Downloading Site Mega Upload is No More

Fresh in the wake of the anti-piracy bills SOPA and PIPA comes news of a major internet downloading site shut down. File-hosting site Mega Upload has been taken down after the FBI charged the staff of Mega Upload with copyright infringement (via Tech Crunch). In total, 7 people have been charged, with 4 arrested, and the site itself appears not to be running (my downloads aren’t even working anymore!). The FBI has stated that this has nothing to do with the SOPA/PIPA bills recently in the media.

Interesting and perhaps unexpected news related to all of this (and related to music) – the CEO of Mega Upload is Swizz Beats! He has produced tracks for Jay-Z and is also the husband of singer Alicia Keys. Anyone see that coming? Granted, he was likely a figurehead and an attempt to legitimize the site, but still – odd.

And so it begins….