It's not like the arrests were out of the blue - they were working on the indictment for a while.

RexTalionis: The fact that they were paying people money to post popular videos doesn't exactly help their case, either.

People got paid money? I got paid in squirrels.

RexTalionis: Look, let's not kid ourselves. Megaupload was a massive hotbed of Piracy. Hell, Forbes even wrote about their practices in 2009.

The fact that they were paying people money to post popular videos doesn't exactly help their case, either.

It's more of a "what uncanny timing". Right about the time they look to go legit and offer a service that the RIAA labels won't is when they get shut down?

As you said they have been known about for a loooong time.

I think the problem is that they were shutdown before the prosecution has proven their case.

It'll be interesting to see if another company takes the MegaBox model and runs with it...and what happens to them if they do.

Codenamechaz: As nice it would be to white knight Megaupload on this, the unlikely tag is strong with this one.

Pretty much. Services like MegaBox already exist (bandcamp).

apoptotic: It'll be interesting to see if another company takes the MegaBox model and runs with it...and what happens to them if they do.

The RIAA will rain down hellfire upon them.

DoBeDoBeDo:
It's more of a "what uncanny timing". Right about the time they look to go legit and offer a service that the RIAA labels won't is when they get shut down?

As you said they have been known about for a loooong time.

The RIAA spokes person warning that there'd be repercussions for the politico's not doing what they were paid to do over SOPA lends more weight to the call of shenanigans.

sarah_t_s: DoBeDoBeDo:
It's more of a "what uncanny timing". Right about the time they look to go legit and offer a service that the RIAA labels won't is when they get shut down?

As you said they have been known about for a loooong time.

The RIAA spokes person warning that there'd be repercussions for the politico's not doing what they were paid to do over SOPA lends more weight to the call of shenanigans.

THIS

Cripes, Fark... Really? Fark is greenlighting Google+ 'Wall' posts now?

/ugh

Meatzilla: Cripes, Fark... Really? Fark is greenlighting Google+ 'Wall' posts now?

Eh, shiat sometimes slips through. One time I had a link to the comments section of an article go green.

Who CARES about what the MPAA's record-label cronies churn out when you can listen to THIS (new window) instead.

Of course, SOPA would pretty much shut down YouTube, but my point still stands.

sarah_t_s: DoBeDoBeDo:
It's more of a "what uncanny timing". Right about the time they look to go legit and offer a service that the RIAA labels won't is when they get shut down?

As you said they have been known about for a loooong time.

The RIAA spokes person warning that there'd be repercussions for the politico's not doing what they were paid to do over SOPA lends more weight to the call of shenanigans.

Respectfully, that theory disregards the fact that multinational coordinated arrest and seizure operations don't happen instantaenously. Although it would seem suspect that, the day after the SOPA protests, Megaupload was shut down, and would seem to imply a causal link, that ignores the fact the indictment was filed January 5, (new window) and would have been based on evidence heard by the grand jury some time in December. (new window).
As of January 5, more Congresscritters supported SOPA:


So, if this was spurred by the RIAA in retaliation for SOPA, then they must have a time machine.

PleaseHamletDon'tHurtEm: Who CARES about what the MPAA's record-label cronies churn out when you can listen to THIS (new window) instead.

... I think that's actually an argument for mass-produced pop.

Theaetetus: PleaseHamletDon'tHurtEm: Who CARES about what the MPAA's record-label cronies churn out when you can listen to THIS (new window) instead.

... I think that's actually an argument for mass-produced pop.

If you're saying what I think you're saying...

YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH!

If not, uh, I misunderstood. I've felt like I'm trying to run through a swimming pool all morning.

It sounds suspiciously like cold fusion or perpetual motion claims. "We have this great technology, we've tested it and it works, we're not going to tell you anything about it, but rest assured that it works... also, the establishment doesn't want you to know about it because it's so revolutionary..."

Megakey was an adware application which removed premium limitations on Mega services during "happy hour" periods.[clarification needed What/when is it?] In return, the users running Megakey agreed to supply some personal identification and demographic data and to allowed the substitution of ads on third party websites they visit with those of Megaupload.

Oh, yeah, that sounds like it would have been absolutely great. It's like ad block, but instead of blocking the ads, it gives you different ones! In one fell swoop, they'd have pissed off all the big ad/analytics sites. If the RIAA didn't get them, the advertisers would have.

Meatzilla: Cripes, Fark... Really? Fark is greenlighting Google+ 'Wall' posts now?

