The Internet Strikes Back: Anonymous Takes Down DOJ.gov, RIAA, MPAA Sites To Protest Megaupload Seizure
from the doj-does-not-understand-what-has-been-unleashed dept
I'll have a more detailed look at the Megaupload indictment tomorrow (there are some really ridiculous claims in there, but also some evidence of bad actions on the part of Mega, which isn't too surprising). However, even if you're 100% positive that Megaupload was a bad player in the space, you have to question both the timing and the process of completely taking down the site/company the day after practically the entire internet rose up to protest the threat of similar takedowns under SOPA/PIPA. For them not to think the reaction would be fast and furious shows (yet again) just how incredibly, ridiculously, out of touch with the internet the DC establishment is.Within minutes of the site being shut down, and DOJ releasing its statement, Anonymous sprang into action and started taking down a ton of sites -- including websites for the DOJ, the US Copyright Office, Universal Music, the RIAA, the MPAA and a bunch of other sites. They're apparently still targeting more.
Think of this as the flipside of yesterday's protests. Yesterday the internet folks went dark to protest things. Today... following the government's decision to show off its existing censorship powers -- mocking yesterday's protests -- it appears that the industry/government supporters of online censorship are going dark involuntarily... in a different form of protest.
When will the government learn: don't muck with the internet?
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Filed Under: anonymous, censorship, copyright office, ddos, doj, internet, pipa, protect ip, retaliation, seizure, sopa, takedowns
Companies: mpaa, riaa, universal music
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The government, at face value, has a strong case against megaupload. Even if it was weak though, this threatens to undermine the results of the protests. They can say we just want to defend pirates, not that we are protecting legitimate websites. Megaupload is one of those websites which it seems the government has pretty damning evidence against, and is not one that we necessary want to protect against SOPA/PIPA, and would have been targeted by OPEN with this damning evidence if there was no jurisdiction here.
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Besides, they figure that OPEN will never pass, because they want to bully us into submitting to SOPA/PIPA.
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Re: Horrible change of events
1. The site has been taken down with no warning after a secret hearing at which the site was not represented. This is a violation of due process and, indirectly, free speech.
2. Neither the company that owns the website, nor its principles are subject to American law. The American DOJ does not have jurisdiction over them, the NZ justice system does. This is a violation of national sovereignty.
Both of these deserve a strong response - they are violations of the foundational principles that democratic nations are built on. #2 could be considered an act of war. It's ok to be upset about this, no matter how bad the perpetrator is, or how much it "deserves" to be taken down.
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Nope. Grand juries have proceeded in secrecy since the 1600s, and grand jury secrecy is an integral part of due process, not a violation of it.
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That is true, but Grand Juries are not supposed to hand down penalties, just indictments. Taking a business offline is effectively a death sentence.
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> in any other indictment handed down against a criminal
> enterprise.
Nope. A grand jury has no legal authority to seize or shutter a business, drugs or no.
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It reminds me of this exchange from "Heathers":
Veronica: Why can't you adults treat us kids like normal people?
Veronica's mother: Well little miss 'voice-of-a-generation', how do you think adults treat each other? Usually when teenagers complain that they want to be treated like adults, it's when we ARE treating you like adults!"
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Really? Ever heard of a pre-trial hearing? Bail? Reasonable time to file charges or release you?
What a foolish argument. The police don't deprive you of your liberty or livelihood indefinitely, without a hearing in front of a fracking judge.
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And you're right it's not indefinitely but then I never said that.
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http://alexandriava.gov/sheriff/info/default.aspx?id=8460
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I wonder how many people Obama and Biden have already 'disappeared' across the world, where they can happily sit in a military prison, not be allowed a lawyer or even to find out the charges against them until "the war on terror is over".
Funniest point is now the GOVERNMENT is the biggest terror we have, so it should be fighting to destroy itself...oh wait it already is............
