Why the MegaUpload.com situation matters to U.S. Small Business Owners

With over 150 million registered users, the file sharing site MegaUpload.com is one of the most popular on the Internet. At least, it was.

Megaupload's website was shut with no notice from the government and no opportunity to challenge it in court. Megaupload Ltd., registered in Hong Kong, is the website's owner of record, according to the indictment. The locales of its computer servers with the allegedly illegal content included Ashburn, Virginia, and Washington, according to the indictment.

The site has now been seized by the US government and its homepage converted to an FBI anti-piracy warning. Its founder, a high tech entrepreneur named Kim Dotcom (yes, he had it legally changed), was arrested in New Zealand after his homes were raided and assets seized.

These actions were all at the behest of the US government. And it's just the latest example of Big Brother overextending its authority across the entire world.

Megaupload is advertised as having more than 1 billion visits to the site, more than 150 million registered users, 50 million daily visitors, and accounts for 4 percent of Internet traffic, prosecutors said.

Megaupload paid millions of dollars in incentives to subscribers to the site, who were rewarded for uploading content that others could then use, according to the indictment.

A survey released in December of 1,600 corporate customers of Palo Alto Networks Inc., a computer security company, found 57 percent of the companies had workers who spent some time trading film clips and games on Megaupload.

The indictment contains one count of racketeering, one count of conspiring to commit copyright infringement, one count of conspiring to commit money laundering and two counts of criminal copyright infringement.

The racketeering and money laundering charges carry maximum penalties of 20 years in prison while the copyright infringement charges have maximum five-year penalties.

Prosecutors said the conspiracy was led by Kim Dotcom, a 37-year-old resident of Hong Kong and New Zealand, and a dual citizen of Finland and Germany, who had legally changed his last name. Dotcom founded Megaupload Ltd. and is the director and sole shareholder of Vestor Ltd., according to the indictment.

In 2010, Dotcom received more than $42 million from the conspiracy, the indictment alleges. Dotcom, who also goes by Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor, was one of those arrested.

When police arrived at Dotcom's Auckland home, he entered his house and activated electronic locks, Detective Inspector Grant Wormald said in a statement today. Police neutralized the locks and then had to cut their way into a safe room, where Dotcom was found with what looked like a sawed-off shotgun, Wormald said.

"It was definitely not as simple as knocking at the front door," Wormald said.

New Zealand police said they carried out 10 search warrants and seized 18 luxury vehicles, including a Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe and a 1959 pink Cadillac. The vehicles are valued at NZ$6 million. Police said as much as NZ$11 million in cash was restrained in various accounts.

Last week, I posted information about efforts to stop passage of the SOPA/PIPA legislation that would give the US government jurisdiction over the Internet. Wikipedia blacked out its English language pages to raise awareness of the issue, and people went completely nuts.

Congress subsequently withdrew the bills amid popular outcry, and the public rejoiced that their efforts successfully thwarted further encroachment on their liberty. Or so they thought.

On the exact same day that everyone was celebrating victory over SOPA/PIPA, the US government simply used another set of regulations to nab Dotcom and seize his assets. The fact that SOPA was scrapped turned out to be completely irrelevant, they just found other rules to apply (or break).

As usual, it's probably not legal. But such technicalities don't matter in the 'guilty until proven innocent' system in which we live. Executive agencies exercise extreme latitude when confiscating assets, and victims often don't have the opportunity to address the matter in front of a judge for years, if ever.

In Dotcom's case, the man probably won't even successfully make it past the extradition process for at least a year... let alone bring the issue to trial. The government is using its bureaucracy to completely circumvent due process and make an example of somebody that they consider a nuisance.

So why should they care? What interest could the US government possibly have in a silly file sharing site? None. But the entertainment industry does.

You see, we don't live in a representative democracy. Democracy is an illusion to make people believe that they're free. Instead, it's blocs of large corporations who are really in control. If the entertainment business wants Kim Dotcom to go away, the government will invent or break any law necessary to make it happen. They're all in bed together.

What's more, it doesn't matter which group or party is in power. Democrat or Republican, Labour or Conservative, Liberal or New Democratic... they're all for sale. Citizens concern themselves with the outcome of elections, investing heavy emotional and financial support for 'their guy'. Companies just wait it out and buy off whichever candidates win.

Kim Dotcom, though a wealthy and successful entrepreneur, was essentially a lone wolf standing against the entire industry. Rather than find ways to work with him in what is clearly emerging as a dominant media platform, they chose to eliminate him... by having the US government send the New Zealand government to arrest him and seize his assets.

About an hour after the indictments were unsealed, the public websites of the Justice Department, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America wouldn’t load. The hacker-activist group known as Anonymous took credit for the disruptions, citing the Megaupload prosecutions, according to Twitter accounts used to publicize the group’s activities.  The sites were disabled by a so-called directed denial of service attack, which floods websites with so much traffic that they temporarily crash without harming network systems or giving attackers access to confidential information.

It's mind numbing when you really think about it.

Ultimately, Dotcom may successfully find his way back to a normal life after years in court and perhaps some time in jail. In the meantime, though, his case certainly makes a strong argument for flying under the radar. It's a stark reminder that, if they really want to get you, they'll apply, invent, or break whatever laws are necessary to do so.

Social Media Marketing and the impact of Social Video

Why Is Video So Important?

Don't take our word for it. See what others are saying about the power of online video!

