Join the fight against censorship

[The Last Wicked 251]

http://www.megaupload.com/?c=pressrelease

 

Hong Kong, December 12th 2011

 

Megaupload Limited, founded in 2005, is a leading provider of online storage and data transmission services. Over 180 million registered users rely on us for their day-to-day cyber logistics, and people at 87% of the Fortune 500 companies have accounts with us. As an online service provider, our operations are fully compliant with and protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and we cooperate with rights-holders to combat the abuse of the powerful tools that we provide.

 

Mega has developed innovative technologies that allow artists and owners of content to monetize their creations every time it is downloaded online. One of these solutions, called the Megakey, is available today.

 

Mega's effort to cooperate with artists and content creators is opening up vast new opportunities for them to reach consumers that they otherwise are missing with the traditional business models. These new business opportunities are good for consumers and content creators. Regrettably, we are being attacked and labeled as a "rogue operator" by organizations like the RIAA and the MPAA, which represent some of the music and movie industry. They are wrong. Our record of closing accounts of repeat infringers and taking down illegal files proves we stand against piracy and care about the rights of content owners.

 

On December 9, 2011, we re-launched our website, featuring endorsements by top celebrities including P Diddy, Will.i.am, Kanye West and Chris Brown. The campaign includes a promotional song and video containing snippets from those celebrities called the Mega Song. The video became an instant viral online sensation. Within hours, it was the top trending topic on Twitter, and global news media reported about and linked to the video utilizing Youtube's embedded video player.

 

To our surprise, Universal Music Group (UMG) sabotaged our campaign by deleting Mega's creation from Youtube, abusing the DMCA takedown process and unlawfully claiming ownership of the Mega Song. UMG is currently lobbying lawmakers in Washington for legislation that would allow them to not only delete specific content from a website, but to delete entire websites from the Internet. After this demonstration of the abuse of power by UMG, we are certain that such an instrument of Internet censorship should not be put into the hands of corporations.

 

Let us be clear: Nothing in our song or the video belongs to Universal Music Group. We have signed agreements with all artists endorsing Megaupload. Efforts to reach out to UMG and open a dialogue about this abuse of the DMCA process were answered with unfounded and baseless legal threats and demands for an apology.

 

Neither Megaupload nor the participating artists are supporting or promoting piracy in any form. We stand unified against piracy and have taken a leadership role in this area by giving content owners direct delete access to our servers, bypassing the complicated removal process entirely.

 

One of our websites, megabox.com, will re-launch shortly with big news that will change the music industry forever. We are signing up artists to sell their creations directly. Artists working with Megabox receive 90% of music sales, allowing them to be in control of their careers. This may be a motive for UMG to sabotage our campaign and to block innovation. Mega remains open to having dialogue with all labels on how they can use our innovative technology to open new markets globally for their clients and their content.

 

We are grateful to the artists who are endorsing Megaupload, and we would like to apologize to them for the negative picture that is being painted of Megaupload and their endorsement. It is unfortunate that a powerful and popular viral campaign was stopped in its tracks by illegitimate censorship. It is unfair that we are facing baseless legal threats combined with propaganda depicting Megaupload as rogue and illegal.

 

We thank everyone for the massive support. Let's join forces and fight for an Internet without censorship. Stand up and oppose new laws like SOPA and PIPA, which are being written this month in Washington.

 

Let your local representatives in Congress know what you think. Join organizations that are promoting free speech and innovation. Let's not allow corporations to create an Internet dictatorship with the massive censorship firewall they are lobbying for in Washington.