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Frustrating to have to explain the obvious, but: To the best of my knowledge the co-defendants were arrested in foreign countries. So the arrest/bail proceeding are governed by their sovereign laws. Next comes the extradition hearing. Then they'll be treated to a ride in a private jet to the Eastern District of VA. Then they'll get an arraignment where matters of bail and disposition of seized property will be argued over. Then a trial date will be set and then the trial will occur. However, most likely one of the guys listed third or lower on the indictment will roll over like a happy puppy and plead guilty in exchange for a light sentence. He will have told the prosecutor everything needed to put everyone else away for decades. The rest will quickly plead guilty, hoping for the best. Their best will likely be 10+ years if the money laundering sticks. Seems like if they were making that kind of money, it should have been an easy matter to have paid the license fees and still made a shit pot full of money. Greedy dopes instead get wiped out financially and go to prison. Pretty stupid.
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Yes, when the cops determine that you have broken the law (it's not "decide"), they come and arrest you. The trial indeed does come later.
What you seem to keep overlooking, rather stupidly or ignorantly (whichever you prefer/fits), is that you are not held indefinitely. You are arrested and imprisoned immediately. At which point, you may post bail (depending on the charges) immediately and go free. To appear at a later trial date, set by the prosecution/judge.
Or, you immediately get a quick hearing with the judge (not always quick, but not after months of waiting or any such time length) who determines at what amount bail will be set at. At which point, again, you pay and are released on your own recognizance.
Apparently your knowledge of "due process" must come from some shoddy place. Since it is you, may I venture a guess? I'm thinking you got your intelligence (or some of it) through your genes, so I'd blame Big Parents. As for the rest of it, I'd wager Big Education. With a dash of Big Conspiracy thrown in for good measure. Big Am I Right?
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When the cops decide you've broken the law, they come and arrest you. The trial comes later.
Of course there will be a trial. I was merely reacting to the idea that some people thought that the arrests in NZ were proof that someone was not following "due process." And I was kind enough to explain that they were. I said nothing about indefinitely.
You guys have been listening to the loons in the Internet echo chamber too long.
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If you were CLEARER in your comments, we could avoid such situations.
Also, it's wrong to just say "the cops decide you've broken the law". That sounds rather problematic. I've decided bob that you have broken the law, I shall contact my friends in law enforcement and tell them this. Then I hope they decide to agree with me and you are arrested.
See how that sounds wrong? You make it sound like the cops are just sitting around or whatnot and take it into their heads all of a sudden to just randomly arrest people.
"Hey, Jim, I've thought it over and made a decision. Bob is a criminal. Let's go arrest him." To which Jim replies, "Well, I was going to do paperwork, but what the heck. I've decided I don't really want to, so let's go!"
What you mean is AFTER the cops have determined that you have indeed broken the law, through investigations and with evidence, a warrant is issued (usually, unless they actually catch you in the act of committing a crime in which case no warrant is needed) and you are arrested and detained until a preliminary hearing to determine if bail will be set, at which point you can pay it (if one is set) and are released on your own recognizance. This is due process. This is what you SHOULD be saying when you try and correct people or put them in their place in regards to how "due process" is being followed.
But the truth is, either way, it's an assumption on your part and on the part of others leaving comments that due process has or has not been followed. Without all the facts, without actually being there and seeing for ourselves, we can't with any certainty say we know for sure one way or the other.
(Hint: This is a comment on how to properly explain things to people. Use it as an example for the future.)
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Second, those intricate high profile crime investigations are NOT the same as "decide to arrest you and hold you indefinitely" as bob IMPLIED. A tip starts the process, presumably (per your words). At which point a preliminary investigation is begun, from there assuming there does appear to be wrongdoing, further investigation and evidence gathering is conducted.
"An indictment comes AFTER a grand jury has heard evidence of your crime presented by the prosecutor."
By your own words, there is evidence of wrongdoing AND THEN an indictment comes. Which is essentially the same thing I said up above in my follow-up comment to bob.
