SOPA

[Janice]

http://megavideo.bz/

MU's new URL, apparently. Don't know if legit.

[Buffalobiian]

http://megavideo.bz/

MU's new URL, apparently. Don't know if legit.

Firefox didn't like it.

This web page at megavideo.bz has been reported as a web forgery and has been blocked based on your security preferences.

[Shadow Skill]

Seeing their image a lot on the internet. So they're basically the internet police dictating to the world what is allowed on the internet?

[Kraco]

Ho... All the arrested/accused MU execs were European? They will be dragged to the USA? Too bad European countries won't have the balls to do what China would do and arrest random American tourists/businessmen for random reasons only to be freed after these fellows are shipped back to Europe. The American accusers should come here to make their cases. Or go to NZ if that's where those dudes would rather choose to live (in prison or in freedom, based on the court's decision).

[Sapphire]

Too bad European countries won't have the balls to do what China would do and arrest random American tourists/businessmen for random reasons only to be freed after these fellows are shipped back to Europe.

I know, right? This seems like kidnapping.

Hopefully the other sites take heed.

[rockmanj]

Ho... All the arrested/accused MU execs were European? They will be dragged to the USA? Too bad European countries won't have the balls to do what China would do and arrest random American tourists/businessmen for random reasons only to be freed after these fellows are shipped back to Europe. The American accusers should come here to make their cases. Or go to NZ if that's where those dudes would rather choose to live (in prison or in freedom, based on the court's decision).

I am more surprised that they pulled that sting operation and shut down that site without a trial or due process. This makes the DOJ seem like it is truly in the pockets of the RIAA and MPAA, especially in light of this and this.

I do believe in the law, and if there is definitive proof that those executives were willing allowing as much infringing content as the plaintiffs claim, then they should be punished. However, the speed of the extraditions and shutdown are a bit alarming (even if the case has been in progress for a couple of years). Also, they were able to do all this without SOPA and PIPA. The timing seems too good.

[Munsu]

Any of you remember this situation?
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/201...-details.shtml

[Kraco]

“I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy," Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) said. "It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products."

Even former Senator Chris Dodd, the head of the Motion Picture Association of America, seemed to concede defeat. "With today’s announcement, we hope the dynamics of the conversation can change and become a sincere discussion about how best to protect the millions of American jobs affected by the theft of American intellectual property,"

"foreign thieves that steal and sell..." "millions of American jobs affected by the theft..." These guys must be former North Korean refugees to use such language. They sure rose to high positions from such a humble beginning.

[rockmanj]

Any of you remember this situation?
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/201...-details.shtml

Yea, I do.

"foreign thieves that steal and sell..." "millions of American jobs affected by the theft..." These guys must be former North Korean refugees to use such language. They sure rose to high positions from such a humble beginning.

Neither of them are known for subtlety. The thing about Dodd though makes me feel more cynical. Just a few years ago, he was all about not having people's rights being restricted and free speech. I guess that MPAA money made him change his tune.

Also, there was a humorous clip showing members of US congress discussing SOPA, I believe. None of them seemed to know what it was about exactly and said that they should get some "nerds" in there and explain it to them. :\

[Munsu]

Well, looks like the "angry nerds" have won this round:
http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/20/tech...IPA_postponed/

[Death BOO Z]

Yea, I do.



Neither of them are known for subtlety. The thing about Dodd though makes me feel more cynical. Just a few years ago, he was all about not having people's rights being restricted and free speech. I guess that MPAA money made him change his tune.

Also, there was a humorous clip showing members of US congress discussing SOPA, I believe. None of them seemed to know what it was about exactly and said that they should get some "nerds" in there and explain it to them. :\

I always hoped that when people grow up, they stop saying "I'm no nerd" and finally admit that they mean "I'm stupid" (or at least "I'm not familiar with the subject").
well, adulthood is going to suck.

[rockmanj]

I always hoped that when people grow up, they stop saying "I'm no nerd" and finally admit that they mean "I'm stupid" (or at least "I'm not familiar with the subject").
well, adulthood is going to suck.

The correct term to use is "expert". My country is run by a lot of morons, apparently.

[Shadow Skill]

I thought those Megaupload guys got arrested due to the new laws in SOPA and PIPA?

If so, how is this going to play out now that the laws are shelved?

[rockmanj]

I thought those Megaupload guys got arrested due to the new laws in SOPA and PIPA?

If so, how is this going to play out now that the laws are shelved?

PIPA and SOPA were not laws, just acts that were about to be debated on and made into bills. like I said in an eariler post,

they were able to do all this without SOPA and PIPA. The timing seems too good.

This was done using the current legal structure of the US government, so it does not really give anyone a good reason to have pushed those ahead if they already have this much power.

