Gene Simmons Now Wants To Throw 'Anonymous' In Jail

from the good-luck,-gene dept

Mon, Oct 18th 2010 12:34pm — Mike Masnick

A couple of weeks ago, Gene Simmons made one of his ridiculously misguided attacks on file sharers (he does it every few years). Despite the fact that KISS is a perfect example of a band that makes a ton of money from scarce goods that are made more valuable the more people are aware of their music, Simmons has this misguided notion that "suing everyone" is the right strategy. Of course, as we pointed out at the time, he's obviously bluffing, because he's had the opportunity to do so for years and he has not done so.

Either way, his antics caught the attention of the folks behind "Operation Payback," from the group Anonymous (an effort that I still think is equally misguided), and they took down Simmons' website with a DDoS attack (after an apparent dispute internally over whether or not Simmons should be a target).

Either way, it appears that the attack only sharpened the rhetoric from Simmons, in his standard speak-first-understand-later manner. He posted on his site that he was working with the FBI to "sue their pants off" for "hacking" his site:

Some of you may have heard a few popcorn farts re: our sites being threatened by hackers.

Our legal team and the FBI have been on the case and we have found a few, shall we say "adventurous" young people, who feel they are above the law.

And, as stated in my MIPCOM speech, we will sue their pants off.

First, they will be punished.

Second, they might find their little butts in jail, right next to someone who's been there for years and is looking for a new girl friend.

We will soon be printing their names and pictures.

We will find you.

You cannot hide.

Stay tuned

Well, good luck with that. It tends to be a lot harder to identify folks behind a DDoS attack than you might think. Also, I'm curious why the FBI even cares, but we've seen the FBI kowtow to celebrities in the past, so it's possible. Either way, all this has done, so far, is to get Anonymous back to taking down Simmons' website. My guess is that, just like his previous comments, this looks like Simmons as all-talk-and-no-action. But, the more he tries to become the latest version of Lars Ulrich, the more he's going to regret it.

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Filed Under: 4chan, anonymous, ddos, gene simmons

76 Comments

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thublihnk (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 12:03pm

It's good to know the 'rebels' of yesteryear really do become the boring hard-assed dads of today.
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Shawn (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 12:39pm

Hopefully the cyberpolice will help him backtrace this!
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Jay (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 12:47pm

You cannot stop the Anonymous Inquisition!
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 12:55pm

Was Gene quoting Antoine Dodson?
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Nina Paley (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:01pm

We must destroy the fans in order to save them.
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Dark Helmet (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:04pm

I'm fairly certain that the consequences will never be the same....
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Hephaestus (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:10pm

Anonymous -vs- Simmons its like watching children fight ... to funny. Lets hope he keeps hazing them this is fun to watch.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:14pm

Re:
Consequences will henceforth be somewhat dissimilar!
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:25pm

Gene Simmons: Most Trollable Man in America
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Berenerd (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:26pm

Re:
*shares the popcorn*
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Anonymous Poster, 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:30pm

Re:
HIDE YO' KIDS, HIDE YO' WI--oh, wait, wrong meme.

Still, though, hide your wives. It IS Gene Simmons, after all.
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Brian (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:31pm

Re:
Did he backtrace them?
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:35pm

Mike, if someone didn't like what you wrote (and there are quite a few that don't) would you like it if someone took Techdirt down? If they kept attacking your site, would you ask the authorities to do something about it?

Have we reached a point where if we just don't like what someone says, we just silence them? I find that thinking quite sad.
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:37pm

Jackass
I always thought that the jail argument was a stupid one. It's a last, desperate threat of an asshole. He knows he can't do anything, he's just hoping to scare someone.

I think I've asked this before; Is there really a group on 4chan called Anonymous? From what I see, they're not a group, but a bunch of people that happen to agree every now and then. No organization whatsoever, no official group. Granted, that may be the point.
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TPBer (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:37pm

Re: Re:
He does not have a clue how to find those behind the attacks. Simmons should be charged for space on any sharing site that hosts his garbage.

