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MegaUpload Pops Back Up (Sort Of)
As Digital Locker Companies Run for Cover
After being taken offline by the U.S. government in a massive global raid, MegaUpload appears to have popped right back online -- sort of. The website is only operating via a single IP address at the moment and not very well at that, but the site insists they're "working to be back full again." Meanwhile, digital locker storage services like FileServe and Filesonic have been running for cover, shutting down affiliate programs and shuttering services, disallowing all downloads except those "that you have uploaded personally." Mediafire meanwhile tells VentureBeat that they're not changing anything. “We don’t have a business built on copyright infringement," says CEO Derek Labian. "Like many other cloud-based sharing services like Box.net and Dropbox, we’re a legitimate business targeting professionals."
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tiger72
SexaT duorP
Premium Member
join:2001-03-28
Saint Louis, MO

tiger72

Premium Member

mediafire.net .org . hk .ru .my .etc

The problem with the internet is that it's easy to move around...

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

1 recommendation

ArrayList

Premium Member

Re: mediafire.net .org . hk .ru .my .etc

I don't see this as a problem.

cableties
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27

cableties

Premium Member

I read a great article...

this weekend about the guy (Kim Schmitz) of MegaUpload and his whacked vanity plates.

»www.fastcompany.com/1809 ··· m-dotcom

I suspect there is going to be more digging up dirt on this operation, other locker/sharing sites getting shutdown, along with others getting investigated that profited (see PayPal and other EU pay services) from transactions on illegal sharing done on Mega's sites.

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList

Premium Member

Re: I read a great article...

if Paypal actually took a hit on this, I might get interested.

TigerLord

join:2002-06-09
Canada

TigerLord

Re: I read a great article...

Indeed. It'd be fantastic to see PayPal get bitchslapped.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Only thing up is a splash page

That single IP is here and is based in the Netherlands:

159.63.22.178 94ms 93ms 93ms TTL:244 (worldstream.xe-4-1-0.ar9.ams2.gblx.net ok)
109.236.95.197 95ms 97ms 94ms TTL:244 (te5-4.core2-msd.worldstream.nl bogus rDNS: host not found [authoritative])
109.236.83.66 96ms 93ms 95ms TTL: 52 (customer.worldstream.nl fraudulent rDNS)

Network query for "109.236.83.66" at "whois.ripe.net":
inetnum: 109.236.83.0 - 109.236.83.255
netname: WORLDSTREAM
descr: WorldStream IPv4.26
country: NL

role: WORLDSTREAM DBM
address: Honderdland 111F
address: 2676LT Maasdijk
phone: +31174712117
fax-no: +31174512310

Only thing up is a splash page:
MEGAUPLOAD IS BACK, NEW MEGAUPLOAD SITE - The leading online storage and file delivery service

And I wonder how long it will be up?

NissanPower
join:2001-03-31
London, ON

NissanPower

Member

Re: Only thing up is a splash page

It wasn't up long.. I see an FBI warning page up there now.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Only thing up is a splash page

said by NissanPower:

It wasn't up long.. I see an FBI warning page up there now.

That is if you went to megaupload.com. If you go to the IP address(109.236.83.66 ), you get this:
MEGAUPLOAD IS BACK, NEW MEGAUPLOAD SITE - The leading online storage and file delivery service

NissanPower
join:2001-03-31
London, ON

NissanPower

Member

Re: Only thing up is a splash page

Ahhh... I get it now... thanks for opening my eyes

Bill Neilson
Premium Member
join:2009-07-08
Alexandria, VA

Bill Neilson

Premium Member

Eh, let our government shut megaupload down.....

then have them celebrate and have people exactly like megaupload continue coming back and probably expanding

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Doubt MS, Google, Amazon, Apple file lockers worried

Filesonic is running for cover. Why? Could it be they know they have been catering to copyright infringing customers as the biggest part of their business?

Somehow I don't see Microsoft's Skydrive, Apple's Cloud service, Amazon's Cloud Drive, & Google's Music service running for cover.

