# articles

feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92101
title: Sky TV Bans ‘VPN’ Ads on Copyright Grounds
uri: Sky-TV-Bans-VPN-Ads-on-Copyright-Grounds
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/xVH2yNmDvKY/
content:
<p><a href="media/34fb46ee.blocked1.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/blocked1.jpg"><img src="media/ab927598.blocked1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blocked1.jpg" alt="blocked" width="170" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-68631"></a>For millions of Internet users around the world the Internet has broken down geographical borders like no other invention in history. Nevertheless, for those looking to consume entertainment online, digital checkpoints still exist in many countries.</p>
<p>Restricting content availability to certain ranges of IP addresses, or &#8216;geo-blocking&#8217; as it&#8217;s know, allows content providers to dictate who gets access to films, TV shows and music, at what price, and when. As a result, citizens of countries such as Australia regularly complain that they&#8217;re denied content quickly and then charged more for it when it arrives.</p>
<p>As expected, however, many citizens choose to break down these borders by using VPNs and proxies, which enable them to access services such as Netflix regardless of their region. Last month, Kiwi ISP Slingshot admitted that its VPN-like &#8216;Global Mode&#8217; service was actually designed to provide its customers with access to Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix US, and BBC iPlayer.</p>
<p>Now it appears that the admission will have consequences for Slingshot after a major broadcaster refused to run its ads on copyright grounds.</p>
<p>A spokeswoman for Sky TV <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/60473570/sky-tv-bans-slingshot-advertisements">confirmed</a> to Stuff that a series of advertisements containing references to Slingshot&#8217;s Global Mode were rejected by the company.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are a business that pays people who create television so we are against any form of piracy or the undermining of intellectual property rights,&#8221; Sky TV spokeswoman Kirsty Way said.</p>
<p>Slingshot general manager Taryn Hamilton decried the move as &#8220;unjustified and petty&#8221; and said there would be no need for Global Mode if providers would offer content in a timely fashion at a fair price.</p>
<p>&#8220;When and if local companies manage to finally crack that, then there will be no need for the service. But, until that time, people will use services like Global Mode so that they can see decent TV without having to get a second mortgage,&#8221; Hamilton said.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92102
title: Lionsgate Fights Expendables 3 Piracy With Thousands of Takedowns
uri: Lionsgate-Fights-Expendables-3-Piracy-With-Thousands-of-Takedowns
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/B8vuCWjcJ38/
content:
<p><a href="media/70e609bb.expendables2.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/expendables2.jpg"><img src="media/d8c73069.expendables2.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/expendables2.jpg" alt="expendables" width="300" height="206" class="alignright size-full wp-image-91653"></a><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/expendables-3-leaks-online-100k-copies-down-in-hours-140725/">The early release</a> of the upcoming Expendables 3 film is one of the most high-profile leaks in recent history. </p>
<p>While pirated copies of most blockbusters eventually find their way online, a high quality leak weeks before a box office premiere is relatively rare. </p>
<p>To limit the availability of the movie Lionsgate has instructed several piracy monitoring companies to locate copies on various web services and target them with takedown requests. In little over a week, <a href="https://www.markmonitor.com/">MarkMonitor</a>, <a href="http://ip-echelon.com/">IP Echelon</a> and <a href="http://entura.co.uk/">Entura International</a> have together sent out thousands of takedown requests targeting tens of thousands of URLs. </p>
<p>In a <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/235841045/testim">sworn testimony</a> submitted to a California federal court,  MarkMonitor&#8217;s Director of Global Operations Edward Cho explains that his company alone has submitted over 2,000 takedown requests.  </p>
<p>&#8220;MarkMonitor, on Lionsgate’s behalf, began issuing take-down requests to the operators of the websites identified through our searches. MarkMonitor has sent approximately 2,770 take-down requests covering, cumulatively, 10,846 unique host URLs,&#8221; Cho says.</p>
<p>Interestingly, Lionsgate is not the only rightsholder going after leaked copied of the Expendables movie. The South Korean company Medialog also has a stake in the movie and is issuing takedown notices as well. These requests are not without problems as they target many legitimate sites. </p>
<p>For example, Medialog&#8217;s <a href="http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/requests/1338190/">takedown request</a> to Google includes TorrentFreak&#8217;s original news article on the leak, as well as reports by The Verge, Consumerist and The Daily Dot. Even worse, the company even included the official Expendables 3 website among the allegedly infringing URLs.</p>
<p>MarkMonitor does work directly for Lionsgate and Cho&#8217;s testimony is part of a new <em>ex parte</em> motion for a temporary restraining order the movie studio filed against the six file-sharing sites that were <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-sues-filesharing-sites-expendables-3-leak-140801/">sued before the weekend</a>. The sites in question, including Limetorrents, failed to respond to MarkMonitor&#8217;s takedown notices. </p>
<p>If the court grants Lionsgate&#8217;s request the website operators will be ordered to shut down their sites. In addition their financial assets will be frozen until further notice. Since it&#8217;s an ex parte request the site&#8217;s operators won&#8217;t have the option to defend themselves before the order is issued. </p>
<p>Lionsgate&#8217;s Executive Vice President Content Protection Robert Wenokur believes that these measures are warranted as the company is facing heavy losses as a result of the leak.</p>
<p>&#8220;Individuals who view the Film in this manner may not pay for tickets at the box office when the Film is released later this month. Similarly, such individuals may not purchase or rent copies of the Film when it is released to the home entertainment market after its theatrical run,&#8221; Wenokur notes. </p>
<p>Lionsgate&#8217;s request is quite extraordinary and unprecedented in a file-sharing case. There&#8217;s no doubt that other movie studios are keeping a close eye on developments, as the company&#8217;s approach may prove to be an effective way of targeting so-called rogue sites in the future.</p>
<p>Whether it will do much to stop those who want to grab a copy of the Expendables 3 leak is doubtful though. Even if the six sites are shut down, there are still hundreds of copies of the movie online, and dozens are being added every day. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92119
title: IFPI Wants Major Torrent Sites Blocked in Days
uri: IFPI-Wants-Major-Torrent-Sites-Blocked-in-Days
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/b0ZrJ6eAxUE/
content:
<p><img src="media/2a43984f.pirate-bay.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-bay.jpg" width="200" height="207" class="alignright">A long-running legal case involving an Austrian anti-piracy group, a local ISP, and both the Supreme Court and European Court of Justice came to an end this July.</p>
<p>The case, which centered around the now-defunct movie site Kino.to, concluded with both courts agreeing that provided any action is both balanced and proportional, Internet service providers could be forced to block copyright-infringing websites.</p>
<p>Taking that decision and running with it, the IFPI in Austria has now written to the country&#8217;s largest Internet service providers with demands that they block several of the world&#8217;s largest torrent sites.</p>
<p>In a letter dated today, five ISPs were given less than two weeks to block subscriber access to ThePirateBay,se, isoHunt.to, 1337x.to and H33t.to. </p>
<p>IFPI says the sites are &#8220;internationally known piracy portals&#8221; which have already been blocked in UK, Belgium, Ireland, Finland and Denmark.</p>
<p>The music industry group, which protects the rights of the world&#8217;s largest recording labels, notes that its blocking request is reasonable given that the sites&#8217; engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material for profit.</p>
<p>&#8220;The foundation for website-blocking in Austria was created following a four year process involving the European Court of Justice,&#8221; IFPI&#8217;s Franz Medwenitsch added in a statement. </p>
<p>&#8220;The sites are all internationally known, structurally-infringing BitTorrent portals. Of course, we do not want to have access to the Internet itself blocked, only access to these four sites.&#8221;</p>
<p>The ISPs have been given until August 14 to implement the blockades, but whether they will have any effect remains to be seen. The Pirate Bay, the world&#8217;s most-blocked torrent site, recently informed TF that despite years of blockages, its traffic has <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-traffic-doubles-despite-isp-blockades-140717/">doubled overall</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92216
title: Hollywood Director: Abusing Staff Can Lead to Movie Leaks
uri: Hollywood-Director-Abusing-Staff-Can-Lead-to-Movie-Leaks
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/lBUCJBKpJUI/
content:
<p><a href="media/19a2c14b.lexi.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/lexi.jpg"><img src="media/d48a6794.lexi-150x150.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lexi-150x150.jpg" alt="lexi" width="150" height="150" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-90687"></a>It&#8217;s pretty obvious that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexi_Alexander">Lexi Alexander</a> isn&#8217;t scared of rocking the boat. In an unprecedented move last month, the movie director <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-director-slams-pathetic-anti-piracy-crusade-140708/">was pictured</a> holding up a sign calling for the release of Peter Sunde, an individual not exactly the movie industry&#8217;s most-loved man.</p>
<p>But Alexander is no ordinary person or director. Instead of towing the usual line by decrying piracy as a scourge, the 39-year-old recently noted that several studies have found that piracy has actually benefited movie profits. For a movie worker this is a controversial stance to take, but rather than back off, Alexander only seems motivated to continue her abrasive approach.</p>
<p>In new comments Alexander takes aim at Hollywood, this time referencing <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/expendables-3-leaks-online-100k-copies-down-in-hours-140725/">the recent leak</a> of The Expendables 3. She doesn&#8217;t condone the leak, but instead looks at possible reasons why it ended up online.</p>
<p>&#8220;The piracy issue makes me want to tear my hair out at times. I do not understand how so many of my filmmaker colleagues have bought into this MPAA propaganda. Recently these think tanks and organizations have popped up which are not officially associated with the MPAA, but definitely on their payroll,&#8221; Alexander begins.  </p>
<p>&#8220;But okay, you want to be mad at the kid in Sweden or Australia for uploading your movie? Go for it.  Oh wait, in cases like Expendables 3 it&#8217;s actually someone here in Hollywood leaking it,&#8221; she notes.</p>
<p>The idea that The Expendables 3 leaked directly from Hollywood is not new. Pristine copies like these simply aren&#8217;t available on the streets unless an insider has had a hand in it somehow, whether that interaction was intentional or otherwise.</p>
<p>In some instances the motivation to leak, Alexander suggests, could be borne out of a desire to get even. Assistants to the higher-ups are often treated badly, so more consideration should be given to what they might do in return, the director notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s kind of like going to a restaurant and thinking twice about insulting the waiter or busboy because you&#8217;re afraid of what they&#8217;ll put in the food before they bring it back,&#8221; Alexander explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;Imagine those famously abusive directors, producers or stars (#notall&#8230;.) having to tone down the abuse, otherwise LOUD EVENT MOVIE # 5 will show up on The Pirate Bay with a little note that says: &#8216;Don&#8217;t bother seeing this in the theater. Everybody above the line was a monster to us&#8217;.&#8221;</p>
<p>The thought that leaks might happen as a type of personal revenge is in itself the stuff of a Hollywood plot. However, just as it&#8217;s unlikely that a story about a movie leak would ever make the silver screen, Hollywood insiders involved in them also tend to escape criticism.</p>
<p>In fact, history shows us that the *actual* leakers, whether that&#8217;s an assistant with a grudge or otherwise, are rarely &#8211; if ever &#8211; paraded around in public as criminals. That honor is usually reserved for the first uploaders and/or their &#8216;pirate&#8217; allies. Still, Alexander feels it would be wise to keep those close to home in a good frame of mind.</p>
<p>&#8220;Maybe the MPAA should drop some of their $$ on PSAs about the danger of abusing assistants: &#8216;If you kick me everyday, your film will land on Pirate Bay&#8217;,&#8221; she <a href="http://www.lexi-alexander.com/blog/2014/8/5/here-be-dragons-pirates-part-ii-">warns</a>.</p>
<p>Finally, in a move likely to further annoy the Hollywood brass, Alexander presents a &#8220;hypothetical&#8221; mechanism through which abused assistants could beat the bullies.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not suggesting anything, but hypothetically, if there were an anonymous address people could send not-yet-released movie DVDs to, so someone else could upload them without a chance of it being backtracked to the source, then a whole bunch of abused and mistreated assistants wouldn&#8217;t be defenseless anymore,&#8221; she concludes.</p>
<p>Due to the hugely controversial nature of her comments its difficult to judge how serious Alexander is with her suggestions. But, whatever the case, it&#8217;s safe to say that she&#8217;s one of a kind and likely to continue rocking the boat in future. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92198
title: UK Police Take Down Proxy Service Over Piracy Concerns
uri: UK-Police-Take-Down-Proxy-Service-Over-Piracy-Concerns
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/vBAqDaH0PBI/
content:
<p><a href="media/bc6e239e.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg"><img src="media/31176dbb.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg" alt="cityoflondonpolice" width="200" height="82" class="alignright size-full wp-image-71397"></a>Since last year <a href="http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/Pages/default.aspx">City of London Police</a> have been working together with copyright holders to topple sites that provide or link to pirated content.</p>
<p>The police started by sending <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-launch-campaign-to-shut-down-torrent-sites-130604/">warning letters</a> to site owners, asking them to go legit or shut down. Late last year this was followed by a campaign targeted at domain registrars, asking them to <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-orders-registrars-to-suspend-domains-of-major-torrent-sites-131009/">suspend the domain names</a> of several &#8220;illegal&#8221; sites.</p>
<p>Yesterday police started out another round of anti-piracy actions targeted at sites that offer access to pirated content.</p>
<p>Among the new targets is <a href="http://immunicity.org">Immunicity</a>, a general proxy server that <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/unblock-torrent-sites-blocked-proxies-camerons-porn-filter-with-immunicity-130728/">was set up</a> as a censorship circumvention tool.</p>
<p>The police action against Immunicity is concerning as the service merely allows users to route their traffic through a proxy network, much like other anonimizing services such as TOR and VPNs do. The service itself doesn&#8217;t host or link to infringing content. </p>
<p>In addition in Immunicity the Pirate Bay proxy Piratereverse.info and KickassTorrents proxies Kickassunblock.info and Katunblock.com were taken down as well. The same happened with movie2kproxy.com, h33tunblock.info and several other sites. The DNS entries of the domains have all been replaced and now point at a PIPCU IP-address which displays a warning banner.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/074b3d1c.pipcu-filecrop.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pipcu-filecrop.png" alt="PIPCU-filecrop"></center></p>
<p>PIPCU has not yet confirmed the nature of the takedowns but at the time of writing the most likely explanation is that the U.S. based registrar suspended the sites in question.</p>
<p>Based on letters that were sent out to registrars previously, the police accuse proxy services and sites of running a criminal operation. While no court order has been obtained, PIPCU claims to have launched an investigation into the sites and has asked the domain registrar to cooperate.</p>
<p>“The owners of the aforementioned domains are suspected to be involved in the criminal distribution of copyrighted material either directly or indirectly and are liable to prosecution under UK law for the following offences: Conspiracy to Defraud, Offences under the Fraud Act 2006, Copyright, Design &#038; Patents Act 1988,” PIPCU states.</p>
<p>“Should a conviction be brought for the above offences, UK courts may impose sentences of imprisonment and/or fines. PIPCU has criminal and civil powers in UK law to seize money, belongings and any property in connection with these offences.”</p>
<p>It&#8217;s important to note that with the previous requests the City of London Police did not present a court order or other warrant. However, it turns out that police letterhead is sometimes enough to throw due process concerns overboard.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak has asked PIPCU for a comment on the most recent actions, but we have yet to hear back. </p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> TorrentFreak has received new information suggesting that PIPCU managed to take control of the domains without the involvement of eNom. We will present more details when we are allowed to share it in public.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92229
title: Police Arrest Operator of Torrent Site Proxies
uri: Police-Arrest-Operator-of-Torrent-Site-Proxies
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/NCUHK9Yr3mc/
content:
<p><a href="media/bc6e239e.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg"><img src="media/31176dbb.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg" alt="cityoflondonpolice" width="200" height="82" class="alignright size-full wp-image-71397"></a>Earlier today news broke that the proxy service <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-takes-down-proxy-service-over-piracy-concerns-140806/">Immunicity had been taken offline</a> by the UK Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU). Several reverse proxies offering access to blocked sites such as The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents suffered the same fate.</p>
<p>Initially it appeared that the domain seizures were the result of a request PIPCU sent to the domain registrar, as happened previously with other &#8216;pirate&#8217; domains. However, as more information came in this case turned out to be different. </p>
<p>City of London Police inform TorrentFreak that they actually arrested the alleged owner of the domain names. The 20-year-old man from Nottingham was interviewed at a local police station and later released on bail. </p>
<p>Pending further investigation he agreed to voluntarily transfer the domains to the police. </p>
<p>This is the second arrest since the start of &#8220;Operation Creative&#8221; last year &#8211; the first involved the alleged admin of sports streaming site <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-streaming-site-admin-several-domains-suspended-140409/">BoxingGuru</a>. As is often the case, the police were assisted by Hollywood-backed anti-piracy group FACT. </p>
<p>According to Chief Inspector Andy Fyfe, the arrest is a prime example of a successful partnership between the copyright industry and local law enforcement.  </p>
<p>“This week’s operation highlights how PIPCU, working in partnership with the creative and advertising industries is targeting every aspect of how copyrighting material is illegally being made available to internet users,&#8221; Fyfe says.</p>
<p>“We will come down hard on people believed to be committing or deliberately facilitating such offences,” he adds.</p>
<p>While the arrest is being framed as a major success, none of the domains operated by the man were offering a file-sharing or illegal streaming service. They were merely proxies that allowed Internet users to access The Pirate Bay and other sites that were blocked per court order by some (not all) UK Internet providers. Many UK ISPs still routinely offer access to the very same sites on a daily basis.</p>
<p>Commenting on the arrest, FACT Director Kieron Sharp argues that these proxy sites and services are just as illegal as the blocked sites themselves. </p>
<p>“Internet users have sought ways to continue to access the sites by getting round the blocking put in place by the ISPs. One of the ways to do this is to use proxy servers. This operation is a major step in tackling those providing such services,” Sharp notes.</p>
<p>Whether this argument will hold up in court has yet to be seen. That is, if the case ever goes to court. Unlike the blocked pirate sites the proxies didn&#8217;t appear to be operating for profit, but as a hobby project instead.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92257
title: Hollywood Hits Popcorn Time But Leaves the Mega Rich Alone
uri: Hollywood-Hits-Popcorn-Time-But-Leaves-the-Mega-Rich-Alone
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ioMqVVx2OKM/
content:
<p>Popcorn Time was embraced by millions following its debut earlier this year, but what if there was a similar looking service providing additional features but with a small monthly price tag?</p>
<p>Visually, <a href="https://www.tvshowtime.com">TVShowTime</a> is clean and tidy. It allows the tracking of TV shows and provides associated content on top of community and social networking features. It&#8217;s easy to use &#8211; click a series from the 40,000 in its databases and one can quickly begin tracking &#8211; and watching.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/cbe5452d.tvshowt1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tvshowt1.png" alt="TVShow1"></center></p>
<p>After adding a show &#8211; we chose Game of Thrones &#8211; TVShow Time gave us a link to buy the first season on DVD from Amazon. Links also appeared to download the subtitles in a convenient zip file. </p>
<p>Simultaneously a big &#8216;play&#8217; button marked &#8220;watch episode&#8221; sat invitingly in the middle of the screen. With a click a new page appeared.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/db0670d3.tvshowt-2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tvshowt-2.png" alt="TVShowT2"></center></p>
<p>As can be seen from the screenshot, TVShow Time provides two options. The first is a free service offering calender and subtitling downloads, plus links to buy the shows from official online sources including Netflix and iTunes.</p>
<p>The second allows the viewer to sign up to a $7.99 a month subscription with torrent downloading service Put.io (TVShow Time is free). When this external account with Put.io is integrated with TVShow Time, users can access all their TV shows from BitTorrent networks in both 480p and 720p, and collect the resulting episodes from Put.io via HTTP download. Unlike standard Popcorn Time downloads, these are impossible for anti-piracy companies to monitor.</p>
<p>The image below shows the first three already-filled-in torrent sources for Game of Thrones as directed by TVShow Time (<a href="http://put.io">Put.io</a> remains a &#8220;dumb&#8221; service and only takes instruction from users).</p>
<p><center><img src="media/a8d9844f.tvshow-t3.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tvshow-t3.png" alt="tvshow-t3"></center></p>
<p>So, what we have here, at least on the surface, is a Popcorn Time-style interface on steroids with a small price tag attached for downloads. However, while Popcorn Time is being developed pretty much for free and is visible on the radar of the MPAA, TVShow Time sits very much at the opposite end of the financial spectrum.</p>
<p>According to reports <a href="http://www.maddyness.com/finance/levee-de-fonds/2013/07/24/tvshow-time-levee-de-fonds/">1</a>, <a href="http://nextwarez.com/tvshowtime-piratage-illegal-free/">2</a>, TVShow Time, which operates more or less like many other streaming or torrent-like indexes (with social networking features attached), is sitting on a $500,000 investment. <em>(see update below)</em></p>
<p>The people who put up the money are hardly lightweights either. They include Jean-David Blanc (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlloCin%C3%A9">Allociné</a>), Deezer founder Daniel Marhely, and telecoms giant <a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/xavier-niel/">Xavier Niel</a>, said to be worth in excess of $8 billion.</p>
<p>The situation provides an interesting contrast.</p>
<p>While the hobbyists behind the several Popcorn Time forks find themselves in the <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-pulls-popcorn-time-off-github-140711/">crosshairs of the MPAA</a>, and amateur Swedish subtitlers <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/fan-created-subtitle-site-raided-by-swedish-police-130710/">get raided</a> by the police, a company with serious investment can somehow offer similar functionality without incurring the wrath of the studios.</p>
<p>But when potential rivals have <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/iliad-founder-sees-huge-potential-in-us-market-1406916457">this much influence</a>, it&#8217;s probably easier to turn the other way &#8211; at least for now.</p>
<p><em>Update: This article has been updated to correct an error &#8211; TVShow Time&#8217;s Antonio Pinto confirms investment last year amounted to &#8220;less than $500,000.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92278
title: BTindex Exposes IP-Addresses of BitTorrent Users
uri: BTindex-Exposes-IP-Addresses-of-BitTorrent-Users
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/_JXPRfxVcvM/
content:
<p><a href="media/5f0dfd25.spy.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/spy.jpg"><img src="media/3d881413.spy.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/spy.jpg" alt="spy" width="200" height="177" class="alignright size-full wp-image-39770"></a>Unless BitTorrent users are taking steps to hide their identities through the use of a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">VPN, proxy</a>, or seedbox, their downloading habits are available for almost anyone to snoop on.</p>
<p>By design the BitTorrent protocol shares the location of any user in the swarm. After all, without knowing where to send the data nothing can be shared to begin with.</p>
<p>Despite this fairly common knowledge, even some experienced BitTorrent users can be shocked to learn that someone has been monitoring their activities, let alone that their sharing activity is being made public for the rest of the world to see.</p>
<p>Like it or not, this is exactly what the newly launched torrent search engine <a href="http://btindex.org/">BTindex</a> is doing. </p>
<p>Unlike most popular torrent sites BTindex adds new content by crawling BitTorrent&#8217;s DHT network. This is already quite unique as most other sites get their content from user uploads or other sites. However, the most controversial part without doubt is that the IP-addresses of BitTorrent users are being shared as well.</p>
<p>People who download a file from The Pirate Bay or any other torrent site expose their IP-addresses via the DHT network. BTindex records this information alongside the torrent metadata. The number of peers are displayed in the search results and for each file a selection of IP-addresses is made available to the public.</p>
<p>The image below shows a selection of peers who shared a pirated copy of the movie &#8220;Transcendence,&#8221; this week&#8217;s most downloaded film.</p>
<p><center><strong>Some IP-addresses sharing &#8220;Transcendence.&#8221;</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/faf00ec8.btindexips.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/btindexips.png"><img src="media/faf00ec8.btindexips.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/btindexips.png" alt="btindexips" width="630" height="500" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92284"></a></center></p>
<p>Perhaps even more worrying to some, the site also gives an overview of all recorded downloads per IP-address. While the database is not exhaustive there is plenty of dirt to be found on heavy BitTorrent users who have DHT enabled in their clients. </p>
<p>Below is an example of the files that were shared <a href="http://btindex.org/peer/198.23.71.70">via the IP-address</a> of a popular VPN provider. </p>
<p><center><strong>Files shared by the IP-address of a popular VPN provider</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/0c78b892.btindexvpnips.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/btindexvpnips.png"><img src="media/0c78b892.btindexvpnips.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/btindexvpnips.png" alt="btindexvpnips" width="671" height="513" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92285"></a></center></p>
<p>Since all data is collected through the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bittorrents-future-dht-pex-and-magnet-links-explained-091120/">DHT network</a> people can avoid being tracked by disabling this feature in their BitTorrent clients. Unfortunately, that only gives a false sense of security as there are plenty of other monitoring firms who track people by gathering IP-addresses directly from the trackers. </p>
<p>The idea to index and expose IP-addresses of public BitTorrent users is not entirely new. In 2011 <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/i-know-what-you-downloaded-on-bittorrent-111210/">YouHaveDownloaded</a> did something similar. This site generated considerable interest but was shut down a few months after its launch. </p>
<p>If anything, these sites should act as a wake up call to people who regularly share files via BitTorrent without countermeasures. Depending on the type of files being shared, a mention on BTindex is probably the least of their worries.  </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=91929
title: Domain Registrars Deny Police Requests to Suspend Pirate Sites
uri: Domain-Registrars-Deny-Police-Requests-to-Suspend-Pirate-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/xEfBz_kKBVU/
content:
<p><a href="media/bc6e239e.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg"><img src="media/31176dbb.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg" alt="cityoflondonpolice" width="200" height="82" class="alignright size-full wp-image-71397"></a>Earlier this week City of London Police <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-operator-torrent-site-proxies-140806/">arrested</a> the alleged operator of a range of proxy sites. The action was framed as a success but new information obtained by TorrentFreak shows that other police anti-piracy efforts are far less effective.</p>
<p>&#8220;Operation Creative&#8221; began with the sending of <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-launch-campaign-to-shut-down-torrent-sites-130604/">warning letters</a> to site owners, asking them to go legit or shut down. Late last year this was followed by a campaign targeted at domain registrars, asking them to <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-orders-registrars-to-suspend-domains-of-major-torrent-sites-131009/">suspend the domain names</a> of several “illegal” sites.</p>
<p>&#8220;If a website fails to comply and engage with the police, then a variety of other tactical options may be used including; contacting the domain registrar informing them of the criminality and seeking suspension of the site,&#8221; the City of London Police told TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>To find out more about the scope of this operation, back in June TorrentFreak sent a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the police which provided new insights into the effectiveness of this process. </p>
<p>Following its launch in the last quarter of 2013, City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) sent warning letters to the operators of 107 &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites. All of these sites were referred by entertainment industry groups, and include most of the popular file-sharing domains.  </p>
<p>Interestingly, the FOI data further reveals that 109 domain names were referred to PIPCU in total, which means that the police didn&#8217;t take any action against two of the reported sites. There are no additional details explaining why these sites were not considered to be infringing. </p>
<p>In addition to contacting site owners directly, PIPCU also approached domain name registrars with requests to suspend these pirate sites. In total the police sent out suspension requests for 75 domain names, and only five of these were granted. The other 70 requests were denied. </p>
<p>This relatively low success rate of less than 7% shows that domain registrars are not easily convinced to suspend accounts without a court order. The only registrar that we know of who did comply was <a href="http://www.publicdomainregistry.com/">PDR Ltd</a> (Public Domain Registry), who <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-orders-registrars-to-suspend-domains-of-major-torrent-sites-131009/">seized ExtraTorrent&#8217;s domain name</a> and several others.</p>
<p><center><strong>PIPCU letter to registrars</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/663a66ca.grounds.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/grounds.png"><img src="media/663a66ca.grounds.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/grounds.png" alt="grounds" width="578" height="340" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-77805"></a></center></p>
<p>At the other end of the spectrum is <a href="https://web.easydns.com/">EasyDNS</a>. The registrar refused to suspend any domains without due process, and helped to transfer several suspended domains away from PDR by launching an appeal at ICANN. </p>
<p>EasyDNS CEO Mark Jeftovic is happy to hear that other registrars also denied the PIPCU requests. While he believes that registrars and other Internet services have an obligation to prevent acute threats to the network, which may require domain suspensions, this is not the case with alleged pirate sites that haven&#8217;t been found guilty by a court of law.</p>
<p>&#8220;When somebody identifying themselves as law enforcement, directs registrars to takedown functioning websites or even hijack their traffic in the absence of some legal due process, then we are in the early stages of living in a world of &#8216;rule by decree&#8217;,&#8221; Jeftovic tells TorrentFreak. </p>
<p>EasyDNS&#8217; CEO believes that in a time where governments and law enforcement agencies are illegally monitoring their own citizens to make sure that they obey the law, the public has the right to question authority. </p>
<p>&#8220;In a world where our governments are quickly losing their legitimacy to rule, we, as citizens and private enterprises now have to put the onus on governments and their enforcement agencies at every turn: prove what you&#8217;re doing is legal, or leave me alone. That&#8217;s what &#8216;due process&#8217; is all about,&#8221; Jeftovic says. </p>
<p>In the case of PIPCU&#8217;s domain suspensions, nearly all registrars did indeed question the legitimacy of the request. While PIPCU has the right to request action from a registrar, its letter carries no more weight than one from the average man in the street.</p>
<p>That said, thus far there are no signs that PIPCU is backing down. Operation Creative is still in full force and last week they <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/police-begin-placing-warning-adverts-pirate-sites-140729/">began hijacking</a> the first ad banners. As it turns out, advertising companies are easier to convince than domain name registrars.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92306
title: Blocking Pirate Bay is Not Censorship, IFPI Chief Says
uri: Blocking-Pirate-Bay-is-Not-Censorship-IFPI-Chief-Says
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Ae6qPgLWXqw/
content:
<p><a href="media/e39c1037.censorship.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/censorship.jpg"><img src="media/6cb6a973.censorship.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/censorship.jpg" alt="censorship" width="200" height="200" class="alignright size-full wp-image-47463"></a>Earlier this year a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/eu-court-isps-can-be-forced-to-block-pirate-sites-140327/">landmark ruling</a> from the European Court of Justice confirmed that ISPs can be forced to block &#8220;infringing&#8221; websites, providing it&#8217;s done in a proportionate manner.</p>
<p>The ruling was prompted by a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/block-the-pirate-bay-within-3-days-austrian-isps-told-140729/">movie distributor case</a> originating in Austria, so it comes as no surprise that local record companies are now seeking to make the most of it.</p>
