And suddenly that "Political Prostitution" video seems understated.

Well, I feel safer now. The guy is a criminal though - maybe not for what he's currently charged with, but he has a record and changing his last name to "dotcom" should at least be a misdemeanor.

Is it wrong that, for the first few minutes of the video, I thought it was a parody of a real court appearance? I guess I didn't expect the voice to match the face to match the name. *shrug*

Wow. Were they expecting Escobar?
It really raises the question of just how much influence that industry has over the governments.

Happy Hours: Well, I feel safer now. The guy is a criminal though - maybe not for what he's currently charged with, but he has a record and changing his last name to "dotcom" should at least be a misdemeanor.

Can you think of better branding? His URL is kim.com .

/wish I thought of it first.

Good grief, all that just for someone accused of copyright violation? If I didn't know better, I'd think they're taking down a major drug cartel, the head of the Mafia, etc.

Comic Book Guy: God-is-a-Taco: Wow. Were they expecting Escobar?
It really raises the question of just how much influence that industry has over the governments.

Yeah, all that for a low-risk target just screams "American government's farking with you"

I hope the guy gets some serious restitution from this.

"Low-risk target"? Do you have any idea how good he is at Modern Warfare?

Happy Hours: Well, I feel safer now. The guy is a criminal though - maybe not for what he's currently charged with, but he has a record and changing his last name to "dotcom" should at least be a misdemeanor.

American Exceptionalism at its finest.

Snapper Carr: Happy Hours: Well, I feel safer now. The guy is a criminal though - maybe not for what he's currently charged with, but he has a record and changing his last name to "dotcom" should at least be a misdemeanor.

[img213.imageshack.us image 448x252]

sorry, reference lost on me. I don't know who that guy is.

the funny thing, i would bet he would have come in under legal advisement, no raid, just walk in to the police and turn himself in. that's how people with money do it. the raid was to send a message.

Well, I feel much safer now.

Happy Hours: Snapper Carr: Happy Hours: Well, I feel safer now. The guy is a criminal though - maybe not for what he's currently charged with, but he has a record and changing his last name to "dotcom" should at least be a misdemeanor.

[img213.imageshack.us image 448x252]

sorry, reference lost on me. I don't know who that guy is.

I don't know, either. Maybe it's Chad Ochocinco.

Happy Hours: Snapper Carr: Happy Hours: Well, I feel safer now. The guy is a criminal though - maybe not for what he's currently charged with, but he has a record and changing his last name to "dotcom" should at least be a misdemeanor.

[img213.imageshack.us image 448x252]

sorry, reference lost on me. I don't know who that guy is.


That's Kevin Brown, an actor primarily known for playing a character called "dot com" on 30 Rock.

So, remember kids, if you're going to be stealing somebody's money, the only way to get away scot-free is to be a banker.

asciibaron: the funny thing, i would bet he would have come in under legal advisement, no raid, just walk in to the police and turn himself in. that's how people with money do it. the raid was to send a message.

It was a message...it occurred days after the SOPA protest and failure in Congress.

I remember reading that the night before he went out to dinner with his pregnant wife and two young children.

Yeah, all this discussion about the raid and what not, but what about that Jesus mansion? That's the kind of income an upload site gets you? Holy shiat.

JonnyG: Yeah, all this discussion about the raid and what not, but what about that Jesus mansion? That's the kind of income an upload site gets you? Holy shiat.

Yeah but did you see the decorating in his panic room? Serious bad taste there.

I wonder if New Zealand got any of that sweet DHS money.

asciibaron: the funny thing, i would bet he would have come in under legal advisement, no raid, just walk in to the police and turn himself in. that's how people with money do it. the raid was to send a message.

When you read through his business history he has some shady history, but nothing that suggests a raid of this scale was needed. The FBI had his servers, they should have asked NZ to just drive by in the morning and pick him up.

Cloudchaser Sakonige the Red Wolf: Good grief, all that just for someone accused of copyright violation? If I didn't know better, I'd think they're taking down a major drug cartel, the head of the Mafia, etc.

To RIAA/MPAA, copyright violation is worse than either.

Well, if you compare the size of this operation against those carried out against the banks with their illegal dealing who did some real damage, then you can clearly see how this was justified. No, wait...

The end of an era.

