Topic: Browser

FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust

Summary: Only days after the Megaupload website was taken offline by U.S. authorities, similar businesses are scrambling to protect themselves before any action is taken against them.

By Zack Whittaker for Between the Lines | January 22, 2012 -- 15:51 GMT (07:51 PST)

Follow @zackwhittaker

File-sharing site FileSonic has announced that it is has disabled "all sharing functionality", and that its service can "only be used to upload and retrieve files you have uploaded personally".

The company's Facebook page has also disappeared. According to users on Reddit , it is believed that many accounts and files were deleted today.

It is thought that this measure has been put in place in response to the wider crackdown on file-sharing sites by U.S. authorities.

FileSonic (Source: FileSonic)

U.S. and New Zealand authorities shut down one of the Web's most popular online properties, Megaupload, last week. Its founders and three other employees were arrested and detained. They are awaiting extradition to the United States to face copyright infringement and money laundering charges.

Within a few hours of the news breaking, hacktivist collective Anonymous retaliated by attacking the websites of the RIAA, the MPAA, the FBI, and the U.S. Justice Department by way of denial-of-service attacks.

Late last week, Uploaded.to blocked all U.S. visitors from accessing its site as part of efforts to distance itself from U.S. jurisdiction.

Another popular file-sharing service, RapidShare, said in an interview with Ars Technica that it was "not concerned", adding that, "file hosting itself is a legitimate business". The file-sharing giant is based in Switzerland, and is "set up in a much more transparent way".

RapidShare and FileSonic comply with DMCA requests, and both have dedicated staff to remove illegally uploaded content.

FileSonic did not respond to comments at the time of publication.

Image source: FileSonic.

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Topic: Browser

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14 comments

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RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust

A lot of uploaders are scrambling right now to upload their stuff to other lockers. Still lots of lockers operating in eastern Europe.

sm5w2@...
22 January, 2012 16:10

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RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust

MegaUpload Closed. FileServe Deleting multiple files. Closed affiliate program. FileJungle (Owned by FileServe) Deleting multiple files. Testing out blocking some USA IP addresses. UploadStation (Owned by FileServe) Deleting multiple files. Testing out blocking some USA IP addresses. FileSonic Sharing disabled. Closed affiliate program. Deleting files and accounts. VideoBB Closed affiliate program. Uploaded.to Banned USA IP addresses. FilePost Started suspending accounts with infringing material (doing what Hotfile did) VideoZer Closed affiliate program. 4shared Deleting multiple files.

wendellgee2
22 January, 2012 17:01

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RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust

R.I.P. free Internet. :(

d4rkn1ght
22 January, 2012 19:37

Reply Vote
RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust

Thanks to Obama, more change to believe in. Remember in Nov 2012.

t.glaze@...
22 January, 2012 19:45

Reply Vote
- RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust
 
 @t.glaze@... Huh??? I believe, if you actually check the FACTS, Obama stated he would not sign either the SOPA or PIPA acts into law. Actually - isn't this is the way it's supposed to work? A file-sharing site is supposed to police their own users and remove copyrighted material without the need to sue them for infringement. If they don't do it, then someone else will do it for them.
 
 DT2
 23 January, 2012 05:01
 
 Reply Vote
 - RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust
 
 @DT2 - Are you serious? Obama also stated that he would not sign the military budget bill while it had undefined terms. You know, the ones allowing governmental agencies to arrest private citizens on baseless accusations, then hold them indefinitely without trial or evidence. Those terms remained undefined, and he signed it. Are you seriously still believing him? He also stated that he formed Seal Team 6, for crying out loud!
 
 I'm with t.glaze. Remember, remember on the twelfth of November the treason this boil has wrought.
 
 retsoldja
 23 January, 2012 23:00
 
 Reply Vote
RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust

I'd be glad to leave the US. I'm supporting Anonymous in this even though I don't condemn piracy. *sigh* :(

Grayson Peddie
23 January, 2012 00:23

Reply Vote
RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust

Misleading title to the article.

Filesonic did not shutter their site. All they did was to start enforcing their own policy of disallowing sharing of copyrighted material. To shutter means to take the site off line.

DT2
23 January, 2012 05:04

Reply Vote
- RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust
  
  @DT2 - From the standpoint of those individuals who have payed through the nose for a service that can move files LEGITIMATELY from one user to another, it is shuttered. End of story.
  
  retsoldja
  23 January, 2012 23:06
  
  Reply Vote
RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust

I use filesharing for arguably illegitimate reasons, but until the industry sets up a simple method for downloading programmes and films that A) I have missed on my terrestrial or subscription TV and so paid for already, B) Already bought but have on VHS, C) could borrow from friends or family (or lend out) which isn't illegal, or D) simply won't be able to watch, then everyone will continue to download illegitimately.

New restrictive technology means that recording from the television is no longer a viable option, so unless you have a massive storage solution on Sky Plus(TM), which I'm not sure exists, the limited amount that can be stored for viewing at one's leisure doesn't fulfil the demand. And when they inevitably go pear shaped and Sky zap your box with a software upgrade all of the recordings are lost because there's no backup solution.

The money lost from filesharing is a vastly over-egged pudding for the reasons above. The industry needs to catch up, the same as the music industry has with iTunes for example. Not many people object to paying a few bob for a music download, and I certainly wouldn't mind paying for Breaking Bad for example - I WANT to pay for Breaking Bad, but as I'm from England, I can't. It's totally unavailable on TV, DVD, or any legitimate media. The industry needs to up its game rather than close down the sites that are undermining it.

spozza
23 January, 2012 13:04

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- RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust
  
  @spozza - Exactly. Excellent points, spozza.
  
  retsoldja
  23 January, 2012 23:03
  
  Reply Vote
- RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust
  
  @spozza: You've made excellent points in what you stated earlier! ^^
  I agree that it would significantly help if the industry came up with a legitimate, simple method for downloading a copy of a movie or tv show that you paid for previously
  
  Boushe9849
  30 January, 2012 06:21
  
  Reply Vote
RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust

this sucks but filesonic really did have a GRIP of infringing content on it...regardless I personally hated both filesonic, megaupload, AND most of all hotfile...I used to have alot of my stuff on FS, but then their service went down to crap???then switched to hotfile, who's servers crashed & lost ALL my files???then megaupload which omg i can???t believe what happened.

now I have all my files on:
http://www.peeje.com/upload

???decent sized allowance, and it gives my users direct-links???which they love....so far, it???s been better than sonic, MU and HF COMBINED!!!

BobHart111
23 January, 2012 15:47

Reply Vote
RE: FileSonic shutters: Another file-sharing site bites the dust

File sharing is something that won't be stopped once it started, media distribution will never again be the same, when will they learn?
You do buy or rent if it seems appropriate. If it's hard, over-cost or unavailable to do, you log in, watch it online or grab it from someone who's sharing it.
This is just the "1+1=2" in digital media, and no, it won't walk backwards.

paulomunir
24 January, 2012 18:58

Reply Vote