Megaupload - Shut Down

[OliverE]

Megaupload, one of the internet's largest file-sharing sites, has been shut down by officials in the US.

The site's founders have been charged with violating piracy laws. Federal prosecutors have accused it of costing copyright holders more than $500m (£320m) in lost revenue. The firm says it was diligent in responding to complaints about pirated material. In response, the hackers group Anonymous has targeted the FBI and US Department of Justice websites.

The news came a day after anti-piracy law protests, but investigators said they were ordered two weeks ago. The US Justice Department said that Megaupload's two co-founders Kim Dotcom, formerly known as Kim Schmitz, and Mathias Ortmann were arrested in Auckland, New Zealand along with two other employees of the business at the request of US officials. It added that three other defendants were still at large.

"This action is among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States and directly targets the misuse of a public content storage and distribution site to commit and facilitate intellectual property crime," said a statement posted on its website.

The FBI website was intermittently unavailable on Thursday evening due to what officials said was being "treated as a malicious act". The hackers' group Anonymous said it was carrying out the attacks. The Motion Picture Association of America's website also suffered disruption.

 

[Charles]

Megaporn and Megavideo are down too

 

[Factor8™]

Much more than Mega.

- MegaUpload - Closed.
- FileServe - Closing - does not sell premium.
- FileJungle - Deleting files. Locked in the U.S.
- UploadStation - Locked in the U.S.
- FileSonic - the news is arbitrary (under FBI investigation).
- VideoBB - Closed.
- Uploaded - Banned U.S. and the FBI went after the owners who are gone.
- FilePost - Deleting all material (Will leave executables, pdfs, txts)
- Videoz - Closed and locked in the countries affiliated with the USA.
- 4shared - Deleting files with copyright and waits in line at the FBI.
- MediaFire - Called to testify in the next 90 days and it will open doors to FBI

And some others...

 

[OliverE]

All of the mega domains have been taken down
More to come I expect

 

[Charles]

The internet will retaliate soon hopefully.

 

[SGT.Code]

yer but the more they take down the more other sites will be created

 

[OliverE]

Looks like a challenge
If this whole SOPA thing does get in full flow I think people will just start making such websites just to piss them (being the government) off.

 

[SGT.Code]

SOPA has been dropped from what i heard but PIPA still might be going through but if PIPA goes through then everything like youtube facebook twiter and all that will be shut down

 

[OliverE]

I dont see how the government can shutdown websites that has revolutionised the world. Without Facebook and all of these websites where would we be? I know some websites have been used for the bad, but surely the good out ways the bad greatly, and if they could just control the illegal activities then it would be a better solution.

 

[SGT.Code]

i agree but its the US government who think they know best aa allways

 

[OliverE]

Our government is just a bauss ....

 

[SGT.Code]

i dont get into politics for the simple reason of not wanting to pick a side

 

[OliverE]

I dont get into politics because I ceebz following it all and actually understand anything.

 

[Factor8™]

Hey wait a minute, why do you guys care about SOPA/PIPA? This is U.S. stuff.

 

[OliverE]

We use websites that are hosting in the US too...

 

[Factor8™]

O

 

[OliverE]

Is that surprise lol?

 

[SGT.Code]

it doesnt affect just the US it will affect the whole world because as long as a site has a server in the US they will have authority to take the site down and jail the owners

 

[OliverE]

Just like the site this thread was made about
RIP Mega*