Man faces 5 years in jail for linking to Fox News videos

[qh4dotcom]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/10/new-york-man-faces-five-years-in-jail-for-linking-to-online-videos/

Fox News is mentioned in the criminal complaint


the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is claiming that merely linking to copyrighted material is a crime.


"Under that sort of thinking, everyone who's sent around a link to a copyrighted YouTube video is a criminal,"

[QueenB4Liberty]

So we should all be in jail? There aren't enough prisons.

[t0rnado]

For this and several other reasons, the thousands of dollars I spend on web hosting will never go to US businesses.

[Dr.3D]

And busting people for linking to copyrighted material, involved the Department of Homeland Security? How does it come across their desk?

From what I'm pulling out of this is that the DHS is trying to control how the internet is used. If they can bust a guy for this, then they had better go around to all of the search engines that bring up links to copyrighted material. I've seen may links on youtube that won't play without actually running them from youtube. I would seem if an entity doesn't want his material to run from a link, he should just make it play only on youtube. If he doesn't want it on youtube, he should talk to youtube about that.

This looks to me like it has nothing to do with copyright violation and more like the DHS trying to find a way to control people.

[Deinonychus]

Really?!

This is just fucking stupid.

[sailingaway]

This is insane. What are they going to do about fair use?

[Bern]

See signature.

[Matt Collins]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_linking

http://www.eff.org/issues/bloggers/legal/liability/IP

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archive

http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2000/03/35306

http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2002/04/51887

[Matt Collins]

I used to watch ChannelSurfing.net quite a bit while working on Rand's campaign. We had no TVs in the office, and when I was on the phone I'd switch over to watch updates on the election.

[Expatriate]

So what they're going after this guy for is making money from ad revenue while linking to copyrighted material... Doesn't Google, Yahoo etc. do exactly the same thing?

[Live_Free_Or_Die]

Let me know where that imaginary line in the sand is that you think you believe in and I can show where it has been crossed...

[qh4dotcom]

So what they're going after this guy for is making money from ad revenue while linking to copyrighted material... Doesn't Google, Yahoo etc. do exactly the same thing?

Of course

[nayjevin]

So we should all be in jail? There aren't enough prisons.

No silly, laws aren't made to be enforced uniformly. ;)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_linking

http://www.eff.org/issues/bloggers/legal/liability/IP

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archive

http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2000/03/35306

http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2002/04/51887

Love EFF thanks for the links

[Matt Collins]

Love EFF thanks for the linksEFF is like the ACLU for the Web. Sometimes good, sometimes not.

[heavenlyboy34]

die, IP laws! :P

[AZKing]

For this and several other reasons, the thousands of dollars I spend on web hosting will never go to US businesses.

You can't really put blame on the hosting companies though.

[qh4dotcom]

You can't really put blame on the hosting companies though. If I receive a written request from a law enforcement agency requesting information about a client/shutting down a client (and I have before), and I don't comply, they WILL go in and take ALL of my equipment. It doesn't matter if the servers they take are part of the issue, they'll take it all anyway.

You own a hosting company? You do have a point.

[AZKing]

You own a hosting company? You do have a point.

Law enforcement has no respect for business' rights. They don't care; they can take your property so they do.

Thankfully, most matters in the hosting business aren't handled by law enforcement. Most rational people will just contact the abuse department of a hosting company asking to have the copyright materials removed.

[Philhelm]

So we should all be in jail? There aren't enough prisons.

That's not the point, nor do they intend to arrest everyone. The point is that they can arrest anyone.

[Philhelm]

Let me know where that imaginary line in the sand is that you think you believe in and I can show where it has been crossed...

I can't count that high...

[HOLLYWOOD]

And busting people for linking to copyrighted material, involved the Department of Homeland Security? How does it come across their desk?

From what I'm pulling out of this is that the DHS is trying to control how the internet is used. If they can bust a guy for this, then they had better go around to all of the search engines that bring up links to copyrighted material. I've seen may links on youtube that won't play without actually running them from youtube. I would seem if an entity doesn't want his material to run from a link, he should just make it play only on youtube. If he doesn't want it on youtube, he should talk to youtube about that.

This looks to me like it has nothing to do with copyright violation and more like the DHS trying to find a way to control people.This is about control. Control of the state which is a Corpro-Fascist state. This is to allow the state to pick and choose who breaks the laws but large corporations and their spying on Americans/activities are exempt from such laws (Google, Yahoo, MS, etc)

The Peasants will be held accountable, while the state and corporations control the revenues. DHS was designed to protect corporate profits and interests, which DHS is part of the largest corporation in the nation. They also have the power to pick and choose anything they wish, because this government basically owns you. It appears we own nothing, we just "lease" it's usage of property.

[furface]

Government bureaucracies are very dangerous organizations. People were getting tired of Homeland Security playing around with color coded alerts, so now they have to find some other reason to justify their salaries and pensions. Society would be better of if we just paid these people to stay home.

Having said that, however, if you read the complaint, it's more than just linking to sites like Youtube and Fox News. It was indexing links to pirated material like pay per view sporting events. I'm not sure if it will set any precedence to prosecute this case. If I tell people where to pick up stolen goods, am I culpable? Legally, I don't know.

[kpitcher]

I'm waiting for anonymous or other groups to start a linking program for the comment section on any major media website.

[RonPaulRocksMyWorld]

The companies and governments trying to protect IP are fighting a losing battle. Many companies will bankrupt themselves in the attempt to protect themselves from the evil pirates. If they were smart they would find ways to profit by giving their material away like all these evil websites are doing.

[Brian4Liberty]

And busting people for linking to copyrighted material, involved the Department of Homeland Security? How does it come across their desk?


It appears that "Homeland Security" is performing the task of enforcer for the NFL and other pay per view sporting events. HS is another government department that can be cut from the budget. They are obviously are not performing any tasks related to "Homeland Security". The taxpayers do not need to be subsidizing the NFL or some Boxing promoters in Vegas. Corporatism at it's finest (or shall we say ugliest?).


The special agent detailed 17 copyrighted sports programs he was able to watch when he "clicked on links" at channelsurfing.net.

[AGRP]

I'm waiting for anonymous or other groups to start a linking program for the comment section on any major media website.


Every major media website uses stories/links from the AP as their major source of material.

They'll never go after the MSM for doing the same thing because their goal is to fight for the MSM.

[daviddee]

...

[qh4dotcom]

Law enforcement's worst nightmare is a hosting company with tons of cash, their own facility, and a complete disregard for "authority". They knew when something was being sent to us that it was not going to be a "We love law enforcement, how much info do you need?"


Wow...thanks for standing up for your customers

[anaconda]

This is the police state trying to finalize its grid.

[Reason]

wtf