US seizes copyright 'sites'

[Luk3us 63]

The U.S. government has launched a major crackdown on online copyright infringement, seizing dozens of Web site domains linked to illegal file sharing and counterfeit goods.

The domains of torrent sites that link to illegal copies of music and movie files and sites that sell counterfeit goods were seized this week by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Department of Homeland Security. Visitors to such sites as Torrent-finder.com, 2009jerseys.com, and Dvdcollects.com found that their usual sites had been replaced by a message that said, "This domain name has been seized by ICE--Homeland Security Investigations, pursuant to a seizure warrant issued by a United States District Court."

"My domain has been seized without any previous complaint or notice from any court!" the owner of Torrent-Finder told TorrentFreak, which listed more than 70 domains that were apparently part of the massive seizure.

DHS representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The seizures came after a Senate committee unanimously approved a controversial proposal earlier this month that would allow the government to pull the plug on Web sites accused of aiding piracy. The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) allows a Web site's domain to be seized if it "has no demonstrable, commercially significant purpose or use other than" offering or providing access to unauthorized copies of copyrighted works.

The proposal has garnered support from dozens of the largest content companies, including video game maker Activision, media firms NBC Universal and Viacom, and the Motion Picture Association of America and Recording Industry Association of America lobbying groups. However, critics such as engineers and civil liberties groups say the COICA could balkanize the Internet, jeopardize free speech rights, and endanger legitimate Web sites.

The battle against online file sharing has ramped up. Earlier today, a Swedish court upheld the copyright conviction of the founders of The Pirate Bay, a notorious file-sharing site. In October, a U.S. district judge issued an injunction against Lime Wire, the company that operated the popular file-sharing software LimeWire. In May, a judge granted summary judgment in favor of the music industry's claims that Lime Group, parent of LimeWire software maker Lime Wire, committed copyright infringement, engaged in unfair competition, and induced copyright infringement.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20023918-...g=2547-1_3-0-20


It always starts small...

[Nmenth 291]

Well, I don't know what to say, I have always been against illegal copyright-infringing sites, however, I also hate governments thinking they can do whatever they want just because they are the government.

 

I guess I say to those sites, you had it coming, and to the Department of Homeland Security, back off, you glorified narcissistic power-hungry bullies.

[dbjs2009 25]

Yeah there are many of those websites that needs to be removed..

[Revolutionary 0]

Get use to it!

Its not just the ilegal file sharing sites they are targetting.

 

Over here they aim to remove the 'awful' thing called "net nutrality" and are well on there way of plans to create a 2 teir internet in which you will have to pay extra to access popular sites

[Inferno 22]

Meh, they'll just relocate everything to the EU and everything'll be just like it was before.

[Revolutionary 0]

They wont, not when the EU wants to adopt a system based on this very american one...

[Inferno 22]

They wont, not when the EU wants to adopt a system based on this very american one...

That won't happen mate

[Guest Stevie_K]

They wont, not when the EU wants to adopt a system based on this very american one...

 

And from where did you get the idea that the EU is going to do that?

I'd like to read that.

[Doctor Destiny 41]

Great. I have no good reason to continue living in the US but moving is just... not an option. I hate the government sometimes. Dip****s.

[PurpleGaga27 40]

I say Torrent programs and websites should be going down first since I really hated Torrent. Pretty soon, maybe most P2P file-sharing programs and websites will be terminated.

 

If Europe may be adapting a similar part to what the US is doing, popular file-sharing websites such as Rapidshare and Hotfile could be in limbo.

 

Anything illegal may be free, but it's better to buy something legally that's not free.

Edited November 29, 2010 by purplescrin

[Tore 33]

I say Torrent programs and websites should be going down first since I really hated Torrent.

 

BitTorrent technology is a perfectly legal technology and is used for legitimate purposes such as sharing Open Source programs. Many Linux and BSD distributions use torrents as an alternative to downloading from FTP or HTTP.

[Guest Stevie_K]

I agree with Tore.

 

Why shut down a good system just because some of it's users are exploiting it?

I agree that those sites are heaven for web pirates, and I think it's up to the sites to contribute to the stopping of this, but shutting the whole thing down is sending a very bad signal and is not at all democratic.

[Inferno 22]

Copyright is nonsense anyway.

[Gben 20]

Why is it nonsense?

[Doctor Destiny 41]

It's not nonsense but it is taken far too seriously. However, one thing I feel that needs pointing out is "counterfeit." When I download files from the Internet, it's not a counterfeit copy. It's the genuine article for no cost. A counterfeit is what you find in China on a street corner for sale. Any digital media, even pirated, is never a counterfeit.

 

Counterfeit is making a cheap knock off and trying to bill it as the real thing. Methinks someone in the US ****ing government needs a goddamn dictionary. Aging people from the 1940s should NEVER be making decisions about technology. Most of them just don't understand it.

[Revolutionary 0]

And from where did you get the idea that the EU is going to do that?

I'd like to read that.

I dont have the time to hunt down links atm but i spotted this when browsing at work,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11845961

 

There is more if you look (that i belive is Britian doing things which are seperate to the New EU Policies)

[Guest Stevie_K]

Yes. European countries are once in a while blocking a site or two and slowly trying to establish new laws against piracy, but it´s not EU laws and EU actions, and it´s not shutting down sites.

[PurpleGaga27 40]

Just to update, it appears after this activity by the US, Wikileaks is the next victim, since it violates any leaks of secrets around the world involving political, religious or electronic stuff shown to the public. The owner of Wikileaks is currently hiding somewhere in the UK wanted by Interpol and other secret service organizations for rape crime.

 

The next cause and effect after this: China is hacking Google for unknown reasons after a leak in Wikileaks has been discovered by the Chinese! http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...b827f735bff13d7

Edited December 5, 2010 by purplescrin

[Doctor Destiny 41]

WikiLeaks is a good thing honestly. It keeps world leaders on their ****ing toes and that's something the world sorely needs. They need to know we're watching them as they watch us and if they **** it up, we know and we spread it. I wish it would just be that easy...

[Inferno 22]

WikiLeaks is a good thing honestly. It keeps world leaders on their ****ing toes and that's something the world sorely needs. They need to know we're watching them as they watch us and if they **** it up, we know and we spread it. I wish it would just be that easy...

Yes, that. Also, the leaked classified information was known to 3 million people already, so it's not like they're spreading USA's deepest secrets....

 

But above all, we have a right to know what the **** is going on. This limits the power of world leaders, which, in my opinion, can only be a good thing.

[Doctor Destiny 41]

Exactly. The government should always fear its citizens.

[Inferno 22]

Why do I think of V for Vendetta when you say that

[TheBlackOut 7]

Copyrights aren't stupid but the media groups in power abuse them and get them extended for way too long. It's bull**** really.