the mass RS File deletion is not just happening here :(

This is a general observation and in no way a legal document.

Although Rapidshare is used by name, this could represent any file sharing hosts.

File Deleted - "THIS FILE IS FORBIDDEN TO BE SHARED! Complaints received." is Rapidshare's response. Who decides if a file can or cannot be shared. Rapidshare, a disgrunteled user or even someone from the anti-porn brigade.

The file belongs to the uploader and whatever the contents, the uploader should be notified that there is a problem with the file. If a complaint was recieved by Rapidshare on a file the complaintant must justify to Rapidshare and the uploader what criteria has been used to justify such a complaint. If the complainant has seen the screencaps and was offended by that then do not download the contents. Rapidshare should not delete a file based on a person knowing the contents of a file. They do not have a justified complaint as they know the contents of the file before downloading it.

Copyright infringment: How does Rapidshare or anyone else know that it was not the copyright owner who released the file to make it publicly available to increase business and as such there would have been no violation of copyright. The uploader is doing the website owner and Rapidshare a service by uploading and allowing access to files and at the uploaders own expense (premium user), which in turn the downloader may decide to join that site, increasing the membership to Rapidshare (as a new Premium user) and that of the site.

RapidShare Kills Links of Suspected Copyright Infringers
Hosting site has deleted more than 1,000 links.

By Sherri L. Shaulis

Posted: 4:05 PM PST Nov 07, 2007
DUESSELDORF, Germany - Links to copyrighted adult content posted in file-sharing forums by some of the most prolific users of one-click hosting site RapidShare have been rendered useless.

While moderators at RapidShare, which reportedly is operated from Switzerland by its German owner, traditionally has disabled single links following copyright-infringement complaints, this apparently is the first time the site has disabled all links posted by users suspected of copyright infringement. As of last week, some users who posted more than 650 links saw their accounts virtually shut down.

By Oct. 31, users of Forumophilia.com, a message board where users post links back to RapidShare leading to downloaded adult content, had received the message "This file has been deleted. Reason: This file is forbidden to be shared! Complaints received." when trying to open a link.

A poster known as "kuifje," who has posted more than 650 links, saw almost all of the links disabled. Other posters, some of whom also had posted hundreds of links, met the same fate.

"That may be due to a verdict of the Court of Appeals in Cologne, with which RapidShare ... was put out of liability in cases where they don't know where the URLs are being distributed," German attorney Daniel Koetz told AVN Online. "Once they know, they are obliged to scan the forums by themselves. ... They might have new scanning methods and are obliging the Cologne verdict."

Koetz sued RapidShare on behalf of a German photographer with the backing of 10 American photographers and filmmakers, while German-based music rights organization GEMA filed separate suits against RapidShare.com and RapidShare.de. The decisions held RapidShare liable for illegal and allegedly stolen material on its sites, despite the company's contention that it was not responsible because it did not post the material but simply hosted it.

RapidShare is owned by Christian Schmid of Germany. The site, by many accounts, is considered one of the largest resources for stolen motion-picture files, software, music, games and adult photos and videos.

A note on the site's page, however, warns users that "illegal files will be removed immediately after notice. Furthermore, we will add them to our file filter, so they can't be uploaded again."

Emails seeking comment from RapidShare officials went unanswered.

As link posters at Forumophilia.com became aware of the situation last week, most expressed anger, while some were willing to look at the other side of the coin.

"Let's face facts - everything the estimed (sic) kuifje has uploaded belongs to someone else," a user named "cuckold" wrote. "And those people who do own it shot the porn with the expectation of being paid for their work. Do you want to work for free? Neither do I or the guys who shot all this hot porn.

"Let's be real about the porn industry wanting to protect their livelihood and try to see both side[s] of it. Why would anyone continue to make all this great porn if they didn't get any money for it?"

Koetz said the removal of the links is a bit of a victory for the adult industry, but it might not be a long-lived one.

"I'm afraid the infringers will move on to other shores," he said.

^-- http://www.avn.com/index.cfm?objectid=1C5634CD-D33C-602C-6C3ACDD8E20E3D92

getting hot in here

D@mn, or something else but I just think FREE porn for all wil always be there.

just my id


nimrod1

I can't even get to rapidshare. Anyone else having that problem?

jeblis wrote:
A temporary server glitch. I had a problem earlier today, but no problem now.

