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Justice Dept. Raids Homes of File Swappers

Cryofan writes "Reuters is reporting that the Justice Dept. has raided the homes of 5 people in several states for trading music on p2p networks. The traders were, however, not arrested. 'P2P does not stand for 'permission to pilfer,' Ashcroft said. The Reuters story says that the 5 'were people operating hubs in a file-sharing network based on Direct Connect software,' and who had provided between 'one and 100 gigabytes of material to trade, or up to 250,000 songs.' 'They are clearly directing and operating an enterprise which countenances illegal activity and makes as a condition of membership the willingness to make available material to be stolen,' said Ashcroft."

11 of 1,173 comments (clear)

  1. Terminology by adamscottphotos · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Each of the five hubs contained 40 petabytes of data, the equivalent of 60,000 movies or 10.5 million songs, Ashcroft said.

    Umm... Pentabytes? Come on.. who has a friggin PENTABYTE??

    --
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    1. Re:Terminology by IAEBG · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      We *really* need to vote this guys boss out of office. How is this even the business of the gov't?

  2. idiots by weenis · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    ur supposed to just leech off other peoples servers, dont host in the US!

  3. Long live Pope Ashcroft by Izago909 · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    I'm so relieved that even though I live in an era with constant threats such as domestic terrorism, senatorial flight risks, the patriot act, the induce act, and non-Christian "citizens" running amok, that Pope Ashcroft can see through the unholy mess and guide our nation in the direction it needs. "Need not you worry", he said to his congregation of corporate leaders and wealthy elite, "For I, a federal chair, shall perform all of your duties in this civil matter." Praise Jesus that in these treacherous times a man of a singular holy vision shall unite American corporations with its 228 year old government to make the most self-righteous, most capitalistic, most federally pervasive and invasive political embodiment in all of recorded human history.

    For more interesting reading on Ashcroft and his fight for the status-quo and his battles against individuality, please visit the following links:
    BBC Profile
    Rotten.com
    Eldred v. Ashcroft
    Extreme Ashcroft
    Ashcroft's Detention Camps
    Some guys blog

  4. Re:Doesn't the DOJ have better things to do... by AtariKee · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Nice strawman there, AC. Typical of someone with no refutation of the facts. The cartels are doing just fine with their lawsuits against sharers. This move just shows that, with a few dollars in the right place, government can be bought. It's called Corporatism, or, in it's classical sense, Fascism.

    --
    "You're getting brutal, Sark. Brutal and needlessly sadistic."
    "Thank you, Master Control"
    -Sark and the MCP
  5. Re:No, but... by MrMastadon · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    To furthur your stupid little analogy, you still pick up the fucking laundry dont you? Or do you go the the surgery naked?

  6. Re:No, but... by g0qi · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    1. Get heart surgery done.

    and 2. Pick up laundry.

    I tend to prioritize the first one.


    The key is prioritize.

    Just because you have something to do outside the country doesn't imply you allow rampant lawlessness within. The next time your house gets burgled, you wouldn't want the feds saying "uhh, but all our folks are fightin' Al-Sadr's men."

    It all depends on your definition of "theft" when it comes to music. The Bush administration is obviously wooing the RIAA, with the election coming up and all.

    --
    Yea. I know.
  7. Re:Doesn't the DOJ have better things to do... by Izago909 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Did you pay attention in history class? Or are our high schools failing us...?
    Of course our schools are failing us.... Bush is in office after all. Why do people insist on arguing trivial things like this instead of more important topics? The DoJ is just as guilty. By doing this, they are saying that there was noting more worthwhile to spend resources on.

  8. Does it matter? No. by ThreeE · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Does it really matter? Even if they only had one file, they are still lowly theives.

  9. Re:Does it matter? No. by ThreeE · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    er, they are lowly thieves too.

  10. Re:Doesn't the DOJ have better things to do... by dasmegabyte · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Jaysus, yet another fucking "Digital Property Is Somehow Different" troll.

    Yes, downloading a digital file is different from stealing a CD. And grifting an old woman out of her pension funds is different from punching her in the stomach and taking it. And shooting a man in the neck is quite different from paying somebody else to do it.

    But that doesn't make it right. It doesn't absolve the criminal. And as much as you want to quibble about infringement not being theft, it appears that a lot of people disagree with you. Not all of these people have anything to do with the RIAA. I don't have anything to do with the RIAA, but I think it takes major hubris to say there's nothing ethically wrong with casual copyright infrinigement just because there's no money involved.

    Oh, and just to put that definitional quibble to rest: "to steal" is defined as "to take or appropriate without right or leave and with intent to keep or make use of wrongfully." To appropriate without right with intent to make use of wrongfully. That sounds EXACTLY like copyright infringement. And since "theft" is "the act of stealing," it certainly does apply here. Maybe you don't want people to use the word theft because it makes casual copyright infringement sound bad. Maybe that's because it IS bad, and you don't want to admit it because it's so fun and so easy.

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