Members Of Congress Investigate Dajaz1.com Seizure Based On Unproven RIAA Claims

The wheels of justice turn slowly and often seem headed in the wrong direction but a surprising development has occurred regarding the seizure of Dajaz1.com that resulted in a major blow to the website's ability to conduct business. A bipartisan group of members of the House Judiciary Committee are now questioning the seizure of Dajaz1.com and other domains stating that the actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Operation In Our Sites "has resulted in the seizure of domains without sufficient due process and transparency."

The investigation has been publicized in a post by the Electric Frontier Foundation that links to the letter on Rep. Zoe Lefgren's site (downloadable PDF).

Signed by three Members of Congress who serve on the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Ut.), the letter is addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder and the Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

The letter focuses on the seizure of Dajaz1.com that featured such disturbing aspects as lack of due process and secret court proceedings. In addition, it was only when court documents were finally released months after the domain was returned, that we all discovered that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had acted on the say so of the RIAA without actually investigating the RIAA's claims before acting.

Given that these actions were clearly a violation of the freedoms that knit together our collective agreement to stand as a nation, it is gratifying to see elected officials finally acting on this outrageous situation.

The letter closes with a series of questions designed to shed light on the conduct of the Department of Justice and ICE. Their response will be of great interest as we head deeper into an election season that reminds us that talk of justice and freedom are all too cheap for many in our ruling class.

More: Court: Gov't Shut Down Urban Music Site Dajaz1.com Without Even Investigating RIAA Claims

[Thumbnail image courtesy Dan4th Nicholas.]

Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch) blogs about music crowdfunding at Crowdfunding For Musicians (@CrowdfundingM). To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.