In your attempt to either defend bob or take a shot at me for pointing out his poor/inaccurate choice of words, you've repeated what I said. You shouldn't be so quick to try and correct others who are merely pointing out problems in what people said. I did bob a favor, pointed out his error, explained how to correct it, and clarified things for others who may have commented after in regards to what bob originally said.
Sorry if that makes me come off as "professor". I'd rather have the errors in my thinking/what I say pointed out and corrected, than keep going off sounding/thinking/looking like an idiot. But hey, that's just me.
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Also, it really doesn't help you out to say such things when your often saying things like "big search" "big piracy" etc. If anything, throwing around such terms makes you come off as being a much bigger loon yourself. I'm not saying that to insult you, just point out how it's like the pot calling the kettle black.
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There has been no trial, and yet the FBI took down a website. On what grounds did the FBI have the right to do this?
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The MPAA is coming for you just fyi.
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This is one of those situations where I think the internet may need to be treated differently. Just providing the accused with an opportunity to respond to the allegations before switching off their business would go a long way.
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> and grand jury secrecy is an integral part of due process,
> not a violation of it.
A grand jury can't erase a web site from the internet in another country.
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They stayed out of it yesterday, while the protests were going on. They could have EASILY taken down any site they wanted and smothered it with anti-SOPA/PIPA during the protest.
They didn't. They allowed us to speak our voice.
This is flat retribution for Megaupload. Don't confused that with the protests.
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Do not censor the web prior to due process. It looked like they had a good case against Dajaz1 too and look how that turned out.
This is exactly what people were protesting against.
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Do not censor the web prior to due process. It looked like they had a good case against Dajaz1 too and look how that turned out.
This is exactly what people were protesting against.
No you were busy protesting SOPA. This is longstanding U.S. seizure law. It's been on the books for a long time. Seizure is effectively the arrest of property.
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Precedence: http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/anonymous-lawyer-ddos-attack-just-like-obama-supporters -overloading-congress-switchboard.php
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Precedence: http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/anonymous-lawyer-ddos-attack-just-like-obama-supporters -overloading-congress-switchboard.php
How'd that work out for them?
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DDoS
Because of the tools used, DDoS is more akin to disrupting telecommunication services than individuals causing congestion.
Neither does the "protest" tag doesn't negate "law". Breaking one law to protest another doesn't endear people to the cause albeit worthy.
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1) The biggest one is that the entertainment industry has cried WOLF!! so many times, even if it turns out to be a wolf, nobody cares to even come look anymore. Real criminal enterprises get ignored, because listening to the entertainment industry everything sounds like a criminal enterprise.
2) The timing of the takedown could probably not have been worse if they'd tried. Coming just a day after a massive protest amid fears of potential censorship and breaking the internet just makes it look like the government (and by extension the entertainment industry) are just thumbing their noses at people saying "we can just do what we want anyways"
Even if it was weak though, this threatens to undermine the results of the protests. They can say we just want to defend pirates, not that we are protecting legitimate websites.
Maybe. But even if they do make such a claim, the speed and thoroughness with which reprisals came also highlights one of the many points that the protests were trying to make: that the people trying to "stem the flow" of piracy have no real understanding of the technology the are attempting to regulate.
The entertainment industry only exist because of the work of the tech people, and even then they almost always have to be dragged screaming into it while the tech people have long since gone back to working on the tech. The entertainment industry will ALWAYS be behind the tech community no matter how many laws the manage to buy.
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Whoa!
http://www.justice.gov/
(It's sort of busy right now, so just keep clicking if you don't get through right away.)
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Re: Whoa!
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I can't blame them when I can name 150 million users who are a touch upset today. Many lost their lawful content, paid subscriptions, not to forget that the DoJ just declared War.
Screw the DMCA, screw Justice, when their attack was just to completely fuck them over.
