What with so many in Congress already on the MPAA payroll then it is hard to see any real action coming from this.
One interesting aspect is that following the SOPA and PIPA defeats it is now the Tech Industry and not the Entertainment Industry who can wield some real power in Congress.
I doubt many would disagree that this massive raid on Mega was a total overkill.
Had they followed justice and due process then first would be a civil court case proving they violate DMCA law. Then can follow a criminal case proving they aim to infringe copyright as part of their business plan. Only once then convicted of a major crime is it fair to order company closure, bank funds seized and seizure of the domain names.
What we have here is nothing more than censorship. We do not like you, we do not like what you are doing, and despite no infringement conviction at all we will totally destroy your multi-million dollar corporation including several sub-companies unrelated to our main infringement claims.
This is not justice and due process when this is only monopoly censorship. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Kim under the law is innocent and yet his many companies stand "destroyed"
We should be very concerned indeed seeing half of the DoJ's claims are little more than a sad joke. This is not to forget the many thousands of artists and others who have just had their lawful supply shut down.
For these reasons file sharers are currently at War and our enemy is known. Respect justice and due process and we respect you.
People should not under estimate the Copyright Monopolies attack on independent lawful markets.
We already know about DaJaz1 and how the RIAA fooled ICE to seized this domain despite the vast volume of lawful music supply.
What is most concerning with this latest Mega case is that they shut down MegaBox. We may recall that Kim was offering artists 90% of the sales and setting himself up as direct competition of the RIAA. That service was announced during the Mega Song conflict when UMG falsely took down this lawful independent video. The time between then and now is just long enough for the Feds to plan this massive raid!
Let me get this straight when the RIAA using their private Governmental Police service just closed a huge and dangerous market rival. I can promise you now that the Judge is going to take a very close look at that one and he won't like what he sees.
If you combine MegaBox, this Mega Song case, DaJaz1 and more you can certainly make out a clear pattern of the RIAA abusing the market, destroying independent channels, to protect is monopoly.
The Federal Government certainly won't have an easy case here and to justify their actions.
Now people can see why I love Imgur. Raw creation in a social group simply to entertain each other. No desire for money or Copyright when it has its own fun reward.
You can also see that they do have news photos including about Congress so it is educational. Photos are linked to sites like Reddit to increase viewers.
That one photo does wonderful things showing that we can all stand together to protect the Internet.
My concern is that Federal resources are being used to infiltrate and monitor all lawful file-sharing businesses.
Many of them should take a good long look at their employees and data systems. A full staff rotation may not be a bad idea for those that cannot be fully trusted.
First of all I should thank Mike for making a nice summery of the main issues.
One thing I can say is that Kim Dotcom and the Mega company are certainly not lacking good lawyers who will certainly cover these many points in much greater detail. We can also see in time what else they can do in what I call the "O.J Simpson" trail of the Copyright world.
Mega currently has an on-going Civil case and should they win that case this would certainly harm the Criminal case.
We may recall that while Kim Dotcom was convicted of serious crimes in his youth then as Kim directly states then under German law these convictions have now expired meaning he has no convictions against him. So unless anyone has any new data then it would be safe to say he is long reformed. One would then think that owning the 68th most popular website would be good reason to stay lawful and the profit rolling in.
You certainly have to wonder about overkill when MegaUpload have not yet even been proved unlawful in Civil court. Due process should be about proving a business is unlawful BEFORE you destroy that business. Destroy is the right word when even if Mega win this case the file sharing scene would be long changed and Mega would be renamed Minor.
I also ponder how the Federal Government got their hands on this inside information? Hacking? Spy? If this was someone working for the Feds then much of these email would be about trying to frame them.
The big problem in all this is that it is very hard to trust this Administration and who can say the Judge won't be the Government's best friend aiming for guilty no matter the evidence? What is "justice" next to their campaign of stamping out piracy? It is so easy to go with guilty just because and at minimum the Feds are sure to schedule a copyright butcher.
