You haven't seen the last of Megaupload!

[triassic911]

My point is that as far as any of you are concerned, MegaUpload really should be shut down.

Well just because we use it for piracy doesn't mean it should be shut down. The site was organized not even for pirated content and doesn't advertise itself as such, it's meant for online file back up and sharing.

There are probably plenty of people who keep a wealth of files not related to piracy who have lost it because of the take down. The case itself is rather stupid. Like take down the pirated content, that's what's legal and should be done, but killing an entire site whose philosophy wasn't even based on pirated content and was just abused for that? It's not only lazy but many end up suffering because of it. Not just pirates, but people who used the service for legal activity.

That's true. Other forums that host legal content have megaupload links in their old threads and it sucks having to search for alternatives.

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[machomuu]

@Janthran They've had legal threats, and I think they've been sued a couple times, but I don't know if they can take them down, I'm not sure why not, though. It may possibly be because they are officially a torrent site, and for people to rule them as illegal simply because there are torrents that may possibly be illegal and the name alone isn't enough. That's a big stretch, though.

 

[Rydian]

Why is TPB still up?

Despite what it wants to believe, the US is not the entire world. TPB's hosted in another country.

 

[Zetta_x]

This was all an elaborate plan of Kim Dotcom to become insanely popular.

 

[BORTZ]

Why is TPB still up?

Despite what it wants to believe, the US is not the entire world. TPB's hosted in another country.

wait what

 

[Rydian]

Why is TPB still up?

Despite what it wants to believe, the US is not the entire world. TPB's hosted in another country.

wait what

The US is doing lots of stuff to try to control the internet, but it can't. The Pirate Bay is in Sweden, not the US, they can't directly control it.

 

[Costello]

well-formated article moved to the homepage! thanks foxi4 ! ya

 

[The Catboy]

Why is TPB still up?

Despite what it wants to believe, the US is not the entire world. TPB's hosted in another country.

The US doesn't own the world?!?

On-topic: This just going to be like TPB. When it's all done and over with, MU will be back and the US will have wasted more of the tax payers money on a pointless case instead of wasting the money on something more meaningful.

 

[Janthran]

Why is TPB still up?

Despite what it wants to believe, the US is not the entire world. TPB's hosted in another country.

So is MegaUpload, no?

 

[Frank Cadena]

The reason that TPB is still up is because they don't personally hold any infringing material. They only provide torrent links towards computers that do. Their argument was along the line of 'Google doesn't hold any infringing material but they provide search hits towards material that do. If you guys aren't trying to bring down google and you're not asking google to police copyrighted material, what justification is there for us?' I might be misremembering and/or this is an oversimplification but I think that's why they're still up.

Also, Megaupload is not in the U.S. If I'm not mistaken their servers were hosted in Hong Kong and New Zealand.

 

[Foxi4]

The issue is not whether or not Megaupload was full of pirated content but whether or not the owners of those servers had the capacity to monitor their own resources.

Theoretically if someone uploads pirated content onto their server - it's on their server and it's their business. Practically they're offering a service and they can't exactly check what files a person puts online as they still own them, the least they deserve is privacy. Even public uploads can't be monitored due to the exact same reason.

It's like suing an owner of a hotel because some of the guests used drugs in their private rooms and holding the owner liable for facilitating drug distribution. After all, it all happened under his roof, right? Wrong - that's idiotic right there.

The only way Megaupload could actually legally check the files was when someone filled a report or demanded removal.

 

[MelodieOctavia]

My point is that as far as any of you are concerned, MegaUpload really should be shut down.

Yes, I agree. While we're at it, let's ban anything that could be used illegally. I think it would be easier to name things that wouldn't be illegal at that point.

The point is, just because something is used illegally and not for it's original intent, it doesn't mean that thing should be illegal. That kind of logic is a dangerous, slippery slope for obvious reasons.

 

[shakirmoledina]

they didnt have anything on them from the very beginning. they were following the law and the law has holes so they took advantage like remove copyright when u see or are told about it.
there are some sites that are more clumsy like one sends me emails about when the server is down and all. Once they showed me their download speed of 10MBps that is impressive but they were downloading a skidrow game thru idm. now thts wrong.

IMO the govt guys knew this wasnt going well so they had to act quickly before anything can be done. typical.

 

[FireGrey]

Kim Dotcom (is that seriously his legal last name?) has kinda become a "martyr" of sorts to internet pirates and it kinda annoys me. I do think the case is bullshit though.

It was originally Kim Schmitz if I recall.

strange thing to change your last name to dotcom just cause you own one of the most popular internet sites.

 

[triassic911]

The issue is not whether or not Megaupload was full of pirated content but whether or not the owners of those servers had the capacity to monitor their own resources.

Theoretically if someone uploads pirated content onto their server - it's on their server and it's their business. Practically they're offering a service and they can't exactly check what files a person puts online as they still own them, the least they deserve is privacy. Even public uploads can't be monitored due to the exact same reason.

It's like suing an owner of a hotel because some of the guests used drugs in their private rooms and holding the owner liable for facilitating drug distribution. After all, it all happened under his roof, right? Wrong - that's idiotic right there.

The only way Megaupload could actually legally check the files was when someone filled a report or demanded removal.

I'd agree with anything to get megaupload back up... so many files gone...

 

[Foxi4]

Errata, the news post had to be edited. I mistakenly wrote that Dotcom has been extradited, this is not the case. The documents are supposed to help his legal team in preventing that in the pending extradition trial. Sorry if it caused any confusion.

 

[The Milkman]

I'm sorry, but if anyone had just taken a couple seconds to change all those, .iso, .nds, .exe, and .apks to .txt I'm pretty sure MU would still be up running. Also how the hell does the FBI shut down an INTERNATIONAL site?!

EDIT: I have thought it over, I'm pretty sure they can legally shut down the server since it was in the US but the actual site cant be touched. That's why the domain is still up.

 

[r3gR3t]

*snip* Also how the hell does the FBI shut down an INTERNATIONAL site?!

Yeah, I've been wondering the same thing since the whole shutdown stuff started. Does anyone know what stupid argument the FBI used??

 

[VMM]

The issue is not whether or not Megaupload was full of pirated content but whether or not the owners of those servers had the capacity to monitor their own resources.

Theoretically if someone uploads pirated content onto their server - it's on their server and it's their business. Practically they're offering a service and they can't exactly check what files a person puts online as they still own them, the least they deserve is privacy. Even public uploads can't be monitored due to the exact same reason.

It's like suing an owner of a hotel because some of the guests used drugs in their private rooms and holding the owner liable for facilitating drug distribution. After all, it all happened under his roof, right? Wrong - that's idiotic right there.

The only way Megaupload could actually legally check the files was when someone filled a report or demanded removal.

*snip* Also how the hell does the FBI shut down an INTERNATIONAL site?!

Yeah, I've been wondering the same thing since the whole shutdown stuff started. Does anyone know what stupid argument the FBI used??

The problem is, many music studios and video studios from USA seen that they were losing money due to piracy, and Megaupload was one of the most used sites for piracy.
Even if they provide a free service, they are infriging copyrights, of USA enterprises, so the hotel comparison is not valid.

If you commit a crime in other country, you will be penalized by the laws of that country.
With this, it's the same, they are chained to USA laws.

The thing is, they used a lot of holes in USA law, making their service legal, USA can't arrest them or stop their service.


TPB is a different case, it's situaded in Swedden, and the normal laws doesn't work correcty there.
In Swedden, their banks do the money laundering, this is a crime in almost every country,
but they use that autonomy, so nobody can intervene in their business

USA usually ignore this right of the country's autonomy and invade them, and intervene in their politics, economy and culture, just to get their petroleum.
They don't have the right to do that, but there is noone that stand against USA.

 

[Foxi4]

The problem is, many music studios and video studios from USA seen that they were losing money due to piracy, and Megaupload was one of the most used sites for piracy.
Even if they provide a free service, they are infriging copyrights, of USA enterprises, so the hotel comparison is not valid.

No they're not and yes it is. If I bury some illegal explosives in your backyard, can the F.B.I bust your a*s for terrorist activity? No, because it's not your damned explosives, they're just in your backyard because someone put them without your knowledge or consent.

If you commit a crime in other country, you will be penalized by the laws of that country.
With this, it's the same, they are chained to USA laws.

Firstly, it's not certain whether they commited a crime or not. Secondly, it's not as simple as you think it is. Thirdly, why are you saying that the crime was commited in the USA when it's an internet crime with no specified location? Are you trying to say that the crime was simultainously commited *gasp* ALL AROUND THE WORLD? What a devilish masterplan that must've been!

The thing is, they used a lot of holes in USA law, making their service legal, USA can't arrest them or stop their service.

Except they had them arrested and stopped their service. An entirely legal service at that - simple file hosting.

I'll tell you how it REALLY works - the USA as per usual feels like they're the no.1 World's Police Officer and it's their duty to stand guard over things they don't own. Period. There's nothing more to add here.

TPB is a different case, it's situaded in Swedden, and the normal laws doesn't work correcty there.

You just said that Megaupload commited a crime in the USA by being on the internet, didn't you? The servers weren't in the US. Where was the crime commited, make up your mind.

In Swedden, their banks do the money laundering, this is a crime in almost every country,

...and I heard that ogres make bread out of human bones!

but they use that autonomy, so nobody can intervene in their business

It's called internal politics. They don't have to rely on the U.S government, they're not a state in the U.S.

USA usually ignore this right of the country's autonomy and invade them, and intervene in their politics, economy and culture, just to get their petroleum.
They don't have the right to do that, but there is noone that stand against USA.

The U.S shoots itself in the foot quite efficiently, soon you won't be able to afford your happy escapades anymore, at least not as easily.