FileSonic blocks sharing in wake of Megaupload raid

The cyberlocker service FileSonic has stopped its users from sharing files in the wake of last week's Megaupload takedown and arrests.

On Sunday, Reddit readers reported that FileSonic's file-sharing capabilities had been shut down. They also suggested other similar sites were in the process of deleting large numbers of files and experimenting with blocking US IP addresses.

"All sharing functionality on FileSonic is now disabled," FileSonic's homepage reads. "Our service can only be used to upload and retrieve files that you have uploaded personally."

According to TorrentFreak, FileSonic was "among the top 10 file-sharing sites on the Internet, with a quarter billion page views a month".

RapidShare, one of the best-known cyberlocker services, told Ars Technica on Saturday that it was not concerned about the raid as file hosting is legal and RapidShare acts "rigidly" against copyright infringement on its servers.

Cyberlockers offer virtual storage so people can access their own files while on the move and share large files with others in a way that avoids email size limits. Although they are often used in a legitimate way, many people also use cyberlockers to unlawfully distribute and download copyrighted content, particularly since rights holders' lawyers and some ISPs started monitoring P2P and BitTorrent networks.

As one Reddit commentator noted, "a lot of people found it more convenient to just Google 'Megaupload Movie title'" than to use a special client for sharing.

Megaupload was one of the top cyberlocker services, until its proprietors were arrested in New Zealand last week in a coordinated, US-led crackdown. Those trying to visit Megaupload now will find an FBI notice saying the site has been seized.

The Megaupload team has been hit with several conspiracy charges covering copyright infringement, racketeering and even money laundering. Site founder Kim Dotcom is in jail with three others awaiting a bail decision on Wednesday.