The attackers should flood his hosts server with all of the copies of Kiss trash on the net. That'll learn'm
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:38pm

Re:
Silenced who?

Judging by this article, Gene Simmons is still just as loud as ever. What's your definition of silence?
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Ima Fish (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:39pm

"It tends to be a lot harder to identify folks behind a DDoS attack than you might think."

Gene is almost certainly a technological idiot. He probably did talk to some people from the FBI who likely promised to "do whatever we can" to bring these people to justice, i.e., absolutely nothing.

Or maybe Gene will sue the innocent people who own the infected machines which were used as the basis of the attack.
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:40pm

Re:
Mike does not agree with the DDoS attack, he says so. He just also doesn't agree with what Gene Simmons said and may do ether. One person did something nasty, another did something nasty back. They both are wrong, just for different reasons.
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Anonymous Poster, 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:42pm

Re: Jackass
"Anonymous" is more of a stand-alone complex than an organized group.
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cc (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:43pm

There were rumours they made genesimmons.com redirect to TPB, though now it's just down.
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Atkray (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:55pm

Re:
My thoughts exactly, 2 kids in a sand box throwing a cat turd at each other.
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Theoden, 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:56pm

He is NOT a technological idiot. He has Penn Jillette tracking down the folks who haxored his Gibson RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE!
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:59pm

Re: Jackass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29
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Xander C (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 1:59pm

Re: Jackass
There's no group, only Anonymous. It is what you make of it, but sites like the "chans" do offer shelter to those who do not wished to be named.

It's a pen name that is open for the public to use, that is both transparent and opaque. Anonymous is what you make of it and out of it. The people who do not understand it will make it into devils, and those who do see the redeeming value behind it.
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skyrider, 18 Oct 2010 @ 2:00pm

Runaway
I think that little 'spiders' would be a fitting end to his online presence.

For those who don't catch the reference: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088024/
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 2:00pm

Re: Jackass
There is no group called "Anonymous". Posts to the website by default are "Anonymous" in the author field and threads disappear completely fairly quickly from the /b/ board. Referring to "Anonymous" or "Anon" as a real person is basically a joke.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 2:03pm

To bad there is no GFBI(Global Bureau of Investigation).
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Greevar (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 2:19pm

Re:
And no one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
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Greevar (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 2:21pm

Pfft!
This sounds like some testicular puffery to me. He's just afraid of letting people think he's can't do anything but pound sand.
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Greevar (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 2:23pm

Re:
What is the F for? I can think a few words to fit that slot.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 2:32pm

Re: Re:
Oops! fail!

Don't know I just forgot to write "federal" or I should have wrote GBI LoL
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 2:37pm

"Also, I'm curious why the FBI even cares, but we've seen the FBI kowtow to celebrities in the past,"

Well, doing a DDOS is against the law, no? Maybe that is why the FBI should care?

Being a jerk off isn't against the law, doing a DDOS is. Having a web site taken down isn't the same as calling someone a "whore" as in a previous article. Should Gene just turn the other cheek? Again, I doubt if Mike would appreciate someone taking down Techdirt. Would you as the authorities to do something about it?
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Tom Landry (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 2:41pm

yes, Gene, you'll be the first to take 4chan down

This idiot deserves everything that /b/ does to him
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Blatant Coward (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 2:52pm

Re: Re:
I did not expect the Spanish Anonymous Inquisition at all.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 2:53pm

He should call Prolexic for a better solution.
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gene simmons is homo, 18 Oct 2010 @ 3:43pm

ya right
and you gonna find this person(s) how exactly....oh and i'll add....same thing happened to SCO early on and i was asked to tell someone to stop.

THIS time i am not. Gene simmons go fuck yourself you ugly goof.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 3:45pm

@17
yu forget the fbi is dropping missing childrens cases in favor of enforcing IP issues.

