

Anonymous strikes back: takes down DoJ, Universal, RIAA and MPAA sites - 11031a
http://www.geek.com/articles/news/anonymous-strikes-back-by-taking-down-doj-universal-records-20120119/

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abrahamsen
This ... doesn't help. Especially right now.

If I worked PR for SOPA/PIPA, I'd try to associate the anti-SOPA/PIPA movement
with Anonymous. Let's see: Megaupload is a foreign website being taken down.
SOPA is about taking foreign websites down. Anonymous responds with vandalism
as a result of Megaupload being taken down. Therefore, anyone opposing SOPA
are criminal vandals. Yep, that logic should be strong enough for the American
public.

~~~
toyg
But it also gives you the excuse to say "see? we don't need SOPA, overseas
websites are already being closed down".

It doesn't matter what "the American public" thinks, as long as senators'
phones keep ringing an people keep organizing. The copyright mafia will never
be able to take the streets, TeaParty-style, so whether they brainwash a moron
here and there doesn't really matter.

EDIT: btw, I do find the timing of this operation quite "funny". Conspiracy
theorists will go wild.

------
trout
This would be more interesting if it was something that affected those groups.
Those groups live in different media, not online. If their cable streams were
hacked, billboards, advertising, commercials were compromised, it would truly
taking the 'fight' to their door.

I'm still waiting for a well-formed movement to impact the RIAA/MPAA
financials via boycott. It seems everyone that is anti-SOPA is also against
their business practices, and if the 4 million people that signed the google
petition could even partially support it that seems much more meaningful.

~~~
sc00ter
Are not all the people who choose to download content without payment already
carrying out a form of deafacto boycott?

~~~
mokus
In a sense, yes, but they're also proving that the products they are
"boycotting" are so important to them that they cannot do without them, even
to make a point that supposedly is very important to them. It doesn't tell the
MPAA "you need to provide a more valuable product", it tells them exactly the
opposite - their product is so important to them that they can't live without
it.

It tells them that if they can manage to game the political system to push the
risk of prosecution and/or cost of conviction high enough, then many of those
people will pay. In other words, it motivates them to do exactly what they are
doing.

On the other hand, if very large group were to simply stop consuming they
would be in a much stronger bargaining position. I don't see that happening
though. I just don't believe enough 1st world humans have it in them to pull
off something like that.

~~~
argv_empty
_> Are not all the people who choose to download content without payment
already carrying out a form of deafacto boycott?_

 _but they're also proving that the products they are "boycotting" are so
important to them that they cannot do without them_

That seems like a rather strong conclusion to draw from seeing someone willing
to pay no money and assume a negligible risk in order to acquire the product.

------
tlb
Some of Anonymous's early protests were impressive. But this is just cowardly
vandalism. The DoJ is not thinking, "Whoa, we better not arrest any more
copyright infringers so our web site is safe."

~~~
TeMPOraL
'If only tool you have is a DDoS...'

It's time for Anonymous to do something more creative. They are capable of it.
DDoSing people doesn't work anymore.

------
im3w1l
I predict that Anonymous will face the same emotional reaction as al'Qaida.
"We will never bend to terrorists."

And I support this sentiment. Anonymous is retarded, and HN is retarded for
not coming out strongly against them.

~~~
drewblaisdell
> Anonymous is retarded, and HN is retarded for not coming out strongly
> against them.

This is the kind of eloquent criticism that I read the HN comments for.

~~~
atomicdog
My dad could beat up Anonymous' dad.

------
libraryatnight
My knee jerk reaction here is to fist pump and go "yea!" I do wonder though if
this accomplishes much. I don't think these sites are really that integral to
anyone's day, and unless they can somehow keep them down it's a short lived
thing.

~~~
VBprogrammer
My first reaction was a hearty chuckle. I know vigilantly justice is wrong but
in this case I'll let that slide. None of these targets actually lost much
given that they are mostly just for information sites.

~~~
srl
Just so you know: it's "vigilante", pronounced "vigilantay". There's a secret
accent over that last 'e'.

~~~
coderdude
Actually, it's pronounced "vij-uh-lan-tee." No accent.

~~~
LearnYouALisp
Actually, it's "vigilante" with a silent "e" as in "dilettante".

-Pronunciation troll

------
bbit
Will thank you Anonymous! you and occutards are responsible for SOPA, PIPA and
NDAA without you we couldn't have had all this fun thank you!!! _middle
fingers extends_

~~~
scarmig
What do "occutards" have to do with this?

And do you really think that the media industry wouldn't have pushed for SOPA
and PIPA if not for them?

Indeed, they were pushing for laws like PIPA and SOPA long before Anonymous
and Occupy even existed.

