Discussing SOPA/PIPA Over At On The Media

New Righthaven To Offer 'Hosting With A Backbone'; Will Avoid Unnecessary Takedowns

from the interesting-turn-of-events dept

Wed, Jan 25th 2012 7:19pm — Mike Masnick

Last week, some folks here pointed out that the new Righthaven.com -- bought during the asset auction of Righthaven's domain for $3,300, as part of the effort to fulfill Righthaven's obligation to pay legal fees for one of its (many) bogus lawsuits -- had put up a page joining the anti-SOPA/PIPA protests. That certainly seemed encouraging, and suggested that (not all that surprisingly, really), the domain had been bought by someone who took a dim view on copyright maximalism.

I was going to write up something on that, but got busy with other, more timely, coverage on SOPA/PIPA. However, I've now gone back to the new Righthaven, and it appears that they've announced plans to become a hosting provider "with a backbone," willing to withstand efforts to take down content on a questionable legal basis. In a bit of irony... they've hired Righthaven-slayer, Marc Randazza, to act as their lawyer.

Some reports have suggested that the new owner is a hosting company in Switzerland, called OrtCloud, which focuses on providing "privacy-friendly" hosting. The new Righthaven.com basically has a manifesto, which is worth reading, first talking up the fact that anyone can publish online these days, and how important that is:

You are the most important part of the digital economy. Period.

You drive the discussion. You draw from the well of ideas, and refill it. You apply your particular character and unique vision to those ideas. You synthesize. But most importantly, you publish. That actually deserves its own line.

You publish.

But somewhere, sometime not too long ago, a large part of the global economy simply forgot about you and the importance of the simple act of clicking the "submit" button.

In retrospect this seems strange. By and large the big, flashy heroes of the digital age (and we love them, we really do) claimed their laurels for producing tools like operating systems, software, communications networks, and hardware for you. To make it easier for you to hit "submit." To extend the range your content could travel after that mouse click.

And yet, to much of the economy today and certainly to most politicians, you have become little more than a means to an end.

That is a sad state of affairs.

As for what Righthaven will actually provide? They'll be a hosting company that doesn't fold like a cheap card-table, apparently:

Righthaven.com will provide shared and dedicated server hosting services to clients who expect just a little more backbone from their provider. Well, actually a lot more backbone.

We call it "spineful hosting" and not only do we think it is a "great idea"^TM but as nearly fanatical advocates for the freedom of expression we are pretty sure it is also "the right thing to do."^TM Then again, we are prone to agree with ourselves quite often.

And they're teaming up with upstream partners who have a similar outlook:

Recent events and the pavlovian salivating of certain legislators upon hearing the fundraising dinner bell ringing from the Beverly Hills Hotel have certainly reminded us that the internet naming system is a serious choke point for any online enterprise. In selecting our partners we wanted to make sure we teamed up with a domain registrar and DNS host who had a history of treating third party requests skeptically, but respectfully. We wanted a partner who wouldn't dissolve into incontinent fits and roll over on getting a call from United States Senator Joseph Lieberman's office intern, for instance. We found that partner in Toronto based easyDNS. easyDNS has been providing clueful and spineful DNS and registry services since 1998. Their four-continent anycast DNS cluster fits the bill. Plus, easyDNS' founder, Mark Jeftovic, is the essence of a spineful owner.

Seems like an excellent use of the Righthaven.com domain...

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Filed Under: copyright, hosting, marc randazza, righthaven.com
Companies: ortcloud, righthaven

49 Comments

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TtfnJohn (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 7:30pm

It's a nice 360 to take. Not that their mission statement endorses piracy, it doesn't, it endorses not rolling over at the slightest sign of complaint from someone with a Hollywood address and law firm's name.

If they hold true to this then I wish them well. And may even look into moving a domain I have over to them in time.

Good for them!
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 7:41pm

A trustworthy VPN with a backbone would be a nice service.
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Jay (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 8:04pm

Re:
We have needed this for so long in the US that it's not funny...

From TWC and Verizon who are focused on taking away privacy concerns to Hollywood and their needy BS, someone has needed to stand up to them who doesn't have direct links to the US hosting system.

I just hope that they really can work on this.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 8:10pm

You guys are just putting targets on your backs now.
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xenomancer (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 8:12pm

A Tagline Idea
OrtCloud, almost as big as the "Oort Cloud"(TM).

