[UPDATE] Feds Take Down Megaupload

[JoaoJatoba]

just HOW does the US have jurisdiction outside their country?
as far as I know the internet has no leader/owner meaning nobody has jurisdiction on it (except for admins).
it,s like the Dutch government catching Texans for owning weapons.

Since most of the infrastructure of the internet passes through USA they can block out data traffic, but the content will not be erased in its source.

the thing is the US government also caught people from outside the US that British guy and somebody from New Zealand they also took down servers outside the US.

Extradition treaties... When a foreign is at some country and his homeland request him for some crime, this country may (I said MAY) arrest him and send him home. And there's other international law that apply to the case. It's not at all illegal... but it's sure as hell uncalled for...

 

[Robert Ewing]

Megaupload is based in Hong Kong.

Most of it's founders are from New Zealand are they not? In fact, that is irrelevant, most have no affiliation with the US. (Not sure if that is right, but I might of heard that somewhere.)

So Why? Why are the feds taking it down? WHY? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

 

[MattAn24]

But copying a file that you have on your pc is not illegal.
And people dont always have to buy their own stuff, otherwise i wouldve read a lot fewer books, cause who buys all that stuff. Why cant people trade among themselves?
Oh and i dont mean to justify piracy, but rather the freedom of information. The problem is at the copying part, not the distributing part, so it makes no sense to regulate the latter.

Anonymus is not allowed to break into peoples websites, they do that without any legal basis. Theyre just vigilantes, or want to be.

I'm glad we agree on the Anonymous part at least..

But yes, copying and sharing with LOCAL FRIENDS is fine, we do that with a physical products all the time. But uploading it *for free* on the internet, where literally anyone can simply say "Well fuck paying for it when it's free!" completely at the detriment of the original creator.

TV shows are a different story. Example: Doctor Who doesn't air in Canada? Awesome, that's a legitimate reason to have someone record it for you from another country. Nerdist TV special only airs on BBC America (and not any other BBC?) Awesome, I even believe Chris Hardwick himself has said that if you're international, he wants them to see it too, it's just sucky that it's exclusive to American TV. But there are ways that THE TV NETWORKS can do this for people. Hell, letting us buy it from iTunes would be a start! Not just supplying it to the AMERICAN iTunes..

Games are a *completely* different story. Developers never deserve to have their work pirated. It's a creative work, it's intended to be *purchased*. Yes, games in general could be cheaper, but it's not excuse for piracy.

 

[chadachada123]

But copying a file that you have on your pc is not illegal.
And people dont always have to buy their own stuff, otherwise i wouldve read a lot fewer books, cause who buys all that stuff. Why cant people trade among themselves?
Oh and i dont mean to justify piracy, but rather the freedom of information. The problem is at the copying part, not the distributing part, so it makes no sense to regulate the latter.

Anonymus is not allowed to break into peoples websites, they do that without any legal basis. Theyre just vigilantes, or want to be.

I'm glad we agree on the Anonymous part at least..

But yes, copying and sharing with LOCAL FRIENDS is fine, we do that with a physical products all the time. But uploading it *for free* on the internet, where literally anyone can simply say "Well fuck paying for it when it's free!" completely at the detriment of the original creator.

TV shows are a different story. Example: Doctor Who doesn't air in Canada? Awesome, that's a legitimate reason to have someone record it for you from another country. Nerdist TV special only airs on BBC America (and not any other BBC?) Awesome, I even believe Chris Hardwick himself has said that if you're international, he wants them to see it too, it's just sucky that it's exclusive to American TV. But there are ways that THE TV NETWORKS can do this for people. Hell, letting us buy it from iTunes would be a start! Not just supplying it to the AMERICAN iTunes..

Games are a *completely* different story. Developers never deserve to have their work pirated. It's a creative work, it's intended to be *purchased*. Yes, games in general could be cheaper, but it's not excuse for piracy.

I see no difference between sharing with local friends and sharing with friends you've met online, and sharing with strangers. I see no clearly-definable difference between these, as far as what the law should recognize.

