FBI shuts down MegaUpload, one of world’s largest file-sharing sites, seven arrested

[sluggo]

Sorry if this has already been posted.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052970204616504577171060611948408-lMyQjAxMTAyMDEwOTExNDkyWj.html?mod=wsj_share_email


WASHINGTON--The Federal Bureau of Investigation moved against a group of suspected online pirates Thursday, targeting the popular file-sharing website megaupload.com a day after Washington lawmakers were besieged by complaints about legislation designed to crack down on the online sharing of pirated copies of music, movies and other material, people familiar with the matter said.

Investigators said there was no connection between arrests in their two-year investigation and the political firestorm that erupted this week over a pending vote on the Stop Online Piracy Act.



Evidently, four of the people arrested are in New Zealand.

[AngryCanadian]

Wow this will backfire on the FBI:mad:

[noneedtoaggress]

S O P A
USG came for me to-day.
In a no-knock-raid.

Mega-police-state.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A!!!!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A!!!!

N D A A
USG came for me to-day.
I got no trial.

Mega-police-state.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Wvn-9BXVc

[hardrightedge]

icefilms...nooooooo!!!

[TheBlackPeterSchiff]

Anonymous took down the DOJ website in response lol

[noneedtoaggress]

Anonymous took down the DOJ website in response lol

first article i saw about it:
http://rt.com/usa/news/anonymous-doj-universal-sopa-235/

[cstarace]

Anonymous took down the DOJ website in response lol
Also took down the Recording Industry Association of America website and Universal Music Group website.

[BSU kid]

Since when does the United States have authority over a Hong Kong based company, and New Zealand citizens? Global Police state!!

[slamhead]

http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/VSy8Ui-KrhM/

[Jovan Galtic]

*Finn Batato, 38, a citizen and resident of Germany, chief marketing officer.
*Julius Bencko, 35, a citizen and resident of Slovakia, graphic designer.
*Sven Echternach, 39, a citizen and resident of Germany, head of business development.
*Mathias Ortmann, 40, a citizen of Germany and resident of both Germany and Hong Kong, chief technical officer co-founder and director.
*Andrus Nomm, 32, a citizen of Estonia and resident of both Turkey and Estonia, software programmer.
*Bram van der Kolk, aka Bramos, 29, a Dutch citizen and resident of both the Netherlands and New Zealand, programmer.

What the heck are designers and programmers guilty of!?

[Lothario]

I love the threat of anonymous.

[Ninja Homer]

Well that explains why icefilms wasn't working today. I guess the crime is "facilitating copyright infringement"? That's like a gun manufacturer "facilitating murder". It's a load of crap. I bet megaupload will move to new servers, new domain names, and be up and running again within a couple weeks.

[TheBlackPeterSchiff]

What the heck are designers and programmers guilty of!?

Says they are looking at 20 years too. Wow.

[dannno]

Says they are looking at 20 years too. Wow.

Wow, all for a victimless crime..

http://www.megaleecher.net/uploads/piracy-is-theft.jpg

[brandon]

Wait, since when can the FBI arrest foreigners in foreign countries for "crimes" committed outside of US jurisdiction and prosecute them under American Criminal Law? Or am I misreading this? Wtf is going on?

[RonPaulFanInGA]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/apnewsbreak-workers-indicted-at-one-of-worlds-largest-file-sharing-sites-megauploadcom/2012/01/19/gIQAJPIRBQ_story.html


McLEAN, Va. — One of the world’s largest file-sharing sites was shut down Thursday, and its founder and several company executives were charged with violating piracy laws, federal prosecutors said.

An indictment accuses Megaupload.com of costing copyright holders more than $500 million in lost revenue from pirated films and other content. The indictment was unsealed one day after websites including Wikipedia and Craigslist shut down in protest of two congressional proposals intended to thwart online piracy.

[NoPants]

I find pirated copies of my work on that site all the time. I've probably had tens of thousands of illegal downloads of my stuff from just that one site. It was always frustrating how slowly they would remove files after you sent the proper DMCA form. Other sites will take the file down within hours of getting the DMCA, but not that site.

