Megaupload Dead

[FiftyDollarCurse]

There's no more reason to shut down megaupload than to shut down youtube or this very forum.

I think you all need to educate yourselves as to what the actual allegations against MegaUpload are before you go about defending them.

http://gigaom.com/2012/01/19/megaupload-indictment/

a few choice selections:

MegaUpoad users paid more than $110 million to the company via PayPal.

The MegaUpload crew kick-started its Megavideo hosting site by copying videos from YouTube, and the indictment quotes from internal emails stating: Do we have a server available to continue downloading of the Youtube’s vids? … Kim just mentioned again that this has really priority.” Another email stated: “Kim really wants to copy Youtube one to one.”

Other emails show how executives discussed cash rewards for uploaders who had provided specific DVDs and other copyrighted works. (emphasis mine)

Further emails show how some of the executives scoured their own service to download copies of The Sopranos and various music albums.

The indictment even includes chat logs with conversations between company executives, which include statements like: “we have a funny business . . . modern days pirates ”

A MegaUpload programmer who was charged as part of the indictment uploaded multiple DVDs to the site.

Some of the emails show that MegaUpload had an interesting policy on when to follow take-down requests. When asked by Warner to take down files, the site’s CTO wrote in an internal email: “We should comply with their request — we can afford to be cooperative at current growth levels.”

So yeah, this isn't really a general attack on "piracy" the way some people want to portray it, it's a very specific and legit indictment of actual people. People who had a huge website and should have known better. I am shocked that a site the size of MU clearly didn't have their bases covered when it came to legality. We all know what their business runs on with a "wink wink nudge nudge", but it seems they didn't even bother with the winking and nudging at all.

Overall it matters little. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of data hosting sites. MU was a big one, but another will takes it's place shortly.

[gtmtnbiker]

I think you all need to educate yourselves as to what the actual allegations against MegaUpload are before you go about defending them.

http://gigaom.com/2012/01/19/megaupload-indictment/

Excellent response, FiftyDollarCurse. Wow, those allegations are indeed shocking.

[dsheinem]

I think you all need to educate yourselves as to what the actual allegations against MegaUpload are before you go about defending them.

http://gigaom.com/2012/01/19/megaupload-indictment/

Excellent response, FiftyDollarCurse. Wow, those allegations are indeed shocking.

Here's the meat of them for those too lazy to click through:

-The MegaUpload crew kick-started its Megavideo hosting site by copying videos from YouTube, and the indictment quotes from internal emails stating: Do we have a server available to continue downloading of the Youtube’s vids? … Kim just mentioned again that this has really priority.” Another email stated: “Kim really wants to copy Youtube one to one.”

-Other emails show how executives discussed cash rewards for uploaders who had provided specific DVDs and other copyrighted works.

-Further emails show how some of the executives scoured their own service to download copies of The Sopranos and various music albums.

-The indictment even includes chat logs with conversations between company executives, which include statements like: “we have a funny business . . . modern days pirates ”

-A MegaUpload programmer who was charged as part of the indictment uploaded multiple DVDs to the site.

[elmagicochrisg]

Like Flake said, the industry is coming down too hard on their end.

Yup, the turning point was when Tom Cruise started living off food stamps...

There is a middle ground here. But claiming that you have some sort of right to be able to see free movies because you want to see them but don't have the money for them?

So we agree that there is a middle ground. Well, enlighten me, what is the middle ground then?...

Nowhere did I say I had the right to watch them. Again, it's about giving the man in the street a break...

That's the whole basis behind our society; you pay for the goods you wish to consume.

Easy to say for someone who can spend thousands of dollars on a NES Championship cartridge...

If you are complicit in illegal activity you should expect the government (local or federal) to step in at some point and stop you from being complicit. If you knew a tenant was running a meth lab in the apartment you rented them and did nothing then you wouldn't be surprised when you got arrested for it. A similar thing happened here.

Sure. But what if all the apartments you went to had meth labs in them?...

Live on the streets?...

Maybe use a pigeon with a USB stick around its neck?...

As for downloading The Reeds. It only shows that shutting MU down did nothing at all. They just made it a little more difficult to find and download a movie. That's all... Come to think of it. It's like the war on drugs. It's not working. Some things just cannot be stopped... lol

But it can be curbed. Are you suggesting we just allow it to run free?