 

[zombiesinc]

And even more fail. The government really needs to start focusing on more important and pressing matters.

 

[MattAn24]

I see no difference between sharing with local friends and sharing with friends you've met online, and sharing with strangers. I see no clearly-definable difference between these, as far as what the law should recognize.

A physical product can be shared because it's ONE item. Which can be returned. A digital product (when it isn't purchased) is an item which can not be returned, you have PAID for it if you download it for free. How is the content creator getting their payment for the product that was sold TO someone else. You're STEALING a product, exactly like you would from a store, and using it for free.

TV shows are broadcast (usually) for free on a network, etc. If that particular television show is not broadcast in a particular country and you'd want to watch it? THAT is the content provider's fault and I have absolutely zero problems with downloading a TV show to watch it.

If a product is readily available and sold in your country of residence and/or you CAN purchase it, it should be purchased legally. You have no excuse. None at all.

ESPECIALLY with games. Example: If a game is only released in say, Japan, and you'd like to play it? Sure, download it, but make damn sure you make that purchase legitimate by giving the creator SOME form of payment. Otherwise, yes, you're stealing it.

A game like Call of Duty (even though I hate it with a passion), Mass Effect, Fable, Final Fantasy, Gears of War, Halo, inFAMOUS, Uncharted, etc, is available. It can be purchased. Fucking buy it like everyone else. Otherwise, you guessed it folks! You're STEALING.

This has been and will be the most obvious post of the year. I'm disappointed that it even has to be said. :/

 

[USSR]

NOT MEGAPORN! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, AT LEAST LEAVE US MEGAPORN!

I lol'd pretty damn hard at that.

 

[Wintermoot]

just HOW does the US have jurisdiction outside their country?
as far as I know the internet has no leader/owner meaning nobody has jurisdiction on it (except for admins).
it,s like the Dutch government catching Texans for owning weapons.

Since most of the infrastructure of the internet passes through USA they can block out data traffic, but the content will not be erased in its source.

the thing is the US government also caught people from outside the US that British guy and somebody from New Zealand they also took down servers outside the US.

Extradition treaties... When a foreign is at some country and his homeland request him for some crime, this country may (I said MAY) arrest him and send him home. And there's other international law that apply to the case. It's not at all illegal... but it's sure as hell uncalled for...

wasn't the British guy born and raised in Brittan?
also extradition orders are only for people who did high profile stuff like drug smuggling and murder not for downloading Lady Gaga,s new album.

 

[Wintermoot]

Megaupload is based in Hong Kong.

Most of it's founders are from New Zealand are they not? In fact, that is irrelevant, most have no affiliation with the US. (Not sure if that is right, but I might of heard that somewhere.)

So Why? Why are the feds taking it down? WHY? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

ONE server (not even a big one) was based in the US (I think somewhere near the east coast).

 

[Caverat]

Hmm, yeah I can see why we should be ashamed of ourselves. Why would we ever think about stealing from these poor, innocent people?


Man, these entertainment corporations pretty much steal from the original creators of the content anyway, and now that the Internet has become such a powerful tool of the people, they're all up in arms about how they're losing money? Huh, the world we live in today.

Okay, so theft shouldn't be prosecuted when it is committed against rich people?

Idiot.

 

[AlexWinter]

There was a Megaporn?!


Daamn...

While I'll miss megavideo I guess it was kind of illegal.

 

[apollo278]

Im surprised no one has brought up the fact that shuting down megaupload only inconvinces pirates and completly screws over everyone that used megaupload legally, kinda like DRM. Also most pirates use torrents more than file sharing sites. From what I've seen youtube is just as bad as megavideo and the reason they took mega down instead of youtube is beacuse almost everyone in america knows about and uses youtube while only a small amount even know megavideo exists. The only real way, that I can think of, to stop most pirating would be to shut down the internet which we can all agree is a very drastic method.

 

[silversnake4133]

Okay, so theft shouldn't be prosecuted when it is committed against rich people?

Idiot.

