100M : The Pirate Bay is blocked

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by _wtf_

You mean like David Prowse the actor who played Darth Vader in one of the highest grossing films ever that according to the accountants has still not made a profit.

Yes. Let's take one extreme (and possibly completely incorrect) example and apply it to every film ever made

Funny I thought that was due to the fact that just about every story that can be has been copyrighted for the next 120 years, so the producers/writers don't have anything they can expand on without possible law suits.

Nothing like a nice bit of hyperbole to add nothing to the discussion.

You only have to look at LoveFilm to see how stupid the copyright and licensing is. I can rent The Help on DVD as part of my subscription yet I have to pay £3.49 to watch a poor quality version online.

Well that's a funding-model and quality issue and nothing else.

Be amused all you want folks, some of you obviously aren't aware how google adsword works. But that can soon be fixed with a simple update on what adverts to not allow.

I am not really interested if people think it is stupid that they cannot discuss ways or post links to get around the block. The simple fact remains, posting any link which does evade the block is just the same as posting a link to any unlawful content which is not allowed as per sites terms of use. Terms which have been in place for nearly 10 years and I have already stated that I am not going to let standards slip, just because we think the block itself is stupid and pointless.

Some of you can argue to until the cows come home, or until you are blue in the face, that TPB does not give access to unlawful content, it is irrelevant, a court ruling has deemed that the site does and has issued a court order which has to be obeyed. I am not going to risk this site, however small that risk could be, by allowing links or ways to avoid the block, which could potentially see any site which does this being in contempt of that court order and then the courts issuing orders to block any site which does.

I am not going to get this site in trouble for noone. So go figure. I have issued a request and I expect all members to respect such a request. If you do not agree with it then please go elsewhere, you are not forced to use this website.

Also seen some pretty ridiculous remarks about people being allowed to link to youtube on here and that they provide copyrighted content. Absolute rubbish. I believe youtube has a copyright programme in place where if copyrighted material ends up on youtube, they have an active policy which removes it. I have seen loads of youtube vids, removed because of Copyright. But a site as large as youtube is, it is inevitable that some rogue content ends up on there.

Finally, this thread is not to be used as a platform for people to disagee with our rules. Initally, the thread has been good in terms of peoples views on the block and how much people diagree with it and also some views about people who do agree with the block. This is what this thread is here for. However, I will not have it turn in to a battle ground for people to mock the team and and or abuse the site. If this kind of approach continues then I shall just close the thread. Let's not spoil what has been so far, a really good debate.

Thank you.

[Fawkes]

Originally Posted by Blackened

The CF owners are just playing safe in a new area, surely. I can't blame them for that. Senior CF team members have all but said it's not exactly an ideal situation or something they support. I don't think it's unreasonable of them to ask us to just play it down a bit and not flag CF as somewhere where anyone can find info on how to get round the block, even if it's all out there elsewhere. Anyone wanting to bypass the block knows how to or can Google how to. I don't believe we can honestly feel like we're being censored - that's a bit extreme. Can't we just go along with this while everyone's a bit uncertain?
As for the ads - aren't they just Google keyword generated? Again, I think it's unfair to take the moral high ground and suggest CF is being a hypocrite by allowing them. If the admins think it's unsuitable, give them a chance to block the keywords. It's weekend, I'm sure Paul M has things he'd rather be doing.
I don't like any of this as much as anyone else, but shifting the REAL focus of the situtation onto CF and pretending it's all a massive deal that we can't talk about circumventing the VM block here, is a bit like blaming the car for running out of petrol. Everyone knows it's not the car's fault really, but it's the one thing you can vent your frustration at easily (however misplaced). Not entirely fair IMO.

Just to clarify, I understand the CF response to this. They have put time and money into this site and don't want to fall foul of the law. When I talked about censorship I was mainly referring to the case. It is self-censorship but we have no free speech right here anyway although I'm sure the CF team will say it's all good as long as you don't breach the ToS.

Originally Posted by Fawkes

...now the owners of this site fear legal repercussions if they allow its users to discuss ways to bypass this block.

This is what's called a chilling effect.

[carlwaring]

I'd call it common sense myself

[Skie]

Something I'm sure you know lots about.

[mcmanic]

funny thing is Virgin block (or try to) Piratebay but then they provide the same files and warez/apps/music on their own binary newsgroup servers?

[Jayster]

Originally Posted by mcmanic

funny thing is Virgin block (or try to) Piratebay but then they provide the same files and warez/apps/music on their own binary newsgroup servers?

Their newsgroup server is off site, also do you really think virgin really care about stopping piracy? At the end of the day lots of people will upgrade to the highest package to download copyrighted content and its that money that helps keep virgin going.

[Blackened]

Originally Posted by mcmanic

funny thing is Virgin block (or try to) Piratebay but then they provide the same files and warez/apps/music on their own binary newsgroup servers?