JasonOD
@comcast.net

JasonOD

Anon

Re: Doubt MS, Google, Amazon, Apple file lockers worried

I disagree. google and amazon are taking great risks allowing copyrighted files to be uploaded, or locker distributed. Content owners have yet to give their full approval for these services.
nutcr0cker
join:2003-04-02
Chandler, AZ

3 recommendations

nutcr0cker to FFH5

Member

to FFH5

Scrap the outdated business coglomorate

You can create a thousand laws to protect the business model pf the paleolithic age. The bottom line is it simply won't work. Let RIAA compete with the pirates ,like the American workers compete with the Chinese.
Wilsdom
join:2009-08-06

Wilsdom to FFH5

Member

to FFH5

Re: Doubt MS, Google, Amazon, Apple file lockers worried

Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Google, are all examples of locked-down monopolistic idea rent-seekers. Kim Dotcom looks like Archimedes in comparison.
MyDogHsFleas
Premium Member
join:2007-08-15
Austin, TX

MyDogHsFleas to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

Filesonic is running for cover. Why? Could it be they know they have been catering to copyright infringing customers as the biggest part of their business?

Somehow I don't see Microsoft's Skydrive, Apple's Cloud service, Amazon's Cloud Drive, & Google's Music service running for cover.

That's because they are legit and operating in a positive way under the processes already defined for managing copyrighted information and infringement complaints, and have all made agreements with the content owners as appropriate. (allegedly) MegaUpload did none of these things.

Scale and scope matters, it's not black and white. Just because there's one infringing file somewhere on a service doesn't mean the draconian aspects of the current processes (or SOPA if something like it becomes law one day) will be invoked. There's routine maintenance under a process, and there's big infringement. The scope and scale is the differentiator.

thegeek
Premium Member
join:2008-02-21
right here

thegeek

Premium Member

No Big Deal

When are governments and **AA organizations going to realize that they are just wasting money trying to shut down pirating? So they close down one site. 10 more will pop up in it's place. The ability for pirates to adapt is amazing. Maybe the **AA could learn a thing about adaptation to consumer expectations from all of this? Nah, that's a pipe dream.

JasonOD
@comcast.net

JasonOD

Anon

Re: No Big Deal

So what should copyright owners do? Simply accept getting ripped off? I see no one, absolutely no one besides content owners attempting to offer any kind of workable solution against piracy.

thegeek
Premium Member
join:2008-02-21
right here

thegeek

Premium Member

Re: No Big Deal

Instead of sticking to draconian methods of delivering content they could evolve to meet the demands of the 21st century. I'd gladly pay for a 1080p downloadable file that didn't have restrictions and advertisements. But content creators won't offer it. Pirating does. So instead of my money going to content creators it goes to sites like FileServe for a premium account.

Smith6612
MVM
join:2008-02-01
North Tonawanda, NY
·Charter
Ubee EU2251
Ubiquiti UAP-IW-HD
Ubiquiti UniFi AP-AC-HD

Smith6612

MVM

Re: No Big Deal

Second. They need to really start offering things that I can pop in VLC Media player, run at 1080p (or 2k for the heck of it), not see commercials, and not look and sound like crap. DRM on DVD or Blu-Ray hasn't really stopped anyone.

I'm one of those people who does not pirate content, but would simply prefer to download a movie overnight that matched or exceeded the quality of Blu-Ray and not have to resort to measures that might seem questionable to watch content on an HTPC. I'll pay the $60 if it means I can avoid the trip to the store and hope they have a copy of the movie, and from there, hope that my equipment will play it (DRM) AND hope the disk lasts. Hard Disks hold out for ages, and take up a lot less room than cases of DVDs.
Rob_
Premium Member
join:2008-07-16
Mary Esther, FL

1 recommendation

Rob_

Premium Member

Re: No Big Deal

Third, I will not buy an mp3.. Give me FLAC or WAV. MP3 is crap and good for portable players. I don't know why they are so afraid of this. I actually BOUGHT more cd's before Napster got taken down.

