Blackjack pdf

Ever wonder what kinds of terror threats the FBI is wasting their time, energy and [our] money on? Well, here you go. This is a local story that has recieved, as far as I know, little to no local press, which is a shame. Some ~~poor~~ guy here in Cincinnati runs a Stargate fan site. Through links on his site, he sent over $100,000 worth of business to Amazon.com, as people clicked to buy Stargate DVDs and merchandise. (Update: I didn't realize, but Adam is probably an Amazon "associate," which means he gets checks from Amazon for a percentage of the clickthroughs that result in sales.) The Stargate people are aware of his site and actually called it "cool." It's a fan site and we all know what fan sites are like. It's primarily a message board community. ~~There are no illegal downloads, warez, eps, or anything available on the site.~~
Update: And the truth comes out: From the US Attorney Office Press Release:
Adam Clark McGaughey, 35, of Cincinnati, Ohio, operated a website based on Stargate SG-1. As early as 2001, McGaughey provided visitors to his website the opportunity to download copies of Stargate SG-1 episodes. After receiving letters from the Motion Picture Association of America requesting that he stop streaming the episodes, McGaughey moved his website overseas and continued to stream episodes over the Internet until April 2003. McGaughey profited from his website through advertising and sales links on the website itself.

However, there was still abuse of the Patriot Act by the FBI.
The FBI, using (abusing?) the Patriot Act took and destroyed his and his fiancee's computers and erased all the files. Up until this point, he's recieved pro bono legal counsel in the area, but the charges were filed in LA. He can neither afford a California lawyer ~~nor afford to go to Cali to face the changes~~. A SG1Archive.com Legal Defense Fund has been set up to help him. You can also buy t-shirts from CafePress.com, from which the proceeds go to help Adam.
This is sad on so many levels. SG-1 is the sort of tv show that relies heavily on the fans to continue. It's a genre-based show, like Buffy, Angel, Star Trek ... and it benefits from fan communities on the Internet. Discouraging fan sites, whether the show does it or the gov't, is bad karma for the show. ~~Wouldn't it be ideal if the show's creators and stars spoke up in defense of Adam and his site?~~

More information, as well as links, are available after the jump.

Looks like having a fan site is now illegal - here are some snippets from the article:

Federal charges were filed against Adam McGaughey, creator of the popular SG1Archive.com website - a fan website devoted to the MGM-owned television show Stargate SG-1. The charges allege that the website engaged in Criminal Copyright Infringement and Trafficking in Counterfeit Services. The charges were the culmination of a three-year FBI investigation, set in motion by a complaint from the Motion Picture Association (MPAA) regarding the content of the SG1Archive.com website.
SG1Archive.com is one of the most popular fan-run websites among the Stargate community. In addition to providing very active fan discussion forums, broadcast schedules, production news, and episode guides, the site heavily promotes the sale of the show on DVD. As of this writing, direct links from SG1Archive.com to Amazon.com have resulted in the sale of over $100,000 worth of DVDs. Many more DVDs have been sold to international fans of the show through sites like Blackstar.co.uk. Upon hearing this news, Stargate executive producer Brad Wright called the site "cool" - which Adam took as an endorsement of his work.
...
Adam has has received positive feedback about his site from multiple members of the Stargate cast and crew at fan conventions. In addition, a representative of MGM's fan publication interviewed Adam about his website several months prior to the FBI raid. As a result, Adam sincerely believed that the show's creators did not have a problem with the content of his website. Many other sites are currently serving content of questionable legality, without promoting the sale of DVDs or offering a community for fans to discuss the show. Why the MPAA and FBI have chosen to ignore these sites and target SG1Archive.com is unclear.

Update: While I believe that Adam's hosting of these files was wrong, I still feel that the FBI abused the Patriot Act by seizing and damaging his machines. I was under the impression - perhaps incorrectly - that the Patriot Act existed to help us catch terrorists. Not sci-fi fans hosting TV show dowloads. Again, where is our tax money going? And we're safe how?

Slashdot commentary
USAO - California Press Release
SG1archive.com: Federal Charges Filed Against SG1 Archive
Boing Boing: Stargate fan-site operator busted under anti-terrorism law
SG1 Archive Legal Defense Fund: Buy a T-Shirt