/ugh

Hey, content is content. At least linking to a G+ wall post doesn't inundate you with the torrent of crap that comes with anything hosted on Facebook. Not yet, anyways.

Plus, if I were you, a person whose gut instinct was to post a xkcd comic first and his comment second, I wouldn't be complaining about the format someone chose to present their thoughts.

/"ugh" is, coincidentally, what I say when people can only speak through the words of overrated webcomics.

RexTalionis: Look, let's not kid ourselves. Megaupload was a massive hotbed of Piracy. Hell, Forbes even wrote about their practices in 2009.

The fact that they were paying people money to post popular videos doesn't exactly help their case, either.

I'll concede all that, but I might have used Megaupload for cloud storage of files I own, or to download content that happened to be posted there by its rightful owners, and now I can't. If government is functioning properly, there are no circumstances whatsoever in which my interests should be subordinated to theirs or in which I should be inconvenienced by government action in the slightest way. Before you say I'm being arrogant, tell me that the MPAA and RIAA don't think the same thing.

Nem Wan: I'll concede all that, but I might have used Megaupload for cloud storage of files I own, or to download content that happened to be posted there by its rightful owners, and now I can't. If government is functioning properly, there are no circumstances whatsoever in which my interests should be subordinated to theirs or in which I should be inconvenienced by government action in the slightest way.

I store all my money in the First National Bank of Joey "the Kneecapper" Ravioli. Why should I be inconvenienced and unable to access my rightfully owned cash, merely because he's been arrested for racketeering? Isn't this evidence of government not functioning properly?

Moral: You deal with a criminal, you take your chances.

JudgeItoBox: Hey, content is content. At least linking to a G+ wall post doesn't inundate you with the torrent of crap that comes with anything hosted on Facebook. Not yet, anyways.

Plus, if I were you, a person whose gut instinct was to post a xkcd comic first and his comment second, I wouldn't be complaining about the format someone chose to present their thoughts.

/"ugh" is, coincidentally, what I say when people can only speak through the words of overrated webcomics.

 



_{/QED, cupcake}

this is not the nerd-war you are looking for.

Meatzilla: JudgeItoBox: Hey, content is content. At least linking to a G+ wall post doesn't inundate you with the torrent of crap that comes with anything hosted on Facebook. Not yet, anyways.

Plus, if I were you, a person whose gut instinct was to post a xkcd comic first and his comment second, I wouldn't be complaining about the format someone chose to present their thoughts.

/"ugh" is, coincidentally, what I say when people can only speak through the words of overrated webcomics.

 

[i157.photobucket.com image 640x491]

/QED, cupcake

Sweet, I started a fight on the Internet!
/subby
//will take any cheap green he can get

the_sidewinder: scraping_fetus_off_the_wheel: will take any cheap green he can get

A cheap green is still a green

Exactly.

scraping_fetus_off_the_wheel: the_sidewinder: scraping_fetus_off_the_wheel: will take any cheap green he can get

A cheap green is still a green

Exactly.

I didn't even get a green on Free Green Day. :(

/fails

the_sidewinder: scraping_fetus_off_the_wheel: will take any cheap green he can get

A cheap green is still a green

And content is still content, no matter where it's posted. That someone got their panties in a wad about what equates to a livejournal post (and had to support his idea with a xkcd webcomic, the laziest thing) is just icing on the cake.

Meatzilla: /QED, cupcake

1) Mad about content on the internet: Check
2) Mad about greenlights: Ho, that's a big check
3) Had to trawl my profile for ammo = double mad score: Check + Confirmed Nancy
4) Ignored/cropped the parts where I assert my obvious superiority: Check
5) Douchetastic "QED": Check

Conclusions: Nothing but mad, and maybe some latent butthurt

Try harder, kid.

I don't understand what all the hub bub is. Just use Spotify, so what if you can't dl or rip music. It's free, you can stream it, it's got damn near everything out there, and who cares if you have to listen to a commercial every 15 min.
/oh, and the artists get royalties when their song is heard.

scottydoesntknow: JudgeItoBox: the_sidewinder: scraping_fetus_off_the_wheel: will take any cheap green he can get

A cheap green is still a green

And content is still content, no matter where it's posted. That someone got their panties in a wad about what equates to a livejournal post (and had to support his idea with a xkcd webcomic, the laziest thing) is just icing on the cake.

