In an apparent attempt to keep legal action at bay, especially after the last-week shutdown and indictment of Megaupload file-sharing site, some prominent file-sharing sites are taking preventive measures which, in the opinion of experts, are aimed at showing that they were becoming serious about the piracy issue.
According to reports, the Megaupload. com case has seemingly prompted the UK-based FileSonic file-sharing site to disable its sharing functionality. Noting that “all sharing functionality on FileSonic is now disabled,” a message on the website says that the FileSonic service can only be used “to upload and retrieve files that you have uploaded personally.”
Among the other popular file-sharing sites which have taken the caution route, close on the heels of the Megaupload. com shutdown, are FileServe and Uploaded. to which have suddenly discontinued the sharing of movies, games and other software. Uploaded. to has completely blocked US access to its site, with a message which says: “Sorry about that.”
Meanwhile, some of the other so-called "digital locker" services, like the Switzerland-based Rapidshare, have prepared their defense in the file-sharing arena by drawing attention to their anti-piracy measures; thus saying that they were not “concerned or scared” about the Megaupload. com closure.
Noting that “a small number of very high-profile large actions” against the file-sharing organizers may come up in the future, Michael Moore - a partner at law firm Marks & Clerk - said that the public relations battle will “show people that file-sharing is bad."