Homeland Security Seizes Dozens of Piracy Websites

[Mr. Grey]

So can they block this site because the users use images in their avatars that are copyrighted?

I don't believe so, The Escapist isn't making money specifically from it and neither is the user. I don't see any harm - as arguably as it may be - coming to the company or people who made the particular event for the avatar. It's not the whole movie, game, etc. I also don't see it being sold, if it's being sold by its original creator or new owner and you stole it, then yeah, that's a problem.

Basically, if you can't get it any other way than purchasing it and you have it without doing so and the site helped you acquire it thusly, then they'll come and shut down the website in question. That's if this doesn't turn into the FCC... Again, that's if I understand correctly.

[sub]Which doesn't matter for me, I'm pretty sure I fall into parody and thus am protected. Heck, I even direct people to the comic when asked where it came from.[/sub]

 

[Grimrider6]

NOOOOO WHY GOD WHY.

its a sad day when greedy becomes law

How are they being greedy? they are stopping something that most people with half a brainstem know is bad.

If everyone downloaded illegally, the music/movie and even game industry would crumble.

...crumble like the overgrown, overbloated behemoth it is. To be replaced by a leaner, more efficient, more modern, and more adaptable industry that has the potential to be more fair and beneficial to the consumer.

Remember, sometimes a forest fire is good for the long term growth of the forest.

 

[dochmbi]

These seizures are completely meaningless, since the most imporant and most popular piracy website is located outsides US borders. If anything it will drive more people to use that site and concentrate piracy in one place.

 

[vxicepickxv]

Pirate Bay is still running, so I fail to see what this accomplished.

Pirate bay has survived so many attempts to take it down that it's just getting silly.
But the idea that ISP's would have to block it for everyone... that may work.

Only if this new act passes and you try to directly access a site like this directly from a US ISP. If you use one of several dozen workarounds, you shouldn't have a problem.

If the new law limiting US access to the ban list is updated, I'll be stalled somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes from finding a foreign pirating site.

 

[uppitycracker]

At first they'll claim they're trying to stop piracy, then they'll start shutting down sites critical of the government.
Doesn't take long to abuse powers.

this, exactly. it's not very unusual for the US government to abuse the fuck out of laws passed for good reason. you think it's to protect the common interest (which in reality, it's only there to protect the major corporations that hardly want that extra dime anyway, despite the claim that it's there for the independent struggling artists), but it'll just turn into another way for the government to maintain that control over us and further remove our freedoms. but for the vast majority of these forums, i suppose ignorance is bliss....

 

[AstylahAthrys]

Piracy is bad and I avoid it, but I don't think that this will do all too much in the long run. People will be confused on where to download from for a bit, but otherwise I don't think too much will be done.

 

[TheArma]

Department For Homeland Security. Piracy. I fail to see the connect.

It's a slippery slope you're on my American friends.

 

[Booze Zombie]

And then they'll be held to account to Congress or the Supreme Court. Checks a and Balances are the one saving grace of your political structure, in my opinion. Be glad you have them.

I'm in Wales, just in case you believe me to be American.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Homeland Security: THIS IS A GRATE DAE FOR ANTIPIRACY!
Pirates plan:
1. Set up a (dozen) new site(s)
2. start pirating again
3. ?????
4. PROFIT!!!!

God I love that meme

 

[mindlesspuppet]

Wow.... there's so many anti-piracy cheerleaders on these forums, it's kind of strange. Though, they don't seem to be very informed on the issue at all. "It's bad because it's illegal".

Probably the same crowd that believes marijuana makes you want to kill your parents.

 

[TheEvilCheese]

ACTA. If you haven't heard of it, look it up because it is rather frightening.

Also OH NOES! THEY SHUT DOWN DOZENS OF PIRATING WEBSITES?! THAT ONLY LEAVES 34 MILLION MORE.

Really though, fighting piracy is a worthless venture, it will continue to thrive as long as the internet exists, and even if you get rid of the current internet and force us all to use heavily monitored, privately controlled, wired connections people will still create underground wireless ones.

