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TVShack Creator's US Extradition Approved
chrb writes "British student Richard O'Dwyer, creator of the TVShack website, has had his extradition to the United States approved by Conservative Home Secretary Theresa May. Mr. O'Dwyer now has 14 days to appeal the decision. The extradition was requested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which has accused O'Dwyer of aiding copyright infringement by publishing links to pirated content hosted on external sites."
I'm more afraid of the US government than I am of any terrorists.
Why isn't the U.S. on the Enemies of the Internet 'under surveillance' list? Russia and Australia and the UK are there, but the U.S. isn't? It makes no logical sense.
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
So, what this guy did is not a crime in the UK, but because it is in the US he is being sent to stand trial there. Basically, UK citizens are subject to US law (albeit it can only be selectively applied).
Something to worry about for everyone in a country that has an extradition treaty with US.
It does seem odd I agree.
The UK a year or so back signed a bizarre extradition treaty with the US a year or two back that allowed exactly this kind of thing.
US really does want to police the world... and tax the world too- and the two things (tax, extradition) and probably linked. US expects citizens to pay taxes to the US government... even if they don't live there. If you live in Denmark, for example, but are a US citizen- the US expects you to pay income taxes to them as well as Denmark. (they have treaties with many countries which mean lower-paid paid people don't get double-taxed- it's mainly the rich they're trying to get).
And... get this... if you renounce your citizenship- you can still be extradited for tax evasion because they can change you with renouncing your citizenship to avoid paying taxes.
The next step of course is the US will start granting citizenship to random rich foreigners (who didn't ask for it) to get income tax from them.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Bribes are illegal, that is why they are campaign contributions.
He will be charged with everything they can think of. Made up stuff, real stuff from jaywalking to treason.
He will be facing 300 years possible sentence if convicted of even half of it.
He will be facing a 5 years incarceration just waiting for a trial.
They will offer a plea deal: plead to being a bad boy and you can go home tomorrow, wear a radio on your ankle for a year and that's it.
He will do the deal.
The US will get a conviction, which they will trumpet from the rooftops. They will have a precedent that they covet, and anyone running any similar operation will pretty well have to stop it, lest they meet with a much worse fate.
The American's, no doubt, believe they are doing this fella a favour, since their first instinct was to scoop him up into a black helicopter, or even just nuke him remotely while he rides his bike to school.
And all was sorta OK until the regulations were relaxed. NOT a coincidence.
"... so I can't throw my vote away on some guy who believes in what I believe because then the "other party" will get in, and they don't agree with some diversive issue!"
"There are two parties: the Stupid Party and the Evil Party. Once in a while, they get together and do something that is both Stupid and Evil. This is called 'bipartisanism'." -- Thomas E. Woods.