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Uncategorized Saturday, June 2nd 2012 at 12:00 pm

MegaUpload Files to Dismiss Piracy Charges

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The weirdest part about the fact that MegaUpload has filed to dismiss the piracy charges levied against the company is that the charges might actually be thrown out. You see, the attempt hinges on the fact that MegaUpload is based out of Hong Kong and legally has no presence in the United States. If this is the case, as the dismissal argues, then the U.S. cannot serve and indict a foreign company therefore nullifying the entire thing. Oops.

Sure, it might be a technicality but it also might be the easiest way to throw out such a high-profile case before it goes any further. And besides, what is law but a series of technicalities? So it was that this past Wednesday the lawyers representing MegaUpload and founder Kim Dotcom filed for dismissal. This could be a pretty big fumble for the U.S. if it doesn’t go the way they want.

The indictment claims that MegaUpload, as well as various sites related to it, earned more than $175 million. On top of that, they accuse the site of costing more than $500 million to copyright owners by hosting a variety of pirated movies, television shows and other material. Of course, MegaUpload and those representing the company vehemently deny these allegations.

The big question is will there be a legal loophole found in time to keep the site and executives in hot water so as not to chalk the entire debacle up to a waste?

(via Phys.Org)

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  • aeon flux

    This shows the extent that US govt will go to force SOPA, PIPA CISPA, ACTA and all the rest into action! They want CONTROL, period! 

  • Jack Bond

    Actually they’re just reacting to illegal shit Anonymous, LulzSec, Pirate Bay, and Wikileaks pulls.

    Stop people from messing shit up, and they’ll stop putting on restrictions to make sure nobody does.

  • Stealthnugget

    Finally! I hope the servers will get back up then, because I have (legal, non-copyrighted) things on it that I really want back. 

  • fail

    No, no they’re not. Try reading what SOPA, PIPA, CISPA and the ACTA are about before you comment. All of those bills are to stop copyright infringement through dangerously over reaching means. Also fyi the pirate bay doesn’t upload any copyrighted material so in all technicality they are innocent but IP owners can’t realistically go after the individual with any efficiency so they kill the providers thinking it’ll make a difference.   

  • Jack Bond

    Aren’t there laws against aiding criminals?

  • notforprofit

    Everyone knows that that MPAA and buddies, had no chance of prosecuting MU in a court, the MPAA and buds knew that more than anyone.

    The idea behind it was to scare the filelockers, uploaders and even downloaders.

    It makes me laugh to think they accuse people of stealing their stuff and are constantly crying about how hard done by they are.

    But given the chance they’ll use money (given too by the people who pay for their stuff no less) to bully and push people around.

    I’ll start giving a shit about piracy when the entertainment industry start making losses… instead of millions upon millions of profit.  They don;t want you to think that… but look it up, they increase their profits year on year.

  • Jack Bond

    They may not be taking a loss, but that’s none of your business. You don’t start a business on the prospect that you may or may not make money on any given product. Those people deserve to get paid for every single product they sell. That’s how the economy works. Just because they’re not in poverty doesn’t mean they are any less entitled to be paid, and to stop pirates from ripping them off.

    And honestly? If piracy gets worse, I may devote my future to developing more effective DRM. That way, the worse it gets for everybody else, the more I get paid, and I get the satisfaction of sticking it to dumbass pirates.

  • Anonymous

    um talk out your rectum more. if the product isnt worth anything it wont sell. market economics deem if its priced to high it wont sell. or if the consumer cannot buy the product because of artificial limits set buy stupid executives people will find a way to that product. 

  • Anonymous

    no they are laws breaking free speech and placing controls on the internet that doesnt need it

  • Jack Bond

    But that’s illegal and immoral. If someone can’t afford a product then they’re shit out of luck. That’s all there is to it.

  • Anonymous

    no actually your wrong because if the show isnt licensed in your country or covered under your countries copyright guess what there are no laws saying it is illegal at that point. that is why fansubbing of anime is legal in the usa until funimation or one of the other 2 companies license it here. so as i said talk out your rectum more

  • Anonymous

    ok so a good response to this. people get killed by cars everyday. should cars be illegal? killing people is illegal and in this case the car is the murder weapon. just because there is an intermediary doesnt mean it should be stoped if its exclusive use ISNT illegal. plenty of new content that was created and distributed on pirate bay had nothing to do with piracy. also why do you consider wikileaks a bad thing? its exposing some of the us’s dirtiest laundry that we NEED to know. The crap elected officials do is outrageous. anon and lulz are already doing illegal things so why do we need more laws that say what they do is illegal? aka theres already a law governing their actions. 

  • Jack Bond

    Cheating people out of money is NOT free speech.

  • Jack Bond

    It’s still illegal and immoral in the US.

    Also, you’re* smart one.

  • Anonymous

    IT IS NOT ILLEGAL YOU TWIT… IF THERE IS NO LAW THEN THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG REFERENCE FFS U CORP SHILL GO CRAWL BACK IN YOUR HOLE.

  • Anonymous

    ITS NOT CHEATING if they ARNT SELLING they ARNT being cheated. 

  • Jack Bond

    There are laws about it you idiot. Read up.

  • Jack Bond

    ”
    ITS NOT CHEATING if they ARNT SELLING they ARNT being cheated. ”

    If they aren’t selling, people lower the price so that it sells better. Or they say “We’re satisfied with what sales we’re getting because we’re getting enough money” That doesn’t make it okay for ANYONE to get the software WITHOUT paying. It’s not the right of the user to decide whether or not to pay.

  • Shsxjaisdkij

    Such blatant apathetic ignorance. Shame on you. Educate yourself before trying to use your personal opinion as fact.

  • Jack Bond

    Actually I was asking a question in an attempt to gain knowledge, but apparently the pursuit of intelligence only attracts ridicule.