RIP Megaupload and filesonic

[neodraconum]

RIP Megaupload
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-01-19/megaupload-feds-shutdown/52678528/1

Megaupload's shutdown is just the beginning of what the government will do in the name of anti-piracy.

[Saruwatari Kooji]

Is it just me or does this strike anyone else as very similar to the whole Napster deal?

Aside from that, apparently MegaUpload has some ideas for letting the MPAA and RIAA utilize their services for content distribution and have tried talking to them about it several times. I'm not surprised that they didn't go for it...

[Sonic Offline]

They got shut down because they knowingly and willingly infringed copyright to make a profit, not because "they hosted it."

IMO they deserved to be shut down.

[javecantrell]

Dropbox and Gmail make profits as well, and both have been used for piracy. Just like any other file sharing medium, much of the content was legit, and the people at the head were directly involved with the music business, and the service had support from some artists in particular.

[trezoid]

javecantrell

Dropbox and Gmail make profits as well, and both have been used for piracy. Just like any other file sharing medium, much of the content was legit, and the people at the head were directly involved with the music business, and the service had support from some artists in particular.

The core staff were actively uploading pirated content. That puts them outside DMCA safe harbors.

[psychic stalker]

Sonic Offline

They got shut down because they knowingly and willingly infringed copyright to make a profit, not because "they hosted it."

IMO they deserved to be shut down.

The legal arguments used to authorize shutting it down would also shut down everything from Dropbox to Google Music in one fell swoop.

Regardless of what Megaupload is guilty of, this action potentially affects every service in the US.

[birdman3131]

psychic stalker

Sonic Offline

They got shut down because they knowingly and willingly infringed copyright to make a profit, not because "they hosted it."

IMO they deserved to be shut down.

The legal arguments used to authorize shutting it down would also shut down everything from Dropbox to Google Music in one fell swoop.

Regardless of what Megaupload is guilty of, this action potentially affects every service in the US.

Only in the US? They did not seem to be in the US.

[psychic stalker]

birdman3131

psychic stalker

Sonic Offline

They got shut down because they knowingly and willingly infringed copyright to make a profit, not because "they hosted it."

IMO they deserved to be shut down.

The legal arguments used to authorize shutting it down would also shut down everything from Dropbox to Google Music in one fell swoop.

Regardless of what Megaupload is guilty of, this action potentially affects every service in the US.

Only in the US? They did not seem to be in the US.

No, not only the US. I'm trying to convey the breadth of the impact. No service is safe, even if they comply with the DMCA.

[javecantrell]

trezoid

The core staff were actively uploading pirated content. That puts them outside DMCA safe harbors.

Which core staff? If they're not on the short list of company heads, it's meaningless. From all the reports I've seen the lower level employees who were watching traffic knew what was being done, that doesn't mean they reported it upstream. Almost everyone I know that works at Microsoft knows that their software is trash too, but that doesn't mean Steve Ballmer has a clue (I don't know that he doesn't though). But again the most important thing is that it sets horrible precedents.

[psychic stalker]

javecantrell

trezoid

The core staff were actively uploading pirated content. That puts them outside DMCA safe harbors.

Which core staff? If they're not on the short list of company heads, it's meaningless. From all the reports I've seen the lower level employees who were watching traffic knew what was being done, that doesn't mean they reported it upstream. Almost everyone I know that works at Microsoft knows that their software is trash too, but that doesn't mean Steve Ballmer has a clue (I don't know that he doesn't though). But again the most important thing is that it sets horrible precedents.

The DOJ presented convincing evidence that their higher-level staff were uploading files. At least, convincing enough to sway the Federal Judge.

It's irrelevant, though, due to the consequences of their more shaky evidence.

[javecantrell]

psychic stalker

It's irrelevant, though, due to the consequences of their more shaky evidence.

I agree that it's irrelevant, but honestly I'd say that given the overwhelming presence of piracy in every day people, you could probably find company executives in any company "infringing" and if they offer a file sharing service, to be doing it along that. Practically every employer I've ever worked for and every company my friends work for, no matter how professional, have been ok with piracy.

And as a long time pirate, I'll tell you straight up, the scene has no need for sites that respect copyright take downs and produce dead links with pay models and inferior download/upload speeds, so even if you're the most severe anti-piracy advocate, at best you're attacking a symptom, not a cause, and in doing so, you're legitimizing the damage of numerous services that you take for granted.

[neodraconum]

another one bites the dust.
filesonic also became neutered with it's filesharing capabilities, it can only be used as a personal backup. So no sharing family/vacation photos/videos with other family members.

[trezoid]

neodraconum

another one bites the dust.
filesonic also became neutered with it's filesharing capabilities, it can only be used as a personal backup. So no sharing family/vacation photos/videos with other family members.

If a service has any doubt whether they're being used for piracy (and filesonic is) shutting down sharing (even if it's temporary) is probably a wise move until they can be absolutely sure.

The megaupload situation has shown other file hosts that the US isn't messing around and are going to play absolutely hardball. Inconveniencing a few customers is much better then getting jail time or massive fines.

[javecantrell]

trezoid

If a service has any doubt whether they're being used for piracy (and filesonic is) shutting down sharing (even if it's temporary) is probably a wise move until they can be absolutely sure.

The megaupload situation has shown other file hosts that the US isn't messing around and are going to play absolutely hardball. Inconveniencing a few customers is much better then getting jail time or massive fines.

You're right. Dropbox should just cancel filesharing capabilities. And email attachments are so 1990 anyway. We should probably toss usb disks while we're at it, and I heard pirates in china are using DVDs, nobody ever liked that technology anyway. I mean if it can be used for piracy who needs it, ******** let's just drop the internet.

[trezoid]

javecantrell

trezoid

If a service has any doubt whether they're being used for piracy (and filesonic is) shutting down sharing (even if it's temporary) is probably a wise move until they can be absolutely sure.

The megaupload situation has shown other file hosts that the US isn't messing around and are going to play absolutely hardball. Inconveniencing a few customers is much better then getting jail time or massive fines.

You're right. Dropbox should just cancel filesharing capabilities. And email attachments are so 1990 anyway. We should probably toss usb disks while we're at it, and I heard pirates in china are using DVDs, nobody ever liked that technology anyway. I mean if it can be used for piracy who needs it, ******** let's just drop the internet.

Because a website where the first page of results (on duckduckgo) for the name of the website contains links to copyright infringing material is absolutely in exactly the same position as one where the first page contains information about the service.