Comic Book Guy: God-is-a-Taco: Wow. Were they expecting Escobar?
It really raises the question of just how much influence that industry has over the governments.

Yeah, all that for a low-risk target just screams "American government's farking with you"

I hope the guy gets some serious restitution from this.

I'd probably be more pissed that the New Zealand government apparently rolls over for a shiny nickel and a pat on the head.

Cloudchaser Sakonige the Red Wolf: Good grief, all that just for someone accused of copyright violation? If I didn't know better, I'd think they're taking down a major drug cartel, the head of the Mafia, etc.

Considering that the guy accused of copyright violation also has "security forces" including armed guards patrolling the grounds, a bedside alert button, and a panic room, I think there's more to the story here. Remember, Al Capone was accused of forgetting to pay his taxes.

Happy Hours: Snapper Carr: Happy Hours: Well, I feel safer now. The guy is a criminal though - maybe not for what he's currently charged with, but he has a record and changing his last name to "dotcom" should at least be a misdemeanor.

[img213.imageshack.us image 448x252]

sorry, reference lost on me. I don't know who that guy is.

Seriously? You don't know who Denzel Washington is?

Theaetetus: Cloudchaser Sakonige the Red Wolf: Good grief, all that just for someone accused of copyright violation? If I didn't know better, I'd think they're taking down a major drug cartel, the head of the Mafia, etc.

Considering that the guy accused of copyright violation also has "security forces" including armed guards patrolling the grounds, a bedside alert button, and a panic room, I think there's more to the story here. Remember, Al Capone was accused of forgetting to pay his taxes.

Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion.

If only he had realized he could have put his money in tax shelters on Bermuda and in the Cayman Islands.

Theaetetus: including armed guards patrolling the grounds, a bedside alert button, and a panic room, I think there's more to the story here. Remember, Al Capone was accused of forgetting to pay his taxes.

You just described my great-aunt's condo association in Florida. Stop living in as much fear as her, it isn't good for either of you.

New Zealand's finest, lead by Gary Oldman

LowbrowDeluxe: Stop living in as much fear as her

... I don't have any armed guards, and I don't think my cats are of much use in a raid.

turns out I should've started a file sharing site instead of getting a real job

Man, that NZ countryside looks pretty nice...

Mental memo: Panic rooms aren't enough. Add blast doors to close off rooms and slow down attackers.

They needed all of those guys to carry him out of the building, not because he was a violent threat.

Marcus Aurelius: American Exceptionalism at its finest.

God, I hate that phrase.

Zembla: So, remember kids, if you're going to be stealing somebody's money, the only way to get away scot-free is to be a banker.

Who did he steal money from?

Theaetetus: Considering that the guy accused of copyright violation also has "security forces" including armed guards patrolling the grounds, a bedside alert button, and a panic room, I think there's more to the story here.

My wife's grandmother's assisted living facility has all of that save the panic room. Does that mean there is soemthing more to the story?

PeppaJack: Marcus Aurelius: American Exceptionalism at its finest.

God, I hate that phrase.

Me too. When I hear it, I feel like sticking my fingers down my throat and making myself vomit up all the faux patriotism I've been fed over all these years.

Thing is... turns out that the raid and the warrants were declared illegal. So all the evidence... fruit of the poisoned tree, they can't use ANY of it against him.

They may well have to return everything to him and he may be able to sue the US dept of justice for damages.

Personally I hope he does.

I just want to go ahead and say this out loud to see if it sinks in any better.... the U.S. couldn't be bothered to do any more to the bankers who caused trillions of dollars of economic damage to the world economy than haul them into Congress and shout at them for a few hours.... but we have no problem helping another government lead a paramilitary assault on a guy's house for running a website that cost one industry a few million dollars.

Hmmm.... nope... it's just as back-farking-asswards absurd when I see it in print as when I think it in my head.

Who do you even vote out to start changing this type of insane shiat? So many of the people responsible for this are unaccountable to voters that I don't even know where you'd begin short of "with everyone".

Just imagine what it would have looked like if he had a joint....

Is it me or is he the first James bond villain i like.

Vegan Meat Popsicle: I just want to go ahead and say this out loud to see if it sinks in any better.... the U.S. couldn't be bothered to do any more to the bankers who caused trillions of dollars of economic damage to the world economy than haul them into Congress and shout at them for a few hours.... but we have no problem helping another government lead a paramilitary assault on a guy's house for running a website that cost one industry a few million dollars.

