Update: Why Megaupload was taken down.
Some people are wondering why the giant file sharing site was closed. Megaupload have provided tools for people to request files to be taken down and it even has a DMCA agent registered with the US governent. They should be somewhat legit right? No, the government says that this is all for show. They say that the employees of Megaupload themselves are fully aware that they are distributing illegal files, using company chat logs and email messages as evidence.
For example, a chat log from 2008, one employee said “we have a funny business… modern days pirates 
,” then the reply is, “we’re not pirates, we’re just providing shipping servies to pirates .”
It was also pointed out that the MU employees have access to analytics data that shows the trend on the website. One report showed that there were 164,214 visits to Megaupload to download the file Nero Suite 10. For the government this means that Megaupload is aware what is going on with the website but is doing very little to stop illegal activity.
Should the government succeed in proving it’s case versus Megaupload, they will be hoarding a ton of treasures. Between the six individuals that were arrested, they have 14 Mercedes-Benz vehicles, a 2010 Maserati, a 2008 Rolls-Royce, and a 1989 Lamborghini, three Samsung 83″ TVs, two Sharp 108″ TVs, motor bikes, jet skis, artwork, 60 Dell servers and even a Predator statue. All will be forfeited to the government.
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Free file host Megaupload.com was shut down by the FBI after the Justice department charged seven people with conspiracy, including the website founders Kim Dotcom and Mathias Ortman. The indictment charged them for willfully distributing pirated movies and illegal copies of other pirated works for five years, earning over $175 million in illegal profits through advertising.
The FBI worked with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with authorities from New Zealand, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, the UK and the Phillipines. Megaupload’s Dotcom, Ortmann, Finn Batao and Bram van der Kolk were arrested in New Zealand.
So, who needs SOPA and PIPA?
Sauce: Ars Technica
Comments
And then Anon Strikes!
And here I thought jokingly,”I guess Megaupload is doing a whiteout instead.”
Yes, punishing websites which OBVIOUSLY through their own fault cannot check every single file (some of which may not be in standard file formats) against every single item of copyright in existance. I really hope MU actually refused to take down materials when requested or at least something remotely their fault.
About time.
What? “You have exceeded your bandwidth limit” made it clear for me.
Also, I’m tired of people using Megaupload and Megavideo, and hope they will start using Mediafire and other less stupid providers.
Tis the indeed for america, the feds have circumvented the constitution. Surely everyone knows that megaupload often complied with dmca complaints as dead links testify to. When i call up isp and tell them to turn off my internet and they ask why this is what i’ll tell them: Because you cowards dont deserve my money anymore.
Unlike torrent sites, MU actually tried to fight off the piracy plague. I don’t really mind if they made a purge of all suspicious content, but sending Feds on them right after opposing SOPA? That’s shooting in your own foot.
tsskkkk… i was just downloading ps2 games from MU yesterday…oohh well
Anyway you look at it, megaupload had to know it was supplying pirated files. And for them to profit like that is a massive issue. But without due process and a trial, government is in the wrong for that.
Once again, all I see is 100% American government stupidity. So many countries in the world and none of them will stand up and put the American government in its place.
In fact, the American government has probably already made the UN its bitch. President Bush authorized the torturing of people and then there’s Guantanamo. If a leader from the middle east did the same thing it would not be tolerated but since it was an American president, he got a pardon.
And They Call This Justice …
I Have A GOOD IDEA For All Stupid FBI …
TRY TO CHECK +/- 100 000 000 Files On Server Every Day …
If They Can I Be Impressed and God Emperor Haruhi Too…
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! 250mb to go of a 33 gb file!
sorry out of 34 files
damn! they’re not stupid, they’re insane
I laughed so hard xD nothing unexpected in the article so far. People just don’t want to be aware of the facts =/ w/e that’s prob’ly just the beginning of a new grayrone.
We are so boned.
Government has a point though (you America hating 99%). A lot of the stuff on Megaupload are illegal files. I’m sure many of us have downloaded gigs of manga, anime, music, and movies from the site, all posted there without any permission from their original creators. You guys can bitch all you want but right is right and wrong is wrong.
I’m just saying saying that America has a habit of acting like they own the world and can do anything they want. No one will put them in their place.
Also, Zero, you can say right is right and wring is wrong but Bush is supposed to be in jail for what he did but he got a pardon because he was an American president. If it were a leader in the middle east they wouldn’t have gotten any kind of pardon.
The UN is America’s bitch.
Its just like rule 43, it doesn’t exist