[AGRP]

Sharing: BAD

Stealing money via income/property/etc taxes: GOOD

[kah13176]

I find pirated copies of my work on that site all the time. I've probably had tens of thousands of illegal downloads of my stuff from just that one site. It was always frustrating how slowly they would remove files after you sent the proper DMCA form. Other sites will take the file down within hours of getting the DMCA, but not that site.

Trying to stop "illegal" filesharing on the internet is like trying to save a sinking ship with a seive. To do it successfully requires a police state.

[Jovan Galtic]

Online piracy from China and elsewhere is a massive problem for the media industry, one that costs as much as $250 billion per year and costs the industry 750,000 jobs, according to a 2008 statement by Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/01/19/feds-shut-down-file-sharing-website/#ixzz1jwmDQGBK

Complete b/s... People who watch things online wouldn't buy their CDs and DVDs anyway.

[thoughtomator]

A war has erupted on the net... UMG, MPAA, RIAA and other major industry sites are down, more are being attacked

US Department of Justice site is down too... this is for real

[angelatc]

Copyright.gov is down .

Looks like the government will need to take over the internet to stop these cyber-terrorists.

[thoughtomator]

They're targeting FBI.gov as we speak... it's still up at the moment.

[AGRP]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_S5cXbXe-4&feature=related

[Ninja Homer]

Wait, since when can the FBI arrest foreigners in foreign countries for "crimes" committed outside of US jurisdiction and prosecute them under American Criminal Law? Or am I misreading this? Wtf is going on?

Sorry World, you're all now under the jurisdiction of the US Federal Government.

[Lishy]

Wait, since when can the FBI arrest foreigners in foreign countries for "crimes" committed outside of US jurisdiction and prosecute them under American Criminal Law? Or am I misreading this? Wtf is going on?
This. As a Canadian, let me share that the Pirate Party of Canada is VERY worried!

Also, I am a doujin circle leader, and we use Megaupload to transfer big files, NONE in which are illegal! (Though we've also hosted a patch for Kai music in Higurashi's Question Arcs of the VN)

The US government is out of control. It's Ron Paul, or nothing! If Ron Paul isn't president, we're going to see a lot of rebellion within the U.S. by our own military and CIA. That is my own prediction.

Additionally, Megaupload followed the DMCA laws, and removed copyrighted work when notified. What the FBI did is illegal! The ONLY reason they have any advantage in court is because they have 100 prosecutes who will rephrase the same bullshit in different ways. But the truth is the truth.

They are flexing for DOPA and PIPA.

[Kylie]

See? This would be why I've always had Anon as a front, in the back of my mind. This shit is too covenient just to be happenstance. I can totally see this whole thing being one big false flag.

They are setting us up the bomb. In hopes of "All your base are belong to us".

[cindy25]

why are these sites still using dot.com? they should have common sense to have non-USA domain names.

[Marenco]

It's for your protection....
http://vator.tv/images/attachments/170309210852agents_matrix.jpg

[onlyrp]

Sorry World, you're all now under the jurisdiction of the US Federal Government.

given what Ron Paul campaign did today to the user on youtube, and people here defending it, I'm not sure what this means anymore.

[heavenlyboy34]

Wow, all for a victimless crime..

http://www.megaleecher.net/uploads/piracy-is-theft.jpg
Exactly right. Sadly, there are even otherwise intelligent people on these forums and in the broader liberty movement who don't get it. :(

[onlyrp]

Wow, all for a victimless crime..

http://www.megaleecher.net/uploads/piracy-is-theft.jpg

is counterfeiting and impersonation a victimless crime?

you know what's SO ironic? Ron Paul's campaign is suing somebody over a youtube video!
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120119/01493317470/what-is-ron-paul-thinking-sues-to-unmask-anonymous-internet-users.shtml

[cindy25]

http://megavideo.bz/

This is the NEW MEGAUPLOAD SITE! we are working to be back full again



Bookmark the site and share the new address in facebook and twitter!