Meatzilla: /QED, cupcake

1) Mad about content on the internet: Check
2) Mad about greenlights: Ho, that's a big check
3) Had to trawl my profile for ammo = double mad score: Check + Confirmed Nancy
4) Ignored/cropped the parts where I assert my obvious superiority: Check
5) Douchetastic "QED": Check

Conclusions: Nothing but mad, and maybe some latent butthurt

[i.imgur.com image 50x49] Try harder, kid. [i.imgur.com image 50x49]
[i.imgur.com image 270x469]

[belieber.files.wordpress.com image 500x400]

/lol

You beat me to it. Kudos and job well done, sir.

If MegaUpload was just an innocent artists' file-sharing site that had no knowledge of pirated material, did not encourage pirated material, did not explicitly attempt to hide pirated material, did not explicitly attempt to circumvent laws against pirated material, was not internationally knows for pirated material, and did not market itself directly as a source of pirated material to people who wanted pirated material, it would not have been:
A) World Famous
B) Profitable
C) Worth prosecuting
D) Busted
E) All of the above.

Just goes to show that it was, is, and will be possible to prosecute real large-scale threats to IP under existing laws. It takes time and effort, but that's not a bad thing - civil and criminal prosecution SHOULD take time and effort in order to ensure it's only used for worthwhile purposes. SOPA and PIPA would have made it too easy.

the_sidewinder:
Not too important, but it was the MPAA head that said that

Noted.

Theaetetus: So, if this was spurred by the RIAA in retaliation for SOPA, then they must have a time machine.

Fair play, however I still think shenanigans should be called over the head of the MPAA's comments.

So sites like Bandcamp where artists get 100% of the revenue will be shut down next, or this is just a conspiracy from someone with too much free time on Google+

scottydoesntknow: Meatzilla: You beat me to it. Kudos and job well done, sir.

Ohh shiat I was clickin through posts and suddenly ended up in TF territory. Thanks! Now I've lost all productivity for the next month :)

Sweet! Enjoy. Try not to get anything on you that won't wash off   :)

Meatzilla: [1.bp.blogspot.com image 535x281]

Cripes, Fark... Really? Fark is greenlighting Google+ 'Wall' posts now?

/ugh

Submitter should have linked to the article, not someone's thoughts about the article.

Why was MegaUpload really shut down?

To distract people from the supreme court ruling that came out the same day:

In a 6-2 ruling, the court ruled that just because material enters the public domain, it is not "territory that works may never exit."

RexTalionis: Look, let's not kid ourselves. Megaupload was a massive hotbed of Piracy.

So's YouTube. No one's going to shut it down.

Yet.

Never mind the fact that this blog post revealed information that the article it linked to said over a month ago.

Our next greenlight should be someone linking to a Google+ post where the writer reveals that Steve Jobs died from cancer.

Celerian: Never mind the fact that this blog post revealed information that the article it linked to said over a month ago.

Our next greenlight should be someone linking to a Google+ post where the writer reveals that Steve Jobs died from cancer.

Err uhh, I mean...

OLD NEWS IS SO EXCITING!

Everybody has a conspiracy theory. But here's the reason why Megaupload was shut down: The people running it were farking stupid pirates who had big signs on their foreheads that said ARREST ME.

Read this: Link (new window)

This is writen by somebody very sympathetic towards an open internet and very against things like SOPA, but you can hear him face palming about a dozen times in the article.

RexTalionis:
Simple, and real reasonable, too. Let's not go all chicken-little here.

Beat me to it. This one was common sense if you're familiar with the Berne Convention.

/I wonder if that also means that the "fair use" clauses within Berne apply, or are subject to additional restrictions put in place after the last update?

RexTalionis: rdyb: Why was MegaUpload really shut down?

To distract people from the supreme court ruling that came out the same day:

In a 6-2 ruling, the court ruled that just because material enters the public domain, it is not "territory that works may never exit."

Meh. I read the decision. It is seriously limited. In fact, it only applies to foreign works that weren't previously protected by the US prior to the US's adoption of the Berne treaty. The court only found that foreign works that previously weren't protected in the US (even as they were still within their original copyright period in their home countries) are entitled to some limited protection as the result of the US's adoption of Berne.

Simple, and real reasonable, too. Let's not go all chicken-little here.

Plus, at least one group of works that had copyright restored were those that had passed into the public domain through failure to put a US-style copyright bug ("(c)") on the work and register the work with the Copyright Office... which foreign authors wouldn't have known was required.

Also, it's not all that egregious. There's a mandatory license required for anyone who made a derivative work, thinking one of these copyright-restored works were public domain, and there's even a grace period for actual copying that can be up to one year after being notified by the copyright owner.