This doesn't really have anything to do for SOPA/PIPA, they've been gunning for MegaUpload for a long time now. The success just fell on a coincidental date.

Well there's alsoWhich I forgot I read until I reread it.

Chao, indeed, but the biggest file sharing site on the internet being accused of major and flagrant copyright violation? You can bet this'll start some fires.

My point is that they're not an entirely US-based company, and yet the US is having people arrested in New Zealand to be tried in the US.
Also, metal chao, if that was directed at me, I'm aware it's unrelated, but it seems like a pretty big "♥♥♥♥ you" to the protesters to pull this off today. I mean, they could have waited a week or two, even.

I'd like to see if they had good evidence that MU willfully harbored pirate activity before I'll even let the US take it down, much less send FBI overseas to arrest non-US citizens and take them to the US for trial.

The US is not the world's policeman, judge, and jury.

You'd think that, Duh. But there's a reason why most non-americans dislike your country. Always butting into other countries' affairs. Bah.

It's been a long-time problem, I know. Part of why I'm hoping Ron Paul actually makes it somewhere this election season, he pretty much wants to isolate the US.

EDIT: So I just read a more in-depth account of what MU is charged with. And it sounds like bull♥♥♥♥ meant to convince people who don't know how the internet works.

MU employees were hit with various charges of getting paid for distributing copyrighted content, however, this is gotten at by a roundabout method. MU made most of it's money off of premium subscriptions, which lets the purchaser download things from MU at the highest speeds available to them. Those downloads may or may not have copyrighted content in them, MU does not differentiate. But, if one of those downloads does have copyrighted content, according to this line of reasoning, MU has just made money by selling you quicker access to copyrighted content.

Furthermore, popular uploaders with well-downloaded files bring in more premium users (so that those users can download the files that the uploader put up faster), so MU gave out incentives like free premium accounts and money to those with files downloaded many times. Again, MU does not differentiate between files that contain or did not contain copyrighted content. But, some of those popular uploaders were getting a lot of downloads on copyrighted stuff. So, by this line of reasoning, MU was paying uploaders to upload copyrighted content.

I dunno about you, but this is just a liiiittle bit bull♥♥♥♥. As in, a lot.

Meanwhile...


This is not over yet, but for now we can all sleep well.

This part I do not regard as bull♥♥♥♥ at all.
It is unreasonable to expect anyone to sift through every file on their database to check for pirated content.
It is not unreasonable to check if a user is breaking the law before you start handing them money.

Pirated content is profitable for upload sites, if they aren't caught. It is not in MegaUpload's interest to get rid of pirates if they think they can get away with it.

I suppose I can see that point.
However, that's still different than actively recruiting pirates, which is what I believe they're charged with. It doesn't help my understanding of the charges that every news agency says something slightly different about the case.

If you are rewarding users for uploading popular content and that popular content turns out to be piracy you are effectively encouraging them to pirate videos and paying them to do it.
It's not quite the same as actively recruiting people as pirates but it is fairly close. There are certainly legitimate uses for megaupload but I can't imagine they're the ones that get most hits.

I'm by TLB side on this subject, the petitions of the people are not decisive in
USA steps, look at the war, for example, protest so much as you can, if no further
actions by people are taken, our whining complains will be completely ignored, so much
economic interest we are talking about, the end of Internet and the world as we know it.

About Pirate retaliations, come on, can we compare the WORLDLY damage inflicted by the
closure of MEGA by some of the governmental website attacked by Anonymous? Its like
I stab you 50 times in your back and you lightly push me away, how's that proportional?

Gotcha, SOPA and PIPA are paused, not canceled, so technically they're sleeping not buried.

Thanks to god, MelomAmama have elections in 2012.

[Comment deleted by SOPA and PIPA]

I will absolutely not tolerate this ♥♥♥♥. It is not witty at all and doesn't contribute anything and I just finished warning you for doing this sort of thing in another thread in Mod Releases. See you next week. - Dauss

How witty, too bad both SOPA and PIPA has been shot down.

From what I understand SOPA and PIPA, in their current form, are dead. They'll need to change these plans or come up with something new in order to have the american government take another look at it.

Do correct me if I am wrong.

Essentially. Bringing them up again would be somewhat of a political suicide because they're such unpopular bills. No senators will touch them for fear of losing popularity.