So this guy was jailed because he coded an advertising platform and a video hosting service.
I know Mega was on a thin shady line, but what has he done wrong to be jailed in USA ?
The UK has a law called "Joint Criminal Enterprise" which is oft critiqued[0]. In America, this same concept is a de-facto legal and social standard to apply "Guilty by Association" wherever it can.
So, in the USA, it can be (incorrectly) argued - by very, very high powered RIAA legal team - that this was aiding and abetting.[1] It's absolutely wrong, but this is the legal world we live in as developers.
All right, in fact, I think the law you explained is even fair and needed to prosecute some "Joint Criminal Enterprise".
But in this specific case, how could it be "incorrectly" argued, "absolutely wrong" and not dismissed by a judge.
I mean, how can you trust the justice if only the poor chap is the one going to jail.
Yeah, I'm naive, I know.
So, in the USA, it can be (incorrectly) argued - by very, very high powered RIAA legal team - that this was aiding and abetting.[1] It's absolutely wrong, but this is the legal world we live in as developers.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_purpose
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aiding_and_abetting