-Rob

minimeme
@charter.com

minimeme to thegeek

Anon

to thegeek
said by thegeek:

Instead of sticking to draconian methods of delivering content they could evolve to meet the demands of the 21st century. I'd gladly pay for a 1080p downloadable file that didn't have restrictions and advertisements. But content creators won't offer it. Pirating does. So instead of my money going to content creators it goes to sites like FileServe for a premium account.

"Instead of sticking to draconian methods of delivering content they could evolve to meet the demands of the 21st century.

^^^
this and i've been saying this forever!!
Wilsdom
join:2009-08-06

Wilsdom to JasonOD

Member

to JasonOD
Actors, movie theaters, distributors, investors, (and audiences!) accept getting ripped off to some extent by the studios. Every business budgets for actual losses of real cash because of damage, shrinkage, etc.

TigerLord

join:2002-06-09
Canada

TigerLord to JasonOD

to JasonOD
JasonOD, they need to ghange their business model. They need to adapt. Not the other way around. No more DRM, no more draconian measures to control what customers do with the software.

I should be able to buy a bluray for 20$, pop it in my home theatre, then press PLAY and actually watch the movie.

Not 4 warnings I can't skip, then three coming attractions I can't skip either, then another FBI warning, then god forbid I press stop by mistake on my remote in the middle of the film, then sit through another 5min of shit to go back to where I was.

thegeek
Premium Member
join:2008-02-21
right here

thegeek

Premium Member

Re: No Big Deal

not to mention that you are required to go out and buy the bluray instead of just downloading similar quality at home in your pjs.

Smith6612
MVM
join:2008-02-01
North Tonawanda, NY
·Charter
Ubee EU2251
Ubiquiti UAP-IW-HD
Ubiquiti UniFi AP-AC-HD

Smith6612 to TigerLord

MVM

to TigerLord
said by TigerLord:

Not 4 warnings I can't skip, then three coming attractions I can't skip either, then another FBI warning, then god forbid I press stop by mistake on my remote in the middle of the film, then sit through another 5min of shit to go back to where I was.

What about firmware updates? Forgot about those with how often they need to be ran and how long they take to install. You're also hoping your device doesn't brick at the same time.
CXM_Splicer
Looking at the bigger picture
Premium Member
join:2011-08-11
NYC

CXM_Splicer to JasonOD

Premium Member

to JasonOD
I will go one step further and suggest personal use should be free! The copyright owners will profit from (increased) fees for commercial usage and licensing fees paid by advertisers & data mining companies. Much like the way it currently is for Spotify, Grooveshark, Hulu, etc... not to mention radio & TV stations. Who is going to bother to pirate a movie when they could stream it for free with a few commercials or if they could pay a little (to say Netflix) and stream it commercial free? If the vast content was actually available to people this way there would be no pirating.

thegeek
Premium Member
join:2008-02-21
right here

thegeek

Premium Member

Re: No Big Deal

i fucking hate commercials and advertising. i gladly pay to avoid such things. or find ways to get around them if a viable paid option isn't available.
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

1 recommendation

Mr Matt

Member

Shove the Sony Betamax decision up Government's ass.

The Supreme Court already decided this matter. If a device has both infringing uses and non infringing uses then there is no reason to prohibit offering it. MegaUpLoad meets these standards with the primary use non infringing.

The Universal Music Group sent government thugs as a result of the lawsuit regarding the Universal Music Groups taking down the promotional video: MegaUpload with all the A-List stars. A trial run for SOPA and PIPA if our corrupt lawmakers can weasel the sons of these laws through.

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru

MVM

Re: Shove the Sony Betamax decision up Government's ass.

said by Mr Matt:

The Supreme Court already decided this matter. If a device has both infringing uses and non infringing uses then there is no reason to prohibit offering it. MegaUpLoad meets these standards with the primary use non infringing.