THINK OF THE CHILDREN GENE ...SHUT THE FUCK UP
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Mike Masnick (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 4:01pm

Re:
Mike, if someone didn't like what you wrote (and there are quite a few that don't) would you like it if someone took Techdirt down?

Not at all. That's why I specifically and clearly stated I don't agree with the process of taking down the site. I just think that Simmons making bizarre claims he can't live up don't help the situation.

Have we reached a point where if we just don't like what someone says, we just silence them? I find that thinking quite sad.

Did I say that? No. I specifically said the DDoS attacks were dumb and a bad idea.
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Hotblack, 18 Oct 2010 @ 4:10pm

Gene Simmons: Natural Born Entertainer.
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The Infamous Joe (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 4:26pm

WTF?
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The Infamous Joe (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 4:27pm

Re: WTF?
err.. damn enter key.

So, lemme get the straight, Gene.

Copyright infringement = bad

DDOS attacks = bad

Rape = okay?

He just trolled the world.
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vivaelamor (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 4:31pm

Re:
"Again, I doubt if Mike would appreciate someone taking down Techdirt. Would you as the authorities to do something about it?"

I imagine the FBI would want Mike to first prove sufficient damages to warrant an investigation. Proving damages resulting from a DDoS attack on a blog would seem to be pretty much impossible. If it were me then I wouldn't bother contacting them and instead spend the energy on technical measures to limit the effect of the attack.

I don't think it would be any easier for Gene to prove damages in this instance and would bet that if the FBI did get involved, they would do so because of his celebrity status rather than following actual procedure. The fact that a DDoS is against the law doesn't mean that the FBI should be wasting its resources on cases like this.

I happen to think that DDoS is a dumb thing to do and don't agree with the usual justification that they are akin to real world peaceful protests. However, I also wouldn't advocate spending resources on tracking down real world protesters that go too far if they haven't done significant harm.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 4:45pm

Re: Re:
The cat wants his turd back
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TtfnJohn (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 4:57pm

Re:
As there do exist ways to protect a site from the worst effects of DDoS attacks themselves and are frequently very inexpensive to implement I'm wondering if his tongueness is as cheap as he is loud.

Don't you think, Mr would be lawyer, that it's at least partly the responsibility of a site owner to protect themselves? Particularly is your name is Gene Simmons?

And yes, it's a criminal offense but doesn't the FBI have better things to do like track down kidnapped and missing children and a host of other things than to stroke Simmons overblown loudmouthed ego?

Now if the attack had compromised things like public health and safety, national security or something ACTUALLY important I'd say FBI have at 'er.

As for Mike he's smart enough to have taken precautions, I'm sure.
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abc gum, 18 Oct 2010 @ 5:27pm

Re:
"Have we reached a point where if we just don't like what someone says, we just silence them?"

Why yes!
That's what a take down notice of for, is it not ?
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 5:48pm

Shouldn't we be more concerned with the fact that, in this day and age, someone can bring down a website simply by making "too many" requests to it?

Neutralize this flaw, and a whole lot of headaches are gone. I wonder if it is possible.
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netwrok, 18 Oct 2010 @ 5:57pm

Who?
Gene who? Is he some kind of piano player or something?
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 7:45pm

Re:
Picture this. You have a web server, a single yet powerful machine.

On the other corner, you have Anonymous, with over 9000 machines.

You cannot win. No matter how powerful your computers and network are, by combining enough machines and networks the other side can always have enough firepower to take you down.

No matter how many computers and how much bandwidth you have, it is finite. Even with advanced firewalls, sheer volume can fill the pipes upstream of them.

Of course, if your programming is deficient, your web servers untuned, and your pipes anemic, a single bored teenager with a domestic connection will be able to take it down. But even the largest web sites can get overloaded with unusually high traffic and fall down.
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 7:46pm

So Gene Simmons thinks that rape is an acceptable punishment? Huh. That's pretty damned horrible.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Oct 2010 @ 8:02pm

@44 then @49
mike has nohting to fear its simmons like mouth pieces that spew utter retard statements...

