JBeukema
Rookie
- Banned
- #1
New York man faces five years in jail for ‘linking’ to online videos | The Raw StoryIn a case against a New York website owner, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is claiming that merely linking to copyrighted material is a crime.
DHS, along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), seized Brian McCarthy's domain, channelsurfing.net, in late January. The site has now been replaced with a government warning: "This domain has been seized by ICE - Homeland Security Investigations, Special Agent in Charge, New York Office."
"It is unlawful to reproduce copyrighted material, such as movies, music, software or games, without authorization... First-time offenders convicted of a criminal felony copyright law will face up to five years in federal prison, restitution, forfeiture and fine."
The advocacy group Demand Progress has claimed that McCarthy never reproduced copyrighted material, and that his website simply linked to other sites.
A criminal complaint obtained by the group seems to acknowledge that agents knew that McCarthy was running a "linking website."
So all those Youtube videos you naughties have been linking to- the ones not put up by VEVO, the band, or the label ... that's why Gunny has to go to prison and the FBI is surrounding your home as you read this