Megaupload shut down

[TVR-190]

http://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-shut-down-120119/

MegaUpload, one of the largest file-sharing sites on the Internet has been shut down by federal prosecutors in Virginia. The site’s founder Kim Dotcom and three others were arrested by the police in New Zealand on request of US authorities.MegaVideo, the streaming site belonging to same company and 16 other domains connected to the Mega company were seized as well.

An indictment unsealed today by the Department of Justice claims MegaUpload has caused the entertainment industries more than $500 million in lost revenue and generated $175 million “in criminal proceeds.”

In addition to MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom, another six alleged members of the Mega “conspiracy” were charged in the indictment:

• Finn Batato, 38, a citizen and resident of Germany, who is the chief marketing officer;
• Julius Bencko, 35, a citizen and resident of Slovakia, who is the graphic designer;
• Sven Echternach, 39, a citizen and resident of Germany, who is the head of business development;
• Mathias Ortmann, 40, a citizen of Germany and resident of both Germany and Hong Kong, who is the chief technical officer, co-founder and director;
• Andrus Nomm, 32, a citizen of Estonia and resident of both Turkey and Estonia, who is a software programmer and head of the development software division;
• Bram van der Kolk, aka Bramos, 29, a Dutch citizen and resident of both the Netherlands and New Zealand, who oversees programming and the underlying network structure for the Mega websites.

Dotcom, Batato, Ortmann and van der Kolk were arrested today in Auckland, New Zealand, by New Zealand authorities

Just a few weeks ago MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom told TorrentFreak that his Mega ventures have nothing to worry about, as they operate within the rules of the law.

“Mega has nothing to fear. Our business is legitimate and protected by the DMCA and similar laws around the world. We work with the best lawyers and play by the rules. We take our legal obligations seriously. Mega’s war chest is full and we have strong supporters backing us,” Dotcom said.

Breaking story, more to come.

According to the Department of Justice, the individuals named above face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the charge of conspiracy to commit racketeering, five years in prison on the charge of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, 20 years in prison on the charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering and five years in prison on each of the substantive charges of criminal copyright infringement.

I could kill a few people and get a lighter sentence than that......

[dijm8]

never used that one so dosent bother me

[Jecs]

god fkn dammit. i used them!

[Dr HaxZaw]

amazing what a few rich hollywood people can do with all their money in america... and they reckon their system is democratic lol

[discomat]

have you heard about the retaliation from Anonymous? Brutal. Websites being shut down left, right and centre right now!

[nathanVY]

What an absolute joke of a sentence hahahahahah. Shouldn't the the US's "Federal Police" be out catching people that actually endager peoples lives? OH WAIT - They'd rather protect their money.

[MikeCuzzy]

http://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-shut-down-120119/

Wonder how long that site's got :P

Also wonder why they decided to arrest and take everyone out, rather than do the Mininova thing and get them to remove all the illegal/possibly illegal data. You're right though, you could brutally murder someone and get like 18-25 years or something, but you provide people with means to share files over the internet - life imprisonment...

[Decicrate]

What an absolute joke of a sentence hahahahahah. Shouldn't the the US's "Federal Police" be out catching people that actually endager peoples lives? OH WAIT - They'd rather protect their money.

Any money that they are protecting is not theirs, its the Chinese that owns the money in the USA now.

[wraith]

The reason it's been done like this is to send a message to others about "piracy"

[ari666]

so.. they are protecting the chinease?

[nathanVY]

Any money that they are protecting is not theirs, its the Chinese that owns the money in the USA now.

*what's left of their money.

[Trayner]

Its a load of bullshit , Im hoping SOPA and PIPA never get the go ahead . will be the end of the internet

[87RB30VL]

The thing that shits me, is that I listen to a song on the radio, like it, download the bands album, like it, and then go out and buy said album to support the band. If I don't like it, I just delete it. Who am I hurting?

Does this mean that we're causing the sales of pencils millions of dollars in losses due to emailing people information instead of hand writing it and sending it via post? God they're all f-ckwits, leave us alone.

