Displaying items by tag: MegaUpload

The latest IRS tax filling for 2010 shows that the MPAA's revenue has been falling for a few years and it continues to do so. Over the last 3 years their anti-piracy budget has been reduced from $92.8 million to $49.6 million. This is a result of major Hollywood studios lowering MPAA funding. Membership dues precipitated from $84.7 million to $41.5 million, making it more than 50% decline in the same period.

Although we have covered many aspects of the ridiculous charges and case against Megaupload and its founder we have only talked about how it could happen in minor detail. However, bolstered on the back of the success at using these tactics the entertainment industry has shifted its focus and is pushing these out across the globe to bring down as many sites as they can. It does not appear to matter if the sites in question are actually guilty of copyright infringement or even if they host any content. All that matters is that they want to prove conspiracy and when possible fraud and/or money laundering.

Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom and his legal team have won a fairly significant victory in the ongoing case with the US DoJ. A New Zealand Judge has ruled that the US MUST hand over all evidence it has against Dotcom. This is something that the US has resisted since the beginning for reasons known only to them, but there is speculation that they case was founded with no evidence at all. This type of blind accusation is actually something the MPAA and RIAA are used to. If you look back at their copyright lawsuits you will find that they often submit anonymous indictments which allow them to subpoena ISPs to get information on certain IPs. It seems they like doing things that way and have tried to push this to Megaupload.

We have all heard about Google’s new algorithm for demoting sites with too many takedown notices and complaints. This new method is supposed to help reduce copyright infringement by making the search for infringing material harder. When the announcement first hit we were more than a little surprised that Google had taken this step. Prior to this they had refused multiple requests from the MPAA, RIAA and other copyright holder to alter their search feature to suit their demands. Now things may have changed for the advertising/search giant.

Although not specifically related to technology we have some interesting information on the Kim Dotcom case. One of our Forum members Euonia posted a very interesting video that includes some new footage of the raid on Kim Dotcom’s home. When watching it we were more than a little shocked by the number of police vans, helicopters and other assets that were used to arrest Dotcom. Considering I can remember looking back on the raids I was on when working for DirecTV and I am shocked that they would use this level of force for a “low-level threat”

The MPAA, RIAA and in fact the entire copyright industry is a very interesting organization. On the one hand they fit an almost textbook definition of a Cartel (According to the Sherman Anti-Trust Act) but have been allowed to exist and act with impunity for many years. They have a revolving door with Government agencies in the US where many of their executives have come from our law making bodies or former executives now have positions inside those bodies. Their history of unethical and borderline illegal (many times actually illegal) actions has become the stuff of legend across many internet sites. Yet still they persist in trying to portray themselves as the victim in the cases that they are perusing around the globe.

We have said this before and we will say it again; we Love Judge Richard Posner. It is not just his no-nonsense behavior in the courtroom or his disgust with the way companies are abusing the patent system; it is for the fact that he actually uses common sense and good judgment. We have seen far too many judges that either do not have, or do not use, sound judgment in their findings. Far too often they seem to feel that they need to side with the big corporations. This time Poser’s ruling may have massive and far-reaching effects as it becomes precedent.

Well it looks like CISPA has been shot down in the US for now. This was thanks to a fairly big internet campaign to let people know that the vote was happening (it was voted on yesterday) and while most of the world was watching the antics of Samsung and Apple the Senate tried to vote the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act into law.  But to be honest with you toward the end (and as we get closer to the elections) we had a feeling this one would be scrapped. It was too much for many voters who already feel their privacy is being abused. The Senators knew that passing this would be a quick ticket back home as the popular opinion was against them.

Not that long ago we told you that the MegaUpload case would be one that would have massive ramifications across the internet and also with regards to the image of the US Government and how they handle this. This image includes the current global view that the US is not run by elected officials, but by corporations especially the entertainment industry who continues to push for laws that allow them to impose their will around the globe. It is a very messy situation no matter how you look at it and as we have warned before, the US runs the risk of looking like they are not looking to uphold the law, but are acting as an extension of the Hollywood Cartels. Two days ago we learned of an excellent example of this and one that is sure to send a message to other countries and corporations that the US simply does not care about the law or fostering innovation. They are only concerned with keeping the campaign funds flowing.

The Megaupload case has become an embarrassment for the US Government, but because of their close ties to the MPAA, RIAA and the entertainment industry as a whole they are not able to bow out gracefully at this point. It also seems that Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom is not going to let them bow out. Instead he has launched a website that is dedicated to “the war for the Internet”. This term is one that has been used in the past to refer to laws like SOPA, PIPA, ACTA, TPP, CISPA and many, many more. It is a very interesting battle that is only in its infancy right now and unless things change quickly will only get worse.