RapidShare could be shut down soon if it doesn’t comply with copyright law

October 2, 2008 11:54 a.m. by Andrew Winistorfer

RapidShare has quickly replaced BitTorrent as most music downloaders’ illegal download repository of choice, and now the site, which is stationed in Germany, could be shut down soon if doesn’t comply with copyright law rapidly (sorry). The site is currently in the process of filtering out all copyrighted material, but they’re having some problems: they may need to hire people to manually filter out copyrighted material. Instead of having to actually pay people, the site may close.

 

Now, closing down individual sites may get copyright cops the publicity they crave, but its likely dozens of other sites just like RapidShare are going live right now.  [Idolator]  

Posted in: RAPIDSHARE , TECHNOLOGY
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24 Responses

October 2, 2008 at 12:09 p.m.

Bummer.
October 2, 2008 at 12:12 p.m.

Like Andrew says, I can't see this having much effect. If RapidShare goes, there are dozens of equivalent services.
October 2, 2008 at 7:14 p.m.

I prefer sendspace and yousendit actually.
October 2, 2008 at 8:58 p.m.

Yousendit is the worst.
October 3, 2008 at 8:35 p.m.

rapid is not in germany,its not even in europe.
RapidShare AG | Gewerbestrasse 6 | CH-6330 Cham | Schweiz
thats why i dont think they have a chance in hell of shuting it down
October 5, 2008 at 3:38 p.m.

Frddy, the Copyright Cops wont find it if they ask you for directions... Schweiz = Switzerland (Europe).
October 12, 2008 at 11:38 a.m.

frddy1.0 your a funny one!!!!!!!! :-)
October 22, 2008 at 2:19 a.m.

RapidShare HQ is in Switzerland but actual servers are in Germany
October 23, 2008 at 11:58 a.m.

to hell with the law. i think it's pretty obvious that people will always download.

Mayb if the record labels weren't such greedy swines I would actually pay for sum music!!
October 23, 2008 at 1:24 p.m.

Crucially for law enforcement Schweiz isn't in the European Union (which is often referred to simply as 'Europe')
November 16, 2008 at 2:21 p.m.

Their resistance only makes my penis harder!
December 30, 2008 at 8:48 p.m.

rapidshare is awful - like the worst ever, unless you actually pay for it.

There are numerous better free sites that have faster downloads and unlimited parallel downloads.
January 11, 2009 at 9:14 a.m.

ROFL THESE NIGGAS! LoPhuckin L! If Rapidshare goes down, God's penis will flood the sky. Casting a shadow of EVERY PHUKING CITY IN YOUR COUNTRY! Then drop hard like a Mallet upon the faces of those who obey laws cast by human beings. I introduce you, to Gods Penis Of Wrath! Mother Phucka!!!!!
January 16, 2009 at 6:18 p.m.

rapidshare does not store music or albums just ppls archive rar files or part rar files your article is a fail!!!!
February 13, 2009 at noon

Keep stealing music and you'll never discover any great bands because most musicians are too dumb to book a tour, save money to record etc...
February 20, 2009 at 10:42 p.m.

^^^say what?
February 24, 2009 at 9:55 a.m.

I've discovered music, bands...even entire labels who I now swear by (and consistently buy from - and I'm not alone). I would likely have never heard of or bought from these labels without things like soulseek and some of the earlier networks like napster (when it was free), and audiogalaxy.

For example....years ago I download Deaf Center's "Neon City" EP from soulseek. I loved it so much it encouraged me to find out what label it was on (Type Records), and who was involved. It turned out that the members of the band were starting a new label up (Miasmah). Now I buy almost everything that comes out on Miasmah before I've even heard a sample, and most stuff that comes out on Type. Now I don't do that with every label I love, but they all end up taking some of my money - which surely is the endgame of any label? They wouldn't have had my money before file-sharing - I just wouldn't have known about them.

I'm not saying that everyone who downloads buys, but many do. It's only really the Sonys, EMIs and Universals of this world who stand to lose big - and that's down to the sickly unnecessary amount of money they spend marketing which then HAS to recoup itself in sales. Here's a tip for them: let the music sell itself, and do less artist marketing. If they're any good they'll sell, if not then you'll have to spend lots on making them sell well and risk them being downloaded into oblivion because all the teenyboppers want what the box their eyes are glued to tells them they want.

Bahh fooey....Industry pretending to be Art. The hoods come over our eyes again.
February 24, 2009 at 10:19 a.m.

I like rapidshare the best.
Mediafire is my second fav.

I hate megaupload and uploadjockey.
February 27, 2009 at 1:16 p.m.

rapid is not in germany,its not even in europe.
RapidShare AG | Gewerbestrasse 6 | CH-6330 Cham | Schweiz
thats why i dont think they have a chance in hell of shuting it down

-> totally right

@george: wtf you talk about? it costs me 17cent per day for 12GB downloadvolume per day.....

"There are numerous better free sites that have faster downloads and unlimited parallel downloads."

that is totally not true!
March 5, 2009 at 2:59 a.m.

Filesharing is cool, because through this you can discover so much music, and it's the only realistic way for every music freak to keep an overview about what's going on in this media-society and -market, that's a lot lot bigger than the one of previous decades.

No one can't buy everything interesting, so I guess it's OK to get an ear in a record a couple of times for free.

And every serious music enthusiast will buy the records, that are it's favourites, earlier or later.

And as long the prices for music are the oldfashioned high one of the decades before with a much smaller market and less supply, the crisis of the media industries will keep going on.
April 23, 2009 at 11:04 a.m.

frddy "rapid is not in germany,its not even in europe"

Funny Guy, where do you think is Switzerland? Africa, Asia, Antarctica? On the moon? Go back to school and get yourself an education.
April 24, 2009 at 11:09 a.m.

Geologist, you honestly think Switzerland is IN Germany don't you? You are of course completely incorrect and I'd imagine fairly stupid too.
May 4, 2009 at 10:28 a.m.

James - "you honestly think Switzerland is IN Germany don't you?"

Umm, I'm pretty sure he meant that Switzerland is in EUROPE
September 29, 2009 at 10:46 a.m.

fcuk the greedy pigs

i started using pirates softwares like autocad when i was in college, too poor to buy anything

but i end up paying for genuine copies (seats) of autocad when i have my own engineering firm

without the pirated copy of autocad, i wouldn't have the chance to try it out, and consequently wouldn't have the chance to know the many wonderful features of autocad

similar thing is happening to music

there are only so much music they will play on radio, and most of them sux

they never play REAL music, by independent labels, even they do, they play it like 3am when everybody is asleep anyway

so how are we going to know about those wonderful music from REALLY talented musicians?

we go to sites that people share musics, we dl the songs, listen to them, and choose those we like and start buying other albums

that's the way to go

but no, those greedy pigs just want money

they don't care about music or software or whatever

they just want money

fcuk them !

we will pay AFTER we have made our choice, not before

it's our money, not theirs

fcuk them !

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