Filesonic Kills File-Sharing Service

[whitetop]

Filesonic, one of the Internet’s leading cyberlocker services, has taken some drastic measures following the Megaupload shutdown and arrests last week. In addition to discontinuing its affiliates rewards program and not yet paying accrued money to members, the site has disabled all sharing functionality, leaving users only with access to their own files.

According to a shock announcement by the site, all file-sharing functionality has now been disabled, leaving current users only with access to files that they have personally uploaded. Many hundreds of thousands (probably millions) of links all around the web have now been rendered useless, at least temporarily.

But the bad news for the site’s users doesn’t end there. In the last few hours, before file-sharing was disabled, Filesonic also ended its rewards program, meaning that uploaders to the site no longer earn money when people download their files. A moot point perhaps, since no-one will be downloading files anyway.

However, there is the matter of what will happen to the reward money that was sitting in uploader’s accounts before the rewards program was discontinued. Will it be paid out, or will it simply disappear? Many users fear the latter.

This combination of news all adds up to a pretty big deal. Filesonic isn’t just some also-ran in the world of cyberlockers. The site is among the top 10 file-sharing sites on the Internet, with a quarter billion page views a month.

While there has been no official explanation from the site as to why the above actions were taken, all eyes are turned towards events of the last week – the closure of Megaupload and the arrest of its founder and management team.

Like Megaupload, Filesonic appears to based in Hong Kong and it’s clear that the authorities there already worked with the US government to shut down Kim Dotcom’s operations and seize his assets there. Filesonic is also believed to have some US-based servers.

In December, Filesonic announced it had partnered with Vobile, a provider of content identification services. All uploads to the service were said to be being checked for copyright infringement before users were able to share them publicly, although it is unclear if this system was ever implemented by the site.

The events of the last week have turned the cyberlocker world upside down and there is quite literally panic among users and site operators. Stay tuned for our detailed report tomorrow – the Megaupload takedown appears to be a game-changer.




plus FBI stats the take downs are just the beginning of this war and the public will not win.

[robin1989]

bugger another account from me and my mates group gone. lets hope rapidshare/hotfile/fileserve stay working

[whitetop]

i hope they do as if they go down its tor or irc again for me

[FOOKz™]

plus FBI stats the take downs are just the beginning of this war and the public will not win.

I laugh at that. The FBI won't win if we all stop paying taxes LOL




EDIT: soon it will require you to submit your social security number and photo ID to web-hosts to pay for a server...

[whitetop]

http://torrentfreak.com/cyberlocker-ecosystem-shocked-as-big-players-take-drastic-action-120123/

[whitetop]

Megaupload – CLOSED

Fileserve – CLOSED Affiliate Programme. Deleting multiple files. Banning Prem accounts, EVEN if have never uploaded!

Uploadstation – ( by Fileserve) as above

VideoBB – CLOSED it’s affiliate program.

Filepost – started suspending accounts with infringing material (Doing what Hotfile did)

Uploaded.to – not available in U.S. anymore (Banned US Ips)

Videozer – No affiliate/make money page

Filesonic – have brought in Digital fingerprinting, hence files are being deleted as soon as uploaded , in some cases. as much as closed. Can only download own files.

Reported though not confirmed

Filejunfle – ( by Fileserve) Deleting mutilple files, some ppl finding they cant download (US Users)

[COREGAMER]

Hmm maybe now Rapidshare is the only option left

[PsychoticWolf]

Ha!! I don't fear any of this. I'm not a professional Pirate for nothing. sure it sucks I know. but I got way past file sharing sites to acquire goods years ago.

[whitetop]

Ha!! I don't fear any of this. I'm not a professional Pirate for nothing. sure it sucks I know. but I got way past file sharing sites to acquire goods years ago.

that makes two of us i only used this stuff for when i can only find what i want but its on these.

[GhoSt]

I lol at America imposing these laws that effect the rest of the world, yet they don't even give a second thought to how it effects everyone else. To clarify here in New Zealand we are given absolutely no way of legally getting television in a digital format, and shows come out in America like a year before they come out here, and the dvd's come out like a year after that, hence a high rate of television piracy happens. 90% of them would be willing to pay, however we cannot use: netflix, amazon instant video, zune (no tv shows available for us), itunes (same as zune), there is absolutely no legal way for us.

Its funny how most people are so upset about this when they have legal alternatives to piracy, these laws are going to have more of an effect on countries like mine than yours.

[ApheX]

Sorry my american friends. I love you all, but your goverment is acting like a right at the moment. Do something about it before the rest of the world busts a nut.

[PsychoticWolf]

I lol at America imposing these laws that effect the rest of the world, yet they don't even give a second thought to how it effects everyone else. To clarify here in New Zealand we are given absolutely no way of legally getting television in a digital format, and shows come out in America like a year before they come out here, and the dvd's come out like a year after that, hence a high rate of television piracy happens. 90% of them would be willing to pay, however we cannot use: netflix, amazon instant video, zune (no tv shows available for us), itunes (same as zune), there is absolutely no legal way for us.

Its funny how most people are so upset about this when they have legal alternatives to piracy, these laws are going to have more of an effect on countries like mine than yours.

So true man. This is why I was against it. Not cause of what happens to us. but to Other countries.