Copying Versus Copyright
After the federal government took down the file-sharing website MegaUpload, many people have renewed the copyright debate. MegaUpload, and the associated site MegaVideo, were some of the most popular websites on the Internet, with millions of page views a day. The Justice Department’s quick and efficient takedown of MegaUpload has scared many of the other major file-sharing websites.
FileSonic and FileServe have both suspended users’ ability to download any content that the users did not upload themselves. This reaction, immediately after the MegaUpload takedown happened, is meant to save them from the same criminal charges the owners of MegaUpload are facing.
Other than file-sharing sites changing the way they function, there have been many mixed reactions to the Justice Department’s actions. Some say that it was unconstitutional, as users who had legal files on MegaUpload cannot access those files anymore. Others praise the decision and swift action for stopping online piracy.
The fact that the takedown occurred only a few days after the online protest, which forced Congress to shelve both the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), seems suspicious to some people. Those people say that this action proves those bills are unnecessary. If the Justice Department can shut down a site based in Hong Kong and arrest a Dutch citizen living in New Zealand, what need does it have for new laws protecting copyrights?
The copyright debate, which is by no means new, has sprung to the forefront again. It is a fact that millions of people illegally download movies, songs, and other copyrighted materials every day. It is also a fact that these downloads are illegal and harm Internet security by providing hackers with another means of spreading viruses. People are aware that what they are doing is illegal, but most of them do not see anything wrong with it either.
Advocates of file-sharing websites say that the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America, and others like them, are relying on an outdated mode for distributing media. These advocates say that it will be impossible to stop online pirating until the MPAA and RIAA embrace the new methods of digital media sharing.
It will take time and great effort, but this debate needs to be solved one way or the other. The line we must now walk is between protecting copyrighted intellectual property and allowing a free and open Internet that promotes the creation of innovative art that people love so much. Businesses and private citizens alike cannot continue using the Internet without a clear set of laws for what is acceptable and what is not. These issues must be resolved as soon as possible.
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