The world is going to suck for our children's children. Because honestly, I see things getting far worse. I love technology, but I also know it will be the cause of our enslavement by the financial elite in the not-too-far future.

It has started already, with the most obvious example being Apple strong-arming the police to conduct SWAT-style raids on someone who purchased a prototype product. Before, grandma loses her house because the RIAA demands she pays them hundreds of thousands of dollars because her wireless router didn't have a password. America is getting to the point where we are following in Britain's footsteps and installing CCTV cameras and redlight cameras everywhere. Shiat is already crazy, and due to technology being such a penetrating force in our lives to the point where most people can't live without their smartphone, tablet, cellular-connected car and social media. It wouldn't take much for people to knowingly hand over complete access to their personal private information to the government or a 3rd party company for an app that tells them the last time they took a shiat, and with a faceless suit (government or private company) having control over knowing every little detail about you, they own you. You do or say something either of them don't like, and you will pay, either financially or with jail time.

Ah well. I'm gonna go talk about how much I hate my boss on Twitter and check myself into this new restaurant in Facebook that all my friends seem to recommend.

That Megaupload thing is only his side project.
He really made bank with this one:

Bell-fan:
They may well have to return everything to him and he may be able to sue the US dept of justice for damages.

True.

It's also true the American government has, to use simpler language, said "Fark that, whatever happens we're keeping it ohh and we're making ourselves immune to any fallout kthxbi."

Their is the smell of fishyness, then you have the smell of bullshiat.... the odour I get from this whole Megaupload fiasco has a unique and pungent aroma I've yet to find a likeness too in the animal world.

RoxtarRyan: redlight cameras

It's odd. Here in the UK we despise the CCTV, we strongly dislike the GATSO, TRUVELLO and other makes, models and styles of speed camera but we actually have no problems with red light cameras. If you don't drive over the line whilst the traffic light is red (which legally you are not supposed to) it sits there looking stupid.

Now this does, I admit, become a problem when some enterprising plod found one incorrectly installed and decided to drive up behind someone, kick off his siren & lights (very naughty when not on a call) so they'd cross the line and promptly nicked them for it; using the camera as evidence of the act; it couldn't see the police car with the lights on.

But that really shows a need for plod to sort their own house out and American police get up to far worse things; I've yet to hear about the UK police shooting a runaway teenager in the back of the head with a taser for example.

What is your problem with red light cameras?

Coelacanth: Me too. When I hear it, I feel like sticking my fingers down my throat and making myself vomit up all the faux patriotism I've been fed over all these years.

I agree. It makes me uncomfortable because that sentiment skates dangerously close to willful ignorance; a sort of real life Ricky Bobby stereotype. I am fond of the U.S. because it is the country of my birth and upbringing, but that doesn't stop me from recognizing its political/structural strengths and weaknesses. I think that the uber-patriotic, American exceptionalism crowd stick their collective fingers in their ears, and insist on their nationalism not out of love for their country, but rather out of the validation that they feel it brings them personally: "If America is the best at everything, it must be because Americans are the best at everything, therefore I'm the best." My two cents.

I didn't watch the whole thing but did the ever specifically point out the Americans here?

Percentage-wise how many Americans versus New Zealanders were there?

rka: Percentage-wise how many Americans versus New Zealanders were there?

I don't think it said how many there were, but the one lawyer did press one of the NZ thugs into admitting that the FBI was present during both the planning and execution phases. It doesn't sound like the U.S. actually executed with their people, but it seemed like they were either onsite observing it or watching the cameras.

rka: Comic Book Guy: God-is-a-Taco: Wow. Were they expecting Escobar?
It really raises the question of just how much influence that industry has over the governments.

Yeah, all that for a low-risk target just screams "American government's farking with you"

I hope the guy gets some serious restitution from this.

I'd probably be more pissed that the New Zealand government apparently rolls over for a shiny nickel and a pat on the head.

I think this is what irks most kiwis about all of this, certainly it irks me and I'll be happy to see our courts throw out the extradition & case just to say fark you to the overseas pressure (and to our own government for bowing to it).

I have a constitutional right to download content I haven't paid for.