<p>Earlier this week the local branch of the IFPI <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/ifpi-wants-major-torrent-sites-blocked-in-days-140804/">wrote to local ISPs</a> with a demands that they block The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 1337x and H33t within days. While the development was welcomed by many pro-copyright entities, among many in the Internet community the feeling persists that site blocking amounts to censorship.</p>
<p>Now, IFPI Austria CEO Franz Medwenitsch has countered with his opinion, explaining that the term &#8220;Internet blocking&#8221; is both misleading and controversial, and that web blockades cannot be considered a restriction of free speech.</p>
<p>&#8220;Barring is misleading and downright polemical. No one wants to deny access to the Internet!&#8221; the IFPI chief explains. </p>
<p>&#8220;[Our action is] therefore isolated to prevent access to specific websites that offer illegal content and massively engage in copyright infringement. This is a legitimate means of legal protection, the Austrian Supreme Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union have justified it.&#8221;</p>
<p>In his <a href="http://futurezone.at/meinung/warum-der-begriff-netzsperren-falsch-ist/">FutureZone</a> piece, Medwenitsch discusses critics&#8217; perception that blocking websites interferes with fundamental rights such as freedom of information.</p>
<p>&#8220;Blocking access to illegal sites is explicitly compatible with the Charter of Fundamental Rights,&#8221; he contends, adding that comments to the contrary cannot be equated with the those shared by &#8220;the people of Europe.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;According to a GfK survey last year, 83 percent of those surveyed in Austria alone &#8211; equivalent to more than six million people &#8211; held the opinion that artists have a right to their intellectual property and to be paid for the use of their works,&#8221; Medwenitsch notes.</p>
<p>But just as it&#8217;s clear that the blocking of websites has many opponents on fundamental rights grounds, the notion that blockades amount to censorship is an even more thorny issue. Medwenitsch does not share those feelings.</p>
<p>&#8220;Censorship is the suppression of free speech and everyone who lives in a democratic society categorically rejects censorship,&#8221; the IFPI chief says.</p>
<p>&#8220;But what has freedom of expression got to do with generating advertising revenues by illegally offering tens of thousands of movies and music recordings on the Internet with disregard for creators and artists? And yet the freedom of the author to determine the use of their works themselves is trampled!&#8221;</p>
<p>Medwenitsch says that individual freedoms have their limits and must be brought to an end when they begin to limit the freedoms of others. In other words, people can have free access to sites while those operating them aren&#8217;t infringing on the rights of the recording industry.</p>
<p>Finally, Medwenitsch criticizes those who accuse the industry of concentrating on blocking sites like The Pirate Bay while failing to adapt their business models. The industry has indeed adapted, the IFPI chief insists, but unauthorized services inhibit growth and need to be dealt with.</p>
<p>&#8220;The fact is the digital music services on the Internet today carry 37 million songs. There are 230 digital platforms in Europe &#8211; in Austria there are 40 &#8211; and the European user numbers have already reached 100 million,&#8221; he explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;The development of the digital market will take a long time due to the inhibiting factors of illegal offerings. Therefore, on the one hand we will investment in new platforms, and on the other hand, take measures against illegal sites.&#8221;</p>
<p>It remains unclear whether site blocking is having any effect on the availability of infringing content or the numbers of people consuming it. Safe to say, no group has yet put their head above the parapet and presented sales figures to clearly show that is the case.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92308
title: Exploring the Legal Basis for the New ‘Pirate’ Proxy War
uri: Exploring-the-Legal-Basis-for-the-New-Pirate-Proxy-War
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/9aK007EaUjQ/
content:
<p><img src="media/31176dbb.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg" width="200" height="82" class="alignright">Since the launch of Operation Creative last year, UK police have contacted a range of so-called &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites while giving their operators the opportunity to shut down quietly to avoid further action.  It was pretty much certain that torrent and streaming sites would be prime targets, and we&#8217;ve seen that play out in recent months. </p>
<p>This week, however, PIPCU <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-takes-down-proxy-service-over-piracy-concerns-140806/">delivered a surprise</a>. Instead of going after sites that host or link to infringing material, they targeted a series of sites that have never done so, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-operator-torrent-site-proxies-140806/">arresting their alleged operator</a> in the process.</p>
<h3>Reverse Proxies</h3>
<p>So-called &#8216;reverse proxies&#8217; are not file-sharing sites, they merely restore access to third-party sites that have been rendered inaccessible by ISPs, as the result of a court order for example. The sites that were closed down this week enabled users to access The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents, even if their ISP actively blocks the site.</p>
<p>The police intervention raises many questions, none of which will be officially answered while an investigation is underway. So, in order to try and fill in some of the blanks, TorrentFreak spoke with expert intellectual property lawyer <a href="http://www.simmons-simmons.com/en/People/Contacts/D/Darren-Meale">Darren Meale</a> to explore a possible basis for this week&#8217;s arrest of a proxy site operator.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;Internet users have sought ways to continue to access the sites by getting round the blocking put in place by the ISPs. One of the ways to do this is to use proxy servers. This operation is a major step in tackling those providing such services.&#8221; &#8211; FACT director Kieron Sharp commenting this week on the proxy shutdowns.</em></p></blockquote>
<h3>Breach of a High Court order?</h3>
<p><strong>Darren Meale:</strong> &#8220;The individual has been accused of helping Internet users access websites which the English High Court has ordered the major UK ISPs to block. That order arose in a civil, not a criminal action, and only applies to the ISPs in question. If it applied to the individual and he ignored the Court order, he would be in contempt of court and a judge could commit him to prison. But I don&#8217;t understand that to be what is going on here.&#8221;</p>
<h3>Assisting a criminal enterprise?</h3>
<p>So, with the High Court blocks a potential red herring, our attention is turned to the activities of the sites being unblocked by the proxies, and how merely facilitating access to those sites might be perceived as an offense by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit.</p>
<p><strong>Darren Meale:</strong> &#8220;Sites like The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents have been the subject of all sorts of civil and criminal actions around the world, but are tricky to target because of where they are based and the way they operate. That&#8217;s why initiatives like site blocking have become popular in the UK.</p>
<p>&#8220;The rights owners, police and other authorities can&#8217;t get their hands on the sites directly, at least not practically. Of course, that doesn&#8217;t mean that those sites aren&#8217;t still committing criminal offenses.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although we tend to think of copyright infringement as a civil wrong, it is also a criminal offense provided it is carried out &#8216;in the course of business&#8217;. Sites like KAT run as a commercial enterprise and make a lot of money out of advertising, so there is a pretty strong case that they are committing criminal offenses, including in the UK.&#8221;</p>
<p>If sites like The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents are committing crimes, others can also commit crimes by helping them, Meale says.</p>
<p><strong>Darren Meale:</strong> &#8220;The Serious Crime Act 2007 makes it a crime to intentionally encourage or assist someone else committing a crime, in the same way as it used to be a crime to ‘incite’ someone to commit a crime.</p>
<p>&#8220;The UK&#8217;s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has previously accused operators of file-sharing websites of committing crimes of this nature. PIPCU&#8217;s statement in this matter also refers to its intention to &#8216;come down hard on people believed to be committing or deliberately facilitating such offenses&#8217;.</p>
<p>&#8220;These kinds of &#8216;<a href="http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/inchoate">inchoate</a>&#8216; offenses are, in my view, the most likely candidate for what this individual has been arrested for.&#8221;</p>
<h3>But other ISPs are facilitating access to illegal sites too..</h3>
<p>Only six ISPs in the UK have been ordered to block sites like The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents, the others are, at this very moment, knowingly facilitating access to these potentially criminal sites. How is it that a proxy service operator now finds himself in hot water while these ISPs continue with no repercussions?</p>
<p>Meale points out that the <a href="https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=L%E2%80%99Oreal+v+eBay">L’Oreal v eBay</a> decision found that service providers (eBay in that case) had no duty to police their services for infringement. Also, service providers benefit from safe harbors under the E-commerce Directive, rendering them immune from prosecution in certain circumstances.</p>
<p><strong>Darren Meale:</strong> &#8220;However, there is a difference between providing Internet access generally (which ISPs do) and providing a service or website which sets out to link to another, illegal, website. An attempt to make ISPs liable for what flows through them in the same way as someone running a file-sharing site failed in Australia in a case called iiNet. I think the same distinction would be drawn in Europe and the UK.</p>
<p>&#8220;Providing general Internet access: OK subject to exceptions such as if the ISP is hosting. But setting up a service designed to help people access illegal websites: that’s much more dubious. That’s not to say that the legal issues that surround all this are straightforward – they’re not.&#8221;</p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>What shines through following the events of this week is how untested the waters are in cases such as these. Whether PIPCU intends to follow this matter through to the bitter end (risking a potentially unfavorable outcome) remains to be seen, but it&#8217;s possible that won&#8217;t be needed.</p>
<p>At this point they have already achieved the total closure of all targeted sites along with the seizure of their domains. That, along with a clear message to others mulling the same course of action might, in the overall scheme of things, be considered &#8220;mission accomplished.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92364
title: Lionsgate Can Seize Assets of File-Sharing Sites, Court Rules
uri: Lionsgate-Can-Seize-Assets-of-File-Sharing-Sites-Court-Rules
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/MLiRZLS7HmU/
content:
<p><a href="media/70e609bb.expendables2.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/expendables2.jpg"><img src="media/d8c73069.expendables2.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/expendables2.jpg" alt="expendables" width="300" height="206" class="alignright size-full wp-image-91653"></a>Two weeks ago <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/expendables-3-leaks-online-100k-copies-down-in-hours-140725/">a high quality leak</a> of the upcoming Expendables 3 film appeared online.</p>
<p>Fearing a massive loss in revenue, movie studio Lionsgate issued <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-fights-expendables-3-piracy-with-thousands-of-takedowns-140804/">thousands of takedown requests</a> to limit the film&#8217;s availability. While most sites swiftly removed links to the pre-release leak, according to the studio some did not respond at all. </p>
<p>Late last week Lionsgate <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-sues-filesharing-sites-expendables-3-leak-140801/">sued</a> the operators of six file-sharing sites that allegedly failed to remove the infringing files – Limetorrents.com, Billionuploads.com, Hulkfile.eu, Played.to, Swankshare.com and Dotsemper.com.</p>
<p>Lionsgate accused the sites of several copyright infringement offenses and asked for a permanent injunction to stop further distribution of the film, as well as seizure of the sites&#8217; bank accounts and other assets.</p>
<p>Yesterday the case appeared before Judge  Margaret Morrow at the California federal court. None of the file-sharing sites had responded to the allegations and the judge granted Lionsgate&#8217;s request for a broad preliminary injunction.</p>
<p>The <a href="media/47584315.expinj.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/expinj.pdf">preliminary injunction</a> prevents the sites from hosting and linking to copies of the movie. The same applies to all companies that provide services to or in connection with the sites, which means that the sites are at risk of losing their domain names.</p>
<p>In addition, the court also ordered that all bank accounts and other financial assets of the sites can be frozen. </p>
<p>&#8220;All banks, savings and loan associations, payment processors or other financial institutions, payment providers, third-party processors and advertising service providers of Defendants or any of them must, upon receiving notice of this Order, immediately locate all accounts connected to Defendants,&#8221; the injunction states.</p>
<p>The seized funds may be needed to compensate Lionsgate for the losses it suffered as a result of the leak, the judge argues.</p>
<p>&#8220;Such an asset freeze is appropriate in this case to preserve Lions Gate’s right to such recovery against Defendants, who are trafficking in the Stolen Film and may secret assets to insulate them from judgment,&#8221;Judge Morrow notes.</p>
<p>This is not the first ruling in favor of the movie studio. Earlier this week Lionsgate also obtained permission to subpoena various third-party web services including Google, Cloudflare and GoDaddy to obtain personal details on several of the defendants.</p>
<p>With the preliminary injunction, Lionsgate now has the potential to severely cripple the accused file-sharing sites. Whether it will be enough to stop the distribution of the leaked film has yet to be seen.</p>
<p>Thus far all six sites remain operational and links to the Expendables 3 leak are still widely available.  </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92342
title: Movie Curiosities Lurking on BitTorrent Networks
uri: Movie-Curiosities-Lurking-on-BitTorrent-Networks
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Cvgc83KUvYs/
content:
<p>One of the most fascinating things about early &#8220;shared folder&#8221; P2P networks and protocols such as FastTrack (Kazaa) and Gnutella (LimeWire) was the amount of unusual content that turned up online.</p>
<p>In the end, however, this ungoverned and unmoderated publication of content became the undoing of these and similar networks, with malware, viruses and badly (even maliciously) labeled files taking over. </p>
<p>With the advent of BitTorrent with its reliance on managed indexes, publication of content became significantly less accessible. That cut down hugely on junk but also much of the desirable oddball content too. However, torrents ate big files for breakfast and heralded something new and exciting &#8211; leaks of movie content never intended for public consumption plus exclusive fan-modified versions.</p>
<p>Also noteworthy with BitTorrent is longevity of content availability. With both in mind we took a browse around to see what unusual movie content is still being seeded today.</p>
<p><strong>Fight Club &#8211; Workprint &#8211; 1998/1999</strong></p>
<p>According to the iMDb, Fight Club is one of the world&#8217;s most-loved movies with countless millions having seen it to date. However, lurking away on file-sharing networks is a special version of the movie sporting hundreds of changes from the final version including 13 reported cuts for violence.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/0560235c.fightclubwork.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fightclubwork.jpg" alt="Fightwork"></center></p>
<p>Showing that something as important as the intro isn&#8217;t always set in stone, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePFuAA68jtQ">this video</a> claims to depict an earlier intro to the movie accompanied by &#8220;Everlong&#8221; by the Foo Fighters instead of &#8220;Stealing Fat&#8221; from the Dust Brothers.</p>
<p>Curiosity value: At least 127  <a href="http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1540">documented differences</a> compared with the original.</p>
<p><strong>Halloween &#8211; Workprint &#8211; 2007</strong></p>
<p>As the world waited for the return of Michael Myers in the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373883/">2007 remake of Halloween</a>, scene release group mVs (Maven Supplier) had a surprise in store. On August 27, 2007, three days before its official release, mVs released an unfinished version of the movie online.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/afbc4994.halloween.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/halloween.png" alt="halloween"></center></p>
<p>Curiosity value: Missing final edits, some scenes added, and general polish. Full extensive details are available <a href="http://www.ohmb.net/showthread.php?12297-The-Workprint-Edition">here</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Alien &#8220;Virtual Workprint&#8221; &#8211; 1979</strong></p>
<p>From release notes: A fan-edit of the film ALIEN which interpolates all existing deleted scenes and a variety of unseen footage and unused score cues to create a version that runs considerably longer than both the 1979 theatrical release and the 2003 director&#8217;s cut.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/0d5801e2.alien.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/alien.png" alt="Alien"></center></p>
<p>Curiosity value: Runtime of 139 mins (117 mins original, 116 mins director&#8217;s cut)</p>
<p><strong>Apocalypse Now &#8211; Workprint &#8211; 1979</strong></p>
<p>According to the information posted along with the release, this is the best workprint copy of the movie outside &#8220;Mr Coppola&#8217;s archives&#8221; although as the screenshots show, quality is stuck in the VHS era.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/059c4b03.apoc-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/apoc-1.jpg" alt="apoc-1"></center></p>
<p>&#8220;I was given this on VHS many years ago. It was from a higher up source on the food chain and quite possibly one or two generations down from the source that leaked it to begin with,&#8221; a note with the release reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;The workprint ended right during the cow slicing. I then tacked on the finished<br>
film ended but before the credits I also added the Kurtz compound destruction.<br>
Now you have a super edition of the film running 30 mins short of 6 hours!!</p>
<p>Curiosity value: Unfinished, yet still <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/oct/17/1">5.5 hours long</a>. (original 153 mins)</p>
<p><strong>The Mask &#8211; Workprint &#8211; 1994</strong></p>
<p>This Jim Carey classic was nominated for a special effects Oscar in 1995, but people who stumbled across an unfinished version of the movie were seriously but interestingly short-changed in that department. This workprint copy is missing many special effects and in some of the more dramatic morphing scenes everything is replaced by hand drawn story boards.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="650" height="366" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/s5JCC7EIVmI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>Curiosity value: A full 20 mins longer than the DVD with unfinished scenes, scenes not present in the final version, additional dialogue and Jim Carrey acting scenes before CGI is added in.</p>
<p><strong>Dune The Reconstructed Workprint Edition &#8211; 1984</strong></p>
<p>From release notes: This edit attempts to reconstruct David Lynch&#8217;s workprint better than the official Extended Edition. It removes most (if not all) of the offensive elements that led Lynch to remove his name from the Extended Edition.</p>
<p>Erroneous FX shots are eliminated, and as much of the Theatrical Edition as possible is used for the sake of better sound and score. It also restores most of the<br>
deleted scenes that were not present in the Extended Edition but finally showed<br>
up as a supplement on the DVD.</p>
<p>Curiosity value: 41 mins longer than the official 137 min runtime.</p>
<p><strong>The Nightmare Before Christmas Workprint &#8211; 1993</strong></p>
<p>From release notes:  The film was half-complete at this point. You&#8217;ll see a lot of finished scenes, including a few that don&#8217;t appear in the final movie, but you&#8217;ll also see scenes which are only storyboard drawings.</p>
<p>There is a lot of temporary audio and music. Oogie Boogie&#8217;s scenes, for example, aren&#8217;t ready yet &#8211; they&#8217;re storyboards, with temporary audio on his song, which is a longer version probably sung by Danny Elfman. &#8220;Making Christmas&#8221; is also just storyboards with an extra verse.</p>
<p>The final confrontation between Jack and Oogie (and pretty much the entire ending) is also just storyboards, and a bit vague compared to the final film.</p>
<p>Curiosity value: Seriously unfinished</p>
<p><strong>This Is Spinal Tap (1984) &#8211; 4.5 Hour Workprint </strong></p>
<p>From release notes: This workprint of the film contains about 3 hours of footage not included in the commercial release. The picture quality is pretty bad; it&#8217;s dark and muddled, but you can see everything pretty okay.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/ddfd7243.spinaltap.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/spinaltap.png" alt="Spinal1"></center></p>
<p>The sound is really great, however. The audio also falls out of sync at certain points because it is an extremely rough cut of the flick and that stuff wasn&#8217;t finalized yet.</p>
<p>Curiosity value: Three hours of extra footage.</p>
<p><em>If you&#8217;ve found any obscure video content hiding away online, please feel free to detail your discovery in the comments section below. Please do not link to any copyrighted material or torrents since those posts will be removed.</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92383
title: Apple Approves Self-Censoring BitTorrent App
uri: Apple-Approves-Self-Censoring-BitTorrent-App
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/HOWQ5_LgnE4/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-92390" src="media/0879a32d.bluedownloader.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bluedownloader.png" alt="bluedownloader" width="300" height="151"></a>Over the past years dozens of apps have been rejected from the App Store because they mention the word BitTorrent.</p>
<p>Apple defended this policy and told developers that their apps were <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/apple-bans-bittorrent-software-090511/">not allowed</a> “because this category of applications is often used for the purpose of infringing third-party rights.”</p>
<p>This BitTorrent aversion is also one of the main reasons why popular BitTorrent clients such as uTorrent, Vuze and Transmission don’t have an Apple-approved presence on the iPhone and iPad.</p>
<p>This week the BitTorrent client “<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blue-downloader/id894423009?mt=8">Blue Downloader</a>” was approved by Apple and added to the App store. The application allows users to control and add torrent downloads through a built-in browser. The torrents can then be directly downloaded to the device.</p>
<p>The application handles torrent downloads without any problems, but there is one rather big restriction. The developer has decided to only allow downloads from a <a href="http://bluedownloader.weebly.com/">few trusted sources</a>.</p>
<p>Trying to add files from The Pirate Bay or KickassTorrents wont work, but white-listed sites such as Archive.org, Linuxtracker and Bitlove are freely accessible.</p>
<p>Talking to TorrentFreak, Blue Downloader developer Harrison Tyler says that he implemented these restrictions to improve his odds of getting the app approved by Apple.</p>
<p>&#8220;Apple is very restrictive about torrent downloading, so I thought I would take the same precautions. If Apple were to see a completely unrestricted torrent downloader, they would not take it as well as what I have now,&#8221; Tyler tells us.</p>
<p>&#8220;I am not for restrictions normally, but as I am bending the accessibility of the app based on Apple&#8217;s will,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>This strategy appears to have worked, for now, as the torrent client is still available in the App store. There is a chance that it may not be around for long though. Blue Downloader carefully avoided the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent">B-word</a> and Apple may still ban the app if they spot the connection.</p>
<p>The self-censoring developer believes that BitTorrent is unfairly stigmatized. Pirated files can be found all over the Internet, and Apple has no restrictions for apps that download from direct sources.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is an unfortunate stigma associated with torrent downloading. Even though there is almost an equal amount of illegal files on the Internet to regularly download, people still crack down on the evils of BitTorrent,&#8221; Tyler says.</p>
<p>For those interested in giving the rather limited Blue Downloader a try, it&#8217;s available <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blue-downloader/id894423009?mt=8">in the App Store</a> for $2.99.</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> Censorship no more? The developer is now allowing access to Google as well. This provides access to all torrent sites on the Internet.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92426
title: Movie Chief: We Won’t Sue Kids, Moms or Dads Over Piracy
uri: Movie-Chief-We-Won-t-Sue-Kids-Moms-or-Dads-Over-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/pVB0OFk2VhY/
content:
<p><img src="media/c579e316.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg" width="250" height="210" class="alignright">As the discussions over online piracy heat up in Australia, there&#8217;s an interesting situation developing which provides insight into why agreement on the topic has been so difficult to reach.</p>
<p>Not only has the chasm between some of the key ISPs and rightsholders remained large, but even those expected to be on the same page have been showing signs of division. The two key government ministers in the debate, Malcolm Turnbull and George Brandis, last week contradicted each other over who should pick up the tab for any online piracy scheme.</p>
<p>Brandis balked at the idea of ISPs being &#8220;innocent bystanders&#8221; in respect of piracy, instead insisting that their role in infringement must lead to them financially supporting rightsholders. Turnball, on the other hand, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/minister-sue-mums-dads-students-to-send-anti-piracy-message-140801/">said</a> that he didn&#8217;t find that a &#8220;persuasive argument.&#8221;</p>
<p>But if Turnbull thought he was only at odds with Brandis, he&#8217;s now been shown as out of touch when it comes to rightsholders. The minister recently said that if rightsholders want to send a message that they&#8217;re serious over piracy, they need to strategically sue a few people &#8211;  &#8220;moms and dads and students&#8221;.</p>
<p>As expected the comments weren&#8217;t well received by the public, but now the very people Turnbull said should take action have dismissed the idea as unworkable.</p>
<p>Speaking with Fairfax Media, Village Roadshow chief Graham Burke said that suing people only makes lawyers rich, but above all it simply doesn&#8217;t work.</p>
<p>“We don’t want to sue 16-year-olds or mums and dads. It takes 18 months to go through the courts and all that does is make lawyers rich and clog the court system. It’s not effective,” Burke <a href="http://www.afr.com/p/business/marketing_media/suing_illegal_downloaders_not_effective_PbIiXyA1g9VNFOxzdW8vOP">said</a>.</p>
<p>Village Roadshow famously dragged local ISP iiNet through the courts for many years over the issue of service provider liability. They not only lost that case, but also sparked a rift between rightsholders and iiNet that continues today, often being played out <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/ignorant-movie-boss-lying-isp-fight-publicly-over-piracy-140619/">in public</a>.</p>
<p>Still, at some point all sides will have to come to the table. Despite the disputes, Burke and Turnbull are on the same page when it comes to ISPs being involved in an educational program to deter would-be pirates, and punish them if necessary. Both believe that Australia needs a three-strikes style system to deter online infringement, ending in Internet throttling for the most persistent infringers.</p>
<p>However, if current indications are anything to go by, there is a lot of work still to be done before all parties are on the same page. Whether consensus will be reached voluntarily of by force remains to be seen.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92412
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 08/11/14
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-08-11-14
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/NLxH0oR3CDc/
content:
<p><a href="media/99dd1e3e.winters.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/winters.jpg"><img src="media/6971e206.winters.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/winters.jpg" alt="winters" width="300" height="235" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92072"></a>This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the most downloaded movie this week.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are BD/DVDrips unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the weekly movie download chart.</p>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Ranking</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>(<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-140804/">last week</a>)</strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">torrentfreak.com</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_the_winter_soldier_2014/">Captain America: The Winter Soldier</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SlILk2WMTI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/divergent/">Divergent</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1840309/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sutgWjz10sM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_amazing_spider_man_2/">The Amazing Spider-Man 2</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1872181/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbp3Ra3Yp74">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/22_jump_street/">22 Jump Street</a> (TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294449/">7.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9S_dYuq0vE">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dawn_of_the_planet_of_the_apes/">Dawn of the Planet of the Apes</a> (TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2103281/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sHMCRaS3ao">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_expendables_3/">The Expendables 3</a> (DVDscr)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2333784/">?.?</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xD0junWlFc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hercules_the_thracian_wars/">Hercules</a> (CAM)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1267297/">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Uro03xQwrA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/guardians_of_the_galaxy/">Guardians Of The Galaxy</a> (HDCAM)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2015381/?">8.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crIaEzXgqto">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_other_woman_2014/">The Other Woman</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2203939/">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDcaZ3StTfI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/need_for_speed/">Need For Speed</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2369135/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsrJWUVoXeM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92405
title: Immunicity Resurrected by Anti-Censorship Supporters
uri: Immunicity-Resurrected-by-Anti-Censorship-Supporters
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/YVgLpCKE060/
content:
<p><a href="media/e39c1037.censorship.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/censorship.jpg"><img src="media/6cb6a973.censorship.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/censorship.jpg" alt="censorship" width="200" height="200" class="alignright size-full wp-image-47463"></a>When Immunicity <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/unblock-torrent-sites-blocked-proxies-camerons-porn-filter-with-immunicity-130728/">launched last year</a> TorrentFreak spoke with the owner, who told us he created the service as a protest against increasing censorship efforts in the UK.</p>
<p>“We are angered by the censorship that is happening in the UK and in other countries across the globe, so we got our thinking caps on and decided to do something about it,” Immunicity’s operator said.</p>
<p>The site&#8217;s core motivation came from the famous John Gilmore quote that was prominently placed on the site&#8217;s homepage. &#8220;The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.&#8221; And that was exactly what the service offered.</p>
<p>Those who set up their browser to work with Immunicity would gain access to blocked sites, by running their traffic through its proxy server. In just a few clicks the service was able to unblock any censored site, hassle free.</p>
<p>For more than a year Immunicity helped tens of thousands of people to unblock censored websites, but that was brought to an end last week. Tipped off by copyright holders, City of London Police labeled Immunicity a criminal operation and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-operator-torrent-site-proxies-140806/">arrested its 20-year old owner</a>.</p>
<p>The idea behind the police action was to send a deterrent message and make it harder for the public to access blocked sites. However, it appears to have resulted in just the opposite.</p>
<p>Just days after the original Immunicity site was taken offline at least two clones have appeared. Both <a href="http://immunicity.co.uk/">Immunicity.co.uk</a> and <a href="http://immun.es">Immun.es</a> offer the same unblocking functionality, completely free of charge.</p>
<p>The two new services are a direct result of the Immunicity takedown, once again showing that censorship enforcement may lead to counterproductive results. TorrentFreak spoke with the operator of Immum.es who, considering recent events, has taken the necessary precautions to stay out of police sight.</p>
<p>&#8220;When purchasing the domain and server I made steps to protect myself from potential adversaries,&#8221; the operator says.</p>
<p>Immun.es uses a hosting service that allows proxies and has unmetered bandwidth, which should guarantee smooth sailing in the short run. The operator informs us that the backend is coded in node.js, which he may release as open source later. </p>
<p>The end result is that the actions of City of London Police have made matters worse, from their own perspective. Instead of one Immunicity, there are now two, and possible many more to come in the future.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92454
title: UK Police Hijack Ads of 74 Pirate Websites, Refuse to Name Them
uri: UK-Police-Hijack-Ads-of-74-Pirate-Websites-Refuse-to-Name-Them
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/62ugJQaXrhA/
content:
<p><a href="media/bc6e239e.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg"><img src="media/31176dbb.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg" alt="cityoflondonpolice" width="200" height="82" class="alignright size-full wp-image-71397"></a>Over the past year <a href="http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/Pages/default.aspx">City of London Police</a> have been working together with the music and movie industries to tackle sites that provide unauthorized access to copyrighted content.</p>
<p>The police started by sending <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-launch-campaign-to-shut-down-torrent-sites-130604/">warning letters</a> to site owners, asking them to go legit or shut down. Late last year this was followed by a campaign targeted at domain registrars, asking them to <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-orders-registrars-to-suspend-domains-of-major-torrent-sites-131009/">suspend the domain names</a> of several so-called pirate sites. </p>
<p>Two weeks ago police <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/police-begin-placing-warning-adverts-pirate-sites-140729/">began the latest initiative</a> in &#8220;Operation Creative,&#8221; a partnership with online advertising companies to replace ads on suspected pirate sites with police banners. The banners in question inform users that the site they&#8217;re browsing has been reported to the authorities.</p>