"New York Times Highlights Advantages Of Online Video For Small Business"
http://www.varvid.com/2011/03/new-york-times-highlights-advantages-of-online-video-for-small-businesses/

"27 Benefits of Online Video"
http://www.sitepoint.com/27-benefits-of-online-video/

"Why You Should Use Online Video Advertising For Business"
http://www.famousbloggers.net/online-video-advertising-business.html

"5 Benefits Of Online Video Marketing"
http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Benefits-Of-Online-Video-Marketing&id=858538

"B2B:The Benefits Of Online Video"
http://www.onlinevideo.net/2010/09/b2b-the-benefits-of-online-video/

"Does Online Video Sacrifice SEO Benefits?"
http://www.davidrisley.com/does-online-video-sacrifice-seo-benefits/

"Explore The Benefits Of Online Video Optimization"
http://www.industrialsearchenginemarketing.com/blog/2009/02/03/explore-the-benefits-of-online-video-optimization/

Our goal is to provide our clients with a marketing tool that can be used to promote their business online, provide a powerful and positive impact to their SEO (search engine optimization) and allow customers to meet the face behind their business. That’s why we are excited to provide our clients with what is quickly becoming the most powerful tool on the internet, a video!

WHO: You, the Local Expert and Small Business Owner

WHAT: As a Guest Expert via Skype Video Interview

WHERE: Online at WorldClassTV

WHEN: At your convenience, from the comfort of your home or office

WHY: Creating videos is great way to increase the potential of being found on searches for your products, company, industry, or services, at least on Google.  Google now incorporates video results into its Web search, specifically those videos hosted on YouTube, which is an affiliate.

Let me ask you the following questions:

• Did you know that having effective video on your website is the best way to "be real" for prospects?
• Do you have a YouTube Channel for your business?
• Do you know how many videos are viewed on YouTube every day?

If you are following any of the major marketing guru's these days, there is a consistent encouragement to return to"being real".  There is no better way to "be real" with your target customers than to share who you are in a video.

A video message is much more appreciated because it feels more personal to your target audience.  Instead of reading words, they can see your facial expressions, smiles and other emotions you wish to convey.  Plus, a video could make them feel as if they’re talking to you.

You can also engage your customers by requesting them to send in their videos, such as a video of themselves talking about your service and the great experience they've had with you.

And lastly, there is a great new way for you to be presented in a "real" format by being interviewed through the WorldClassTV Social Media Internet Show.

Be A Guest Expert on WorldClassTV

If you have been watching the news recently you've likely seen the increased use of Skype to remotely interview Guest Experts.  If you have a laptop computer with a video camera, we can provide you with a great new Guest Expert Video personalized for your business.  This video is produced at your convenience, no travel involved and done at a time convenient for your schedule.

30 minute to 50 minute "Infomercial" TV Interviewers are charging $12,000 to $15,000 to produce this type of Guest Expert Interview and are then charging you thousands of dollars per month for local cable distribution.  Our production costs are a fraction of this, and we will give you the source video for you to freely distribute through your social network.  We will also host your video on our Internet Channel at no additional cost!

Link to WorldClassTV Show Opener

Your Skype Video Interview

We have developed a very convenient and cost-effective way to interactively interview you from the convenience of your home or office.  The Skype Video Interview Package is available for a limited time. This promotional pricing is being done for $297 USD which includes the following:

• 30 Minute Personalized Interview
• Questions Provided in Advance
• Your graphics and logo included in the video
• Call-to-Action Close with Your Contact Info
• Royalty Free Background Music included
• Review and Approval of Final Video
• Full Length Video included
• Short Promotional Video included
• Source Video File for both is Yours.

Link to Order Your Skype Video Interview

Social Media Marketing is being greatly impacted by Social Video, and our unique Skype Video Interview lets you get the benefit of being interviewed as a "Guest Expert" on the WorldClassTV Social Media Show.

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100,000,000 – that is the # of YouTube videos viewed per day- is your Small Business Video on that list?

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A recent survey of more than 3300 participants titled the State of Social Media Marketing found  that 77% of social media marketers plan to increase their focus on video marketing in 2012.

The only option is to start with ourselves

But, I wasn’t successful.
So I decided to change the country.
But, I wasn’t successful.
So I decided to change my community.
But, I wasn’t successful.
So I decided to change my street.
But, be wasn’t successful.
So I decided to change my family.
But, I wasn’t successful.
So I decided to change myself.
AND I WAS SUCCESSFUL (still a work in progress) :).
AND MY FAMILY CHANGED AND THEY AFFECTED THEIR STREET.
AND THE PEOPLE ON THE STREET AFFECTED THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY AFFECTED THEIR COUNTRY.
AND THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY AFFECTED THE WORLD.

Folks, the system remains intact just as our founders envisioned, but it has been corrupted by flawed men. The only way we are going to allow our system to work the way it was designed is to change ourselves and hold ourselves to the standards which we know to be true.

Look at the bondholders of GM who were unilaterally wiped out regardless of priority contracts, look at the little investors in MF Global who got wiped out but JP Morgan and Goldman were made whole (even approved by the BK judge and unlike Bernie Madoff, Corzine gets off scott free) ...when WE became a nation of men deciding who are the winners and losers WE allowed those corrupt men to change us from being a nation of laws. When the President is openly bypassing Congress to implement his own agenda and no one cares (and useful idiots applaud not even realizing that the President is fundamentally undermining the Constitution)...we are getting what we deserve for not standing up for the system with which we were entrusted. Until we are willing to hold each other accountable to the law...our system is truly lost.

We have but one more exit on the highway to destruction...I hope the great people of these United States see the signs and are willing to take the exit and get off this fast lane to societal ruin.