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Busting bad dish!

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Federal Government Shuts Down MegaUpload

Truth rating: 10

6:04 pm, January 19th, 2012

(MegaUpload)

The U.S. federal government has taken down MegaUpload, the enormous file-sharing site endorsed by some major celebrities and partly run by Alicia Keys’ husband Swizz Beatz.

It’s the latest twist in a rapidly widening fight over online content that includes the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) legislation in Congress, which led scores of major websites to go dark on January 18 in protest.

In today’s dramatic shutdown of MegaUpload, the Department of Justice called the site an “international organized criminal enterprise allegedly responsible for massive worldwide online piracy.”

RELATED – WATCH: Kanye, Diddy, Jamie Foxx and Others Voice Support for MegaUpload

At the request of American officials, several MegaUpload executives, including Kim Dotcom (Kim Schmitz) were arrested in New Zealand.

Beatz, who is listed as the company’s CEO, was not named in the indictment.

In retaliation for the closing of MegaUpload, the hacker collective Anonymous claimed credit for taking down the websites of the Department of Justice, Universal Music, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Assocation of America.

A “cyberlocker” site, MegaUpload allowed users to transfer large files – which were often copyrighted movies, games, TV episodes and music.

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  • Anonymous

    This was done without SOPA being passed, which shows just how useless that piece of legislation is.

  • Danny

    I can’t even say anything. They haven’t even decided on SOPA and it’s already pissing me off to my core.

  • kxstina2

    wtf this is garbage!!!!….u know the US r not THE WHOLE WORLD and they should realize that ASAP!!!

  • Kristy

    It just goes to show how out of touch with reality the entertainment industry is now days. If they want to stop piracy, they should stop making shit movies and music. Half the stuff released these days isn’t even worth the MB’s used to download them, much less spend good, hard earned money on. Wouldn’t it be nice if the rest of us could go to work and do our jobs half assed and still get paid.

  • Joe

    What’s garbage is people like you downloading pirated material. It’s illegal. What part of “illegal” don’t you get?

    How would you like it if people stole your material and passed it around a million times over?

  • Anonymous

    i agree with you, but i think what she’s/he’s trying to say is why does the federal government of the UNITED STATES have to be the one to stop it, it’s not the US’s job to go over to another country take control of it and arrest that person from another country who started that website.

  • Unknown

    Good job Anonymous! *the poster of this comment does not in any way, shape or form condone the actions of this terrorist group and its ways of terror against the fascist groups or government agencies*

  • kxstina2

    No i was talkin about what @Lilyx0x said…the US government takin control over the world…its megaupload now but probably if SOPA becomes a law half of the internet like- youtube, fcb, twitter, google will b also done…now tell me its not garbage 2 shout down half of the internet and that it’ll not influance every1 but only americans huh?…its just sad…

  • Anonymous

    I can’t believe they went and arrested him in ANOTHER country!!!

    p.s. LOL @list of the owner’s seized cars: (i call dibz on the royce!)
    http://www.peeje.com/positivity/5666-megaupload-sued-defendants-property-lol

  • Isla

    The American government needs to release that they are not in charge of the world they are not the most important country in the world! They had no right to go into another country and arrest anyone. It’s one thing for someone to be arrested in their own country, by their own government for doing something illegal, but to have the American government think they have the power to enforce any authority in someone else country is unbelievable. They have no right to censor the net and give themselves more power to attack and arrest persons from other countries. Nothing good will come from any of this, just more control to a greedy country who thinks they can do whatever they like to anyone. I have no doubt America would have something to say if another country entered their territory and tried to enforce their authority there. Actually I’m pretty sure they would use the words terrorism and war. Makes me sick!! I think New Zealand should be making sure that no international laws were broken because this is wrong on so many levels.

  • Jaded28

    Well if it sucks so much don’t steal it don’t watch it at all. Clearly you have never been on a movie set, otherwise you would know that that the people that make movies, the crew, work 12-16 hours a day in all. Kinds on weather conditions. I don’t call that half assed. The people being effected by the thefts are the smaller indie films, and indie record labels.

    I disagree with the way SOPA is written but to justify theft by saying its okay because the movie suck is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.

    If you saw a dress that you thought was ugly in a store would that mean it was okay for you steal it?

  • Jaded28

    Did you read the whole post? America didn’t go in arrest someone. They requested that the person was arrested by New Zealand officials. It wasn’t some military secret incursion.
    You should check out international laws, we are not the only country that can request another country arrest someone for breaking the law.

  • patrick

    the american govermint is such a douchebag for banning my fun on the internet

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