This Week in the Mercury
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Tech / Crime Justice Department Shuts Down Megaupload, Arrests Executives
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 1:59 PM
The United States Justice Department filed charges against MegaUpload today, calling the file-sharing service an "international organized criminal enterprise allegedly responsible for massive worldwide online piracy." Founder Kim Dotcom and three MegaUpload executives were arrested today in Auckland, New Zealand at the request of the US government under provisional arrest warrants, and the DOJ describes three other execs as "at large."The complaint alleges that MegaUpload, founder Kim Dotcom, and his team are responsible for $175 million in "criminal proceeds" and "more than half a billion dollars in harm to copyright owners." Specifically, Kim Dotcom and six of his executives are charged with running "the Mega conspiracy websites" under a business model "expressly designed to promote uploading of the most popular copyrighted works." The DOJ also says MegaUpload also developed its uploader rewards program as a means of laundering money.
More information here. Combined with yesterday's protests, this is sure to keep online piracy issues in the conversation for a good long while.
3
@1 expressed it rather succinctly, i would say. "They" just keep pushing & pushing. At what point will they cross the line & push hard enough for us, as a country & as a global community, to push back? Occupy is a start, but it isn't enough. i guess we haven't been raped, pillaged & plundered enough, or blatantly enough, to actually stand the fuck up & fight. Until we do, though, it is only going to get worse.
5
I wonder if this much press will be given when Kim Schmitz (Dotcom) buys his way out of these charges. He has a laundry list of priors (computer fraud, insider trading, embezzlement) and never received more than fines and probation.
10
The industry is refusing to adapt to the changing technology. Until they do, they are going to continue to get fucked. It is only within the last 50-75 years that musicians, actors & the studios that own the artists soul, developed the insane expectation that they should make millions, fucking billions of dollars off of their "product". They have turned art into money. Which is why we are sold the dross that we are. True artists, who are in it for the music, for the art, are a helluva lot less concerned with cash than with simply being able to create. And those true artists are usually the ones who have fans that respect them & what they give enough to pay for the experience of their art. And the fans don't feel like they're getting fucked.
And since when does the DOJ act on behalf of huge media corporations? Since when did corporate money create & control law? Haha. :)
And since when does the DOJ act on behalf of huge media corporations? Since when did corporate money create & control law? Haha. :)
12
@11..Yes, i am aware of this. Hence the Haha & smiley face. Rather sickening & again, as @1 said.
13
@3. "Occupy is a start"
No, not really. It's an impractical misguided effort that has failed to achieve anything significant.
Anonymous, on the other hand, has already struck back in retaliation, and Anonymous repeatedly, expose, humble, humiliate, and hit big money where it hurts.
No, not really. It's an impractical misguided effort that has failed to achieve anything significant.
Anonymous, on the other hand, has already struck back in retaliation, and Anonymous repeatedly, expose, humble, humiliate, and hit big money where it hurts.
14
@* ~ i have to agree. i meant that Occupy was a start in that it has been like a little sprout that started to give voice. But i won't disrespect that voice simply because it is not fully formed, YET.
But, Anonymous...Yes! i just wrote to a friend that now would be a really good time for them to do what they do. They are the super hero's of the net. Are awesome, subversive things happening? Do share, so that we can all rejoice.
But, Anonymous...Yes! i just wrote to a friend that now would be a really good time for them to do what they do. They are the super hero's of the net. Are awesome, subversive things happening? Do share, so that we can all rejoice.
15
That's sad...since it's all BS...SOPA/PIPA were junk + MU arrest was unfair + I don't think swizz he has any legal connections to MU...imo it was all fabbed up to get other celebrity endorsements.
p.s. looks like someone is pissed - FBI vs ANONYMOUS video:
http://www.peeje.com/anonymous-hackers-we-…
p.s. looks like someone is pissed - FBI vs ANONYMOUS video:
http://www.peeje.com/anonymous-hackers-we-…
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