Megaupload taken down by FBI–Anonymous takes down DOJ, Universal Music, RIAA, MPAA websites

Published on January 19, 2012 By DrJBHL In Personal Computing

The owners of the most popular site for uploading “files” Megaupload has been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury for causing more than $500 million in lost revenue because of pirating TV shows,music and other content.

The company is run out of Hong Kong (surprise) but is hosted in part in Ashburn, VA where the indictment was made.

“Megaupload founder and operator -- Kim Dotcom (formerly Kim Schmitz) -- was arrested along with three others in New Zealand on Thursday at the request of US officials. A total of seven were arrested globally, and their charges include conspiracy to commit racketeering and criminal copyright infringement for running the "the Mega conspiracy websites" according to the DOJ. Dotcom is no stranger to the wrong side of the law, previously being convicted for credit card fraud, hacking, insider trading and embezzlement.” - http://www.neowin.net/news/megaupload-charged-with-piracy-shut-down

Anonymous wasn’t about to take this lying down. So, they did what they do best and generated DNS attacks on The US Department of Justice, Universal Music, RIAA and MPAA websites.

This just in: Anonymous has taken down hadopi.fr which is the French anti-piracy organization.

From their Twitter feed:

Sources:

http://www.neowin.net/news/anonymous-takes-down-doj-website-in-response-to-megaupload-news

http://www.neowin.net/news/megaupload-charged-with-piracy-shut-down

https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23OpPayBack

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/technology/indictment-charges-megaupload-site-with-piracy.html

Comments (Page 4)

DrJBHL

on Jan 20, 2012

Welcome, nice lady and excellent skinner.

Jafo

on Jan 20, 2012

myfist0

reply 40

I didn't even realize they hosted pirated content

You have GOT TO BE kidding.

Come on, lad....you're dripping all over the floor coming down the last shower like that....

I buy my FSX addon planes ....then go looking for 'skins' ....repaints uploaded by others....you do the 'search' and you get the hits....and Megaupload and Rapidshare will be there....along with the planes themselves you just bought....

And as for this 'Anonymous' SCUM...yes....SCUM ... were they doing something ever-so-noble and for the-greater-good they wouldn't be bloody ANONYMOUS now, would they?

And that's rhetorical....it answered itself.

myfist0

on Jan 20, 2012

Jafo

reply 47

You have GOT TO BE kidding.

I DO NOT SEARCH FOR PIRATED SOFTWARE

DaveRI

on Jan 20, 2012

myfist0

reply 40

Or bury it on the back of some other legislation. Not sure how the US works doing that but I remember hearing something about it.

Since that was rather buried in your post I thought I'd pull it out for emphasis. You are exactly correct, that happens all the time. It seems to me that this type of legislation would be a prime candidate for that treatment too - primarily a corporate interest. We do need to watch for it.

myfist0

on Jan 20, 2012

Thanks for clarifying that for me Dave

Jafo

on Jan 20, 2012

myfist0

reply 48

WTF. Who the hell is this F*#$ to tell me what I search for and what I dont. Do me a favour and keep your shit in your own pants and off of me!

I didn't say 'what you search for'...only what you get as hits when you DO search.

I'm not searching for Megaupload warez...but I get the hits if I type in an aircraft title.

As for 'who am I'....I'm the one who slaps people when they are being obnoxious and cannot read.

DrJBHL

on Jan 20, 2012

I'd suggest a MUCH more temperate response to Jafo. He really wasn't being mean to you... and I didn't read that as an accusation. Don't take it as one, ok?

Please edit...

*edit: Too late.

RavenX

on Jan 20, 2012

DrJBHL

reply 52

I'd suggest a MUCH more temperate response to Jafo. He really wasn't being mean to you... and I didn't read that as an accusation. Don't take it as one, ok?

Please edit...

*edit: Too late.

Bah, abusing Jafo is one of my favorite past times lol j/k

myfist0

on Jan 20, 2012

Well I did take it as an accusation and the only time I see pirate software come up in a search is when I look for movie trailers for RENTING movies and they are all torrents right below IMDB and YouTube. Going to Mega-upload for m0ds I do not see anything advertised on the right but other m0ds which are still legal in Canada anyway. It is a crap site that only a few modders use anyway.

I will edit for you though doc

Edit: oh well I was going to. The thought was there.

Not sure if its cross forum lag but I edited

Jafo

on Jan 20, 2012

RavenX

reply 53

Bah, abusing Jafo is one of my favorite past times lol j/k

It should be an Olympic sport....

Never mind, myfist0 .... there's probably a few half-decent sites available that can accommodate large uploads for Mods ... someone may be able to assist.

If Rapidshare isn't pulled the same way that's one [for now] ...

myfist0

on Jan 20, 2012

Dont trust Rapid Crap either. Thanks though

For the person that lost the megaupload content that shares group files I would recommend Skydrive that come with any hotmail account at 25Gb per email and you can easily allow other Windows Live account holders edit access to the folders and share files publicly.

I use m0dDB and or ADrive as most experienced modders do. Its usually only the newer ones that use mega or rapid.

Jafo

on Jan 20, 2012

myfist0

reply 56

Ditto...

myfist0

on Jan 20, 2012

I do really wish that SD would up there limit for Sins modders so we did not have to resort to going to sights like mega or rapid. I am sure rapid is next on the block. They are probably liquidating as a type.

Pretty Please with Canadian maple syrup on top?

Cruxador

on Jan 20, 2012

Don't use Rapidshare. With MU down, the next best option is Mediafire.

JcRabbit

reply 25

Pirates would be much less willing to distribute pirated software, movies, whatever, if they had to host it themselves, i.e.; pay for the bandwidth. I bet they would be less willing to 'share' if bandwidth costs came out of their own pocket.

That's a nice theory, but it's not actually true. Torrents require pirates to provide their own bandwidth, and for piracy they're used far more than digital dropboxes.

DrJBHL

reply 35

My major problem with SOPA is that it throws out the baby with the bath water.

Innocent users are de facto included when a site like this is taken down and can lose their content.

Any site storing users content should be forced to copy the content and return it to the users if it is taken down.

Also, a way to take down sites should be created which will not destabilize DNS.

This problem applies to current procedure too. I and other people I know used megaupload to host the .pdfs for tabletop RPGs that we made, and it's also used to share in ways that are endorsed by copyright holders, including as a way of distributing recordings of foreign shows with fan subtitles.

DrJBHL

on Jan 20, 2012

Problem with Skydrive is that it's got a limit for non document stuff if I'm not mistaken...

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