It's only safe until the judge makes a decision in the matter

Apr 10, 2012 15:22 GMT  ·  By

With the MegaUpload trial moving at a slow pace and the first update not expected until August, the entire focus is now on the user data. Millions of people had stuff stored with MegaUpload and lost access to it when the site shut down.

That data is safe for now, as Carpathia Hosting, a hosting company that MegaUpload used, has decided that it will not delete anything without clear indication from the judge in the case.

But the data's ultimate fate is still uncertain. Perhaps a big portion of it was infringing, in which case the owners may want it gone sooner than anyone.

Also, a big portion of the content that was not infringing is still available to the users, since they had local copies, but there are a lot of people that were left in the cold and lost access to plenty of valuable stuff.

Right now, there are several parties fighting over the fate of the MegaUpload user data, and they all want slightly different things.

On the one hand, MegaUpload wants it back to be able to mount a defense - it's arguing that the data could prove valuable evidence in the lawsuit. It would also want to be able to return at least some of it to its users.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has also asked for the data to be saved, but only in order to be returned to its users.

The MPAA recently asked for the data to be saved as well, but not handed over to MegaUpload. Instead, it wants it stored so it can file future lawsuits against companies or people it may find have been infringing on its content.

Finally, the government has gathered all it needed from the data and ordered Carpathia to delete it. Now, the hosting company is unsure what to do, but won't delete it until the judge presiding the case makes a decision in the matter, regardless of what the government instructed.