"I'm afraid the infringers will move on to other shores," he said.

Good I dont need to tell you that you should be afraid..you already said it.What an intelligent boy you are.But well said.

kuifje,you're famous now.

I read the article on AVN website. I still think we have a our own personal troll narc. I'm quite sure the punk bitch is reading this. FUCK U!!! You snitching bastard.

I just had to reply to this and give a thanks to 3rdparty for letting everybody know what the hell is going on.

I've not joined this forum for very long but I have GOT TO say No Make That MUST SAY how very upsetting and Sic and Very Angry most posters here must be feeling at the moment, to have put all there hard work, Spare time, and effort into this forum and by giving a lot and I mean a lot of people by the amount of people joined here a lot of FUN, and ENJOYMENT over the years, only to have there files deleted (it must be Gut-Wrenching), I for one give my thanks, and appreciation to all posters who have posted here, and to say how Sorry I am for you all at the moment.

and just to remember where ever there is a will there is a way,
They may take your files, but they will never take away your freedom.
(of rights) (to Share)

Keep Your Heads High, and all the best to you all.

bluehalo2, stop deceiving yourself.
We are stealing the work of the girls and the people who work with them.
They do this work for money.
If/when you work for free...well that is very unique.

Edit:
bluehalo2, ok. It does hurt to have files deleted.
---
lavec said "The countries should provide a law that every teenage girl should do few porns and then she can get a free high education or something like that "
---
That's funny

nudge96 wrote:

Yeah maybe your right at the end of the day, infact deep down I Know your right,
It just doesn't stop me from feeling sorry for alot of people here though.

nudge96 wrote:

We are just giving an example how those people should work - volountary - that's free! The countries should provide a law that every teenage girl should do few porns and then she can get a free high education or something like that

lavec you hit the head of the nail in a straight blow.
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[URL=http://www.casimages.com][/URL]

Deity wrote:
that's right, but it's just 1 click and you can copy and paste the link into an email to RS.
all you really need is the RS-filenumber and ppl can complete the link on their own. it's really a small price to pay for security imho.

btw., i found this very interesting post about collecting links
https://www.forumophilia.com/
maybe this has something to do with all the deleted files
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daa dada da daa da

OK, here's my 2 cents.

First, copyright owners have an absolute right to control how and where their work is shown, with only a very few minor(sounds like a man who digs coal, or a bird which mimics) exceptions outlined by statute in any civilised country. If you don't like that, make your own porn and release it under Creative Commons or similar licence. A few amateur exhibitionists already do, but there would be much less porn without the financial motive.

Second, the corollary of this is that you don't have a god given right to as much free porn as you can download. Everything you download free is there either because somebody has kindly gifted it to the world, or more often because somebody is illegally distributing material in which they have no rights. Complaining that your 'free' porn has been taken away is just pathetic.

Thirdly, porn producers are free to take their own decisions about when a little leakage is acceptable and when aggressive revenue protection is required. If you post a short clip from a site with a clear logo and maybe even a link to the originator's pay site, he might see that as good advertising and overlook the strict copyright infringement. FHGs, TGPs and porn blogs are just a formalised and contractually agreed version of this, so the site owner is unlikely to be too upset at getting the same advertising without the 50% revenue share On the other hand, if you rip a whole site and upload it all to Rapidshare, the only person getting any revenue is Rapidshare; you can see how a porn producer might in that case be inclined to get the material removed asap and maybe even make a civil claim against RS for lost revenue. RS has to protect its position, and that means taking down material as soon as a complaint is received, regardless of the true legitimacy of the complainant. They simply cant afford to engage arbitrators and investigative agents every time a complaint is made to determine whether A: the complainant has a good case under copyright or any other law and B: the uploader has a legitimate defence under fair use, public interest immunity etc. RS would be out of business in a week if they had to investigate every claim, so they just pull the content instantly. If you don't like that, don't subscribe to RS. Just using Rapidshare as an example, the same applies to every other hosting company.

Bottom line; there's a practically limitless amount of 'free' porn on the internet, nearly all of it stolen. If the owner claims it back, you're still ahead, because there's still plenty more out there which hasn't been deleted yet.