Well there are so many concerns here and we can only wait and see what happens.
First of all I should thank Mike for making a nice summery of the main issues.
One thing I can say is that Kim Dotcom and the Mega company are certainly not lacking good lawyers who will certainly cover these many points in much greater detail. We can also see in time what else they can do in what I call the "O.J Simpson" trail of the Copyright world.
Mega currently has an on-going Civil case and should they win that case this would certainly harm the Criminal case.
We may recall that while Kim Dotcom was convicted of serious crimes in his youth then as Kim directly states then under German law these convictions have now expired meaning he has no convictions against him. So unless anyone has any new data then it would be safe to say he is long reformed. One would then think that owning the 68th most popular website would be good reason to stay lawful and the profit rolling in.
You certainly have to wonder about overkill when MegaUpload have not yet even been proved unlawful in Civil court. Due process should be about proving a business is unlawful BEFORE you destroy that business. Destroy is the right word when even if Mega win this case the file sharing scene would be long changed and Mega would be renamed Minor.
I also ponder how the Federal Government got their hands on this inside information? Hacking? Spy? If this was someone working for the Feds then much of these email would be about trying to frame them.
The big problem in all this is that it is very hard to trust this Administration and who can say the Judge won't be the Government's best friend aiming for guilty no matter the evidence? What is "justice" next to their campaign of stamping out piracy? It is so easy to go with guilty just because and at minimum the Feds are sure to schedule a copyright butcher.
Well there are so many concerns here and we can only wait and see what happens.
Impressed yet? People do create some wonderful things to reflect developments. Then right there you have "fair use" copyright infringement which is used to "create"
"That means that businesses don't rip off the artists and just take their work"
I can name a few musicians where that has already happened. They sign up to an RIAA label who claim copyright over their music in exchange for a contract. The small print abuses them far more than copyright law ever would.
Then later another music company buys out their label. The former business is dead so contacts null and void BUT they transferred the ownership rights to the new company. Ergo the artists no longer get paid when their music is sold.
The artists would actually love our copyright reform when it would say every musician has a shared ownership right by default which cannot be sold or given away. You create it then you share the reward.
1. Preface everything with "fair use". That is already a concept that people understand and you can use it in sentences like "It would become fair use to change the law in this way" and "fair use copyright"
2. The people already get the abuse that Copyright does when they only need to read around. To be honest then I did promote some advanced SOPA/PIPA concepts myself which did go around and put fear into people. I could not even say myself if it was true but the theory fitted the facts. Terms like "land grab" are those which work best.
3. Everyone hates big brother and corrupt politics. To be detached from that and instead from the Interwebz seems quite a bonus. A few memes would soon convince them.
Well if anyone knows how to reform Copyright laws then go ahead and book us a room in Congress.
I am just not sure we would be welcomed to start writing new laws and then those MPAA/RIAA bunch would only seal the room and start a fire. "Lets cut the copyright span down to 30 years. Do you smell smoke?"
Maybe what we just did may have impressed them enough. SOPA and PIPA were on fast track for easy passage then only in a short span of time over 6000 websites mobilized over 8 million voting Americans to have these bills shot down.
It is not hard to miss that those same 8+ million plus can swing election votes. These same people would sure as hell welcome a few branches in the tree of Copyright to be pruned.
Most of us do not have a problem with copyright in terms of stopping commercial exploitation but we want them to adapt to this new market with lawful services.
The span of copyright does need to be reduced and then the Public Domain sure as hell need a lot more respect than what it is given. This is not the crap leftovers but a public resource of ideas and enjoyment.
Congress has for too long been the Copyright Fortress and abuser of the world. We can understand their reasons but it is not like we welcome what they do. Clearly more people mobilize against the abuses of Copyright as each day passes.
"The Protecting Children from Internet Pornographers Act of 2011"
As the Internet already successfully deals with this topic in self-censorship then this is clearly some nasty idea hidden under a "protect the children" concept.
