Two Web storage companies that hosted data for the now-defunct Megaupload could start deleting their files as early as Thursday, according to new court filings.
On the same day that the Justice Department shut down Megaupload for massive copyright infringement, the government also executed search warrants on servers owned by Virginia-based Carpathia Hosting and D.C.-based Cogent Communications, both of which leased servers to Megaupload.
Officials copied select data from these servers but did not remove them from the premises, according to a Friday letter to Megaupload's legal team. "Now that the United States has completed execution of its search warrants, the United States has no continuing right to access the Mega Servers," U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride wrote in the document, which was filed in Virginia district court.
If Megaupload's legal team wants access to the data on these servers, that "must be resolved directly with Cogent or Carpathia," MacBride wrote. "It is our understanding that the hosting companies may begin deleting the contents of the servers beginning as early as February 2, 2012."
Cogent and Carpathia did not respond to requests for comment.
Following the Megaupload takedown, users expressed concern about the legitimate files they had stored on the service. What would happen to them? The DOJ wasn't too hopeful; it pointed to the fact that Megaupload's own terms of service warned users to keep backup files.
In an effort to avoid the same fate, some cloud-based storage companies changed their policies after the Megaupload shutdown - deleting files, disabling file-sharing, or cutting off access to U.S.-based users.
On the same day that the Justice Department shut down Megaupload for massive copyright infringement, the government also executed search warrants on servers owned by Virginia-based Carpathia Hosting and D.C.-based Cogent Communications, both of which leased servers to Megaupload.
Officials copied select data from these servers but did not remove them from the premises, according to a Friday letter to Megaupload's legal team. "Now that the United States has completed execution of its search warrants, the United States has no continuing right to access the Mega Servers," U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride wrote in the document, which was filed in Virginia district court.
If Megaupload's legal team wants access to the data on these servers, that "must be resolved directly with Cogent or Carpathia," MacBride wrote. "It is our understanding that the hosting companies may begin deleting the contents of the servers beginning as early as February 2, 2012."
Cogent and Carpathia did not respond to requests for comment.
Following the Megaupload takedown, users expressed concern about the legitimate files they had stored on the service. What would happen to them? The DOJ wasn't too hopeful; it pointed to the fact that Megaupload's own terms of service warned users to keep backup files.
In an effort to avoid the same fate, some cloud-based storage companies changed their policies after the Megaupload shutdown - deleting files, disabling file-sharing, or cutting off access to U.S.-based users.