TV-Links.co.uk - The real story

[Slothie]

TV-Links (now dead) is a site which links to sites like Google Video and YouTube, which host clips of TV shows. Today, the Gloucestershire County Council, in association with a group called the FACT, raided the site’s servers and arrested the 26 year old man from Cheltenham who ran the site.

A man is now in prison because he runs a site where other people can link to low-resolution tv shows, hosted by Google. FACT did not raid Google, they raided a site which merely links to TV shows.

If I still lived in England, then could I be charged with the same crimes? As ZeroPaid’s Jared asks, could the people who link to my site be charged as co-conspirators?


Read more at: http://blog.bluefrogx.com/2007/10/24/tv-linkscouk-raided-owner-arrested/

 

[GamingX]

No wonder x10 does not allow anyone to play copyright videos from youtube or any other site for matter. So, if you own the rights to a video clip, host it.

 

[Slothie]

Its just preposterous though, they should target those that host instead of those that link.

It's like arresting addicts instead of the dealers.

 

[Sharky]

Its just preposterous though, they should target those that host instead of those that link.

It's like arresting addicts instead of the dealers.

Not quite... The viewers would be the addicts!

TV-links is in a way like the dealer, assuming the dealer doesn't grow the ... 'substances'....

I dunno, but maybe it could be simplified to this:

Seed -> Grower -> Dealer -> Addict
Producer -> GooTube/etc -> TV-Links -> Viewer

Not saying I agree with the decision to go after the TV-Links guys... It's a completely different thing. Contrary to what we all may think, TV-Links really isn't addictive or expensive. :biggrin:

 

[Swiblet]

TV links are not dealers. The dealer is Google video. TV links is just a guy on some random road saying "Yo! There are drug dealers over there! Go get your drugs! Over there! Yah!"

Some poor hobo pointing the way to the dealer would not get arrested for yelling. The dealer would be arrested. The dealer...being GV. I think this is horrendous. This TV links guy is NOT guilty of ANYTHING. What's next, will they go after www.pisoga.com? Stupid, stupid British government >.<

~~Ben

 

[QueenHawkeye]

Well, know I know why TV-links isn't working now. It's really stupid how they're putting him in prison. If they really wanted to catch someone how about picking on google/youtube? But we all know that's not going to happen.

 

[Slothie]

Not the only one either.. Oink's shut down too

 

[Swiblet]

I've never heard of that Well, good luck with Pisoga =) I think that Pisoga's hosted on a host that does not consider that illegal. Too bad Pisoga's mostly for Anime >.<

~~Ben

 

[omychron]

They actually put the guy in jail for that? ...
Guess they're trying to set an example.

 

[Slothie]

Hell, netherlands supposed to be one of the most relaxed lands for DMCA notices, you normally can just shrug 'em off. But since this **** happened, I'm not sure exactly where to host borderline legal stuff anymore.

 

[rockthecasbah]

Not the only one either.. Oink's shut down too

I find OiNK being shut down even MORE depressing.

The inaccuracies being circulated about OiNK are astounding too. Geez, get the facts right.

I remember back in the day, they would file lawsuits or cease and desist letters. Now they (the movie/music industry) are involving the police and such?? And targetting people who don't host the material either.

Hrm.

 

[Slothie]

DMCA notices used to be able to be shrugged off by moving to offshore notices. Now they are cooperating internationally. Sucks eh... Pretty soon we'll have to host servers on the moon so we're outside of their jurisdiction

 

[Swiblet]

For borderline legal things, you should use Leaseweb. They let you get away with damn near everything unless they get sued, then they bother you. A certain very very popular borderline-legal site that begins and ends with a D is hosted by Leaseweb, and even after Leaseweb was sued by Canada for hosting StarWarsIII pieces, the "D" site is still up and running!! It was just temporarily disabled! So yeah, Leaseweb is the right place to go.

~~Ben