EUROPE HATES ACTA Whilst the Greeks spent the weekend fighting each other in the streets about poverty, protesters across the rest of Europe united to wage war on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). The demonstrations that took place in over 200 cities follow weeks of protests in Poland and Sweden, supported by Anonymous and the various Pirate Party’s of Europe. If you happen to follow any of the many Anonymous Twitter accounts or ever go on reddit, you will know ACTA well. If you don’t (or if you’re just not sure exactly what it is), remember those horrible bills threatening internet freedom in the US, SOPA and PIPA? ACTA is basically the nuclear version of those. If you believe the technology blogs (and why wouldn’t you? I get all of my spiritual and moral beliefs from technology blogs) we’re currently living in the plot of The Matrix: It’s them against us all Read the full article here

EUROPE HATES ACTA

Whilst the Greeks spent the weekend fighting each other in the streets about poverty, protesters across the rest of Europe united to wage war on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). The demonstrations that took place in over 200 cities follow weeks of protests in Poland and Sweden, supported by Anonymous and the various Pirate Party’s of Europe.

If you happen to follow any of the many Anonymous Twitter accounts or ever go on reddit, you will know ACTA well. If you don’t (or if you’re just not sure exactly what it is), remember those horrible bills threatening internet freedom in the US, SOPA and PIPA? ACTA is basically the nuclear version of those. If you believe the technology blogs (and why wouldn’t you? I get all of my spiritual and moral beliefs from technology blogs) we’re currently living in the plot of The Matrix: It’s them against us all

Read the full article here

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WE READ THE MEGAUPLOAD INDICTMENT PAPERS SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO In less than 24 hours, Megaupload has gone from the world’s largest broadcaster of pirated material to the most interesting criminal case in US digital law. Megaupload’s seizure came just a few hours after the news broke that its CEO was Swizz fucking Beatz, leaving the world’s head spinning as it struggles to figure out how the guy who left his lady for Alicia Keys and produced this DMX song was at the head of a piracy ring. Almost immediately after Megaupload was shut down, Anonymous responded by crashing the websites of the FBI, MPAA, RIAA and Universal Music Group. A lot of people in “the media” have been talking about the case today, but no one seems to have taken the time to read through the leaked 72-page US government document regarding the indictment. What with Megaupload down, we had nothing better to do so we read the whole thing cover to cover. Here are the juicy details: - Private emails between Megaupload employees make it very clear that they were were running an illegal operation but didn’t really care. In one exchange, an employee wrote, “We have a funny business… modern days pirates :)” to which another responded, “We’re not pirates, we’re just providing shipping services to pirates :)” - Thanks to their rewards program for loyal uploaders, they paid out 55k to a user who had 5,845 files of Vietnamese content, at least 10 DVD rips, some porn and (what looked like) an Italian TV series. - Megaupload spent $2.4 million on yacht rentals in June 2011 alone. Read more juicy details here

WE READ THE MEGAUPLOAD INDICTMENT PAPERS SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO

In less than 24 hours, Megaupload has gone from the world’s largest broadcaster of pirated material to the most interesting criminal case in US digital law. Megaupload’s seizure came just a few hours after the news broke that its CEO was Swizz fucking Beatz, leaving the world’s head spinning as it struggles to figure out how the guy who left his lady for Alicia Keys and produced this DMX song was at the head of a piracy ring.

Almost immediately after Megaupload was shut down, Anonymous responded by crashing the websites of the FBI, MPAA, RIAA and Universal Music Group. A lot of people in “the media” have been talking about the case today, but no one seems to have taken the time to read through the leaked 72-page US government document regarding the indictment. What with Megaupload down, we had nothing better to do so we read the whole thing cover to cover. Here are the juicy details:

- Private emails between Megaupload employees make it very clear that they were were running an illegal operation but didn’t really care. In one exchange, an employee wrote, “We have a funny business… modern days pirates :)” to which another responded, “We’re not pirates, we’re just providing shipping services to pirates :)”

- Thanks to their rewards program for loyal uploaders, they paid out 55k to a user who had 5,845 files of Vietnamese content, at least 10 DVD rips, some porn and (what looked like) an Italian TV series.

- Megaupload spent $2.4 million on yacht rentals in June 2011 alone.

Read more juicy details here

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THE AUTHOR OF SOPA IS A COPYRIGHT VIOLATOR US Congressman and poor-toupee-colour-chooser Lamar Smith is the guy who authored the Stop Online Piracy Act. SOPA, as I’m sure you know, is the shady bill that will introduce way harsher penalties for companies and individuals caught violating copyright online (including making the unauthorised streaming of copyrighted content a crime which you could actually go to jail for). If the bill passes, it will destroy the internet and, ultimately, turn the world into Mad Max. I decided to check that everything on Lamar’s official campaign website was copyright-cleared and above board. Read the full article here

THE AUTHOR OF SOPA IS A COPYRIGHT VIOLATOR

US Congressman and poor-toupee-colour-chooser Lamar Smith is the guy who authored the Stop Online Piracy Act. SOPA, as I’m sure you know, is the shady bill that will introduce way harsher penalties for companies and individuals caught violating copyright online (including making the unauthorised streaming of copyrighted content a crime which you could actually go to jail for). If the bill passes, it will destroy the internet and, ultimately, turn the world into Mad Max. I decided to check that everything on Lamar’s official campaign website was copyright-cleared and above board.

Read the full article here

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