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I do expect that the feds will be wanting to talk to anyone with child porn, volumes of infringing content, terrorist training manuals etc. Perhaps some folks should look toward the exit door now. Also, if I was someone getting cash or prizes for uploading infringing content- I'd be concerned about my own personal indictment, as well as a body cavity search from the IRS if I failed to declare the money they paid me as income.
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The guys name is Usher it must be a song, even if he is a professor that shares the same name.
We uploaded this ourselves, it must be infringing.
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> The feds seize the bank and they run it.
Then why isn't MegaUpload still running, Einstein? Why don't the innocent people have access to their files the same way they'd have access to their money at a seized bank?
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Sites charging their visitors, people who only try to load a few pages, for participating in a DDOS attack? Now granted there are a lot of morons in charge in the US, but I doubt they are /that/ stupid. Or maybe they are but a log file with a few entries with your IP isn't going to stand up as evidence of participation in court.
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reality has a way of proving that people can be infinitely more stupid, and never the less somehow Effective, than you'd think.
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It's seems to be something nice to add to the SOPA blackout gallery.
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Public: Hah! We taught them a lesson-
RIAA: CURSE YOU, PIRACY!
Public: D:
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Our Government/Entertainment Industry must be stopped!!!
This is just ridiculous. You know the entertainment industry would have done this to YouTube already had it not been for the fact that a gigantic corporation with the power to fight back owns it. There was a complete violation of due process in this case.
Not only that but they are having foreign governments arrest their own citizens for breaking AMERICAN laws. This is a complete overreach of government powers. But then maybe our government thinks that protections only apply to US citizens.
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Re: Our Government/Entertainment Industry must be stopped!!!
FIFY.
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Re: Our Government/Entertainment Industry must be stopped!!!
Apparently if you uploaded a file that was already there, they would not spawn a new copy but they'd generate a new link. Any takedown request would only disable that one link, meaning it was more or less useless for content owners to request a takedown. Even though Megaupload had the tools to take down all the links at once, they would not do so.
There's also allegations that the site was used by the people running it to themselves commit copyright infringements, and that it was also used as a money laundering scheme.
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But that makes perfect sense. Just because one copy (link) of the file was copyright infringement doesn't mean ALL copies were infringement. Some of them could be personal unshared backups or some other fair use.
On the other hand, it would have been better if Megaupload had some process to give the other links greater scrutiny.
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They regularly didn't comply with DMCA takedown procedures.
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Why should they have to? The DMCA is a US law. The site was owned and located in Hong Kong.
Did Hong Kong become the 51st state or something while I was on vacation?
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right?
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Re: Our Government/Entertainment Industry must be stopped!!!
I am happy to see Anonymous do its thing.The Government has mocked yesterday's protests and they will in fact try if not now then later this year to pass some kind of Censorship Bill.They have lied and schemed and took Corporate Money so it is high time for payback.
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Fuck Big Content.
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No just exploit it
trying to buy our politician
you obviously didn't hear about the hundred + lobbyist Google employed in DC
or trying to remove our rights.
Just your right to privacy
Fuck Big Content.
Yet you are hopelessly addicted. How sad.
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I'll take Big Search anyday. At least they haven't violated our rights and whined if there are any obstacles to doing so.
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No, they're quite accurately labelled as anonymous cowards. If they were open and proud, they wouldn't feel the need to hide their identities to shield repercussions from their idiocy and lies.
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I read that.
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What's wrong with that?
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I thought that was free-market principles?
you obviously didn't hear about the hundred + lobbyist Google employed in DC
AS opposed to...the many hundreds of thousands employed by Big Content.
Just your right to privacy
Like the MAFIAA have been trying to do for the past ten years...
Yet you are hopelessly addicted. How sad.
My last major media purchases were the Humble Indie Bundles. I don't need Skyrim or CallofModernBattlefieldDutyWarfare 9001.
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Addictive?
We need to eliminate addictive substances.