/awesome-obvious-astronomy-joke

I hope their business succeeds.
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jose (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 8:39pm

ACTA says:

To protect electronic rights management information,16 each Party shall provide
adequate legal protection and effective legal remedies against any person knowingly
performing without authority any of the following acts knowing, or with respect to civil
remedies, having reasonable grounds to know, that it will induce, enable, facilitate, or
conceal an infringement of any copyright or related rights:

(a) to remove or alter any electronic rights management information;
(b) to distribute, import for distribution, broadcast, communicate, or make
available to the public copies of works, performances, or phonograms,
knowing that electronic rights management information has been
removed or altered without authority

My question is : Is wikipedia in danger because of this article? or is this article only attacking sites dedicated to infringing IP??
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 8:44pm

I don't get it. What do they offer that easydns doesn't already offer?
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LyleD, 25 Jan 2012 @ 8:47pm

Great idea and I wish them the best for their endeavor..

However, I can't help but think using any US services (like a Toronto DNS provider or even a .COM address) is a bad decision given the current situations in the US.. Any business links, no matter how tenuous open them up to anything the corrupt Justice Department want to throw at them...
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Lin Mu, 25 Jan 2012 @ 8:51pm

This might be the real thing
The wonderful historical music site "MUTANT SOUNDS" was badly disrupted by the take down of megaupload, and now says they might be working with "Righthaven".

see:
http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/2012/01/upload-solutions-are-in-works.html
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 9:18pm

Re:
Uh... hosting?
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 9:34pm

Randazza
Randazza is a copyright troll.

I would trust him. Not.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 9:52pm

The best news I've read in a long time.
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Ed C., 25 Jan 2012 @ 10:27pm

Not going to end well...
As much as I'd hate to admit it, ICE will probably have the service nuked before it launches. Big media will just "know" that it's dedicated to infringement...before it even host a single byte. (They hate to admit it, their CEOs and lawyers are clairvoyant. Just never mind the fact their track record is even worse than groundhogs.)
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Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 25 Jan 2012 @ 10:28pm

Re: A Tagline Idea
Yeah, I wondered if there was a pun in one of the Swiss languages there.

The Oort Cloud is where comets come from. Most of the time they put on a pretty show as they pass the Sun. Sometimes they hit us.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 10:37pm

Re:
Actually, it's a 180. A 360 would put them exactly back where they were before.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 10:45pm

Re:
each Party shall provide adequate legal protection and effective legal remedies against any person knowingly performing without authority any of the following acts knowing, or with respect to civil remedies, having reasonable grounds to know, that it will induce, enable, facilitate, or conceal an infringement of any copyright or related rights

Defense lawyers will have a field day if this is the guiding document. I know this is a treaty (er, executive agreement) and not a law, but if it were a law, it would be void for vagueness before the toner cooled down.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 10:48pm

Re: This might be the real thing
They should also start using the darknets since they are almost impossible to disrupt.

Omemo
GNUNet
Retroshare

are just a few.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 11:39pm

Re: Re:
Try telling that to NDAA and Patriot Act.
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Richard (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 2:22am

Re: Randazza
Randazza is a hired gun - and a very good one. I would want him on my side - to make sure he is not working for my opponents.
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mike allen (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 2:47am

good luck to them a good use for the site.
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Berenerd (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 4:38am

Re:
I put the target on my front...I like to see it coming.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2012 @ 4:42am

1. Site owners claim they'll actually demand their legal rights instead of just crumbling instantly when Big Media snaps its fingers.

2. IT'S A ROGUE SITE DEDICATED TO INFRINGEMENT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING IT'S COSTING US TWO BILLION JOBS A YEAR AND SUPPLYING TERRORISTS WITH CHILD PORN

3. ICE kicks down doors, arrests people, confiscates equipment, and brushes off any complaints. (They may or may not acquire warrants, depending on how much time and effort it'd take them to find a judge dumb enough to buy it.)

4. Techdirt article calling out ICE for being Hollywood's attack dogs.
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The eejit (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 4:47am

Re:
Pretty much. Then Chris Dodd will say that this isn't a win for terrorism because it's them doing ti.
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 5:46am

Re:
just to clarify: apparently they are using easyDNS as a registrar only. the actual hosting is probably going on switzerland. i suppose they offer even more backbone (or at least it could be harder to takedown, even if they manage to seize their domain name) than easy on the hosting side?
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2012 @ 6:10am

The Honorable ....
Does anyone else get tired of people using titles to which they are no truly entitled?
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DannyB (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 6:16am

Re:
2. IT'S A ROGUE SITE . . . COSTING US TWO BILLION JOBS A YEAR

Really?

