Megaupload shut down by feds

[grim386]

Megaupload shut down by feds, seven charged, four arrested

The filesharing site Megaupload.com has been taken down by the FBI as the Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging seven people associated with the site. The 72-page indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury in Virginia on January 5, charges the seven people, including Megaupload's founders Kim Dotcom and Mathias Ortman, with conspiracy.

Four of the people named—including Dotcom Ortmann, Megaupload.com chief marketing officer Finn Batao, and developer Bram van der Kolk—are in custody, arrested in New Zealand today, according to the FBI. The FBI worked with authorities from New Zealand, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, the UK and the Phillipines, and in concert with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the case.

The indictment charges that the "Mega conspiracy" has for more than five years operated websites that willfully distributed pirated movies, often before their theatrical release, and other illegal copies of copyrighted works, earning the company over $175 million in illegal profits through advertising revenue. Megaupload is also charged with money laundering by paying uploaders through an "uploader reward program," and paying other companies to host the pirated content.

As of the afternoon of January 19, the site for Megaupload.com had not been redirected, and requests simply timed out. Ars will provide additional coverage as details develop.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/n...r-arrested.ars

[Viperado]

where am i going to get all my free downloads from now?

[Dre']

not only that, how am i gonna get my files back

[Thy]

This is complete and utter foolishness.

If anything they should hunt down the individual uploaders but opps wait too much work so they go after the person who made a platform to facilitate file sharing and not necessarily "illegal" file sharing.

[Viperado]

i'm the individual uploader, are you saying that after i pay my money to buy a program i can't share it in whatever way i choose to? thats bull!

[MiniKilla]

where am i going to get all my free downloads from now?

as one gone a next one born u can use mediafire.

[Dre']

as one gone a next one born u can use mediafire.

i don't like mediafire
Can u pause and continue download as a free user?

[kilaj1]

thats odd...i was watching ...stuff on megavideo earlier today...both sites are linked....ahh well putlocker and sockshare are next i guess

[ShadowWolfe Hellscream]

As for the site's employees, they were paid lavishly and they spent lavishly. Even the graphic designer, 35-year-old Slovakian resident Julius Bencko, made more than $1 million in 2010 alone.

The indictment goes after six individuals, who between them owned 14 Mercedes-Benz automobiles with license plates such as "POLICE," "MAFIA," "V," "STONED," "CEO," "HACKER," GOOD," "EVIL," and—perhaps presciently—"GUILTY." The group also had a 2010 Maserati, a 2008 Rolls-Royce, and a 1989 Lamborghini. They had not one but three Samsung 83" TVs, and two Sharp 108" TVs. Someone owned a "Predator statue." Motor bikes, jet skis, artwork, and even 60 Dell servers could all be forfeit to the government if it can prove its case against the members of the "Mega Conspiracy."

Wow these guys were living life, I wonder if Rapidshare or Megashares needs a graphic designer?

[King_Jay16]

i don't like mediafire
Can u pause and continue download as a free user?

yup...even download multiple files at once