FBI Raids Hong Kong and arrests website Owners of Megavideo/Megauploads
By EvanHunter
@EvanHunter (4026)
United States
March 31, 2012 8:05am CST
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204616504577171060611948408.html
One of the largest video sharing websites was raided by the FBI and arrested several of the companies owners.
These were not American citizens but they had dual citizenship from New Zealand and Hong Kong.
"Authorities claim Megaupload Ltd., based in Hong Kong, and its collection of websites generated more than $175 million in criminal proceeds and caused more than half a billion dollars in harm to copyright owners. Police on Thursday arrested four employees of the company in Auckland, New Zealand, charging them with conspiracy to commit racketeering and criminal copyright infringement."
Never mind that we have gangs running the streets, tons of unsolved murders and missing persons (a large majority of which are children), that we have a drug was going on in Mexico that is spilling into this country. Its more important to chase down websites overseas that might be stealing from movie companies.
Is it just me or do you also think the FBI might have something a bit more productive to do like tracking down the guns that the government gave the drug cartels that killed a border patrol agent?
I guess national security takes a back seat to pirated movies.
1 person likes this
3 responses
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
1 Apr 12
I'm confused here about two things. First, the discussion heading says the arrests were in Hong Kong, but the body of the post says New Zealand. The second is, how do the FBI have the right to arrest anyone in any foreign country? Perhaps you meant to say that New Zealand police arrested them at the request of the FBI. It makes little substantive difference to the result, but clarity is good.
I have to agree with an earlier reply, the modern criminal is involved in many things and this sort of enterprise is one that is often part of a crime syndicates' MO. That said, I agree with you that there are many more important things for the police to work on.
Lash
@EvanHunter (4026)
• United States
1 Apr 12
The owner was in New Zealand but they also arrested people in Hong Kong (by another article I read), the HK government also froze $330 million in assets of both companies, no idea if that's in U.S. dollars or not. They actually raided 2 companies both of them founded by the same guy. From the title of other article I have read they have said "owners". So I am thinking that they picked up the heads of each company since it says several arrests were made.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2012/02/03/megaupload-megavideo-founder-kim-dotcom-bail-appeal-denied/
http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/attacks/232500183
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-57362152-261/fbi-charges-megaupload-operators-with-piracy-crimes/
My guess is this is the U.S. Government pushing back against the overwhelming response that SOPA and PIPA had with online protesting. From one of the articles I read they are actually trying to use RICO laws against them that were designed for racketeering charges against the mob. How those can be used as international copy right laws I have no idea. But we live in a day where government seems to be growing in power by leaps and bounds. Problem is the direction they are focused on seems to be where they are least needed immediately.
Seems to me this is more of a civil matter that the companies involved in should of used their lawyers for instead of using the FBI's resources and tax payers money. But there again we have a supreme court that says corporations are now people...
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
1 Apr 12
Ah, but money and the people who commit crimes against those who make it are far more important than people and the crimes committed against them. It's viral Capitalism at its worst.
Lash
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
31 Mar 12
You can be pretty certain that the people involved in Megauploads were criminals who were involved in many other things besides just a website which allowed pirated videos.
Shutting down this concern was, you can believe it, just the tip of an iceberg.
