My Torrent source has been seized by ICE

[Sombeech]

:roll::roll::roll:

So I use the Torrent Finder toolbar for Firefox. Most of what I torrent is Operating System OEM disks like XP Home, Professional, Media Center... Vista, stuff like that. Perfectly legal, because I use the key code from the label attached to the computer.

I go to grab a Vista "Restore Plus!" image so I can repair a laptop, and my preferred torrent source has been "seized by ICE"

Sure I know there are hundreds of sources like PirateBay but hell this is ridiculous.

39495

[Sombeech]

Mashable article:

Torrent-Finder.com is down today; the site was apparently seized by government agencies for reasons unknown. In all likelihood, the site was taken down due to intellectual property concerns including copyright infringement and trafficking in counterfeit goods.The agencies named in the notice include the Department of Justice, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement arm of Homeland Security Investigations.
While torrenting in general is one of the seedier parts of the underbelly of the Internet (http://cdn.blippr.com/images/inline-face_05.png?1265851550) (http://www.blippr.com/apps/603086-Internet), Torrent-Finder itself did not host or link to any torrents. Instead, it simply acted as a sort of torrent search engine, returning iframes with other sites that do contain torrent links.
If you’d like to see how the site works for yourself, you can check out Torrent-Finder.info (http://torrent-finder.info/), which hasn’t apparently popped up on the government’s radar yet.
This technicality was apparently not enough to keep the hounds at bay, however. Currently, the site’s homepage looks like this:
http://cdn.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/torrent-site-seized.png
Most troubling of all, however, are statements made by the owner of Torrent-Finder.com. He told the bloggers at TorrentFreak (http://torrentfreak.com/u-s-government-seizes-bittorrent-search-engine-domain-and-more-101126/) that his site was seized “without any previous complaint or notice from any court… While I was contacting GoDaddy I noticed the DNS had changed. Godaddy had no idea what was going on and until now they do not understand the situation, and they say it was totally from ICANN.”

[BruteForce]

Now just hope they don't track your IP address and come knocking at your door. They're tossing people in prison over (c) infringement now.

[Iceaxe]

:roll:

Dang.... I bet Google is next... because this always works in the search....

Torrent {insert anything you please here}

It seems to me if you really want to stop copyright infringement you go after the person who first stole the item to begin with.

[Sombeech]

Now just hope they don't track your IP address and come knocking at your door. They're tossing people in prison over (c) infringement now.

hardly something that should be national security's top priority, but that's how it goes.

[theking648]

“Cyber Monday Crackdown.”

http://torrentfreak.com/us-government-responds-to-domain-seizures-ignores-the-big-question-101129/

[DiscGo]

What I don't get about these crack downs is the lack of due process. Shouldn't they have to go to court before they are taken down.

[asdf]

Now just hope they don't track your IP address and come knocking at your door. They're tossing people in prison over (c) infringement now.

Any proof of this?

demonoid is still rocking away

[ibenick]

What I don't get about these crack downs is the lack of due process. Shouldn't they have to go to court before they are taken down.

Do drug dealers go to court before they are taken down?

[Sombeech]

It sounds like the main purpose of the seize was to reduce the amount of Black Friday / Cyber Monday transactions through these sites.

[DiscGo]

This is a slippery slope, and anyone who says otherwise deserves what they have coming. Our Government starts out with something a couple of years ago that people will favor, and then something that makes sense, and then whatever they want. President Obama (and other politicians) have said that Fox News is bad for America and that the American people would be better off not listening to Fox and just trust them. Here we have our Government encroaching on taking down sites they don't like and tomorrow it will taking down sites which disagree with their views, or policies.


http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101130/00245312049/if-newly-seized-domains-were-purely-dedicated-to-infringement-why-was-kanye-west-using-one.shtml

[DiscGo]

And another thing Home Land Security? Aren't they supposed to be stopping actual piracy and terrorism? This is totally something that if any Government agency were going to do, should be the FBI but instead it is the already public tool of Hollywood doing it.


Here is an article talking about Home Land Security announcing shut down Of movie sites At Disney.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100630/14391410029.shtml

[jman]

...and tomorrow it will taking down sites which disagree with their views, or policies.


Just like Wikileaks...

[BruteForce]

Any proof of this?

demonoid is still rocking away

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=copyright+infringement+prison

[Iceaxe]

Don't get me started on "Homeland Security" and how the government is trampling our rights..... A couple of terrorist's fly a plane into a building and the American people freely surrender many of their rights in the name of safety.... it makes me sick!

The American people need to wake up to what is going on right now or lose some of their freedoms forever...

[asdf]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=copyright+infringement+prison


you could of just said no
stop making things up

[Iceaxe]

you could of just said no

:roflol: :roflol: :roflol:

[BruteForce]

you could of just said no
stop making things up

I thought it was funny. I personally think it's idiotic how much time/money/energy our government expends on (c) / IP cases. Most that are found guilty get more prison time & larger fines than violent criminals.

[Sombeech]

Just like Wikileaks...

Isn't it interesting that when military plans were leaked, it raised a few eyebrows. But when some people in the current administration get some secrets exposed, Wikileaks gets called a terrorist organization?

