Has the US Justice System gone crazy?!?

Question

British student, Richard O'Dwyer, faces extradition to US for copyright infringment on website. He offered links to pirated films online, but hosted no illegal content, merely directing users to where it was held. Surely, if this student done something illegal by 'directing' users to specific websites that must make Google, Yahoo, Justhost.com, ipage. FatCow Green hosting, Host Monster, Hub, Immotion, Hostpapa, ipower and numerous otheer sites illegal!!!! Why pick on one individual???

Answer 1

The RIAA has wanted to go after Google and Yahoo! for this for a long time - but legally they're better off going after a nobody who has limited legal resources first, in order to set precedent.



And YES - the goal of the RIAA is to make it illegal for Google to refer you to such pages.



http://www.linksandlaw.com/news-update18-movie-download.htm

Answer 2

The point is that such a site is not illegal under UK law. Technically, he has not committed a crime. It may be against US law, but he was not in the US! This case seems to be opening a whole can of worms about how the internet is policed and about extradition policy.



It's not about whether or not it should be illegal, or about intellectual property right etc. It's about extraditing someone to a country where they will be prosecuted for an act that is not currently illegal in their own country! The courts have declared that there is no case to answer in the UK!

Answer 3

If they hurt us, all we need to do is simply stop buying their products. It really is that simple. If they are successful in extraditing a person for breaking a law in another country for a kangaroo court hearing, then that eventually ends all free speech. The USA today is Germany between 1933 & 1939. This is the outcome of Right-wing deregulation.

Answer 4

So you think it should be ok to set up a site to say here is where to go to get illegal material, and it should be ok because THEY aren't hosting the illegal material? Well they basically ARE hosting it though. They are saying this is where it is, and trying to circumvent the law by saying oh you have to go to this site instead. They aren't just picking on one person, they will go after all the people in time. You can't go after Yahoo since it can be used to search for LEGAL things on it. Should Yahoo lock out people who look up things? I'm not going to say that Yahoo shouldn't try to prevent those sites from coming up, but that's easier said then done, as they aren't likely looking at the sites to see what the content is and with millions of sites it would take time if they do start looking at them. If you think it should be fine to download illegal things then fine, but I think you should have to pay. If you don't want to pay because of how lame things are then 2 things, First is that lame things sell and Second is that they aren't making money because all the pirates so they won't spend money on quality just to lose it to theft.

Answer 5

It is not only the US that is doing this. The European Arrest Warrant allows the member nations of the EU to arrest and take UK citizens to any EU nation WITHOUT even going before a Magistrate, likewise for things that may not be crimes in the UK and for actions that may have happened only on UK Sovereign Territory.



I suggest everybody is very careful, you never know when you might be taken abroad for something that is perfectly legal in the UK, such as practising free speech.

Answer 6

Yes.

America is in decline and has already been over taken by the Eu and (almost) by China. Hopefully our politicians will get their fingers out some time in the future and tell the yanks to f@ck off.

Answer 7

Imagine the product was drugs, not movies. Would it seem so outrageous then?

Intellectual properties protection is not a bad thing. If people cannot have their right to

profit for their work, they will not produce.

Answer 8

Its not the US system thats gone crazy - its OURS



Extraditing somebody because of some other country 's laws is insane



ESPECIALLY when under NO CIRCUMSTANCES will the US extradite ANY US citizen

Answer 9

To discourage other lone individuals from doing the same thing.

Answer 10

Because it's easy.

Answer 11

If what you say is true then our legal system is very flawed indeed.

Answer 12

Aiding and abetting criminal activity. Yes, it's illegal.