"No UN inspector this is not a nuclear warhead but a flying paedophile killer! We must all work hard to protect the children"
To be honest here then this delay does much worry me.
This to me only reads like they want to delay now so that the public heat cools down. Then it is only wait until the one key day when the public are distracted to slip it into law while everyone is left thinking "WTF just happened there?"
So this turns one decisive vote and quick resolution into the vast job of having to closely watch them for weeks or months to see if PIPA and SOPA start to move.
I am sure most of Anonymous already know this and stopped by nothing more than their own choice. A key PIPA vote only a few days away is one good reason.
Anonymous when it comes to DDoS is like a smoker trying to give up knowing it is bad for them. For weeks if not months they have been a good little activist group but then comes along that one really bad day when 4% of the Internet just got deleted. Like the smoker it becomes all "f**k it, I need this, it has to be done" or in Anonymous's case "someone has to pay"
Fine one bad day and they deserve our understanding with no real harm done. They even had their anger covered on prime time news and many web stories so they certainly had their grievances heard.
At the end of the day though the point still stand that DDoS is bad for Anonymous and to give it up they have to do. Had they gone their usual route they would so be targeting New Zealand right now but I doubt that will happen.
On the post: Public Petitions The White House To Investigate Chris Dodd & The MPAA For Possible Bribery
Re:
One interesting aspect is that following the SOPA and PIPA defeats it is now the Tech Industry and not the Entertainment Industry who can wield some real power in Congress.
On the post: Clay Shirky: Why SOPA's Not Going Away
Re: Re: Monopoly
Had they followed justice and due process then first would be a civil court case proving they violate DMCA law. Then can follow a criminal case proving they aim to infringe copyright as part of their business plan. Only once then convicted of a major crime is it fair to order company closure, bank funds seized and seizure of the domain names.
What we have here is nothing more than censorship. We do not like you, we do not like what you are doing, and despite no infringement conviction at all we will totally destroy your multi-million dollar corporation including several sub-companies unrelated to our main infringement claims.
This is not justice and due process when this is only monopoly censorship. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Kim under the law is innocent and yet his many companies stand "destroyed"
We should be very concerned indeed seeing half of the DoJ's claims are little more than a sad joke. This is not to forget the many thousands of artists and others who have just had their lawful supply shut down.
For these reasons file sharers are currently at War and our enemy is known. Respect justice and due process and we respect you.
On the post: Clay Shirky: Why SOPA's Not Going Away
Monopoly
We already know about DaJaz1 and how the RIAA fooled ICE to seized this domain despite the vast volume of lawful music supply.
What is most concerning with this latest Mega case is that they shut down MegaBox. We may recall that Kim was offering artists 90% of the sales and setting himself up as direct competition of the RIAA. That service was announced during the Mega Song conflict when UMG falsely took down this lawful independent video. The time between then and now is just long enough for the Feds to plan this massive raid!
Let me get this straight when the RIAA using their private Governmental Police service just closed a huge and dangerous market rival. I can promise you now that the Judge is going to take a very close look at that one and he won't like what he sees.
If you combine MegaBox, this Mega Song case, DaJaz1 and more you can certainly make out a clear pattern of the RIAA abusing the market, destroying independent channels, to protect is monopoly.
The Federal Government certainly won't have an easy case here and to justify their actions.
On the post: ESA Tucks Its Tail Between Its Legs And Pulls SOPA Support
On the post: OK, So SOPA And PIPA Are Both On Hold: Where Do We Go From Here?
Re: Re: Re:
You can also see that they do have news photos including about Congress so it is educational. Photos are linked to sites like Reddit to increase viewers.
That one photo does wonderful things showing that we can all stand together to protect the Internet.
On the post: Busta Rhymes Backs Megaupload, Says Record Labels Are The Real Criminals
Re:
Free music back then did not make much money.