[cindy25]

this was so obviously an attempt by Obama to please his Hollywood fundraisers

if Hollywood had its way there would be no TV, no VHS players, no DVD players. they have fought innovation every step of the way. you don't see Bollywood or Korea or Canada so nuts about copyright.

If I watch a Canadian TV series (most are on youtube because CTV is not paranoid) how does that hurt CTV?

if someone in Bulgaria watches USA TV how does that hurt NBC?

[The Free Hornet]

is counterfeiting and impersonation a victimless crime?

Huh? If counterfeiting (not money), only if the buyer doesn't know they are getting a knock off. "Impersonation", does not come into play here although some might consider issues like libel, defamation, and slander as cousins of IP law.


you know what's SO ironic? Ron Paul's campaign is suing somebody over a youtube video!
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120119/01493317470/what-is-ron-paul-thinking-sues-to-unmask-anonymous-internet-users.shtml

How is this ironic?

A) AFAIK, Ron Paul does not have a strong pro-IP or con-IP position. I would assume he is a Constitutionalist in this regard and more in line with the founders' modest vision (and trepidation regarding IP).

B) This is FILE-SHARING not defamation/slander/libel.

It might be ironic how few people know what irony is but you could throw me in that group too.

[wgadget]

Oh, crap. Does that mean we have to watch CNN and FOX News again?

[jmdrake]

S O P A
USG came for me to-day.
In a no-knock-raid.

Mega-police-state.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A!!!!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A!!!!

N D A A
USG came for me to-day.
I got no trial.

Mega-police-state.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Wvn-9BXVc

LOL. I was just about to post the Megaupload song. Your parody is catchy though.

[jmdrake]

is counterfeiting and impersonation a victimless crime?

you know what's SO ironic? Ron Paul's campaign is suing somebody over a youtube video!
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120119/01493317470/what-is-ron-paul-thinking-sues-to-unmask-anonymous-internet-users.shtml

Slander is not a victimless crime. And it's not the same as a copyright violation.

Edit: That said, I think it's a waste of resources to go after some anonymous YouTuber on this since Huntsman's already dropped out. The time and energy should be spent on producing a commercial about how Ron really respects the sanctity of marriage and has always been faithful to his wife and couldn't conceive of wanting to be with another woman. (Obvious slap at Gingrich).

[onlyrp]

Slander is not a victimless crime. And it's not the same as a copyright violation.

Edit: That said, I think it's a waste of resources to go after some anonymous YouTuber on this since Huntsman's already dropped out. The time and energy should be spent on producing a commercial about how Ron really respects the sanctity of marriage and has always been faithful to his wife and couldn't conceive of wanting to be with another woman. (Obvious slap at Gingrich).

I agree slander is not victimless, and I agree the lawsuit is really a waste of time.

[onlyrp]

Huh? If counterfeiting (not money), only if the buyer doesn't know they are getting a knock off. "Impersonation", does not come into play here although some might consider issues like libel, defamation, and slander as cousins of IP law.

How is this ironic?

A) AFAIK, Ron Paul does not have a strong pro-IP or con-IP position. I would assume he is a Constitutionalist in this regard and more in line with the founders' modest vision (and trepidation regarding IP).

B) This is FILE-SHARING not defamation/slander/libel.

It might be ironic how few people know what irony is but you could throw me in that group too.

Ok, let's be specific here. Are you OK with the US Treasury, or Federal Reserve printing more of the same money? Is that a "victimless crime" is anybody who recieves it under the illusion it is or is not "knock off"?

Impersonation, counterfeit and piracy all have something in common, it's a copy of information for the purpose of using something that you originally did not have, either an identity, monetary instrument, or a recording of sound, video, painting. All of them decrease the value and integrity of the original bearer's possession.

Ron Paul doesn't have an official IP position, but he has a free speech, privacy, and anti-internet regulation position, but his campaign is now suing to find out who the video uploader is, something he'd never want happen to his supporters or campaign.

