Do not go to this site! It is filled with malware.
I see no evidence of this. It is running far fewer scripts than 90% of the sites on the web. SDMB is much more intrusive than that site
The source only shows one scripts which seems to only show the date. Further, neither Spybot, Avira, or Malware Bytes are picking anything up at all, so if it’s malware riddled it’s some pretty damn advanced malware.
One of the bigger issue about pirated software which no one seems to get when arguing lost revenues is that these “pirate” sites are often the only way many “evil downloaders” can get hold of that content. So if someone in say India* or China or S Arabia hears that there is an American show like say “How I met your mother” or a new one like “Once upon a time” and they think it is worth checking out, this is not the most convenient way to see it, it is often the only way. There is zero revenue lost and if anything there is a big oppurtunity to gain revenue by working with that site.
- Yes I know some people get access to US Channels in those countries and also their are certain channels like AmericaPlus which show shows from all over, but those are not really substitutes.
I was going to add to this thread, but Simplicio brought up most of the points I was going to make. It seems like he’s the only one who actually read the indictment. The operators of Megaupload aren’t being accused of running a site which happened to be used for piracy, they are being accused of specifically designing it to cater to and encourage piracy, and profiting off of it, under the guise of providing a legitimate service.
It seems to me that anyone opposed to SOPA should be using this as ammunition: Megaupload was taken down using existing legislation. Therefore the current system, while possibly in need of tweaking, works, and there is no need for more restrictive legislation.
Youtube’s complain system is, as I understand, completely automated, and immediately removes videos when a complaint is registered. No human review required. It’s heavily biased in favour of the complainant. Basically so they don’t ever get sued for hosting copyrighted content. Universal abused this system in order to stop people from seeing the video.
Anyone see the sign up at http://www.megaupload.c om/ now?
Interesting.
I’m not seeing any signup. I’m seeing a notice from the FBI and DOJ that the site has been seized. There’s also an emblem from the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, which I wasn’t aware of before.
Granted.
A frightening thought struck me as I woke up this morning however (don’t ask me why my brain was on the Mega* case in my sleep, I have no clue). Between the Global Criminal Conspiracy (of Doom) language, and the indictment mentioning that some of the site owners themselves had uploaded some infringing files… are they going to try to RICO Act them ?!
check indictment Holy shit, they are accusing them of systematic racketeering and money laundering. They’re going to try them like they’re the Mob. Wouldn’t that make any person who ever had dealings with them (say, by downloading a file) similarly “part of the conspiracy”, and as such liable to trumped up charges (admittedly, my knowledge of RICO is 100% TV-based) ?
Wow. They could conceivably get a user’s username and password and backtrack them via iptrace to their location.
Then we send out the jackbooted thugs to apprehend everyone.
I have a feeling they are going to need to do this in waves or else hire a lot more thugs.
Well Auckland, where Kim dot com was arrested is built on a dormant volcanic field, and has the quite impressive Rangitotojust offshore.
Unindicted co-conspirators, all of them! 
Interesting speculation about the real motives behind the takedown of Megaupload:
From Dec. 21, pre-indictment:
http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2011/111221airvinyl
Which all also explains the reaction UMG had to this star-studded MegaUpload promo video.
Topic die?
I was just reading some more on this. Check out this profile on Kim Dotcom:
http://www.fastcompany.com/1810015/inside-megaupload-megamind-kim-dotcom-wild-history-of-playboy-bunnies-russian-nuclear-vessel
I’ll say one thing about him - dude knew how to put on one damn impressive fireworks show. (don’t miss the grand finale)
^^^ For some extra raises of the eyebrow, follow the link given in the description of that youtube link (which is itself a link from that first link to the FastCompany profile) to a story from Sept 2011 in the New Zealand Herald.