They would be better off figuring out some way to use piracy to their benefit. Just like they'd be better off selling weed rather then wasting billions of dollars and ruining lives fighting a substance that is less dangerous then beer.

*Hi-Five*
Pretty much exactly what I was thinking, the simplicity of setting up a new torrent sharing site means that torrents shall forever be search-able.
When I read this my first thought was: "Isn't this just ACTA in action?"

 

[FinalHeart95]

Can they do that? I mean, what about all of the non-Americans that go to those sites? Hell, what if non-Americans OWN those sites?
Not that it really helps much anyway. There are probably new piracy websites popping up every minute.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Sometimes I love this site.

NEWS: The Government is cracking down on things which are illegal

THIS SITE: NOO! The government are Nazis and we must have our illegal dowloads for various philosophical reasons I will argue about until I am blue in the face!

Now excuse me, I just have to go and murder a hooker after sleeping with her while mainlining heroine, I hope my philosophical debate on the nature of true freedom holds up in court.

 

[Woodsey]

Sad day

Piracy is Bad!

OT: Other than piracy being a crime and all, how did the ICE - Homeland Security Investigations get all these powers?

And was it only sites registered in the US?

you got your video deactivated by youtube or the WMG or some lobby... but i know how this video goes, and i thank you for it.

They disabled embedding, that's all.

 

[zombie711]

I dont see why people are sad about things like this. now some people will have to buy what they want or crowd up another pirate site which willlead to its demise

 

[-Samurai-]

IF YOU PIRATE MUSIC THE TERRORISTS WIN

YOU WOULDN'T DOWNLOAD A CAR!
[small]The hell I wouldn't...[/small]

Sorry, I just had to comment on your post because I'm probably one of the few people that will get it.

 

[Harley Duke]

I hate this idea, but I think it would at least be a good replacement for DRM schemes.

Since DRM by definition makes anything you add it to PROVABLY worse, I think I'd feel better about all of this "copyright protection" nonsense if we just came out and said what it really was.

Regulations like this cannot stop piracy, and that's because they were never meant to. DRM software doesn't stop piracy either: too many eager coders working their way around it, and DRM schemes are usually poorly put together and paper-thin at best. What DRM is meant to do is prevent secondhand sales (which they are also not that good at, but they're doing something).

Just like this little action by ol' Uncle Sam -- the only reason a nation's government should give a damn about copyright protection is because they're accepting money from the copyright holders. They doing it to protect someone else's pocketbook, and as long as people are greedy, shit like this will continue to happen.

That being said, I think this is only going to bring about an advent of new and more interesting piracy sites. It's too easy to just make another one, especially since they don't need to be too terribly complicated to work.

 

[Uber Waddles]

Sometimes I love this site.

NEWS: The Government is cracking down on things which are illegal

THIS SITE: NOO! The government are Nazis and we must have our illegal dowloads for various philosophical reasons I will argue about until I am blue in the face!

Now excuse me, I just have to go and murder a hooker after sleeping with her while mainlining heroine, I hope my philosophical debate on the nature of true freedom holds up in court.

Not a piracy matter for me, more of a Government control thing. They gave themselves NO stipulations with what could be considered "intent towards piracy". And if you give the government a taste of power, there going to want more.

Sites like YouTube could find themselves in danger. And forcing people ISPs to block websites? Thats a slippery slope my friend. Suppose someone posts a video with a government backlash on it. That Miley Cyrus video Mileysbiggestfan18 uploaded is Copyrighted, TAKE IT DOWN. But wait, she shared it on Facebook too. Take that down as well.

I hate Piracy. But this stretches FAR beyond piracy; its about power and our rights. Its a scary thought to think a the government wants the power to do this, and words it so almost ANYTHING thats convenient will fall under their power.

 

[Worgen]

Well this is amusing ^_^

70 sites in one week? if they keep this up their wont be anywhere to download free stuffs, which I'm glad about.

I think this is appropriate

better version
it is creepy when homeland security starts pulling stuff down