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Two Arrests In Denmark For Spreading Information About Popcorn Time

Posted by Soulskill on from the don't-think-the-words-popcorn-and-time-consecutively dept.

An anonymous reader writes: You may recall Popcorn Time, the software that integrated torrents with a streaming media player. It fell afoul of the law quite quickly, but survived and stabilized. Now, out of Denmark comes news that two men operating websites related to Popcorn Time have been arrested, and their sites have been shut down. It's notable because the sites were informational resources, explaining how to use the software. They did not link to any copyright-infringing material, they were not involved with development of Popcorn Time or any of its forks, and they didn't host the software. "Both men stand accused of distributing knowledge and guides on how to obtain illegal content online and are reported to have confessed."

6 of 244 comments (clear)

  1. Thoughtcrime! by asimons04 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Next, we should go after the language teachers because they facilitate this illegal behavior by teaching people how to read and write. If that doesn't make sense, then you are much smarter than these authority figures because that has about as much to do with committing a crime as what these people have done.

    1. Re: Thoughtcrime! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Comparing copyright infringement to murder for hire. You're the moron.

    2. Re:Thoughtcrime! by s.petry · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The original reference to teachers was not comparable either.

      It was not supposed to be comparable, it was supposed to demonstrate the dangers of prosecuting people for non-crimes based on what someone speculates as intent.

      Copyright issues isn't as damaging to society as say a web sites that enables access to drug dealers.

      That may be true, but you are also incorrectly attempting to equate apples to orangutans. These guys were not publishing maps to drug dealers, and even if they were that would not be illegal (at least in the US). Arrest records are public information which would give someone enough to know where to buy drugs. While it may seem sleezy to publish such a map, it certainly would not be illegal. These guys were only publishing information, not providing the tools to use the information with.

      Since you can not make a fair comparison either, how about I give you one? "The Anarchists Cookbook" is not illegal to possess and not illegal to purchase (again, at least in the US). That book contains information on how to do illegal things too, and nobody is going to jail over that book.

      An even better comparison may be to a crime novel. There is lots of information in those about how to break the law. Are those illegal also? How about a book that shows the parts of a Machine gun, are those now illegal because anyone can go to a URL and read how to take one apart and put it together? Machine guns are illegal right?

      My advice to anybody is to avoid getting involved in enabling illegal activities or be willing to accept possible consequences.

      My advice to you is to learn some history and stop defending non-event prosecution. Perhaps then you would realize how dangerous the process you are backing really is. Immunity for people who think they are in the club generally does not last very long. Chinese and Russian history is full of examples.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

  2. Is there a law? by captnjohnny1618 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Against this:

    "Both men stand accused of distributing knowledge and guides on how to obtain illegal content online and are reported to have confessed."

    ?

    If there is, then they are probably in violation. But aren't there other resources on how to do illegal things that don't get shut down? Plenty of folks have written about how to get onto Silk Road and buy drugs and yet we haven't seen those sites disappear... curious. Just goes to show they don't care about whether its illegal or not, only if it *slightly* affects their bottom line. But we all knew that already, didn't we?

    1. Re:Is there a law? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In order to exceed the speed limit follow these steps...

      1. Turn on your car
      2. Put your car in a drive gear.
      3. Depress the accelerator pedal until the speedometer shows a value higher than the posted speed limit. (Try to avoid obstacles.)

      I'm off to the police station to confess. Bye /.

  3. Re:stop them ! by Nidi62 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Popcorn Time steals from the lives of the people who created this content. Those who aid and abet thieves should get put away. I realize this forum exists solely to promote ripping off GoT episodes, but, come ON. Wake up people.

    You just provided information regarding the types of shows available on Popcorn Time. Now they are going to arrest you too.

    --
    The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil