Feds shut down Megaupload

[illu]

http://techland.time.com/2012/01/19/feds-shut-down-megaupload-com-file-sharing-website/

Government these days....sigh....

[Anoleis]

I'm not surprised. I can could get Disney movies, albums, and celebrity porn tapes from it.
Edit: I don't see why people are acting like this is entirely uncalled for. If it just minor pirating, the FBI probably would have asked MU to remove the files. And knowing what's on MU, minor pirating seems very unlikely.
Edit 2:This also has nothing to do with SOPA or PIPA.

[Hanamaru Kunikida]

Bye Internet.

[SuXrys]

Im not sure if I missed it in the text or not... but did it said anything about if the site will go up again or if it's down forever?

[Ranshiin]

SOPA sucks. True story.

[SuXrys]

SOPA sucks. True story.

Let me post this again;
http://f.static.memegenerator.net/cache/instances/250x250/12/13035/13348578.jpg


Seriously; this is just becoming too much...
The only funny thing is that in swedish the word "sopa" means "trash". So true...

[Xeyuzio]

MediaFire > Megaupload

[randomusername]

Did you guys know that Chuck Norris supports SOPA, I guess we're all doomed.

[SuXrys]

Did you guys know that Chuck Norris supports SOPA, I guess we're all doomed.

Lies! Horrible horrible lies!!

[illu]

I'm not surprised. I can could get Disney movies, albums, and celebrity porn tapes from it.
Edit: I don't see why people are acting like this is entirely uncalled for. If it just minor pirating, the FBI probably would have asked MU to remove the files. And knowing what's on MU, minor pirating seems very unlikely.
Edit 2:This also has nothing to do with SOPA or PIPA.
MU is pretty good with their policies, only problem is unlike youtube or other sites, the flagged content is notified through user notifications (basically the person viewing the download has to report it in order for the link to be taken down).


Update, the executives are now arrested.
http://www.businessinsider.com/megaupload-shut-down-2012-1

Edit: Anonymous retaliates:
https://twitter.com/YourAnonNews

My gosh, it's war out there @_@

[AnimeFrost]

This has nothing to do with SOPA right?

[illu]

This has nothing to do with SOPA right?
Not exactly, but the timing of the take down was rather "coincidental". So some people would think it is about the SOPA and the SOPA Blackout that occurred yesterday.

[Xeyuzio]

Win.


In response to the United States Department of Justice shutting down the popular MEGAUPLOAD (http://megaupload.com/) website, hacktivist group Anonymous has shut down the Department of Justice website (http://justice.gov/).

I think Anonymous won the hearts of millions today.

[Gjallarhorn]

This has nothing to do with SOPA right?

No. If anything, this just demonstrates the federal government's ability to control the internet on a international scale without the need for misguided legislation like SOPA and PIPA.

I say that if we're going to shut down MegaUpload for "facilitating piracy", we should also shut down phone lines for facilitating drug deals.

[Anoleis]

Hush, children, the Frogman speaks. (http://thefrogman.me/post/16142309678/dou-you-have-an-opinion-about-the-shut-down-of)

Megaupload is one of the shadiest sites on the internet. A major source of not only pirated material, but viruses and malware. It was truly the Mos Eisley of file sharing. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. Apparently the FBI has massive evidence of wrongdoing. Not only copyright violations, but money laundering and criminal conspiracy. I know we all love having easy access to free Doctor Who episodes, but that doesn’t change the fact that they broke the law. They didn’t break it just a little. It wasn’t a moral gray area. If the law was a china shop… they were the bull. People don’t like losing this source of content, but the FBI isn’t going to just let that slide.

Emotionally I always feel bummed when the hammer comes down on file sharing sites. It is super convenient to just have a file on my computer that I can watch anytime I choose. That I can transfer to any computer without hassle. But logically I know that there is a buttload of stealing involved in all this. We don’t attach that word to it because the crimes are intangible. Just ones and zeros on a hard drive. No one is being held at gunpoint. No one is packing loot into a pillow case. We don’t wear ski masks when we click on that Sherlock link. But deep down we all know that we are in ethically murky waters.

I’m not saying that we are all criminals for participating in file sharing. It is my hope that content distributors will start to realize why people pirate. That it isn’t just because it is free. It’s also goddamned convenient. They need to accept that times have changed. We don’t want to buy their DVDs. We don’t want overpriced cable bundles with 40 channels we will never watch. Photoshop should not cost 700 goddamn dollars. We want safe, reliable content available for download instantly and priced within reason. By not providing this, distributors are almost begging people to steal their product.