<p><center><strong>Police banner</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/e1ea227d.pipcu-ad-mp3.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/pipcu-ad-mp3.png"><img src="media/5f7f4219.pipcu-ad-mp3.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pipcu-ad-mp3.png" alt="pipcu-ad-mp3" width="593" height="380" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-91734"></a></center></p>
<p>Until now little was known about the scope of the anti-piracy initiative, but a Freedom of Information (FOI) request TorrentFreak sent to the police reveals some additional details.</p>
<p>In total, 74 domain names are being targeted by the advertisement hijacking effort. All of these domains have been reported to the police by copyright holder groups. Unfortunately, however, our request to get a full list of the affected domains was rejected. </p>
<p>While the police recognize that the public has a legitimate interest in knowing which sites are being targeted, it believes that the possible negative consequences of the disclosure weigh stronger. They fear that the list of domains could prove useful to pirates and increase traffic to the sites in question.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is an ongoing investigation and disclosure to the public domain would raise the profile of those sites unlawfully providing copyright material.  This would enable individuals to visit the sites highlighted and unlawfully download copyright material and increase the scale of the loss,&#8221; City of London Police inform us. </p>
<p>The FOI request further reveals that 83 advertising companies are currently participating in the effort to target ads on pirate sites. All these companies are UK-based or have a UK office, but many are multinationals and have a presence in the US and elsewhere too.</p>
<p>As with the domain names, the police also refused to share the names of their advertising company partners. The police fear that publishing the names of the companies could result in cyber-attacks.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the case of advertisers, public identification would increase the risk of harm to them by way of cyber attack or other means,&#8221; TorrentFreak was told.</p>
<p>A FOI request TorrentFreak sent previously also revealed more details on the other &#8220;Operation Creative&#8221; efforts. It showed that City of London Police has warned 107 websites since its launch last year, and sent out suspension requests for 75 domain names. </p>
<p>The domain name suspension efforts were not particularly effective as only five of these were granted. The <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/domain-registrars-deny-police-requests-suspend-pirate-sites-140808/">other 70 requests were denied</a> by domain registrars.</p>
<p>Whether the ad hijacking campaign will have much effect is doubtful too. Thus far there haven&#8217;t been any reports from users who have spotted these warning banners in the wild.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92435
title: Doctor Who “Into the Dalek” Workprint Fully Leaks Online
uri: Doctor-Who-Into-the-Dalek-Workprint-Fully-Leaks-Online
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/WnnMmK3YpMo/
content:
<p><img src="media/33907075.tardis-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tardis-1.jpg" width="187" height="216" class="alignright">Last month the file-sharing leak phenomenon hit the upcoming season of Doctor Who.</p>
<p>Following a catastrophic error at a BBC office in Miami, not only were the new seasons&#8217; scripts made available to the public, but several episodes too.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s unclear how many people downloaded the videos directly from the server, but it soon became clear that episode one had leaked <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/leaked-dr-who-episode-appears-on-the-pirate-bay-140714/">when it appeared</a> on The Pirate Bay and other file-sharing sites. It was an unfinished &#8216;workprint&#8217; release, destined for Marcelo Camargo of Marc Drei Productions, a Brazil-based production company known for its subtitling work.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://grahamcluley.com/2014/07/doctor-who-episode-leak-unedited-download/">image</a> below shows how the content appeared on the BBC website.</p>
<p><Center><img src="media/52369f65.doctor-server.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/doctor-server.jpg" alt="Doctor-server"></center></p>
<p>Soon after rumors turned to a potential leak of episode two. A torrent was certainly uploaded to The Pirate Bay, but whoever seeded that file in the first instance quickly backed away, leaving the torrent at just a few percent complete. This led many to presume that the release was a fake, but that wasn&#8217;t to be the case. A full copy was definitely waiting somewhere.</p>
<p>On Sunday at least one torrent sprang back to life temporarily, surprising people who had patiently left it in their client to complete. While it reportedly went quiet again, another torrent appeared claiming to be of the same material. As both torrents completed confirmation arrived that the leak, which had lay dormant for several weeks, was indeed real.</p>
<p>Weighing in just short of 987MB, the episode is called &#8216;Into the Dalek&#8217; and once again it is another unfinished &#8216;workprint&#8217; copy, as the screenshot below shows.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/10d4a113.dalek.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dalek.png" alt="dalek"></center></p>
<p>In addition to being covered in text watermarks, the episode is presented in black and white, with many special effects absent. Its naming convention matches the screenshot above, suggesting that this leak was also obtained from the BBC website.</p>
<p>While the BBC will be disappointed not to have contained this second episode, there are currently no signs that any of the remaining episodes have leaked to file-sharing networks.</p>
<p>The leak is only the latest in a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/movie-curiosities-are-lurking-on-bittorrent-networks-140809/">long line</a> of workprint copies of movies and TV shows to be made available online. It certainly won&#8217;t be the last.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92503
title: TorrentShack Resurrected After Hollywood Takedown
uri: TorrentShack-Resurrected-After-Hollywood-Takedown
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/gmpo4ukiook/
content:
<p><img src="media/42ae43d7.tshlogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tshlogo.jpg" width="190" height="139" class="alignright">With police and trade groups such as the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and the BPI on the prowl, it has to be said that running a file-sharing site in the UK right now is not without its risks.</p>
<p>Earlier this month it became clear that the long-standing private torrent site TorrentShack (TSH) had run its course after FACT managed to track down the site&#8217;s operator. As is usually the case, FACT told the site&#8217;s operator he could either close down the site and hand over its domain &#8211; or <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/federation-against-copyright-theft-takes-down-torrentshack-140804/">face the consequences</a>.</p>
<p>To avoid trouble TSH&#8217;s admin agreed to FACT&#8217;s terms, and at the time of writing the site is unreachable, presumably as agreed. However, if FACT are thinking of cracking open the champagne, those celebrations might be a bit premature.</p>
<p>A few hours ago the official TorrentShack Twitter account published its <a href="https://twitter.com/TorrentShack/status/499278774291406850">final</a> tweet, but it didn&#8217;t signal the end of the road.</p>
<p><center><br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>We are far from gone. This is our last tweet. You know where to find us. //staff</p>
<p>&mdash; TorrentShack (@TorrentShack) <a href="https://twitter.com/TorrentShack/statuses/499278774291406850">August 12, 2014</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>The end result is that a <a href="http://torrentshack.eu">TorrentShack</a> clone is now online. An announcement reveals that the site&#8217;s former .net domain is already in FACT&#8217;s hands and the old servers and their databases have been taken offline and wiped. However, the former admin of the site was apparently not the only person with a set of keys to the back door.</p>
<p>&#8220;Luckily for us though, [the admin] was not the only one with access to the main site box,&#8221; the announcement reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;In short we have managed to get hold of one of the latest back ups before everything was taken offline.&#8221;</p>
<p>So, against the odds, TorrentShack appears to have been resurrected. The site&#8217;s operators warn that they currently have no funds but will do their best to get the site back to normal soon. Whether FACT will stand for that remains to be seen.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92472
title: Pirate Bay Lights Up With Robin Williams Downloads
uri: Pirate-Bay-Lights-Up-With-Robin-Williams-Downloads
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/LCW7JorJcmA/
content:
<p><a href="media/5b521101.rw.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rw.jpg"><img src="media/5b521101.rw.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rw.jpg" alt="rw" width="180" height="211" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92479"></a>As President Barack Obama noted yesterday, Robin Williams arrived on our screens as an alien in the 1970s and went on to touch the world with appearances in a string of high profile movies.</p>
<p>His performance in Good Will Hunting earned Williams the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor but there can be few who didn&#8217;t warm to him in Mrs Doubtfire or marvel at his energy in Good Morning Vietnam.</p>
<p>However, there&#8217;s an old saying that people only truly appreciate something when it&#8217;s gone and judging by the response shown yesterday by fans, that certainly holds true for Williams.</p>
<p>Taking a look today at Amazon&#8217;s best-selling <a href="http://www.amazon.com/best-sellers-movies-TV-DVD-Blu-ray/zgbs/movies-tv">movie/TV list</a>, we can see that various versions of five different Williams movies currently occupy nine spots in the top 20, but of course there are other ways that people can relive his greatest moments. The quickest and easiest way is to grab something from file-sharing networks, and that&#8217;s exactly what&#8217;s happening now on a pretty noticeable scale.</p>
<p>At the top of Amazon&#8217;s top-selling list is &#8216;Dead Poets Society&#8217; so it comes as no surprise that this is currently the most popular Williams title being shared using BitTorrent.</p>
<p>The day before news of Williams&#8217; death broke, approximately 100 users worldwide were sharing this 1989 classic on public networks. Yesterday, out of nowhere, it received more than 50,000 downloads. At the time of writing, a &#8216;<a href="http://torrentfreak.com/yify-hollywood-nemesis-becomes-iconic-piracy-brand-131005/">YIFY</a>&#8216; version of Dead Poets Society sits one place ahead of the Liam Neeson movie Non-Stop in The Pirate Bay&#8217;s Top 100 most downloaded chart.</p>
<p>In second place, both on Amazon and on public BitTorrent networks, is the 1993 comedy Mrs Doubtfire. The most popular copy is a &#8216;YIFY&#8217; rip of the Blu-ray edition of the movie that was first uploaded back in September 2012. Again, activity on this release has gone through the roof in the last 36 hours.</p>
<p>Following close on the heels of Mrs Doubtfire both on Amazon and on BitTorrent networks is the 1987 war-comedy Good Morning, Vietnam. Famous for Williams&#8217; improvised and high-energy broadcasts, the movie went on to become one of his <a href="http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=goodmorningvietnam.htm">most lucrative</a>. Again, the most popular edition on torrent networks comes from YIFY.</p>
<p>Next on Amazon&#8217;s list is Good Will Hunting, the movie for which Williams&#8217; earned his Oscar. Yet again this movie&#8217;s popularity ranking is mirrored on public BitTorrent networks, sitting a few places down from Mrs Doubtfire as it does on Amazon.</p>
<p>At this point Amazon and BitTorrent diverge a little. At position 13 in Amazon&#8217;s Top 20 sits the lesser-known <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Patch-Adams-Collectors-Robin-Williams/dp/B00000IQV7/ref=zg_bs_movies-tv_13">Patch Adams</a>. The title is currently outside The Pirate Bay&#8217;s top 100 downloads but with several thousand people now on the most popular torrent, a breakthrough could come at any time.</p>
<p>Finally and also of interest is how the legal market has adapted and is better able to cope with surprise demand. During similar events in the past, sites like Amazon have completely sold out of DVDs and Blu-rays, much as they have with the more popular Williams titles today. However, many of the currently &#8220;sold out&#8221; movies are also available to watch online, meaning that no one has to miss out.</p>
<p>BitTorrent has always had the same ability, of course, but even today it can offer something not available anywhere else.</p>
<p>A pretty huge torrent released yesterday by RARBG contains a total of 40 Williams movies, from Popeye in 1980 to Shrink in 2009. It&#8217;s off to a slow start in terms of seeders (as expected in a torrent of this size) but it probably offers the most comprehensive set of Williams memories available online today.</p>
<p>&#8220;Robin Williams was a legend and truly deserving of all our love and adulation,&#8221; a commenter on this torrent writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know what more I can do to honor his memory than to re-watch his old films and reflect on how they shaped my sense of humor, filled my life with joy, and provided me a happy/funny escape from reality in an otherwise bleak and depressing world.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014)</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92470
title: Hulkfile Shuts Down Following Expendables 3 Lawsuit
uri: Hulkfile-Shuts-Down-Following-Expendables-3-Lawsuit
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/TSLwhzzky2Q/
content:
<p><a href="media/57259e9e.hulkfile.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hulkfile.png"><img src="media/57259e9e.hulkfile.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hulkfile.png" alt="hulkfile" width="250" height="75" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92473"></a>Three weeks ago <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/expendables-3-leaks-online-100k-copies-down-in-hours-140725/">a high quality leak</a> of the upcoming The Expendables 3 film appeared online.</p>
<p>Fearing a massive loss in revenue, movie studio Lionsgate <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-sues-filesharing-sites-expendables-3-leak-140801/">sued</a> the operators of six websites that allegedly failed to remove the infringing files – Limetorrents.com, Billionuploads.com, Hulkfile.eu, Played.to, Swankshare.com and Dotsemper.com.</p>
<p>A few days ago the court sided with Lionsgate and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-can-seize-assets-filesharing-sites-court-rules-140809/">granted</a> a preliminary injunction to seize the financial assets of the site&#8217;s operators. In addition the sites were forbidden from linking to the infringing material. Since this includes user uploaded files, the order effectively means that the sites have to shut down.</p>
<p>Today the broad order claimed its first major casualty in cloud hosting provider <a href="http://hulkfile.eu">Hulkfile</a>. The company informs TorrentFreak that it has disabled access to all visitors from the United States and that it intends to shut down globally during the coming days. </p>
<p>&#8220;Hulkfile.eu is no longer accessible in the U.S. and will shut down completely soon. We can&#8217;t keep building our business on the weak base the preliminary injunction left us with,&#8221; Hulkfile&#8217;s operator says.</p>
<p>Hulkfile believes that Lionsgate has painted a tainted picture of its service to the U.S. federal court. The file-storage service says it honors all takedown requests, and even developed a <a href="http://hulkfile.eu/cholders.html">special removal tool</a> for copyright holders which is used by various takedown services. </p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re not doing anything wrong, it&#8217;s a service just like any other cloud storage service in the world. If Hulkfile was started to support piracy, then why would we have created a takedown system which provided access to more than 40 copyright holders and piracy fighters?&#8221;</p>
<p>The takedown notices Lionsgate sent for the Expendables leak hadn&#8217;t been processed yet due to the vacation period, the hosting service claims. The movie studio could have taken the links down themselves if they used Hulkfile&#8217;s removal tool, but Lionsgate&#8217;s takedown partner MarkMonitor has apparently shown no interest in using it.</p>
<p>&#8220;We showed good faith by providing access to a removal tool which MarkMonitor never asked to gain access to, even after we offered it multiple times. Every day there is a new file-sharing service launching somewhere. The only way for copyright holders to protect their material is to cooperate, not to fight,&#8221; Hulkfile tells TF.</p>
<p>With an injunction that basically prevents Hulkfile from operating its service, the company sees no other option than to throw in the towel. Users will get the option to transfer their files to another hosting provider, but Hulkfile will not come back after that.</p>
<p>It seems that Hulkfile is not the only casualty. The smaller file-sharing service Swankshare completely vanished from the Internet shortly after the court issued its preliminary injunction. It&#8217;s currently unknown whether this site plans to stay down for good.</p>
<p>While the Expendables leak posed a serious threat to Lionsgate&#8217;s revenue, one has to wonder whether this justifies putting several other companies out of business with such broad injunctions. In particular because Hulkfile and others had no real option to defend themselves due to the ex-parte nature of the order. </p>
<p>Considering the &#8216;success&#8217; booked by Lionsgate in such a small time period it&#8217;s safe to expect that more movie companies will use the same strategy in the future. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92533
title: Popcorn Time Hit By Massive DDoS Attack
uri: Popcorn-Time-Hit-By-Massive-DDoS-Attack
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/6tvtLpbuu5k/
content:
<p><a href="media/373f7cd8.popcorn.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/popcorn.png"><img src="media/b134dbd9.popcorn.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/popcorn.png" alt="popcorn" width="203" height="102" class="alignright size-full wp-image-89282"></a>Every year sees periods when sites in the file-sharing sector are subjected to denial of service attacks. The attackers and their motives are often unknown and eventually the assaults pass away.</p>
<p>Early in 2014 many <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/ddos-attacks-take-down-what-cd-btn-and-ptp-bittorrent-trackers-140106/">torrent sites were hit</a>, pushing some offline and forcing others to invest in mitigation technology. In May a torrent related host suffered <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/hosting-provider-plagued-ddos-attcks-torrent-sites-140520/">similar problems</a>.</p>
<p>Today it&#8217;s the turn of the main <a href="http://popcorntime.io/">open source Popcorn Time</a> fork to face the wrath of attackers unknown. TorrentFreak spoke with members of the project including Ops manager XeonCore who told us that the attack is massive.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are currently mitigating a large scale DDoS attack across our entire network. We are currently rerouting all traffic via some of our high bandwidth nodes and are working on imaging and getting our remaining servers back online to help deal with the load,&#8221; the team explain.</p>
<p>The attack is project-wide with huge amounts of traffic hitting all parts of the network, starting with the site hosting the Popcorn Time source code.</p>
<p><center><br>
<h5>Attack on the source code site &#8211; 980Mbps</h5>
<p><img src="media/e9cc01f6.source.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/source.png" alt="source"></center></p>
<p>Also under attack is the project&#8217;s CDN and API. The graph below shows one of the project&#8217;s servers located in France. The green shows the normal traffic from the API server, the blue represents the attack.</p>
<p><center><br>
<h5>Attack on the France API server &#8211; 931Mbps</h5>
<p><img src="media/6a500888.france-api.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/france-api.png" alt="france-api"></center></p>
<p>Not even the project&#8217;s DNS servers have remained untouched. At one point two of three DNS servers went down, with a third straining under almost 1Gbps of traffic. To be sure, a fourth DNS server was added to assist with the load.</p>
<p><center><br>
<h5>Attack on the Dutch DNS server &#8211; peaking at 880Mbps</h5>
<p><img src="media/b75d8f7e.dns-pop-ams.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dns-pop-ams.png" alt="dutch-dns"></center></p>
<p>All told the whole network is being hit with almost 10Gbps of traffic, but the team is working hard to keep things operational.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve added additional capacity. Our DNS servers are currently back up and running but there is still severe congestion around Europe and America. Almost 10Gbps across the entire network. Still working on mitigating. API is still online for most users!&#8221; they conclude.</p>
<p>Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the attack and it&#8217;s certainly possible things will remain that way. Only time will tell when the attack will subside, but the team are determined to keep their project online in the meantime.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92520
title: Pirate Bay Founder Peter Sunde Shouldn’t Be in Jail, MEP Says
uri: Pirate-Bay-Founder-Peter-Sunde-Shouldn-t-Be-in-Jail-MEP-Says
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/TN-dP8LiqAU/
content:
<p><a href="media/faf17427.peter-sunde2.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/peter-sunde2.jpg"><img src="media/1ceafd41.peter-sunde2.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/peter-sunde2.jpg" alt="peter-sunde" width="225" height="225" class="alignright size-full wp-image-85601"></a>More than two months have passed since former Pirate Bay spokesman and co-founder Peter Sunde was <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-peter-sunde-arrested-sweden-140531/">arrested</a> on a farm in Sweden by a specialist police unit.</p>
<p>Sunde was transferred to Västervik Norra, the high security prison facility where he is serving the eight-month jail sentence that was handed down in 2012.</p>
<p>Despite the sentencing Sunde has always maintained his innocence. He utilized all legal means at his disposal to fight back, and emphasized that his role in The Pirate Bay didn&#8217;t warrant being branded a criminal.</p>
<p>This view is shared by many people including Julia Reda, the <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-party-keeps-a-seat-at-the-european-parliament-140526/">new</a> Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Pirate Party. Reda will be visiting Sunde in prison later today to send her support, and points out that he shouldn&#8217;t be there in the first place. </p>
<p>“I am visiting Peter Sunde in prison today to express my support. The unnecessarily harsh sentence he was given illustrates that our justice system has completely lost touch with digital culture,&#8221; Reda says.</p>
<p>“The tactic of draconian deterrence against file sharing has failed!” she adds. </p>
<p>During her visit the MEP also plans to ask Sunde about his conditions. The Pirate Bay founder previously <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/losing-weight-pirate-bay-founder-requests-security-downgrade-140703/">requested a transfer</a> to a lower security facility as he was losing weight and coping with psychological issues due to his circumstances.  </p>
<p>Sunde&#8217;s sentencing is a result of a failed witch hunt against online piracy, Reda argues. Instead of embracing those who explore new technologies and business models, authorities have wrongly opted to crack down on people such as Sunde.  </p>
<p>The MEP believes that the focus shouldn&#8217;t be on deterrence, with authorities doing more to encourage and assist content creators to develop business models that can compete with piracy. </p>
<p>Reda notes that several founders of file-sharing services have become successful entrepreneurs. The developers behind Kazaa later brought Skype and Rdio, and Napster&#8217;s Sean Parker served as the first president of Facebook.</p>
<p>Sunde is also a digital pioneer, and actively involved in several startups including the micro-donation service <a href="http://flattr.com">Flattr</a> and the encrypted chat application <a href="https://heml.is/">Heml.is</a>. His contributions to these projects have been halted now, which is not the right way to go according to the MEP. </p>
<p>&#8220;I am saddened by the fact that Sweden has chosen to jail this digital pioneer in an attempt to make an example of him,” she says.</p>
<p>We hope to have more details of the MEP&#8217;s visit and Sunde&#8217;s outlook on the future later this week. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92556
title: Premier League to Clamp Down on GIFs and Vines
uri: Premier-League-to-Clamp-Down-on-GIFs-and-Vines
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/vqqoo5P0WP8/
content:
<p><a href="media/33a23f2f.premier.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/premier.jpg"><img src="media/33a23f2f.premier.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/premier.jpg" alt="premier" width="180" height="169" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92558"></a>When Steve Wilhite of Compuserve created the GIF format in the late 80s, he probably didn&#8217;t imagine it would be in use more than a quarter of a century later.</p>
<p>Against the odds, in 2012 the GIF celebrated its 25th birthday, a fitting tribute to a format that has not only endured but also enjoyed a resurgence alongside today&#8217;s meme culture. However, the tiny video clips available in today&#8217;s GIFs aren&#8217;t appreciated by everyone.</p>
<p>On the eve of the new season, the UK&#8217;s Premier League has been putting fans on notice that it will no longer tolerate the unauthorized distribution of its copyright works. In addition to going after those who live stream full matches, the football giant says it now intends to tackle individuals who post short clips online.</p>
<p>According to the League, the problem is being caused by fans who record goals and upload them as GIFs and Vines within a few minutes of the event. These spread virally around blogs and sites such as Twitter and are enthusiastically consumed, especially on mobile devices.</p>
<p>&#8220;You can understand that fans see something, they can capture it, they can share it, but ultimately it is against the law,&#8221; Dan Johnson, director of communications at the Premier League, told the BBC.</p>
<p>These over-enthusiastic fans sharing a few seconds of footage &#8211; often at particularly low quality &#8211; are apparently causing financial hardship for the most-watched football league in the world. So, to bring that to an end, the Premier League are looking towards a technological solution.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a breach of copyright and we would discourage fans from doing it, we&#8217;re developing technologies like gif crawlers, Vine crawlers, working with Twitter to look to curtail this kind of activity,&#8221; Johnson <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/28796590">said</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;I know it sounds as if we&#8217;re killjoys but we have to protect our intellectual property.&#8221;</p>
<p>Going after those who place short video clips online is not new. There have been several reports in the past few months of UFC owner Zuffa taking action against individuals who upload GIFs, with a recent purge in July against content hosted on popular hoster GfyCat.</p>
<p>While fans insist that GIFs of goals and knockouts are simply free promotion, the rights to show such things don&#8217;t come cheap. UK tabloid The Sun <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.newsinternational.sungoals&#038;hl=en_GB">has an app</a> which shows Premier League goals within two minutes of the moment, but fans have to pay £7 per month ($11.68) to access it. </p>
<p>As the UFC have no doubt realized by now (and the Premier League soon will), taking down GIFs will be a huge resource drain and will do little to stop availability of content. The files are too tiny, far too easily shared and come from potentially thousands of directions. Add to this the problem of having to nuke content in near real-time, and this becomes an unsolvable problem, at least by enforcement means.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92598
title: Most-Pirated Movies, TV-Shows and Games Per State… Debunked
uri: Most-Pirated-Movies-TV-Shows-and-Games-Per-State-Debunked
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/XiLe_T6YT8Y/
content:
<p><a href="media/6902760d.crosscat.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/crosscat.jpg"><img src="media/6902760d.crosscat.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/crosscat.jpg" alt="crosscat" width="275" height="266" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92607"></a>Piracy is a hot topic, so when there are statistics to report the media is usually all over it. This week a series of intriguing maps has been doing the rounds. </p>
<p>The data was first published by the piracy experts over at <a href="http://www.movoto.com/">Movoto</a> Real Estate. Based on a large sample of three million unique IP addresses collected over a period of 40 days they presented a map of the most torrented movies, TV-shows and games per state. </p>
<p>This was quickly picked up by <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/08/12/maps-each-states-most-torrented-movies-tv-shows-and-games/">The Washington Post</a>, <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2014/08/13/here-are-the-games-that-each-u-s-state-is-illegally-downloading-the-most/">Venturebeat</a> and several other publications, who all shared the findings with their readers. TorrentFreak was ready to jump on the bandwagon too, but we couldn&#8217;t help noticing a few odd results. </p>
<p>What stands out immediately is that some of the most-downloaded movies in certain states are barely downloaded at all through torrent sites. &#8220;La Grande Bellezza&#8221; in New Jersey, for example, or &#8220;Cuban Fury&#8221; in Florida. The same is true for &#8220;Witching and Bitching&#8221; which, according to the map, is very popular in Indiana and Tennessee. </p>
<p>Are these movies really more often downloaded than blockbuster successes such as Divergent and X-Men as the map below suggests?</p>
<p><center><strong>Most pirated movies per state?</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/69d9ae63.most-downloaded-movie.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/most-downloaded-movie.png"><img src="media/69d9ae63.most-downloaded-movie.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/most-downloaded-movie.png" alt="most-downloaded-movie" width="839" height="482" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-92608"></a></center></p>
<p>The same odd results appear in the <a href="media/d23aba48.most-downloaded-tv.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/most-downloaded-tv.png">games</a> and <a href="media/d23aba48.most-downloaded-tv.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/most-downloaded-tv.png">TV-show maps</a>. Game of Thrones is by far the most downloaded TV-show in America, but for some reason &#8220;Awkward&#8221; is more popular in Texas and Louisiana. The same Louisianans also download the game &#8220;Scribblenauts Unlimited&#8221; more frequently than popular releases such as Minecraft and Watch Dogs. </p>
<p>Something is clearly amiss, so we took the unprecedented step of downloading the <a href="http://public.tableausoftware.com/profile/datadave#!/vizhome/Torrents2/NationalVariationAvg">source data</a> which is readily available.  </p>
<p>To our surprise, the maps in question don’t represent the most-downloaded titles. Instead, they appear to reveal for which shows the download numbers differ the most when compared to the national average. This is completely unrelated to which movie, TV-show or game was downloaded the most.</p>
<p><center><strong>Whoops, not downloads</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/0f9a8e10.variation.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/variation.png"><img src="media/0f9a8e10.variation.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/variation.png" alt="variation" width="837" height="273" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-92612"></a></center></p>
<p>Now back to our earlier question. Is &#8220;La Grande Bellezza&#8221; really that popular in New Jersey? No, the actual data shows only 2 downloads in this state&#8230; </p>
<p>Similarly, is &#8220;Awkward&#8221; the most pirated TV-show in Texas? Again, no, it has 232 downloads in the dataset compared to 2,554 for a single Game of Thrones episode. And we can go on and on. </p>
<p>In fact, if we made a real map based on the actual download counts in the dataset, Game of Thrones would be the most downloaded show in each and every state, as expected. </p>
<p>Confusingly, however, a map of the most pirated movies per state would list &#8220;Blood Widow&#8221; on top in pretty much every state.</p>
<p>This suggests that there&#8217;s an issue with the data itself too, as this movie is nowhere to be found in the list of most shared files on The Pirate Bay and elsewhere. The most likely explanation is that the researchers ran into a fake torrent file with bogus IP-addresses. </p>
<p>Whatever the case, it&#8217;s safe to say that the maps in question should be taken with a grain of salt, or a barrel of rum perhaps. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92557
title: Lionsgate Targets Hosting Providers & Domain Registrars Over Expendables 3 Piracy
uri: Lionsgate-Targets-Hosting-Providers-Domain-Registrars-Over-Expendabl
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/8IXGjf1PDqw/
content:
<p><a href="media/70e609bb.expendables2.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/expendables2.jpg"><img src="media/d8c73069.expendables2.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/expendables2.jpg" alt="expendables" width="300" height="206" class="alignright size-full wp-image-91653"></a>Today sees the official premiere of The Expendables 3, but what was supposed to be a celebration for the makers has turned into a fiasco. </p>
<p>Three weeks ago a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/expendables-3-leaks-online-100k-copies-down-in-hours-140725/">high quality leak</a> of the film appeared online. This resulted in millions of downloads long before it reached the big screen.</p>
<p>Fearing a massive loss in revenue, Lionsgate issued thousands of takedown requests to limit the leak’s availability and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-sues-filesharing-sites-expendables-3-leak-140801/">sued six file-sharing sites</a> that allegedly failed to respond to these notices.</p>
<p>It now appears that Lionsgate has more tricks up its sleeve. The owner of cloud hosting service <a href="http://filecloud.io/">filecloud.io</a> informs TorrentFreak that he never heard from Lionsgate, yet the movie studio is now going after his DDoS protection provider Cloudflare and domain registrar Easyname. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak obtained a <a href="media/815e14ad.notice-lions.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/notice-lions.png">copy of the notice</a>, which is also believed to have been sent to the service providers of several other file-sharing sites. In the notice Lionsgate&#8217;s law firm Kilpatrick Townsend &#038; Stockton requests that these companies render the sites in question unavailable. </p>
<p>The law firm lists several allegedly infringing URLs and points out that the hosting providers and domain name registrars have to take responsibility.</p>
<p><center><strong>part of Lionsgate&#8217;s notice</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/2746f58e.notice-lions-small.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/notice-lions-small.png"><img src="media/2746f58e.notice-lions-small.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/notice-lions-small.png" alt="notice-lions-small" width="486" height="351" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-92579"></a></center></p>
<p>The following text comes from a notice Cloudflare and others received, accusing the company of potentially assisting a criminal operation and ignoring a previous notice. </p>
<p>&#8220;In accordance with the DMCA, we have already notified you of the infringement, but you have continued to cause, enable, induce, facilitate and materially contribute to the infringement by continuing to provide your users with the means to unlawfully distribute, reproduce and otherwise exploit The Expendables 3,&#8221; the email reads.</p>
<p>The same takedown notice was also sent to the domain name registrar Easyname, who were encouraged to &#8220;take action&#8221; against the allegedly infringing site under ICANN rules. In their notice Lionsgate appears to hint at a domain name suspension. </p>
<p>&#8220;If you are the domain name registrar for the domain name referenced above, under ICANN rule 3.18.1, you are required to take reasonable and prompt steps to investigate and respond appropriately to any reports of abuse,&#8221; the notice reads. </p>
