FileSonic Blocks Sharing Following Megaupload’s Shut Down
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In what is most likely a preemptive strategy, file-sharing service FileSonic has disabled their “sharing” capabilities. With the U.S. government’s decision to shut down Megaupload and arrest its founders, there has been a lot of speculation about the fate of all the other similar websites that provide storage and sharing. FileSonic, which describes themselves as a digital locker that grants users up to 10GB of free storage 30 days, has also become a major source of file-sharing and copyright violation due to its “download” function.
However, after the way everything with Megaupload went, the company disabled this feature from their site just days after the raids. A statement posted on their website reads, “All sharing functionality on FileSonic is now disabled. Our service can only be used to upload and retrieve files that you have uploaded personally.” While Megaupload is not mentioned at all, it’s pretty easy to see that FileSonic is quietly bowing out and removing themselves from any future line of fire.
Eric Goldman, a professor of intellectual property law at Santa Clara University told the Washington Post that websites similar to Megaupload that allow users to share files should be worried. “They will wonder if they have done anything different from Megaupload, and does that mean the Feds will come through their door.”
TorrentFreak explains that that FileSonic shutting down isn’t something that should just be brushed off, “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.”
The Feds officially shutting down Megaupload shows that the Internet vs. copyright holders battle is no longer just words – it’s actually real. At this point, it’s unclear whether this is a temporary move by FileSonic to quell growing concerns and governmental action on their site or whether this is indeed the new face of their company.
