The Department of Justice said Friday that the recovery of legitimate files from the now-defunct Megaupload is "an ongoing matter," but indicated that it might be awhile before you see that data again.
In a statement, a DOJ spokesman noted that Megaupload warned its users to back up any data they stored on the site. Basically, the agency suggested that it wasn't too smart to put all your eggs into one Megaupload basket.
"It is important to note that Mega clearly warned users to keep copies of any files they uploaded," the DOJ spokesman said. "Megaupload.com expressly informed users through its Frequently Asked Questions ('FAQs') and its Terms of Service that users have no proprietary interest in any of the files on Megaupload's servers, they assume the full risk of complete loss or unavailability of their data, and that Megaupload can terminate site operations without prior notice."
Megaupload did indeed terminate site operations yesterday, but not by choice. The DOJ shut down the popular file-sharing site on charges of massive copyright infringement and indicted seven of its executives.
In the wake of the takedown, however, many Megaupload users took to Twitter to complain about the fact that they no longer had access to files on the service.
"I am seriously upset about the Megaupload thing, I have over 3 years of actively downloaded files on there that I do not have anymore!" wrote @UserIsBlocked.
"Megaupload for large files, Mediafire for small, Dropbox for business. That's what I used to do. Now what?" @longhim chimed in.
Apparently it's wait-and-see time. Reuters reports that Megaupload lawyers are currently trying to recover its servers and get back online, but that will not happen overnight, if at all.
ABC News, however, reported that different versions of Megaupload have been popping up all over the Web in a "high tech game of whack-a-mole." The site at http://109.236.83.66, for example, claims to be the new Megaupload but has no functionality, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, hacker collective Anonymous has been launching distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on the DOJ's Web site, as well as supporters of the Megaupload takedown, like Universal Music, the RIAA, and the MPAA.
According to Friday data from Sandvine, visits to Megaupload—which also includes MegaVideo, MegaPix, MegaLive, and MegaBox—made up 1 percent of total traffic on fixed access networks in North America.
"What will happen now that Megaupload has been taken down? The most likely scenario is that users will switch to other Storage and Back-Up Services and video sites, causing new category leaders to emerge," Sandvine said. "Currently the second most popular Storage and Back-up Service varies by region, but some of the top contenders to replace Megaupload are Rapidshare, zShare, Hotfile, and MediaFire."