Hotfile Ordered To Share User Data With The MPAA
 

In their ongoing battle with the MPAA, the Florida-based file-hosting service Hotfile has suffered a major loss. A federal court has ordered Hotfile to disclose user data, the identities and revenues of their top affiliates, and financial information on the company itself. District Court Judge Adalberto Jordan argued that the MPAA needs this info to prove that Hotfile is promoting and profiting from copyright infringement.....

http://torrentfreak.com/hotfile-orde...e-mpaa-110830/

finally a judge with balls...

http://www.cynicalsmirk.com/images/hardware_wars.jpg
"What was it Obie Wan? Did you just feel 10 thousand thieving webmasters cry out in horror and shit themselves then were suddenly silenced?"

"No, just a little headache."

Going to be a enormous amount of data to sift through to find anything useful if they get what is requested.

Simply connecting Hotfile's top affiliates to content posted and discovering their identities, should be enough to help support MPAA's case. Once it starts coming out how much these users are being paid, it's going to paint a very clear picture of these fileshare companies' knowingly infringing tactics. For great justice.

even if hotfile is a pain in ass and is illegal all the way, this is sick and totally ill. sharing anyones privacy is really sick and disgusting. it is not like terorism or raping, it is just sharing, and putting that info to court may harm much more people than only those targetted ... fucking stupid decission, judge with balls not, judge with fucking dumb head :2 cents:

I agree with you for the downloader's as they may not knowingly be breaking the law (giving the benefit of the doubt here), and possibly the same for uploader's who have not made money from their uploads.

But uploaders who have made money (whether it be $1 or $1,000,000) I think deserve to get their comeuppance. If they have made money from someone else's work then that is just plain wrong and they should have that money taken away at an absolute minimum. Imagine your reaction if it was your content up there.

I can't see who would be harmed by this other than the site, which seems to be run largely illegally anyway - so no harm there.

yes man sure, uploaders are another thing, i have been talking about global users, i havent seen it will be only uploaders targetted. if there will be list of most dmca uploaders, ok go for them, but taking a bulk list and make problem to everyone doesnt matter what he was uploading ... but i dont know how the proccess will be, i tooked the worst scenario :winkwink:

Teencat, for the love of God, please change your avatar. Thanks in advance, tiger!

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

Florida based my ass

I see teencats point, the fact that ANY judge can make ANY company disclose their users PRIVATE info is just sick. What may end up happening is a FEW people may get fines maybe some jail if there is cause, but it will open up the possibility for the legal system to do what they want and obtain any info they want and that affects EVERYONE including YOU!

sorry clown.
thieves loose their right to privacy.

as a rule, don't steal and you'll be fine

you do not understand me but it is problem of my english not of your ass filled with coins ...

man, even my father architect is using file sharing services to share his project with other who have to finish other things than architecture ... stop thinking one way ...

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh ass filled with coins... that was funny.

It will be unfortunate for the little few who would get caught up into such a debacle, but IMO they should have known better using a service that was designed for illegal usage.

This isn't just about stealing... this is about privacy in SOCIAL MEDIA! So if it is ok for the judge to do this to hotfile, it is NOW ok for youtube, facebook, twitter, stumbleupon, flickr, ENTER SOCIAL MEDIA SITE HERE!

if your father isn't stealing, he'll be fine.

as a rule, if you're not stealing, you'll be fine

incorrect.
this is about thieves.
youtube, facebook, twitter, stumbleupon, flickr, ENTER SOCIAL MEDIA SITE HERE do not actively promote and assist theft.

I understand that some of the thieves want to cloud the issue but this is about theft, not your facebook status

if he is sending big files in archives and sharing it with many people, as it is needed if you are doing any building project, how they know what is in the archives? they will investigate, they have to broke my fathers privacy because of investigation, now this is fine? my father used service where is not written "share your piracy here", how do he know its for piracy sharing? you know it, i know it, industry knows it, but surfers knows fucking nothing about how to use hotfile illegaly and for what else it can be used! i see your point, but i see also other views ...

Yes the odds on these top affiliates uploading videos they own and getting paid lots of money for them are what? This is a big blow to Hotfile.

Go read up on the law of most lands. A judge can sign a search warrant that allows the police to enter your home at any time. This is just an extension of that power.

What's the harm if you were a top affiliate by uploading films of your cat and loads of people downloading them?

As someone who cares 0 about models privacy, you're very worried about this. I wonder why?

Ignorance of the law is no defense.

Whether they made money or not, if they break the law they can face consequences. This isn't a good defense.

"Yes judge I did steal the car, but I hadn't sold it yet and put gas in it, so lost money. Can I go home now? :1orglaugh

man how i care 0 about models privacy? arent you mistaking me with someone? have i posted some names somewhere or what? :)

To be clear I am talking about my reply regarding teencats take on the situation. I understand that the situation we are discussing is theft, rightfully so I think the thieves should be outed. But the fact that the judge is able to force disclosure of private parties, makes you wonder how safe the rest of us are...

Also... not paying affiliates is stealing too, even if you think they are stealing from you.

:321GFY

now order all of them to show it, but hey they are not all in usa :(

I hope hotfile and their affiliates get gangbanged into the poor house.:thumbsup:

If this ends of favorably for the MPAA it opens the doors for anyone to file suits against file sharing forums, sites, tubes, blogs on the same grounds.

A judge allowing the MPAA access to user data to prove how the majority of it's top affiliates profited from copyrighted works is a huge breakthrough.