Suggestions:
* Apply some Hollywood math.
* Learn about the exclamation point key. Use it. More == better.

Try this:

COSTING US TWENTY BILLION JOBS A YEAR!!!

How's that? Twenty billion jobs is a significant dent in US employment.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2012 @ 6:20am

Re:
So you admit that you're looking for targets.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2012 @ 6:25am

Re: Re:
At that rate by 2015 our unemployment will be 5,714.3%! We have to act now before it's too late!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
BentFranklin (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 6:26am

Swords to plowshares!
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2012 @ 6:38am

Re: Re:
Why do they call it an xBox360?
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2012 @ 6:40am

Re: The Honorable ....
My title is 'the Insane'. I would say it fits.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2012 @ 6:40am

Trademarks?
Really? They are claiming trademark over "great idea" and "the right thing to do"? Methinks they did not get very good legal advise.
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btrussell (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 7:24am

Re: Re: Re:
Why do they call it an xBox720?
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Gracey (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 7:25am

Seriously ... is ANYONE going to trust any company named "Righthaven"?

Yes, I know. New owners but the name itself is certainly going to raise now only "eyebrows" but a certain level of distrust - at least until they've proven themselves.

I'll reserve my thoughts until they've got a little more time under their belt, I think.
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btrussell (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 7:25am

Re: Re:
Nope. Competition. Then it gets a target.
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E. Zachary Knight (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 7:32am

Re: Re: Re:
Because Sony was coming out with the Playstation 3 and going against that with a XBox 2 was a marketing nightmare. They needed a bigger number basically.
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Yakko Warner (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 8:12am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
They don't; that's just the name most of the press use for the as-yet-unannounced next console (because it's 2x360).
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btrussell (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 8:53am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Yes, I know.

But they should be calling it xbox180 because apparently it will not play used games. Half as useful(360/2).
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DH's Love Child (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 11:14am

Re:
Um... you realize that Toronto is in Canada, which, contrary to popular belief, is not US North?
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btrussell (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 11:53am

Re: Re:
This may be what they are talking about:

"First, the SOPA provisions are designed to have an extra-territorial effect that manifests itself particularly strongly in Canada. As I discussed in a column last year, SOPA treats all dot-com, dot-net, and dot-org domain as domestic domain names for U.S. law purposes. Moreover, it defines "domestic Internet protocol addresses" - the numeric strings that constitute the actual address of a website or Internet connection - as "an Internet Protocol address for which the corresponding Internet Protocol allocation entity is located within a judicial district of the United States." Yet IP addresses are allocated by regional organizations, not national ones. The allocation entity located in the U.S. is called ARIN, the American Registry for Internet Numbers. Its territory includes the U.S., Canada, and 20 Caribbean nations. This bill treats all IP addresses in this region as domestic for U.S. law purposes. To put this is context, every Canadian Internet provider relies on ARIN for its block of IP addresses. In fact, ARIN even allocates the block of IP addresses used by federal and provincial governments. The U.S. bill would treat them all as domestic for U.S. law purposes."
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6244/125/
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hothmonster, 26 Jan 2012 @ 12:08pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
wait what? how is that even a possibility? If thats true how will it know whether I bought a game used or if I took it to a friends house after I had played it on my box? Sounds like a really good way to take value out of their system. Thank god for pc gaming.
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h, 26 Jan 2012 @ 12:09pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Thankfully they didnt go with PlayierStationer.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2012 @ 12:12pm

Re:
they sold me with that letter, come on "MPAA...uck....12 year old girls....sharp end" good stuff
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btrussell (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 12:46pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
If I come across the article again, I will post a link.
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John Fenderson (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 3:30pm

Re: Re:
In the US, treaties are laws. There's no difference. So be glad it's an executive agreement.
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btrussell (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 4:43pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Sorry, still just a rumor.

http://kotaku.com/5879202
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btrussell (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 4:50pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2012/01/how-the-next-xbox-could-stop-you-from-playing-used-games. ars
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2012 @ 7:20am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
gross
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Kibje, 27 Feb 2012 @ 1:33am

It's a nice 180 to make. Making a 360 is hilarious and pointless.
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