On the post: Busta Rhymes Backs Megaupload, Says Record Labels Are The Real Criminals
Operation Litigation
There could soon be thousands of people suing the Feds.
On the post: Busta Rhymes Backs Megaupload, Says Record Labels Are The Real Criminals
Re:
Many of them should take a good long look at their employees and data systems. A full staff rotation may not be a bad idea for those that cannot be fully trusted.
On the post: Megaupload Details Raise Significant Concerns About What DOJ Considers Evidence Of Criminal Behavior
Re: Re: Dotcom
The Judge controls the case and decides what the Jury can see.
On the post: Megaupload Details Raise Significant Concerns About What DOJ Considers Evidence Of Criminal Behavior
Dotcom
One thing I can say is that Kim Dotcom and the Mega company are certainly not lacking good lawyers who will certainly cover these many points in much greater detail. We can also see in time what else they can do in what I call the "O.J Simpson" trail of the Copyright world.
Mega currently has an on-going Civil case and should they win that case this would certainly harm the Criminal case.
We may recall that while Kim Dotcom was convicted of serious crimes in his youth then as Kim directly states then under German law these convictions have now expired meaning he has no convictions against him. So unless anyone has any new data then it would be safe to say he is long reformed. One would then think that owning the 68th most popular website would be good reason to stay lawful and the profit rolling in.
You certainly have to wonder about overkill when MegaUpload have not yet even been proved unlawful in Civil court. Due process should be about proving a business is unlawful BEFORE you destroy that business. Destroy is the right word when even if Mega win this case the file sharing scene would be long changed and Mega would be renamed Minor.
I also ponder how the Federal Government got their hands on this inside information? Hacking? Spy? If this was someone working for the Feds then much of these email would be about trying to frame them.
The big problem in all this is that it is very hard to trust this Administration and who can say the Judge won't be the Government's best friend aiming for guilty no matter the evidence? What is "justice" next to their campaign of stamping out piracy? It is so easy to go with guilty just because and at minimum the Feds are sure to schedule a copyright butcher.
Well there are so many concerns here and we can only wait and see what happens.
On the post: Megaupload Details Raise Significant Concerns About What DOJ Considers Evidence Of Criminal Behavior
Dotcom
One thing I can say is that Kim Dotcom and the Mega company are certainly not lacking good lawyers who will certainly cover these many points in much greater detail. We can also see in time what else they can do in what I call the "O.J Simpson" trail of the Copyright world.
Mega currently has an on-going Civil case and should they win that case this would certainly harm the Criminal case.
We may recall that while Kim Dotcom was convicted of serious crimes in his youth then as Kim directly states then under German law these convictions have now expired meaning he has no convictions against him. So unless anyone has any new data then it would be safe to say he is long reformed. One would then think that owning the 68th most popular website would be good reason to stay lawful and the profit rolling in.
You certainly have to wonder about overkill when MegaUpload have not yet even been proved unlawful in Civil court. Due process should be about proving a business is unlawful BEFORE you destroy that business. Destroy is the right word when even if Mega win this case the file sharing scene would be long changed and Mega would be renamed Minor.
I also ponder how the Federal Government got their hands on this inside information? Hacking? Spy? If this was someone working for the Feds then much of these email would be about trying to frame them.
The big problem in all this is that it is very hard to trust this Administration and who can say the Judge won't be the Government's best friend aiming for guilty no matter the evidence? What is "justice" next to their campaign of stamping out piracy? It is so easy to go with guilty just because and at minimum the Feds are sure to schedule a copyright butcher.
Well there are so many concerns here and we can only wait and see what happens.
On the post: OK, So SOPA And PIPA Are Both On Hold: Where Do We Go From Here?
Re:
In fact I will show you one...
http://imgur.com/gallery/4096B
Impressed yet? People do create some wonderful things to reflect developments. Then right there you have "fair use" copyright infringement which is used to "create"
On the post: OK, So SOPA And PIPA Are Both On Hold: Where Do We Go From Here?
