload people, for trial and possible imprisonment. And all this is under the current legislation, which is said to be not powerful enough...

I think the object of the exercise is to get all file-sharing sites and all sites which link to them running scared (including this one, and goodness knows that bv is very careful not to link to any official releases). To quote one of the BBC articles on the subject, It could also encourage firms to take a "safety first" approach resulting in users being prevented from viewing legal material..

Well, it was nice while it lasted. To the best of my knowledge I have no pirate copies of anything currently officially available in the UK, but it looks as though the fine line between "unofficial" and "illegal" is going to get redrawn to be a lot more restrictive.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-01-20 10:29 by Green Lady.

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Green Lady
I think the object of the exercise is to get all file-sharing sites and all sites which link to them

That's what I'm thinking as well. I have no objections about rules and regulations that puts an end to official material - I hardly ever download official material myself; but the thing here, is that they're going to throw out the baby with the bathing water.
For instance, I'm sure they're gonna put an end to DIME and other torrent trackers, if they are able to - despite no official content being shared there. And youtube clips...and similiar sites; they'll put an end to them too, if they can

Those who claim to miss the good old days and the thrill of tracking down that one hugely expensive vinyl bootleg per year may get their wish sooner than they expect.......

....well at least new stuff trickled out when guys could sell
their rare stuff to the bootleggers for a $$$buck.....Yep things have
tightened with artists recordings etc but basically since downloads took
over it's the same old stuff recycled and anyone with rare stuff has locked it away...NO $$$ NO SHARE



ROCKMAN

We'll soon be back to trawling around record fairs and markets for elusive boot CDs and posting off "b&p" for trades!

Don't like or support this action at all. What it means for me is that I'll have to pay to get bootlegs and it also means that I won't get the chance to get music that's not availible on CD.

They made an example of Megaupload, by taking out one of the two biggest filesharers on the net. The other is Rapidshare. I suspect they'll be getting a knock on the door any time soon.

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marcovandereijk

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Erik_Snow
Maybe in a couple of years from now, people will find it absolutely bizarre to think about the freedom we had at the internet from 2000 to Jan 2012. Just like it now seems bizarre to smoke indoors at public places.

Ain't it sad?
Interfering with people communicating among each other is in NO WAY a task for governments!
(Turning up Fingerprint File very loud now)

Well, it seems that's the way it will be.

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Whale
Well, it seems that's the way it will be.

Not in a real democracy.

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

Very sad. Governments don't realize that in the end, even a lot of illegal file sharing is not harmful to anybody. We should accept a new world order where copying = evolution.

And regardless of what one thinks about illegal file sharing, the only possible means to get rid of it is complete control of the internet, like North Korea.

The upload sites is not that big a surprise, and probably not that big a deal because they will pop up in another corner. It is the concern about "foreign, rogue sites" that is sly way of introducing censorship on the Net that is of more concern IMO. That youtube is in danger.
I has drafted this big post re. SOPA/PIPA yesterday, because I was amazed that no one had mentioned it here. But I took it down because I thought BV would shut it down.

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Palace Revolution 2000
The upload sites is not that big a surprise, and probably not that big a deal because they will pop up in another corner. It is the concern about "foreign, rogue sites" that is sly way of introducing censorship on the Net that is of more concern IMO. That youtube is in danger.
I has drafted this big post re. SOPA/PIPA yesterday, because I was amazed that no one had mentioned it here. But I took it down because I thought BV would shut it down.

I agree 100 %.
Luckily, resistance against sopa has been so massive on the net that many congressmen have changed their minds. Even Obama is against the current sopa draft.

If you run a site like megaupload and are hosting copyrighted material, there is always going to be a risk of legal problems. I think it is a naive argument to claim that you don't know what material people are uploading as the owners should be diligent and protecting themselves from legal action. You would be prosecuted if try and sell bootleg Hollywood films at a market in England.

That said I don't buy the argument that the entertainment industry has lost xx millions - how can they possibly quantify their alleged loss? I think they have grossly exaggerated the effects of piracy for political reasons. If i was a judge I would want them to demonstrate how they have come to their conclusion.

