MPAA + Patriot Act + FBI = SG1Archive.com go bye-bye.

[Fausto]

I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of this case, but this is pretty disgusting.

Federal charges were filed against Adam McGaughey, creator of the popular SG1Archive.com website - a fan website devoted to the MGM-owned television show Stargate SG-1. The charges allege that the website engaged in Criminal Copyright Infringement and Trafficking in Counterfeit Services. The charges were the culmination of a three-year FBI investigation, set in motion by a complaint from the Motion Picture Association (MPAA) regarding the content of the SG1Archive.com website.

....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.

:frown:

 

[RaiseUp]

F### the sleezeball Government

 

[SunnyD]

US Patent and Copyright law needs a serious overhaul - as in throw it out the window and start over. Not to mention this "Homeland Security" bullsh!t needs to stop.

Not only does it feel like one, but the term "Homeland Security" seems like a Nazi state. And Patriot Act - wtf. That thing is such a total abuse of the US legal system it makes our precious Bill of Rights nothing more than toilet paper.

 

[IHYLN]

this is why voting is important

 

[Legendary]

Wow I almost got in a whole load of crap with my boss for cursing because of that article. :|
Yeah, go govt. for stopping those terrorists with the goddamn Patriot Act. Oh wait, right.
This makes me sick.

 

[SoylentGreen]

Originally posted by: IHYLN
this is why voting is important

LOL

Ok.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: IHYLN
this is why voting is important

....and yet most people don't bother. Everyone bitches and bitches all year long and then "it's too much trouble" to go to the fscking polls in November.

...and yes, I vote. Even in the primaries and other stuff.

 

[Platypus]

haha now that they abuse it people finally care.

 

[crumpet19]

How bout a revolution?

 

[Gunslinger08]

What's on the website? Any copyrighted material? If so, he probably deserved it.

 

[freegeeks]

The Land Of The Not So Free

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
What's on the website? Any copyrighted material? If so, he probably deserved it.

I honestly don't know, but it's really more an issue of priorities IMHO. Some guy with SG1 eps on his site isn't going to ram a passenger plane into the Sears Tower any time soon.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: freegeeks
The Land Of The Not So Free

Quiet Belgium, we have amusement parks bigger than you.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: freegeeks
The Land Of The Not So Free

Quiet Belgium, we have amusement parks bigger than you.

Hey, at least they have their priorities in order. Beer, chocolate, frites, cycling, and more beer first....we'll figure out the rest later.

 

[Megatomic]

Every year we lose just a little more of our civil freedom in this country. It's sad to just see it all erode away. :|

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Fausto
I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of this case, but this is pretty disgusting.

Federal charges were filed against Adam McGaughey, creator of the popular SG1Archive.com website - a fan website devoted to the MGM-owned television show Stargate SG-1. The charges allege that the website engaged in Criminal Copyright Infringement and Trafficking in Counterfeit Services. The charges were the culmination of a three-year FBI investigation, set in motion by a complaint from the Motion Picture Association (MPAA) regarding the content of the SG1Archive.com website.

....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.

:frown:

This is quite a one sided story. It would be nice to hear it from an objective third party.

Notice he does not tell us what material was a violation of copyright laws... among many other things.

 

[freegeeks]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: freegeeks
The Land Of The Not So Free

Quiet Belgium, we have amusement parks bigger than you.

LOL

good one :thumbsup:

 

[McCarthy]

Anyone familiar with this? I've hit that site before to check the order of episodes and airdates, other than screencaps and logos that were likely used without permission (like how many billion other sites?) I didn't notice anything that looked illegal. Then again this seems to have taken place in 2002.

Was he offering videos for download at some point? Hate to see his bandwith bills if so.
P2P links? Didn't moderate his forums for piracy talk? Like very much to know what he was charged with.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: joshsquall
What's on the website? Any copyrighted material? If so, he probably deserved it.

I honestly don't know, but it's really more an issue of priorities IMHO. Some guy with SG1 eps on his site isn't going to ram a passenger plane into the Sears Tower any time soon.

It's still illegal. That's like saying it's okay to torture your dog because someone else is killing people.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Fausto
I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of this case, but this is pretty disgusting.

Federal charges were filed against Adam McGaughey, creator of the popular SG1Archive.com website - a fan website devoted to the MGM-owned television show Stargate SG-1. The charges allege that the website engaged in Criminal Copyright Infringement and Trafficking in Counterfeit Services. The charges were the culmination of a three-year FBI investigation, set in motion by a complaint from the Motion Picture Association (MPAA) regarding the content of the SG1Archive.com website.

....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.

:frown:

This is quite a one sided story. It would be nice to hear it from an objective third party.

Notice he does not tell us what material was a violation of copyright laws... among many other things.

Again, I don't know the rest of the details, but I still think it's a total waste of FBI manpower to bring this guy down considering all the other crap going on these days.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: freegeeks
The Land Of The Not So Free

Quiet Belgium, we have amusement parks bigger than you.

Hey, at least they have their priorities in order. Beer, chocolate, frites, cycling, and more beer first....we'll figure out the rest later.

Don't forget some of the best small arms in the world, we buy them.

I :heart: Fabrique National.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: joshsquall
What's on the website? Any copyrighted material? If so, he probably deserved it.

I honestly don't know, but it's really more an issue of priorities IMHO. Some guy with SG1 eps on his site isn't going to ram a passenger plane into the Sears Tower any time soon.

It's still illegal. That's like saying it's okay to torture your dog because someone else is killing people.

Worst. Analogy. Ever.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: Megatomic
Every year we lose just a little more of our civil freedom in this country. It's sad to just see it all erode away. :|

It's not your civil freedom to use copyrighted material for your website.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: joshsquall
What's on the website? Any copyrighted material? If so, he probably deserved it.

I honestly don't know, but it's really more an issue of priorities IMHO. Some guy with SG1 eps on his site isn't going to ram a passenger plane into the Sears Tower any time soon.

It's still illegal. That's like saying it's okay to torture your dog because someone else is killing people.

Fine, maybe there were some illegalities but does the end justify the means? I don't think so. Invoking the Patriot Act over copyright infringement?!? No, this is an abuse of power and a twisting of the justice system.

 

[Ilmater]

Even I don't want to mention that this belongs on P&N. This pisses me off to a degree I previously thought impossible.