[Troy711]

The thing that shits me, is that I listen to a song on the radio, like it, download the bands album, like it, and then go out and buy said album to support the band. If I don't like it, I just delete it. Who am I hurting?

The record labels would rather you buy the album to find out if you don't like it. I understand what you are saying, try before it buy, but they don't see it that way.

[fuzzy2308]

R.I.P Megaupload, megaporn and megavideo and the likes you shall be missed (until you pop up again)

Let us have 72 minutes of silence, followed by a 30 minute waiting period before we can continue our mourning.

[ucwepn]

I have platinum foxtel and I still have to download most of the TV shows I want to watch. Theres not enough choice. ie- foxtel are too tight to buy new shows.

[Huntington]

Well I for one feel safer now, no chance of megaupload breaking into my home and raping and murdering my family.

[Grennan]

I have platinum foxtel and I still have to download most of the TV shows I want to watch. Theres not enough choice. ie- foxtel are too tight to buy new shows.

+1 to this.

I have the majority of the channels and still have to download most my stuff.

Ive found Foxtel to be really shit lately. Even behind most the free to air channels in some shows.

[Reaper]

The thing that shits me, is that I listen to a song on the radio, like it, download the bands album, like it, and then go out and buy said album to support the band. If I don't like it, I just delete it. Who am I hurting?

Does this mean that we're causing the sales of pencils millions of dollars in losses due to emailing people information instead of hand writing it and sending it via post? God they're all f-ckwits, leave us alone.

Because you are in the very small minority. That said, the $500 mill "cost" is a crock of shit. For the vast majority, if they couldn't download it for free, they wouldn't have bought the movie/music/whatever either, thus the copy write owner really hasn't lost anything.

Reaper

[ephect]

The thing that shits me, is that I listen to a song on the radio, like it, download the bands album, like it, and then go out and buy said album to support the band. If I don't like it, I just delete it. Who am I hurting?

Does this mean that we're causing the sales of pencils millions of dollars in losses due to emailing people information instead of hand writing it and sending it via post? God they're all f-ckwits, leave us alone.

I hear what ur saying, and I'm the same.. This site will be missed.

But: same concept as, u like a car, u steal it take it for a drive, if u don't like it u dump it, if u like it u go back and pay for it.

[vr94ss]

I hear what ur saying, and I'm the same.. This site will be missed.

But: same concept as, u like a car, u steal it take it for a drive, if u don't like it u dump it, if u like it u go back and pay for it.

Not quite.. If you take a car, no-one else can use it. You have deprived the owner of it. If you take a song for a test listen, the owner still has his, you have removed nothing from him. It's more like seeing a car you like and making a copy of it leaving the original there, then taking the copy for a test drive.

[TI3VOM]

They'll never press charges, until they find out his real name (Kim Dotcom) lol

[nathanVY]

FBI shuts down Megaupload.com, Anonymous shut down FBI | Information, Gadgets, Mobile Phones News & Reviews | News.com.au

[ephect]

Not quite.. If you take a car, no-one else can use it. You have deprived the owner of it. If you take a song for a test listen, the owner still has his, you have removed nothing from him. It's more like seeing a car you like and making a copy of it leaving the original there, then taking the copy for a test drive.

Say u took it from holdens lot, they still have others, u have taken a car no one can test, just like u have a song no one else can listen to.
u have taken a song he has created, which he/she has many song copies produced. holden has many car copies produced, u can never take the car creatation from Holden but u can take a copy.

It's essentially the same.

[vr94ss]

Say u took it from holdens lot, they still have others, u have taken a car no one can test, just like u have a song no one else can listen to.
u have taken a song he has created, which he/she has many song copies produced. holden has many car copies produced, u can never take the car creatation from Holden but u can take a copy.

It's essentially the same.

Nothing has been taken from their lot, they still have them all. I just used my magic machine that duplicates whatever I want and copied a car.

It's nowhere near the same.