piracy

White House calls for new law targeting 'offshore' Web sites

Only weeks after protests over two digital copyright bills demonstrated the political muscle of Internet users, the White House is publicly endorsing new copyright legislation that also would target suspected pirate Web sites.

After the unprecedented outcry against the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act -- designed to target offshore copyright-infringing Web sites -- supporters of the bills on Capitol Hill backed down and moved on to other topics.

But the White House today reignited the congressional debate by throwing its weight behind legislation targeting offshore Web sites. "We believe that new legislative and non-legislative tools … Read more

MegaUpload lawyer claims the feds are impeding its defense

The U.S. government has refused to allow the MegaUpload defendants access to information on their servers, which in turn is impeding their ability to defend themselves, the company's lawyer told CNET.

Ira Rothken, the U.S. attorney overseeing MegaUpload's international defense team, said the U.S. has refused to release funds that would enable MegaUpload to preserve and gather materials from company servers vital to its defense. Rothken said that he fears U.S. officials are withholding the money in an attempt to unfairly hobble MegaUpload's defense.

"It's hard to reconcile the chain of … Read more

Anti-SOPA Internet Society under fire for hiring MPAA executive

The Internet Society is hardly a fan of the Stop Online Piracy Act or the Protect IP Act. The venerable non-profit, which acts as the umbrella organization for the Internet's key standards bodies, bluntly warns that the pair of copyright laws would end the "viability of the Internet."

Which is why ISOC's decision this month to hire a senior executive from the Motion Picture Association of America -- a lawyer who has championed the wildly controversial legislation that would blacklist Web sites that supposedly violate copyright -- is raising eyebrows.

ISOC announced last week that it had hired Paul Brigner, … Read more

The Pirate Bay walks the plank on Windows Live Messenger?

Microsoft has decided to block access to The Pirate Bay from Windows Live Messenger, according to a new report.

When users try to send an instant message to a friend with a link from The Pirate Bay, Windows Live Messenger displays a warning, saying that the link is "blocked because it was reported as unsafe." TorrentFreak, which was first to report on the news, says that the same issue occurs in third-party instant-messaging clients, like Pidgin, when logged into Live Messenger.

Microsoft's apparent decision to block The Pirate Bay might conjure up privacy fears among those who … Read more

MegaUpload's host pleads for cash to preserve user files

The cost of hosting 25 petabytes of data belonging to MegaUpload's users is too much for Carpathia Hosting to support on its own.

Carpathia said in court filings on Tuesday that the company is dedicating 1,100 servers and spending $9,000 a day to maintain MegaUpload's files and needs someone to either fork over some money or allow the company to delete the information, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The data was frozen by the U.S. Department of Justice after issuing an indictment against MegaUpload's operators, including founder Kim DotCom in January. … Read more

Kim DotCom to get monthly living expenses of $48,000

New Zealand has decided to return some of the assets it seized from MegaUpload founder Kim DotCom, according to reports.

A high court there has bumped up the accused pirate's monthly living allowance from $20,000 in New Zealand currency to $60,000, the equivalent of $48,500 in U.S. currency, according to a report in the New Zealand Herald. In addition, the court is allowing him the use of one of his late-model Mercedes vehicles.

Police arrested DotCom at the mansion he lived in outside Auckland on January 19 at the request of the United States government. … Read more

Ten worst Internet laws of 2012?

The latest list of the 10 worst proposed Internet laws is out, and topping it are efforts by state legislators to derail disruptive business models such as Airbnb.com and Uber.com.

NetChoice, a Washington, D.C., coalition that includes Facebook, eBay, VeriSign, and Yahoo as members, today plans to release its updated "iAWFUL" list of misguided, nutty, or simply counterproductive laws. On NetChoice's worst-of-the-worst list:

• Uber.com, an online and mobile-device service for finding a car service, has been curbed by city taxi commissions who cite "hack" laws to preserve their monopolies.

• Airbnb.com, … Read more

Paperwork goof may mean Kim DotCom can reclaim assets

Authorities in New Zealand have acknowledged making a procedural error prior in seizing property belonging to MegaUpload founder Kim DotCom, and the mistake could mean the government will now be required to return them.

Police arrested DotCom at the mansion he lived in outside Auckland on January 19 at the request of the United States government. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that DotCom is the mastermind of a criminal enterprise designed to help the masses pirate music and movies. U.S. officials say he made millions from piracy and seek to extradite DotCom to this country to stand … Read more

MegaUpload, U.S. tussle for Kiwi hearts and minds

MegaUpload founder Kim DotCom has six months to try and create the image of himself as a legitimate businessman as well as a victim of U.S. aggression.

The U.S. Department of Justice, which has accused him of criminal copyright violations, wire fraud, and racketeering, will seek to create the perception that DotCom is a digital Genghis Khan, a convicted felon who has dedicated most of his adult life to plunder.

For DotCom, 38, and the DOJ, the public relations war is on.

In January, New Zealand police, at the request of the United States, raided DotCom's home, … Read more