Broadband Tech > Filesharing Software > megaupload closed by FBI

megaupload closed by FBI

This sucks.

Any chance they pop back up?

they could...problem was that they had leased servers in VA.....
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I'm better than you!

reply to swintec
Thats crazy! And they did it without due process too.

reply to swintec
Damn, I did use them on occasion to supplement my usenet habit. One of the few cyberlockers I actually liked.

I hope this doesn't blow back on Usenet providers - Astra and Readnews both have U.S. server farms too.
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"I'm just a human being trying to make it in a world that is very rapidly losing its understanding of being human." - John Trudell

reply to anon7
Looks like the site went down because several execs were charged with crimes and the servers and domains were seized as evidence. Lots of international cooperation on this... link.

quote:

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As part of the crackdown on Megaupload, 20 search warrants were executed in nine countries, including the United States. About $50 million in assets were also seized, as well as a number of servers and 18 domain names, the authorities said.

Ira P. Rothken, a lawyer for Megaupload, said in a phone interview on Thursday afternoon that he had not yet seen the indictment, but he added: “Clearly we have due process concerns. This was done without a hearing.”

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reply to swintec
Feds Shutter Megaupload, Arrest Executives

quote:

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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted seven people and two companies which ran the file uploading site Megaupload.com. The site, which billed itself as “the leading online storage and file delivery service,” is now offline.

In the indictment, Megaupload and a company associated with it are accused of making $175 million while simultaneously causing approximately half a billion dollars in copyright infringement. Among the indicted are the site’s founder, Kim Dotcom (a.k.a. Kim Schmitz), who holds residency in New Zealand and Hong Kong. Employees Bram van der Kolk, aka Bramos, 29, Julius Bencko, Finn Batato, Sven Echternach, Mathias Ortmann, and Andrus Nomm were also indicted.

New Zealand authorities arrested Dotcom, Batato, Ortmann and van der Kolk. Officials said they have not yet captured Bencko, Echternach and Nomm.

According to the indictment, the accused are part of “the Mega Conspiracy, a worldwide criminal organization whose members engaged in criminal copyright infringement and money laundering on a massive scale.” They are being charged with participating in a racketeering conspiracy, conspiring to commit copyright infringement, conspiring to commit money laundering and two substantive counts of criminal copyright infringement.

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reply to swintec
Looks like a counter-op is in progress launched by Anonymous. The DOJ, Universal Music, RIAA and MPAA are among the targets. I wondered why I couldn't read the DOJ's boastful press release.

Link

quote:

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Justice.gov and universalmusic.com went offline around 430pm Eastern and have been largely unresponsive for the past 1.5 hours. RIAA.com and MPAA.org are also unresponsive.

"Recording Industry Association of America—Department of Justice—Universal Music—all TT, all TANGO DOWN," Anonymous tweeted this evening with the #OpMegaUpload hashtag.

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reply to pb5k

Very true, though arguments can be put forth that usenet facilitates data storage in a similar manner, at least from the end-user's perspective. I agree the tech and underlying methods are entirely different, some government officials and their MAFIAA Pimps might feel otherwise.
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"I'm just a human being trying to make it in a world that is very rapidly losing its understanding of being human." - John Trudell

reply to swintec
Good thing i had not upped my premium. I wonder what happens to those who paid in advanced.

so what does a Canadian user of megaupload have to worry about if anything? i never purchased service only used the free 1

reply to pb5k

reply to swintec
I find it rather interesting that the list of people arrested included a graphic designer, but Megaupload's CEO, music producer/artist Swizz Beatz, was not indicted along with his associates. His wife, Alicia Keys, was among the artists voicing support for Megaupload.

Enter conspiracy theory...did the RIAA decide to not send the hounds after one of their own, despite his high position in what they claim to be a criminal organization?

FAIK, Beats was nothing more than a figurehead.

reply to DeathRowsFinest

reply to swintec
For what it's worth, a user comment at Torrentfreaks claims MU will reopen as megaupload.bz. Again, just a user comment.

No doubt content served was overwhelmingly infringed but I feel bad for those who used the service to host personal legit stuff.

reply to swintec
only thing sucks about this is I just find out about iceflims for XBMC a few days ago damn.

reply to swintec
»www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digit···acy-bust

Holly crap denied bail even? I could do something that almost kills someone and still get bail.

reply to jap