The mystery man behind Megaupload piracy fight

[terryhart]

MegaPorn, MegaVideo, MegaLive, MegaPix, and Megaupload are all Kim Schmitz: entrepreneur, father, former hacker, former street racer, and former outlaw.

Great article exposing the man behind one of the largest facilitators of online copyright infringement.

The mystery man behind Megaupload piracy fight | Media Maverick - CNET News

Schmitz can be seen in YouTube videos driving a Mercedes-Benz at more than 200 mph on public roads while competing in a street race known as the Gumball 3000. On one of his cars is a license plate that reads "God." In other clips, Schmitz bathes in grand marble tubs, suns himself on yachts, and cavorts with bikini-clad women. It's no joke to antipirates, who believe Schmitz is paying for his lifestyle with money that rightfully belongs to filmmakers.

This is what SOPA and Protect IP opponents are defending.

[PaulOcchialini]

I'm not sure I feel like megaupload is responsible for what their clients do with their rented lockers. If Hollywood wants their money they need to go after the group like the pirates bay who are the ones stealing their intellectual property.

[initialsBB]

what I don't understand about the cyberlocker situation is that the uploading going on there is way more of a clear-cut case of distributing pirated material than what goes on with p2p. is it too hard to identify and prosecute the uploaders? it seems like it would be relatively easy to find out who uploaded a particular file and to prosecute them based on the exact number of copies that were downloaded.

[PaulOcchialini]

Originally Posted by initialsBB

what I don't understand about the cyberlocker situation is that the uploading going on there is way more of a clear-cut case of distributing pirated material than what goes on with p2p. is it too hard to identify and prosecute the uploaders? it seems like it would be relatively easy to find out who uploaded a particular file and to prosecute them based on the exact number of copies that were downloaded.

This whole concept of having a cyber locker is totally new to me. Today is the first time I have heard of it. From what I have gathered, and someone correct me, is anyone can rent a locker. That megaupload or whatever they are called may have many clients in many industries and what people do with their locker is not their business, that the contents of those lockers are confidential. Also if an organization uses this locker to upload and download and share the contents of this locker it is and should be only their responsibility to keep it legal. Holding the service provider responsible doesn't seem right to me.

Now I understand that the supposed ringleader here is some cyber, criminal, hacker type. But from reading the article, his involvement with megaupload is still not a proven fact. That even if it was a fact, the case against his suposed company and being in the wrong on this, is still very grey area.

I hate illegal downloading of anything and my knowledge of this particular case is obviously limited. So if my logic is off I'm sorry. Just there are not allot of facts from that article that proves that megaupload is in the wrong. Just some pending court cases in the porn industry and Hollywood who hasn't done anything yet. Just aligations.

[Matt Allison]

He's rich because he's engaging in willful blindness, but it's currently legal thanks to the disaster that is the DMCA.

Let's look at it like any other storage locker: if I want to rent a storage space to store furniture, do you think I can do it anonymously? Don't I have to sign some paper regarding liability and terms of use? So that if a law is broken innocent parties are cleared and guilty parties can be prosecuted?

Why shouldn't it be exactly the same in the cyber world?

[initialsBB]

Originally Posted by PaulOcchialini

From what I have gathered, and someone correct me, is anyone can rent a locker.

you can post stuff on there for free without having to "rent" anything.

Originally Posted by PaulOcchialini

the contents of those lockers are confidential.

no, they're publicly available and searchable via google.

[AwwDeOhh]

Originally Posted by Matt Allison

..
Let's look at it like any other storage locker: if I want to rent a storage space to store furniture, do you think I can do it anonymously? Don't I have to sign some paper regarding liability and terms of use? So that if a law is broken innocent parties are cleared and guilty parties can be prosecuted?

Why shouldn't it be exactly the same in the cyber world?

I think the term "locker" in this instance is a misnomer as well.
A locker is somewhere you keep your valuables.. and restrict access to one or two people. 'locker' in the Mega--- instance does in no way resemble that definition.
In fact.. i'd say it's the exact opposite of a 'locker'.

[PaulOcchialini]

Originally Posted by initialsBB

you can post stuff on there for free without having to "rent" anything.



no, they're publicly available and searchable via google.

