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RIAA, MPAA Recruit MasterCard As Internet Police

An anonymous reader writes "Two weeks ago, MasterCard felt the wrath of Anonymous Operation Payback-style DDoS attacks after refusing to process payments that were intended to fund WikiLeaks, the website which began leaking confidential US diplomatic cables last month. Now, the company is preparing to head down another controversial path by pledging to deny transactions which support websites that host pirated movies, music, games, or other copyrighted content. MasterCard lobbyists have also been in talks with entertainment industry trade groups, including the RIAA and the MPAA, and have made it clear that the company will support the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), sources close to the talks have said."

2 of 421 comments (clear)

  1. Re:So the question is... by Korin43 · · Score: 5, Informative

    What does this really mean?

    It means that the banks are deciding what's illegal now. The government either doesn't have the authority (not this country) or a real reason to shut them down, so now the banks are doing it for them. Justice is served?

  2. Re:most of the PAY warez sites seems to seen scams by sonamchauhan · · Score: 4, Informative

    For all that (rather tortured) explanation, one simple fact remains: knowledge does not always imply guilt.

    People can have friends who experienced the field firsthand (he could be a teen), or they be a researcher in that field (he could be working for the Business Software Alliance), or they could simply be (inaccurately) extrapolating from what he's heard.