It's not only about the freedom of speech, it's about BIG money. Both entertainment lobbyists and sharing sites fight over a big piece of cake they want for themselves. Sites like megaupload make big money from selling premium packages and ads, they are no Robin Hoods, believe me. Take a look at this: [jalopnik.com] and showbiz wants this cake exclusively. Both entities don't care about regular people, they care about their money. Remember it.

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Father Ted
If you run a site like megaupload and are hosting copyrighted material, there is always going to be a risk of legal problems. I think it is a naive argument to claim that you don't know what material people are uploading as the owners should be diligent and protecting themselves from legal action. You would be prosecuted if try and sell bootleg Hollywood films at a market in England.

That said I don't buy the argument that the entertainment industry has lost xx millions - how can they possibly quantify their alleged loss? I think they have grossly exaggerated the effects of piracy for political reasons. If i was a judge I would want them to demonstrate how they have come to their conclusion.

An audio of the Stones official (Audio rip of DVD) Rio 2006 was uploaded to Megaupload a few months ago, it was removed by Megaupload within days. They say they diligent in responding to complaints of copyright infringement. This example at least supports that claim.

I wonder on what basis the FBI have shut down this site given that they have yet to prove that anything illegal has taken place.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-01-20 12:25 by EddieByword.

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franzk
It's not only about the freedom of speech, it's about BIG money. Both entertainment lobbyists and sharing sites fight over a big piece of cake they want for themselves. Sites like megaupload make big money from selling premium packages and ads, they are no Robin Hoods, believe me. Take a look at this: [jalopnik.com] and showbiz wants this cake exclusively. Both entities don't care about regular people, they care about their money. Remember it.

So the government is working as an office boy for the entertainment industry now? Is that what
we need a government for?

And is there anything wrong with selling premium packages and ads?

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marcovandereijk
So the government is working as an office boy for the entertainment industry now?

The government is working as an office boy for any lobbyist group that pays a lot of money. Whether it's entertainment, pharmaceutical or oil industry. It's always been that way. Not only in the US.

there's at least a chance that hollywood is shooting itself in the foot
now, if not in the head, as the record industry did. the argument can
be made that nothing has built more buzz for movies than illegal downloading.
illegal downloading blogs have become opinion leaders and unpaid hypesters
for films that would have never caught on otherwise. hollywood
is dreaming if they think that very many at all of the people that watch
their stuff for free are gonna suddenly pay up if they can't get it for free.
no way. theyre just gonna move onto some other source of cheap thrills,
radio or tv or itunes or facebook or friends or sex or alcohol or drugs,
and suddenly movies will not be considered quite so cool or vital to see
or keep up with or talk about with your friends. actually, i think thats
already happening. movies are losing their coolness, because of how expensive
they are, and in response hollywood is about to make them that much less cool.
brilliant!

Anonymous in revenge attack for MegaUpload shutdown


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

Piratebay anyone? Weren't they "permanently" removed from the Net some time ago?

Oh wait! [thepiratebay.org]

Fight The Power.

I didn't do it Uncle Sam!!!

I also think this is a disgrace to democracy, but I have to add anybody who would put "GOD" as their license plate sorta needs to be humbled doesn't he?

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EddieByword

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Father Ted
If you run a site like megaupload and are hosting copyrighted material, there is always going to be a risk of legal problems. I think it is a naive argument to claim that you don't know what material people are uploading as the owners should be diligent and protecting themselves from legal action. You would be prosecuted if try and sell bootleg Hollywood films at a market in England.

That said I don't buy the argument that the entertainment industry has lost xx millions - how can they possibly quantify their alleged loss? I think they have grossly exaggerated the effects of piracy for political reasons. If i was a judge I would want them to demonstrate how they have come to their conclusion.

An audio of the Stones official (Audio rip of DVD) Rio 2006 was uploaded to Megaupload a few months ago, it was removed by Megaupload within days. They say they diligent in responding to complaints of copyright infringement. This example at least supports that claim.

I wonder on what basis the FBI have shut down this site given that they have yet to prove that anything illegal has taken place.

I am very surprised to read that a site can be shut down over what appear to be merely allegations of crime...no one, afaik, has been convicted of any offence.

The removal by megaupload does demonstrate some diligence but if I was out to get them, I would want to know the volumes of official material on their site that are never removed. It is always going to be the highly visible Pirate Bay type sites that attract legal hassle. I've never seen Dime a Dozen get any hassle at all, afaik.