Rapidshare Hopes to Frustrate Users into Purchasing Legit Content
Rapidshare Hopes to Frustrate Users into Purchasing Legit Content
Posted 03/26/2010 at 10:38pm
| by Pulkit Chandna
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Rapidshare is one of the most popular file-hosting services in the world. It is not in an entirely enviable position, though, as the affection it commands among its patrons is offset by the contempt it receives from content owners affected by the abundance of unauthorized content on its servers. The courts have time and again made it clear Rapidshare has no choice but to proactively filter content. Having been pushed into a tight corner, the Germany-based file host has come up with a plan to pacify the entertainment industry.
According to a report on TorrentFreak.com, which contains excerpts of recent correspondence between Rapidshare’s General Manager Bobby Chang and representatives of the entertainment, the plan is to take down an unauthorized file and redirect all traffic to its URL to an online store.
“If a user finds out that several attempts to download an illegal copy of a DVD are in vain, and if his several attempts to ’steal’ this DVD have just brought him to an online-store, he may finally be frustrated and willing to purchase a licensed version of this movie,” Chang wrote in a letter to entertainment industry executives. “We are willing to invest substantially into this online store and I would be glad to not just talk about RapidShare as a threat for the entertainment industry, but also about RapidShare as an interesting option to sell your products.”
Rapidshare owes most of the several petabytes of data it hosts to its popularity as a safe haven for both uploaders and downloaders of unauthorized content. It is difficult to imagine its success without the free reign its users have enjoyed over the years, although it denies ever conniving at illegal file sharing. Ironically, Rapidshare has no recollection of its past business practices and even accuses competitors of “trying really hard to gain the favor of those users, who rely on cyberlockers to spread and distribute copyright protected content.”
Image Credit: RapidShare
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gandalf
April 14, 2010 at 5:03pm
The easiest way is by making money through this surveys is very fast and you can get money to buy a rapid share account. You cannot redeem cash but you can buy the account, I did that, try it. Hope it helps.
http://www.AWSurveys.com/HomeMain.cfm?RefID=rapidmoney
smashingpumpin
March 28, 2010 at 6:05am
Idc about other files/media, just leave my pron alone!!! lol
________________________________________
he's pwning with a trackpad? oh really? oh reheheheeally?
Sovereign
March 28, 2010 at 12:37am
These "redirections" are no more frustrating to the average pirate than a dead RS link. Not gonna accomplish squat. There are always other links.
Fugazi
March 27, 2010 at 8:50pm
rapidshare should stand behind their customers otherwise their customer base is going to transfer to another hosting site like megaupload. they are in germany, so i thought they were somewhat protected since they arent not in the usa. the american entertainment industry is pushing them around when RS should stand their ground and say "we monitor content to the best of our ability, sorry if some illegal stuff ends up on our servers GOOD DAY."
-Andy
Jox
March 27, 2010 at 5:36pm
and if his several attempts to ’steal’ this DVD have just brought him to
an online-store, he may finally be frustrated and willing to purchase a
licensed version of this movie
Yeah, cuz the problem is that people just don't know where to buy a legit copy. I'm sure this will work out great.
-Jox
cigar3tte
March 27, 2010 at 11:02am
That's some serious bullshit. I was unable to download legit contents like the ROM's and SPL's for my Android phone.
"Ass so fat that you can see it from the front" -- Mos Def
aviaggio
March 26, 2010 at 11:34pm
Yup. If they wanted to buy it they would. I don't see how this is going to result in anything except a large expense on rapidshare's part to set up a service no one will ever use.
I mean seriously, I can't stand the site and cringe every time I have to go there for something legal. There are much better ways to obtain illegal content.
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