Will SoundCloud Be On Radar By The Feds?

We all know it could happen anytime now. We’re all familiar with the old adage, ‘here today, gone tomorrow...’ and that could very well be demise of some of the best loved software known to man. Every digital rocker service and file linking website is on red alert due to the capture of MegaUpload and TVShack. The Feds have finally caught up to their game and it’s time for other websites to check their billion zettabytes of data. 

It’s clear that the US Federal Government is taking out its banhammer and they’re not afraid to use it on anyone. They’re ramping up its fight against illegal file sharing and hosting. It’s like a new war and it’s on a different kind of drug. No longer are they motivating users to stop or to regulate their usage, they’re just going to attack websites straight on. Websites such as RapidShare, MediaFire and there’s still a lot of loopholes, it could be sites like Grooveshark and SoundCloud that could also be in peril.

The US Government is definitely going on a slippery slope. Although MegaUpload was obviously operating a shady business, there’s still a chance that of those 150 million registered users, some of the content could have originally been legal. It’s a different situation from TVShack and Richard O’Dwyer whose site has been shut down and is now facing extradition to the United States from simply linking to sites hosting illegal content.

Now the question is… what’s next? Or rather, who’s next? There are several digital locker services that operate similar to MegaUpload and TVShack. Although they are considered larger services, it won’t be long until the Feds come for everyone else and do something more proactive. There are still some lines they have to communicate to everyone in the world. Such as, what about other services such as DropBox, iCloud and Amazon S3 which are all open to hosting any file type a user uploads. They make sharing easy, but in a way that’a  a lot more private that MegaUpload. In the end, the prime goal of all these sites is open file sharing – just like MegaUpload.

Not only regular files are at stake, but that also includes music files on the airwaves. SoundCloud and Grooveshark allow individuals to explore musical works, but there is a copy written material uploaded to the service as well. As of the moment, Grooveshark is actively pursuing licenses needed for the material it hosts and streams. We can only cross our fingers to see if their request would be granted in time.

Luckily, not everyone in the digital locker service industry has been shut down. It seems that the trick is to fly under the radar by not dominating the space. MegaUpload was huge. At some time in the past, it was estimated to be the 13^th most visited website on the Internet. Shutting it down was not going to curb file sharing en mass. Just like how Napster failed in the past, Bit Torrent took off. But if the Feds are going to continue to fast-track their practices, it seems that Kim Dotcom will now have a few cellmates, minus some SoundCloud music for the people of the world.