@49
now think 900000 or 9 million machines
now think about a single 4Kbyte packet per machine coming in.

one per varied time frame
say 1-30 seconds for ten minutes then a break for a hour per ip address

you go ahead and ban 9 million ips
there are 4.2 billion ips.....in 255^4
why are we really running out of ipv4 addies

go ask genes new friends the fbi
funny how the anti law rockin roller needs the feds now eh gene girl....
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Christopher (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 8:55pm

Well, the FBI cares because Anonymous is breaking the law here, and federal law specifically. Yes, it is a CRIME to DDoS a site, no matter what site it is.
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Matt (profile), 18 Oct 2010 @ 11:08pm

Sue them for what?....
Forgive me if I'm being stupid but...
How is sending a large amount of traffic to a website, to bring down the servers illegal? What could they be sued for, if they find who originated the attack?
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Nick Tann, 19 Oct 2010 @ 2:43am

I'd like to sue...
Gene Simmons for crimes against music....
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Daemon_ZOGG (profile), 19 Oct 2010 @ 3:48am

I think Gene Simmons and Richard Simmons are related...
It just reminds me of whenever Richard Simmons would get bent out of shape on The David Letterman Show. Ranting and raving. Although, I have'nt witnessed Gene running around like a little school girl, yet. But, it's still early in the game, so you never know. ;P

Kiss - A musical band who's time died a quarter centery ago.
Gene Simmons - Crabby.. OLD.. Fart. }:P
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rebrad (profile), 19 Oct 2010 @ 4:59am

Check In at the Alzheimer Ward
It's check-in time for Gene Simmons in the Alzheimer Ward. I hope 'Anonymous' shuts the fat f**k down. His time passed 30 years ago. Why dredge up old manure.
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Michael, 19 Oct 2010 @ 5:08am

He doesn't get it
The thing is, there is no organisation called "anonymous" and it doesn't matter if a few people get thrown in jail. The rest of the people that follow the movement don't care what happens to the others... they are more likely to laugh about the fate of any that got busted than they are to give a damn. This guy just doesn't get it. The more he draws attention to it, the worse it gets. Its really not about anything but the lulz for 98% of these guys, and the more reaction, the more lulz...
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Oct 2010 @ 5:59am

Re: Re:
Over 9000? There's no way that can be right.
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Hephaestus (profile), 19 Oct 2010 @ 6:26am

Re: Re:
I hope its got Butter flavored Poly unsaturated vegetable oil on it like the theaters ...
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Hephaestus (profile), 19 Oct 2010 @ 6:33am

Re:
"haxored his Gibson"

LOL ... That brought an image to mind of Gene Simmons, with his face painted, sitting in front of an old Cray Supercomputer naked, eatting sushi, and flipping off to a never ending series of old groupie pics ...
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chris (profile), 19 Oct 2010 @ 7:26am

Re:
consequences will never be the same.
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chris (profile), 19 Oct 2010 @ 7:27am

Re: Re: Re:
if they are in fact anonymous, how did you know that they are spanish?
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chris (profile), 19 Oct 2010 @ 7:40am

Re: Jackass
I think I've asked this before; Is there really a group on 4chan called Anonymous? From what I see, they're not a group, but a bunch of people that happen to agree every now and then.

the problem with leaderless or distributed movements of any kind is that they are easy to setup and therefore easy to fake. anonymous might be a real force, or it might be a flag for people to wave when they do something and want it to look more impressive than it really is.

it might also be a false-flag operation.

the same could be said about various islamic and white supremacist movements.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Oct 2010 @ 8:00am

The only one looking for a new girl friend is you Gene. Love these old rockers with way too much time on their hands. Sitting around imagining how much money they could have made. Too bad he has no real skills. A hobby maybe. Anything to keep him busy.
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Derek Kerton (profile), 19 Oct 2010 @ 8:19am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Because, amongst their weaponry are such diverse elements as:

Fear
Surprise
DDOS
Ruthless efficiency, and
A fanatical devotion to the pope.
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Karl (profile), 19 Oct 2010 @ 9:13am

Gene
I'm Gene Simmons, I'm 12 years old and what is this?
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JEDIDIAH, 19 Oct 2010 @ 9:16am

Gene is as crass as they get.
This man was never a rebel. From the get-go he was all about the dolls and the comic books and the lunch boxes and the branded coffins. This guy should be in the dictionary under "corporate rock".

