ICE Domain Seizures Even More Dubious Than First Appeared

[Kludge]

"The details of Homeland Security's domain name seizures keeps looking more and more questionable. Early on, people were scratching their heads over the seizure of torrent-finder.com, which was a pure search engine, but the deeper that people are looking into the domains involving copyright claims (many of the seized domains were apparently about trademark/counterfeiting rather than copyright), the more questionable the whole situation looks. Torrent-finder was just the start. Two more of the seized sites, RapGodfathers and OnSmash are popular hip hop blogs. In fact, both sites note that labels and artists regularly send them their own music, and both sites note that they comply with the DMCA in taking down files based on takedown notices. Even more damning, top artists like Kanye West clearly appreciate sites like this. Just a few weeks ago, Kanye West linked to OnSmash via his Twitter feed.

It really looks like Homeland Security/ICE may have seriously screwed up here. Whether or not seizing domains in general like this is even legal is an open legal question -- and blatantly seizing domains with tons of legit content that the industry and artists regularly used themselves seems like a test case the government doesn't want just waiting to happen."

More @ http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101130/00245312049/if-newly-seized-domains-were-purely-dedicated-to-infringement-why-was-kanye-west-using-one.shtml

[oyarde]

What would immigration want with a domain ?

[tangent4ronpaul]

What would immigration want with a domain ?

Customs...

-t

[oyarde]

Customs...

-t

I am feeling a little slow today , please explain .

[Thomas]

what bill just passed that allowed them to do this?

[tangent4ronpaul]

I am feeling a little slow today , please explain .

Immigration and Customs Enforcement ie: ICE is part of DHS, they control what people and goods cross our boarders. They have expanded that to include digital data.

-t

[Jordan]

what bill just passed that allowed them to do this?

Bureaucracies do not need the approval of no stinkin' laws, ya hear?

[oyarde]

Immigration and Customs Enforcement ie: ICE is part of DHS, they control what people and goods cross our boarders. They have expanded that to include digital data.

-t

I understand that . What is the beef with this digital data ?

[Dr.3D]

I understand that . What is the beef with this digital data ?

Maybe it could have government secrets hidden in it. :confused:

[oyarde]

Maybe it could have government secrets hidden in it. :confused:

Maybe that is it ....

[tangent4ronpaul]

I understand that . What is the beef with this digital data ?

It's crossing the boarder, and you know could be a bootleg Lady Gaga CD or something so needs to be searched and stopped (u know - censorship) if appropriate...

-t

[oyarde]

It's crossing the boarder, and you know could be a bootleg Lady Gaga CD or something so needs to be searched and stopped (u know - censorship) if appropriate...

-t

LOL at the Lady Gaga thing .

[UtahApocalypse]

Amazing they can shut some music sites but can't do anything to a site publishing "national secrets"

[tangent4ronpaul]

Amazing they can shut some music sites but can't do anything to a site publishing "national secrets"

I think all the sites that got their DNS names stolen were in the US. Not positive.

-t

[cindy25]

what bill just passed that allowed them to do this?

passed only by the dirty dozen in the senate injustice committee.
Ron Wyden blocked bill in whole senate

[tangent4ronpaul]

passed only by the dirty dozen in the senate injustice committee.
Ron Wyden blocked bill in whole senate

Yeah - some DoJ guy was saying a regulation allows them to do it, based on a law from 2004 or something.

Basically, they want to do anything they want and will twist the law to let them do it.

-t