MediaDefender Buys MediaSentry For $136,000 (Not $20M)

newtley writes "SafeNet paid $20 million for MediaSentry in 2005, but has just sold it to rival MediaDefender for a paltry $136,000, with a promise of more later. MediaSentry's new owner says the combination will allow it to 'dramatically expand its effectiveness.' Is it time for an official government inquiry into MediaSentry and the RIAA? A Chicago student said she was planning on killing herself because the RIAA promised her she'd land in court unless she paid almost $10,000 to 'settle' an alleged copyright infringement. She 'couldn't sleep, couldn't study, couldn't live a normal life because of the worry.' The RIAA 'evidence' came from MediaSentry, accused of operating illegally."

The Old Switcheroo?

[ZzzzSleep]

Will this allow the RIAA to say "MediaSentry? No we don't use them any more. We use the much more trutsed MediaDefender these days."?

Re:Why?

[Shnyzx]

You flee the country when the Government is out to get you, you seek the government's help when somebody is trying to BLACKMAIL you. (and with shoddy evidence at best)

I welcome this merger wholeheartedly

[Trepidity]

I always end up confusing them, so I'll ascribe something to MediaSentry only to be corrected that no, the company involved was MediaDefender, or vice versa. Every time I wanted to complain to my alma mater [hmc.edu] about Randy Saaf being on their board of trustees (fortunately no longer the case [hmc.edu]), I had to go look up which of the two he was associated with.

So, I would like to thank the companies for kindly removing this frequent source of error.

Re:Why?

[Zironic]

The parents probably had the money but didn't have the legal knowledge and I suppose they didn't want their daughter to have to go through the court since she was so stressed out.

Re:Why?

[DrgnDancer]

If you'd ever taken a suicide prevention class (ah, the fun things you get to do in the military), you'd know that most people who either attempt or commit suicide told someone they were going to. Very few people wake up one morning, decide the world is a bleak place and off themselves without a word. Whether or not the suicide attempt itself is a cry for help, or the result of a legitimate desire to end one's life, most people DO "cry for help" before they ever do it. We're hardwired not to want to die, and even when our conscious mind decides it wants to we usually try to find loopholes.

Re:Why?

[commodore64_love]

>>>deliberately calculated to induce the state of mind she's in now...They'd probably be delighted by a suicide.

You know, I don't wish death on anyone but if this girl had killed herself, maybe RIAA would be sitting in court for third-degree conspiracy to manslaughter (or whatever the legal term is). After all, a neighbor got jailtime for using chat to induce a girl to commit suicide. RIAA v. U.S. - that's a murder case I would love to see. It'd probably get great ratings too on the news channels.

Let's reveal, for everyone to see, how dangerous corporations can be when they use the government to abuse the citizens.