Malum Discordiae : The FBI kills Megaupload

[chocochuy]

Greetings, Ladies and Gentlemen! Chocochuy reporting for duty and bringing you some news from the global community.

As you might recall, yesterday was the peaceful blackout of pages like Wikipedia, Google, Mozilla and our very own Dreamwidth in order to protest against the SOPA bill. Well, just some hours ago Megaupload was shut down by the FBI, thus causing the arrest of its inner circle and the loss of countless Terabytes of both illegal and safe files. Retribution from hackers all over the globe was not denied and hours later the group that calls itself Anonymous hacked several government sites as well as asking all cybernauts to join their revolution against the rich 1%. It might be kinda exaggerated to say this but I am certain that were witnessing the genesis of the First World Internet War. In my honest opinion I think the loss of Megaupload may be a heavy loss for most cybernauts and it may also herald the beginning of some authoritarian movements if the FBI can go shutting down websites when the SOPA has not been approved yet. What we are really seeing is a struggle between two powerful forces, none of them wanting to give up, that will change the way we use the internet from now on if a peaceful solution is not found.

I will be glad to hear your opinions in this matter, comrades, especially if this SOPA bill goes out of control and tries targeting our beloved fanfics/fanarts.

Here is an old Captain America picture done by Frank Miller. It may be over-used but it seems quite fitting.

Comments

[the_phantom]

Obama is largely irrelevant at this stage. What he thinks is not going to influence the Democrats who support it--Wasserman-Schultz isn't going to change her co-sponsorship with Lamar Smith just because Obama objects. She's a CA politician she's looking after the Hollywood interests.

[mrstatham]

Again, he's already vetoed SOPA, hasn't he? I thought the big one was PIPA, now.

[nezchan]

I think veto would come at a later stage in the process, towards the end. I gather he said he probably would veto it, but it hasn't gotten that far yet.

[mrstatham]

Apparently he'd veto it if it reaches his desk. To get there, it'd pretty much have to pass through both houses anyway, which I don't think it will, somehow, given it seems fairly controversial.

I personally hope it's dead in the water anyway, and that PIPA goes the same way, because if either passed, other countries - especially places like the UK, would pretty much enforce it too.

[nezchan]

Yeah, that's why Canadians like me and folks around the world are concerned about this. Whatever else the US is, it's a pretty big influence on international copyright and what they do will affect the rest of us, regardless of our own feelings on the matter.