Netflix, Pandora, and iTunes are proving that a la carte and subscription based media can be very successful. Yet studios refuse to allow major movies to be streamed. They are set in their ways. They spent decades building up their physical media infrastructure. They spent billions of dollars creating it. It doesn’t make sense to them that they should start abandoning their current methodology. They want us to buy their dvds, on their time table, with their fancy wasteful packaging. And maybe a year or two down the road they will allow it to be streamed on the internet.

They must also realize that piracy cannot be stopped. It can only be reduced. If they don’t start delivering content using a model that reflects current technology and demands, the piracy will only get worse. I wouldn’t be surprised if several Megaupload ripoffs arise to take its place. The FBI basically just cut the head off a hydra.

[marvel_phoenix]

Another thing we need to ask, is how much child porn gets traded back and forth on sites like that. I didn't read the article, but it would make sense if they wanted to keep that quiet. If the Feds have some sense of common sense and respect for human dignity, they would be taking advantage of tracking those inhuman monsters and where they lurk trying to find that next fix. I bet they are scrambling right now...

As for file sharing in general, I don't do much of that anymore. Free Pandora satisfies my fresh music mix. ;)

[Volta]

This is what Obama needs to do: "TAKE THIS, MY LOVE, MY ANGER AND ALL OF MY VETO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*this federal action actually has nothing to do with SOPA, but it sure as hell is inspired by it.

[SuXrys]

Another thing we need to ask, is how much child porn gets traded back and forth on sites like that. I didn't read the article, but it would make sense if they wanted to keep that quiet. If the Feds have some sense of common sense and respect for human dignity, they would be taking advantage of tracking those inhuman monsters and where they lurk trying to find that next fix. I bet they are scrambling right now...

Here in Sweden one man was sentenced because he had pictures like that on his computer. He worked as an translator, and the pictures were not even showing "real"kids, it was anime/manga and so on. Im not saying that childpornography is right, especially not [I DESPISE people with childponography.... let's just say I have my reasons...], but still I somehow think that this "hunt" is becoming way too extreme and definitely over the top.

Like for example if they now were to close down that entire page because there may be some illegal pictures on it. Then I think it would instead have been better to work "undercover" and such - instead of closing the entire thing down. Im not sure if you understand what I mean.... (?) =/



Update, the executives are now arrested.
http://www.businessinsider.com/megaupload-shut-down-2012-1

Edit: Anonymous retaliates:
https://twitter.com/YourAnonNews

My gosh, it's war out there @_@

It certainly is...


-------------------------------------
This feels like the 50's. Listen to rock&roll music and you will start taking drugs and fail in school.
Now; it's the internet that the older ones wants to take down... Don't they remember anything?

Besides, when the cassette first came peope though that it would be the end of the radio - that didn't happend / music just became bigger.
When Spotify came people started to discuss if that would end in artists not earning money - it looks like it's the opposite of that now (more people have started to listen to bands exc).


This is all just wrong ...

[animeyay]

Funny thing is, SOPA or PIPA has even been passed yet, and something like this is already happening.

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z474/xexe123/pokemon%20emotions/deinowtf.png

[ZombieWolf2508]

"YourAnonNews: ✹BREAKING✹ - MEGAUPLOAD IS BACK, NEW #MEGAUPLOAD SITE - http://megaupload.bz | #megaupload #opmegaupload"

[SuXrys]

"YourAnonNews: ✹BREAKING✹ - MEGAUPLOAD IS BACK, NEW #MEGAUPLOAD SITE - http://t.co/NaHErXj3 | #megaupload #opmegaupload"

The link isn't working. Can you post it again?

[animeyay]

"YourAnonNews: ✹BREAKING✹ - MEGAUPLOAD IS BACK, NEW #MEGAUPLOAD SITE - http://t.co/NaHErXj3 | #megaupload #opmegaupload"
http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z474/xexe123/pokemon%20emotions/breloomcomputer.jpg

[ZombieWolf2508]

Fixed it.

[SuXrys]

Fixed it.

No :(

[marvel_phoenix]

Here in Sweden one man was sentenced because he had pictures like that on his computer. He worked as an translator, and the pictures were not even showing "real"kids, it was anime/manga and so on. Im not saying that childpornography is right, especially not [I DESPISE people with childponography.... let's just say I have my reasons...], but still I somehow think that this "hunt" is becoming way too extreme and definitely over the top.