I don't see how posting things on here for free has anything to do with the topic at hand.

Ok so if the locker is open to search engines and is open to anyone, than the person or company renting the locker is responsible for it's contents. Not the service provider.

[PaulOcchialini]

Originally Posted by Matt Allison

He's rich because he's engaging in willful blindness, but it's currently legal thanks to the disaster that is the DMCA.

Let's look at it like any other storage locker: if I want to rent a storage space to store furniture, do you think I can do it anonymously? Don't I have to sign some paper regarding liability and terms of use? So that if a law is broken innocent parties are cleared and guilty parties can be prosecuted?

Why shouldn't it be exactly the same in the cyber world?

So these these lockers can be set up without giving any personal information or company information? With no paperwork determining any liability for illegal activity? I would be shocked if that is the case.

[Matt Allison]

Originally Posted by PaulOcchialini

Ok so if the locker is open to search engines and is open to anyone, than the person or company renting the locker is responsible for it's contents. Not the service provider.

Thanks to the DMCA, no one is responsible.

Originally Posted by PaulOcchialini

So these these lockers can be set up without giving any personal information or company information? With no paperwork determining any liability for illegal activity? I would be shocked if that is the case.

As far as I know, anyone can sign up and have a cyberlocker account anonymously. They can then store entire discographies of music on there that are downloadable via simple links. If I wanted to personally sue the person that was distributing the content, I can't because they are unidentifiable.

A 100% f*cked up situation that would never occur in the real world.

[PaulOcchialini]

Originally Posted by Matt Allison

As far as I know, anyone can sign up and have a cyberlocker account anonymously. They can then store entire discographies of music on there that are downloadable via simple links. If I wanted to personally sue the person that was distributing the content, I can't because they are unidentifiable.

A 100% f*cked up situation that would never occur in the real world.

So that would mean it's totally free than?

[AwwDeOhh]

Exactly why we need PROTECT IP and/or SOPA to pass..

Contact your Representative. Tell them to support Pro IP legislation.
Now is the time to do so.. while there's actual legislation on the table...

[PaulOcchialini]

Wow I just found the website, this whole deal is totally f*cked. I feel like an idiot even saying anything at this point. These people should be in jail. I literally just created an account with no personal information at all. Wow I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I thought this was some legit business that had a few bad eggs.

[Matt Allison]

Originally Posted by PaulOcchialini

Wow I just found the website, this whole deal is totally f*cked. I feel like an idiot even saying anything at this point. These people should be in jail. I literally just created an account with no personal information at all. Wow I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I thought this was some legit business that had a few bad eggs.

Don't sweat it. It is my experience that this is where the majority of music is pirated today. Albums are often up on the cyber lockers before they're even released, and then because of the easy manner of linking to them, they are distributed around the world instantly, thus destroying any chance of selling well upon release day. It's happened to me numerous times.

[PaulOcchialini]

Lol, I've found 15 records in fifteen minutes that I have worked on, played on and my favorite.....the last release I did with my old band.

[charles maynes]

Originally Posted by terryhart

Great article exposing the man behind one of the largest facilitators of online copyright infringement.

The mystery man behind Megaupload piracy fight | Media Maverick - CNET News



This is what SOPA and Protect IP opponents are defending.

Anyway- is this guys whereabouts known? I would bet the IRS would be very interested in him given his public behavior.....

Al Capone finally went to jail due to Tax Evasion.....

[Don Hills]

Originally Posted by Matt Allison

Don't sweat it. It is my experience that this is where the majority of music is pirated today. ...

And if you find your content by searching the lockers, the uploader is behind the times too. Current best practice is to use obfuscated file names, encrypt the files to prevent copyright enforcers from pattern-matching them, and use obfuscation and indirection to hide the links to the files so Google won't index them. Easy to navigate if you're a "real person", hard to automate.

[Macky]

[QUOTE=initialsBB;7308527]you can post stuff on there for free without having to "rent" anything.

no, they're publicly available and searchable via google.[/QUOTE

Originally Posted by PaulOcchialini

I don't see how posting things on here for free has anything to do with the topic at hand.

