The chilling effect of Megaupload’s prosecution
Filesonic just announced that they have disabled file-sharing between users. You can now only download files that you have personal uploaded. It is widely assumed that this was in response to the criminal prosecution of Megaupload, which has lead to a “chilling” effect on filesharing services and possible innovation in this space. Is Dropbox next, for example?
Where does criminal copyright infringement start and stop for services which host files in the cloud? Are we destined for a future where people can no longer share files with each other? This is exactly what media companies would love to see.
Megauploads case will set a huge precedent for the future of file-sharing. We feel that it is infeasible and unreasonable to hold file sharing companies liable for the activities of their users. Phone companies are not liable for the criminal or unlawful information distributed through their cables…why should filesharing services be any different? If filesharing companies are liable for their user’s activities, where does it stop? Are ISP’s now liable? The companies that lay the fibre? How can any of these companies be responsible unless they are asked to spy on their users?
7 Comments on "The chilling effect of Megaupload’s prosecution"
THat was really sad, i lost almost 1 month premium at filesonic because of that and few files i upload myself.
STOP SOPA/PIPA !!!!!!!!
cya
ps: sorry for my english xD
This is really messed up. This proves the law makes no sense and it only affects easy targets.
Filesonic is not the only one. Link
Bitshare: Preparing to die
Hotfile: Dead
Fileserve: Dead
Filesonic: Dead
Filejungle: Dead
Uploadstation: Dead
Filepost: As good as dead
Mixturecloud: Dead
Megaupload: Dead
Uploading.com – working
Ul.to – dead
Uploadbox: Dead
VideoZer: Dead
VideoBB: Dead
x7.to – dead
only a few files on these websites housed files that weren’t copyrighted or obtained legally or that can be legally distributed. We all know they were distributing content that was pirated. What this means is that our government is showing that they don’t need a new law to combat piracy because they could do it right now with our current laws. So by going after megaupload it shows we dont need SOPA/PIPA.
wrong probaly not even 20% of the files where pirated material. alot of people use those services to store files online instead of buying extra storage.
Please understand that Megaupload was mostly used in other countries and for file backup. Its main resource was *NOT* as a pirate tool. Its affiliate program allowed artists to make money on the files they themselves distributed. It’s a guarantee that Universal was involved with this as part of their civil case against Megaupload. They weakened their competition, who has a better deal for artists than what the labels have offered. This very situation is akin to what Hollywood did to get away from Thomas Edison’s patents. Kind of ironic that now they’re using the laws to stifle innovation and creativity when they were the ones being stifled only 100 years ago.
As a musician, these websites have been the life’s blood, keeping my files transferable between those I’m working with and myself. I don’t understand how they have a legal process that has worked for this long taking down pirated content that is reported but now it’s not good enough? Why not do this before?