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Internet user arrested by Homeland Security for linking to other websites.
DemandProgress.org ^ | 4/01/2011

Posted on 04/14/2011 10:21:35 AM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 1stamendment; coica; dhs; linkingwebsites; obama; palin; tyranny
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To: yldstrk

As long as they are not liberals, yes they will be arrested. If they are liberals they will not be arrested because we just don’t understand their needs properly.


81 posted on 04/14/2011 1:23:12 PM PDT by Personal Responsibility (The more the plans fail the more the planners plan - Ronald Reagan)
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To: JerseyHighlander

Absolutely out of control agencies. Copyrights are NEITHER ONE OF THEIR JURISDICTION. Not to mention this “criminal” wasn’t even hosting any copyrighted material himself.


82 posted on 04/14/2011 1:24:47 PM PDT by Domandred (Fdisk, format, and reinstall the entire .gov system.)
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To: All
Someone arrest GOOGLE!!! They are linking to "Ten Star Movies"

My spying for the Homeland Security shows that Limitless and Source Code are pretty darn good! Rio and Hop are set to be researched this weekend.

83 posted on 04/14/2011 1:52:46 PM PDT by icwhatudo ("laws requiring compulsory abortion could be sustained under the constitution"-Obama official)
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To: prairiebreeze

I used to post links on comments to back up my assertions, now, recently FB won’t let me paste a link, kind of like the way youtube is set up. They will let you paste on your wall but on the comments, nope.


84 posted on 04/14/2011 2:13:22 PM PDT by CommieCutter (Promote Liberal Extinction: Support gay marriage and abortion!)
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To: screaminsunshine

I thought it was Al Gore???


85 posted on 04/14/2011 2:16:05 PM PDT by halfright (My presidents picture is in the dictionary, next to the word, "rectum".)
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To: JerseyHighlander

Hmmm homeland security has nothing else to do, yeah, all those illegals have been stopped may as well go after bloggers - they sure as hell are bigger criminals than say tax evaders and the liar/fraud/communist/illegal in chief.


86 posted on 04/14/2011 2:22:23 PM PDT by rockabyebaby (We are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo screwed!)
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To: thecabal

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

Well, all it takes is one 6-year old girl whipping out a .357 Magnum and screaming, “THIS PLANE IS GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!” /s;)


87 posted on 04/14/2011 2:24:45 PM PDT by Frank_2001
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I must have missed it when web-site linkers blew up buildings and killed 3000 people.


88 posted on 04/14/2011 2:33:29 PM PDT by Never on my watch (WTF happened to my country?)
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To: Red Badger

I imagine the sentence for Drudge will be Death Row.


89 posted on 04/14/2011 2:41:50 PM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: driftdiver
The difference is you are posting govt approved links.

TownHall? American Spectator? Weekly Standard?

Hardly..

90 posted on 04/14/2011 2:48:25 PM PDT by prairiebreeze ("We need to be in it to win it, and if there's doubt we need to get out". -- Palin on Libya.)
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To: OldDeckHand

You realize of course, that you just asked the government, the United States Federal Government, the government of, by, and for Obama, to act civilly and with intellect.

What are you going to wish for next - a pony? :/


91 posted on 04/14/2011 2:53:20 PM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: CommieCutter

Hmmm. I was referring to posting on my wall, but I’ll have to check out your observation about “comments” links.


92 posted on 04/14/2011 2:54:41 PM PDT by prairiebreeze ("We need to be in it to win it, and if there's doubt we need to get out". -- Palin on Libya.)
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To: JerseyHighlander
WOW!






Atlas Shrugged!

93 posted on 04/14/2011 2:59:36 PM PDT by B-Cause (Great crises do not make men, they reveal them.)
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To: yldstrk; JerseyHighlander

http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1158611596104.shtm

I believe I see linked content to their OWN website!


94 posted on 04/14/2011 3:00:36 PM PDT by uptoolate (Free at last, Free at last... (former Chicagoan, current Cowtown resident))
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To: screaminsunshine


95 posted on 04/14/2011 3:06:09 PM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Visualize)
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To: prairiebreeze

Yeah let me know if it happens to you. I’m really annoyed by this.


96 posted on 04/14/2011 3:06:33 PM PDT by CommieCutter (Promote Liberal Extinction: Support gay marriage and abortion!)
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To: Sloth

If you don’t want your content linked to, don’t post it on the web! Duh!


97 posted on 04/14/2011 3:07:16 PM PDT by TheDon (The Democrat Party, the party of the KKK (tm))
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To: JerseyHighlander

That is outrageous! But what else is new with these goons
in the White House!

(and yeah, I mean you, fake president in case you’re spying!!!)


98 posted on 04/14/2011 3:45:09 PM PDT by luvie (God is in control)
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To: glock rocks

Indeed!


99 posted on 04/14/2011 3:56:06 PM PDT by luvie (God is in control)
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To: sickoflibs
This one is hard to believe ...

Yep. Cuz it ain't so.

100 posted on 04/14/2011 4:58:23 PM PDT by calcowgirl ("Sapere Aude!" --Immanuel Kant)
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