I didn't say that it's not bad. Stealing shouldn't be condoned no matter who it's done to, but when it really comes down to it, they wouldn't be where they are today if the general public didn't buy their products. And now they want to monopolize the market by barring us access to information and resources that new and budding artists and musicians would need in order to get started and noticed. Heck most of these people don't even produce what the people would eventually buy. Their companies do, they just get huge paychecks because they own their respective businesses. Sorry, but I'd rather support the artists that struggle to make it in this day and age, not the people who make bank off of them and their names.

Also, I'd appreciate it if you didn't use such slanderous language. It doesn't really make you look good if you have to resort to name-calling just to make yourself look/sound smarter or better than the person you reply to. Just saying.

 

[JoaoJatoba]

just HOW does the US have jurisdiction outside their country?
as far as I know the internet has no leader/owner meaning nobody has jurisdiction on it (except for admins).
it,s like the Dutch government catching Texans for owning weapons.

Since most of the infrastructure of the internet passes through USA they can block out data traffic, but the content will not be erased in its source.

the thing is the US government also caught people from outside the US that British guy and somebody from New Zealand they also took down servers outside the US.

Extradition treaties... When a foreign is at some country and his homeland request him for some crime, this country may (I said MAY) arrest him and send him home. And there's other international law that apply to the case. It's not at all illegal... but it's sure as hell uncalled for...

wasn't the British guy born and raised in Brittan?
also extradition orders are only for people who did high profile stuff like drug smuggling and murder not for downloading Lady Gaga,s new album.

They were arrested New Zealand, by New Zealand authorities, who executed provisional arrest warrants requested by the United States. See this treaty (http://newzealand.usembassy.gov/uploads/images/o16y8MOyHW2l-jJTxaMpeQ/ExtraditionUSNZ.pdf) between USA and NZ...

Nevertheless, USA and UK also have a treaty that allows the extradition of nationals (see. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extradition_Act_2003).

They were charge of RACKETERING, MONEY LAUNDRY and CONSPIRACY... Pretty heavy stuff.

 

[Orekoya]

In some cases, I think that wide-spread, clear cutting is required.

And since you accept that then next time those doing the cutting need only alittle less evidence for support of their tree cutting than they had this time because they've already seen you accept the action. Then next time alittle less, then next just alittle, then next time none because it's happening all the time anyways. Enjoy your barren field.

 

[OneOfTheMichael's]

Well i used to have a megavideo account for watching doctor who but oh well now...

 

[Robert Ewing]

Megaupload is based in Hong Kong.

Most of it's founders are from New Zealand are they not? In fact, that is irrelevant, most have no affiliation with the US. (Not sure if that is right, but I might of heard that somewhere.)

So Why? Why are the feds taking it down? WHY? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

ONE server (not even a big one) was based in the US (I think somewhere near the east coast).

Ah, well that would make sense if that server was seized. That is incredibly justifiable. But not the whole bloody thing...

 

[DanDeFool]

Megaupload's CEO, who is none other than multi-million selling hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3fjGvRX5cg] Yes, that Swizz Beatz. The one married to Alicia Keys./

So the CEO of (allegedly) one of the biggest facilitators of online piracy is also a legitimate music producer?

...

It's like looking at a serpent trying to eat its own tail.

 

[rapidoud]

Team America, World Police.

When's the last time we heard of anyone being extradited from the US? Now I remember why SOPA is bad for everyone, as they'll literally try and police the world, something a regular citizen in a completely unrelated country should have no business worrying about.

 

[Wintermoot]

Megaupload is based in Hong Kong.

Most of it's founders are from New Zealand are they not? In fact, that is irrelevant, most have no affiliation with the US. (Not sure if that is right, but I might of heard that somewhere.)

So Why? Why are the feds taking it down? WHY? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

ONE server (not even a big one) was based in the US (I think somewhere near the east coast).

Ah, well that would make sense if that server was seized. That is incredibly justifiable. But not the whole bloody thing...

copyright laws have draconian punishments on them.