I don't think the question is if MegaUpload has non-infringing uses. It does and that's easily proven. It was taken down and people arrested because of it's use for (alleged) extensive copyright infringement and subsequent money laundering and racketeering.

iknow
@optonline.net

iknow

Anon

Re: Shove the Sony Betamax decision up Government's ass.

said by cdru:

said by Mr Matt:

The Supreme Court already decided this matter. If a device has both infringing uses and non infringing uses then there is no reason to prohibit offering it. MegaUpLoad meets these standards with the primary use non infringing.

I don't think the question is if MegaUpload has non-infringing uses. It does and that's easily proven. It was taken down and people arrested because of it's use for (alleged) extensive copyright infringement and subsequent money laundering and racketeering.

Now that's absurd. You CAN'T have a filehosting site with MILLIONS of files and expect that NONE of them are infringing!. It ALSO can't be expected to inspect each file for infringing content!. SOMEONE has to host the LEGAL files!. and the money laundering and racketeering?. That's ASSuming the site was DEVOTED to Copyright Infringment. Which any Filehost could be accused of, simply because they CAN'T control what files are on their servers, because they don't know!. AND, WHY should a foreign site be subject to U.S. law?. like the DMCA, which is what is being implied here. treaties? maybe other countries need to rethink them!.

mmainprize
join:2001-12-06
Houghton Lake, MI

mmainprize

Member

Re: Shove the Sony Betamax decision up Government's ass.

said by iknow :

said by cdru:

said by Mr Matt:

The Supreme Court already decided this matter. If a device has both infringing uses and non infringing uses then there is no reason to prohibit offering it. MegaUpLoad meets these standards with the primary use non infringing.

I don't think the question is if MegaUpload has non-infringing uses. It does and that's easily proven. It was taken down and people arrested because of it's use for (alleged) extensive copyright infringement and subsequent money laundering and racketeering.

Now that's absurd. You CAN'T have a filehosting site with MILLIONS of files and expect that NONE of them are infringing!. It ALSO can't be expected to inspect each file for infringing content!. SOMEONE has to host the LEGAL files!. and the money laundering and racketeering?. That's ASSuming the site was DEVOTED to Copyright Infringment. Which any Filehost could be accused of, simply because they CAN'T control what files are on their servers, because they don't know!. AND, WHY should a foreign site be subject to U.S. law?. like the DMCA, which is what is being implied here. treaties? maybe other countries need to rethink them!.

Well i don't know where they get Money laundering and racketeering from. They did not prove anything before they raided and shut them down.

But it is not a secret that this site (and some of the others) paid posters/account holders to get people to join the site and buy an account, to download the files they have posted and the more times there files were downloaded the more money they made. Some posters were making thousands a month.
It is true that some of the files on these server were copyright files but that is what take down notices are for that is the way it works everywhere else.

I have never bought an account for any of these file sharing sites but those who did are now out there money and not even getting the service any more. This is becoming the norm these days, weather it is UseNet, File Sharing site or what every, you pay of a one year member ship and then get the account cut off because of some take-down notice, because the files had the word of a movie name in it, or the site is shut down for some reason and you/everyone is out there membership. In many cases no one had to prove any wrong doing just make the report and we have to prove they were wrong.

iknow
@optonline.net

iknow

Anon

Re: Shove the Sony Betamax decision up Government's ass.

said by mmainprize:

Well i don't know where they get Money laundering and racketeering from. They did not prove anything before they raided and shut them down.

But it is not a secret that this site (and some of the others) paid posters/account holders to get people to join the site and buy an account, to download the files they have posted and the more times there files were downloaded the more money they made. Some posters were making thousands a month.
It is true that some of the files on these server were copyright files but that is what take down notices are for that is the way it works everywhere else.

I have never bought an account for any of these file sharing sites but those who did are now out there money and not even getting the service any more. This is becoming the norm these days, weather it is UseNet, File Sharing site or what every, you pay of a one year member ship and then get the account cut off because of some take-down notice, because the files had the word of a movie name in it, or the site is shut down for some reason and you/everyone is out there membership. In many cases no one had to prove any wrong doing just make the report and we have to prove they were wrong.