Seems it creates more problems than pot, but much easier to eliminate.
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Anonymous ruined the possibility of a civilized dialog on SOPA and PIPAA. They've given the common enemy reason to fight with the big guns and now it will turn into a cage fight. I wonder who will get KO'd first. Time for me to sit down and quit letting the legislatures know their errand ways.
Too bad they weren't patient enough to give peace a chance. Bunch of 13 yo script kiddies.
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The conversation will now move away from the incredible democratic outpouring by millions of ordinary citizens around the world toward the lawless acts by anonymous.
Next we'll start to see op-eds about why the Internet is too wild as it is and needs more government control.
IMO this is a terrible turn of events for SOPA/PIPA opponents.
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If someone took a stick to a Record label CEO .. would anyone care ?
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The point i was trying to make tho is that the Ghandi approach only works if you can pull off looking like a victim.
10+ Years of the media industry playing the bully has me not all that sympathetic to them getting beat on.
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They'll do "anything" for money.
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If I remember correctly...
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I'm not saying I support an actual armed response, mind you. This is all a metaphor for political actions rather than military ones.
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Hey, for some of us this is an issue of fighting foreign oppression. The US gov should bloody well stop forcing its legal system down other countries throats...
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The conversation will now move away from the incredible democratic outpouring by millions of ordinary citizens around the world toward the lawless acts by anonymous.
Next we'll start to see op-eds about why the Internet is too wild as it is and needs more government control.
IMO this is a terrible turn of events for SOPA/PIPA opponents.
I don't know whether it was a set-up or not, but the effect will be the same. Cyber-terrorism will be the new mantra. And the laws based on terrorist threats like the Patriot Act will pale in comparison to the laws invoked in the name of cyber-terrorism. Skirmish won, war lost.
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The sketchy timing of Megaupload's seizure and the way it was handled are ugly aspects that I doubt the government will be able to explain.
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No I don't think it's lost by a long shot. Some of them, as the protests/blackout showed, are getting upset because of the entertainment industry's effort to try to control the net, legislate away potential competition, and treat it's customers like criminals.
A lot more people, however, are getting angry because of the continued financial problems of this country and the abuses/mismanagement of financial institutions and the failure of government to rectify these matters. People who I hear, almost on a daily basis, complaining about losing/having lost thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars in 401Ks/retirement funds/savings. I even personally know of two examples of people losing jobs, not being able to afford/acquire needed meds and passing away.
These people don't really care about the internet, or media, or "file sharing", or even so much about civil liberties to some extent. They neither know about, nor care about anonymous. What they are getting upset about is hearing about Congress "wasting time catering to a bunch of people with inflated senses of entitlement who want to complain about not being able to make money for doing nothing while they continue to cut our benefits, raise our taxes, and not fix the stupid economy."
No, the truth of the matter is the war hasn't even really started heating up yet.
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Funny that 7 million will sign a Google petition, websites around the world will go dark to promote continued access to free content- yet not much about the real ills of the country. Shows where your priorities lie, I suppose.
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"websites around the world will go dark to promote continued access to free content"
Your pro-corporate, lying bullshit accepting bias is showing.
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I guess you spent it all on the possibility of not being able to get free movies and music. Pitiful.
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SOPA, on the other hand will, as it's specifically directed at sites that are legal in my country, and which service demand that your corporate gods won't. So, that explains my difference in opinion without having to overstretch your feeble mind, even before I start correcting you about the lies you're trying to spead about my character (hint: I pay for my media, asshole).
But as we know, your kind are allergic to facts, since they undermine every weak position you hold and require intelligent thought.
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Marvellous, having an evil twin to take care of the loittle things...like posting here.
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Not only quit buying but quit watching/listening.
Watching movies you already own is no different than watching tv anyway.
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snigger
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I prefer: all censorship is wrong.
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Now *that's* funny.
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With the name their getting for themselves it would be easy to vote for umm oh... whoever they are.
