Hello, I am thinking of running a file sharing business and I know if it gets to a point where it becomes huge, people will inevitably begin to upload questionable material. If I make it 100% private, unindexed, and inaccessible by those without access rights, are the chances of being legally charged with a criminal offense reduced? Or will it not matter.
The "complainant" can make your life incredibly uncomfortable for a very long time and make you waste a lot of money on lawyers before you even get to court to find out if their case will stand up to scrutiny. Are you game to take that on? Kim Dotcom, vile creature that he is, has given it a go and had the money and balls to pull it off and become a minor celebrity in his adopted country. I still wouldn't want to be in his shoes, his legal bill must be massive!
So, you're asking "if I eventually host illegal files for strangers can i get in trouble"? The answer is yes. You would have to police it constantly. Don't waste your time.
"file sharing" itself is 99.9% illegal activity... I can not think of any legit reason to have a file sharing site other then for "piracy" reasons, then when they come after you; you are sorta like "i didnt know" yes you did, because that is what file sharing is about.... If it is not yours, then it is not yours to re-distribute.... So you are pretty much committing a crime the moment someone uploads a file that does not belong to them, or yourself, then the files are re-distributed from there....
Advice for starting a file sharing business? Don't do it. There are so many other businesses you can get into that make solid returns and don't have a giant bullseye on them from the authorities. One of the main problems with this type of business is that the more successful you get, the more likely you are to find immediate failure. In other words, as you get bigger, your risk increases. If you have the time, energy, money, resources, etc. to start a business, look elsewhere, not in a niche that is destined to get you in trouble.
I have alot of expiernce in this field. I can help you and point u in the right direction to start. Even potentially partner with you if your interested. Pm me
Kim Dotcom’s Mega-Lawsuit Could Make Him a Multi-Millionaire Again http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/09/dotcom-lawsuit/
You can bet none of my taxes are going to that git. On a less personal note, he's had the money to fend off the authorities and fight these lawsuits all the way along. He's had lawyers in place from the beginning and he's played a very careful, very shrewd game. While I don't like the man I think he's in a different league to most of us.
Yes, he's had the means to fight the lawsuits, and no doubt he enjoys playing the game as well. I've run across a number of people who fit that description of enjoying the game, but they are unique people (and frankly a bit unsavory). I find that most people don't want to be involved in lawsuits. Its much more fun to start something, see it take off, sell it, and move on (or hold on to it and enjoy a nice lifestyle). It still seems like a lot of work and an expensive business to run (when factoring in the lawsuits) for the relative benefits you receive.