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PROSECUTORS IN THE United States have added more charges to their case against the file-sharing website Megaupload, which is accused of costing copyright holders more than $500m (€380m) in lost revenue.
The company, whose founder Kim Dotcom is currently fighting an extradition order by the US, will now face extra charges of wire fraud and criminal copyright infringement, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company was already facing charges of illegally distributing copyrighted films and music.
A US federal grand jury has accused several of the individuals and entities involved in the operation of a number of crimes, including conspiracy to commit racketeering, copyright infringement and money laundering, as well as criminal copyright infringement.
The website, and its subsidiary site MegaVideo, were shut down in January by the US Department of Justice and the FBI and Dotcom and three of the site’s other operators were arrested.
According to the US indictment, Dotcom earned $42 million last year.
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The dude earned 42 million distributing content for free, yet content companies can’t figure out how to compete with piracy.
If some random person emails me an illegal video- does that make me a pirate?
yes,you argh :)
If someone posts you stolen goods, does that make you a thief?
If your in possession of said goods then yes, not too important how you came to have them in the eyes of the law
Still no talk about megabox I see..
The people behind Megaupload and megavideo were about to launch a new service named megabox which was going to give the artists 90% of revenue for their intellectual property, taking major record labels (who usually keep this share) out of the equation and helping unknown and unsigned artists get recognition and make money from their work..
All this stuff about protecting copyright should read: protecting record label executives who take the lions share of the revenue for the creations of people who are not being adequately rewarded for their work.
If some dude LicksMeStarfish am I a poof
Jim Brady…………….do you really need an answer to that question?
If someone hands you a suitcase with one thousand Euro which was stolen from a bank and you unquestioningly take it and spend it does that make you guilty of an offence?
have your say