US government seizes 77 piracy and counterfeit domains

[Emil]

The US government has seized at least 77 domains belonging to sites associated with P2P file sharing and counterfeit goods. It appears that their owners were not notified, and the court system was apparently skipped, according to TorrentFreak.

The seizures were carried out suddenly and without warning by a branch of Homeland Security known as ICE. Many of the seized domains were online stores offering counterfeit goods, but there were also a few piracy websites, including a torrent search engine.

Torrent-Finder.com was a meta-search engine, meaning it didn't host BitTorrent links itself, but it offered an interface that loaded a selection of other BitTorrent search engines in iframes on the page. In other words, it didn't host copyright material, nor links to copyright material, but rather links to links to copyright material.

All of these domains now display the image shown above. Here is the corresponding text:

This domain name has been seized by ICE - Homeland Security Investigations, pursuant to a seizure warrant issued by a United States District Court under the authority of 18 U.S.C. 981 and 2323.

Willful copyright infringement is a federal crime that carries penalties for first time offenders of up to five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution (17 U.S.C 506, 18 U.S.C 2319). Intentionally and knowingly trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime that carries penalties for first time offenders of up to ten years in federal prison, a $2,000,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution (18 U.S.C. 2320).

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/41321-us-government-seizes-77-piracy-and-counterfeit-domains.html

 

[Leeky]

Seriously, is it illegal to have links of links, of torrents on your website?!?

Its hardly like they're actually hosting them, themselves or anything.

Can ICE and other "branches" just bypass the legal "system"?

 

[Guest]

"Can ICE and other "branches" just bypass the legal "system"? "

welcome to the United States

 

[TomSEA]

"It appears that their owners were not notified, and the court system was apparently skipped, according to TorrentFreak."

Oh yeah, you're certainly going to get an unbiased opinion from TorrentFreak alright.

 

[windmill007]

Booooo were now as bad as China or any of those other bad countries. Found guilty without a trial.>Seriously...someone needs to stop them before it gets out of control. Soon they will turn the reigns over to the RIAA... I bet 75% of the internet would be displaying that image if they had their way. Scary stuff!

 

[windmill007]

TomSEA said:
"It appears that their owners were not notified, and the court system was apparently skipped, according to TorrentFreak."

Oh yeah, you're certainly going to get an unbiased opinion from TorrentFreak alright.

So what if they were..I didn't see a trial or anything....So your found guilty without a trail? Hummmm doesn't sound like the land of the free to me. it's not the point of what those websites had on them..it's the point that free speech is being threaten without a trial... Doesn't seem right to me.

 

[dustin_ds3000]

Most of this sites that were took down had nothing to do with torrents or piracy, most of them are selling physical counterfeit goods. I see this as a win for everyone.

 

[captaincranky]

It does say they had a warrant. I'm pretty sure they can seize whatever they want with a property warrant. They just have to give it back after a "not guilty" verdict at a trial. OK, so maybe that's an unrealistic expectation of outcome.

Seriously, is it illegal to have links of links, of torrents on your website?!?

Its hardly like they're actually hosting them, themselves or anything.

If I were an AUSA, (which thankfully I'm not), I argue along the lines of, "aiding and abetting", much in the same way pawn shops could almost always be charged with receiving stolen goods. I think law enforcement keeps pawn shops around as unwilling CIs. In this case, they just chose not too.

Can ICE and other "branches" just bypass the legal "system"?

Sadly, our "Patriot Act", is for many intents and purposes, a carte blanche, "yes".

 

[gwailo247]

captaincranky said:
It does say they had a warrant. I'm pretty sure they can seize whatever they want with a property warrant. They just have to give it back after a "not guilty" verdict at a trial. OK, so maybe that's an unrealistic expectation of outcome.

That was my thought exactly.

 

[Leeky]

If I were an AUSA, (which thankfully I'm not), I argue along the lines of, "aiding and abetting", much in the same way pawn shops could almost always be charged with receiving stolen goods. I think law enforcement keeps pawn shops around as unwilling CIs. In this case, they just chose not too.

Sadly, our "Patriot Act", is for many intents and purposes, a carte blanche, "yes".

Thats an angle I hadn't really considered tbh. I guess in that sense they're as bad as every other domain hosting links like TPB among others.

 

[princeton]

windmill007 said:

TomSEA said:
"It appears that their owners were not notified, and the court system was apparently skipped, according to TorrentFreak."

Oh yeah, you're certainly going to get an unbiased opinion from TorrentFreak alright.