[jkr]

It's for your protection....
http://vator.tv/images/attachments/170309210852agents_matrix.jpg
what are you going to say, if you are not able to...SPEAK?:eek:

[onlyrp]

this was so obviously an attempt by Obama to please his Hollywood fundraisers

if Hollywood had its way there would be no TV, no VHS players, no DVD players. they have fought innovation every step of the way. you don't see Bollywood or Korea or Canada so nuts about copyright.

If I watch a Canadian TV series (most are on youtube because CTV is not paranoid) how does that hurt CTV?

if someone in Bulgaria watches USA TV how does that hurt NBC?

If I use a copy of your identity to shop for porn, or say things you wouldn't say, how does that hurt you?
(that's exactly what Paul's campaign is suing for in a youtube video lawsuit against user NHliberty4Paul)
If I use copies of your currency to buy what I want, how does that hurt you?
(that's what people are complaining about here, why they hate inflation and printing money)

When you watch pirated videos, you hurt the copyright owner either by not paying, or by not watching the commercials that pay for distribution. Yes, distribution has become very cheap, which is why many companies , especially TV shows, have provided free legal streaming, so they can compete with pirates. I believe that's the best solution, to compete with unauthorized competitors and make their operations less profitable.

[onlyrp]

what are you going to say, if you are not able to...SPEAK?:eek:

Tell me Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call, if you can't speak?

[jkr]

Tell me Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call, if you can't speak?

thank you! i h8 misquoting the matrix!

[CaptainAmerica]

I read somewhere that Obama issued executive order because SOPA didn't pass.

[specsaregood]

//

[Dr_SCN]

If I use a copy of your identity to shop for porn, or say things you wouldn't say, how does that hurt you?
(that's exactly what Paul's campaign is suing for in a youtube video lawsuit against user NHliberty4Paul)
If I use copies of your currency to buy what I want, how does that hurt you?
(that's what people are complaining about here, why they hate inflation and printing money)

When you watch pirated videos, you hurt the copyright owner either by not paying, or by not watching the commercials that pay for distribution. Yes, distribution has become very cheap, which is why many companies , especially TV shows, have provided free legal streaming, so they can compete with pirates. I believe that's the best solution, to compete with unauthorized competitors and make their operations less profitable.

People who are downloading pirated movies/games are stealing. I don't agree with the way that these laws are put together (I haven't read them, bug supposedly they lack oversight and the government can shut whatever it wants down), but at the same time it seems obvious to me that something was going to have to be done sooner or later. It's insane that you meet almost more people who have watched a movie that is in theaters for free from home than have actually gone to the movies. That's theft, not freedom of speech.

[dillo]

If I buy a cd, lose it and then pirate it am I a thief?

[Lishy]

I think we should do nothing at all. Companies are responsible for their products, NOT governments!

[onlyrp]

http://cryptome.org/2012-info/megaupload/0051.htm

fat kid is Kim Dotcom
http://cryptome.org/2012-info/megaupload/pict73.jpg

http://cryptome.org/2012-info/megaupload/pict72.jpg

http://cryptome.org/2012-info/megaupload/pict77.jpg

http://cryptome.org/2012-info/megaupload/pict76.jpg

[jmdrake]

And what if it turns out it was produced by somebody affiliated with a different campaign? (romney, newt, santorum). Or even something like redstate...


Hmmmm....didn't think of that. Good point. I think it was most likely the Huntsman campaign, but it could have been a double false flag.



False choice. I doubt the people spending any time and energy on the youtube subpoena are the same people that would produce such a commercial.


Okay. I'm going off the assumption that whoever is filing this isn't working for free. If they're not then the money being used could have been spent on someone who could be producing said commercial. If they are then bless em.



Question for you though, the information the campaign subpoenaed, will that information automatically be public record? Or is it disclosed privately to the campaign then they can decide whether to followup on it?

