RIP Megaupload

Some attourney may rip the numbers out of context and push Megaupload off of the cliff faster

Someone had better be organizing a class action suit of paying users who uploaded non-infringing materials unless the authorities promise to give that all back, subscription money and data.

^ Yeah, that's already happening.

Megaupload Founder Kim Dotcom: “We’re Going To Win”

Let's all root for him. If there's a signature for his case, I'll sign it online

On the one hand they had some really really great stuff and after it was closed down I come across things that I would really like to get that is no longer available.

On the other hand simply by hosting copyright material they were breaking the law, and especially if they were going to do the other things, don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

If they knew it was happening I could see it as a problem, but we also have to factor in that if there are millions of users some stuff is going to get by.

It's the same with government, if you know it's happening and let it happen anyways that corruption or at least neglect.

But if you are trying your best to stop it and do stop it when you can we really can't fault them unless we also fault every cop who doesn't catch that robber and fault the government while we are at it.

As I understand it, hosting copyrighted material is not a crime by itself. Failing to take it out after being notified is. By your logic, they should close out You Tube as well.

And come to think of it, that's what some opponents of SOPA claimed would happen - if you're caught with such material, entire site gets shut down.

I'm really hoping Megaupload would win and send a message across.

This entire copyright equals distibution definition bullshit mentality needs to stop. Period. You Tube or not, you dont need its closure to paint the stark picture such as SOPA

Just simply imagine. If law starts to require you to be content owners just so you can use Internet, by then it'd just become Commercial Net. If law starts to restrict everything in the name of patents. If law starts to force all network adapters to pass through highly scrutinable and prosecutable protocol formats. If law sends Firemen to use napalm to burn your computer and use brain probes to erase copyrighted memories.

Everything worse starts with something bad. Before it gets worse we have to stop the wrong context form becoming legal

ITT: Paranoia. Think you might be being a bit hyperbolic here.

Considering that I've seen several bills being established since 1999 that slowly removes internet rights from users, my fear of the influencing government taking our inch of inaction with a mile into our deserved rights, is completely justified

Well, Kim Dotcom gives a TV interview where he insists that the charges against him are a joke. Weird!

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120302/01273817941/kim-dotcom-gives-tv-interview-where-he-insists-charges-against-him-are-joke.shtml

Most of the charges against him are a bit strange.

Strange charges for a strange man? *cheesy smile*

And here's some interesting news

http://www.deadline.com/2012/03/megaupload-asset-seizure-null-and-void/

It seems that the warrent used to seize Kim's assets is null and void so he might get back his cars and money,etc. One would think for such a high profile bust, they wouldn't make any mistakes.

Guess the FBI got too trigger-happy with their arrest warrant.

Now ADMIT that the server take down should be null and void too, DOJ and FBI! Megaupload has implemented mechanism that guarantees DMCA file removal, so there!

The mistake seems to have largely been on the New Zealander's part, since they're the ones that did the actual arresting. It even says so in the article. The FBI can't really oversee how the New Zealand police conducts their arrests. (Though this doesn't exactly say anything good about the efficiency and attention to protocol on the part of the New Zealanders.)

As for the server take down; given the information they had it was both legitimate and understandable with the information they had. It's not like they're going to make it stay shut down now, or prevent the guy from making a new site if that's what he wants to do.

Also, good luck in getting any government to admit to anything in a case like this. That's just a waste of time.

WELL

This is the same industry that sued VCR makers for Copyright violations...

They are a bunch of morons....

If the court (a part of the government) rules that Megaupload is innocent, it won't matter whether FBI admits or not.

edited 19th Mar '12 3:23:20 PM by abstractematics

I've read several cases where the final reading had the court or whatever not admitting any fault at all, while finding someone innocent. That's a different topic, though. I'm just pointing out to Cassie that expecting or demanding a formal apology (especially on a website it is highly unlikely any of the parties involved visit) is a waste of time.

But yeah, it's the final result of finding them innocent or guilty (innocent in this case) that really matters and is what people will remember.

What surprises me about the Megaupload case is

That instead of going at him blue collar style, i.e, having an army of lawyers with a policemen at his doorstep and taking him to the tribunal...

They went at him as if he were a drug lord... SWAT and helicopters included...

edited 19th Mar '12 5:33:28 PM by Baff

Baff: hey, copyrighted material is the cocaine of the new millenium.

Actually now that you mention it...

If the corporations get their way and file sharing is criminalized then yea... Your probably gonna get a lot of servers mysteriously appear in South American Mountainous countries and secretive Caribbean islands...