Wired Magazine has an article talking to a few of the more "extreme" users of file sharing. They talk to a guy who has a 54-gig collection of files - which, while a lot, doesn't strike me as being really that astounding. I wonder, once the RIAA and the MPAA read this article, if they'll pay a visit to Mr. Verner.
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The Lord of the Barrowers
I am the barrowers brother. Several people in suits visited Dan after the article appeared in Wired magazine. The US goverment even offered him a 'free' trip to the States to talk to some people about his collection (he didn't go). At the time of printing his collection was well over 200gb and growing. They only included what was available on line in a day. Now he is not doing any sharing at all under the threat of a long prison term.
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Wired Article
I was and still am the Lord of the Borrowers
Firstly, you must bear in mind that in 2002 five gig hard drives where a big thing. I had many - 54 gigs was what I could fit into my computer at that time.
No one seems to understand why I was so eager to speak out and challenge the system. I did in fact get visited by the men in black and am still being watched now in 2007. I suffered a five year ban from the net.
My reason for letting WIRED use my real identity was very simple. If I did not and was not ready to lose my freedom then file sharing would have grown greatly at even more loss to the industry.
It is because I spoke out freely that now music artist get paid for legitamate downoading. Only the naive still continual to search out "freebies" on the net.
I never believed that it was right - but I did believe that the ARTIST not the labels or conglomerates, (pardon my spelling) should get the money. Now they do and now the customer gets just the songs he or she wants. Rember vinyl and that little cassette? You paid for many songs you did not like or want and now you can buy just the tune you want.
Napster and Morpheous and the such had to or should have gone legit after my interview. I now have many musician friends who agree with my reason for being exposed - DID YOU NOTICE THAT OUT OF THE BILLIONS OF WEB STEALERS ON THE PLANET I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO MR. O'BRIEN COULD GET TO USE HIS REAL IDENTITY?
I hope you understand that I was fully willing to go to prison so as the system could become to 'legit to quit'.
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