Like for example if they now were to close down that entire page because there may be some illegal pictures on it. Then I think it would instead have been better to work "undercover" and such - instead of closing the entire thing down. Im not sure if you understand what I mean.... (?) =/


Here in the States, even simulated imaging can get people into serious legal trouble/lengthy prison sentences. But then again, part of that depends upon the intentions surrounding the images. One person's hentai can be another persons child pornography, when certain contexts and intentions are applied... Hell, even Sports Illustrated and Victoria Secret mags become re-purposed in prisons and other places where images are limited. :X

More than likely, it was some sort of SOPA reasoning behind why the gov't targeted the site, but then again we don't know what all the top shares were, where they were coming from, and where all they go after that. It was just some off the wall, what if thought... I guess I'm just in denial about whether or not the sky may actually be falling...

[SuXrys]

More than likely, it was some sort of SOPA reasoning behind why the gov't targeted the site, but then again we don't know what all the top shares were, where they were coming from, and where all they go after that. It was just some off the wall, what if thought... I guess I'm just in denial about whether or not the sky may actually be falling...

Maybe, but then can't they appply that "reason" on pretty much all pages?

[-RukiaKuchiki-]

this would be my reaction if it passed and the internet was doomed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xQQm_4FdEc
plus i like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvXo4sGB7zM

[Inactive Account 0061]

America why can't we have nice things! :c

[-GAZKUL-]

apparently there's a UK version they're trying to get back online.

[RescueCat]

All this comes down to money at the end of the day.

If we weren't so money hungry, and didn't have such a money hungry government, there would be no problem with piracy. If I made a show/series/movie, I'd LIKE it to be free to view online, because at the end of the day, I'd still be making money off merch, shows (like expos and cons), and other things. I mean, if I wrote a song, I'd be happy to just make money off of the concerts.
I'd be happy to be earning just enough to live, but the billionaires who already make millions from merch and other things a week, just want more and more.

[Eris]

This is a good thing. It demonstrates that SOPA and PIPA aren't necessary to stop piracy. Megaupload was directly hosting copyright infringing files, and they damn well knew it and was making tons of money from it. In fact, I doubt as much as 10% of what they hosted was legal.

They may not have advertised it like the pirate bay (who don't actually host anything illegal themselves), but there couldn't be a more legitimate target for anti-piracy legislation than megaupload and their ilk.

[blueangel06661]

My theory is they went after megaupload to show that SOPA goes after Piracy and so the people who don't know better will think MegaUpload is just a piracy site and support SOPA/PIPA even more.

I mean seriously... While profits should not have been made off of illegal contents, they still need money to run the site/live off of as it is their job. But also, I used MU for non piracy stuff. I used it to transfer large folders too big for my flash drive from one computer to the next before I had my external.

It also fails to mention that you can UPLOAD pirated content EVERYWHERE. If you're going to go after one guy, might as well go after them all is my motto. Rather than picking and choosing, because it's rather unfair. A, B, and C are all neighbors.. A,B,C all do the same things but you search all of their houses but only arrest A because he's the "bigger guy" even though in reality they are all the same size.

It just sickens be that they arrested a guy in NEW ZEALAND!!!! I'm sorry but he's not a terrorist... There is ABSOLUTELY NO NEED FOR THE US TO CONTROL THE REST OF THE WORLD!!!!! That is completely uncalled for to go after someone and arrest them that lives in an entirely different country who didn't commit a crime in the US.

It's like they're thinking, well since we cant block the sites from inside the US... Lets get rid of them from outside the US so there's nothing to block anyways.

[Anoleis]

My theory is they went after megaupload to show that SOPA goes after Piracy and so the people who don't know better will think MegaUpload is just a piracy site and support SOPA/PIPA even more.

But, these actions were not taken in any reference to SOPA or PIPA. You've just said that the FBI executed an investigation based on legislation that hasn't been passed.


I mean seriously... While profits should not have been made off of illegal contents, they still need money to run the site/live off of as it is their job.
So, earning profits illegally is the way to go? I guess I should rob banks for a living.


It also fails to mention that you can UPLOAD pirated content EVERYWHERE.
No, it doesn't, because that's irrelevant, and that doesn't excuse MU's actions or lack therefore of.

It just sickens be that they arrested a guy in NEW ZEALAND!!!!
Would you feel better if he was arrested in Germany? They were going to arrest him, complaining that they did it in New Zealand is asinine.


It's like they're thinking, well since we cant block the sites from inside the US... Lets get rid of them from outside the US so there's nothing to block anyways.

Megaupload has servers in Virginia; it isn't outside of the US.

[SuXrys]

[You can choose english subtitle in the clip]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXbxpF41fD0&feature=related