Watchwoman: While SOPA and PIPA bills were stoned in outrage, January 18, 2012, by over 7000 web sites, protesting by going dark, including Wikipedia and Mozilla, here’s what the US government was doing while you cyberspaced your protest emails, faxes, made your phone calls to DC and took your snail mails to the Post Office for your US House members and two US Senators, who responded by saying, “OK, we’re backing off.” Well, the fight for the freedom of the Internet has only just begun, my friends. Evil never stops. Evil is tireless. Evil wants to take all your freedoms! Evil cannot tolerate the Internet. It gives you and me power we’ve never had before — and Chairman Now in DC wants all the power, none for you and me. BTW, Hollywood and the rock ‘n rollers, you know your heroes, have told Obama they are cutting off every cent of his mega millions of campaign contributions if he doesn’t get SOPA and PIPA passed. I’m just as certain as you are, that the Hollywood moguls and the rock ‘n rollers have said the same thing to all of the US House members and US Senators, regardless of the their party affiliation. ▬ Donna Calvin
US government hits Megaupload with mega piracy indictment
Seven executives charged as filesharing site shut down over accusations they cheated copyright holders out of $500m
• Explainer: a guide to understanding Sopa
• Clay Shirky: Pipa would create a consumption-only web
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 19 January 2012 18.15 EST
The 37-year-old, who also goes by Kim Tim Jim Vestor and whose real name is Kim Schmitz, is accused of heading up a criminal venture that earn Dotcom and his associates upwards of $175m.
These profits were obtained illegally through advertising and the selling of premium memberships to users of Megaupload, the justice department is claiming.
Established in 2005, the website offered a “one-click” upload, providing an easily accessible online locker for shared content.
Before being shut down, the firm boasted 50 million daily visitors, accounting for 4% of total internet traffic, the justice department claimed in its statement on the indictment.
Prosecutors allege that the website violated copyright law by illegally hosting movies, music and TV shows on a massive scale.
Those behind the website have claimed that it diligently responds to any complaint regarding pirated material.
But according to prosecutors, the accused conspirators deliberately employed a business model that encouraged the uploading of illegal material.
They say that Megaupload paid users for uploading pirated material in full awareness that they were breaking the law. In addition they failed to close the accounts of known copyright infringers.
The indictment includes chat logs with conversations between company executives, which include statements like: “we have a funny business . . . modern days pirates :)”
Alongside Dotcom, law enforcement officials swooped on a number of other senior members of Megaupload’s staff.
Arrests were made at a number of homes in Auckland, New Zealand, on warrants issued by US authorities.
In all, addresses in nine countries including the US were raided as part of massive international operation.
Three men accused alongside Dotcom remained on the run tonight, the Department of Justice said.
About $50m dollars in assets were seized as part of the massive operation.
Meanwhile, the Megaupload website was closed down, with the FBI seizing an additional 18 domain names associated with the alleged crime.
In response to the indictment, the hacker group Anonymous, which is ostensibly unaffiliated with Megaupload, launched a cyber attack that at least temporarily brought down the websites of the justice department as well as those of the Recording Industry Association of America, Motion Picture Association of America, and Universal Music.
If found guilty of the charges, the accused Megaupload executives could face 50 years behind bars.
Ira Rothken, an attorney for Megaupload, said the firm would fight the “erroneous” charges.
Speaking from his California office, Rothken said: “The allegations appear to be incorrect and the law does not support the charges.”
He added: “It is a civil case in disguise.”
Asked why it was being pursued as a criminal case, Rothken replied: “You’d have to ask the prosecutors.”
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jan/19/us-government-megaupload-piracy-indictment
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Watchwoman Related Posts:
Hands Off the Internet Goes Viral
http://blog.beliefnet.com/watchwomanonthewall/?p=11764
Wikipedia & Mozilla among others are dark today to oppose SOPA and PIPA
http://blog.beliefnet.com/watchwomanonthewall/?p=11738
WIKIPEDIA COULD SOON GO DARK IN PROTEST OF HOUSE INTERNET BILL
http://blog.beliefnet.com/watchwomanonthewall/?p=10489
U. S. Congress considers bill to censor Internet
http://blog.beliefnet.com/watchwomanonthewall/?p=10455
SOPA/PIPA is already here!
http://blog.beliefnet.com/watchwomanonthewall/?p=11849
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