Re: Re: Re: We need to ABOLISH COPYRIGHT
I can name a few musicians where that has already happened. They sign up to an RIAA label who claim copyright over their music in exchange for a contract. The small print abuses them far more than copyright law ever would.
Then later another music company buys out their label. The former business is dead so contacts null and void BUT they transferred the ownership rights to the new company. Ergo the artists no longer get paid when their music is sold.
The artists would actually love our copyright reform when it would say every musician has a shared ownership right by default which cannot be sold or given away. You create it then you share the reward.
On the post: OK, So SOPA And PIPA Are Both On Hold: Where Do We Go From Here?
Re: No it's NOT Thinking Big
2. The people already get the abuse that Copyright does when they only need to read around. To be honest then I did promote some advanced SOPA/PIPA concepts myself which did go around and put fear into people. I could not even say myself if it was true but the theory fitted the facts. Terms like "land grab" are those which work best.
3. Everyone hates big brother and corrupt politics. To be detached from that and instead from the Interwebz seems quite a bonus. A few memes would soon convince them.
On the post: OK, So SOPA And PIPA Are Both On Hold: Where Do We Go From Here?
Reservation
I am just not sure we would be welcomed to start writing new laws and then those MPAA/RIAA bunch would only seal the room and start a fire. "Lets cut the copyright span down to 30 years. Do you smell smoke?"
Maybe what we just did may have impressed them enough. SOPA and PIPA were on fast track for easy passage then only in a short span of time over 6000 websites mobilized over 8 million voting Americans to have these bills shot down.
It is not hard to miss that those same 8+ million plus can swing election votes. These same people would sure as hell welcome a few branches in the tree of Copyright to be pruned.
Most of us do not have a problem with copyright in terms of stopping commercial exploitation but we want them to adapt to this new market with lawful services.
The span of copyright does need to be reduced and then the Public Domain sure as hell need a lot more respect than what it is given. This is not the crap leftovers but a public resource of ideas and enjoyment.
Congress has for too long been the Copyright Fortress and abuser of the world. We can understand their reasons but it is not like we welcome what they do. Clearly more people mobilize against the abuses of Copyright as each day passes.
On the post: The Internet Wins: PIPA & SOPA Delayed
Re:
As the Internet already successfully deals with this topic in self-censorship then this is clearly some nasty idea hidden under a "protect the children" concept.
"No UN inspector this is not a nuclear warhead but a flying paedophile killer! We must all work hard to protect the children"
On the post: The Internet Wins: PIPA & SOPA Delayed
Trickery
This to me only reads like they want to delay now so that the public heat cools down. Then it is only wait until the one key day when the public are distracted to slip it into law while everyone is left thinking "WTF just happened there?"
So this turns one decisive vote and quick resolution into the vast job of having to closely watch them for weeks or months to see if PIPA and SOPA start to move.
Please just kill them.
On the post: Did DOJ Provoke Anonymous On Purpose?
Addiction
Anonymous when it comes to DDoS is like a smoker trying to give up knowing it is bad for them. For weeks if not months they have been a good little activist group but then comes along that one really bad day when 4% of the Internet just got deleted. Like the smoker it becomes all "f**k it, I need this, it has to be done" or in Anonymous's case "someone has to pay"
Fine one bad day and they deserve our understanding with no real harm done. They even had their anger covered on prime time news and many web stories so they certainly had their grievances heard.
At the end of the day though the point still stand that DDoS is bad for Anonymous and to give it up they have to do. Had they gone their usual route they would so be targeting New Zealand right now but I doubt that will happen.
On the post: MPAA Uses Anon Attacks To Make Nonsensical Comments About Free Speech
Anon News
See for yourself...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lXau4TDt7M&feature=relmfu
On the post: MPAA Uses Anon Attacks To Make Nonsensical Comments About Free Speech
Latest News
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZPe97vZJXM&sns=fb
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