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arrgh
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PIPA SOPA crap
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Poor judgement on Anonymous
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Re: Poor judgement on Anonymous
Today with everyone wondering what the heck the government is doing immediately after yesterday, the authorities may find that they've bitten off more than they can chew.
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Re: Poor judgement on Anonymous
If this is true, then we had no momentum at all. If this one action by Anonymous was able to turn the US government against what we did yesterday, then the US government was never turned our way to begin with.
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Re: Re: Poor judgement on Anonymous
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Re: Re: Poor judgement on Anonymous
though i think it was already true to begin with, the government was never on nobodies side but their own
you know what they say about governments are like diapers, well i think it's time for a serious diaper change
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Re: Re: Poor judgement on Anonymous
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Re: Re: Re: Poor judgement on Anonymous
There is no scenario where large numbers of average people even having to think about if they should side with the government or a group of "cyber-terrorists" is a good thing for the government. This needs to be handled intelligence and rational consideration. Unfortunately, the government has not displayed much of either lately.
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How does it feel?
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Fire! Fire! Fire!
I'm in your internetz, crippling your websites.
We asked them to respect us. They kicked dirt in our faces and called us names.
We told them we wouldn't be kind when pushed too hard. They laughed and spread rumors of false entitlement while enjoying the profits of others' labor.
We told them to expect us. They took down Megaupload.
We returned fire. They cried with regret under OpMegaupload.
It has been confirmed (on IRC), this is the largest attack with LOIC in history.
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Re: Fire! Fire! Fire!
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If MU wins the civil case, then the criminal one will have a massive hole shot in it.
It's easier to win a civil tort case than it is a criminal one, QED OJ Simpson.
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If MU wins the civil case, then the criminal one will have a massive hole shot in it.
It's easier to win a civil tort case than it is a criminal one, QED OJ Simpson.
Everything (evidence, depositions, etc) from the civil case will come to play in the criminal one. Seizure of the bank accounts alone will be a bitch for both cases. And like Ninjavideo, the smartest one will rat out the others and walk, the rest will be keeping O'Dwyer company.
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yeah, I think America has lost the face of its father.
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His response was that since the site served pages in English, the site must be targeting the US. It didn't occur to him that there's hundreds of thousands of British ex-pats in Spain, that there's millions of English speaking tourists in the country every year who would have no other way to access the content while here, or that there's hundreds of millions of English speakers within Europe. No, according to this idiot, any site in the English language has to be directly targeting the US.
Once again, these people have no concept of reality. In this moron's mind, whatever he's decided the US law is should be applicable to the entire planet, because his masters feel entitled to absolute control.
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Anyone who believes that their copywritten material has been infringed upon? Can get the ISP to take down the information, and there is also financial repercussions.
But it is not limited to just lawsuits with in this country, but also from other countries members.
The ACLU also supported this from the get go.
Forget about the aclu helping you out in Freedom Of Speech issues when it comes to the internet.
The ones who really come out really sweet ARE The Lawyers.
Then you got First To file vs. First to invent, and in the U.S. it use to be for 200 years First To Invent vs. First to File, but not anymore.
Obamacare does NOT include the Severely Disabled community of which they USED them to push it "Obamacare" through.
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Facebook is more than willing to hand it over to anyone with the right money.
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Really? I think it's just part of their agenda.
- Step one: seize "rogue site".
- Step two: watch attacks poor in and start logging software.
- Step three: point out that pirates are helping the rogue sites and use that to push more bad laws.
- Step four: arrest a few "protester" and have them extradited.
- Step five: be very very public about it.
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Really? I think it's just part of their agenda.
- Step one: seize "rogue site".
- Step two: watch attacks poor in and start logging software.
- Step three: point out that pirates are helping the rogue sites and use that to push more bad laws.
- Step four: arrest a few "protester" and have them extradited.
- Step five: be very very public about it.
- Step six: ??
