Internet user arrested by Homeland Security for linking to other websites.

DemandProgress.org ^ | 4/01/2011

[JerseyHighlander]

Breaking: Newly Obtained Homeland Security Documents Reveal Radical Shift In Internet Policy

FIGHT BACK: Internet user arrested for linking to other websites.

UPDATE:  Lots of coverage of our efforts this week. THE HILL: Groups slam online piracy efforts; TECHDIRT: People Across Political Spectrum Come Out Against COICA Censorship Bill; CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY: Online piracy bipartisan domain; POLITICO: Groups blast Leahy piracy bill.

ORIGINAL: Brian McCarthy ran a website, channelsurfing.net, that linked to various sites where you could watch online streams of TV shows and sports networks. A couple months ago, the government seized his domain name and on Friday they arrested him and charged him with criminal copyright infringement -- punishable by five years in prison. 

We just obtained a copy of the complaint (below) that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made against him -- and they don't even allege that he made a copy of anything!   Just that he ran what they call a "linking website" which linked to various sites with copyrighted material. Under that sort of thinking, everyone who's sent around a link to a copyrighted YouTube video is a criminal. 

This is another shocking overreach by DHS and ICE -- a steamship-era department that's proving once again that it doesn't understand the Internet. We need to push back -- and fast -- before they try to lock up more Americans.

PETITION TO JANET NAPOLITANO, DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AND JOHN MORTON, DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT:  There's nothing wrong or illegal about posting a link to a website.  This is another shocking overreach by DHS and ICE:  You need to drop the charges against Brian McCarthy right away.

[JerseyHighlander]

The complaint is located at the link in PDF format on Scribd.com

This is worse than the McCain-Feinstein law that was overturned many years ago, and a direct threat to the future of any website out of favor with ideological Federal DHS policies.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

We don't need no stinking badges.

[yldstrk]

Some people have jobs posting links to other websites........will they be arrested too?

[mnehring]

Ping
Maybe a lesson for blog pimps who simply copy content from other sources on their own blogs and post it as their own.

[Responsibility2nd]

Internet user arrested by Homeland Security for linking to other websites.

_____________________________________________________

Up Next:

Homeland Security Arrests a Blog Pimp at Free Republic.

Clear Case of Excerpting is Evident.

[Responsibility2nd]

Dude. You stole my thunder (post 5)

I’m thinking lots of other people will think of humblegunner when they read this!

[newnhdad]

I guess they must have eliminated the country of the tens of millions of illegals and now they’re going after the real criminals.

[screaminsunshine]

Thank you G. Bush for creating this Monster. Thank You.

[OldDeckHand]

"Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)"

Well, I sure am glad that DHS and ICE have their manpower priorities straight - arresting people for linking to websites. Imagine the incredible numbers of people who could die from that.

The fact that we've created a US Code that includes criminal copyright infringement statutes, just goes to show how out of control the government is.

Sure, I understand the need for copyright and other IP laws. But, these should be civil torts, not criminal prosecutions - except for perhaps in cases that there may be public safety concerns, like counterfeiting medical, aviation other items that could cause people actual physical harm. No one is physically harmed by streaming media, ever.

[mnehring]

Just wait until humblegunner finds out there is a reward for anonymous tips for those who steal content. _{I have no idea if there really is a reward.}

[ELS]

bttt

[humblegunner]

[Thane_Banquo]

The ruling class needs their Gestapo.

[Responsibility2nd]

Just wait until humblegunner finds out there is a reward for anonymous tips for those who steal content. _{I have no idea if there really is a reward.}

 

 

Just who do you think tipped Homeland Security off???

Hmm???

[Larry Lucido]

The site you linked to looks like a commie pinko site. I could be wrong but I would no sooner link to a socialist site than I would link to stormfront.

[kevkrom]

I’m actually more offended that DHS is dealing with copyright infractions in the first place. The ludicrousness of charging someone with a crime for linking a website aside.

[thecabal]

Ja Wohl! I’m glad that Fatherland Security is protecting us from terrorists like this and that 6 year old in the airport.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

They’re commies.

http://demandprogress.org/people

[Red Badger]

Linking is a crime?
Drudge must be a SUPER CRIMINAL!..................

[Sloth]

From skimming the document, I think their excuse may be that the videos displayed on the pages of his domain (an embedded stream) even though he didn’t actually host the content. In other words, a bit more than just a hyperlink.

[xtinct]

Just a wild @ss guess... but has Homeland Security seen Twitter... Site even masks the links...

[sickoflibs]

RE :"ORIGINAL: Brian McCarthy ran a website, channelsurfing.net, that linked to various sites where you could watch online streams of TV shows and sports networks. A couple months ago, the government seized his domain name and on Friday they arrested him and charged him with criminal copyright infringement -- punishable by five years in prison."

This one is hard to believe but then again a few years ago congress made it legal for record companies to sue grandmothers for 10s of thousands of dollars because someone used their IP address to download songs.