[asdf]

I thought it was funny. I personally think it's idiotic how much time/money/energy our government expends on (c) / IP cases.


AMEN! :haha:


Most that are found guilty get more prison time & larger fines than violent criminals.

right, but only people who are benefiting financially from pirated software.. not end users.

[BruteForce]

AMEN! :haha:



right, but only people who are benefiting financially from pirated software.. not end users.

Unfortunately, that's not correct. a woman was just fined $250k for downloading 25 songs. She may also get jail time. Sheesh! :nono:

[Iceaxe]

Unfortunately, that's not correct. a woman was just fined $250k for downloading 25 songs. She may also get jail time. Sheesh! :nono:

That seems a little extreme... you got a link to support that?

To date I've noticed the fines are going to those that UPLOAD a very large number of copyrighted items..... I've still yet to see someone get fined for downloading the occational copyrighted item.... first off if you download it's almost impossable to prove.... most cases end with a simple letter of... "Thank you for pointing out that my wireless router was not secure and was being accessed by an outside source. The problem has now been corrected." The only way you are getting fined for downloading is if you are a total dumbass...

[BruteForce]

That seems a little extreme... you got a link to support that?

Here we go again:

Student to Challenge $675,000 Illegal Music Download Fine

Wednesday January 6, 2010
#spacer { clear: left; }#abc #sidebar { margin-top: 1.5em; }Boston PhD student, Joel Tenenbaum, who was found guilty of illegally downloading music in August 2009, is to challenge his $675,000 fine. The announcement which was made via his blog (http://joelfightsback.com/2010/01/new-trial-please/), details the new motion -- there's also a PDF file of the actual submitted document.
In essence, the new motion is asking for a re-trial and for the fine to be reduced. Joel Tenenbaum's attorney, Charles R. Nesson, is arguing that in the original case ruling by Massachusetts district judge, Nancy Gertner, the issue of 'fair use' was wrongly decided. It is also argued in the new motion that the jury's damage ward for the 30 illegally downloaded songs is grossly excessive; this equates to $22,500 per song.
It will be interesting to see if Judge Nancy Gertner deems the arguments worthy of a new trial. If not, Joel's only other argument reading the official document is to show that the $675,000 fine is grossly excessive and that it should be lowered to a 'reasonable amount' -- what ever that is?


http://lmgtfy.com/?q=RIA+download+song+fine

[asdf]

you spelled RIAA wrong :haha:

and this case started in 2003 before torrents were really main stream
in fact I am having a hard time finding out how he was downloading these songs ... napster maybe?

[asdf]

oh yeah... this program is a must
http://www.peerblock.com/

[Iceaxe]

As I said.... The only way you are getting fined for downloading is if you are a total dumbass...

"Joel Tenenbaum, 25, essentially admitted yesterday to grabbing the music via file-sharing network KaZaA."

http://www.newser.com/story/65808/student-must-pay-675k-for-illegal-downloads.html

I haven't really been following this case.... but if I understand it correctly this case is not your typical teenage downloader.... Tenenbaum basically ratted himself out to force the issue into the courts.... Using this dog and pony show as proof doesn't really cut it... try again...

[accadacca]

KazaA...n00b. :haha:

[trackrunner]

ATDHE internet TV streaming was takend down by ICE Homeland Security Investigations ahead of this weekend.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/01/atdhe-sports-streaming-website-seized_n_817224.html

[Iceaxe]

Why is Homeland Security involved???

Oh yeah... I remember... Homeland Security doesn't have to play under the same legal rules as everyone else.

[nelsonccc]

ATDHE internet TV streaming was takend down by ICE Homeland Security Investigations ahead of this weekend.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/01/atdhe-sports-streaming-website-seized_n_817224.html


I know. It sucks. I use that site all the time. I watched every monday night football game via that site as well as the thursday games.

[Sombeech]

I know. It sucks. I use that site all the time. I watched every monday night football game via that site as well as the thursday games.

So you're a terrorist?

[canyonphile]

Why is Homeland Security involved???

Maybe things are a little slow on actual issues of national security and legitimate terrorist threats, so they decided to go join the FCC in their playpen :roll:? Maybe they can invite INTERPOL and turn it into a fun international event.


Oh yeah... I remember... Homeland Security doesn't have to play under the same legal rules as everyone else.

Oh, c'mon, Iceaxe...the 9/11 attacks surely showed that: 1) rules no longer apply to anyone but the little people (aka - "citizens of the US"), and that: 2) any excuse over concerns of terrorism , no matter how flimsy or how radical of a departure from logic or intelligent thought, are legitimate reasons for continued intrusion into people's lives. I am sure there has to be some connection to file downloading a Justin Beiber song that can be attributed to potential terrorist attacks on this country, right :bs: :2guns:?

Can you try hard to be a little less cynical about the actions of our protective, benevolent government :lol8:?

[canyonphile]

So you're a terrorist?

Clearly! :lol8: :roflol:

[accadacca]

Damn! I use that site too. Bastards! :angryfire:

[accadacca]

I guess its here now: http://atdhenet.tv :2thumbs:

[trackrunner]

I guess its here now: http://atdhenet.tv :2thumbs:

I've heard rumors of malwear from the replacement site or .me site. safe?

[accadacca]

.tv is legit and .me is a fake.