U.S. shuts 16 sports piracy websites.

[TheGiggolo]

Three days before Super Bowl XLVI, U.S. prosecutors said they seized 16 websites that illegally streamed live sports and pay-per-view events over the Internet, and charged a Michigan man with running nine of those websites.

According to the government, the 16 websites provided links to give viewers easy access to other sites that hosted pirated telecasts from the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc ("WWE") and TNA Impact Wrestling. The latter is also broadcast on Viacom Inc's Spike TV.

Prosecutors said such piracy costs leagues and broadcasters millions of dollars a year, and some of this cost is passed on to ticket buyers and sports network subscribers.

"These websites and their operators deprive sports leagues and networks of legitimate revenue" in what amounts to "virtual thievery," said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan, who announced the website seizures.

The websites are firstrow.tv, firstrowsports.com, firstrowsports.net, firstrowsports.tv, hq-streams.tv, robplay.tv, soccertvlive.net, sports95.com, sports95.net, sports95.org, sportswwe.net, sportswwe.tv, sportswwe.com, xonesports.tv, youwwe.com and youwwe.net.

As prosecutors announced the seizure on Thursday, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, expected to start in Sunday's Super Bowl against the New York Giants, admitted to reporters his own use of an illegal website.

"Last year, you know, I was rehabbing my foot, you know, in Costa Rica, watching the game on an illegal Super Bowl website," he said in a video posted Thursday on the NFL website. "And now I'm actually playing in the game. So it's pretty cool."

"MAKE A DEAL"

The defendant charged in the case is Yonjo Quiroa, 28, who faces one count of criminal infringement of a copyright.

Prosecutors said Quiroa, also known as Ronaldo Solano, operated his websites from his home in Comstock Park, Michigan, prior to his Wednesday arrest, receiving at least $13,000 from online merchants who advertised with him.

Lawrence Phelan, a lawyer for the defendant, said Quiroa was in federal custody and expected to be transferred to New York, after having appeared on Wednesday in a Grand Rapids, Michigan federal court. Phelan declined to comment on the case.

The complaint against Quiroa outlines his alleged piracy efforts from February 2010 to January 2012.

It concludes by saying a U.S. Department of Homeland Security enforcement agent posing as a WWE representative last week offered to buy various domain names associated with the defendant, and received a response offering to "make a deal."

Prosecutors will seek the forfeiture of the domain names for the 16 seized websites.


You know people, The US Government basically said F**K passing Bills like PIPA or SOPA. We'll just shut sites down without them. Who the hell is gonna stop us? NO ONE......What can anyone do about It? NOTHING.....

I know sports really is not a big thing on this site, but if they are doing this to them. What will keep them from doing it to our File share or Streaming sites for Anime/Hentai/Manga? NOTHING!

I know that the sites they went after are in the States, but they already got Mega Upload which is not. So they are fully capable of getting anyone.

US GOVERNMENT - DOING WHAT EVER HELL IT WANTS SINCE 1942!

 

[WsE]

So a guy doing something illegal shouldn't be punished? The problem with SOPA, PIPA, ACTA and who knows what is the fact they can censor/hit much more than just those using illegal sites on the internet.

 

[TheGiggolo]

So a guy doing something illegal shouldn't be punished? The problem with SOPA, PIPA, ACTA and who knows what is the fact they can censor/hit much more than just those using illegal sites on the internet.

When did I say that? My point is shutting sites down at their whim. Remember AS provides questionable content and could be targeted on a whim. Anime/Manga if you are not aware, is copyrighted content. Alot of sporting events are on National Television like THE SUPERBOWL. Why can you watch it free on a local channel but can't watch it online in another country? Or locale?

 

[orisa]

I'd like to remind people to stray from discussing politics (that includes bashing of US government).

I know that the sites they went after are in the States, but they already got Mega Upload which is not. So they are fully capable of getting anyone.

Megaupload was taken down because it had one of its servers in the US which gave FBI an excuse to touch them.

What I don't get is

According to the government, the 16 websites provided links to give viewers easy access to other sites that hosted pirated telecasts from the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc ("WWE") and TNA Impact Wrestling. The latter is also broadcast on Viacom Inc's Spike TV.

So the guy who merely provided links to those illegal websites was arrested but not the owners of the actual sites? What's going on here?

 

[TheGiggolo]

I'd like to remind people to stray from discussing politics (that includes bashing of US government).


Megaupload was taken down because it had one of its servers in the US which gave FBI an excuse to touch them.

What I don't get is

So the guy who merely provided links to those illegal websites was arrested but not the owners of the actual sites? What's going on here?

I can see the US seizing the 1 server in the US.....But how does it allow them to seize all the other servers internationally? If one store in the US was selling black market items. The US would not be able to shut down the rest of the stores around the world.

That also got me about the link posting ( scary because AS provides links ). I believe they want to pressure the link providers to cooperate and help track/bring down the owners.