Of course this makes the whole "sue the bastards" rhetoric of his all the more absurd. He's the posterboy for the techdirt music business model. He did it 40 years ago too.
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JEDIDIAH, 19 Oct 2010 @ 9:21am

No, the FBI doesn't really care.
No. The FBI probably does not infact care here.

They probably gave him some lip service and proceeded to promptly ignore him.

In truth, this is a common thing. The cops quite often don't give a d*mn about your problems. Unless it fits into a narrow set of criteria, they are going to just ignore you. They might be honest enough with you about this, or not.

This is why Big Content had to harras the Congress into forcing the FBI and the DOJ to pay attention to piracy.

The guys in the FBI are much more interested in things that will enhance their careers rather than some loser glam rocker from the 70s and his website.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Oct 2010 @ 9:41am

Have you seen Gene's wife? Make fun all you want, but he is banging a Playmate of the Year and you are not.
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RadialSkid (profile), 19 Oct 2010 @ 10:02am

Re:
"Playmate of the Year"

Yeah...in 1982.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Oct 2010 @ 10:13am

Considering Gene was popular in what, 1950? 1982 isn't too bad. Like you wouldn't?
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Free Capitalist (profile), 19 Oct 2010 @ 11:09am

Considering Gene was popular in what, 1950?

Too early...

1982

Too late, LOL Geriatric Gene.

Anonymous is amorphous. Anonymous is also faced with the same philosophical/practical conundrum as true, idealist Libertarians. Many who hook up would like to do some good, but being largely anarchistic (civil or not) don't truly give a rats ass about the system, and whomever does end up organizing activity often end up doing stupid shit.
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_Griphin_, 19 Oct 2010 @ 6:12pm

Gene needs to pay his rent...
why else would be sue the fans over copying his band's music?!? Ya know, too bad Gene doesn't do nice things with his money, like donate to food banks or donate money to some higher learning places like Universities.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Oct 2010 @ 7:50pm

Re:
I am actually coming around to being ok with DDoS, it's really just like an online protest where there are enough protesters to stop people getting in and out of the building....
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Jeremy2020 (profile), 20 Oct 2010 @ 11:55am

It's bad idea to upset 4chan.
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Noel Coward, 26 Oct 2010 @ 8:31pm

Anonymous Hypocrisy
Is it not interesting, that the so called protesters for free speech, as the first order of business, is to silence anyone they don't like?

They despise the system which seeks order by censoring, yet they are HYPOCRITES of the first order, who use dis-order as the weapon of choice.

These are the actions naive children. Only problem is, that they're not children! This collective only becomes what they despise, by using the same actions and methods that the system does, so are no better than they.

I have a right to question authority, but not so the NEW BIG Brother of the internet censorship called Anonymous.

Which is worse? As far as I can see, they're just the same.
Both are faceless overbearing and throw their weight around.
One is organized and has rules, the other has none and is anarchy.

I know which one I prefer of the two.
How about you?

Honestly?

If you want protest, be a man about it, not some coward!
Hiding behind a mask is not being accountable, and not truly a protest by definition.

I'll vote free speech, provided there is a caveat of responsibility attached to the terms.
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BabyD, 27 Oct 2010 @ 7:02pm

vs
This is gonna be great.Thank you Gene Simmons.Thank you.
Someone make a flash cartoon with anon vs. the kiss army ....please?
http://lulzimg.com/i8/840f58e2.jpg
pic related
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