I thought this might be good to share as some people here rely on streaming video sites for some Earthquakes games (not to mention other MLS games or other sports). A branch of Homeland "Security" has decided to crackdown on sites like atdhe.net and channelsurfing.net, taking them out. There will be mirror sites and new sites put up in response, but just making it known before the season starts that finding streaming matches online might be trickier than before. Glad to see they're devoting all of their energy and resources in going after the real threats to America: copyright infringement. It's not like they could be spending their time going after terrorists or violent criminals...
I read somewhere that this has gotten a lot of push from UFC for all of their pay-per-view fights and the NFL for the upcoming Super Bowl. Sites like atdhe.net and channelsurfing.net should just remove all of the "American" sports off their lists and leave MLS games on. I'm sure the US Gov't doesn't care about soccer.
This all fortunately and understandably has no negative impact on the availability of ordering the MLS Direct Kick Package. GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/48692.html ----- The Roja Directa site was affected too--there has been drivel on this on other parts of the boards. http://www.rojadirecta.com/ If these streaming sites were charging people for this that's one thing but if someone wants to look at "television" from home there is nothing wrong. Hell people who are from elsewhere want to know what's going on in their native land--in this case Albany trying to catch the Quakes games from across the pond. More people are watching online nowadays and are abandoning cable/dish. It might have the opposite effect. This is the same position as when Napster was prevalent in regards to digital music. I wouldn't be surprised if DHS went after all the viewing sites--which have been a lifesaver since a good deal of people don't have a television (re: cable/dish). ----- However, once this part of the net becomes regulated that's it. The companies will charge for cable/dish, then for the internet, and then to access same content online. "Without eternal vigilance, it can happen here..." --Joe Bob Briggs It's going to get even more trickier to find channels to watch online.
It still won't negatively affect the availability of both the MLS Direct Kick Package and MLSsoccer.com Live (is that what it's called?), both of which are safe paid services, the former on TV and the latter on the internet (in both cases, in SD and HD). GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
That would be right--that, MLB.tv, plus the online services the NFL, NBA, and NHL provide are safe. It's the bootleg sites DHS is cracking down. They might be able to go after the hosts here, but the Euro sites will be harder for legal reasons (though they could do something similar to wikileaks but that's another story there)...
More like complaining you got a parking ticket from an assistant director of the FBI. I mean sure it can happen, but why? My bigger issue is why is ICE specifically running these raids. Unless these sites are being run by illegal immigrants it makes little sense.
You mean they should rather spend their time enforcing immigration laws? Ha ha ha, you crack me up A68.
Well... yeah? That's what they're paid to do, enforce immigration laws (regardless of your feelings on specific laws either way) and guard the borders... Last I checked these websites are neither.
Thanks for that, Hawkeye. It would be impossible to get any MLS games over here if it weren't for online streaming via atdhenet, etc. babytiger2001 and I would have been flipped the fickle finger of fate (or of our wonderful protector, HSA).
Not to be a proponant of Homeland Security, but their mission is more than just immigration. For instance they have a Cybersecurity Division. They also have funding and profile. My analogy with speeding is more along the lines of, yeah, it's something most people do, so here isn't any real stigma to it, but it's also clearly NOT legal, so it's a little silly to complain about getting caught... or prevented from breaking the rules... because you don't like which agency has been given the authority of enforcement.
\ That was a cool show, but I wouldn't want 'em to give me a ticket. Actually, I wouldn't want anybody to give me a ticket. And tech pirates will never go away. Not even Mubarak's regime can wipe out all streaming info sources. Only the NFL can do that. Lotsa money, ya know.
This is horrible timing. I am moving to a foreign country on Monday! Last year, I bought the stupid MLS online package. And it didn't work once I was in Mexico, so there's no reason to believe it would work when I move either. I won't be able to watch the Quakes if I can't use things like justin.tv
My guess as to why DOHS and ICE carried out these actions was that probably both have some ability, at least with respect to US law, to operate internationally where I think the FBI, which usually handle copyright actions in the U, have no jurisdiction beyond our borders. What's odd beyond the DOHS and ICE carrying out these actions is that many of the sites (such as ATDHE.net and Rojadirecta.org) only provided links to the streams and did not host the content themselves. In the case of Rojadirecta, they had been vindicated in Spain twice and had been determined to be operating legally.
From the Washington Post: Deportation of illegal immigrants increases under Obama administration http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/25/AR2010072501790.html Apparently while depriving me of Quakes games via the net, Immigration has been busy.
It should be noted that HSA has yet to apprehend one terrorist. Airline passengers have a better record in stopping people bent on destroying the plane they ride in. In fact, HSA has allowed at least 23 people who were on the terrorist watch list to get through their surveillance.