AfterDawn: News

MegaUpload joins the fight against MPAA and RIAA propaganda

After a flood of piracy allegations, the file locker site MegaUpload has stood up against the music and movie industry. In an interview for TorrentFreak the company says RIAA and MPAA are directing them with some "grotesquely overblown allegations".

Just a couple days ago Anti-fraud firm MarkMonitor claimed that upload sites are "on a par with peer-to-peer sites when it comes to piracy." MarkMonitor's stats say that RapidShare, Megaupload and Megavideo alone account for more than 21 billions visits to illegal files per year.

We provide connectivity between end users and storage capacity in the cloud, but no content – just like e.g. ADSL providers and hard drive vendors.

MegaUpload however reminds that the service is actively fighting against sharing of copyrighted material and that vast majority of its traffic is legitimate. They also provide services for employees at most of the Fortune 500 companies. MegaUpload reminds copyright holders that they work in a similar way to many unquestionably legal companies.

If Mega is a rogue operator as we have been unfairly labelled by the MPAA and RIAA, then what about Google? What about Yahoo? And every single ISP?

The likes of RapidShare and MegaUpload are a de-facto standard for sharing files that are too big for email to handle.

Written by: Matti Robinson @ 14 Jan 2011 8:34

• Previous article

• Apple to remove home button, add iPad camera

• Next article

• Google making WebM plug-ins for IE 9 and Safari

• 17 comments

• ntense69

  you tell em

  14.1.2011 09:37 #1

• KillerBug

  We should really just outlaw the sales of movies, music, and software...if everything was open source or public domain, there would be no piracy...and this is the only way you will ever get rid of piracy.
  

  15.1.2011 03:34 #2

• shummyr

  According to my expert opinion, the RIAA & MPAA can associate anything they want to be associated with piracy and pull stupid figures out of the air and bam they think everyone will listen

  15.1.2011 12:37 #3

• Interestx

  As per the MPAA & RIAA are just showing themselves to be the ignorants hypocrites they are.
  
  Sony (as a member of the MPAA) ought to sue itself.
  Afterall Sony by making blank media, hard drives, burners and all the rest facilitate 'piracy' far more than any torrent site.
  
  Yeah right, burners & blank media's all used for software back-ups.
  
  LMAO

  15.1.2011 15:27 #4

• mike.m

  FIGHT THE POWER!

  15.1.2011 16:36 #5

• Bill eBoy (unverified)

  Everyone associated with the music industry have always gotten their music free, usually "illegally", including band members, DJs & radio stations.

  15.1.2011 23:20 #6

• cart0181

  What is a "visit to an illegal file" exactly? Is it anything like a conjugal visit? How does the file feel about these guys not allowing him/her any visitors? That would be quite a change from the 21 Billion visits it is currently getting each year.
  
  Joking aside, Megaupload's case is being voiced quite eloquently, it seems. It could be years before a judge sees through the haze of this cloud.
  

  16.1.2011 01:19 #7

• jhart1972

  it is all bullshit i could see if you was dowmloading and reselling what you download but i use it for personal use why should that be illeagal
  

  16.1.2011 01:31 #8

• Tristan_2

  Go MegaUpload you tell those Copyright Bastards who's boss
  

  16.1.2011 02:58 #9

• shummyr

  Originally posted by jhart1972: it is all bullshit i could see if you was dowmloading and reselling what you download but i use it for personal use why should that be illeagal yea in alot of european countrys downloading is allowed for personal use but not for selling
  

  17.1.2011 01:17 #10

• xboxdvl2

  Originally posted by shummyr: Originally posted by jhart1972: it is all bullshit i could see if you was dowmloading and reselling what you download but i use it for personal use why should that be illeagal yea in alot of european countrys downloading is allowed for personal use but not for selling is it allowed to be given away.if you downloaded a song and had it on your computer and your sister/brother came over with a usb device and you gave him/her the song free of charge on usb would that be allowed.
  

  PS2 with 12 games.
  pc-windows 7,intel core quad Q8400,4 Gb ddr2,WD 500 GB hdd,ATI Radeon HD 4550 graphics,AOC 22inch LCD moniter.

  17.1.2011 05:49 #11

• xaznboitx

  they can't do that, those sites not in the U.S.

  17.1.2011 21:15 #12

• UbuntuGuy

  The RIAA/MPAA cartel are champions at finger-pointing - claiming that piracy is killing the music and movie businesses. They totally ignore the fact that the economic situation globally is dangerously shaky which causes consumers to withhold discretionary spending. And, on movies, they totally ignore the fact that the price of a theater ticket is closely approaching (and will probably surpass) the cost of a DVD. Finally, they ignore the fact that many people who download music or movies do so as a "preview" - to decide whether they want to buy a professionally done CD or DVD - making these downloads a "marketing tool" as opposed to "piracy."

  21.1.2011 20:33 #13

• jhart1972

  yeah but they can stop us who are in the us from downloading them
  

  21.1.2011 22:49 #14

• Winddog

  remember before the internet we had VCRs and Cassette Recorders that they encouraged us to download from TV or the Radio. Now all of the sudden they don't want us to do it. They never called it piracy back then and they made out just fine. It is just a bunch of Lawyers making money. They are the ones that should be in jail
  

  Eric

  22.1.2011 16:49 #15

• LordRuss

  @Windog Yes they did call it piracy, the name happened to be bootlegging back then. Facts are, friends will have something they heard or saw and will want to share the experience. You'll get to it in one fashion or another, thus producing the industries desired effect... a purchase. If the item sucks, the original term of sale (word of mouth) is what will kill the final sale. So these RIAA, MPAA Nazis are trying to peal the maximum dollar off anyone they can before that fateful 100% sales technique sinks its talons completely into the flesh of the stink carcass of the tripe they throw onto the consumer's plate. God forbid the populace has found another way of cutting through the crap again to find meaningful entertainment and not settle for garbage.
  

  If something I said bothers you, then maybe you needed bother'n...

  22.1.2011 17:54 #16

• heathmanms

  You know, I always watch a movie online or what not before I buy it, if I really like it, I'll purchase it on DVD at full price, if I think it's okay but not worth the $24.99 they try to peddle that shit off at I'll wait til it's price has come down to where I think it's at a reasonable price. Either way I still buy movies after watching them to get a preview, unless they're utter shit. I think I own somewhere around 500 DVDs, if the MPAA and RIAA want to start a shit fight I think we should all boycott purchases and see how long their corporate greed can cope.

  13.5.2011 16:53 #17