:2 cents:

It amazes me when I see people get up in arms about violating the privacy of people using sites like this and torrents. Fuck those people. They ALL know what they are doing. If you get caught, sorry about your luck. Buy it next time.

I wonder how many "top affiliates" from this board will be on that list. :1orglaugh

In central europe companies have to do the same.

Yes. Good call on the judges part. Enough is enough. If you are worried about privacy find a file sharer that polices their own business.

.

I've been telling people to stay off sites like this as soon as Napster was created.

There is no point except people already know the site is illegal and in America it's
always said that ignorance of the law is not an excuse.

The judge wouldn't have to order the private information released if the web site
would simply admit that it is making money off of stolen content and pay up.

So blame the site hosting the illegal content.

People can't commit crime(copyright theft) and then claim "user privacy" as
an defense. How private is the information anyway since the company employees
can see it all? And if the information is limited to attorneys then wouldn't it
still be private since the lawyers are not the public?

They care about their "right to privacy" but obvioulsy don't give a shit about
your "right to property" as in copyright.

I guess it depends not on how private your info is, but as what is being done with said info.

Well said.

:Oh crap

ahhhh, so you're a former thief that I caught?

what name did you used to use here when you attempted to steal from me?

no wonder you're on the side of the thief.
you should take me to court.

This line of thinking, Media Revenue would be able to share CC data across their platform of sites and entities as they see fit... "They gave us their CC numbers, they are interested in adult material..." I know that the two have absolutely nothing to do with each other, but it shows how this mentality is totally illogical.

^ This. :thumbsup

Does anyone concerned about privacy think that Hotfile really cares to protect your privacy? They only care about the money they are stealing. As things progress and more pressure is put on them, they will hang their affiliates and their users out to dry to save their own asses. That will be the best part. Their true colors...

There are lots of companies that allow you to share files online. Dropbox is one. But they are not paying people to upload stolen content then providing harbor and financial support for sites built around posting the stolen content. Skirting around DMCA requests and being coy about taking simple steps to keep this content off their servers. Why don't they just ban repeat offenders? It's a big joke.

Protecting the "privacy" of these thieves is a joke. Hotfile is well known for massive content theft and I really hope they get their asses smacked hard.

It's amazing how some people on this board will bitch about other companie's activities i.e. alleged carding etc, and then they turn around and support the rights of thieves who have easily done as much if not more damage to the industry.

Well, maybe not amazing;)

Good — if you are doing nothing illegal what is the problem if the court knows your identity???

and where you see in the article that they are targetting thieves who, for example, received most dmca records? i see they are targetting top affiliates ... who where said they must be thieves? most dmca received, ok send them to jail ... most made money? cause someone uploaded gigabites of free stuff now he have to wait knocking on the door? come on ... maybe all of them are thieves but the deffinition in the article is wrong ... :2 cents:

There will be more soon :winkwink: This isn't just Hotfile

Nope... would never knowingly be an affiliate of yours. I know how to use gfy search, google, and ask around when I have a general interest in something or someone.

It is no secret on this board that you are now the longest running scammer here that has been called out on several occasions and not yet been banned. Perhaps the proof has been slim, shady, or even non-existant... the fact that your name comes up in almost any search on GFY with the term "scammer" or "scam".

Also, just because I joined in 2009, does not mean I have not been around awhile and that I don't read the boards. I have been a webmaster since late 2002, so I know who you are, and avoid your business at all cost.

I am NOT on the side of the thieves. I am on the side of PRIVACY, not theirs, but OURS.

The definition should be understood very simply:
Regardless of whether you make 0 or a million, if you use copyrighted content without permission in a commercial endeavor (to make money) you are a thief and subject to any applicable laws.

If you are just uploading free shit which is copyright protected to share with friends and you are caught up in this mess, you should have been aware that Hotfile hosts alot of stolen content and thus you are swimming in the same cesspool...

Good news:thumbsup

fascism has come to america.

to protect your privacy use tor to create fake email, paypal, file locker and porn board accounts. use your file locker paypal money to buy gigs from yourself at elance who then pays you to your regular paypal.

Um yes they do Youtube is owned by one of the biggest thevies of all time namly google who love having their ads all over these file sharing, torrent sites ect. Youtube love putting inline ads on copyright films or on the chanels and will only take them down if you send them A DMCA with proof and then its a hassle at that.

Twitter, stumbleupon...ENTER SOCIAL MEDIA SITE HERE lol people use their service to link to all sorts of copyright shite

Flicker also has a crap load of copyright pics on... They are all doing it and making money from it

Your reply is totally illogical since download data is no where nere the same kind
of personal information as a credit card.

Second, Media Rev is not a judge granting the release of CC info to attorneys
for a civil/criminal trial.

And go ahead and join a paysite that is obviously selling CP and see how fast your
credit card number is given to the police when they ask for it.

Please. Stop the "song and dance" aroung the law.
The law is catching up; it was never legal.
People have just gotten so used to stealing and it being so easy that they
don't believe they are breaking the law.

Fuck them if they get busted, they should have listen in elemtary school when
the teacher explained copyright.

Everybody heard that shit, some people just treat it like the speed limit.
They are full speed ahead until they get the smack down.

yup, thats what all the thieves say. odd that I've been operating under the same name as the day I entered the business but you've felt the need to change yours since 2002.

I'm sure it wasn't because you were a thief. I'm sure was just something else:1orglaugh

what was your old name again?:1orglaugh

yes, yes, yes, google is the biggest thief. :1orglaugh