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To be honest, that falls completely flat trying to reach my bar for "shady". (Legal) tax avoidance is par for the course these days.

mikemoka 15y ago
Yes right, companies owning millions of dollars (they have 50 million users a day..) shouldn't pay their share of taxes in times like these. But what if "legal tax avoidance" by such companies was one of the very reasons why you and me are now living in "days like these"? I don't want to convince you, I know I can't, but just consider it if you can.
- mMark 15y ago
  Legal tax avoidance in the United States (I'm not American - qualifier) is a common trait throughout most large businesses. If anything, taking part in avoidance would put Megaupload into the same company as GE, Wells Fargo, DuPont, Boeing, Honeywell... All companies who had revenue in the hundred of millions and billions of dollars, yet still received Government rebates. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073743/Revealed-The-30-corporations-spent-lobbyists-taxes-debt-rose-economy-faltered.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073743/Revealed-The... Furthermore, Google does +2 billion queries daily yet they still only pay between %2-3 in taxes. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/10/googles-tax-loophole-scheme-is-legal-but-is-it-evil/65030/ http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/10/googles-... I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying that it doesn't make Megaupload "shady" for using these legal loopholes. Furthermore, most people in the piracy "scene" know not to use Megaupload because of their quick compliance with DMCA takedown notices - something that's come over years of investment in their technology and takedown procedures. Anything but shady in my opinion.
- burgerbrain 15y ago
  Exactly what mMark has said. I am in no way approving of the practice, I'm just saying that it is not shady. It seems for some unknown reason most people have already decided megaupload is shady, and have to start stretching when asked why.
- redthrowaway 15y ago
  As others have mentioned, Google makes way more money than Mega and has structured their company in such a way to pay very, very little tax. That's legal tax avoidance, the same thing you're complaining about with Mega, and they certainly wouldn't qualify as shady by your definition. Face it, paying the least amount of tax possible is just another form of optimization, and something most tech people appreciate.

mikemoka 15y ago

Yes right, companies owning millions of dollars (they have 50 million users a day..) shouldn't pay their share of taxes in times like these. But what if "legal tax avoidance" by such companies was one of the very reasons why you and me are now living in "days like these"? I don't want to convince you, I know I can't, but just consider it if you can.

mMark 15y ago
Legal tax avoidance in the United States (I'm not American - qualifier) is a common trait throughout most large businesses. If anything, taking part in avoidance would put Megaupload into the same company as GE, Wells Fargo, DuPont, Boeing, Honeywell... All companies who had revenue in the hundred of millions and billions of dollars, yet still received Government rebates. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073743/Revealed-The-30-corporations-spent-lobbyists-taxes-debt-rose-economy-faltered.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073743/Revealed-The... Furthermore, Google does +2 billion queries daily yet they still only pay between %2-3 in taxes. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/10/googles-tax-loophole-scheme-is-legal-but-is-it-evil/65030/ http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/10/googles-... I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying that it doesn't make Megaupload "shady" for using these legal loopholes. Furthermore, most people in the piracy "scene" know not to use Megaupload because of their quick compliance with DMCA takedown notices - something that's come over years of investment in their technology and takedown procedures. Anything but shady in my opinion.
burgerbrain 15y ago
Exactly what mMark has said. I am in no way approving of the practice, I'm just saying that it is not shady. It seems for some unknown reason most people have already decided megaupload is shady, and have to start stretching when asked why.
redthrowaway 15y ago
As others have mentioned, Google makes way more money than Mega and has structured their company in such a way to pay very, very little tax. That's legal tax avoidance, the same thing you're complaining about with Mega, and they certainly wouldn't qualify as shady by your definition. Face it, paying the least amount of tax possible is just another form of optimization, and something most tech people appreciate.