Assorted Clips!

[Avenger2099]

Originally Posted by edinjapan

The only reason they were able to shut Megaupload down was due to them having an active server in Virginia. The lesson here is don't use a server based in the US.

Ehhh, that's not the entire reason. The Megaupload guys were extredited legally under NZ, AUS, and US treaties. Also NZ and AUS are members of this... thing can't remember the name now. Anyways, it's this accord... thingy that allows breakers of copyright to be tried by the nation of the copyright holder. So... put some Kanye West music on your website illegally for download, be tried under US law.

This is not why we should hate SOPA, this is what happens to pirates. No one here can really believe that Megaupload wasn't a huuuuge site full of illegal music, movies, games, and more. We should hate SOPA because it could do things like get this website pulled down without trial for having a link to megaupload.

[edinjapan]

Originally Posted by Avenger2099

Ehhh, that's not the entire reason. The Megaupload guys were extredited legally under NZ, AUS, and US treaties. Also NZ and AUS are members of this... thing can't remember the name now. Anyways, it's this accord... thingy that allows breakers of copyright to be tried by the nation of the copyright holder. So... put some Kanye West music on your website illegally for download, be tried under US law.

This is not why we should hate SOPA, this is what happens to pirates. No one here can really believe that Megaupload wasn't a huuuuge site full of illegal music, movies, games, and more. We should hate SOPA because it could do things like get this website pulled down without trial for having a link to megaupload.

According to the DMCA a website can be pulled down as soon as there is any illegal activity associated with it for which the owners are arrested. So the authorities acted according to the rules as they are.

In SOPA's case the rules will allow the US to strongarm other countries into policing websites in their countries according to US rules. This is bad?downloading is legal in Japan, uploading without permission of the copyright holder is illegal and fair use laws are currently very lax.

As soon as SOPA is passed I expect the US Ambassador will tell the PM to enforce it or they will withdraw the US military from Japan or put an embargo on Japanese products entering the US.

[alter]

Originally Posted by Avenger2099

Ehhh, that's not the entire reason. The Megaupload guys were extredited legally under NZ, AUS, and US treaties. Also NZ and AUS are members of this... thing can't remember the name now. Anyways, it's this accord... thingy that allows breakers of copyright to be tried by the nation of the copyright holder.

The reason why this can happen is because the U.S. always ties U.S. copyright laws into all of their trade agreements. If you're a small country like NZ or Aus, you have to give in to U.S. copyright laws taking precedence over your own sovereign laws if you want to trade with the largest economy in the world. Recently, a citizen of the U.K. was extradited to the U.S. for copyright violation despite the fact that what he had done was completely legal in the U.K. Could you imagine the stink that would be kicked up if a U.S. citizen was extradited to some foreign country for trial when what they did was perfectly legal in the U.S.? It just wouldn't happen, yet this is what is imposed on anyone who wants to trade with the U.S. If NZ, Aus & U.K. had the guts to stand up to the lobbyists in the U.S. and threaten to take their trade to China instead, then maybe all the politicians would suddenly find the motivation to end this ridiculous situation.