MegaUpload Users Files Safe From Deletion For Now

If you are a MegaUpload user by now you are painfully aware that the site has recently been forced to shut down by US law enforcement officials due to copyright concerns. Unfortunately for user there was no prior notice given so that we could gain access to the site and download or remove our content. Well rest easy, at least for now. News.com reports that a deal has been made between MegaUpload's defense team and the two companies that hosted MegaUpload's servers, Carpathia Hosting and Cogent Communications Group to safe guard your files from deletion for at least two more weeks.

What does this mean for you?
Well so far not much has changed. The site is still down so users will not be able to access their files. Ira Rothken, MegaUpload's U.S. attorney, has said he is working with the hosting companies and the federal government to try to reach an arrangement that will allow users access to some, if not all, of their files.

Will I ever get my MegaUpload data back?
There is no clear and decisive answer here. The hosting companies involved have no control over the data as of now. It all depends on the federal government and what they decide to do. If they force the deletion of the data thee really is no recourse, they must legally comply.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Carpathia Hosting have setup a website and begun a campaign urging "innocent users" of Megaupload's service to get in touch with EFF to explore possible legal avenues for retrieving the data.

The site is designed to "help lawful users in the United States work with EFF to investigate their options for retrieving their legitimate, non-infringing files from Megaupload." This means users with personal files, photo's backups ect. not those of you with anything that might be construed as copyrighted material.

So for now its just a wait and see game. Hopefully it will all pan out for the best!