Next pinging you to an article about it will be illegal,

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"The site you linked to looks like a commie pinko site."

It is. And it is newsworthy and, frankly, heartening to see the Left turn on the Administration of their former Messiah.

Of course, they will never awaken to the fact that such tyranny is the inevitable endpoint of their fist-in-the-air collectivism.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"The site you linked to looks like a commie pinko site."

It is. And it is newsworthy and, frankly, heartening to see the Left turn on the Administration of their former Messiah.

Of course, they will never awaken to the fact that such tyranny is the inevitable endpoint of their fist-in-the-air collectivism.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Thank you G. Bush for creating this Monster. Thank You.

I'm with you. Between this and the other thread on here about the six year old girl getting groped, I'm ready to dismantle DHS and take my chances with the Jihadis.

[Durus]

Google provides the exact same service. I suppose they are in danger of being arrested?

[Beowulf9]

I have nothing intelligent to add to this discussion except this admin is looking more and more like the Nazis everyday and I find it distressing.

[Conscience of a Conservative]

Which agency should enforce copyright laws? I agree that DHS seems like the wrong agency, but I’m having a hard time thinking of one that would “fit.”

[Conscience of a Conservative]

Which agency should enforce copyright laws? I agree that DHS seems like the wrong agency, but I’m having a hard time thinking of one that would “fit.”

[driftdiver]

I still don’t understand what copyright infringement has to do with Homeland Security.

[east1234]

If the govt. criminalizes enough acts then they can arrest/prosecute/harass anyone they want to. It's just part of the plan.

[BigEdLB]

Some people have jobs posting links to other websites........will they be arrested too?

Matt Drudge needs to find an `undisclosed location` and maybe take his efforts offshore?

[libertarian27]

I still don’t understand what copyright infringement has to do with Homeland Security.

They aren't doing anything else...they might as well sit around and watch videos.....

[DesertRhino]

We are in that awkward age,, too late to stop them,, but a little too early to,,,(well, you know)

[Gilbo_3]

pinging you to an article about it will be illegal...

oh well, Im quite certain i break at least 10 'laws' a day anyways...these dillholes evidently dont realize that after he first 'felony', the rest are FReebies...

[prairiebreeze]

So, I post links on Facebook and Facebook provides a mechanism for me to do so. Many websites have multiple icons that allow you to "share" their webpages with various social networking sites.

Is social networking going to have to change?

[NativeSon]

take his efforts offshore?

Could these exercises be the ground work for what's to come?

Close to the election, all those political sites linking to content - Zero's lies, VP Plugs sleeping, union thugs being thugs, etc.

Could this enforcement be used to silence those that oppose the Zero and his masters?

[screaminsunshine]

No doubt. Me too.The RatRino collaboration is killing us.

[free_life]

It is not Homeland Security it is Hollywood Security. They are protecting Obama’s Hollywood supporters not the USA.

[prairiebreeze]

Ahother thought, Chris Dodd is now president of some actors union and just the other day was on TV denouncing “piracy”.

At the time, it seemed like he was talking more about DVD copying, unauthorized downloading etc. But, as soon as I read this thread I thought of him and that interview.

[NonValueAdded]

Just out of curiosity, could you also find those end destinations with a Google search or with some other search engine? Seems like that would be essentially the same thing but in this guy’s case a static display of the same results. This should be laughed out of court. Why isn’t DHS going after the folks who are actually providing the pirated content?

[Vendome]

WTF?! I remember this guy’s website.

He didn’t do anything more than link to other websites.

He didn’t host the content so how is that infringment.

He pointed directly to sites that own the content and other sites that “may” have infringed but to my knowledge he didn’t do it.

Ridiculous!

[driftdiver]

The difference is you are posting govt approved links.

[Beckwith]

One has to chuckle that the outraged website is DemandProgress.

Well, they just got a load of “progress” and they don’t like it.

Obama, and those around him are totalitarians.

[rikkir]

Is it me, or does this sound frighteningly prophetic. I mean isn’t that what we do here mostly is link to content on other websites?
Is this the precursor for shutting down FR and other sites like it right before the ‘12 elections.
Obozo, about to declare himself King?

[neodad]

The complaint is located at the link in PDF format on Scribd.com

Better watch out. That complaint may be copyrighted....

[MindBender26]

What in the hell does this have to do with Homeland Security!?!?!?

Is Fat Dyke Janet now Obama’s private army.

[wbarmy]

President Bush tried very hard to keep this monster from being created, but the Left and the Media hammered him day and night, the Congress kept screaming that something must be done, and he finally agreed.

This is a case of people wanting something under one administration, and not realizing what a different administration could do with the powers.

[vbmoneyspender]

Which agency should enforce copyright laws?

In years past, the copyright owner enforced his copyright. I guess that concept is too outdated for the new times that we live in.

[glock rocks]

“Did you really think we want those laws observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them to be broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against... We’re after power and we mean it... There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted — and you create a nation of law-breakers — and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system Mr. Reardon, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be much easier to deal with.”

— Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged