Aaron Swartz documentary now available for pre-order

Shawn Knight

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aaron swartz internet boy

The Internet’s Own Boy, the award-winning documentary from filmmaker Brian Knappenberger that tells the story of programmer and Internet hactivist Aaron Swartz, is now available for pre-order.

Swartz is described by many as a computer / Internet / tech prodigy. He was involved in the development of web feed format RSS and social news site Reddit but ran afoul with authorities in early 2011 when he was charged with breaking-and-entering for allegedly downloading academic journals from JSTOR.

Following a string of legal setbacks and facing a fine of up to $1 million and 35 years in prison, Swartz hanged himself in his Brooklyn apartment. He was posthumously inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame last year and continues to be a source of inspiration for many.

In January 2013, members of Anonymous overtook MIT’s website and posted a statement in Swartz’s memory. They also called for an overhaul of computer crime laws, claiming the government’s prosecution of Swartz was a grotesque miscarriage of justice.

The documentary will be available to rent on Amazon Instant Video, Comcast, DirecTV, iTunes and Vimeo On Demand for $6.99 starting June 27. Additionally, for the first month of release, interested parties will be able to buy the film outright for $9.99 from Vimeo On Demand.

The film will also open in 15 theaters across the country on the same date.

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That moment in life when you question wether the world wants to go into the future and hire the skilled people or turn into a moldy mess suing and giving skilled people bigger prison sentances than a serial rapist...
 
That moment in life when you question wether the world wants to go into the future and hire the skilled people or turn into a moldy mess suing and giving skilled people bigger prison sentances than a serial rapist...

Are you referencing?
Following a string of legal setbacks and facing a fine of up to $1 million and 35 years in prison.
Unfortunately for internet rage fans everywhere, 'facing' a prison sentence and actually being sentenced are completely different things. It's like a mom telling their kid 'don't hold that pen up when you walk, you'll fall and poke your eye out.' I suppose somehow it's possible, but it's never happened before. Much like 'facing' 35 years in prison will never ever mean serving 35 years in prison. He would have been sentenced to a little probation, maybe a year in a low security prison and released because prisons don't like to keep non-violent criminals any longer than legally possible. They're even releasing drug offenders now because they're out of room.

Likewise a serial rapist wouldn't serve their whole sentence either, but it would have more to do with a chance encounter with a filed down toothbrush than getting out early.

As for the huge fine... that's what bankruptcy is for.
 
Ye I am but still for them to say they could have 35years in prison is beyond a joke they should state what it will more likely be, I dont see the point in these huge fines its sort of like trying to make a $20k earner pay $9.8billion for downloading a song.
 
I'll wait for the movie, and when it is out, I will download it from p2p. That's my 2-cent view on this story.
 
Sounds like a solid case of martyrdom for internet freedom as the article puts it, but hanging yourself just means that you`re mental.
 
The moral of the story here is that those who claim that things were stolen from were never theirs to begin with. This is how screwed up our society has gotten over the years. Let me see if I write an academic Journal. You ask me to pay money to publish it and then you turn around and also ask money for others to access my paper for more money and you also ask me and others for money to graduate from your school. You still claim to the government that your school is going bust and need more grant and bail out money from the government which they got from my tax money. Every one go Hmmmmm. Hmmmmm. And stroke your bierds if you got. Now can the school claim that he stole academic journals that were not theirs in the first place? Also how many students or people that write successful journals ever get millions for it or what is the pay out for that? Is there any payout at all other then the privilege of being known for your expertise.
 
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