The problem with legal disputes about the internet is that judges generally do not have a clue about how things work. UK site SurfTheChannel is a prime example of this. The site hosted links to a wide variety of videos to other sites on the internet, some of these were copyright infringing but with so many links it is only possible to take those down when they are reported. The site did not host any video content, it only acted as very specialised search engine for TV and film content.
The MPAA and FACT, the local anti-piracy group, hated SurfTheChannel so much that it hired a private detective to go into the site owner’s house and snoop around.They then got the police (paid for at the UK Tax Payer’s expense) to complete their dirty work, raid his house and bring him into custody.
He has now been sentenced to 4 years in jail for nothing more than being a miniature Google – in official legal speak that translates as conspiracy to defraud. Thousands of websites all over the internet link out to copyright infringing sites but go unnoticed yet when a big media company or copyright protection organisation wants a scapegoat, it normally gets one.
Censorship of the internet is wrong. Taking down this site was wrong. And we hope the MPAA and FACT gets what coming to them.
