Are they taking it under the law ofiminent domain or because you may or may not have broken a law? And, keeping with the spirit of this thread, by 'you' I mean anyone, not you personally.

Nothing personal on any front. I don't have a problem with any of the people in this discussion... just the ideas.

The particular idea that annoys me here is the constant and insistent whinging that the United States, horror of horrors, expects to enforce United States laws on the internet.

So... what's the alternative? Anarchy? Which of us wants that?

It just annoys the crap out of me how frequently someone will come in here and go "oh my God, did you know that this illegal thing is illegal on the internet, too?!"

I'm not worried about it. I don't use my sites for illegal activity.

lol ... the internet is always changing, laws are always being enforced, policy's always being introduced, doesnt mean it can not stop you, where there is a problem you will always find a solution simple

to many winging in here about this law and that law, why worry so much about it, just crack on with your business in an ethical way and you will be fine. Just have your wits about you, your business head and you will find solutions to any obstacle that will face you with the internet

The AMERICANS ARE COMING, RUN!!!!!!!!! *runs off screaming like a girl, hands flailing wildly in the air*

-Chris

In the New Hartford case a couple of years ago, the US Supreme Court ruled that any level of government can take your property under imminent domain and even give your property to another private entity.

The US Constitution says that government can take property only if it is going to be used for the public. Well, the US Supreme Court ruled that an increase in tax revenue is sufficient and took people's homes and gave the land to a private entity because New Hartford claimed that it would receive more tax money.

So, right now, whether you are doing anything illegal or not, any level of government can take your website (property) and give it to someone else if the government thinks that it can receive more tax revenue from whomever it gives your website.

I can see both sides of this argument. Both make at least some sense on some level.

However, each time I hear/read about something like this, I can't stop the thought that runs through my head that the government is trying to make money from the internet like the rest of us. Maybe they just want their piece.

Is that a bad thing? I'm not sure.....

The old ad hominem logical fallacy rears its head again.

So if an illiterate man from Kentucky, who's an expert in making moon shine, is willing to teach me how to set up a still, I shouldn't pay attention because he can't spell "moon shine"?

I'll wait and base my opinion on how well someone knows the subject, not their spelling or typing skills. In this case CD may be right, but it won't be because of someone's spelling ability.

This should not affect me but still, I disagree with such law.

Wow! So that explains why pirate bay went to .se! Thanks for posting this.

If the domain is registered through another country but you are resident in the US then the law should apply to you. Registering elsewhere is just trying to attempt to evade the law. You can moan about it all you like but it is the law of the country where you live - you can always emigrate.

But if you are non-resident and the website is hosted outside the US, the US government should not have the right. The .com domain is for everybody, worldwide. If I choose to setup a gTLD website that is hosted in my own country, and the activities are legal in my own country, then what right does the government of any other country have to interfere? Would the US government tolerate the Chinese government seizing US-hosted .com websites supporting a free Tibet?

The US government should restrict its overseas activities to .us domains.

well, it almost seems like that the american law exists only to please big corporations. I would like to see more of European touch in international affairs. And what gives USA right to think they are the world police? We didnt ask you to be our sheriff, yankee style democration isnt what we fancy really!

Yep it's take down sites first, ask questions later. **** all the U.S. players that have their entire bankrolls on the sites. What's more important is killing the competition so when online poker is regulated the brick & mortar casinos have fewer competitors.

Get your own TLD for $185k "only"

if your work is legal, no body can touch your site. for example recently i read that Megaupload.com was shut down by some federal agency on several counts one of which is piracy. So if your business model touches along those lines, only then do you have to worry...

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it's kind of ridiculous though. However if it's illegal stuff that you put on your website I guess it should be stopped.

Well...

Thank GOD the US of A haven't created the oxygen.

This is the impression I am getting ove rthe past 6 months or so. Sems big bizz wants its monopoly back and are fighting hard!

America is now saying if you break a USA law against US citizens then we might come and get you to face the US legal system.

The case of the UK guy facing trial for shippnig "batteries" to Iran or the kid who ran a downloading site etc...Although this looks purely one way!

Year ago criminlas hid behind "I am not in the US" but that semes to have gone now.

Good...in a way.

and that about sums up every big monopolistic company on the Net these days.

G, Facebook, p.p. Ebay...you name it.

Personally I find it a bit frightening that the government is making a power grab like this.

It would be one thing if they could get to these domains through due process, but getting to them through simply grabbing what they consider their own property to manage? Terrible.