- Step seven: PROFIT!!
FTFY
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I agree with part of point #1. The fact that there was no due process (at least that I heard of) seems to be a travesty. BUT... there was no violation of the right to free speech. No ones voice was forced into silence while trying to voice an opinion.
I also agree with part of point #2 neither the company nor its principals are subject to American laws - BUT by choosing to do business in the United States (renting server space in northern Virginia), they opened themselves up to those laws.
You also fail to acknowledge the fact that it wasn't US law enforcement going to NZ to execute the detainment of these people, it was in fact NZ law enforcement cooperating with the USDOJ / FBI in this matter.
I feel that all the work that was being done yesterday to avoid the possibility of passing poorly written and one sided legislation may have been undone in a matter of short hours by a group of anonymous people not willing to stand up under their real names (which most of the people that protested yesterday did by the way) and take responsibility for what they have done and said.
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And you would be correct.
How many congressman now want to be known as supporters of cyber terrorists?
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And you would be correct.
How many congressman now want to be known as supporters of cyber terrorists?
Don't know of any members of Congress, but I do know of a certain douchebag Senator who will be paying a price for his relationship with Anonymous. This is going to get hung around Wyden's neck like a burning tire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiMG6A_kUBY
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Of course, there may a significant number of content creators who are now unable to retrieve their own data, which I have a serious problem with. If the government wants to move forward smartly, their next step should be to allow users to access Megaupload to download their own files. Just order the site back online for 48 hours, no uploads, no deleting files, no downloading from other users, just access your own stuff.
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Response to: Tim Edwards on Jan 19th, 2012 @ 4:07pm
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Keep up the cheerleading, Chubby. I'll bet you see a Cyber-Patriot Act come out of the Republican Congress and signed by a Republican President within in a year's time. No one is going to tolerate the kind of cyber-terrorism sponsored by your friends at Anonymous. This is a prime example of what lawlessness on the internet promotes. Thanks for the gift.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEWgs6YQR9A
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if you mean "lawlessness" as in "dosen't give a fuck about oppressive, broken bullshit laws like copyright" you're right
if you mean "lawlessness" as in saying a nice big "FUCK YOU" to the true leeches and trash of society, you're abso-fucking-lutely right
if this is the kind of "lawlessness" the internet promotes, then i hope it never stops
i hope it goes on, 'till the next things that's censored is the MAFIAA, and all their supporters... "permanently"
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Operation IP Freedom
Serves them right for continuing to develop Weapons of Mass Distribution.
Oh yeah, sure, they say they're just a bitlocker, but those are entertainment-grade bits.
Mission accomplished.
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Re: Operation IP Freedom
Careful though, I hear Hollywood tends to frown on fair use.
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SOPA
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So are you saying that you prefer this sort of seizure to Megaupload being delisted from US search engines and having its payment processor and ad accounts curtailed?
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This demonstrates that not only are there ways but the ways they already have are complete overkill so they certainly don't need even more powers.
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Cool, I think Apple, Microsoft and others have some equipment in Ireland, perhaps the Irish can shut them down and extradite their CEO's if they believe them guilty of some crime or other like I don't know, patent infringement.
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I think a very good case could be made against pretty much any electronics company for child endangerment given the nature of the places producing those devices.
I would consider child endangerment more serious than money laundering... see, its not just copyright maximalist who can play why won't anyone think of the children, it's incredibly flexible.
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Goodness, can a western country actually go any more rogue in any more ways than the US has done over the last 12 years.
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Now it is the "war on pirates". Download an mp3, get down with Bubu tonight.
Am I the only one who find it extremely stupid?
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*Cheshire cat grin*
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A spokesman for the MPAA told the Associated Press in an email Thursday that the group's site had been hacked.
"The motion picture and television industry has always been a strong supporter of free speech," the spokesman said. "We strongly condemn any attempts to silence any groups or individuals."
