Do you use Bittorent or know someone who does?

Published on May 26, 2005 By Ionolast In Personal Computing

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal authorities on Wednesday shut down an online file-sharing network that had the new Stars War movie before it was shown in theaters.

People attempting to access the elitetorrents.org Web site on Wednesday were greeted with a warning about the penalties for copyright infringement.

The message also said: "This site has been permanently shut down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Individuals involved in the operation and use of the Elite Torrents network are under investigation for criminal copyright infringement."

Comments (Page 1)

Zoomba

on May 26, 2005

The problem here is that a lot of the "everything for free, IP law is evil" will spin this as being a blow against liberty, freedom and fair use. When in many cases it's a clear violation of law and copyright/IP infringement.

Sites like suprnova and elitetorrents exist to distribute illegal copies of movies, music, apps and games. They leverage an excellent technology (BitTorrent) to do bad things.

bakerstreet

on May 26, 2005

Cracking down on P2P technology is like closing down roads to stop people from speeding. Why not just shut down the Internet? Ah, because corporate America makes MONEY on the internet. They don't care about any venue that doesn't have money in it for them.

In the middle of the whole Jack Valente crusade, he admitted that he had never even been on the Internet. There are hundreds of people making legal decisions about technology that we use every day, and who have ZERO clue as to how it works.

Dr Guy

on May 26, 2005

The problem here is that a lot of the "everything for free, IP law is evil"

Nope. As a card carrying member of the Anti RIAA and MPAA orgs, I say if you do the crime, you pay for it.

I just cant stand their attitude of guilty until proven innocent.

Zoomba

on May 26, 2005

I think P2P is a wonderful thing, the next big step in communications and knowledge sharing... The case Icon is mentioning is the FBI going after a site that misused the technology and provided illegal content.

I think lawmakers and courts are slowly catching on to the fact that the technology is independent from the use. Just because something can be misused doesn't mean it will, and therefore if you want to go after someone, go after those who do wrong, don't go after those who provide a generic tool that those wrongdoers use.

I agree Guy, you do the crime you do the time. Unfortunately few see this as a crime because it's not technically theft, and they assert that no harm is done.

Dr Guy

on May 26, 2005

I agree Guy, you do the crime you do the time. Unfortunately few see this as a crime because it's not technically theft, and they assert that no harm is done.

There are the ones you described earlier who think everything should be free, but I dont. And as you said, Just because something can be misused is not a sign it will be. But the Idiots of the MPAA nd RIAA seem to think that the only solution is to retard innovation and invention. And that is my problem with them. I have no problem nailing these clowns for using this gun to rob the store.

ZubaZ

on May 26, 2005

Cracking down on P2P technology is like closing down roads to stop people from speeding

The Feds are not cracking down on the technology, they are cracking down on sites that distrubute the stolen property. Huge difference.

Dr Guy

on May 26, 2005

The Feds are not cracking down on the technology, they are cracking down on sites that distrubute the stolen property. Huge difference.

In this case, yes. But the ongoing controversy of RIAA and MPAA is trying to close the road. Not arrest the speeders.

Ionolast

on May 26, 2005

I just cant stand their attitude of guilty until proven innocent.

That's been the attitude of law enforcement at all levels for quite a few years.

Dr Guy

on May 26, 2005

That's been the attitude of law enforcement at all levels for quite a few years.

RIAA is not law enforcement last I checked.

Ionolast

on May 26, 2005

It used to be thought that people who use VCRs to record movies should be punished, but then the movie industry found a way to make money off it. How is downloading music or movies without paying different from recording them from TV or the radio?

Fourth Letter

on May 26, 2005

what is really funny is extra money is spent by law makers to close pirate web sites , while actual theft and bodily harm crime continues to rise , i guess victims of violent crime cant lobby as successfully as the RIAA

Ionolast

on May 26, 2005

RIAA is not law enforcement last I checked

No, but law enforcement is getting involved.

dj_cityboy

on May 26, 2005

My 2 cents

well let me tell you first off that i did download Star Wars III and still have it on my pc...but i did not download it til i went to see it in the theatre!! i mean really who really wants to watch a s**t quality movie that is supposed to be the most biggest eye candy movie of all time (so they say)...and furthermore i will be buying it as well when it is released on DVD...watchin it at home will never replace seeing it in theatre..um sure you can all agree! not to mention i will be goin again this saturday to see it in the theatre yet again for the second time..and have already watched the downloaded version i have more then enough times! so am i the bad guy????SURE if you wanna call it that...but i have paid my $10 once and will again! on top of that i own a recording studio and use these sites to make my music available to people that may never have the chance to buy my CD..

As well to mention i am not one of those people that think everything should be free!! i have a nice DVD & VHS collection and have spent retarded amounts of money on music! i have at least 1000 tapes about 400 hundred CD's and 20 crates of records....so once again am i a bad guy for downloading the new Coldplay album? SURE....but i really think i have giving the movie and music industry more then enough of my money!! and no this doesnt mean i'm never goin to buy movies or music ever again...it means that once and awhile sumthin fer free is nice!

so you can point yer finger at me all you like calling me the bad guy.....but i really dont think i am!

peas
cityboy

Zoomba

on May 26, 2005

.....but i really dont think i am!

You prove my point. You feel that because you saw the film in the theater and that you eventually plan to buy the DVD when it is available, that you're entitled to having the downloaded copy in the time between. The fact remains though that you are stepping beyond fair use, you're stepping beyond what is theoretically fair or right. You obtained something that you do not have any legal or reasonable rights to. You are part of the problem that is causing the RIAA/MPAA/IP Nazis to come down like a ton of bricks on P2P technology.

Know that you are contributing to what could eventually be the prohibition of P2P technology.

Having thousands of legal CDs, movies etc doesn't excuse a single case of theft. I have let thousands of people live, should I be punished for that one time I slip up? Yeah, it's an extreme case, but it makes the point that you can't make up for a bad act with a dozen good acts. The bad act remains.

You can rationalize it any way you want... you already saw the movie, you have tons of legal stuff etc... but the fact remains that you are obtaining material against the express wishes of the content owner.

Hus

on May 26, 2005

so you can point yer finger at me all you like calling me the bad guy.....but i really dont think i am!

That's the problem with the internet. When you steal something, it almost doesn't feel like you're doing anything wrong. Would you try and hide that same CD under your jacket in a real music store? There is no difference...at all.

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