 

[corocoro]

​

 

[Paper-Mittens]

Yer seriously worried? Let me inform you. The japanese do not pay the american politicians. Ergo, they don't give a flying fig about anime and manga. Period.

You seem to assume money was not a motive. Japan has nothing to do with US politics and thus will have no problems. US licensing looks at fansubs and fanlations for a source to see what will be popular outside of japan. So shutting subbers down is not only suicidal. It is completely retarded.

 

[orisa]

I can see the US seizing the 1 server in the US.....But how does it allow them to seize all the other servers internationally? If one store in the US was selling black market items. The US would not be able to shut down the rest of the stores around the world.

They didn't have to take down servers to knock the organization out of picture. FBI was working with the New Zealand police at the time in order to bust the site and made a request to arrest the owner who lived in New Zealand and direct him to US which inevitably led to MU shutting down.

And before you ask, AS doesn't have any server in US so they can't police this site.

 

[TheGiggolo]

They didn't have to take down servers to knock the organization out of picture. FBI was working with the New Zealand police at the time in order to bust the site and made a request to arrest the owner who lived in New Zealand and direct him to US which inevitably led to MU shutting down..

They did not need to seize servers and assets from 8 countries...but they did, anything they can use against MU. Also to try and get User Data. Also they ordered Carpathia Hosting and Cogent Communications to not Delete MU users data that was stored there.

Yer seriously worried? Let me inform you. The japanese do not pay the american politicians. Ergo, they don't give a flying fig about anime and manga. Period.

You seem to assume money was not a motive. Japan has nothing to do with US politics and thus will have no problems. US licensing looks at fansubs and fanlations for a source to see what will be popular outside of japan. So shutting subbers down is not only suicidal. It is completely retarded.

As Anime and Manga gets more popular in the western world. As it has already greatly increased. You really don't think Japanese Copyright owners won't seek protection for the theft of their product like Hollywood? You think they won't lobby their Gov't to work with the US Gov't? It is very possible.

I am I worried for AS well being?.......Yes, Not Freaking out...because ( not to be rude, I love this site.) but AS is still not big enough to warrant the attention. But I don't want to see anything to happen to AS none the less. But there is always a possibility that any Gov't and be pressured into cooperating with the US Gov't. Including the country that hosts AS's server.

 

[kactaplb]

The japanese don't really care about foreigners stealing their works. If anything I'm sure they want less attention. The US primary motive is to protect their own entertainment industries. Sites such as AS will be fine until the day AS starts taking in millions a year.

I'm only worried about the ripple effect of closing down general file sharing sites ie. filehosts, torrent trackers

 

[Indigo]

One image:
http://cdn-www.i-am-bored.com/media/blackoutMarch.jpg

 

[Will98]

Good one Potsy.

 

[アフリカオオコノハズク]

sorry for the long post..
but for me, its totally worth it..​

 

[Animaksiat]

today is they've taken up the sports.... next they will taken up the music video which means YOUTUBE! US Feds are doing things as they pleased and noone could stop them

 

[Ghost Kitty~]

That depends who is behind these incidents :/ I feel like someone is screwing with everything in a backroom considering how these are all stupid money related incidents

 

[MashedApples]

I think one thing is to share content just because you want to and another is to do it for money (like this guy probably did).

The japanese don't really care about foreigners stealing their works. If anything I'm sure they want less attention. The US primary motive is to protect their own entertainment industries. Sites such as AS will be fine until the day AS starts taking in millions a year.

I'm only worried about the ripple effect of closing down general file sharing sites ie. filehosts, torrent trackers

Some japs do:
http://www35.atwiki.jp/dldojin/
http://kohada.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/doujin/1322642887/l50

 

[alexsdu]

One image:
http://cdn-www.i-am-bored.com/media/blackoutMarch.jpg

Thanks. I'm gonna post it in my FB.

 

[alexsdu]

Thanks. I'm gonna post it in my FB.

OK, done it. It's now in my FB, and I tag everybody that I know/suspected having lots of foreign(Westerners) friends.

Spread the words, y'all.
YES, WE CAN!

 

[Ein]

*sigh* I'm tired of america copping around like that. =_="

Anyway, for my loyal userbar patrons/customers, you guys should update the ones you are using. I already made a new batch since SOPA and PIPA just got suspended. XD

Click the link below accelerator! =D

 

[alexsdu]

Anyway, for my loyal userbar patrons/customers, you guys should update the ones you are using. I already made a new batch since SOPA and PIPA just got suspended. XD

Click the link below accelerator! =D

Thanks, Ein.

 

[wingscarlet]

Yeah a new type of colonialism, imperialism, or whatever, if you can not get the world with a force, use economic to get it.

 

[alexsdu]

Remember what Anakin said in Revenge of the Sith, in the final duel with Obi Wan?
"If you not with us, then you're against us."
Apparently somebody like that line and used it. I guess we get to see the rise of the Empire.

 

[Nazrirun]

what happen to the world nowdays??