Megaupload: U.S. government lied to get search warrants

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:25:00 +0000

Shuttered file-sharing site Megaupload is attempting to have search warrants executed by the U.S. government deemed invalid. According to Bloomberg News, Megaupload have filed a complaint alleging that the government lied to a court to get warrants to search computer servers in Virginia that belonged to Megaupload.

TorrentFreak detailed the substance of Megaupload's complaint:

When the U.S. Government applied for the search warrants against Megaupload last year, it told the court that they had warned Megaupload in 2010 that it was hosting infringing files.

Through its hosting company, Megaupload was informed about a criminal search warrant in an unrelated case where the Government requested information on 39 infringing files stored by the file-hosting service.

At the time Megaupload cooperated with this request and handed over details on the uploaders. The files were kept online as Megaupload was instructed not to touch any of the evidence. However, a year later this inaction is being used by the U.S. Government to claim that Megaupload was negligent, leaving out much of the context.

Internet providers to bring in six-strike plan

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:58:00 +0000

Major U.S. Internet service providers, including Comcast, AT&T, Cablevision Systems, Time Warner Cable and Verizon are implementing a plan to punish illicit file sharing. Wired reports that "providers by year’s end will institute a so-called six-strikes plan, the 'Copyright Alert System' initiative backed by the Obama administration and pushed by Hollywood and the major record labels to disrupt and possibly terminate Internet access for online copyright scofflaws."

The plan works by implementing "mitigation measures" on a user's IP address after offenses of file sharing are detected; the measures might include reducing Internet speeds and redirecting a user's service to a webpage about copyright infringement.

According to the group behind the initiative, the Center for Copyright Information, the aim of the program is to be more educational than simply punitive.

Wired detailed step-by-step how the new plan will work:

Salon.com > File Sharing

Megaupload: U.S. government lied to get search warrants

Internet providers to bring in six-strike plan