Ok so if the locker is open to search engines and is open to anyone, than the person or company renting the locker is responsible for it's contents. Not the service provider.

I dont read the post like that..he says "there" .... not "here"
unless it was a typo and he fixed it

[PaulOcchialini]

[QUOTE=Macky;7309018]

Originally Posted by initialsBB

you can post stuff on there for free without having to "rent" anything.

no, they're publicly available and searchable via google.[/QUOTE





I dont read the post like that..he says "there" .... not "here"
unless it was a typo and he fixed it

No he changed it, it's cool. I completely thought megaupload was a legit business and I was way off....so alls good.

[John Eppstein]

Originally Posted by PaulOcchialini

I don't see how posting things on here for free has anything to do with the topic at hand.

Ok so if the locker is open to search engines and is open to anyone, than the person or company renting the locker is responsible for it's contents. Not the service provider.

No. If you willfully provide space to be used for illeghal purposes you act complicit and legally culpable.

If you operate a crack house you're legally an accessory even if you don't actually sell or consume crack yourself.

[John Eppstein]

Originally Posted by charles maynes

Anyway- is this guys whereabouts known? I would bet the IRS would be very interested in him given his public behavior.....

Al Capone finally went to jail due to Tax Evasion.....

Yes, more or less,. they are - Germany.

Correction (I finished the article) - New Zealand! Don, he's your neighbor!

[Matt Allison]

Originally Posted by Don Hills

And if you find your content by searching the lockers, the uploader is behind the times too. Current best practice is to use obfuscated file names, encrypt the files to prevent copyright enforcers from pattern-matching them, and use obfuscation and indirection to hide the links to the files so Google won't index them. Easy to navigate if you're a "real person", hard to automate.

Perhaps. But if I see a link on a blog or a website to an album that has no business being there, not only should I be able to have it removed immediately, but I should be able to go after the person that uploaded it to the cyber locker in the first place.

If someone steals my guitar and tries to sell it in a pawn shop, there is an entire system in place for me to take action. That doesn't exist in cyber space yet and it needs to.

[initialsBB]

Originally Posted by Matt Allison

As far as I know, anyone can sign up and have a cyberlocker account anonymously. They can then store entire discographies of music on there that are downloadable via simple links. If I wanted to personally sue the person that was distributing the content, I can't because they are unidentifiable.

really, so there's no way to subpoena the IP addresses of the people who post stuff?

[PaulOcchialini]

Originally Posted by John Eppstein

No. If you willfully provide space to be used for illeghal purposes you act complicit and legally culpable.

If you operate a crack house you're legally an accessory even if you don't actually sell or consume crack yourself.

Hey if you bothered to read the thread, i apologized for not fully understanding what is going on at megaupload.com.

Yes, you are right about running a crackhouse.

[charles maynes]

Originally Posted by John Eppstein

Yes, more or less,. they are - Germany.

Correction (I finished the article) - New Zealand! Don, he's your neighbor!

so can we start a ****** list? I think publicizing these assholes would be great thing to do- even if its just a feel good gesture....

[Don Hills]

Originally Posted by Matt Allison

... If someone steals my guitar and tries to sell it in a pawn shop, there is an entire system in place for me to take action. That doesn't exist in cyber space yet and it needs to.

Agreed.

[Don Hills]

Originally Posted by John Eppstein

/// Correction (I finished the article) - New Zealand! Don, he's your neighbor!

He doesn't live in my street - he's not poor.
Just what we need - another rich foreign "celebrity" tarnishing our image by association. And the Chrisco mansion - urgghhh. Shania Twain is a class act by comparison - she bought a large high country farm, what we call a "sheep station", and is runnning it responsibly.

[AwwDeOhh]

Waaaaaaaaaaaiiitttt just a minute....

"Don Hills"

>Don, as in the MegaUpload "Don" .. 'Don' as in a crimelord crime boss?

>Hills... as in Living in the New Zealand hills... and living it up?

I feel a conspiracy theory coming together!!!



(all in good fun, of course i'm joking Don.... or am i ? )

[Don Hills]

For the amount of money he is alleged to have made, I could almost - but not quite - be tempted...