<p>&#8220;You are hereby put on notice that despite Rule 3.18, and the website owner&#8217;s representation to you that it is not using the domain name &#8216;in violation of any applicable laws&#8217;, the owner is either directly infringing the rights of Lionsgate or contributing to such infringement through the distribution of the stolen work referenced above,&#8221; it adds.</p>
<p>Lionsgate&#8217;s methods are unusual as the operator of filecloud.io was never contacted by the movie studio&#8217;s law firm. There were abuse mails sent by other outfits though, and the URLs listed in the takedown notice were already taken offline. This means that the infringing pages listed by Lionsgate were directed to a 404 page.</p>
<p>The owner of filecloud.io informs TF that he&#8217;s not happy with the pressure Lionsgate has put on the companies he works with, especially since they failed to first contact the site itself.  </p>
<p>&#8220;It might be nice if these complaining entities actually checked that their emails have a valid claim before firing them off to everyone under the moon,&#8221; filecloud.io&#8217;s owner notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;The majority of notices I get daily are dud but at least none of them go out of their way forwarding their gripe to everyone who has anything remotely to do with the site,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>In this case the notices haven&#8217;t yet caused any trouble for filecloud.io, but it&#8217;s not hard to imagine a scenario in which smaller companies are easily threatened to pull the plug on an accused site. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92516
title: Anti-Piracy Outfit Wants to Hijack Browsers Until Fine Paid
uri: Anti-Piracy-Outfit-Wants-to-Hijack-Browsers-Until-Fine-Paid
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/S8G-HYdjgYU/
content:
<p><img src="media/96cc090f.rightscorp.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rightscorp.jpg" width="180" height="71" class="alignright">Many rightsholders around the world are looking for ways to cut down on Internet piracy and US-based Rightscorp thinks it has an attractive solution.</p>
<p>The company monitors BitTorrent networks for infringement, links IP addresses to ISPs, and then asks those service providers to forward DMCA-style notices to errant subscribers. Those notices have a sting in the tail in the shape of a $20 settlement demand to make supposed lawsuits go away. The company says 75,000 cases have been settled so far with copyright holders picking up $10 from each.</p>
<p>Earlier this year the company reported that its operation cost $2,134,843 to run in 2013, yet it brought in just $324,016, a shortfall of more than $1.8 million. With the second quarter of 2014 now in the bag, Rightscorp has been reporting again to investors. TorrentFreak has seen a transcript of an August 13 <a href="http://www.SeekingAlpha.com">conference call</a> which contains some interesting facts.</p>
<p>In pure revenue terms the company appears to be doing better, $440,414 during the first six months of 2014. However, operating costs were $1.8m compared to $771,766 in the same <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/fining-file-sharers-makes-anti-piracy-company-lose-money-140326/">period last year</a>. Bottom line &#8211; the company lost $1.4m in the first six months of 2014.</p>
<p>Still, Rightscorp is pushing on. It now represents the entire BMG catalog, plus artists belonging to the Royalty Network such as Beyonce, Calvin Harris and Kanye West. And, as previously reported, it&#8217;s now working with <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/140-u-s-internet-providers-disconnect-persistent-pirates-140705/">140 ISPs</a>, some of which are apparently disconnecting repeat infringers.</p>
<p>Interestingly, and despite the ISP <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/comcast-kills-business-model-of-piracy-monitoring-and-settlement-firm-131206/">removing settlement demands</a> from infringement notices, Comcast subscribers are apparently handing cash over to Rightscorp too. How this is being achieved wasn&#8217;t made clear.</p>
<p>What is clear is that Rightscorp is determined to go after &#8220;Comcast, Verizon, AT&#038;T, Cable Vision and one more&#8221; in order to &#8220;get all of them compliant&#8221; (i.e forwarding settlement demands). The company predicts that more details on the strategy will develop in the fall, but comments from COO &#038; CTO Robert Steele hint on how that might be achieved.</p>
<p>&#8220;So we start in the beginning of the ISP relationship by demanding the forwarding of notices and the terminations,&#8221; Steele told investors.</p>
<p>&#8220;But where we want to end up with our scalable copyright system is where it&#8217;s not about termination, it&#8217;s about compelling the user to make the payment so that they can get back to browsing the web.&#8221;</p>
<p>Steele says the trick lies in the ability of ISPs to bring a complete halt to their subscribers&#8217; Internet browsing activities.</p>
<p>&#8220;So every ISP has this ability to put up a redirect page. So that&#8217;s the goal,&#8221; he explained.</p>
<p>&#8220;[What] we really want to do is move away from termination and move to what&#8217;s called a hard redirect, like, when you go into a hotel and you have to put your room number in order to get past the browser and get on to browsing the web.&#8221;</p>
<p>The idea that mere allegations from an anti-piracy company could bring a complete halt to an entire household or business Internet connection until a fine is paid is less like a &#8220;piracy speeding ticket&#8221; and more like a &#8220;piracy wheel clamp&#8221;, one that costs $20 to have removed.</p>
<p>Except that very rarely are Rightscorp looking for just $20.</p>
<p>According to comments Steele made to investors, &#8220;very few&#8221; people targeted by his company pay a fine of just $20, even though that&#8217;s what most of them believe to be the case after <a href="https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=rightscorp+%2420">Googling</a> the company.</p>
<p>&#8220;[For] most people, piracy is a lifestyle, and so most people are getting multiple notices,&#8221; Steele explained. &#8220;So we&#8217;re closing cases everyday for $300, $400, $500 because people got multiple notices.&#8221;</p>
<p>One of the ways Rightscorp achieves these inflated settlements is by having a headline settlement fee of $20, but not applying that to a full album. By charging $20 for each and every album track, costs begin to climb.</p>
<p>So, while someone receiving an initial infringement notice might think the matter can be solved by paying $20, after contacting the company they realize the matter is much more serious than first believed. At this point the company knows the name and address of the target, something they didn&#8217;t initially know. Now the pressure is really on to settle.</p>
<p>Finally, we come to the question of success rates. We know that 75,000 cases have been settled overall, but how many people have simply ignored Rightscorp notices and moved on. One investor indirectly asked that question, but without luck.</p>
<p>&#8220;At the moment we consider that trade secret,&#8221; Steele said.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92668
title: I Visited Pirate Bay’s Peter Sunde in Prison, Here’s What he Had to Say
uri: I-Visited-Pirate-Bay-s-Peter-Sunde-in-Prison-Here-s-What-he-Had-t
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/dhopMIACpAY/
content:
<p><a href="media/227db4ca.sunde-small.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/sunde-small.jpg"><img src="media/bd91fe94.sunde-small.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/sunde-small.jpg" alt="sunde-small" width="225" height="244" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69635"></a><em>&#8212; by Julia Reda</em></p>
<p>It wasn&#8217;t easy to <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-peter-sunde-shouldnt-jail-mep-says-140814/">meet Peter in prison</a>. Initially, his request for the approval of my visit was rejected, as have been requests on behalf of other friends. It was only when he read up on the regulations and filed a complaint – pointing out my status as an elected representative of the European Parliament – that my visit was approved.</p>
<p>He tells me that this is par for the course in prison. “If you don&#8217;t constantly insist upon your rights, you will be denied them”. Repeatedly, he had to remind the guards that they&#8217;re not allowed to open confidential mail he receives from journalists. His alleged right to an education or occupation during his jail time in practice amounted to being given a beginners&#8217; Spanish book.</p>
<p>“Prison is a bit like copyright,&#8221; Peter remarks. In both areas, there is a lack of transparency and the people in power profit from the fact that the average person doesn&#8217;t pay a lot of attention to the issue. That opens the door to misuse and corruption.</p>
<p>Few people feel directly affected by these systems (even though a lot of Internet users commit copyright infringements, many don&#8217;t even realize that they are breaking laws and suffer no repercussions). Hence it is difficult to get traditional politics to change even the most blatant injustices that these systems produce. I ask him whether his imprisonment has changed his political views.</p>
<p>“It has confirmed them,&#8221; he replies. “I knew the system was broken before, but now I know to what extent.”</p>
<p>“The worst thing is the boredom”, Peter informs me when I ask him about life in prison. He gives an account of his daily routine: “I have soy yoghurt and muesli for breakfast, which I was recently allowed to buy from my own money, as the prison doesn&#8217;t offer any vegan food.”</p>
<p>That is followed by one hour of exercise – walking around the yard in circles – and sometimes the chance to play ping-pong or visit the prison library in the afternoon, before Peter is locked in his cell for the night. The only other distraction comes from the dozens of letters Peter receives every day.</p>
<p>Not all the books that his friends and supporters send make their way to him – they are screened for “inappropriate content” first. Other items that arrive in the mail, such as vegan candy, won&#8217;t be handed out to him until after his release, “but at least the prison has to catalog every single thing you send me, which pisses them off,&#8221; Peter says with a wink.</p>
<p>While his notoriety mostly comes from his role in founding the Pirate Bay, Peter has been critical of the platform&#8217;s development for a long time and has been focusing his energy on other projects.</p>
<p>“There should be 10,000 Pirate Bays by now!” he exclaims. “The Internet was built as a decentralized network, but ironically it is increasingly encouraging centralization. Because The Pirate Bay has been around for 11 years now, almost all other torrent sites started relying on it as a backbone. We created a single point of failure and the development of file sharing technology got stuck.”</p>
<p>In Peter&#8217;s eyes, the Pirate Bay has run its course and turned into a commercial enterprise that has little to do with the values it was founded on. Nowadays, the most important battles for an open Internet take place elsewhere, he says, noting that the trend towards centralization is not limited to file sharing. </p>
<p>Facebook alone has turned into its own little walled-garden version of the Internet that a lot of users would be content using without access to the wider Net. At the same time, services from Google to Wikipedia are working on distribution deals that make their services available to people without real Internet access.</p>
<p>One step to counter this trend towards centralization could be data portability, the right to take all one&#8217;s personal data from a service such as Facebook and bring it along to a competitor. The right to data portability is part of the proposed European data protection regulation that is currently stuck in negotiations among the EU member states.</p>
<p>“Having data portability would be a great step forward, but it&#8217;s not enough. Portability is meaningless without competition.&#8221; Peter says.</p>
<p>&#8220;As activists and entrepreneurs, we need to challenge monopolies. We need to build a Pirate social network that is interoperable with Facebook. Or build competition to small monopolies before they get bought up by the big players in the field. Political activism in parliaments, as the Pirate Party pursues it, is important, but needs to be combined with economic disruptions.</p>
<p>“The Internet won&#8217;t change fundamentally in the next two years, but in the long-term, the effects of the decisions we take today can be dramatic.&#8221;</p>
<p>According to Peter, establishing net neutrality, especially on mobile networks, will be one of the crucial fights. The Internet may have started out as a non-commercial space, but is entirely ruled by business arguments nowadays, and without net neutrality, large corporations will be able to strengthen their monopolies and stifle innovation. A pushback will be needed from small enterprises as well as civil society – but those groups struggle to be heard in political debates as they often lack the financial resources for large-scale lobbying efforts.</p>
<p>Although Peter is visibly affected by his imprisonment and talks about struggling with depression, he has not stopped making plans for the future. “Things will get easier once I get out. I&#8217;ve been a fugitive for two years and could hardly go to conferences or would have to show up unannounced.”</p>
<p>Once his eight month sentence has come to an end, Peter wants to get back to activism. When I ask about his upcoming projects, he starts grinning and tells me to be patient.</p>
<p>“All I can say now is that I&#8217;m brimming with ideas and that one of my main goals will be to develop ethical ways of funding activism. You often need money to change things. But most ways of acquiring it require you to compromise on your ideals. We can do better than that.”</p>
<p>Peter is now hoping for his prison sentence to eventually be transformed into house arrest, which would allow him to see his critically ill father and spend less time in isolation. Whether that happens will largely depend on whether the Swedish state will continue to view a file-sharing activist as a serious threat to the public. In a society where the majority of young people routinely break copyright law simply by sharing culture, that view seems entirely unsustainable.</p>
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<div style="float:right;height:99px;width:96px;margin-left:20px;margin-right:10px"><img src="media/54d444f7.julia.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/julia.png" style="border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none" class="quimby_search_image"></div>
<p><span style="color:#3F3F3F;font-size:125%">About The</span> <span style="color:#FF3C78;font-size:125%">Author</span></p>
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<p style="font-family:PTSansRegular,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-weight:400;line-height:150%;margin-bottom:14px"><small><a href="http://senficon.eu/en/">Julia Reda</a> is a German politician for the Pirate Party Germany and a member of the European Parliament since 2014, where she serves as a Vice-President of the Greens/EFA group. She is also the chairperson of the Young Pirates of Europe. </small></p>
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<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92634
title: TalkTalk Wants Resellers to Warn Pirating Customers
uri: TalkTalk-Wants-Resellers-to-Warn-Pirating-Customers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/yflotmMDr2Y/
content:
<p><a href="media/eef2977b.talktalklogo1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/talktalklogo1.jpg"><img src="media/eef2977b.talktalklogo1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/talktalklogo1.jpg" alt="talktalklogo" width="250" height="151" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92637"></a>Unlike those in the US, Internet providers in the UK are not obliged to forward copyright infringement notices to their subscribers. This means that local Internet users are spared the typical warnings that are so common elsewhere.</p>
<p>Despite the lacking legal requirements, some anti-piracy groups do send copyright infringement notices to UK ISPs. In most cases these are ignored by the providers, but last week TalkTalk forwarded a notice to one of its resellers. </p>
<p>In the email the ISP asks Opal Solutions to forward the notice in question to one of its subscribers who allegedly shared a pirated copy of &#8220;Godzilla&#8221;. In addition the reseller was urged to take &#8220;preventive&#8221; measures, but what these should be is left open.</p>
<p>&#8220;Please see below copyright infringement email regarding an IP address of one of your clients, Please inform your client and take necessary preventative measures,&#8221; TalkTalk wrote.</p>
<p>At the bottom of this article is a copy of the original copyright infringement notice TalkTalk forwarded. It is a typical DMCA style notice sent by IP Echelon on behalf of Warner Bros. </p>
<p>IP Echelon didn&#8217;t make any effort to customize the notice for the UK audience. The email specifically references US copyright law, which doesn&#8217;t apply to the reseller or TalkTalk.</p>
<p>What&#8217;s most noteworthy, though, is that TalkTalk has decided to pass on this notice. The ISP is not known to forward these notices to its own subscribers, yet they appear to be urging a reseller to go beyond what&#8217;s required by law.</p>
<p>The forwarded email is most likely an attempt to avoid any type of liability. The question that remains is this: if TalkTalk do this with resellers does this mean they will start warning their subscribers as well? </p>
<p>Earlier this year the news broke that TalkTalk and other UK providers will voluntarily start sending infringement notices under the <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/how-uk-piracy-warnings-work-140517/">VCAP program</a>. While VCAP isn&#8217;t going into effect before the summer of 2015, TalkTalk&#8217;s forwarded infringement notice could suggest that they might do something sooner.</p>
<p>Below is a full copy of the copyright infringement notice.</p>
<p>&#8212;-</p>
<p><em>We are writing this message on behalf of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc..</p>
<p>We have received information that an individual has utilized the<br>
below-referenced IP address at the noted date and time to offer<br>
downloads of copyrighted material.</p>
<p>The title in question is: Godzilla</p>
<p>The distribution of unauthorized copies of copyrighted television<br>
programs constitutes copyright infringement under the Copyright Act,<br>
Title 17 United States Code Section 106(3).  This conduct may also<br>
violate the laws of other countries, international law, and/or treaty<br>
obligations.</p>
<p>Since you own this IP address<br>
we request that you immediately do the following:</p>
<p>  1) Contact the subscriber who has engaged in the conduct described<br>
  above and take steps to prevent the subscriber from further downloading<br>
  or uploading Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. content without authorization; and</p>
<p>  2) Take appropriate action against the account holder under your Abuse<br>
  Policy/Terms of Service Agreement.</p>
<p>On behalf of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., owner of the exclusive rights<br>
in the copyrighted material at issue in this notice, we hereby state that<br>
we have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner<br>
complained of is not authorized by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.,<br>
its respective agents, or the law.</p>
<p>Also, we hereby state, under penalty of perjury, that we are authorized<br>
to act on behalf of the owner of the exclusive rights being infringed<br>
as set forth in this notification.</p>
<p>We appreciate your assistance and thank you for your cooperation in this<br>
matter. Your prompt response is requested.</p>
<p>Any further enquiries can be directed to copyright@ip-echelon.com<br>
Please include this message with your enquiry to ensure a swift response.</p>
<p>Respectfully,</p>
<p>Adrian Leatherland<br>
CEO<br>
IP-Echelon<br>
Email: copyright@ip-echelon.com<br>
Address: 6715 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, 90028, United States</p>
<p>- &#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;- Infringement Details &#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br>
Title:        Godzilla<br>
Timestamp:    2014-08-13T14:06:26Z<br>
IP Address:<br>
Port:         60261<br>
Type:         BitTorrent<br>
Torrent Hash: c5cdf551eea353484657d45dbe93f688575a1e31<br>
Filename:     Godzilla.2014.WEBRiP.XviD-VAiN<br>
Filesize:     2485 MB<br>
- &#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92571
title: WWE Asked Google to Hit Live Piracy…From the Future
uri: WWE-Asked-Google-to-Hit-Live-Piracy-From-the-Future
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/xWSRK-Z1wE0/
content:
<p><a href="media/9f092e2c.WWE2.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/WWE2.jpg"><img src="media/93931d55.WWE2.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/WWE2.jpg" alt="WWE2" width="180" height="120" class="alignright size-full wp-image-85514"></a>Removing content from the Internet has become big business in recent years, with rightsholders from all over the globe seeking to limit access to infringing content.</p>
<p>As the world&#8217;s leading search engine, Google receives millions of DMCA-style notices every week. Its internal systems, both automated and human-reviewed, then attempt to assess the validity of the notices before removing URLs from its indexes.</p>
<p>What these notices all have in common is that they refer to infringements that have already taken place, since that&#8217;s the nature of a takedown. However, a notice that recently appeared in Google&#8217;s Transparency Report reveals that for at least one organization, looking into the future is now also on the agenda.</p>
<p>The notice was sent by an anti-piracy company working on behalf of World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE as it&#8217;s more commonly known. The notice aimed to tackle piracy of a WWE Event titled Money In The Bank 2014, which took place on June 29, 2014. However, the notice was sent to Google two days before, on June 27.</p>
<p>&#8220;The following links infringe on WWE&#8217;s copyrighted Pay Per View event Money In The Bank 2014, set to air this Sunday, June 29, by one or more of the following means,&#8221; the notice begins.</p>
<p>WWE then sets out three potential infringements.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/081a9b4e.wwe-bank.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/wwe-bank.png" alt="wwe-bank"></center></p>
<p>&#8220;Providing a link to a free (pirated) stream of this event&#8221; is misleading since it&#8217;s impossible to link to an event that hasn&#8217;t aired yet. Conceivably an advance static link could have been setup to air the event come June 29, but on June 27 the event had definitely not aired, hence no piracy.</p>
<p>&#8220;Providing a promise of DIRECT free streaming of this event on the identified site&#8221; seems no different from the allegation made above. It&#8217;s certainly possible that some of the sites promised to illegally stream the event, but at the date of the notice that would have been impossible.</p>
<p>The fact that WWE resorted to telling Google that the event&#8217;s <a href="http://www.wwe.com/shows/moneyinthebank/2014/wwe-money-in-the-bank-2014-predictions-26410927">predictions show</a> was the source material being infringed upon shows that no actual live event infringements had yet taken place.</p>
<p>The final claim &#8211; &#8220;Using copyrighted images, logos and celebrity photos to promote the site&#8221; &#8211; is one that carries far more weight than the two key instances of infringement alleged above. Some of the sites listed did use WWE artwork to promote their upcoming streams, but there were some notable omissions, not least the homepage of Justin.tv. Google refused to comply in this and three other instances.</p>
<p>The notice from WWE, which can be <a href="http://www.chillingeffects.org/notice.cgi?sID=1808458">viewed here</a>, illustrates the problems faced by companies airing live events. While outfits such as WWE often know where streams and links to streams will appear once an event goes live, taking them down quickly once it actually begins may not always go as smoothly as they would like.</p>
<p>While attempts at a pro-active DMCA-style notice like this might work on a small scale, it&#8217;s not difficult to imagine the chaos that would ensue if all rightsholders tried to have unauthorized content removed before it even appeared online.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92695
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 08/18/14
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-08-18-14
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/62dueuRzu2w/
content:
<p><a href="media/a0f34d2a.male.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/male.jpg"><img src="media/a0f34d2a.male.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/male.jpg" alt="male" width="300" height="225" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92696"></a>This week we have four newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Maleficent is the most downloaded movie this week.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are BD/DVDrips unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the weekly movie download chart.</p>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Ranking</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>(<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-140811/">last week</a>)</strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">torrentfreak.com</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/maleficent_2014/">Maleficent</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-XO4XiRop0">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_the_winter_soldier_2014/">Captain America: The Winter Soldier</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SlILk2WMTI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/divergent/">Divergent</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1840309/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sutgWjz10sM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_days_of_future_past/">X-Men: Days of Future Past</a> (HDrip/TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1877832/">8.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsjtg7m1MMM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/22_jump_street/">22 Jump Street</a> (TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294449/">7.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9S_dYuq0vE">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_amazing_spider_man_2/">The Amazing Spider-Man 2</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1872181/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbp3Ra3Yp74">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brick_mansions/">Brick Mansions</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1430612/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-kIpUSByUM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_expendables_3/">The Expendables 3</a> (DVDscr)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2333784/">?.?</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xD0junWlFc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/godzilla_2014/">Godzilla</a> (Webrip)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0831387/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIu85WQTPRc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dawn_of_the_planet_of_the_apes/">Dawn of the Planet of the Apes</a> (TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2103281/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sHMCRaS3ao">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92700
title: Ferguson Attacks And Web Censorship Are Parts Of Same Story
uri: Ferguson-Attacks-And-Web-Censorship-Are-Parts-Of-Same-Story
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/SPunDWf46Sg/
content:
<p>The governments around the world are reacting the exact same way today as they did when the printing press arrived 500 years ago. There isn&#8217;t really anything new under the sun.</p>
<p>Then, as now, they were used to telling people what was true and what wasn&#8217;t, telling whatever story that fit whatever it was they wanted to do.</p>
<p>&#8220;Cannabis is dangerous. Tobacco is not harmful at all. Oh, and there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.&#8221;</p>
<p>When police troops in Ferguson launched tear gas grenades at a television team from Al-Jazeera, that is a symptom of the exact same thing as web censorship: governments are losing control of the story. Governments can no longer invent whatever truth that fits what they want to happen. Police firing at press is actually something very rare &#8211; even in the worst of war zones, it&#8217;s a rare occurrence that press teams are deliberately targeted, and yet, this was precisely what happened in Ferguson, USA.</p>
<p>The reason is the exact same as for web censorship and mass surveillance:</p>
<p>The governments and the people working for them are attacking anybody who exposes what they do, using whatever power they have to do so.</p>
<p>Tear gas grenades against a TV crew may have been both overviolent and counterproductive, but it&#8217;s still the same thing. It&#8217;s exactly what happened when the printing press arrived, and the penalties for using a printing press &#8211; thereby circumventing the truthtellers of that time &#8211; gradually increased to the death penalty (France, 1535).</p>
<p>Not even the death penalty worked to deter people from using the printing press to tell their version of events to the world, which more often than not contradicted the official version. The cat was out of the bag. As it is now. Governments and police still don&#8217;t understand that everybody is a broadcaster &#8211; attacking a TV crew was futile in the first place.</p>
<p>During the initial, hopeful months of the Arab Spring, a lot of photos circulated of young people gathering for protests. What was interesting about the photos were that they were taken with mobile phones, but also that they showed a lot of other people at the protest taking photos of the same crowd at the same time with their own mobile phone. Thus, the photos of the ongoing revolution contained instructions in themselves for how to perpetuate the revolution &#8211; take pictures of crowds defying the edicts and dictums.</p>
<p>This is why it&#8217;s so puzzling that the police even bother to give special treatment to people from television stations and newspapers. Strictly speaking, they&#8217;re not necessary to get the story out anymore, even if they still have some follower advantage for the most part.</p>
<p>&#8220;Police are being transformed from protecting the public into protecting government from the public&#8221;, as @directorblue just <a href="https://twitter.com/directorblue/status/499349744993697792/photo/1">tweeted</a>. That could be said about pretty much anything concerning the net, too &#8212; from oppressive applications of copyright monopoly law to strangling net innovations or giving telcos monopolies that prevent the net&#8217;s utility.</p>
<p>The attacks on the public by police troops in Ferguson, attacks from the copyright industry against those who want a free net, and web censorship by governments are all different sides of the same story. And all of this has happened before. Last time this happened, it took 200 years of civil war to settle the dust and agree that the printing press may have been a nice invention after all.</p>
<p>Can we please not repeat that mistake?</p>
<p><center>
<div class="alignfull" style="border:2px solid #3F3F3F;width:100%;padding:15px;padding-top:8px;padding-bottom:4px;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;border-radius:10px">
<h3 style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px">
<div style="float:right;height:130px;width:39px;margin-left:20px;margin-right:10px"><img src="media/98818a80.Rick_Falkvinge_39x130.jpg" data-original-source="http://falkvinge.net/wp-content/themes/WpNewspaper/images/falkvinge/Rick_Falkvinge_39x130.jpg" style="border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none" class="quimby_search_image"></div>
<p><span style="color:#3F3F3F;font-size:125%">About The</span> <span style="color:#FF3C78;font-size:125%">Author</span></p>
</h3>
<p style="font-family:PTSansRegular,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-weight:400;line-height:150%;margin-bottom:14px"><small>Rick Falkvinge is a regular columnist on TorrentFreak, sharing his thoughts every other week. He is the founder of the Swedish and first Pirate Party, a whisky aficionado, and a low-altitude motorcycle pilot. His blog at <a href="http://falkvinge.net">falkvinge.net</a> focuses on information policy.</small></p>
<div style="float:right;position:relative;top:-12px">
<p><small>Book Falkvinge <a href="http://falkvinge.net/keynotes/">as speaker</a>?</small></p>
</div>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/Falkvinge" class="twitter-follow-button">Follow @Falkvinge</a></p>
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<p></center></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92726
title: ISPs Face Lawsuits After Failing to Block The Pirate Bay
uri: ISPs-Face-Lawsuits-After-Failing-to-Block-The-Pirate-Bay
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/gaqBIU2jJDw/
content:
<p><a href="media/fd06f581.pirate-bay.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-bay.jpg"><img src="media/2a43984f.pirate-bay.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-bay.jpg" alt="pirate bay" width="200" height="207" class="alignright size-full wp-image-53470"></a>Following favorable rulings on website-blocking from both the European Court of Justice and the local Supreme Court, at the end of July several Austrian movie companies renewed their mission to have &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites blocked at the ISP level. </p>
<p>VAP, the anti-piracy association of the Austrian film and video industry, wrote to several local ISPs &#8211; UPC, Drei, Tele2 and A1 &#8211; <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/block-the-pirate-bay-within-3-days-austrian-isps-told-140729/">demanding a blockade</a> of three domains – ThePirateBay.se, Movie4K.to and Kinox.to.</p>
<p>Just days later the IFPI signaled its intention to join the fray. In a letter dated August 4 and sent to five local ISPs, the music group set a deadline of less than two weeks for the service providers to block subscriber access to ThePirateBay,se, isoHunt.to, 1337x.to and H33t.to.</p>
<p>After the VAP letter came talks between the anti-piracy outfit and the ISPs, but a deadline of August 14 expired last week with no blocking having taken place. While the courts have confirmed that in certain circumstances service providers can be required to block errant sites, it appears that the ISPs don&#8217;t want to take action based on mere requests from rightsholders.</p>
<p>&#8220;We continue to believe that the decision to block websites or other Internet content should lie with the courts and legislators,&#8221; UPC told Austrian news outlet <a href="http://futurezone.at/netzpolitik/netzsperren-es-wird-klagen-geben/80.072.581">Future Zone</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have sympathy for rightsholders and we are in full support of the creative industries. However, we offer our customers access to the Internet and have no obligation or right to choose which content is accessed.&#8221;</p>
<p>Faced with blocking requests around Europe, most if not all ISPs have required a court order in order to restrict access to &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites. Given this history, UPC&#8217;s reluctance comes as no surprise to VAP. Managing Director Werner Müller admitted last week that it was always unlikely that the ISPs would act without being legally required to do so. That means legal action, and VAP are ready for it.</p>
<p>&#8220;There will soon be a lawsuit concerning blocking against two websites &#8211; kinox.to and movie4k.to &#8211; against four major domestic Internet providers,&#8221; Müller says. &#8220;The lawsuits are prepared and are waiting almost only on their delivery.&#8221;</p>
<p>And, according to comments made by IFPI CEO Franz Medwenitsch, the music industry won&#8217;t be far behind.</p>
<p>&#8220;As of today there has been no response from the service providers so we had our attorney begin the preparations for legal action,&#8221; Medwenitsch confirms.</p>
<p>These web-blocking cases being brought against Austrian ISPs are of particular importance as they represent the first to take place following the March 27 ruling of the European Court of Justice. How that ruling is interpreted will be closely watched by rightsholders across the continent.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92707
title: Third Unreleased Doctor Who Episode Leaks Online
uri: Third-Unreleased-Doctor-Who-Episode-Leaks-Online
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/2H9dxBjns3s/
content:
<p><img src="media/33907075.tardis-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tardis-1.jpg" width="187" height="216" class="alignright">In July, news broke that following a serious error at a BBC office in Miami, the scripts and video to the brand new series of Doctor Who had accidentally been made available online.</p>
<p>While the BBC closed down the security breach, it didn&#8217;t do so quickly enough. The scripts were made available on file-sharing networks first and they were soon followed by the <a href="torrentfreak.com/leaked-dr-who-episode-appears-on-the-pirate-bay-140714/">leak of the first episode</a>.</p>
