MPAA Claims TVShack.net Copyright Case is Not About Internet Freedom

By Karla Robinson
August 7, 2012

Despite the cries against an Internet crackdown, the MPAA says it is not trying to control the Web in its case against Richard O’Dwyer.
UK resident O’Dwyer could be extradited to the United States for copyright infringement regarding his site TVShack.net, which provided links to possibly illegal content. O’Dwyer may not have violated UK laws and he is in the process of appealing the decision.
According to a supposed leaked MPAA memo: “Being 24, posing for newspaper photo shoots in a cartoon sweatshirt, and having your mother and Jimmy Wales speak for you, does not mean you are incapable for [sic] breaking the law.”
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales sees O’Dwyer’s prosecution as an affront to Internet freedom. He has initiated a petition that has since gotten a quarter million signatures.
The MPAA is trying to curb these concerns. “This case isn’t about Internet freedom,” the association states. “It’s about a man profiting from theft. However, we do welcome a larger discussion about how best to protect intellectual property online while ensuring an Internet that works for everyone.”

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