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Megaupload.com Shut Down, Founder Charged With Piracy
zacharye writes "Federal prosecutors in Virginia have shut down notorious file-sharing site Megaupload.com and charged the service's founder with violating piracy laws. The Associated Press broke the story on Thursday, reporting that the indictment accuses Megaupload.com's owner with costing copyright holders including record labels and movie studios more than $500 million in lost revenue."
The summary doesn't mention it, but none of those indicted or arrested were U.S. citizens or had likely even ever set foot on U.S. soil. Even if you're in another country, you had better make sure you're not violating U.S. law. Here's a full list of those foreigners who foolishly thought they weren't under U.S. jurisdiction (from the DOJ website):
Kim Dotcom, aka Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor, 37, a resident of both Hong Kong and New Zealand. Dotcom founded Megaupload Limited and is the director and sole shareholder of Vestor Limited, which has been used to hold his ownership interests in the Mega-affiliated sites.
Finn Batato, 38, a citizen and resident of Germany, who is the chief marketing officer;
Julius Bencko, 35, a citizen and resident of Slovakia, who is the graphic designer;
Sven Echternach, 39, a citizen and resident of Germany, who is the head of business development;
Mathias Ortmann, 40, a citizen of Germany and resident of both Germany and Hong Kong, who is the chief technical officer, co-founder and director;
Andrus Nomm, 32, a citizen of Estonia and resident of both Turkey and Estonia, who is a software programmer and head of the development software division;
Bram van der Kolk, aka Bramos, 29, a Dutch citizen and resident of both the Netherlands and New Zealand, who oversees programming and the underlying network structure for the Mega conspiracy websites.
Dotcom, Batato, Ortmann and van der Kolk were arrested today in Auckland, New Zealand, by New Zealand authorities, who executed provisional arrest warrants requested by the United States. Bencko, Echternach and Nomm remain at large.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
You bet your ass they make sure that the lamestream media parrots those numbers as often as possible. Never mind that they've been proven, over and over again, to be utter bullshit. And notice how Chris Dodd et al keep referring to it as "theft"? Heaven forbid that CBS, or CNN suddenly grasp the real issue is an industry that is genuinely threatened by advancing technology and that industry's choice to pursue legal measures to prop up their outmoded business model instead of actually competing.
Looks strangely familiar.
In seriousness, why isn't this all over the news? Why just SOPA?
Because this just happened today. For once, /. is pretty up to date!
Do those taps run directly into the bottling plants tanks?
For about 1 bottle in 4, yes. Yes they do.
He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
Which would be fine. If it were the result of a CIVIL suit by the people who claimed to lose money and occurred AFTER they won in court.
I had files on this service and can no longer access them. This hurt more than just one guy.
That's a non-sequitur and you know it. You're not pirating "an internet". You're pirating a song or a movie or whatever.
Megaupload have no system in place to stop people uploading material they don't own. Simple as that.
There is no such system.
Simple as that.
Or, more briefly: The state already sold that rain to the water company while it was still in the air. If it falls on your land and you collect some for yourself, you are stealing water from that company.
The FBI charges cite examples where Megaupload was informed of infringing files that Megaupload did not remove.
If they can prove that, no safe harbor and Megaupload is toast.
Found an interview. Apparently Mega was looking to go head-to-head with the big record labels, and give artists 90%. And pay them for free downloads too.
It's here.
Help stamp out iliturcy.