[Animeniax]

This was done using the current legal structure of the US government, so it does not really give anyone a good reason to have pushed those ahead if they already have this much power.

The US govt has the power to arrest/prosecute anyone with or without laws or acts like SOPA... whether it holds up in court is another issue altogether. But regardless, the defendant(s) will spend a lot of money and a lot of potentially bad press to defend themselves.

[Shadow Skill]

This keeps up, most people won't even pay to go watch a movie or buy the DVDs/Blu-Rays.

Why risk getting arrested for viewing something before you pay for it.

If a movie can make over a Billion $$$ in this day where ticket prices are the cost of 3 days worth of food, I can see not many people supporting the movie industry or the music industry. After the whole Napster thing when many pop-stars and musicians lost out on a lot of $ due to their fanbase being largely through fans sharing music and after hearing the music went out and bought the CD. The fans retalliated and didnt buy music for years. Which cost the music indusry Billions. They forget, it's the consumer who decides who makes it in the world, not the companies.

You'd think they'd learn their lesson 12 years later on how to approach file sharing. You cut the head off on this, the consumer will retalliate and not spend $$ in a very devastated economy trying to get out of a recession the past 4 years. The RIAA and MPAA are only killing themselves, I say let them. They need a rude awakening.

I guess one can argue that maybe they want their hands on MU since they make 100s of milions a year. Maybe they just want their hands in the cookie jar. :P

All about Greed. I had no idea that Greed and having a monopoly on Music and movies was in the US constitutional rights. I thought having a monopoly on anything was against the laws in the states. To me that is what SOPA and PIPA is there for is to create a monopoly on the music and movie industry.

Ok, done with rant.

[David75]

True, I stopped going to teathers and renting Dvds around the napster case. I'm already out majors' market.

For those old enough, when the CD tech appeared in the 80's, they were already complaining the music industry was in trouble and that new tech preventing personal copy was a good thing....

[Animeniax]

I think you guys are giving the online community too much credit... Hollywood and the music industry will continue to make billions, online piracy is still a small fraction of revenue loss for these giants. Your average person will still pay to go to the movies and buy DVDs and music legitimately.

I don't know how much of this argument is about greed versus about a moral/philosophical stance. If you work, you want to get paid for it, for every last minute and bit of sweat you give to your company, and you'll make a lot of noise until payroll ponies up. But when a company demands the same, then they are being greedy?

[Xelbair]

There is this black march action going - basically it is:
do not buy OR download(legally or not) any game/music/movie etc for the whole march, just do it in April if you want to. it is end of fiscal year so this should hit them pretty hard.
Black+March.+In+case+you+hadn+t+heard+Megaupload+has+been_6e97f7_3202048.jpg

[rockmanj]

This keeps up, most people won't even pay to go watch a movie or buy the DVDs/Blu-Rays.

Why risk getting arrested for viewing something before you pay for it.

If a movie can make over a Billion $$$ in this day where ticket prices are the cost of 3 days worth of food, I can see not many people supporting the movie industry or the music industry. After the whole Napster thing when many pop-stars and musicians lost out on a lot of $ due to their fanbase being largely through fans sharing music and after hearing the music went out and bought the CD. The fans retalliated and didnt buy music for years. Which cost the music indusry Billions. They forget, it's the consumer who decides who makes it in the world, not the companies.

You'd think they'd learn their lesson 12 years later on how to approach file sharing. You cut the head off on this, the consumer will retalliate and not spend $$ in a very devastated economy trying to get out of a recession the past 4 years. The RIAA and MPAA are only killing themselves, I say let them. They need a rude awakening.

I guess one can argue that maybe they want their hands on MU since they make 100s of milions a year. Maybe they just want their hands in the cookie jar. :P

All about Greed. I had no idea that Greed and having a monopoly on Music and movies was in the US constitutional rights. I thought having a monopoly on anything was against the laws in the states. To me that is what SOPA and PIPA is there for is to create a monopoly on the music and movie industry.

Ok, done with rant.

I am not trying to protect the MPAA or anything, but apparently, they studios are charged a lot of money to shoe their movies in theaters, and that is one reason tickets cost so much. The theaters, in turn, don't seem to make that much off of showing movies and mark up snacks. I don't want to get into the economics of this system, but it does cost a lot of money to film and show movies.

On the other hand, the claims that the lobbying groups are making about "lost revenue" are totally unsubstantiated. Nobody knows how much money is lost from piracy, but they tend to quote these astronomical figures and the US government quotes them as fact. Add in the political elements, and you have a shitstorm.

I don't know how well that black march thing will go. It really isn't a lot of time, but asking people to go a month without entertainment is probably too much for most. I don't agree with this guy's tone or stance, but his boycott (at the bottom) sounds like a good idea.