MegaUpload shut down and seized by feds

[PurpleGaga27 40]

Oh, the humanity.....

 

File-Sharing Site MegaUpload.com Indicted for Internet Piracy; Shut Down by U.S. Officials

By Megan Geuss and David Daw, PCWorld

 

MegaUpload.com, one of the Internet's most well-known file-sharing sites, was shuttered by federal officials Thursday. In addition, founder Kim Dotcom (formerly Kim Schmitz) and three other executives connected to the parent company MegaUpload Limited were arrested in New Zealand.

 

The hacker collective Anonymous appeared to respond to the government's action by taking down several high-profile sites with a quickly coordinated distributed-denial-of-service attack, or DDoS attack.

 

As of Thursday afternoon, Anonymous seemed to have shut down the websites for the RIAA, the MPAA, Universal Music Group, and even the U.S. Copyright Office. The timing of the indictment almost certainly fanned the flames of Anonymous’s anger, coming just one day after the group participated in a nationwide protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which the group had vigorously opposed for months.

 

A 72-page indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.), charges MegaUpload.com with conspiracy to commit racketeering, copyright infringement, and money laundering, among other charges connected with illegal use of copyrighted materials. The indictment was signed by U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia. Some of MegaUpload.com's servers reportedly are in Auburn, Virginia, which is in the Eastern District.

 

A statement from the FBI calls the action "among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States and directly targets the misuse of a public content storage and distribution site to commit and facilitate intellectual property crime."

 

Source: http://www.pcworld.c...tml#tk.mod_stln

 

Other related articles:

http://www.pcworld.c....html#tk.hp_new

and

http://www.pcworld.c....html#tk.hp_new

 

This came in 24 hours after the protest of SOPA and PIPA and MU became its latest victim.

 

Sad news to say, all my uploaded C&C mods, terrain textures and art packs (that are free with no copyright infringement intended) are long gone and my account was just an old relic. As for the C&C map packs, they were all deleted very long before this event occurred. Now I probably may need to re-upload the ones (probably GameFront) that are necessary.

Edited January 20, 2012 by zocom7

[Doctor Destiny 41]

This wasn't caused by SOPA or PIPA since neither passed. No, this was the US overstepping its bounds again and they got nailed with a backlash over it too. Operation Megaupload crippled networks, government sites and even sites of those who supported the move and SOPA/PIPA. They need to learn we don't take this lightly and that they should fear the people.

[Plok 327]

Then why aren't Rapidshare, Mediafire, 4shared and similar websites deactivated? These weirdos really need to know where they belong in the "food" chain....

[Doctor Destiny 41]

The US was trying to flex nuts and they did, until it bit them in the ass. It will probably continue until they drop what they're trying to do. Isn't it illegal to do this outside of your jurisdiction? I'm pretty sure it is.

[Luk3us 63]

I don't really care about copyright infringement, its all bull**** anyway slap a fine on people. But extraditing people and sending them to jail, can you say excessive force? I laughed when I heard the news our moronic police had to send in 72 officers and the armed defenders squad in, to arrest four unarmed men in a mansion, talk about overkill.

 

The concept of paying the time for the crime has disappeared in the States, now its all jail this, jail that, and disproportion fines. Which if you can't pay, you end up in JAIL.

 

Operation Megaupload crippled networks, government sites and even sites of those who supported the move and SOPA/PIPA. They need to learn we don't take this lightly and that they should fear the people.

 

Yes, but despite the 'retaliation' it feels to me as though its akin to someone spraying graffiti on your house, its annoying but doesn't really change anything. Greater action is needed for the point to be truly felt.

[Guest Stevie_K]

Exactly.

 

Funny thing is that most of the large sites distributing files illegally is owned and run by the same American entertainment companies that tries to blindfold the entire internet with SOPA.

It sickens me to think that the entire human race except for those with the money is seen as nothing but a sheep-minded income source. I'm usually the last to say things like this, but ever more often things seem to indicate that this really is the case.

[Doctor Destiny 41]

Technically we're all income sources for someone.