<p>Destined for Marcelo Camargo of Marc Drei Productions, a Brazil-based production company known for its subtitling work, the unfinished ‘workprint’ release wasn&#8217;t to be the last. Less than a week ago the first full copies of the second episode &#8220;Into The Dalek&#8221; started <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/doctor-who-enter-the-dalek-workprint-fully-leaks-online-140812/">doing the rounds</a>, prompting concerns of whether the leaks would stop there or continue.</p>
<p>That question now seems to have been answered. A 1020Mb file currently being made available via The Pirate Bay is the third episode in the new series. The file follows the naming convention of the previous two leaks suggesting that the video comes from the same source.</p>
<p>Rumored to be titled &#8220;Robots of Sherwood&#8221;, the episode confirms details revealed in the leaked scripts and sees Doctor Who venturing back in time for a memorable meeting with Robin Hood.</p>
<p><img src="media/ea9bcf9c.dr-robin.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dr-robin.png" alt="Dr-robin"></p>
<p>As can be seen from the screenshot, the episode is presented in monochrome and is heavily watermarked. Special effects and other elements of final polish also appear to be absent.</p>
<p>The question now falls to whether the remaining three episodes of six will also leak to mainstream file-sharing networks such as BitTorrent. There are reports of episodes four, five and six appearing on the eD2K network (sometimes known as eDonkey) but thus far there are no confirmed full downloads.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92510
title: U.S. Court Grants Order to Wipe Pirate Sites from the Internet
uri: U-S-Court-Grants-Order-to-Wipe-Pirate-Sites-from-the-Internet
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/h7VAX0okeJs/
content:
<p><a href="media/5ceed422.stop-blocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/stop-blocked.jpg"><img src="media/07db73b3.stop-blocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/stop-blocked.jpg" alt="stop-blocked" width="200" height="168" class="alignright size-full wp-image-72076"></a>The entertainment industries often complain that they have virtually no means to target pirate sites, especially those run from overseas. </p>
<p>This grim outlook isn&#8217;t shared by the operators of ABS-CBN, the largest media and entertainment company in the Philippines, who filed a lawsuit against several unauthorized streaming sites at a District Court in Oregon. </p>
<p>The company&#8217;s complaint alleges a mixture of trademark and copyright infringement against a dozen websites including Pinoystreaming.com, Pinoytvko.biz and Pinoy-tube.com. The sites in question are operated by different people, some of whom have no apparent connection to the United States.</p>
<p>To stop the sites from operating as quickly as possible the media company requested a temporary restraining order. This was done under seal without the knowledge of the defendants, as ABS-CBN feared that they would otherwise switch domain names and continue operating as usual. </p>
<p>&#8220;Absent a temporary restraining order, Defendants will be able to completely erase the status quo by transferring the benefits of their prior illegal activities to new websites,&#8221; the company argued.</p>
<p>In short, ABS-CBN requested power to take the sites offline before the owners knew that they were getting sued, and without a chance to defend themselves. While that may seem a lot to ask, Judge Anna Brown <a href="media/fb21d561.00920-20TRO.PDF" data-original-source="http://servingnotice.com/abscbn2/009%20-%20TRO.PDF">granted the request</a>. </p>
<p>Earlier this month the Judge signed the temporary restraining order which bars the operators from running their sites. In addition, it allows the media company to order hosting companies to take down the servers, domain registrars to seize the domain names, and search engines to remove all results linking to the sites.</p>
<p>&#8220;Upon Plaintiffs’ request, those with actual notice of the injunction, including any Internet search engines, Web hosts, domain-name registrars, and domain name registries or their administrators, shall cease facilitating access to any or all domain names and websites&#8230;,&#8221; the order reads.</p>
<p>The court also ordered the domain name registrars to point the domains to a copy of the complaint, so the website owners would know why their sites had been wiped from the Internet. Further, to prevent the defendants from passing on Google traffic to a new domain, ABS-CBN was granted permission to access the Google Webmaster Tools of the defendants.</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiffs may enter the Subject Domain Names into Google’s Webmaster Tools and cancel any redirection of the domains that have been entered there by Defendants which redirect traffic to a new domain name or website and thereby evade the provisions of this Order,&#8221; the order reads.</p>
<p>The above is just part of the injunction which effectively shuts down the sites in question. All websites in the suit are now <a href="http://pinoymoviefan.com">redirected</a> to a copy of the complaint. Also, several domains are <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Apinoymoviefan.com">no longer present</a> in Google&#8217;s search results.</p>
<p>The preliminary injunction is unique in its kind, both due to its broadness and the fact that it happened without due process. This has several experts worried, including EFF&#8217;s Intellectual Property Director Corynne McSherry.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s very worrisome that a court would issue a rapid and broad order affecting speech based on allegations, without careful consideration and an opportunity for the targets to defend themselves,&#8221; McSherry tells TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>In addition to the restraining order, Judge Brown also granted ABS-CBN&#8217;s request to freeze all financial assets of the defendants until further notice. The defendants were given the option to appeal both orders after they were issued, but it&#8217;s unknown whether they have done so.</p>
<p>This is not the first ex-parte injunction to be handed down against alleged pirate sites this month. <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-can-seize-assets-filesharing-sites-court-rules-140809/">The same</a> happened in the Expendables 3 case, although this order wasn&#8217;t nearly as broad as the one against the Filipino streaming sites.</p>
<p>Whether it&#8217;s the start of a new trend has yet to be seen, but considering the broad measures judges are willing to sign off, things could get messy. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92776
title: Court: Usenet Provider Doesn’t Have to Filter Pirated Content
uri: Court-Usenet-Provider-Doesn-t-Have-to-Filter-Pirated-Content
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/bnXr186DEOY/
content:
<p><a href="media/aa1d0dda.news-service.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/news-service.png"><img src="media/5bfea074.news-service.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/news-service.png" alt="news-service" width="180" height="69" class="alignright size-full wp-image-40721"></a>In 2009, Dutch anti-piracy group BREIN, representing the movie and music industries, took Europe&#8217;s largest Usenet provider <a href="http://www.news-service.com/">News-Service Europe</a> (NSE) to court.</p>
<p>Through the court BREIN demanded that NSE delete all infringing content from its servers, and in 2011 the Court of Amsterdam <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/major-usenet-provider-ordered-to-remove-all-infringing-content-110929/">sided</a> with the copyright holders.</p>
<p>The Court argued that NSE willingly facilitated copyright infringement through its services. In its verdict the Court ruled that NSE had to remove all copyrighted content, and filter future posts for possible copyright infringements. </p>
<p>Responding to the verdict the Usenet provider said that it was economically unfeasible to filter all messages. The company therefore saw no other option than to <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/major-usenet-provider-shuts-down-following-court-order-111106/">shut down</a> its services while the appeal was pending.</p>
<p>This week the Appeals Court <a href="http://www.news-service.com/">ruled on the case</a> overturning the previous verdict, setting a more positive precedent for Usenet providers and similar services. </p>
<p>The Court concluded that NSE does not facilitate copyright infringement as long as it maintains a procedure through which copyright holders can <a href="http://tweakers.net/nieuws/97914/hof-usenetprovider-maakt-geen-inbreuk-op-auteursrecht.html">send unlimited</a> takedown notices.</p>
<p>In addition, the Court decided that proactive filtering of copyrighted content is not required, as that conflicts with existing jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are very pleased with this ruling,&#8221; NSE CEO Patrick Schreurs says. &#8220;The Court correctly states that a Usenet provider such as News-Service Europe can not be expected to proactively monitor the messages others place.&#8221; </p>
<p>The ruling this week is an interlocutory verdict. The Court still has to rule on how NSE&#8217;s notice and takedown procedure should operate. Afterwards, both BREIN and NSE still have the option to take the case to the Supreme Court. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92745
title: Major Torrent Sites and Google Purge The Expendables 3
uri: Major-Torrent-Sites-and-Google-Purge-The-Expendables-3
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/j2Cv3Av-5bY/
content:
<p>With The Expendables 3 now officially released in theaters, the autopsy over its leak last month and the potential effects on box office figures has begun. </p>
<p>Many news outlets reported yesterday that the first weekend&#8217;s takings represent a flop for the third in the Expendables franchise and, of course, those closest to Hollywood are pointing the figure firmly at piracy.</p>
<p>But on the ground, on some of the very sites accused of facilitating piracy of the action movie, there are signs which suggests that this leaked title is being treated somewhat differently to any that have gone before.</p>
<p><strong>LimeTorrents</strong></p>
<p>Noting that the site was named in a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-can-seize-assets-filesharing-sites-court-rules-140809/">Lions Gate lawsuit</a>, TF monitored for the presence of The Expendables 3 torrents on popular torrent site LimeTorrents. The result is shown in the image below.</p>
<p><Center><img src="media/5ee0934f.lime-expend.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lime-expend.png" alt="Lime-Expend"></center></p>
<p>While the site lists 14 torrents, not a single working Expendables 3 torrent appears in the search results. The three that do appear are sponsored links that do not lead to anything useful.</p>
<p>But while LimeTorrents are clearly doing all they can to comply with the terms of a lawsuit, other sites that have not been named by Lions Gate also appear to have been taking action.</p>
<p><strong>KickassTorrents</strong></p>
<p>KickassTorrents is the world&#8217;s second largest torrent site and the go-to place for many looking for fresh content. However, anyone searching for leaked Expendables 3 torrents will be going home disappointed. There are currently nine torrents returned in results, all of which are trailers. The leaked movie cannot be found.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/05c50215.kick-expend.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kick-expend.png" alt="Kick-expend"></center></p>
<p>It&#8217;s worth noting that like many of the leading torrent sites, Kickass removes torrents following copyright holder requests, so that goes someway to explaining why the Expendables 3 torrents have all disappeared. What is notable, however, is that no fresh ones seem to be reappearing as is usually the case.</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> KickassTorrents sent us the following comment. </p>
<p>&#8220;We have a person dedicated to read all incoming DMCA requests carefully and process those which are formatted according to the DMCA requirements. At the same time this person ignored requests that are wrongly formatted.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We believe that most DMCA requests are automatically generated because we frequently receive requests to remove forum topics where a movie name specified in the title.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>RARBG</strong></p>
<p>There&#8217;s a similar story over at RARBG, the site placed 10th in our <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-popular-torrent-sites-2014-140104/">Top Torrent Sites 2014</a> post. A search produces the two torrents shown in the screenshot below and as they clearly point out, these definitely ain&#8217;t The Expendables.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/7004c871.rarbg-expend.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rarbg-expend.png" alt="rarbg"></center></p>
<p><strong>BitSnoop</strong></p>
<p>The effect of these takedowns, whether from rightsholders or introduced on a voluntary basis, can also be seen on torrent sites that specialize in indexing torrents found elsewhere. BitSnoop, the 9th most popular torrent site online with an index of 23 million torrents, currently has none related to The Expendables 3.</p>
<p><Center><img src="media/f9b1dc12.bitsnoop-expend.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bitsnoop-expend.png" alt="bitsnoop-expend"></center></p>
<p><strong>Torrentz</strong></p>
<p>Over at Torrentz, a meta-search engine that indexes content on other sites, we can see that just four torrents are returned following an Expendables 3 search, none of which are the movie in question.The links at the top are sponsored and don&#8217;t relate to torrents.</p>
<p>The note at the bottom reveals that 41 torrent links have been removed following DMCA notices and their euro equivalent. Again, no more torrents seem to be reappearing.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/a781f5f7.torrentz-expend.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/torrentz-expend.png" alt="torrentz-expend"></center></p>
<p><strong>Google</strong></p>
<p>While torrents disappearing and not reappearing within major torrent sites is quite unusual in itself, perhaps the most dramatic effect can be seen in Google search results. </p>
<p>As previously documented, Lions Gate has put in a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-fights-expendables-3-piracy-with-thousands-of-takedowns-140804/">herculean effort</a> to have listings removed. This, combined with any torrent site self-censorship efforts, has resulted in a tiny number of usable entries in the first 20 pages of Google results for common searches such as &#8216;The Expendables 3 + download + torrent&#8217;.</p>
<p>Of course, more experienced downloaders and those who persevere through a few searches can still find torrents and other ways to watch the movie. Torrents still remain on The Pirate Bay too, but there are clear signs that the leak of this movie is being treated differently from any other in recent memory, and not only by those involved in its legal distribution either.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92747
title: Attackers Can ‘Steal’ Bandwidth From BitTorrent Seeders, Research Finds
uri: Attackers-Can-Steal-Bandwidth-From-BitTorrent-Seeders-Research
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/B9gfO0M4f0s/
content:
<p><a href="media/9a2574a5.swarm.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/swarm.jpg"><img src="media/86156dd5.swarm.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/swarm.jpg" alt="swarm" width="200" height="125" class="alignright size-full wp-image-33216"></a>BitTorrent is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to share large files over the Internet. The popular file-sharing protocol is used by dozens of millions of people every day and accounts for a substantial amount of total Internet traffic. </p>
<p>This popularity makes BitTorrent an interesting target for attacks, which various anti-piracy companies have shown in the past. One of these possible attacks was recently unveiled by Florian Adamsky, researcher at the City University London.</p>
<p>In an article <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167404814001205">published</a> in &#8220;Computers &#038; Security&#8221; Adamsky and his colleagues reveal an exploit which allows attackers to get a higher download rate from seeders than other people. </p>
<p>In technical terms, the exploit misuses BitTorrent&#8217;s choking mechanism of clients that use the &#8220;<a href="http://www.bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0006.html">Allowed Fast</a>&#8221; extension. Attackers can use this to keep a permanent connection with seeders, requesting the same pieces over and over.</p>
<p>The vulnerability was extensively tested in swarms of various sizes and the researchers found that three malicious peers can already slow download times up to 414.99%. When the number of attackers is greater compared to the number of seeders, the worse the effect becomes.</p>
<p>The impact of the attack further depends on the download clients being used by the seeders in the swarm. The mainline BitTorrent clients and uTorrent are not vulnerable for example, while Vuze is partly affected. </p>
<p>&#8220;Vuze is only partly affected as it allows pieces to be downloaded 64 times and then all further requests are rejected. Nevertheless we have listed Vuze as vulnerable since it is possible to reconnect and restart the attack,&#8221; the paper reads.</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> Vuze was quick to <a href="http://devblog.vuze.com/post/95341219404/5401-b03">patch the vulnerability</a>. </p>
<p>An older version of Libtorrent also had this vulnerability but that was fixed a year ago. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak spoke with Adamsky who predicts that similar results are possible in real swarms. Even very large swarms of more than 1,000 seeders could be affected through a botnet, although it&#8217;s hard to predict the precise impact. </p>
<p>&#8220;If an attacker uses a botnet to attack the swarm, I think it would be possible to increase the average download time of all peers [of swarms with 1,000 seeders] up to three times,&#8221; Adamsky tells us. </p>
<p>&#8220;If most of the clients would have a vulnerable client like Vuze or Transmission it would be possible to increase the average download time up ten times,&#8221; he adds. </p>
<p>In their paper the researchers suggest a relatively easy fix to the problem, through an update of the &#8220;Allowed Fast&#8221; extension. In addition, they also propose a new seeding algorithm that is less prone to these and other bandwidth attacks. </p>
<p>Update: The article was updated to clarify that only older version of Libtorrent were affected. According to the research Transmission currently has the &#8220;Allowed Fast&#8221; code commented out, but it could become vulnerable when it&#8217;s implemented.  </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92794
title: Google Asked to Remove 1 Million Pirate Links Per Day
uri: Google-Asked-to-Remove-1-Million-Pirate-Links-Per-Day
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/3t3acubZ8NM/
content:
<p><a href="media/7c6b9504.google-bay.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/google-bay.jpg"><img src="media/3a6fa524.google-bay.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/google-bay.jpg" alt="google-bay" width="200" height="177" class="alignright size-full wp-image-21875"></a>In the hope of steering prospective customers away from pirate sites, copyright holders are overloading Google with DMCA takedown notices.</p>
<p>These requests have increased dramatically since Google <a href="http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/">began making</a> the data <a href="http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/requests/">public</a>. A few years ago the search engine received just a few dozen takedown notices during an entire year, but today it processes millions of allegedly infringing links per week.</p>
<p>Over the past months the number of reported URLs has continued to rise. Now, for the first time ever, Google has processed an average of more than one million URLs per day. </p>
<p>Last week Google was asked to remove more than 7.8 million results, up more than 10% compared to the previous record a week earlier. The graph below shows the remarkable increase in requests over the past three years.</p>
<p>To put these numbers in perspective, Google is currently asked to remove an infringing search result every 8 milliseconds, compared to one request per six days back in 2008.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/0541d99b.google-dmca-record.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/google-dmca-record.png"><img src="media/0541d99b.google-dmca-record.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/google-dmca-record.png" alt="google-dmca-record" width="489" height="251" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-92797"></a></center></p>
<p>The massive surge in removal requests is not without controversy. It&#8217;s been reported that some notices reference pages that contain no copyrighted material, due to <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/sony-claims-hulu-hosting-pirated-tv-shows-140202/">mistakes</a> or <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/time-to-punish-dmca-takedown-abusers-wordpress-owners-say-140313/">abuse</a>, but are deleted nonetheless. Google has a pretty good track record of catching these errors, but since manual review of all links is unachievable, some URLs are <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/rapidgator-wiped-from-google-by-false-dmca-notices-131223/">removed in error</a>.  </p>
<p>Google says it&#8217;s doing its best to address the concerns of copyright holders. Last year the company released a report detailing the <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/how-google-helps-copyright-holders-to-fight-piracy-130911/">various anti-piracy measures</a> it uses. However, according to some industry groups the search giant can and should do more.</p>
<p>For the RIAA the staggering amount of takedown requests only confirms the notion that the process isn&#8217;t very effective. Brad Buckles, RIAA executive vice president of anti-piracy, previously suggested that Google should start banning <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/riaa-20-million-piracy-takedowns-sent-to-google-still-no-end-in-sight-130522/">entire domains</a> from its search results.</p>
<p>“Every day produces more results and there is no end in sight. We are using a bucket to deal with an ocean of illegal downloading,”  Buckles said.</p>
<p>The issue has also piqued the interest of U.S. lawmakers. Earlier this year the House Judiciary Subcommittee had a hearing on the DMCA takedown issue, and both copyright holders, Internet service providers, and other parties are examining what they can do to optimize the process.</p>
<p>In the meantime, the number of removal requests is expected to rise and rise, with 10 million links per week being the next milestone. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92807
title: Movie Boss Avoids Copyright Q&A to Avoid Piracy “Crazies”
uri: Movie-Boss-Avoids-Copyright-Q-A-to-Avoid-Piracy-Crazies
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/bYRl6UatFSo/
content:
<p><a href="media/9198184b.running.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/running.jpg"><img src="media/12bdbb91.running.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/running.jpg" alt="running" width="200" height="133" class="alignright size-full wp-image-52725"></a>The main thrust from the government and entertainment industry figures is that something pretty drastic needs to be done about the illegal downloading habits of many Australians.</p>
<p>Consumer groups and citizens, on the other hand, want any response to be measured and coupled with assurances from entertainment companies that Australians will stop being treated like second-class consumers. Local ISPs have varying opinions, depending on the depth of their Big Media affiliations.</p>
<p>Back in July <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/leaked-paper-reveals-aussie-anti-piracy-crackdown-musings-140725/">a discussion paper</a> leaked revealing government proposals that include measures such as the tweaking of ISP liability right through to &#8216;pirate&#8217; website blocking. Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull later indicated that a public Q&#038;A would be held in September for representatives from the entertainment industries, ISPs, and consumer groups to air their thoughts on the proposals.</p>
<p>While the opportunity was welcomed by the majority of stakeholders, it&#8217;s now clear that not everyone will be there.</p>
<p>Village Roadshow is the company that mounted the most aggressive anti-piracy legal action ever against iiNet, one of Australia&#8217;s largest ISPs. They have a deep interest in how this debate pans out. This morning, however, co-CEO Graham Burke told <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/au/village-roadshow-no-show-for-online-piracy-forum-7000032773/">ZDNet</a> that his company wouldn&#8217;t be attending the discussions because he&#8217;ll be overseas at the time.</p>
<p>While that may be true, an email Burke sent to Turnbull and other participants shines rather more light on the topic.</p>
<p>&#8220;My company is not prepared to participate in the forum. As expressed to you previously these Q and A style formats are judged by the noise on the night and given the proposed venue I believe this will be weighted by the crazies,&#8221; Burke told the Minister.</p>
<p>According to ZDNet, attendees from the ISP industry will include iiNet CEO David Buckingham, Telstra executive director Jane Van Beelen and Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein. </p>
<p>On a musical front the Australasian Performing Right Association (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasian_Performing_Right_Association">APRA</a>) will be in attendance, as will writer and producer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0242064/">Peter Duncan</a>. Looking after the interests of citizens will be consumer group Choice, but it appears Burke and Village Roadshow are concerned about potential dissent from the &#8220;crazies&#8221;.</p>
<p>&#8220;What is at stake here is the very future of Australian film production itself and it is too crucially important to Australia&#8217;s economy and the fabric of our society to put at risk with what will be a miniscule group whose hidden agenda is theft of movies,&#8221; Burke told the Minister.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s perhaps understandable for the movie boss to avoiding walking into a losing battle, but referring to those that do wish to participate in an open debate as having a hidden agenda of &#8220;movie theft&#8221; isn&#8217;t going to win over potential allies.</p>
<p>Boycotting discussions in which people get the opportunity to air their perhaps opposing opinions doesn&#8217;t indicate a willingness to enter a dialog or negotiations either.</p>
<p>But that might be the nail on the head right there.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92832
title: Dotcom’s Millions Will Remain Frozen, Court Decides
uri: Dotcom-s-Millions-Will-Remain-Frozen-Court-Decides
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/RdySDJx7b1Y/
content:
<p><a href="media/57d13949.dotcom-laptop.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/dotcom-laptop.jpg"><img src="media/5b2669f1.dotcom-laptop.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dotcom-laptop.jpg" alt="dotcom-laptop" width="233" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-76556"></a>Just days before the huge raid on Kim Dotcom&#8217;s New Zealand home in 2012, foreign restraining orders were granted to enable the seizure of the entrepreneur’s assets.</p>
<p>Those orders ran out in April 2014, with the Crown immediately seeking to have them extended. That application <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/high-court-kim-dotcom-can-have-his-cars-millions-in-cash-returned-140416/">was rejected</a> by the High Court, a decision that prompted celebrations from Dotcom alongside speculation on how he might spend some of the money.</p>
<p>But things weren&#8217;t over yet. The Crown <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-faces-appeal-in-seized-property-battle-140430/">filed an appeal</a> against the ruling, and today the Court of Appeal handed down its decision. It&#8217;s bad news for Dotcom and fellow respondents Bran Van Der Kolk, Megastuff Limited, and Dotcom&#8217;s estranged wife, Mona Dotcom.</p>
<p>The judgment handed down by Judges O’ Regan, Wild and French in the Court of Appeal concerns the High Court&#8217;s dismissal of an application by the Commissioner of Police to extend the restraining order over Dotcom&#8217;s assets made by a United States Court.</p>
<p>The High Court&#8217;s Judge Thomas previously decided that while the Court had jurisdiction to extend the duration of the restraining orders, it would be inappropriate to do so, a decision which led to the appeal.</p>
<p>While Dotcom supported Judge Thomas&#8217; ultimate ruling, he cross appealed against the finding that there was jurisdiction to extend the restraining order. He also contested the Judge&#8217;s decision to extend the order pending the outcome of the appeal.</p>
<p>The Court of Appeal dismissed Dotcom&#8217;s cross-appeal in its entirety. </p>
<p>For her part, Mona Dotcom supported her estranged husband&#8217;s position but also requested that her property be excluded from any extended order. The Court rejected her submission.</p>
<p>&#8220;We allow the appeal, quash the decision of the High Court and make the extension order sought by the Commissioner,&#8221; the Court of Appeal judges wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;An order is made extending the duration of the registration of the restraining orders issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on 10 and 25 January 2012 and registered in New Zealand on 18 April 2012 for one year from 18 April 2014.&#8221;</p>
<p>The decision means that Dotcom will have to head back to court in April 2015 in the hope of regaining possession of his property which includes millions in cash plus luxury cars and jewelry. </p>
<p>In a Twitter response, Dotcom pondered whether the latest decision and others like it might be straining relations between the High Court and Court of Appeals.</p>
<p>&#8220;I wonder how much respect Auckland High Court judges have for the Appeal judges in Wellington. Almost all rulings in my case were overturned,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/502358919851675651">wrote</a>.</p>
<p>Dotcom&#8217;s much-delayed extradition hearing is scheduled for February 2015.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92843
title: Fraud and Embezzlement Drives Anti-Piracy Group into Bankruptcy
uri: Fraud-and-Embezzlement-Drives-Anti-Piracy-Group-into-Bankruptcy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/kXnx137mg2Q/
content:
<p><a href="media/7a63a959.smaisguy.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/smaisguy.jpg"><img src="media/7a63a959.smaisguy.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/smaisguy.jpg" alt="smaisguy" width="222" height="143" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92845"></a>Anti-piracy groups are often quick to label file-sharing sites as criminal organizations, but these outfits also have some rotten apples amongst their own. </p>
<p>A few months ago we reported on the President of the Lithuanian Anti-Piracy Association LANVA, who was jailed for two years for <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/anti-piracy-chief-jailed-for-two-years-for-drug-trafficking-140111/">drug trafficking</a>. The boss of Iceland&#8217;s anti-piracy group SMAIS is not doing much better, it seems, as he stands accused of fraud and embezzlement.</p>
<p><a href="http://smais.is/">SMAIS</a> is a local branch of Hollywood&#8217;s Motion Picture Association. The group recently failed to get The Pirate Bay blocked in Iceland, and has now run into the law itself. </p>
<p>The organization&#8217;s board <a href="http://ruv.is/frett/vilja-lysa-smais-gjaldthrota">filed for bankruptcy</a> after it discovered a wide range of serious problems. The group&#8217;s financial statements were falsified, the books were not in order, and taxes haven&#8217;t been paid since 2007. </p>
<p>Making matters even worse, the board says that its CEO Snæbjörn Steingrímsson has admitted to embezzlement. This case is now under review by the Special Prosecutor, who has to decide whether a criminal investigation will be launched against the anti-piracy chief.</p>
<p>The last time SMAIS made international headlines was last year, when the group pulled its Facebook page <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/anti-piracy-group-quits-facebook-after-4-days-130207/">offline after four days</a>. According to Steingrímsson, SMAIS didn&#8217;t have enough resources to handle the constant flaming comments from the public. </p>
<p>What certainly didn&#8217;t help was that the launch of the Facebook page coincided with the news that SMAIS never paid for the film and game rating software they purchased from a Dutch company back in 2007. Considering the position the group is in now this is hardly a surprise.</p>
<p>Whether Hollywood has plans to install a new anti-piracy group in Iceland if the bankruptcy goes through is currently unknown. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92876
title: Fast & Furious 6 Pirate Sentenced to 33 Months Prison
uri: Fast-Furious-6-Pirate-Sentenced-to-33-Months-Prison
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Onl1Q6vaCCQ/
content:
<p><img src="media/653f85c1.faf6.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/faf6.jpg" width="180" height="113" class="alignright">During May 2013, TorrentFreak received an email from an individual in the UK who detailed serious problems he&#8217;d experienced in the preceding days.</p>
<p>On May 23 at 07:30, five unmarked cars containing 10 police officers and representatives from the Federation Against Copyright Theft tried to apprehend the man at this former address. That error was quickly corrected and within minutes three cars, four detectives and two FACT officers had made it to the correct location.</p>
<p>The police were looking for Philip Danks, a man from Walsall in the West Midlands. Their information was that the then 24-year-old had cammed Fast and Furious 6 at the local Showcase cinema before uploading it to the Internet.</p>
<p>“I was detained for 3 hrs 12 minutes, out of that I was questioned for approximately 40 minutes,&#8221; <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/five-undercover-police-cars-sent-to-arrest-single-alleged-movie-pirate-130525/">Danks told TorrentFreak</a> at the time. &#8220;One police officer and two FACT officers conducted the interview. The police officer sat back and let FACT do all the questioning, so FACT were running the show.&#8221;</p>
<p>Danks was eventually released, but in September <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-alleged-movie-pirate-again-along-with-his-brother-sister-130909/">police were back</a>, this time arresting both his sister and her former boyfriend. New allegations were made, this time in respect of the unauthorized camming and uploading of the movie &#8216;Epic&#8217;.</p>
<p>In March this year Danks <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/police-raid-movie-cammer-and-family-twice-then-drop-all-charges-140302/">told TF</a> that the police weren&#8217;t going to take any action against him. However, after previously keeping us updated, Danks went quiet. Today his fate has been revealed.</p>
<p>Following a hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Danks was sentenced to 33 months in prison for recording, uploading and also selling physical copies of Fast and Furious 6.</p>
<p>In Court it was claimed that Danks&#8217; uploading of Fast 6 resulted in more than 700,000 downloads costing Universal Pictures and the wider industry millions of pounds in losses.</p>
<p>It appears that Danks was also very easy to trace. When he contacted TF last year his email address betrayed his online nickname &#8211; &#8216;TheCod3r&#8217; &#8211; a handle that is now easily linked to a KickassTorrents upload of the same movie. FACT say it was this username that led them to Danks.</p>
<p><Center><strong>Comments left by TheCod3r on KickassTorrents</strong><img src="media/0fbf2ba8.fast6com.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fast6com.png" alt="fast6com"></center></p>
<p>While 33 months is no doubt an extremely harsh sentence, there were important aggravating factors. FACT report that following his arrest in 2013, Danks continued to both sell and distribute illegal copies of movies. He was assisted with uploading by Michael Bell, his sister&#8217;s former boyfriend. The Court sentenced Bell to a 12 month community order with 120 hours unpaid work.</p>
<p>Both pleaded guilty to committing offenses under the Fraud Act 2006 and the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988. </p>
<p>Kieron Sharp, Director General of FACT said that his organization is grateful to West Midlands Police for their assistance in bringing Danks and Bell to justice.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is an important case and an important sentence. Danks was responsible for recording, uploading and distributing the film and was clearly unconcerned at the time about the consequences of his actions, perhaps believing that the internet gave him anonymity. We at FACT have shown that we will find and identify people committing criminal offenses and ensure that they are properly dealt with through the courts,&#8221; Sharp said.</p>