It depends. Court filings and orders are typically public. But they can be sealed (to protect a minor for instance). I suppose the campaign could request private disclosure. I'm not sure how that might work.

[Kluge]

When are we getting some type of wry smile emoticon which isn't a wink?

http://i.imgur.com/CeHsJ.png

[Dsylexic]

how does the FBI have jurisdiction over people in NZ? i think Ron is wrong -it is the UN that should get out of the US

[squarepusher]

Was this the real reason why Megaupload was closed down?
(https://plus.google.com/u/0/111314089359991626869/posts/HQJxDRiwAWq)
(https://plus.google.com/u/0/111314089359991626869/posts/HQJxDRiwAWq) http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/otpbu/was_this_the_real_reason_why_megaupload_was/

Shauna Myers (https://plus.google.com/u/0/111314089359991626869) - Yesterday 2:30 PM (edited) (https://plus.google.com/u/0/111314089359991626869/posts/HQJxDRiwAWq) - Public
Why was MegaUpload really shut down?

In December of 2011, just weeks before the takedown, Digital Music News reported on something new that the creators of #Megaupload (https://plus.google.com/u/0/s/%23Megaupload) were about to unroll. Something that would rock the music industry to its core. (http://goo.gl/A7wUZ)

I present to you... MegaBox. MegaBox was going to be an alternative music store that was entirely cloud-based and offered artists a better money-making opportunity than they would get with any record label.

"UMG knows that we are going to compete with them via our own music venture called Megabox.com, a site that will soon allow artists to sell their creations directly to consumers while allowing artists to keep 90 percent of earnings," MegaUpload founder Kim 'Dotcom' Schmitz told Torrentfreak

Not only did they plan on allowing artists to keep 90% of their earnings on songs that they sold, they wanted to pay them for songs they let users download for free.

"We have a solution called the Megakey that will allow artists to earn income from users who download music for free," Dotcom outlined. "Yes that's right, we will pay artists even for free downloads. The Megakey business model has been tested with over a million users and it works."

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lvRJ-m69eb8/Tx3esIrtTLI/AAAAAAAABx8/pOOiGSOMn6Y/w400/megaupload.png

[keh10]

Has anyone visited megaupload lately. The FBI has seized the domain and left this in its place.


http://www.ronpaulforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1213&d=1327819074

[dillo]

Was this the real reason why Megaupload was closed down?
(https://plus.google.com/u/0/111314089359991626869/posts/HQJxDRiwAWq)
(https://plus.google.com/u/0/111314089359991626869/posts/HQJxDRiwAWq) http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/otpbu/was_this_the_real_reason_why_megaupload_was/

Shauna Myers (https://plus.google.com/u/0/111314089359991626869) - Yesterday 2:30 PM (edited) (https://plus.google.com/u/0/111314089359991626869/posts/HQJxDRiwAWq) - Public
Why was MegaUpload really shut down?

In December of 2011, just weeks before the takedown, Digital Music News reported on something new that the creators of #Megaupload (https://plus.google.com/u/0/s/%23Megaupload) were about to unroll. Something that would rock the music industry to its core. (http://goo.gl/A7wUZ)

I present to you... MegaBox. MegaBox was going to be an alternative music store that was entirely cloud-based and offered artists a better money-making opportunity than they would get with any record label.

"UMG knows that we are going to compete with them via our own music venture called Megabox.com, a site that will soon allow artists to sell their creations directly to consumers while allowing artists to keep 90 percent of earnings," MegaUpload founder Kim 'Dotcom' Schmitz told Torrentfreak

Not only did they plan on allowing artists to keep 90% of their earnings on songs that they sold, they wanted to pay them for songs they let users download for free.

"We have a solution called the Megakey that will allow artists to earn income from users who download music for free," Dotcom outlined. "Yes that's right, we will pay artists even for free downloads. The Megakey business model has been tested with over a million users and it works."

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lvRJ-m69eb8/Tx3esIrtTLI/AAAAAAAABx8/pOOiGSOMn6Y/w400/megaupload.png

Big Brother Knows Best