But they haven't been ordered by a court to do anything about that, let's hope they never do. Blocking TPB wasn't their decision, they're not going to start shutting down services unless they're forced to.
Makes you wonder what's further down the line though. However unfruitful, there's been a clear and definite step in a certain direction.

[hjf288]

Originally Posted by Mick

Be amused all you want folks, some of you obviously aren't aware how google adsword works. But that can soon be fixed with a simple update on what adverts to not allow.

I am not really interested if people think it is stupid that they cannot discuss ways or post links to get around the block. The simple fact remains, posting any link which does evade the block is just the same as posting a link to any unlawful content which is not allowed as per sites terms of use. Terms which have been in place for nearly 10 years and I have already stated that I am not going to let standards slip, just because we think the block itself is stupid and pointless.

Some of you can argue to until the cows come home, or until you are blue in the face, that TPB does not give access to unlawful content, it is irrelevant, a court ruling has deemed that the site does and has issued a court order which has to be obeyed. I am not going to risk this site, however small that risk could be, by allowing links or ways to avoid the block, which could potentially see any site which does this being in contempt of that court order and then the courts issuing orders to block any site which does.

I am not going to get this site in trouble for noone. So go figure. I have issued a request and I expect all members to respect such a request. If you do not agree with it then please go elsewhere, you are not forced to use this website.

Also seen some pretty ridiculous remarks about people being allowed to link to youtube on here and that they provide copyrighted content. Absolute rubbish. I believe youtube has a copyright programme in place where if copyrighted material ends up on youtube, they have an active policy which removes it. I have seen loads of youtube vids, removed because of Copyright. But a site as large as youtube is, it is inevitable that some rogue content ends up on there.

Finally, this thread is not to be used as a platform for people to disagee with our rules. Initally, the thread has been good in terms of peoples views on the block and how much people diagree with it and also some views about people who do agree with the block. This is what this thread is here for. However, I will not have it turn in to a battle ground for people to mock the team and and or abuse the site. If this kind of approach continues then I shall just close the thread. Let's not spoil what has been so far, a really good debate.

Thank you.

Is a discussion of paid VPN services allowed as long as it doesn't mention any sites and is just about the performance/price/features of the VPN?

Or is that totally off-limits due to it's "alternate uses"

I'm being honestly serious and not trying to be pedantic.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Originally Posted by hjf288

Is a discussion of paid VPN services allowed as long as it doesn't mention any sites and is just about the performance/price/features of the VPN?

Or is that totally off-limits due to it's "alternate uses"

I'm being honestly serious and not trying to be pedantic.

There is nothing illegal about using a VPN, so discussing which are the best performance/value for money etc shouldnt be a problem on this forum.

I would start another thread though as its off topic here

Originally Posted by hjf288

Is a discussion of paid VPN services allowed as long as it doesn't mention any sites and is just about the performance/price/features of the VPN?

Or is that totally off-limits due to it's "alternate uses"

I'm being honestly serious and not trying to be pedantic.

Nothing wrong with that - but as stated by SH, probably a topic for another thread.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by mcmanic

funny thing is Virgin block (or try to) Piratebay but then they provide the same files and warez/apps/music on their own binary newsgroup servers?

The difference being that the former is blocked due to a court order and the latter VM have no control over the content of.

Again, common sense.

[mcmanic]

Originally Posted by carlwaring

The difference being that the former is blocked due to a court order and the latter VM have no control over the content of.

Again, common sense.

eh?, wasn't that many years back when NTL as it was back then stopped the newsgroups carrying the main warez and pirated materials. Of course they have control!, just seems abit of let's bash a popular site because it's set's an example but don't tell them if your with VM you have free access to what you want via their newsgroup anyway.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by mcmanic

eh?, wasn't that many years back when NTL as it was back then stopped the newsgroups carrying the main warez and pirated materials.

I don't remember that far back but of course they had control over their own newgroups, but not the wider Usenet in general. Again, common sense.

Of course they have control!, just seems abit of let's bash a popular site because it's set's an example...

And, once again for the hard of understanding, VM are simply complying with a court order to block a specific website.

Originally Posted by mcmanic

...but don't tell them if your with VM you have free access to what you want via their newsgroup anyway.

And not just VM but via any other ISP. In fact, you can access them independently of any ISP if you really want to. So it's a moot point, really.

[qasdfdsaq]

Clearly some of us don't know what common sense is or don't have it.

1) All newsgroup providers are in complete control of the content of their servers, what categories they choose to provide, and for how long
2) An internet service provider with no control over the content of their own servers has some major issues.

---------- Post added at 11:36 ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 ----------

Originally Posted by carlwaring

I don't remember that far back but of course they had control over their own newgroups, but not the wider Usenet in general. Again, common sense.

You just said they didn't.

Originally Posted by carlwaring

The difference being that the former is blocked due to a court order and the latter VM have no control over the content of.

Again, common sense.

Now who's hard of understanding?

Pot. Kettle. Black.