<p>The MPAA&#8217;s Chris Marcich said that holding pirates to account is vital if the creative industries are to flourish alongside the development of legal services.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is important that those making money on the back of other people’s hard work and creativity, paying nothing back into the creative economy, are held accountable and we welcome today’s verdict,&#8221; Marcich said.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is one important element of the wider strategy to tackle this issue which also includes educating consumers about legitimate online sources of content through schemes like Creative Content UK, working with advertiser and payment processors to cut off the revenue streams pirate sites rely on and blocking illegal sites through the courts.”</p>
<p>Yet again FACT have another very big headline under their belt which will prove useful in their quest to deter those contemplating a similar course of action to Danks. As previously noted, camming on its own is not considered an offense, but couple it with distribution and selling copies for profit and things can get very serious indeed.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92915
title: No VPN on Earth Can Protect Careless Pirates
uri: No-VPN-on-Earth-Can-Protect-Careless-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/uCpXf2dhM4A/
content:
<p><a href="media/db3bd45e.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg"><img src="media/c579e316.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg" alt="pirate-card" width="250" height="210" class="alignright size-full wp-image-86520"></a>Last year, Philip Danks, a man from the West Midlands, UK, went into a local cinema and managed to record the movie Fast and Furious 6. He later uploaded that content to the Internet.</p>
<p>After pleading guilty, this week Wolverhampton Crown Court sentenced him to an unprecedented <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/fast-furious-6-pirate-sentenced-33-months-prison-140821/">33 months in prison</a>.</p>
<p>The Federation Against Copyright Theft are no doubt extremely pleased with this result. After their successful private prosecution, the Hollywood-affiliated anti-piracy group is now able to place Danks&#8217; head on a metaphorical pike, a clear warning to other would-be cammers. But just how difficult was this operation?</p>
<p>There&#8217;s often a lot of mystery attached to the investigations process in a case like this. How are individuals like Danks tracked and found? Have FACT placed spies deep into file-sharing sites? Are the authorities sniffing traffic and breaking pirates&#8217; VPN encryption?</p>
<p>Or are they spending half an hour with Google and getting most of it handed to them on a plate? In Danks&#8217; case, that appears to be exactly what happened.</p>
<p>Something that many millions of people use online is a nickname, and Danks was no exception. His online alias in the torrenting scene was TheCod3r, and as shown below it is clearly visible in the release title.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/d15dbee4.kick-up.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kick-up.png" alt="Kick-up"></center></p>
<p>The idea behind aliases is that they provide a way to mask a real name. Military uses aside, adopting an alternative communications identity was something popularized in the 70s with the advent of Citizens Band radio. The practice continues online today, with many people forced to adopt one to register with various services.</p>
<p>However, what many in the file-sharing scene forget is that while aliases on a torrent site might be useful, they become as identifying as a real name when used elsewhere in &#8216;regular&#8217; life. The screenshot below shows one of Danks&#8217; first huge mistakes.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/1f7a4f2f.fish-google.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fish-google.png" alt="Fish-Google"></center></p>
<p>Clicking that link on dating site Plenty of Fish (POF) reveals a whole range of information about a person who, at the very least, uses the same online nickname as Danks. There&#8217;s no conclusive proof that it&#8217;s the same person, but several pieces of information begin to build a picture.</p>
<p>In his <a href="http://www.pof.com/viewprofile.aspx?profile_id=48577885">POF profile</a>, Danks reveals his city as being Willenhall, a small town situated in an area known locally as the Black Country. What FACT would&#8217;ve known soon after the movie leaked online was which cinema it had been recorded in. That turned out to be a Showcase cinema, just a few minutes up the road from Willenhall in the town of Walsall.</p>
<p>Also revealed on Danks&#8217; POF profile is his full name and age. When you have that, plus a town, you can often find a person&#8217;s address on the UK&#8217;s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/electoral-register/overview">Electoral Register</a>.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s also trivial to find social networking pages. Not only do pictures on Danks&#8217; POF profile match those on his Facebook page, he also has a revealing movie item listed in his interests section.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/0c7074d3.fb1-fast.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fb1-fast.png" alt="fb-1"></center></p>
<p>Of course, none of this in itself is enough to build a decent case, but when you have the police on board as FACT did, things can be sped up somewhat. On May 23, 2013 Danks was raided and then, just two days later, he did something quite astonishing.</p>
<p>Posting on his Facebook page, the then 24-year-old took to his Facebook account (he has two) to mock the makers of Fast and Furious 6.</p>
<p>&#8220;Seven billion people and I was the first. F*** you Universal Pictures,&#8221; he wrote.</p>
<p>Also amazing was Danks&#8217; apparent disregard for the predicament he was in. On May 10, 2013, Danks again took to Facebook, this time to advertise that he was selling copies of movies including Robocop and Captain America.</p>
<p><Center><img src="media/4c15270d.sale.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/sale.png" alt="sale"></center></p>
<p>This continued distribution of copyrighted material particularly aggravated the Court at his sentencing hearing this week, with Danks&#8217; behavior being described as &#8220;bold, arrogant and cocksure offending.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the list of events above clearly shows a catalog of errors that some might even find amusing, the desire of many pirates to utilize the same nickname across many sites is a common one employed by some of the biggest in the game.</p>
<p>Once these and other similar indicators migrate across into real-life identities and activities (and the ever-present Facebook account of course), joining the dots is not difficult &#8211; especially for the police and outfits like FACT. And once that happens, no amount of VPN encryption of lack of logging is going to put the genie back in the bottle.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92858
title: Lionsgate Wants to Settle Expendables 3 Lawsuit With Torrent Site
uri: Lionsgate-Wants-to-Settle-Expendables-3-Lawsuit-With-Torrent-Site
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/EEkXH9aV0qM/
content:
<p><a href="media/f59bc3e0.expendablespiracy.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/expendablespiracy.jpg"><img src="media/f59bc3e0.expendablespiracy.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/expendablespiracy.jpg" alt="expendablespiracy" width="275" height="203" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92859"></a>With a disappointing $16 million in earnings during the opening weekend, the box-office premiere of The Expendables 3 turned into a big flop.</p>
<p>Many insiders blame <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/expendables-3-leaks-online-100k-copies-down-in-hours-140725/">the pre-release leak</a> of the film for the disappointing numbers. Millions of people have downloaded pirated copies and skipped the box office, they argue. </p>
<p>Over the past several weeks Lionsgate has countered the leak by sending <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-fights-expendables-3-piracy-with-thousands-of-takedowns-140804/">tens of thousands</a> of takedown requests. The movie studio even went as far as <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-sues-filesharing-sites-expendables-3-leak-140801/">suing</a> the operators of six websites that allegedly failed to remove the infringing files – Limetorrents.com, Billionuploads.com, Hulkfile.eu, Played.to, Swankshare.com and Dotsemper.com.</p>
<p>This pressure resulted in drastic actions at several of these sites. Faced with a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lionsgate-can-seize-assets-filesharing-sites-court-rules-140809/">preliminary injunction</a>, cloud hosting service <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/hulkfile-shuts-down-following-expendables-3-lawsuit-140813/">Hulkfile shut down</a> its website, for example, and Swankshare did the same. LimeTorrents remained online, but <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/major-torrent-sites-and-google-purge-the-expendables-3-140819/">removed all</a> expendables torrents, including the trailers. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak spoke with the operator of the torrent site who says he installed a filter that blocks everything related to the Expendables franchise. He hoped that this would be enough to appease the movie studio, but thus far Lionsgate has no plans to back down without compensation.</p>
<p>In an email the movie studio&#8217;s lawyer notes that the preliminary injunction stays in place. Interestingly, however, the torrent site operator is invited to discuss a potential settlement.</p>
<p>&#8220;Thanks for the email. As you know the court has entered a preliminary injunction, and the lawsuit is going to continue unless we can reach a settlement. I think it would be helpful to set up a time to talk by phone,&#8221; Lionsgate&#8217;s lawyer writes.</p>
<p>Whether Lionsgate is serious about settling or whether it merely wants to know more about the identity of Limetorrents&#8217; operator remains anyone&#8217;s guess. It&#8217;s very unlikely that the movie studio will settle for anything short of a few million dollars in damages, something the torrent site owner can&#8217;t afford. </p>
<p>So for now, this means that the lawsuit is destined to drag on. </p>
<p>Yesterday LimeTorrents&#8217; domain registrar eNom had to hand over any information it has on the site&#8217;s owner. With the domain name at risk LimeTorrents has decided to move its website to a <a href="http://www.limetorrents.cc/">new .CC domain name</a>, where it will continue serving torrents, minus the Expendables. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92951
title: Russian Govt. Plans Tougher Anti-Piracy Legislation
uri: Russian-Govt-Plans-Tougher-Anti-Piracy-Legislation
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/p9LOLq9-sVo/
content:
<p><img src="media/c579e316.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg" width="250" height="210" class="alignright">In an effort to crack down on rampant online piracy, last August Russia introduced a brand new anti-piracy law. </p>
<p>The legislation provides a mechanism for sites to be blocked should they not comply with rightsholder takedown requests within 72 hours.</p>
<p>The ultimate sanction <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/russias-anti-piracy-law-one-year-on-12-sites-blocked-140802/">was applied</a> in a limited number of cases during the first year leaving rightsholders with many complaints, not least that the law only applies to movies and TV shows.</p>
<p>For months the authorities have been investigated ways to boost the legislation and in early July a set of amendments were passed following their second reading. They are currently being considered by the lower house of parliament, the State Duma.</p>
<p>According to Deputy Duma Speaker Sergei Zhelezniak, it is likely they will return for a further reading during the fall, this time containing provisions for the protection of music, books and software. </p>
<p>&#8220;Most likely, we will table amendments at the beginning of the autumn session,&#8221; Zhelezniak <a href="http://itar-tass.com/obschestvo/1393979">told</a> a meeting of the copyright protection working group.</p>
<p>Zhelezniak says that legislators have carefully studied the proposals of the executive authorities and generally agreed that there should be tightened penalties for owners of Internet sites which intentionally engage in piracy. These sites will be blocked by court order and placed in a &#8220;special register&#8221;.</p>
<p>Ministry of Culture State Secretary Grigory Ivliev says that the government wants to increase the level of fines levied against those who engage in the piracy of music, books and software. For businesses fines could be increased to around one million rubles ($26,600) while individuals could face fines up to 300,000 rubles ($8,300)</p>
<p>If all goes to plan, the new amendments could in force as early as this December.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92962
title: BBC & FACT Shut Down Doctor Who Fansite
uri: BBC-FACT-Shut-Down-Doctor-Who-Fansite
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/PPY_f-CpSJM/
content:
<p><a href="media/2bf1183f.doctorwho.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/doctorwho.jpg"><img src="media/61438ccd.doctorwho.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/doctorwho.jpg" alt="doctorwho" width="180" height="265" class="alignright size-full wp-image-7976"></a>In just a few hours time the brand new season of Doctor Who will premiere, kicking off with the first episode &#8216;Deep Breath&#8217;. There&#8217;s been a huge build up in the media, but for fans who prefer to socialize and obtain news via a dedicated community, today brings bad news.</p>
<p>Doctor Who Media (DWM) was a site created in 2010 and during the ensuing four and a half years it amassed around 25,000 dedicated members.</p>
<p>A source close to the site told TF that since nothing like it existed officially, DWM&#8217;s core focus was to provide a central location and community for everything in the &#8220;Whoniverse&#8221;, from reconstructions of missing episodes to the latest episodes, and whatever lay between.</p>
<p>But yesterday, following a visit by representatives from the BBC and Federation Against Copyright Theft, the site&#8217;s operator took the decision to shut down the site for good.</p>
<p>&#8220;I had a knock at the door and a couple of guys were there. One from FACT and one from BBCWW [BBC Worldwide]. The FACT guy basically explained what the issue was, said that he was there to give a cease and desist and wanted the domain transferred,&#8221; the site&#8217;s operator informs TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>With threats of executing an official search warrant and taking the matter to court if terms could not be reached, there was never any question of embarking on a losing battle. With the user database secured, an agreement was quickly reached to close down the site and transfer the domain. </p>
<p>Interestingly, however, the domain name will not be going to FACT as is usually the case. Doctor Who Media&#8217;s operator told TF that it will be transferred to the BBC as there are trademark issues involved.</p>
<p>&#8220;DWM may have been a major factor of my life for the past few years, but I wasn&#8217;t going to let it ruin me, so I agreed, signed, the guy wrote down his mobile number in case there were any issues and then they went. They were about as nice as you could expect given the situation. It&#8217;s only a job after all,&#8221; he concludes.</p>
<p>The tip about the site&#8217;s shutdown came from a DWM user who told TF that he&#8217;ll be sad to see its doors close for the final time.</p>
<p>&#8220;I can’t speak for others but having that content available really helped raise my interest level in Doctor Who. Often times, having watched stuff there led to me purchasing the exact same content on iTunes as well as all the various other content available for Doctor Who,&#8221; he explained.</p>
<p>And now, all eyes turn to the season premiere tonight. As of yesterday, all but the final episode of the brand new season <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/?s=doctor+who+leak">had leaked</a> to file-sharing sites, although it&#8217;s worth pointing out that Doctor Who Media refused to carry any of that content.</p>
<p>Will the leaks have a positive or negative impact on viewing figures? There&#8217;s only a few hours to find out, but it&#8217;s doubtful the BBC will be weeping following tonight&#8217;s episode.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92938
title: Backup Service Kicks Customer Over “Infringing” Torrent Files
uri: Backup-Service-Kicks-Customer-Over-Infringing-Torrent-Files
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/x1oELW1GTe4/
content:
<p><a href="media/e9fffb5e.torrents.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/torrents.png"><img src="media/e9fffb5e.torrents.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/torrents.png" alt="torrents" width="250" height="172" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92945"></a>Most people who regularly use a computer know that it&#8217;s wise to have all critical data backed up. Whether it&#8217;s on a local hard drive or in the cloud, a copy can come in handy if something breaks. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.zoolz.com/">Zoolz</a> is one of the many commercial backup solutions. The company services regular customers but also business clients including Microsoft, Dell, the BBC and the Washington post.</p>
<p>Zoolz allows customers to backup their files in the cloud, including entire hard-drives. This is all done privately and securely, the company claims, with <a href="http://blog.zoolz.com/?p=39">zero knowledge</a> of what&#8217;s being transferred. </p>
<p>This zero knowledge claim has been called into doubt recently as one of Zoolz&#8217; customers, Ryan Gallagher, had his account terminated after the company found several .torrent files in his backups. Gallagher didn&#8217;t store any infringing media, but just 1 Megabyte worth of old metadata.</p>
<p>Apparently, scanning for pirated filenames is standard practice at Zoolz, which is also explained in the <a href="https://zoolz.com/terms">product agreement</a>. </p>
<p>&#8220;If Metadata checking (i.e. file names) reveals that an account has content relating to video piracy, software piracy or any copyrighted data with the intent to distribute (i.e. torrents) the account will be immediately terminated,&#8221; it reads.</p>
<p>And this is indeed what happened. Zoolz promptly notified the customer that his account would be terminated, and he was given a few days to transfer over a terabyte of data to a safer place.</p>
<p>&#8220;My account and all data (1.3TB) was nuked, they would not budge on deleting specific &#8216;prohibited file names&#8217; saying they had no way to do it. It&#8217;s a complete waste of time and bandwidth,&#8221; former Zoolz customer Gallagher comments.</p>
<p>While there is nothing wrong with strict anti-piracy policies, deleting an entire account over a few small pieces of metadata goes pretty far. The .torrent files Zoolz found only reference pirated files, nothing more. </p>
<p>And it got even worse. When Geoff Akerlund of the Backup Review site <a href="http://www.backupreview.com/zoolz-checking-customer-filenames-to-prevent-piracy/">confronted the company</a> with its drastic actions, he was accused of supporting illegal behavior himself. </p>
<p>&#8220;We are sad to see you side with illegal behavior, the torrents could mean that the user has the actual media files, and downloading any media file without any proof of ownership is considered illegal,&#8221; Zoolz told him.</p>
<p>The backup service claims that the torrents &#8220;could&#8221; indicate that the user has a copy of the files as well, and that without proof of ownership terminating the account is warranted. </p>
<p>Aside from this rude behavior and terminating users accounts because they store non-infringing .torrent files, one has to wonder what business a backup provider has snooping through the computers of their customers. </p>
<p>In any case, Zoolz has &#8220;zero knowledge&#8221; of proper customer service.</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> Zoolz has responded and issued the following statement.</p>
<p>&#8220;The flagging system is a deviation of the zero-knowledge policy only applicable to abusive home user accounts, not business users. It is completely automated at the time the abuser accesses the files from the web after entering the encryption password. The system will flag any account with suspicious bandwidth use, multiple access from different locations and will only scan for illegal filenames and not actual data. In rare cases the flagging system could generate false positive and we are currently working enhancing this and increasing the grace period. We have tens of thousands of home users who are happily using the system legally and the scanner has never been triggered on their accounts.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92824
title: Witness Offered $3.50/Hr to Testify Against Pirate Bay Founder
uri: Witness-Offered-3-50-Hr-to-Testify-Against-Pirate-Bay-Founder
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/5BiWV8IbVbw/
content:
<p><img src="media/2c059aef.gottfrid1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/gottfrid1.jpg" width="200" height="248" class="alignright">Alleged “super hacker” Gottfrid Svartholm is currently being held in a Danish prison on suspicion of hacking into the computers of IT company CSC.</p>
<p>After being extradited to Denmark from Sweden in 2013, next month he will go to trial.</p>
<p>In recent weeks Danish authorities have been attempting to round up witnesses to ensure they attend the Frederiksberg court during September. It&#8217;s unclear how many there are, but TorrentFreak has learned at least one won&#8217;t be attending.</p>
<p>John, who has asked us not to use his real name, is a former colleague of Gottfrid who lives and works in Cambodia. TorrentFreak previously confirmed his identity and the fact that he and Gottfrid did business together. In April he received a surprise telephone call which led to an <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/danish-police-threatens-former-colleague-of-pirate-bay-founder-in-cambodia-140428/">unsettling series of events</a> involving Danish police.</p>
<p>Several months later and John is again being put under pressure. Following suspicions he was being watched, John received an anonymous tipoff that he had been placed on the prosecution&#8217;s witness list against Gottfrid. Sure enough, on Wednesday Jens Jorgensen from the Danish police, one of the people who traveled to Cambodia to question John, telephoned John to register him as a witness.</p>
<p>John and Jorgensen then exchanged emails in which the former expressed bemusement at why the prosecution would want to use his evidence when it actually supports the position of Gottfrid Svartholm.</p>
<p>&#8220;I fail to see how anything I previously said to you could be used in this case against [Gottfrid]. As I told you, lots of people had access to [Gottfrid's] computer,&#8221; John wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;Why on earth would you want me to testify against him when you know full well that I don&#8217;t believe he committed this crime based on what little information I have?&#8221;</p>
<p>In his early days of detention Gottfrid was kept in <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-held-in-solitary-confinement-without-a-warrant-131211/">solitary confinement</a>, something which enraged Wikileaks&#8217; Julian Assange and prompted complaints from Gottfrid&#8217;s mother Kristina to Amnesty. This treatment is also a big issue with John.</p>
<p>&#8220;Gottfrid&#8217;s previous prolonged, extrajudicial solitary confinement in your country very clearly meets the United Nations definition of torture, and I find it utterly troubling,&#8221; John told Jorgensen.</p>
<p>&#8220;With that in mind, I am deeply concerned about the prospect of being a part of something that is so clearly unethical if not outright illegal. Is there some sort of legal equivalent of being a conscientious objector to trials? If so, I would consider myself a conscientious objector to this one, the whole thing disgusts me whether he committed the crime or not.&#8221;</p>
<p>Clearly, traveling half way around the world to assist the prosecution in a high profile trial against someone you believe is innocent is problematic enough, but John also has serious concerns about the legal issues involved.</p>
<p>&#8220;Will I be offered access to a lawyer at any point during all of this? he asked Jorgensen.</p>
<p>&#8220;So far I&#8217;ve been threatened with force by a man claiming to be a Swedish policeman, made to answer a bunch of questions, and now I&#8217;m being asked to make a decision about legal matters. I&#8217;d really like access to a lawyer so I can make informed decisions about this, but I can&#8217;t afford one as I got fired from my job the day after you came to see me.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition to visiting John, Danish police also visited John&#8217;s employer when they visited Cambodia earlier this year. He was fired less than 24 hours later but was fortunate to find new employment.</p>
<p>In his response, Jorgensen confirmed that attending the trial is a voluntary act and no one will force John to attend. He also informed John that if he needs legal advice, he&#8217;ll have to pay for it himself. Nevertheless, the summons was issued.</p>
<p>The summons states that traveling expenses will be reimbursed and if necessary John will be provided with a hotel room in Denmark. He is also offered DKK 40 for every two hours he&#8217;s away from home or work &#8211; that&#8217;s roughly $3.50 per hour. If that isn&#8217;t enough the police say that more money may be available, but in John&#8217;s case that probably won&#8217;t be needed.</p>
<p>&#8220;I respectfully refuse your invitation and can confirm that I have no intention of appearing in court, at least until you clarify your motives for requesting me to do so, and until you provide access to appropriate legal advice so that I can make an informed decision,&#8221; John concludes.</p>
<p>A copy of the summons can be found below &#8211; note that while Gottfrid Svartholm is accused of only &#8220;white collar&#8221; offenses, the contact address is the Public Prosecutor&#8217;s Department of Violent Crime.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/42f952d0.wit-blck.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/wit-blck.jpg" alt="witness"></center></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92912
title: Police: Finding Pirate Bay Documents is Too Expensive
uri: Police-Finding-Pirate-Bay-Documents-is-Too-Expensive
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/UJAdaNX7_Ls/
content:
<p><a href="media/fd06f581.pirate-bay.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-bay.jpg"><img src="media/2a43984f.pirate-bay.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-bay.jpg" alt="pirate bay" width="200" height="207" class="alignright size-full wp-image-53470"></a>Thanks to the UK&#8217;s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) the public is able to check what the government is up to, and hold it accountable. At least, that&#8217;s what it&#8217;s intended for. </p>
<p>FOIA requests are a helpful tool for journalists and at TorrentFreak we previously used this right to uncover <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-hijacks-ads-74-websites-refuses-name-140812/">the scope</a> of City of London Police&#8217;s anti-piracy efforts. </p>
<p>There is more to reveal though. It is widely known that the police work in tandem with entertainment industry groups such as FACT and the BPI, so we also attempted to find out what&#8217;s being discussed behind closed doors. </p>
<p>Since asking for all information shared between City of London Police and entertainment industry groups might be a bit much, we focused our FOIA request on The Pirate Bay. </p>
<p>More specifically, we requested police correspondence with representatives of the creative industry <em>&#8220;regarding the pirate bay also known as TPB, thepiratebay.se, thepiratebay.sx, thepiratebay.org, or Pirate Bay.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>On Friday we heard back from the responsible Information Access Officer, but no documents were provided. Instead, we were told that the request can&#8217;t be processed as the cost would exceed the statutory limit of £450.</p>
<p>&#8220;In order to establish the existence of any correspondence of this kind it would be necessary to examine all mail systems, all call logs and all files/documents held by the force,&#8221; the reply read.</p>
<p>&#8220;The cost of completing this work would exceed the limit prescribed by the Secretary of State in accordance with powers contained in Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act. The limit is currently set at £450 and the hourly rate is set at £25.&#8221;</p>
<p>Apparently the police estimate that it would take more than 18 hours to locate the information we asked for. That would make sense if none of the documents are organized, but we assume that the force has some type of archiving system. </p>
<p>The above response leaves us with no other option than to limit the request to electronic information only, specifying a narrow time frame. Whether this will fall within the desired cost projection has yet to be seen though. Let&#8217;s hope there&#8217;s no hard drive crash in the meantime. </p>
<p>To be continued&#8230;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93003
title: Police Freeze Mega Shares in Money Laundering Investigation
uri: Police-Freeze-Mega-Shares-in-Money-Laundering-Investigation
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/YMhPmyQoE7E/
content:
<p><a href="media/d25b3e9b.mega4.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/mega4.png"><img src="media/859efa71.mega4.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mega4.png" alt="mega" width="240" height="85" class="alignright size-full wp-image-87644"></a>While facing an extradition to America for his role in the so-called &#8220;Megaupload Conspiracy&#8221;, Kim Dotcom launched a new cloud storage venture, Mega. Now, this new service is being indirectly linked to a crime ring by local authorities. </p>
<p>Today <a href="http://mega.co.nz">Mega</a> announced that one of its major shareholders William Yan, also known as Bill Liu, is suspected of having connections to a large crime ring. Pending further investigation the police has put the 18.8% share held through Yan&#8217;s companies under restraining order.</p>
<p>Yan has not been formally charged and through his lawyer denied any wrong-doing. Mega itself is not believed to be connected to the alleged crimes. </p>
<p>“The Police have commented that their action does not affect any innocent third parties (such as Mega) who have had business dealings with Mr Yan,” Mega CEO Graham Gaylard says commenting on the news. </p>
<p>“Mega has been extremely diligent to ensure that all its operations are fully compliant with all legal and regulatory requirements. Mega does not undertake any illegal activities and does not wish to be associated with any such activity,” Gaylard adds.</p>
<p>Kim Dotcom says that William Yan was properly screened before he became a shareholder. The New Zealand entrepreneur, who himself is accused of money laundering by the United States, said that no alarm bells went off at the time. </p>
<p>&#8220;He is an investor who put money into Mega because he believed in it. I had no idea he had any problems or issues,&#8221; Dotcom told <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&#038;objectid=11313978">the Herald</a>.</p>
<p>The news comes at an unfortunate time for Mega, which intends to go public on the New Zealand stock exchange through a backdoor listing. As a result of the restraining order the trading in shares of the backdoor listing vehicle TRS has been <a href="http://www.sharechat.co.nz/article/6ea86b81/update-trading-in-trs-shares-halted-as-william-yan-related-mega-stake-under-restraining-order.html">temporarily halted</a>. </p>
<p>Despite <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&#038;objectid=11313119">the problems</a> of its shareholder, Mega&#8217;s CEO doesn&#8217;t believe the company will be affected. Gaylard stresses that all funds received by Mega were paid by Yan’s lawyers through banks that operate under stringent anti money laundering policies. </p>
<p>“Mega has never had any reason to suspect that such funds resulted from any illegal activity, and the Restraining Order will not affect the operations of Mega,” Gaylard says. </p>
<p>“For us it is business as usual.”</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=92998
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 08/25/14
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-08-25-14
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/79roD05GHPM/
content:
<p><a href="media/a0f34d2a.male.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/male.jpg"><img src="media/a0f34d2a.male.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/male.jpg" alt="male" width="300" height="225" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92696"></a>This week we have three newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Maleficent is the most downloaded movie for the second week in a row.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are BD/DVDrips unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the weekly movie download chart.</p>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Ranking</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>(<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-140818/">last week</a>)</strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">torrentfreak.com</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/maleficent_2014/">Maleficent</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-XO4XiRop0">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/godzilla_2014/">Godzilla</a> (Webrip)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0831387/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIu85WQTPRc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_the_winter_soldier_2014/">Captain America: The Winter Soldier</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SlILk2WMTI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/divergent/">Divergent</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1840309/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sutgWjz10sM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_fault_in_our_stars/">The Fault in Our Stars</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582846/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH5J6ss">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_days_of_future_past/">X-Men: Days of Future Past</a> (HDrip/TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1877832/">8.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsjtg7m1MMM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/22_jump_street/">22 Jump Street</a> (TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294449/">7.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9S_dYuq0vE">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_prince_2015/">The Prince</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1085492/">4.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdZuyp6DpnI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/draft_day/">Draft Day</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2223990/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3SlVsdUuBY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_amazing_spider_man_2/">The Amazing Spider-Man 2</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1872181/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbp3Ra3Yp74">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93030
title: Music Group DMCA Notices Reveal Coffee Hatred
uri: Music-Group-DMCA-Notices-Reveal-Coffee-Hatred
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/4LxkY_SddhY/
content:
<p><a href="media/e738a236.wiped.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/wiped.png"><img src="media/e738a236.wiped.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/wiped.png" alt="wiped" width="196" height="122" class="alignright size-full wp-image-93042"></a>Thanks to Google and the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse, spotting potential abuses of the DMCA takedown process has become easier than ever. Both organizations carefully catalog the notices they receive and as a result it&#8217;s possible to bring issues to the attention of the public.</p>
<p>Most of the time problems arise with companies making the odd embarrassing mistake. At other times things get more serious. Today we bring news of another mess that would&#8217;ve ordinarily flown under the radar.</p>
<p>On its Twitter account, Total Wipes Music Group claims to work with 800 music labels and cooperates with <a href="https://www.totalwipesmusicgroup.com/partners">major digital music stores</a> such as iTunes, Beatport and Juno. Early July the company began sending DMCA notices to Google and out of more than 15,000 URLs sent so far the majority have been rejected.</p>
<p>In an <a href="http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/requests/1278802/">early notice</a> the company asked Google to remove website pages of several of its partners including BeatPortCharts, Napster (UK and Germany), Rhapsody and TraxSource. Other notices targeted both iTunes and Apple.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.chillingeffects.org/notice.cgi?sID=1868771">this notice</a>, which claims to protect <a href="https://www.totalwipesmusicgroup.com/releases/reiz-musik/rm150_urban-glue">this content</a>, Total Wipes launched a full frontal assault on anyone daring to use any words used in the title of their clients&#8217; track &#8220;ROCK THE BASE &#038; BAD FORMAT&#8221;. The results are awful.</p>