So what if they were..I didn't see a trial or anything....So your found guilty without a trail? Hummmm doesn't sound like the land of the free to me. it's not the point of what those websites had on them..it's the point that free speech is being threaten without a trial... Doesn't seem right to me.

If you look at the US it's actually guilty until proven innocent. Welcome to the Captalist hellhole called the USA.

 

[captaincranky]

If you look at the US it's actually guilty until proven innocent. Welcome to the Captalist hellhole called the USA.

Yes, but we have "bail", which does at least pander to the, "innocent until proven guilty" sensibility

 

[TomSEA]

See, this is a glass half full, half empty argument. Most of you perceive this as being an attack on "freedom" comparing the US to China.

I look at it as this is the America judicial system functioning the way it should - protecting copyright owners from wholesale theft. Which has been happening ever since copyrights were issued.

Let's face it, most of you are pissed because your ability to steal games, movies and music with complete anonymity on the Internet are being minimized.

 

[Guest]

I look at it as the American Legal system fighting back against profit loss. Which would be fine if the companies involved/Government weren't Geedy in the 1st place.

I do believe that stealing is wrong..but greed is just as bad.

 

[captaincranky]

THe US government actually has a more, "righteous", cause of action against counterfeit goods.

Our balance of trade is not that good to begin with, and consequently, anything that exacerbates this becomes a problem to the economy.

With that said, drugs are probably as bad a problem as counterfeit goods, perhaps worse.

With copyright infringement issues, the money would stay within our borders. (Movie mogul in Hollywood CA doesn't get rich).

But then there's overseas corporations like "Sony BMG". Enforcing copyright law in their favor, actually speeds the flow of our money overseas.

 

[JMMD]

Too bad they're not spending this type of effort on cyber-crime and malware operators.

 

[captaincranky]

Too bad they're not spending this type of effort on cyber-crime and malware operators.

Um, because there's no money in it....?

 

[treetops]

Lobbyist campaign contributions hard at work as usual. The USA is supposed to be for the people but its been for the money for hundreds of years.

 

[Guest]

Why should the government have to follow a law to confiscate a website that doesn't follow the law. It seams to me like they got a dose of their own medicine and I don't have a problem with that.

Now on the other hand I don't want the government to be censoring our internet like the reds. But this is well within the bounds of reason and "fair play"

 

[captaincranky]

This is silly, and it went out with the Old Testament......

Why should the government have to follow a law to confiscate a website that doesn't follow the law. It seams to me like they got a dose of their own medicine and I don't have a problem with that.

Well, because the good guys are supposed to follow the rules, whereas the bad guys don't. Your speil is like saying the police should be able to shoot you on the spot, if they think you've killed somebody. It's condoning, "eye for an eye" vigilante justice

That aside, the story is claiming that the federales executed a warrant, which is by the book, and patently legal.

 

[Xclusiveitalian]

It starts as something good (taking down "illegal sites") but soon when the government has the right to rip down your facebook page and perhaps...i don't know...look at some information on it and use it against you, you won't be so happy.... that's what worries me.

 

[Darkshadoe]

"Torrent-Finder.com was a meta-search engine, meaning it didn't host BitTorrent links itself, but it offered an interface that loaded a selection of other BitTorrent search engines in iframes on the page. In other words, it didn't host copyright material, nor links to copyright material, but rather links to links to copyright material."


So when are they taking Google down? It actually hosts links to copyrighted material. Just because they are a muti-billion dollar company shouldn't they be treated the same?

 

[lawfer]

TomSEA said:
Let's face it, most of you are pissed because your ability to steal games, movies and music with complete anonymity on the Internet are being minimized.

Ah, no.

captaincranky said:
This is silly, and it went out with the Old Testament......

Why should the government have to follow a law to confiscate a website that doesn't follow the law. It seams to me like they got a dose of their own medicine and I don't have a problem with that.

Well, because the good guys are supposed to follow the rules, whereas the bad guys don't. Your speil is like saying the police should be able to shoot you on the spot, if they think you've killed somebody. It's condoning, "eye for an eye" vigilante justice

That aside, the story is claiming that the federales executed a warrant, which is by the book, and patently legal.

^This.

 

[Guest]

What does Homeland Security have to do with file sharing etc.?
Seriously. I mean isnt this the dept charged with looking for bombs and stuff.
How is this related to their business?
I used to think Alex Jones was a conspiracy crank but when you come across gross abuses of power like this it isnt hard to see why people say that America is a Police or Fascist state.
Obviously the law and constitution have become irrelevant.
Sick country glad I dont live there.

 

[JudaZ]

I see it as facism in practice