Miscellaneous > Intellectual Property & Law

Guys, this is seriously fucking scary

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mobrien_12:
Slashdot Article


--- Quote ---"The Stargate SG-1 Information Archive is reporting that the Feds filed charges against Adam McGaughey, creator of SG1Archive.com. The website is a fan site for the television show Stargate SG-1. The charges allege that Adam used the website to engage in Criminal Copyright Infringement and Trafficking in Counterfeit Services. Two interesting things about the charges are that they were apparently set in motion by a complaint by our friends at the MPAA and the FBI invoked a provision of the USA Patriot Act to obtain financial records from his ISP. Is copyright infringment now a terrorist act?"
--- End quote ---

The SG1archive.com site itself says:

--- Quote ---SG1Archive.com is one of the most popular fan-run websites among the Stargate community. In addition to providing very active fan discussion forums, broadcast schedules, production news, and episode guides, the site heavily promotes the sale of the show on DVD. As of this writing, direct links from SG1Archive.com to Amazon.com have resulted in the sale of over $100,000 worth of DVDs. Many more DVDs have been sold to international fans of the show through sites like Blackstar.co.uk. Upon hearing this news, Stargate executive producer Brad Wright called the site "cool" - which Adam took as an endorsement of his work.

However, instead of thanking Adam for his promotion of their product, officials at MGM and the MPAA have chosen to pressure the FBI into pursuing criminal charges. Adam was first tipped off about the investigation when the FBI raided his and his fiancee's apartment in May of 2002 and seized thousands of dollars worth of computer equipment. Adam later received a copy of the affidavit filed in support of the search warrant, and was shocked to discover that this document, prepared by the FBI, contained significant amounts of erroneous and misleading information. For example, two social security numbers were listed for Adam, one of which is not his. References were made to a cease and desist letter sent by the MPAA to an email address that did not exist. His online friendship with other Stargate fans across the globe was portrayed as an international conspiracy against the MPAA. And perhaps most disturbing of all, it was later revealed that the FBI invoked a provision of the USA Patriot Act to obtain financial records from his ISP. The FBI's abuse of its powers did not stop there. When they seized Adam's computer equipment, he was given written documentation stating that it would be returned within 60 days. The equipment that they did return did not arrive until more than 8 months later, and only then after much prodding from his lawyer. Much of it was damaged beyond repair - one laptop had a shattered LCD screen, an empty tape backup drive was ripped apart for no apparent reason, his fiancee's iBook was badly damaged when it was pried apart with a screwdriver. The FBI's computer crimes staff is either incompetent (at least when it comes to Macintosh computer equipment) or else they just don't give a damn.
--- End quote ---

And let's look really really close at this particlular quote


--- Quote ---His online friendship with other Stargate fans across the globe was portrayed as an international conspiracy against the MPAA.
--- End quote ---

WMD:
What the article FAILED to mention, is that this guy had full episodes of the show on that site for a while.  Hence, this.

mobrien_12:

quote:Originally posted by WMD:
What the article FAILED to mention, is that this guy had full episodes of the show on that site for a while.  Hence, this.
--- End quote ---


I know that.  It was discussed in the slashdot posts.  However, the Stargate producers had seen the site and led him to believe that they endorsed it, if even unofficially.  Rather than the MPAA contacting him and saying "listen man, we know that the shows producers have seen your site, but the episodes, that's not ok with us. Take it off." They didn't give him ANY notice.  They decided to use the freaking PATRIOT anti-terrorist act against him.  

Instead of this being a civil matter (which copyrights have historically been), the MPAA chose to turn this into a criminal matter.  They twisted a badly written law which was supposedly to protect us from terrorists in order to achieve their objectives, and they have allegedly falsified information to obtain a warrant to do it!  

Doesn't this bother you?

WMD:
Sure it does...but the Patriot Act doesn't specify terrorism as it's sole use...they just used that as the excuse to pass it.  They may be trying to turn this into a criminal act, but not a terrorist one.

This guy has also frauded people on eBay and other places (as described at Slashdot).  This guy had gone too far for a civil warning.  The only other thing to use then, in these times...is the Patriot Act, since it supercedes all the other stuff from previous years.

solarismka:

quote:Originally posted by WMD:
Sure it does...but the Patriot Act doesn't specify terrorism as it's sole use...they just used that as the excuse to pass it.  They may be trying to turn this into a criminal act, but not a terrorist one.


--- Quote ---This guy has also frauded people on eBay and other places (as described at Slashdot).  This guy had gone too far for a civil warning.
--- End quote ---


Nope.  its STILL a civil case.  Its not about mass murder, or how to blow up a building or two.  Eather way that case IS separate from the above and should of been treated acordingly.  This, does NOT mean using that act.  But then again, that act is false even if we were talking about terroists since the bush regime is somehow above said act.

By the definnition of the act itself, Bush and his faithful goones should of been charged under it long ago.
   
   
quote:
  The only other thing to use then, in these times...is the Patriot Act, since it supercedes all the other stuff from previous years.[/b]
--- End quote ---



Isn't it interesting. When The U.S.A patriot act is on other people other than yourself, its ok?

However if you become the victim of this act I bet you will be singing a different tune.  especially when all you are is a brown skinned muslim who had broken no laws and was an upstanding citizen.

But then again, such laws are always prevalent under dictatorships.  Remember the law was enacted to protect the few of the powerful and ignorant and was not ment for the protection of a civil sociaty.

I expect more of these cases are out there since bush's bombing of his own trade towers   :rolleyes:  


I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I can't wait till that bastard is out of office and this law is removed so democracy can be restored once again!  

[ July 28, 2004: Message edited by: kn0wn ]
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