<p>In April this year DJ E-Z Rock, best known for the track &#8216;It Takes Two&#8217; with partner Rob Base, sadly passed away. MTV, Rolling Stone and a number of news outlets all wrote about the event but in their notice Total Wipes demand that Google de-list all of their reports. They also attack a wide range of other random sites, some which dared to mention &#8220;rock&#8221; climbing and others which mentioned a rock festival on a military &#8220;base&#8221;.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/d8b7b3f1.rockdmca.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rockdmca.png"><img src="media/d8b7b3f1.rockdmca.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rockdmca.png" alt="rockdmca" width="627" height="145" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-93043"></a></center></p>
<p>For no apparent reason, another <a href="http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/requests/1322122/">notice</a> targeted The School of Performance and Cultural Industries at Leeds University in the UK, stopping off to admonish music mag Pitchfork Media and the evil PC gaming bloggers over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/390aad37.shotdmca.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/shotdmca.png"><img src="media/390aad37.shotdmca.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/shotdmca.png" alt="shotdmca" width="627" height="143" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-93045"></a></center></p>
<p>Perhaps the weirdest notice, currently <a href="http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/requests/1408739/">being processed</a> by Google, sees the music outfit target a wide range of sites with the word &#8216;coffee&#8217; in their URLs. Cariboucoffee, cartelcoffeelab, clivecoffee, coavacoffee, coffee.org, coffeeandtealtd, coffeebean and coffeegeek are just the tip of a very large iceberg.</p>
<p>Quite what Ikea, Walmart, Fair Trade and Dunkin Donuts did to warrant inclusion is a mystery, but our money is on their connections to coffee. Github&#8217;s crime will be revealed in due course.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/0e28674a.coffee.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/coffee.png" alt="coffee"></center></p>
<p>The end result is that Google has rejected what appears to be the lions&#8217; share of more than 15,000 URLs sent by Total Wipes, even those that appear to target well-known &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites.</p>
<p>There are far too many URLs for us to check individually but some poor soul at Google is probably going to have to do just that. It&#8217;s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93049
title: Anti-Piracy Lawyer Wants Domain Registrars to Silence Critics
uri: Anti-Piracy-Lawyer-Wants-Domain-Registrars-to-Silence-Critics
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/iF_o8NlMRA8/
content:
<p>Several years ago when suing BitTorrent users was gaining in popularity, lawyers on both sides of the copyright fence saw there was good money to be made by getting involved.</p>
<p>On the one hand some lawyers teamed up with piracy monitoring firms to track and then file lawsuits against file-sharers in the hope of grabbing some quick and easy settlement cash. On the other were the &#8220;good guys&#8221;, lawyers who helped Joe Public defend against the corporate might of those who by now were being openly described as &#8220;trolls&#8221;.</p>
<p>One such &#8220;good guy&#8221; was Mike Meier, a DC attorney who previously placed on the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s list of file-sharing defense lawyers.</p>
<p>“In my opinion, [settlement outfits] are bill collectors for the movie industry,” <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-defense-lawyer-joins-copyright-trolls-111126/">Meier said at the time</a>. “They’re basically extorting money”. </p>
<p>Then in November 2011, SJD over at the FightCopyrightTrolls website <a href="http://fightcopyrighttrolls.com/2011/11/25/copyright-troll-subspecies-weretroll/">noticed</a> something interesting. A redesign of Meier&#8217;s website revealed that the lawyer had switched sides. No longer was he championing those wrongly accused by &#8220;trolls&#8221;, but instead the site was acting as an information portal for people Meier himself had sued.</p>
<p>The FightCopyrightTrolls (FCT) article on the topic has remained intact for almost three years but last Friday Meier tried to have it <a href="http://fightcopyrighttrolls.com/2014/08/25/copyright-troll-mike-meier-sends-a-frivolous-dmca-takedown-notice-to-my-registrar/">taken down</a>. He went about that in a quite unusual way too, by bypassing the FCT website operators, bypassing their webhost, and going straight for their domain registrar.</p>
<p>Writing directly to registrar Internet.bs, Meier said that various pages on FCT were not only defamatory and libelous, but also infringed upon his copyrights.</p>
<p>&#8220;You are hosting a website with information that infringes on my copyrights and defames me. I am requesting that you take that information down immediately,&#8221; his letter to Internet.bs reads.</p>
<p>While Meier&#8217;s other allegations are <a href="http://fightcopyrighttrolls.com/2011/11/25/copyright-troll-subspecies-weretroll/">focused here</a>, his copyright complaint appears to be directed at screenshots of his website posted by FCT which provide <a href="http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fair-use/what-is-fair-use/">commentary and criticism</a> of Meier&#8217;s transformation from one side of the settlement fence to the other.</p>
<p><center><br>
<h5>Meier&#8217;s website <strong>before</strong> the transformation</h5>
<p><a href="media/fbb9284e.meierbefore.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/meierbefore.jpg"><img src="media/fbb9284e.meierbefore.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/meierbefore.jpg" alt="" title="meierbefore" width="500" height="289" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42937"></a></center></p>
<p><center><br>
<h5>Meier&#8217;s website <strong>after</strong> the transformation</h5>
<p><a href="media/55ce08df.meierafter1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/meierafter1.jpg"><img src="media/55ce08df.meierafter1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/meierafter1.jpg" alt="" title="meierafter1" width="500" height="290" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42939"></a></center></p>
<p>In his communication with Internet.bs, Meier goes on to warn the registrar that as a service provider the law requires it &#8220;to remove or disable access to the infringing materials upon receiving this notice&#8221; or risk losing its immunity from having a lawsuit brought against itself.</p>
<p>Despite Internet.bs not &#8220;hosting a website&#8221; as Meier claims, it didn&#8217;t stop him from doubling up on his takedown efforts. The domain registrar of another site, <a href="http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/getty-images-letter-forum/copyright-law-group-settlement-demand-letter-%28attorney-mike-meier%29/msg18608/?PHPSESSID=323adef39870134335f5ca0a2dd674ba#msg18608">ExtortionLetterInfo.com</a>, also <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/237721969/Mike-Meier-DMCA-Letter-to-ELI-Domain-Registrar">received</a> a DMCA notice from Meier after it partially reproduced the article originally published by FCT in 2011 and commented on the same.</p>
<p>To date Meier&#8217;s actions appear to have had very little effect, the effect he was hoping for at least. Neither FightCopyrightTrolls nor ExtortionLetter have been taken down in whole or in part by their domain registrars, and the articles in question have now become renewed topics of discussion after being forgotten for several years.</p>
<p>Add to that the method of complaint &#8211; what appear to be a pair of flawed DMCA notices sent by an apparent copyright expert &#8211; and the information that Meier hoped to suppress will now be more visible than ever before.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93056
title: Lionsgate Targets Downloaders of Expendables 3 Leak
uri: Lionsgate-Targets-Downloaders-of-Expendables-3-Leak
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/atDChcVKtFs/
content:
<p><a href="media/0a134585.expendablespiracy.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/expendablespiracy.jpg"><img src="media/f59bc3e0.expendablespiracy.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/expendablespiracy.jpg" alt="expendablespiracy" width="275" height="203" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92859"></a>Over the past few weeks movie studio Lionsgate has rolled out an unprecedented anti-piracy campaign to stop people from sharing <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/expendables-3-leaks-online-100k-copies-down-in-hours-140725/">leaked copies of The Expendables 3</a>. </p>
<p>Aside from dragging six file-sharing sites to court, Lionsgate sent out hundreds of thousands of takedown notices to websites that linked to pirated copies of the leaked movie. </p>
<p>As a result all traces of the movie were <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/major-torrent-sites-and-google-purge-the-expendables-3-140819/">completely wiped</a> from many file-sharing sites. However, the movie studio still isn&#8217;t satisfied and is now going after individual downloaders as well.</p>
<p>Lionsgate has started sending takedown notices targeting people sharing the movie via BitTorrent. The notices are being sent to various ISPs who are urged to forward them to the customers whose accounts were monitored sharing the movie.</p>
<p>Interestingly, this also includes those who use remote servers known as BitTorrent seedboxes. While many believe that seedboxes keep them safe from the prying eyes of piracy monitoring firms, this is not always the case. Yesterday, a customer of the Canadian seedbox provider <a href="https://whatbox.ca/">Whatbox</a> received the following notice. </p>
<p><center><strong>Copyright warning</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/4eff5841.expendable-seedbox.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/expendable-seedbox.jpg"><img src="media/4eff5841.expendable-seedbox.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/expendable-seedbox.jpg" alt="expendable-seedbox" width="650" height="308" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-93067"></a></center></p>
<p>Via an email Whatbox urged the customer to delete the file in question, or face account suspension. </p>
<p>&#8220;A copyright complaint has been received for content existing on your account. To prevent account suspension, please delete the affected content within the next 24 hours,&#8221; the notice reads.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak contacted Whatbox, who explained that this takedown procedure is standard policy. As an Internet access provider it properly processes all incoming requests form copyright holders.</p>
<p>&#8220;When we receive a notice we check for the infohash and email the appropriate customer asking them to remove the file(s). Nothing is passed along to the copyright enforcement group except to confirm that the content was found and subsequently removed,&#8221; Anthony Ryan of Whatbox says.</p>
<p>&#8220;If a customer causes a large number of copyright complaints, we reserve the right terminate their service with a prorated refund and 24 hours of complimentary service to backup all their non-infringing files,&#8221; Ryan adds.</p>
<p>The above notice confirms that Lionsgate&#8217;s takedown efforts are now targeting individual downloaders, through their ISPs. The action appears limited to warning letters and at least for now there are no signs that Lionsgate will drag file-sharers to court. </p>
<p>Nu Image, another studio involved in the production of The Expendables 3, hasn&#8217;t taken any legal action either. However, they are more familiar with the topic than Lionsgate, as they sued a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/23322-expendables-downloaders-accused-in-bittorrents-biggest-lawsuit-110510/">record breaking</a> 23,322 U.S. Internet users for downloading a copy of the first Expendables film.</p>
<p>To be continued?</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93144
title: TV Network Used Piracy to Develop Streaming Services
uri: TV-Network-Used-Piracy-to-Develop-Streaming-Services
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/affOEba3r4g/
content:
<p><a href="media/db3bd45e.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg"><img src="media/c579e316.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg" alt="pirate-card" width="250" height="210" class="alignright size-full wp-image-86520"></a>When it comes to the heated piracy debate the opinions of Hollywood are usually spoken in clear terms, with all the big companies singing from the same sheet. Piracy is universally bad, the studios chant in unison, a line from which few dare to deviate.</p>
<p>However, when someone in Hollywood does break ranks, it&#8217;s always worth listening to what they have to say.</p>
<p>Just recently movie director <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexi_Alexander">Lexi Alexander</a> has been shaking things up with comments not only <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-director-slams-pathetic-anti-piracy-crusade-140708/">supporting</a> jailed Pirate Bay founder Peter Sunde, but also those that <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-director-abusing-staff-can-lead-to-movie-leaks-140806/">blame studio bosses</a> for leaks of movies such as The Expendables 3.</p>
<p>Today Alexander has delivered perhaps her most controversial revelation yet, news which suggests that direct leverage of piracy helped a major network get its own streaming services off the ground with much reduced costs.</p>
<p>The report comes from a contact of Alexander&#8217;s working in the industry. She&#8217;s keeping his identity a secret so as not to jeopardize his career, but his revelations are quite an eye opener.</p>
<p>&#8220;Many years ago, I was employed at one of the Major Networks in an R&#038;D capacity. What our team was tasked with was figuring out how to build streaming networks. Building a parallel to the broadcast networks where a program could be digitized and then never go back to the analog world again,&#8221; he told Alexander.</p>
<p>&#8220;[W]hen you’re working at the level of a network, there’s too much to be done by hand, and you have to design systems.  For digitizing. Transcoding. Asset management. Dealing with different audio mixes. Subtitles. Error correction. Multi-bit rate streaming for a wide variety of clients. Evolving formats and containers.&#8221;</p>
<p>Clearly the job of transitioning to the digital domain presented significant challenges that needed to be overcome. However, R&#038;D workers needed experience to solve these problems and according to the insider that was obtained in a most unorthodox fashion.</p>
<p>&#8220;We were all pirates. I’m not saying we leaked material to the internet &#8211; nobody was that crazy.  But everyone illegally downloaded media. We traded tips on our setups, best practices, the most efficient tools and workflows. Everyone was downloading illegally. The VPs. The head of content security. EVERYONE.&#8221;</p>
<p>Of course, any major expenditure such as creating new networks would have to be passed off by the powers that be, something that could take years. But while those holding the purse-strings were deep in thought, time wasn&#8217;t being wasted down in R&#038;D. In the pirate world, experiments were taking place.</p>
<p>&#8220;We honed our skills, our design ideas, our workflow concepts in illegal waters. So when we finally got the greenlight to build something, we knew what we were doing. We were fluent,&#8221; the insider <a href="http://www.lexi-alexander.com/blog/2014/8/27/fat-cats-pirates">said</a>.</p>
<p>This unofficial training led to huge savings for the network, slashing R&#038;D costs while bringing products more quickly to market. Alexander&#8217;s contact notes that these savings as a result of piracy are a far cry from the losses Hollywood prefers to talk about.</p>
<p>&#8220;So when I look at all the complaints about piracy costing corporations billions of dollars, all I can think about is the billions of free R&#038;D the corporations have received from the pirate economy. Of all the money and resources we were not given by our bosses, which led us to solve problems with the tools that were available to us,&#8221; he concludes.</p>
<p>Finally, it appears that Lexi Alexander isn&#8217;t done yet. She&#8217;s <a href="http://www.lexi-alexander.com/contact/">now inviting</a> others to come forward with their own anonymous &#8220;anti-piracy hypocrisy stories&#8221;. Better get the popcorn, this could get interesting.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93138
title: Kim Dotcom Battles to Keep Cash Sources Private
uri: Kim-Dotcom-Battles-to-Keep-Cash-Sources-Private
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/83bD68Q63BA/
content:
<p><a href="media/57d13949.dotcom-laptop.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/dotcom-laptop.jpg"><img src="media/5b2669f1.dotcom-laptop.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dotcom-laptop.jpg" alt="dotcom-laptop" width="233" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-76556"></a>Back in 2012, millions of dollars of Megaupload and Kim Dotcom assets were seized in New Zealand and Hong Kong, action designed to bring the Internet entrepreneur financially to his knees.</p>
<p>That hasn&#8217;t been the case since, however. Dotcom has continued with his very public displays of wealth, living in one of New Zealand&#8217;s most expensive houses, flying around the country in helicopters, and bankrolling a brand new political party. </p>
<p>All this, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Paramount, Universal, Columbia Pictures and Warner Bros insist, are clear signs that Dotcom is disposing of wealth that will transfer to their hands should they prevail in their legal action against him &#8211; if there is any left of course.</p>
<p>Last month the High Court&#8217;s Judge Courtney agreed with the studios and ordered Dotcom to reveal all of his global assets “wherever they are located” and to identify “the nature of his interest in them.”</p>
<p>Needless to say, Dotcom has been putting up a fight, and has filed an appeal which will be heard in the second week of October. However, that date falls way beyond September 5, the date by which Dotcom has to comply with Judge Courtney&#8217;s disclosure order.</p>
<p>During a hearing today at the Court of Appeal, Dotcom&#8217;s legal team argued that their client should not have to hand over a list of his assets in advance of the October appeal as several legal points needed to be aired during the hearing.</p>
<p>According to <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10430597/Court-reserves-Kim-Dotcom-decision">Stuff</a>, lawyer Tracey Walker said that the 2012 restraining order covered assets generated before that date, but have no scope moving forward.</p>
<p>“The assets that they are talking about now are new assets that were created because of my entrepreneurial skill after the raid,&#8221; Dotcom explained previously.</p>
<p>Dotcom has remained extremely active in the business sector since 2012, helping to create cloud storage service Mega.co.nz and then generating cash by selling shares in the company. The authorities and Hollywood are clearly trying to keep an eye on the money.</p>
<p>In Court, Walker said that since $11.8 million was seized from Dotcom in 2012 and other funds are currently frozen in Hong Kong, the studios have a fund to draw on should they win their case. Revealing more about his current financial situation would breach Dotcom&#8217;s privacy, Walker added.</p>
<p>Appearing for the US-based studios, lawyer Jack Hodder said the disclosure order was fully justified.</p>
<p>Ending the hearing, the Court of Appeal reserved its decision on whether Dotcom will have to comply with the High Court ruling and disclose on September 9, or whether he will indeed be able to wait until after the October hearing.</p>
<p>In the meantime the political mudslinging continues in New Zealand, with Kim Dotcom now preparing <a href="http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/kim-dotcom-preparing-case-against-whaleoil-6063706">legal action</a> against controversial blogger Cameron Slater who he accuses of publishing &#8220;200 plus smear stories&#8221; as part of a &#8220;character assassination&#8221; campaign handled by the ruling National Party.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93097
title: BitTorrent’s Secure Dropbox Alternative Simplifies Sharing
uri: BitTorrent-s-Secure-Dropbox-Alternative-Simplifies-Sharing
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/rw8HxgVC1dY/
content:
<p><a href="media/221604dd.sync1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/sync1.png"><img src="media/221604dd.sync1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/sync1.png" alt="sync" width="203" height="101" class="alignright size-full wp-image-93100"></a>There are dozens of sync and backup services available on the Internet, but most have a major drawback. They require people to store data on external cloud-based servers that are not under their control.</p>
<p>BitTorrent Sync is a lightweight backup tool that eliminates this drawback, and it’s much faster too. </p>
<p>The functionality of the Sync application is comparable to most cloud-based sync tools, except for the fact that there’s no cloud involved.  Users simply share their files across their own devices, or the devices of people they share files with.</p>
<p>Since its launch the application has built a steady user base of millions of users who already transferred a mind-boggling amount of data.</p>
<p>&#8220;Since the initial Alpha launch of Sync a little over a year ago, we’ve now hit over 10 million total user installs and have transferred over 80 Petabytes of data,&#8221; BitTorrent Inc&#8217;s Erik Pounds <a href="http://blog.bittorrent.com/2014/08/26/introducing-bittorrent-sync-1-4-an-easier-way-to-share-large-files/">notes</a>.</p>
<p>Today marks another big step in the development of Sync. With the release of version 1.4 users are now able to share files and folders more easily, by simply sending someone a URL. Previously, people had to exchange encryption keys which seemed more complicated. </p>
<p><center></center><strong>Sharing a Sync file or folder</strong><br></br><center><a href="media/1ddc6626.syncnew.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/syncnew.png"><img src="media/1ddc6626.syncnew.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/syncnew.png" alt="syncnew" width="550" height="486" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-93118"></a></center></p>
<p>People who receive a Sync URL will be directed to a download page where they are prompted to install Sync, if it isn&#8217;t already, and start downloading files right away.</p>
<p>Sync offers a wide variety of sharing options. Users have complete control over where their data is going and how it is used. This includes setting read/write permissions and the option to give access to approved devices only.</p>
<p>&#8220;Sync gives you full ownership over your data. With no third parties involved in storing or arbitrating your data, you know exactly where your files go,&#8221; Pounds explains.</p>
<p>In addition to the easier sharing options and various other improvements, the latest release also has a completely redesigned interface.</p>
<p>For those who are interested, the latest version of BitTorrent Sync is now available <a href="http://www.bittorrent.com/sync">for download here</a>, completely free of charge.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93081
title: LA Police: Online Piracy Funds Drug Dealers and Terrorists
uri: LA-Police-Online-Piracy-Funds-Drug-Dealers-and-Terrorists
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/CkJX5kbK7qM/
content:
<p><a href="media/be3c1d0d.lacounty.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lacounty.jpg"><img src="media/be3c1d0d.lacounty.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lacounty.jpg" alt="lacounty" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-93083"></a>Earlier this month we reported how media conglomerate ABS-CBN is going after several website owners who link to pirated streams of its programming. </p>
<p>The Philippines-based company <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/u-s-court-wants-search-engines-remove-pirate-sites-140818/">filed a lawsuit</a> at a federal court in Oregon looking for millions of dollars in damages from two local residents. The court case has barely started but that didn&#8217;t prevent ABS-CBN from using its journalistic outlet to taint public opinion.</p>
<p>In a news report released by its <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/">American branch</a>, the company slams the defendants who they align with hardcore criminals. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/08/26/14/piracy-how-it-affects-you">coverage</a> is presented as news but offers no balance. Instead it frames online piracy as a threat to everyone, with billions of dollars in losses that negatively impact America&#8217;s education and health care budgets.</p>
<p>But it gets even worse. It&#8217;s not just public services that are threatened by online piracy according to the news outlet, national security is at stake as well.  </p>
<p>&#8220;Piracy actually aids and abets organized crime. Gangs and even terrorist groups have reportedly entered the piracy market because the penalties are much lighter than traditional crimes such as drug dealing – and the profit could be much higher,&#8221; ABS-CBN&#8217;s senior reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/HenniEspinosa">Henni Espinosa</a> notes.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not the first time that we have heard <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-study-links-film-piracy-to-gangs-and-terrorists-090304/">these far-fetched allegations</a>. However, for a news organization to present them without context to further its own cause is a line that not even the MPAA and RIAA would dare to cross today. </p>
<p>The Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department, on the other hand, has also noticed the link with organized crime and terrorism.</p>
<p> “[Piracy is] supporting their ability to buy drugs and guns and engage in  violence. And then, the support of global terrorism,  which is a threat to everybody,” LA County Assistant Sheriff Todd Rogers tells the new outlet.</p>
<p>Los Angeles County police say that piracy is one of their top priorities. They hope to make the local neighborhoods a little safer by tracking down these pirates and potential terrorists.</p>
<p>&#8220;To identify bad guys that we need to take out of the community so the rest of the folks can enjoy their neighborhood and their families,” Rogers concludes. </p>
<p>Since the above might have to sink in for a moment, we turn to the two Oregon citizens who ABS-CBN based the report on. Are Jeff Ashby and his Filipina wife Lenie Ashby really hardcore criminals?</p>
<p>Based on public statistics the five sites they operated <a href="http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/Pinoymoviefan.com#trafficstats">barely</a> had any visitors. According to Jeff he created them for his wife so she could enjoy entertainment from her home country. He actually didn&#8217;t make any copies of the media but merely provided links to other websites.</p>
<p>‘I created these websites for my wife who is from the Philippines, so she and others who are far from the Philippines could enjoy materials from their culture that are otherwise unavailable to them, Jeff Ashby <a href="media/5635df85.gov.uscourts.ord.118169.21.0.pdf" data-original-source="http://ia902306.us.archive.org/23/items/gov.uscourts.ord.118169/gov.uscourts.ord.118169.21.0.pdf">wrote</a> to the court. </p>
<p>&#8220;Since these materials were already on the web, we did not think there would-be a problem to simply link to them. No content was ever hosted on our server,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>The websites were all closed as soon as the Oregon couple were informed about the lawsuit. They regret their mistake and say they didn&#8217;t know that it could get them into trouble, certainly not $10 million worth of it.</p>
<p>So are these really the evil drug lords or terrorists the Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department and ABS-CBN are referring to?</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93163
title: Leaked Draft Reveals Hollywood’s Anti-Piracy Plans
uri: Leaked-Draft-Reveals-Hollywood-s-Anti-Piracy-Plans
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/MpqGq0lCxpc/
content:
<p><a href="media/11ab50f1.us-aus.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/us-aus.jpg"><img src="media/37afc61d.us-aus.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/us-aus.jpg" alt="us-aus" width="200" height="172" class="alignright size-full wp-image-45442"></a>As the discussions over the future of anti-piracy legislation in Australia continue, a draft submission has revealed the wish-list of local movie groups and their Hollywood paymasters.</p>
<p>The draft, a response to a request by Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull for submissions on current <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/leaked-paper-reveals-aussie-anti-piracy-crackdown-musings-140725/">anti-piracy proposals</a>, shows a desire to apply extreme pressure to local ISPs.</p>
<p>The authors of the draft (<em>obtained by Crikey, <a href="http://www.crikey.com.au/2014/08/28/the-foreign-copyright-cartel-goes-gunning-for-aussie-isps/?wpmp_switcher=mobile">subscription</a>, </em>) are headed up by the Australia Screen Association, the anti-piracy group previously known as AFACT. While local company Village Roadshow is placed front and center, members including the Motion Picture Association, Disney, Paramount, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal and Warner make for a more familiar read.</p>
<p><strong>Australian citizens &#8211; the world&#8217;s worst pirates</strong></p>
<p>The companies begin with scathing criticism of the Australian public, branding them the world&#8217;s worst pirates, despite the &#8216;fact&#8217; that content providers &#8220;have ensured the ready availability of online digital platforms and education of consumers on where they can acquire legitimate digital content.&#8221; It&#8217;s a bold claim that will anger many Australians, who even today feel like second-class consumers who have to wait longer and pay more for their content.</p>
<p>So what can be done about the piracy problem?</p>
<p>The draft makes it clear &#8211; litigation against individuals isn&#8217;t going to work and neither is legal action against &#8220;predominantly overseas&#8221; sites. The answer, Hollywood says, can be found in tighter control of what happens on the Internet.</p>
<p><strong>Increased ISP liability</strong></p>
<p>In a nutshell, the studios are still stinging over their loss to ISP iiNet in 2012. So now, with the help of the government, they hope to introduce amendments to copyright law in order to remove service providers&#8217; safe harbor if they even suspect infringement is taking place on their networks but fail to take action. </p>
<p>&#8220;A new provision would deem authorization [of infringement] to occur where an ISP fails to take reasonable steps – which are also defined inclusively to include compliance with a Code or Regulations – in response to infringements of copyright it knows or reasonably suspects are taking place on its network,&#8221; the draft reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;A provision in this form would provide great clarity around the steps that an ISP would be required to take to avoid a finding of authorization and provide the very kind of incentive for the ISP to cooperate in the development of a Code.&#8221;</p>
<p>With &#8220;incentives&#8221; in place for them to take &#8220;reasonable steps&#8221;, ISPs would be expected to agree to various measures (outlined by a &#8216;Code&#8217; or legislation) to &#8220;discourage or reduce&#8221; online copyright infringement in order to maintain their safe harbor. It will come as no surprise that subscriber warnings are on the table.</p>
<p><strong>&#8216;Voluntary&#8217; Graduated Response</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;These schemes, known as ‘graduated response schemes’, are based on a clear allocation of liability to ISPs that do not (by complying with the scheme) take steps to address copyright infringement by their users,&#8221; the studios explain.</p>
<p>&#8220;While this allocation of liability does not receive significant attention in most discussions of graduated response schemes, common sense dictates that the schemes would be unlikely to exist (much less be complied with by ISPs) in the absence of this basic incentive structure.&#8221;</p>
<p>While pointing out that such schemes are in place in eight countries worldwide, the movie and TV companies say that a number of them contain weaknesses, a trap that Australia must avoid.</p>
<p>&#8220;There are flaws in a number of these models, predominantly around the allocation of costs and lack of effective mitigation measures which, if mirrored in Australia, would make such a scheme ineffective and unlikely to be used,&#8221; the paper reads.</p>
<p>It appears that the studios believe that the US model, the Copyright Alerts System (CAS), is what Australia should aim for since it has &#8220;effective mitigation measures&#8221; and they don&#8217;t have to foot the entire bill.</p>
<p>&#8220;Copyright owners would pay their own costs of identifying the infringements and notifying these to the ISP, while ISPs would bear the costs of matching the IP addresses in the infringement notices to subscribers, issuing the notices and taking any necessary technical mitigation measures,&#8221; they explain.</p>
<p>In common with the CAS in the United States, providers would be allowed discretion on mitigation measures for persistent infringers. However, the studios also imply that ISPs&#8217; &#8216;power to prevent&#8217; piracy should extend to the use of customer contracts.</p>
<p>&#8220;[Power] to prevent piracy would include both direct and indirect power and definitions around the nature of the relationship which would recognize the significance of contractual relationships and the power that they provide to prevent or avoid online piracy,&#8221; they write.</p>
<p><strong>Voluntary agreements, required by law, one way or another</strong></p>
<p>The key is to make ISPs liable first, the studios argue, then negotiations on a &#8220;voluntary&#8221; scheme should fall into place.</p>
<p>&#8220;Once the authorization liability scheme is amended to make clear that ISPs will be liable for infringements of copyright by their subscribers which they know about but do not take reasonable steps to prevent or avoid, an industry code prescribing the content of those ‘reasonable steps’ is likely to be agreed between rightsholders and ISPs without excessively protracted negotiations.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, any failure by the ISPs to come to the table voluntarily should be met by legislative change.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the absence of any current intention of and incentive for ISPs in Australia to support such a scheme (and the strong opposition from some ISPs) legislative recognition of the reasonable steps involved in such a scheme is necessary,&#8221; they write. </p>
<p><strong>Site blocking</strong></p>
<p>Due to &#8220;weakness&#8221; in current Australian law in respect of ISP liability, site blocking has proved problematic. What the studios want is a &#8220;no-fault&#8221; injunction (similar to the model in Ireland) which requires ISPs to block sites like The Pirate Bay without having to target the ISPs themselves.</p>
<p>&#8220;Not being the target of a finding against it, an ISP is unlikely to  oppose the injunction – as long as the procedural requirements for the injunction are met. Once made, a blocking injunction would immediately prevent Australian internet users from being tempted to or accessing the blocked sites,&#8221; the studios explain.</p>
<p>Despite The Pirate Bay <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-traffic-doubles-despite-isp-blockades-140717/">doubling its traffic</a> in the face of extensive blocking across Europe, the movie companies believe that not blocking in Australia is part of the problem.</p>
<p>&#8220;The absence of a no-fault procedure may explain the very high rates of film and TV piracy in Australia when compared with European countries<br>
that have such a procedure,&#8221; they write.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, the studios want to keep the bar low when it comes to such injunctions.</p>
<p>&#8220;The extended injunctive relief provision should <strong>not</strong> require the Court to be satisfied that the dominant purpose of the website is to infringe copyright,&#8221; they urge.</p>
<p>&#8220;Raising the level of proof in this way would severely compromise the effectiveness of the new provision in that it would become significantly more difficult for rightsholders to obtain an injunction under the scheme: allegedly non-infringing content would be pointed to in each case, not for reasons of freedom of access to information on the internet, but purely as a basis to defeat the order.&#8221;</p>
<p>The studios also want the ISPs to pick up the bill on site-blocking.</p>
<p>&#8220;[Courts in Europe] have ordered the costs of site blocking injunctions be borne by the ISP. The Australian Film/TV Bodies submit that the same position should be adopted in Australia, especially as it is not likely that the evidence would be any different on a similar application here,&#8221; they add.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>If the studios get everything they&#8217;ve asked for in Australia, the ensuing framework could become the benchmark for models of the future. There&#8217;s a still a long way to go, however, and some ISPs &#8211; iiNet in particular &#8211; won&#8217;t be an easy nut to crack.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93179
title: MPAA Research: Blocking The Pirate Bay Works, So…..