It cannot be curbed. Haven't you learned anything?...

[AppleQueso]

If you are complicit in illegal activity you should expect the government (local or federal) to step in at some point and stop you from being complicit. If you knew a tenant was running a meth lab in the apartment you rented them and did nothing then you wouldn't be surprised when you got arrested for it. A similar thing happened here.

Sure. But what if all the apartments you went to had meth labs in them?...

Live on the streets?...

Maybe use a pigeon with a USB stick around its neck?...

Uh... I don't think you understood what Mr Popo was saying.

[noiseredux]

If you are complicit in illegal activity you should expect the government (local or federal) to step in at some point and stop you from being complicit. If you knew a tenant was running a meth lab in the apartment you rented them and did nothing then you wouldn't be surprised when you got arrested for it. A similar thing happened here.

Sure. But what if all the apartments you went to had meth labs in them?...

Live on the streets?...

Maybe use a pigeon with a USB stick around its neck?...

Uh... I don't think you understood what Mr Popo was saying.

haha when I got to that part I was like "WTF is he talking about???"

[Erik_Twice]

I think he is trolling and soon he will show how it all was a social experiment, haha!

EDITED FOR MISCLICK:

I think you all need to educate yourselves as to what the actual allegations against MegaUpload are before you go about defending them.

http://gigaom.com/2012/01/19/megaupload-indictment/

Thanks. I blame the shitty newspapers.

Let's see, tough:

The MegaUpload crew kick-started its Megavideo hosting site by copying videos from YouTube,

That's bad and yes, Piracy.

Other emails show how executives discussed cash rewards for uploaders who had provided specific DVDs and other copyrighted works. (emphasis mine)

I don't know much about law but that's conspiring for a crime, not actually commiting it (which are different problems, it's not the same thing to murder than to plan a murder, for example). I'm unsure where the law falls in this or the legality of those emails, tough.

Further emails show how some of the executives scoured their own service to download copies of The Sopranos and various music albums.

I don't think the company is responsible for the actions of those executives, could be, but I doubt it.

I haven't heard any data on the money laundering charge, any info on that? I'm not reading another crappy newspaper.

[elmagicochrisg]

Sigh, you guys...

That's because his analogy was wrong to start with...

I just continued with what I was saying about the innocent bystanders...

This is what I said:

You are right. There's no denying that. Still, unlike me, a lot of people used MUs service in a legal way. Those people got punished too. Some of them even paid for that service. So there are innocent bystanders...

His answer:

If you are complicit in illegal activity you should expect the government (local or federal) to step in at some point and stop you from being complicit. If you knew a tenant was running a meth lab in the apartment you rented them and did nothing then you wouldn't be surprised when you got arrested for it. A similar thing happened here.

Weird how you guys said nothing about that. Hmm?...

I'm talking about the good tenants, and he starts talking about the landlord.

Am I missing something?...

That last was a rhetorical question guys...

I think he is trolling and soon he will show how it all was a social experiment, haha!

You guys, you're all white as snow aren't you...

He who is without sin, cast the first stone...

No! Wait! Aaw, that hurt! Goddammit!...

[AppleQueso]

Am I missing something?...

Uh...yeah.

Megaupload was being complicit in illegal activities by failing to remove infringing materials (well in this case, more like actively encouraging infringing materials to be uploaded).

The people uploading infringing materials are the tenets with a meth lab.

[elmagicochrisg]

Am I missing something?...

Uh...yeah.

Megaupload was being complicit in illegal activities by failing to remove infringing materials (well in this case, more like actively encouraging infringing materials to be uploaded).

The people uploading infringing materials are the tenets with a meth lab.

Did you even read what I just said?...

But you are wrong anyway...

Some of the emails show that MegaUpload had an interesting policy on when to follow take-down requests. When asked by Warner to take down files, the site’s CTO wrote in an internal email: “We should comply with their request — we can afford to be cooperative at current growth levels.”

It doesn't matter why they complied. The fact is they did...

How many times did you not see this message:

This content is removed due to copyright violation.

All the fucking time...