The U.S. gets that from the DMCA, which is a U.S. law. which SOME countries have signed treaties to enforce as if it were their own, THAT is where it comes from. Anyone else notice an increase of various means to get money after the economy was ruined, to swing attention away from that fact, and make the politicians look good?. HMMM. Nevertheless, LEGAL files need to be hosted somewhere, and THIS just might make that impossible, seeing all the filehosters closing up. If, say Microsoft unknowingly had the files on their servers, AND they were based solely in another country, would it be ok to have them shut down?. Remember now, the DMCA is a U.S. based law, and most countries don't have a "takedown" procedure, especially if it's only links that are on the site. What has happened here is the U.S. Extending it's laws on other countries.
Qreptiles
join:2005-07-20
Grants Pass, OR

Qreptiles

Member

it's a fake

They are not back up even as a splash page, it has been reported that it is a fake.
»cleanbytes.net/megauploa ··· -appears

AB57
Premium Member
join:2006-04-04
equatorial

AB57

Premium Member

Uh-Oh!

said by Mediafire CEO Derek Labian :

. . we’re a legitimate business targeting professionals.

Legitimately targeting professional copyright infringers, eh?
Hell, that ought to be enough to take them down, right there!
The pros gotta be costing the **AAs a whole lot more than the rank amateurs!

Onward, DOJ! Do your sworn and paid for by privately lobbied duty!

EliteData
EliteData
Premium Member
join:2003-07-06
Philippines

EliteData

Premium Member

Fake

"BEWARE TO THE PISHING SITES"

i think it was meant to state:
"BEWARE OF THE PHISHING SITES"
dlewis23
join:2005-04-18
Boca Raton, FL

dlewis23

Member

End of "Warez" File Sharing Sites

This is the start of the end of sites for sharing warez files guess its back to torrents. I'm real glad I targeted personal and professional use with mine just as dropbox and media fire have because I would not want to be on the other end of this.

BobHart111
@rr.com

BobHart111

Anon

bummer

this sucks but filesonic really did have a GRIP of infringing content on it...regardless I personally hated both filesonic, megaupload, AND most of all hotfile...I used to have alot of my stuff on FS, but then their service went down to crap…then switched to hotfile, who's servers crashed & lost ALL my files…then megaupload which omg i can’t believe what happened.

now I have all my files on:
»www.peeje.com/upload

…decent sized allowance, and it gives my users direct-links…which they love....so far, it’s been better than sonic, MU and HF COMBINED!!!

Lone Wolf
Retired
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
USA

Lone Wolf

Premium Member

So This Is What

Hope and Change look like? It's a sad state when both ruling parties of the US can beat down file-sharing services without due process.

Karl's article reads:
quote:
After being taken offline by the U.S. government
and I ask "Who is the Government?" I thought WE were the government. You know the story, government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

The government I grew up with must have perished.
mikellbro
join:2003-04-22
Arlington Heights, IL

mikellbro

Member

No sympathy for the RIAA and it's minions

Amidst all the chatter, let us not forget the vastly inflated claims of the SOPA and PIPA supporters. Like every partial download of copyrighted material is an otherwise lost sale. What bull! People download massive amounts out of pure curiosity, and mostly what they wouldn't normally buy, generally for lack of interest. People use sharing (in music) to find other than what the music industry thinks is hot, like Justin Boober. And I absolutely believe that file sharing has generated more revenue in the long run than the (25 times less than claimed) actual losses. And what about programs like hi end CAD or otherwise. No companies use these, only individuals who might become skilled in some worth a damn and then convince companies to purchase them for commercial use. There is the exception, of course, and that is MicroSloth. Yeah, people manage to circumnavigate MS and avoid some of their ridiculously high costs for their software, but that's a fair way of equalizing against how much MS has in effect stolen from society as a whole. Consider how MS was found guilty of Anti Trust and then bought off the appeals court. It's amazing what a few billion here and there can do. Oh yeah, lets not forget how RIAA minions like to load up sharing sites with porn posing as virtually every kind of program, music, video or document. What fine high minded people.