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That is assuming the loss to the rights holders of over 500 million dollars over 5 years is correct.
So now lets watch them sit back while their coffers overflow.
Or is it possible, that, that won't happen.
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Yesterday was peaceful. Today not so much
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Won't be long now till you'll be in yet another war with Iran this time and your sekrit prisons will be overflowing with renditioned file-sharers..
Your Government makes me sick!
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They really, really, should have joined in the SOPA protests.
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http://www.webpronews.com/porn-sites-black-out-for-sopa-2012-01
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WTG Anon :)
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Re: WTG Anon :)
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No, they are using yours.
Have fun at your new place of incarceration with your "laws" and "justice".
Remember now, if someone drops the SOPA-on-a-rope in the shower, do not bend over to pick it up, or you're likely to get PIPAed in the ACTA.
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Wonder if he will get the "they are using yours".
Hint footer him, coughbotnetcough.
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Someone took your binky away. WAH WAH WAH!
Fucking idiots.
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This was the one story where the most recent 25 comments were ALL UNANIMOUS, and against the government action taken today. I find that to be an interesting trend. I think the administration will find this was a serious mistake going forward.
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So why doesn't anything ever "trickle up"?
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It's too early to know if this is justified
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Similarities?
Ramrod legislation, Internet blackout Friday, megaupload massacre. I see a dissertation here for any political science or history phd candidate. Just make sure to give me proper credit :) We are truly in a global age.
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Re: Similarities?
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Go out and buy a gun, if enough people do this it will send a clear message to our wana be leaders that we are sovereign individuals who are ready to exercise our rights.
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This is exactly why we have a right to keep AND BEAR arms. Not for hunting or protection from robbers, but for protection from our own government if they go too far.
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I wanted to see them offline permanently.
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Would be a shame if no one knew about your new movie opening soon, because there were no hits leading people to an overproduced trailer that gives away all the best parts.
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How'd that work out for them???
if every other business in the world that gets "stolen" from can give you figures almost to the penny, why can't the content industry? I mean if there is so much "thievery" going on you should not have to "estimate the Loss"
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Our Government/Entertainment Industry must be stopped!!!
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Our Government/Entertainment Industry must be stopped!!!
Which is more than I can say for the cunts up on the Capitol.
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> Internet for the win! I'll give 5to1 odds
Put me down for 100 quatloos!
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nice job
Operation Megaupload in pictures: http://goo.gl/2CL44
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websites
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...websites for DOJ, the US Copyright Office, Universal Music
Has anyone checked lately that all those sites aren't running off a Universal server? cause it sure seems that way.
Heck half the time it seems like the DOJ website is just the mirror backup of Universal.
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the 'root cause of the disruption' is you idiots taking down another site without due process, like you did with Dajaz1, because the entertainment industries have told you to!
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Here lies the truth about SOPA/PIPA that even TechDirt has yet to report: what MPAA, RIAA, and Hollywood execs do not want you to see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzS5rSvZXe8
The truth behind why these big companies responsible for SOPA and PIPA are also responsible for piracy itself is far more insidious than even their outmoded business model.
Hint: can you say, do as I say so I can crush you under heel?
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Re: Here lies the truth about SOPA/PIPA that even TechDirt has yet to report: what MPAA, RIAA, and Hollywood execs do not want you to see.
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http://www.lolme.org/lolpics/the-awkward-moment-when-you-break-the-law-you-proposed-lama r-smith-sopa/
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Guilty until proven innocent
Raid without care to damage to property; shut down their source of income, confiscate property and inventory... you name it... And that's something I observed without even looking for the type of information...
Aside for this one, I saw another here: http://www.naturalnews.tv/rawsome_foods.asp
Raid of natural food store... cooperative.
They pass laws and regulation in the middle of the night, away from public scrutiny, without notice nor consultation. They have the guns ready to attack the public by the following morning.
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Typo alert. There's an 'm' in there that should be an 'f'. HTH.
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