US Shuts Down Megaupload - More File Share Sites Fall

[oldhippy]

It’s a form of censorship. You won’t be able to access the internet in the way you now can. Information is free, soon it won’t be. Soon you won’t be able to access that info because it will be banned. You will have to pay for everything. If you upload anything prying eyes will know what it is, anything against your country and government, you could be in serious trouble. Depending which country you live in, you might become one of the disappeared. Here in England the power of free speech has all but disappeared. If we let the greedy bastards win there will be no stopping them.

Why should the fucking F B I restrict me here in England. They have no rights to tell me what I can or can't do.

[Keith Jordan]

Just because it is on the internet doesn't mean its OK to steal!

I don't like the idea of the FBI extracting citizens from other countries and putting them in court over there. I can see why they would want to perhaps because the crime took place inside computers on their land. But, it not physically present in the USA, then I don't think these extradition orders should be taken seriously. We haven't even got an extradition pact with the USA as far as I know so they should, technically, get to fuck!

[oldhippy]

Keith,

Turn the table round and most people that the U S A want extradited from Britain in fact are. It’s about time Cameron stopped crawling up Obamas ass, he is nothing but a yes man. America flicks its fingers and Cameron obeys.

[Keith Jordan]

More generally, America clicks its fingers and Britain obeys. This is true of any political party. We are the junior in our alliance and that is fine. America is larger.

I dont think these two new laws are going to go far. Are they dead already now?

[moom]

So we really all should go to jail? All of the downloaders?

Only those from Estonia. Yes, come to think of it, definitely those who are from Estonia! Oh... that's you!

In order to send someone to jail there must be a trial. A trial is expensive so millions wont be going to jail. They are trying to jail the big fish. They gave up trying to prosecute individuals and making examples of them because people just don't give a flying fuck about stealing their shit. They believe they are immune to capture and perhaps they are right! So this jailing business is for the big fish operating the mass copyright theft enabling services on t'inteweb. Are you one of these, Moom? Are you a big player? You one of the big ol' lads?

Oh, thank God you haven't lost your sense of humour
And actually some sense, too. I, too, do not believe they'll be jailing all of us - it would take a REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY EREALLY BIG - so big it makes me misspell words - jailhouse. And I think that Mozart guy is a little overreacting, though technically he's correct, and he knows that. I'm, thankfully, not a big fish. But neither is that boy who's facing extradiction. or that lady who has to pay 150,000 (bucks?) for "stealing" 24 songs. Correct me if I'm wrong.
And by the way, I read somewhere that online music stores that sell mp3's don't actually pay the artists?

[Keith Jordan]

You have been listening to too many crazy American conspiracy theorists.

[moom]

You have been listening to too many crazy American conspiracy theorists.

But that guy's extradiction is real, innit?

[danielcaux]

Keith,

Turn the table round and most people that the U S A want extradited from Britain in fact are. It’s about time Cameron stopped crawling up Obamas ass, he is nothing but a yes man.

Actually Obama, or whoever is the USA president at any given time, is nothing but a yes man for the big corporations.

And Keith, it's definitely not theft. Nobody is depriving ANYONE of their property or making money from their ideas. There's a big difference between what's legal and what's right. If laws were the ultimate truth half of this board members would be then criminals just because smoking those little fat and green cigars, you know

If depriving someone from potential revenues it's a crime then people who hitchhike should be put in jail for causing lost revenues to the transportation companies... evil corporation logic.

[wiped]

It's a miserable Friday night;
I'm so lonely
And nobody'll give me a ride
To the Grateful Dead concert... Oh rats!

I got to be free
Free as the wind
Free is the way I got to be
Maybe I'm lost
Maybe I sinned
I got to be
Totally free
Our parents don't love us
Our teachers they say
Things that are boring
So we're running away
And we will be free
And people will see
That when we are free
That's the way we should be
Nothing left to do but get out the 'ol glue (Sniff it good now. ..)
Our parents don't love us
Our teachers they say
Things that are boring
So we're running away
And we will be free
And people will see
That when we are free
That's the way we should be

(WE MUST BE FREE!)
The glue! The glue! I can't find the glue!
(WE MUST BE FREE AS THE WIND)
If I was at the concert now, I'd be RIPPED!
(WE WERE FREE WHEN WE WERE BORN!)
I could tighten my headband for an extra rush
During Jerry's guitar solo
Then I could go to a midnite show of 200 MOTELS!
(WE WERE BORN FREE, BUT, NOW WE ARE NOT FREE ANYMORE!)
"Opal, you hot little bitch!"
"You can take this pin n' hang it in yer ass!"
"You ain't the devil!"
"Where's my waitress?"
BUT WE WANNA BE FREE
AN'WERE GONNA BE FREE
YES, WE WANT TO BE FREE
AND WE'RE GONNA BE FREE ...did you know that
FREE IS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR NOTHING OR DO NOTHING
WE WANT TO BE FREE FREE AS THE WIND
FREE IS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR NOTHING OR DO NOTHING
WE WANT TO BE FREE FREE AS THE WIND
FREE IS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR NOTHING OR DO NOTHING
WE WANT TO BE FREE FREE AS THE WIND
FREE IS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR NOTHING OR DO NOTHING
WE WANT TO BE FREE FREE AS THE WIND

[oldhippy]

I'm still downloading music there's loads of wonderful sounds still out there.

[RonToon]

Stop the stealing of official releases... that you would normally buy.

I told you, I listen first, decide whether to buy later. If I really love it, I will buy.

Rationalize it anyway you want but what you're doing is still illegal and morally wrong.

[danielcaux]

Is it morally wrong because it's illegal?

How can be that listening to music is morally wrong?
Is it also morally wrong to listen to a recording of a concert that I didn't even pay a ticket for?
Is also morally wrong to record your favourite TV shows or a live braodcasting of some artist?
Is morally wrong to share those recordings with the world?
Is also morally wrong to use someone else's art to create a poster for my own personal use?
Is morally wrong to watch TV for free?
Or perhaps is just morally wrong when you change the channel when they put commercials?

I ask those questions seriously not rhetorically, because must of the times I find it hard to understand the rationale behind some moral codes. Personally sometimes I find some record deals and commercial transactions a lot more inmoral than recording music from the radio or downloading mp3 for free; the recent overpriced boxset mania comes to mind, aswell as the traditional greatest hits package with token unreleased song to lure the hardcore fans; or the exploitation of the pubescent market with all those teen idols and related records and products, etc...

There are a lot of legal things that are quite inmoral, all those bank executives with huge legal bonuses for example, and a lot of illegal things that are completely moral, like the ingestion of any substance you may want or the choice to end your life whenever you decide.

[RonToon]

Is it morally wrong because it's illegal?

If any of this even needs to be explained to you then that's a problem as well.

Everything else is a rationalization (like what the record companies release or what they charge for it), and is besides the point.

The world has changed and digital piracy is now a white collar crime for cowards who hide behind the safety of their computers and rationalize how "everybody does it" to justify their means. This sense of entitlement that the younger generations seem to have makes me sad for the future...

[danielcaux]

The thing is that we are not talking about digital piracy here, we are talking about sharing files for free. Same thing with bootlegs, one thing is to share them and another is to charge for them. That would be wrong.

Megaupload is another story, appearently the guy was making big money out of that. I'm talking more about bittorrent and similar software that enables users to share their stuff. Are you OK with the goverment banning the use of those too?

[RonToon]

The thing is that we are not talking about digital piracy here, we are talking about sharing files for free.

Robin Hood robbed from the rich and gave to the poor... for free. He was still a thief and so is anyone who illegally uploads or downloads music or movies w/o paying for it.