Homeland Security seizes domain names

[eeyore]

This is the begining of the end of the Political side of the NEt and sites like youtube.

Homeland Security seizes domain names

The investigative arm of the Homeland Security Department appears to be shutting down websites that facilitate copyright infringement.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has seized dozens of domain names over the past few days, according to TorrentFreak.

ICE appears to be targeting sites that help Internet users download copyrighted music, as well as sites that sell bootleg goods, such as fake designer handbags.

The sites are replaced with a note from the government: "This domain named has been seized by ICE, Homeland Security Investigations."


For instance, borntrade.com, 51607.com, and amoyhy.com have each been seized.

One of the site owners told TorrentFreak that his site was shut down without any notice or warning.


The effort comes as Congress considers the Combatting Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA). Critics, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) say it is too heavy-handed. He has vowed to put a formal hold on the bill.

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-va...-domain-names-

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Hmmm not sure I understand completely what the issue is and I'm gonna soapbox this some.
They steal stuff and break the law and the website gets shut down. How does this differ from using another means to facilitate a crime such as a vehicle, gun or houses which are also taken during the commision of a crime. They are shutting down sites that download copyrighted music, sell bootleg goods, or steal movies and resell them with bootleg copies not attacking free speech or anything else. They dont attack youtube, myspace, facebook etc but posters who upload can be removed without warning for commiting a crime.
If someone started selling fake LTS canned goods or stolen items from JRH, or another survival vendor etc on a website we be as upset when they got shut down after we got ripped off or JRH lost money and went under due to this? These folks are leaches and even though the "big companies" won't go under they still lose money and folks get ripped off buying something they think is something else and are victimized.
"One of the site owners told TorrentFreak that his site was shut down without any notice or warning". Wow and ...? Law Enforcement usually doesn't tell you what they are going to do when they bust you. Thats kinda how you catch a bad guy.
I know I'm being harsh but what am I missing?

[LizardKing]

I can't argue your logic on this and agree with the premise that these sites are cheating others that are market an honest product. My issue is that these matters used to be settled by the criminal justice system and i'm having a problem seeing where a knock off handbag is a threat to national security to be handled by D.H.S. How many millions of $$ is it going to cost us to shut these sites down?

[Matt In Oklahoma]

DHS is a made up, feel good, fix it now entity bro. The importation has always fallen under "Customs" which is now the the "C" in BICE. Nothing changed with what any agency does now compared to before as far as what laws they enforce. Occasionally they make bust with importations that have Hezbollah, ties or something like that. Someties these things are Gang/Cartel related, also threats. Several organizations have trained their people to attack the economy because they feel the violence they can create is too small in damages to drag down the "evil American empire" so they sell fake imported stuff to hurt the economy and grow stronger while doing so. Every dollar they make goes back into training and buying weapons. Some of these businesses make millions a year, and while we buy their fake ripped off music they buy stuff to attack us. Some of these groups are as small as 4 people and are even are Americans and are trying to grow using our own system of free trade against us. They can grow rapidly and in 20yrs be a huge threat. Just look at Al Queda, started small half a dozen in some dang far away 3rd world place and now control our everyday actions and cause hate a discontent at our airports and everywhere else. They got us fighting each other at airports while they sit and laugh and while we try and watch our own folks to make sure our rights are not trampled we take our eye off the ball and quit watching them. They even control almost everyone on this site because some of the things you prep for are threats they will create like dirty bombs. Handbags seems small but the last business taken out made 100k in a year. What could you buy for even 50k to use to attack America?
You ask about the cost, Law Enforcement or Military actions neither one are not "cost effective" and never have been nor will they ever be.
It doesn't cost that much to shut down a site. It probably cost more building a historical case buying evidence and paying agents and AUSAs over time and going to trial.
"DHS" was to simply to better how agencies are managed and make them share intell gathered while working thier cases. I don't see much improvement from my point of view in the world but the Officers are not to blame as they are trained and paid to do a job which they are doing under Customs Importations in this case.

[LizardKing]

Excellent analysis of the situation. I hadn't considered the $$ trail of it and was only looking at a narrower vision. You make valid points that I'll have to incorporate into my views.

[Klayton]

Well, the domain names must end in .com or other US affiliated addresses. If HS is somehow closing down .uk or .au etc etc, they are definitely overstepping their bounds. ;)

[vick]

This is just a prelude to their real agenda to close down the internet altogether .It's another one of their tricks to control the people and our communication with others.
That's my interpetation of their sneaky ways.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Well, the domain names must end in .com or other US affiliated addresses. If HS is somehow closing down .uk or .au etc etc, they are definitely overstepping their bounds. ;)

So far the ones listed are ours. I don't think they can shut down an International site without some others things coming into play.One exception is them using a router here to bounce off of which they then can shut that down but thats only a temporary fix. Alot of phony International sites do that to avoid trace.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

This is just a prelude to their real agenda to close down the internet altogether .It's another one of their tricks to control the people and our communication with others.
That's my interpetation of their sneaky ways.

Vick I thought it was "Their" internet to begin with? Didnt "They, Them etc" make it to start with? Am I wrong?

[eeyore]

Matt, my problem with it is what will it be in a year or in 6 months? Have you ever seen anything that the government does shrink? No it does not, it never goes out of business it just gets bigger and then morphs into something else. The government abuses what it wants to justify it's means. They believe they know what is is best for us, and they will do what ever it takes for use to live the way they believe we should. They ought to punish law breakers, but they don't just stop there, they never have, so there is no reasonable reason to believe they will in the future. imo

[Matt In Oklahoma]

@ Eeyore, true and I agree. The reason you are hearing about this is because of the whining by the criminals and alot of folks getting cheap stuff. I am all for watching and making sure they, the them, the man, don't step out of line as we should be, even our Founding fathers wanted that.
I do agree after looking at it further that it has been done prior to the bill being passed that specifically covers it but I also see where it is something used to facilitate a crime and therefore is subject to be shut down just like a drunks car. What "rights" were violated? There are other things like that dang gardening bill that need to be watched and dumped more than this IMO. Truth is I'm more worried, about 4 jihad guys who can sell 1K of handbags and movies for 5K then make 10K with reinvestment in a year or less by doing this and then buying what they need next Christmas and walking into the local mall with 10K of gear and some prior military training from some 3rd world hole or even one of our advanced gun training facilities that are all teaching unknown civilians advanced military/police combatives these days for the money and making Columbine look like mr rogers neighborhood, than I am BICE busting a thief.
I still know where the money goes ,as stated above in the prior post, so you tell me what should they, them, the man do? @ Everyone believe it or not good ideas are still heard and employed sometimes so throw some stuff out there and lets fix this "problem?". If you know that a criminal/terrorist organization is importing fake/stolen goods and selling them for profit using a website what should be done so the criminal/terrorist/normal American rights are not violated by taking this website down while still combating the criminal/terrorist? No more armchair qb, no more sideline warrior, no more conspiracy stuff, step up folks and fix it please.