Comments for Ontario Court Rejects U.S. Government Demand for Full Access to Megaupload Servers Seized in Canada at http://www.michaelgeist.ca , comment 1 to 21 out of 20 comments http://www.michaelgeist.ca Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:29 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51235 I downloaded many files from Mega back when it was up and running. I got the links from sites like avax (which for some reason seems to be down right now). I was never a paid user of any file-locker - the free downloading is always good enough for me. Any IP addresses that the americans get from the Canadian servers would be very stale - not even Tek Savvy would have IP-assignment logs that are that old. But I wonder what's happening with the data on the US servers - do they contain details of downloads performed by americans? Has anyone in the US been investigated for downloading copyrighted material from Megaupload based on this server-data? Oh look - I have to answer a captch challenge to post this - just like when I download from the file-lockers. I've gotten really good at these... :) - Sum Guy Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:23:29 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51148 It looks to me like one entity complained about some users of Megaupload sharing copyrighted files, so the US Government took out all MegaUpload servers everywhere in response. This is like the someone complaining of a ford truck speeding through a playground zone, so the Government seizes all Ford Trucks everywhere in the world. - Doug Webb Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:40:55 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51121 Whilst it is true that a search warrant specifies what should be searched for, the whole "property" is turned over during the search, with the result that anything can be mentally "stored away" by the searchers. The same applies to a computer. The search must be carried out away from any interested parties, and clear guide lines laid down as to what is relevant, as apposed to what could be relevant - Britboy Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:18:37 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51116 The US government, in shutting down this server... with millions of peoples files on it that they can now no longer access, cannot have all the information on the server but must specifically request files from the server... that still doesn't answer the question as to why millions of peoples files were taken offline, have no access to, and may never again have access to.. Cloud computing is for IDIOTS How many pedophiles were caught sending pictures in plain brown envelopes through the mail system? How many mix "tapes" did the US postal service seize EVER.. people today get caught because they can be seen, their files can be traced, because they post stupid incriminating things, if you don't want to get caught doing bad things like distributing movies, porn and music on the web... use the US postal system.. LOL - Fmpsportsguy Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:58:25 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51115 No different then a search warrant. Police in the states need a search warrant if they want to get into your house, but the warrant is very specific for what they are looking to find. Should be the same for servers or computers. Glad to see Ontario sticking it to the Americans, who should know better. - Werner Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:55:18 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51114 This will keep happening until we gain a legal sense of tenancy in computing. Right now it's like the government getting evidence that someone in one apartment of an apartment tower has committed a crime and them getting a warrant to search every apartment in the tower and sieze items from any apartment regardless of whether they belonged to the suspect or not. All it does is hurt people not involved in the crime. - Steve Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:22:54 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51113 This is exactly the reason I do not store a file online only... Not when they government can come in and rob millions of users of their perfectly legal files. I saw it coming before Megaupload was shut down and luckily I pulled all my files to backup offline just to be safe. I was very sad to be correct in my thinking.. I might not have used Mega but I used many others that end up shutting down pretty much instantly when the shit storm hit. There is many reason to protect your files you host only online. Server Failure Some moron working for them screws up. Forgetting to pay your bill. Your account being hacked. Your friends/family. Accidental deletion on your part. And now sadly the government who will shutdown a server if the industries think they're bad for business. They have no care for my shit or yours which they should not but they should not have the power to fuck with my stuff or yours. Since this unjust war on the internet I've stopped buying their music and movies. I don't download them I don't talk about them and if someone ask me about it I have no problem telling them why I don't and I encourage them to do the same. I once was a fan but now I'm a enemy and my war might only be through my voice but I am sure I've cost them money bringing quite a few of my friends and family to do the exact same thing as I have. I've saved thousands of dollars in 2012 alone. I have less than zero respect for those responsible for the loss of petabytes of legit data they had no right to disable access to. - Andrew Lee Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:20:27 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51112 Trying to gain access at this late stage to the canadian servers seems more a sign of desperation on the part of the DOJ looking for something incriminating. So far the search and seizures in NZ have been ruled illegal. It looks increasing likely that the warrants issued in the USA going the same way, which doesnt leave them much of a case, not that they had one to begin with. - Dondilly Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:48:41 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51111 Forgetting about the re-criminalization of Marijuana? How they extradited Canadians to American prisons even though they had never been to the US? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Emery - Greg Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:29:17 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51110 http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/01/us-rebuffed-in-effort-to-get-copies-of-canadian-megaupload-servers/ It is thoughtful sober judgement such as this and the Voltage case that gives me some faith in our judges and legal system. - Crockett Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:45:51 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51109 That is as it should be. Why should they be able to go on a fishing expedition. Just seize the computers and then go through them to see what is there. I should be the other way around. They need to say what is there that is illegal before they can seize them. - butcher Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:58:36 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51105 "100 laptop computers" measuring things in units of variable volume is deceitful. Also this ruling sits right with me. Reminds me of a case in which a student in britain is facing extradition to the US over sharing videos online, a violation of US law, NOT british law. - J Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:07:36 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51104 what the hell does this mean - Whathwat Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:30:21 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51103 I am so happy that the rest of the World can stand up and say no to the almighty USA - s Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:36:54 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51102 many people use "cloud" computing to store personal information, photos etc etc.. if just one person uses that "cloud" to do something illegal.. then the US government has the right to seize all the information on those servers? Cloud computing is Scary! - Fmpsportsguy Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:06:18 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51101 You must realize that this is a victory for AMERICANS as well because it is a victory for people everywhere! NOT a victory for "America" LLC. - Kev Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:00:58 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51100 You stood up to our psychotic law enforcement agencies that use the technological illiteracy of our judges and policymakers as a means of overstepping their authority and trampling liberty. Thank you for that ... and also for Trailer Park Boys, which was very funny series except for season 1. - David Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:56:59 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51099 My own, to remain nameless, US-based company with internationally deployed cloud data center has briefed employees that US Patriot act seizure rights applies to any server or storage devices that our company manages, regardless of whether those devices are physically located in other jurisdictions (outside the US) or are owned by other non-US companies or individuals. In effect, the position of the US Government is, if a US company can touch the data, it can be seized under the Patriot Act. Such a policy is clearly not in any company's business interest when selling their services to international clients. One has to wonder what kind of threats were levied against our company in order to make them agree that Patriot Act had such broad extra-territorial applicability - Erut Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:19:54 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51097 whatever the court decides, i hope it is sensible enough to ensure that whatever data is given to/obtained by the US is exactly the same as is given to the Mega lawyers. if it goes the same way as previous data, the US want to use what it wants but prevent the Mega lawyers from knowing what is being used against them and therefore unable to make any defense, until after they get into court. how one sided and bias is that? - herbert Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:10:35 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6755/125/#comment-51095 I really wonder about the legality of using information Obtained outside the U.S. for prosecution within the U.S. Plus to prosecute it has to be obtainable by someone online In the states. The evidence if it was available could have just as easily Been downloaded without the need to waste cdn courts resources. If they did not download it in the states then i figure they dont have the evidence. - Bill Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:14:40 +0100