Megaupload.com Shut Down by U.S. Government, Hackers Strike Back
Popular content sharing service Megaupload.com was shut down by U.S. and New Zealand authorities, while hackers immediately targeted the websites of the U.S. Justice Department and entertainment industry companies.
The ongoing U.S. investigation into Megaupload.com has finally resulted in the arrest of the company's leadership on charges of conspiracy and racketeering. In response, hackers from Anonymous and other syndicates went to work on the website of the U.S. Department of Justice, Universal Music, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America.
Authorities in New Zealand carried out the arrests, apprehending the founder and CEO, Kim Dotcom, as well as the website's chief marketing officer, Finn Batato, 38, co-founder Mathias Ortmann, 40, and Bram van der Kolk, 29, who is also a New Zealand resident. In addition to the arrests, authorities seized millions in assets and cash holdings related to the company, including luxury automobiles, homes and bank accounts.
The high profile arrests come against the backdrop of an ongoing feud between leading content producers and major Internet websites where content is shared. Content producers feel their copyrights are being infringed upon and that their businesses are suffering as a result. The website owners are standing behind freedom of speech arguments and the fact that people should be able to share content that they've purchased or that is already in the public domain of the Internet.
The U.S. Congress is currently debating various versions of the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, and Protect IP Act, PIPA, with companies such as Google and Facebook arguing that many versions would result in overt censorship. Ultimately, this is a war between old media and new media, with government being pulled in both directions. It will probably continue to get worse before it gets better.
Authorities in New Zealand carried out the arrests, apprehending the founder and CEO, Kim Dotcom, as well as the website's chief marketing officer, Finn Batato, 38, co-founder Mathias Ortmann, 40, and Bram van der Kolk, 29, who is also a New Zealand resident. In addition to the arrests, authorities seized millions in assets and cash holdings related to the company, including luxury automobiles, homes and bank accounts.
The high profile arrests come against the backdrop of an ongoing feud between leading content producers and major Internet websites where content is shared. Content producers feel their copyrights are being infringed upon and that their businesses are suffering as a result. The website owners are standing behind freedom of speech arguments and the fact that people should be able to share content that they've purchased or that is already in the public domain of the Internet.
The U.S. Congress is currently debating various versions of the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, and Protect IP Act, PIPA, with companies such as Google and Facebook arguing that many versions would result in overt censorship. Ultimately, this is a war between old media and new media, with government being pulled in both directions. It will probably continue to get worse before it gets better.
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