uri: MPAA-Research-Blocking-The-Pirate-Bay-Works-So
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/fjNU3OUOueI/
content:
<p><a href="http://fightcopyrighttrolls.com/2014/04/18/blocking-access-to-the-pirate-bay-has-proven-to-be-effective/"><img src="media/7134d54c.blocktpb1-300x224.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blocktpb1-300x224.jpg" alt="FCT ty" width="300" height="224" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-87047"></a>Website blocking has become one of the favorite anti-piracy tools of the entertainment industries in recent years.</p>
<p>The UK is a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/megashare-viooz-watch32-zmovie-blocked-140311/">leader on this front</a>, with the High Court ordering local ISPs to block access to dozens of popular file-sharing sites, including The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents.</p>
<p>Not everyone is equally excited about these measures and researchers have called their effectiveness <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/censoring-the-pirate-bay-is-futile-research-shows-130822/">into question</a>. This prompted a Dutch court to <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/isps-no-longer-have-to-block-the-pirate-bay-dutch-court-rules-140128/">lift The Pirate Bay</a> blockade a few months ago. The MPAA, however, hopes to change the tide and prove these researchers wrong.</p>
<p>Earlier today Hollywood&#8217;s anti-piracy wish list was revealed through a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/leaked-draft-reveals-hollywoods-anti-piracy-plans-140828/">leaked draft</a> various copyright groups plan to submit to the Australian Government. Buried deep in the report is a rather intriguing statement that refers to internal MPAA research regarding website blockades.</p>
<p>&#8220;Recent research of the effectiveness of site blocking orders in the UK found that visits to infringing sites blocked declined by more than 90% in total during the measurement period or by 74.5% when proxy sites are included,&#8221; it reads.</p>
<p><center><center>MPAA internal research</center><a href="media/c6bd3277.mpaa-leak.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mpaa-leak.png"><a href="media/2ef79f1e.mpaa-leak.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/mpaa-leak.png"><img src="media/c6bd3277.mpaa-leak.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mpaa-leak.png" alt="mpaa-leak" width="648" height="104" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-93186"></a></center></p>
<p>In other words, MPAA&#8217;s own data shows that website blockades do help to deter piracy. Without further details on the methodology it&#8217;s hard to evaluate the findings, other than to say that they conflict with previous results. </p>
<p>But there is perhaps an even more interesting angle to the passage than the results themselves. </p>
<p>Why would the MPAA take an interest in the UK blockades when Hollywood has its own anti-piracy outfit (FACT) there? Could it be that the MPAA is planning to push for website blockades in the United States?  </p>
<p>This is not the first sign to point in that direction. Two months ago MPAA boss Chris Dodd said that ISP blockades are one of the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-pirate-site-blockades-140613/">most effective anti-tools</a> available.</p>
<p>Combine the above with the fact that the United States is by far the <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-traffic-doubles-despite-isp-blockades-140717/">biggest traffic source</a> for The Pirate Bay, and slowly the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. </p>
<p>It seems only a matter of time before the MPAA makes a move towards website blocking in the United States. Whether that&#8217;s through a voluntary agreement or via the courts, something is bound to happen.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93212
title: Dotcom Loses Bid to Keep Assets Secret from Hollywood
uri: Dotcom-Loses-Bid-to-Keep-Assets-Secret-from-Hollywood
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/qhvMQ77XubU/
content:
<p><a href="media/57d13949.dotcom-laptop.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/dotcom-laptop.jpg"><img src="media/5b2669f1.dotcom-laptop.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dotcom-laptop.jpg" alt="dotcom-laptop" width="233" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-76556"></a>20th Century Fox, Disney, Paramount, Universal, Columbia Pictures and Warner Bros are engaged in a huge battle with Kim Dotcom.</p>
<p>They believe that legal action currently underway against the Megaupload founder could lead to them receiving a sizable damages award should they win their case. But Dotcom&#8217;s lavish lifestyle gives them concerns. The more he spends, the less they could receive should the money begin to run out.</p>
<p>Those concerns were addressed by the High Court&#8217;s Judge Courtney, who previously ordered Dotcom to disclose the details of his worldwide assets to his Hollywood adversaries. Dotcom filed an appeal which will be heard in October, but that date is beyond the ordered disclosure date.</p>
<p>As a result, Dotcom <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-battles-keep-cash-sources-private-140827/">took his case</a> to the Court of Appeal in the hope of staying the disclosure order.</p>
<p>That bid has now failed.</p>
<p>Dotcom&#8217;s legal team argued out that their client&#8217;s October appeal would be rendered pointless if he was required to hand over financial information in advance. They also insisted a stay would not negatively affect the studios since millions in assets are currently restrained in New Zealand and elsewhere.</p>
<p>However, as explained by the Court of Appeal, any decision to stay a judgment is a balancing act between the rights of the successful party (Hollywood) to enforce its judgment and the consequences for both parties should the stay be granted or denied.</p>
<p>While the Court agreed that Dotcom&#8217;s appeal would be rendered pointless if disclosure to Hollywood was ordered, it rejected that would have an effect on Dotcom.</p>
<p>&#8220;[T]he mere fact that appeal  rights  are  rendered  nugatory  is  not  necessarily  determinative  and  in  the circumstances of this case I consider that this consequence  carries little weight.  This is  because  Mr Dotcom himself does not assert that there will be any adverse effect on him if deprived of an effective appeal,&#8221; the decision reads.</p>
<p>The Court also rejected the argument put forward by Dotcom&#8217;s lawyer that the disclosure of financial matters would be a threat to privacy and amounted to an &#8220;unreasonable search&#8221;.</p>
<p>The Court did, however, acknowledge that Dotcom&#8217;s appeal would deal with genuine issues. That said, the concern over him disposing of assets outweighed them in this instance.</p>
<p>In respect of the effect of a stay on the studios, the Court looked at potential damages in the studios&#8217; legal action against the Megaupload founder. Dotcom&#8217;s expert predicted damages &#8220;well below&#8221; US$10m, while the studios&#8217; expert predicted in excess of US$100m. </p>
<p>The Court noted that Dotcom has now revealed that his personal assets restrained in both New Zealand and Hong Kong are together worth &#8220;not less&#8221; than NZ$ 33.93 million (US$ 28.39m). However, all of Dotcom&#8217;s assets are subject to a potential claim from his estranged wife, Mona, so the Court judged Dotcom&#8217;s share to be around NZ$17m.</p>
<p>As a result the Court accepted that there was an arguable case that eventual damages would be more than the value of assets currently restrained in New Zealand.</p>
<p>As a result, Dotcom is ordered to hand the details of his financial assets, “wherever they are located”, to the lawyers acting for the studios. There are restrictions on access to that information, however.</p>
<p>&#8220;The  respondents’  solicitors  are  not  to  disclose  the  contents  of  the affidavit  to  any  person  without  the  leave  of  the  Court,&#8221; the decision reads.</p>
<p>As legal proceedings in New Zealand continue, eyes now turn to Hong Kong. In addition to Dotcom&#8217;s personal wealth subjected to restraining order as detailed above, an additional NZ$25m owned by Megaupload and Vestor Limited is frozen in Hong Kong. Next week Dotcom&#8217;s legal team will attempt to have the restraining order lifted.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93205
title: Warner Bros. Sues New York Bar For Playing 80-Year Old Song
uri: Warner-Bros-Sues-New-York-Bar-For-Playing-80-Year-Old-Song
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/vi-3oP9ZI-o/
content:
<p><a href="media/a3f0bcf1.giacomo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/giacomo.jpg"><img src="media/a3f0bcf1.giacomo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/giacomo.jpg" alt="giacomo" width="275" height="238" class="alignright size-full wp-image-93220"></a>Many bars, pubs and restaurants like to entertain their guests with live music, with bands often playing covers of recent hits or golden oldies.</p>
<p>As with all music that&#8217;s performed in public, the bar owners are required to pay the royalties, even if there are just handful of listeners present. </p>
<p>Royalty collection agencies take this obligation very seriously and drive around the country visiting local bars and pubs to check whether they obey the law. Those who don&#8217;t usually get a bill in the mailbox, and if they refuse to pay up <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/music-copyright-police-ruin-artists-gigs-and-coconut-curry-111008/">it gets worse</a>. </p>
<p>Every year hundreds of small establishments are sued by copyright holders, often with help from performing rights organizations ASCAP and BMI. This week, <a href="http://giacomojacks.com/">Giacomo Jacks</a>, a restaurant/bar from Amityville, New York, became a target.</p>
<p>The bar is being sued by Warner Bros. and Pure Songs for playing two songs without permission back in February. As they failed to secure the rights, Giacomo Jacks now faces a maximum of $60,000 in damages.</p>
<p>While these lawsuits are fairly common, the song over which Warner Bros is suing stands out immediately, as it&#8217;s more than 80 years old. </p>
<p>The song in question is the classic love song &#8220;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Only_Have_Eyes_for_You">I Only Have Eyes for You</a>,&#8221; written by Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin and used in Warner Bros&#8217; 1934 movie Dames. Since then it has been covered dozens of times, including the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63nlhoda2MY">well-known Flamingos version</a>.</p>
<p><center><strong>I Only Have Eyes for You (1934)</strong></center><center><a href="media/a540391d.copyreg.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/copyreg.png"><img src="media/a540391d.copyreg.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/copyreg.png" alt="copyreg" width="588" height="169" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-93221"></a></center></p>
<p>In the lawsuit Warner Bros. claims to have been severely harmed by the public performance in the Amityville bar, for which it demands proper compensation. Since the actual damage can&#8217;t be calculated they ask for up to $30,000 per infringement. </p>
<p>“The said wrongful acts of the Defendants have caused and are causing great injury to the Plaintiffs, which damage cannot be accurately computed, and unless this Court restrains the Defendants from the further commission of said acts, said Plaintiffs will suffer irreparable injury,” the complaint (<a href="media/cf996274.warnerold.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/warnerold.pdf">pdf</a>) reads.</p>
<p>While Warner Bros. appear to be on sound legal ground (the song&#8217;s copyright only expires after 95 years) suing a small local business over a 80-year old song is not the best PR. That said, considering previous cases that dealt with the same issue, Giacomo Jacks will most likely lose the case or end up paying a hefty settlement fee. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, various unauthorized copies of the track are played hundreds of thousands of times <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=I+Only+Have+Eyes+for+You+dames">on YouTube</a> and elsewhere. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93251
title: Four ISPs Sued For Failing To Block Pirate Movie Sites
uri: Four-ISPs-Sued-For-Failing-To-Block-Pirate-Movie-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/R89_9OqiMDQ/
content:
<p><a href="media/db3bd45e.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg"><img src="media/c579e316.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg" alt="pirate-card" width="250" height="210" class="alignright size-full wp-image-86520"></a>Favorable rulings in both the European Court of Justice and the local Supreme Court earlier this year gave Austrian anti-piracy groups the power they needed to move forward on site-blocking.</p>
<p>What transpired was an attack from two directions. The first involved VAP, the anti-piracy association of the Austrian film and video industry. The second was launched by the local branch of IFPI, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.</p>
<p>In late July, VAP <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/block-the-pirate-bay-within-3-days-austrian-isps-told-140729/">wrote</a> to UPC, Drei, Tele2 and A1 with a request for the ISPs to block ThePirateBay.se plus streaming sites Movie4K.to and Kinox.to. Days later in a letter dated August 4, the IFPI asked five local ISPs to block access to four torrent sites &#8211; ThePirateBay,se, isoHunt.to, 1337x.to and H33t.to.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for VAP and the IFPI, the ISPs were going to need more than just a letter to begin censoring the Internet. By mid August, with their deadlines expired, none had initiated blockades. That led to <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/isps-face-lawsuits-failing-block-pirate-bay-140818/">threats of lawsuits</a> from both anti-piracy groups.</p>
<p>With August now drawing to a close, VAP has made good on its word. CEO Werner Müller confirmed to German media that his organization has now sued four Austrian ISPs. Müller would not be drawn on their names, but <a href="http://derstandard.at/2000004884081/Netzsperren-Verein-fuer-Antipiraterie-klagt-vier-Provider">DerStandard</a> spoke with UPC and A1 who both confirmed receiving letters.</p>
<p>&#8220;[The decision on blocking] should be left to the judgment of a judge, since in a specific case the rights of Internet users and the movie / music industry can be weighed more,&#8221; said A1 spokeswoman Livia Dandrea-Böhm. &#8220;We will now take a position in the time allowed by the court. Thereafter, the judge has to decide.&#8221;</p>
<p>Of further interest is VAP&#8217;s decision to exclude The Pirate Bay from their legal action and only sue for blockades against kinox.to and movie4k.to. There are suggestions that this could prove an easier legal route for VAP as the local Supreme Court is already familiar with the operations of Kinox and Movie4K, sites similar in structure to the now defunct Kino.to, the site which originally prompted calls for blocks in Austria.</p>
<p>However, The Pirate Bay will not escape so easily. The IFPI will tackle the infamous torrent site alongside others including isoHunt.to, 1337x.to and H33t.to. The music group is expected to sue several ISPs to force a blockade, although papers are still being drawn up. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93286
title: UK Police Accuse Domain Name Registrar of Facilitating Criminal Activity
uri: UK-Police-Accuse-Domain-Name-Registrar-of-Facilitating-Criminal-Activi
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/voZ4FSnnr84/
content:
<p><a href="media/13c756c2.easydns.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/easydns.png"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-79030" src="media/59d613bd.easydns.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/easydns.png" alt="easydns" width="200" height="175"></a>Over the past year City of London Police have been working together with the music and movie industries to tackle sites that provide unauthorized access to copyrighted content.</p>
<p>&#8220;Operation Creative&#8221; began with the sending of <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-launch-campaign-to-shut-down-torrent-sites-130604/">warning letters</a> to site owners, asking them to go legit or shut down. Late last year this was followed by a campaign targeted at domain registrars, asking them to <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-orders-registrars-to-suspend-domains-of-major-torrent-sites-131009/">suspend the domain names</a> of several “illegal” sites.</p>
<p>Most registrars <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/domain-registrars-deny-police-requests-suspend-pirate-sites-140808/">ignored these letters</a> and only five out of the 75 requests were granted. The police aren&#8217;t giving up on their efforts though, as they have now contacted the registrars again, this time with a warning.</p>
<p>EasyDNS was one of the companies who refused to suspend domains without a court order. This week CEO Mark Jeftovic informed TorrentFreak that his company received a <a href="media/647da69a.criminality.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/criminality.png">new letter</a> from City of London <a href="http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/fraud-and-economic-crime/pipcu/Pages/default.aspx">PIPCU</a> titled &#8220;notice of criminality.&#8221;</p>
<p>Unlike the <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-orders-registrars-to-suspend-domains-of-major-torrent-sites-131009/">previous one</a>, the latest letter doesn&#8217;t have any concrete demands, but simply puts the registrars on notice.<br>
&#8212;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 15px;"><em>Receipt of this email serves as notice that the aforementioned domain, managed by EASYDNS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 28/03/2014 is being used to facilitate criminal activity, including offences under: </em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 15px;"><em>Fraud Act 2006</em><br>
<em> Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988</em><br>
<em> Serious Crime Act 2007</em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 15px;"><em>We respectfully request that EASYDNS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. give consideration to your ongoing business relationship with the owners/purchasers of the domain to avoid any future accusations of knowingly facilitating the movement of criminal funds.</em></p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p>According to easyDNS the warning appears to suggest that registrars themselves could face legal trouble if they fail to take action. A rather worrying development considering that no court has deemed the sites to be violating local law.</p>
<p>&#8220;We think this time the intent is not to actually get the domain name taken down, but rather to build some sort of &#8216;case&#8217; that we, easyDNS, by mere &#8216;Receipt of this email&#8217; are now knowingly allowing domains under management to be &#8216;used to facilitate criminal activity&#8217;,&#8221; Jeftovic notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Thus, if we don&#8217;t takedown the domains PIPCU want us to, when they want us to, then we may face accusations in the future (in their own words) &#8216;of knowingly facilitating the movement of criminal funds&#8217;,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>Despite the repeated threats, easyDNS doesn&#8217;t plan to take any action without a proper court order. In a <a href="http://blog.easydns.org/2014/08/29/city-of-london-pipcu-sending-notices-of-criminality-to-registrars/">blog post</a> Jeftovic explains this stance, noting that his company will fiercely defend due process.</p>
<p>The file-sharing domains PIPCU wants to take offline are guilty until proven innocent and there is no basis to act without a court order, he believes. Instead, he characterizes the warning letter as potentially libelous and a abuse of power.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hinting that failure to cooperate could result in adverse consequences such as being stripped of one&#8217;s trade accreditation or possibly being accused of a crime in the future, strikes me as coercive or an abuse of position on the part of PIPCU,&#8221; Jeftovic concludes.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93198
title: “Six Strikes” Anti-Piracy Warnings Double This Year
uri: Six-Strikes-Anti-Piracy-Warnings-Double-This-Year
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/sdxKVHY1WNo/
content:
<p><img src="media/f2bfe741.pirate-running.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-running.jpg" alt="pirate-running" width="222" height="204" class="alignright size-full wp-image-78717">February last year, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isp-six-strikes-anti-piracy-scheme-120803/">five U.S. Internet providers</a> started sending Copyright Alerts to customers who use BitTorrent to pirate movies, TV-shows and music.</p>
<p>These efforts are part of the <a href="http://www.copyrightinformation.org/">Copyright Alert System</a>, an anti-piracy plan that aims to educate the public. Through a series of warnings suspected pirates are informed that their connections are being used to share copyrighted material without permission, and told where they can find legal alternatives.</p>
<p>During the first ten months of the program more than more than 1.3 million anti-piracy alerts were sent out. That was just a ramp up phase though. This year the number of alerts will grow significantly.</p>
<p>&#8220;The program doubles in size this year,&#8221; says Jill Lesser, Executive Director of the overseeing Center for Copyright Information (CCI). </p>
<p>Lesser joined a panel at the Technology Policy Institute&#8217;s <a href="https://www.techpolicyinstitute.org/news/show/23653.html">Aspen Forum</a> where the Copyright Alert System was the main topic of discussion. While the media has focused a lot on the punishment side, Lesser notes that the main goal is to change people&#8217;s norms and regain their respect for copyright. </p>
<p>&#8220;The real goal here is to shift social norms and behavior. And to almost rejuvenate the notion of the value of copyright that existed in the world of books and vinyl records,&#8221; Lesser said.</p>
<p>The notifications are a &#8220;slap on the wrist&#8221; according to Lesser, but one which is paired with information explaining where people can get content legally.</p>
<p>In addition to sending more notices, the CCI will also consider adding more copyright holders and ISPs to the mix. Thus far the software and book industries have been left out, for example, and the same is true for smaller Internet providers.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve had lots of requests from content owners in other industries and ISPs to join, and how we do that is I think going to be a question for the year coming up,&#8221; Lesser noted.</p>
<p>Also present at the panel was Professor <a href="https://its.law.nyu.edu/facultyprofiles/profile.cfm?personID=37891">Chris Sprigman</a>, who noted that the piracy problem is often exaggerated by copyright holders. Among other things, he gave various examples of how creative output has grown in recent years.  </p>
<p>&#8220;This problem has been blown up into something it&#8217;s not. Do I like piracy? Not particularly. Do I think it&#8217;s a threat to our creative economy? Not in any area that I&#8217;ve seen,&#8221; Sprigman noted. </p>
<p>According to the professor the Copyright Alert System is very mild and incredible easy to evade, which is a good thing in his book.</p>
<p>The professor believes that it&#8217;s targeted at casual pirates, telling them that they are being watched. This may cause some to sign up for a VPN or proxy, but others may in fact change their behavior in the long run.</p>
<p>&#8220;Do I think that this is a solution to the piracy problem. No. But I think this is a way of reducing the size of it over time, possibly changing social norms over time. That could be productive. Not perfect but an admirable attempt,&#8221; Sprigman said.</p>
<p>Just how effective this attempt will be at changing people&#8217;s piracy habits is something that has yet to be seen.  </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93227
title: Patent Allows Watermarking of Already Encrypted Movies
uri: Patent-Allows-Watermarking-of-Already-Encrypted-Movies
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/w__uYOCi-Bo/
content:
<p><a href="media/746b76cb.encryption.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/encryption.jpg"><img src="media/a447a7c5.encryption.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/encryption.jpg" alt="encryption" width="180" height="135" class="alignright size-full wp-image-75305"></a>While the name Verance might not be particularly well known, the company&#8217;s anti-piracy technology is present in millions of DVD and Blu-ray players and the media they play.</p>
<p>Every licensed Blu-ray playback device since 2012 has supported the technology which is designed to limit the usefulness of pirated content. Illicit copies of movies protected by <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/?s=cinavia">Cinavia</a> work at first, but after a few minutes playback is halted and replaced by a warning notice.</p>
<p>This is achieved by a complex watermarking system that not only protects retail media but also illicit recordings of first-run movies. Now Verance has been awarded a patent for a new watermarking system with fresh aims in mind.</p>
<p>The patent, &#8216;Watermarking in an encrypted domain&#8217;, begins with a description of how encryption can protect multimedia content from piracy during storage or while being transported from one location to another.</p>
<p>&#8220;The encrypted content may be securely broadcast over the air, through the Internet, over cable networks, over wireless networks, distributed via storage media, or disseminated through other means with little concern about piracy of the content,&#8221; Verance begins.</p>
<p>Levels of security vary, Verance explains, depending on the strength of encryption algorithms and encryption key management. However, at some point content needs to be decrypted in order for it to be processed or consumed, and at this point it is vulnerable to piracy and distribution.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is particularly true for multimedia content that must inevitably be converted to audio and/or visual signals (e.g., analog format) in order to reach an audience,&#8221; Verance explain.</p>
<p>While the company notes that at this stage content is vulnerable to copying, solutions are available to help protect against what it describes as the &#8220;analog hole&#8221;. As the creator of Cinavia, it&#8217;s no surprise Verance promotes watermarking.</p>
<p>&#8220;Digital watermarking is typically referred to as the insertion of auxiliary information bits into a host signal without producing perceptible artifacts,&#8221; Verance explains.</p>
<p>In other words, content watermarked effectively will carry such marks regardless of further distribution, copying techniques, or deliberate attacks designed to remove them. Cinavia is one such example, the company notes.</p>
<p>However, Verance admits that watermarking has limitations. In a supply chain, for example, the need to watermark already encrypted content can trigger time-intensive operations. For this, the company says it has a solution.</p>
<p>Verance has come up with a system with the ability to insert watermarks into content that has already been compressed and encrypted, without the need for decryption, decompression, or subsequent re-compression and re-encryption.</p>
<p>In terms of an application, Verance describes an example workflow in which movie content could be watermarked and then encrypted in order to protect it during distribution. The system has the ability to further watermark encrypted content as it passes through various supply chain stages and locations without compromising its security.</p>
<p>&#8220;In a forensic tracking application, a digital movie, after appropriate post production processing, may be encrypted at the movie studio or post production house, and sent out for distribution to movie theaters, to on-line retailers, or directly to the consumer,&#8221; Verance explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;In such applications, it is often desired to insert forensic or transactional watermarks into the movie content to identify each entity or node in the distribution channel, including the purchasers of the content, the various distributors of the content, the presentation venue and the time/date/location of each presentation or purchase.&#8221;</p>
<p>Verance believes that being able to track distribution points, sales locations such as movie theaters or stores, and even end users will be a big plus to adopters. Those up to the complex analysis can see how the company intends to work its magic by viewing its extremely <a href="https://www.google.com/patents/US8781967">technical and lengthy patent</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93094
title: KickassTorrents Goes Secure, Encrypts Traffic For All Visitors
uri: KickassTorrents-Goes-Secure-Encrypts-Traffic-For-All-Visitors
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/SHqUtzB8KQ4/
content:
<p><a href="media/dec198ac.KAT.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/KAT.png"><img src="media/dec198ac.KAT.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/KAT.png" alt="KAT" width="278" height="155" class="alignright size-full wp-image-93273"></a>Like most Internet users, torrent site visitors prefer not to have their browsing habits exposed to third parties. </p>
<p>One way to prevent this from happening is by using SSL encryption. This is supported by more and more sites, and last year Google even went as far as encrypting all searches by default. </p>
<p>Most of the larger torrent sites such as The Pirate Bay and Torrentz also offer SSL support. However, KickassTorrents is the first to force encryption. This means that everyone who visits the site will now be sending data over a secure https connection. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak spoke with the KickassTorrents team who told us that the new feature was implemented by popular demand.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re just thinking about those people who will feel safer when they know all the data transferred between them and KAT is completely encrypted. People requested it, so we respond,&#8221; the KAT team informs TF. </p>
<p>SSL encryption will prevent one&#8217;s boss, school, or ISP from monitoring what pages are visited what data is sent or retrieved from the site. However, it&#8217;s still possible to see that the KickassTorrents domain was accessed, and how much time was spent there. </p>
<p>Also, it&#8217;s worth emphasizing that it doesn&#8217;t anonymize the visitor&#8217;s IP-addresses in any way, as a VPN or proxy might.</p>
<p>That said, enabling encryption is a good way for KickassTorrents to offer its users a little more security. On top of that, Google recently noted that it would <a href="http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.no/2014/08/https-as-ranking-signal.html">prioritize SSL encrypted sites</a> in its search results, something the site&#8217;s operators probably wont mind either.   </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93319
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 09/01/14
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-09-01-14
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/i-6DcoMo_9I/
content:
<p><a href="media/a0f34d2a.male.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/male.jpg"><img src="media/a0f34d2a.male.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/male.jpg" alt="male" width="300" height="225" class="alignright size-full wp-image-92696"></a>This week we have three newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Maleficent is the most downloaded movie for the third week in a row.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are BD/DVDrips unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the weekly movie download chart.</p>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Ranking</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>(<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-140825/">last week</a>)</strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">torrentfreak.com</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/maleficent_2014/">Maleficent</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-XO4XiRop0">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/godzilla_2014/">Godzilla</a> (Webrip)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0831387/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIu85WQTPRc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_fault_in_our_stars/">The Fault in Our Stars</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582846/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH5J6ss">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/think_like_a_man_too/">Neighbors</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2004420/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL5c2szf3E4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_the_winter_soldier_2014/">Think Like a Man Too</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2239832/">5.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsQcFMwl0sU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/divergent/">Divergent</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1840309/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sutgWjz10sM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_the_winter_soldier_2014/">Captain America: The Winter Soldier</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SlILk2WMTI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/22_jump_street/">22 Jump Street</a> (TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294449/">7.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9S_dYuq0vE">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_days_of_future_past/">X-Men: Days of Future Past</a> (HDrip/TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1877832/">8.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsjtg7m1MMM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_prince_2015/">The Prince</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1085492/">4.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdZuyp6DpnI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93325
title: The Next-Generation Copyright Monopoly Wars Will Be Much Worse
uri: The-Next-Generation-Copyright-Monopoly-Wars-Will-Be-Much-Worse
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/l8ndEjy5zOQ/
content:
<p><a href="media/b997f7ba.copyright-branded.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/copyright-branded.jpg"><img src="media/db7b975c.copyright-branded.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/copyright-branded.jpg" alt="copyright-branded" width="250" height="164" class="alignright size-full wp-image-56211"></a>We&#8217;ve been manufacturing our own copies of knowledge and culture without a license for quite some time now, a practice known first as mixtaping and then as file-sharing.</p>
<p>Home mass manufacturing of copies of culture and knowledge started some time in the 1980s with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_Cassette">Cassette Tape</a>, the first widely available self-contained unit capable of recording music. It made the entire copyright industry go up in arms and demand &#8220;compensation&#8221; for activities that were not covered by their manufacturing monopoly, which is why we now pay protection money to the copyright industry in many countries for everything from cellphones to games consoles. </p>
<p>The same industry demanded harsh penalties &#8211; criminal penalties &#8211; for those who manufactured copies at home without a license rather than buying the expensive premade copies. Over the next three decades, such criminal penalties gradually crept into law, mostly because no politician thinks the issue is important enough to defy anybody on.</p>
<p>A couple of key patent monopolies on 3D printing are expiring as we speak, making next-generation 3D printing much, much higher quality. 3D printers such as <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/formlabs/form-1-an-affordable-professional-3d-printer">this one</a> are now appearing on Kickstarter, &#8220;printers&#8221; (more like fabs) that use laser sintering and similar technologies instead of layered melt deposit.</p>
<p>We&#8217;re now somewhere in the 1980s-equivalent of the next generation of copyright monopoly wars, which is about to spread to physical objects. The copyright industry is bad &#8211; downright atrociously cynically evil, sometimes &#8211; but nobody in the legislature gives them much thought. Wait until this conflict spreads outside the copyright industry, spreads to pretty much every manufacturing industry.</p>
<p><strong>People are about to be sued out of their homes for making their own slippers instead of buying a pair.</strong></p>
<p>If you think that sounds preposterous, that&#8217;s exactly what has been going on in the copyright monopoly wars so far, with people manufacturing their own copies of culture and knowledge instead of buying ready-made copies. There&#8217;s no legal difference to manufacturing a pair of slippers without having a license for it.</p>
<p>To be fair, a pair of slippers may be covered by more monopolies than just the copyright monopoly (the drawing) &#8211; it may be covered by a utility patent monopoly, a design patent monopoly, possibly a geographic indication if it&#8217;s some weird type of slipper, and many more arcane and archaic types of monopolies. Of course, people in general can&#8217;t tell the difference between a &#8220;utility patent&#8221;, a &#8220;design patent&#8221;, a &#8220;copyright duplication right&#8221;, a &#8220;copyright broadcast right&#8221;, a &#8220;related right&#8221;, and so on. To most people, it&#8217;s all just &#8220;the copyright monopoly&#8221; in broad strokes.</p>
<p>Therefore, it&#8217;s irrelevant to most people whether the person who gets sued out of their home for fabbing their own slippers from a drawing they found is technically found guilty of infringing the copyright monopoly (maybe) or a design patent (possibly). To 95% or more, it&#8217;s just &#8220;more copyright monopoly bullshit&#8221;. And you know what? Maybe that&#8217;s good.</p>
<p><strong>The next generation of wars over knowledge, culture, drawings, information, and data is just around the corner, and it&#8217;s going to get much uglier with more stakes involved on all sides. We have gotten people elected to parliaments (and stayed there) on the conflict just as it stands now. As this divide deepens, and nothing suggests it won&#8217;t, then people will start to pay more attention.</strong></p>
<p>And maybe, just maybe, that will be the beginning of the end of these immoral and deeply unjust monopolies known as copyrights and patents.</p>
<p><center>
<div class="alignfull" style="border:2px solid #3F3F3F;width:100%;padding:15px;padding-top:8px;padding-bottom:4px;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;border-radius:10px">
<h3 style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px">
<div style="float:right;height:130px;width:39px;margin-left:20px;margin-right:10px"><img src="media/98818a80.Rick_Falkvinge_39x130.jpg" data-original-source="http://falkvinge.net/wp-content/themes/WpNewspaper/images/falkvinge/Rick_Falkvinge_39x130.jpg" style="border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none" class="quimby_search_image"></div>
<p><span style="color:#3F3F3F;font-size:125%">About The</span> <span style="color:#FF3C78;font-size:125%">Author</span></p>
</h3>
<p style="font-family:PTSansRegular,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-weight:400;line-height:150%;margin-bottom:14px"><small>Rick Falkvinge is a regular columnist on TorrentFreak, sharing his thoughts every other week. He is the founder of the Swedish and first Pirate Party, a whisky aficionado, and a low-altitude motorcycle pilot. His blog at <a href="http://falkvinge.net">falkvinge.net</a> focuses on information policy.</small></p>
<div style="float:right;position:relative;top:-12px">
<p><small>Book Falkvinge <a href="http://falkvinge.net/keynotes/">as speaker</a>?</small></p>
</div>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/Falkvinge" class="twitter-follow-button">Follow @Falkvinge</a></p>
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<p></center></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93331
title: Hustler Hustles Tor Exit-Node Operator Over Piracy
uri: Hustler-Hustles-Tor-Exit-Node-Operator-Over-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/crErmEZ7avg/
content:
<p><a href="media/51b4e589.tor.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tor.png"><img src="media/51b4e589.tor.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tor.png" alt="tor" width="222" height="134" class="alignright size-full wp-image-93341"></a>Faced with the growing threat of online file-sharing, Hustler <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/hustler-hires-media-protector-to-chase-porn-pirates-090103/">committed</a> to “turning piracy into profit” several years ago.</p>
<p>The company has not been very active on this front in the United States, but more so in Europe. In Finland for example Hustler is <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/file-sharing-copyright-trolls-invade-finland-140326/">sending out settlement demands</a> for hundreds of euros to alleged pirates. </p>
<p>A few days ago one of these letters arrived at the doorstep of <a href="http://sebastianmaki.fi/">Sebastian Mäki</a>, identifying the IP-address through which he offers a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(anonymity_network)">Tor</a> exit-node. According to Hustler the IP-address had allegedly transferred a copy of Hustler&#8217;s &#8220;This Ain&#8217;t Game Of Thrones XXX.&#8221;</p>
<p>The <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hedmanpartners-letter.txt">letter</a> is sent by lawfirm Hedman Partners who urge Mäki to pay 600 euros ($800) in damages or face worse.</p>
<p>However, Mäki has no intention to pay up. Besides running a Tor exit-node and an open wireless network through the connection, he also happens to be Vice-President of a local Pirate Party branch. As such, he has a decent knowledge of how to counter these threats.</p>
<p>&#8220;All we can do at the moment is fight against these trolls, and they are preying on easy victims, who have no time nor energy to fight and often are afraid of the embarrassment that could follow, because apparently porn is still a taboo somewhere,&#8221; Mäki tells TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>So instead of paying up, the Tor exit-node operator launched a counter attack. He wrote a <a href="http://semantics.sebastianmaki.fi/2014/08/an-open-letter-is-copyright-trolling.html">lengthy reply</a> to Hustler&#8217;s lawyers accusing them of blackmail. </p>
<p>&#8220;According to Finnish law, wrongfully forcing someone to dispose of their financial interests is known as blackmail. Threatening to make known one&#8217;s porn watching habits unless someone coughs up money sounds to me like activities for which you can get a sentence.&#8221; </p>
<p>Mäki explains that an IP-address is not necessarily a person and that Hustler&#8217;s copyright trolling is likely to affect innocent Internet users. Because of this, he has decided to report these dubious practices to the police.</p>
<p>&#8220;I am also concerned that other innocent citizens might not have as much time, energy, or wealth to fight back. Because your actions have the potential to cause so much damage to innocent bystanders, I find it morally questionable and made a police report.&#8221;</p>
<p>Whether the police will follow up on the complaint remains to be seen, but Hustler will have to take its hustling elsewhere for now. They clearly targeted the wrong person here, in more ways than one.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93337
title: ISP Alliance Accepts Piracy Crackdown, With Limits
uri: ISP-Alliance-Accepts-Piracy-Crackdown-With-Limits
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/zU9cVKB6LH4/
content:
<p><a href="media/11ab50f1.us-aus.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/us-aus.jpg"><img src="media/37afc61d.us-aus.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/us-aus.jpg" alt="us-aus" width="200" height="172" class="alignright size-full wp-image-45442"></a>Following last week&#8217;s <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/leaked-draft-reveals-hollywoods-anti-piracy-plans-140828/">leaked draft</a> from Hollywood, Aussie ISPs including Telstra, iiNet and Optus have published their submission in response to a request by Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.</p>
<p>While the movie industry&#8217;s anti-piracy proposal demonstrates a desire to put ISPs under pressure in respect of their pirating customers, it comes as no surprise that their trade group, the Communications Alliance, has other things in mind.</p>
<p>The studios would like to see a change in copyright law to remove service providers’ safe harbor if they even suspect infringement is taking place on their networks but fail to take action, but the ISPs reject that. </p>
<p><strong>ISP liability</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;We urge careful consideration of the proposal to extend the authorization liability within the Copyright Act, because such an amendment has the potential to capture many other entities, including schools, universities,  internet cafes, retailers, libraries and cloud-based services in ways that may hamper their legitimate activities and disadvantage consumers,&#8221; they write.</p>
<p>But while the ISPs are clear they don&#8217;t want to be held legally liable for customer piracy, they have given the clearest indication yet that they are in support of a piracy crackdown involving subscribers. Whether one would work is up for debate, however.</p>
<p><strong>Graduated response</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;[T]here is little or no evidence to date that [graduated response] schemes are successful, but no shortage of examples where such schemes have been<br>
distinctly unsuccessful. Nonetheless, Communications Alliance remains willing to engage in good faith discussions with rights holders, with a view to agreeing on a scheme to address online copyright infringement, if the Government maintains that such a scheme is desirable,&#8221; they write.</p>
<p>If such as scheme could be agreed on, the ISPs say it would be a notice-and-notice system that didn&#8217;t carry the threat of ISP-imposed customer sanctions. </p>
<p>&#8220;Communications Alliance notes and supports the Government’s expectation, expressed in the paper that an industry scheme, if agreed, should not provide for the interruption of a subscriber’s internet access,&#8221; they note.</p>
<p>However, the appointment of a &#8220;judicial/regulatory /arbitration body&#8221; with the power to apply &#8220;meaningful sanctions&#8221; to repeat infringers is supported by the ISPs, but what those sanctions might be remains a mystery.</p>
<p>On the thorny issue of costs the ISPs say that the rightsholders must pay for everything. Interestingly, they turn the copyright holders&#8217; claims of huge piracy losses against them, by stating that if just two-thirds of casual infringers change their ways, the video industry alone stands to generate AUS$420m (US$392) per year. On this basis they can easily afford to pay, the ISPs say.</p>
<p><strong>Site blocking</strong></p>
<p>While warning of potential pitfalls and inadvertent censorship, the Communications Alliance accepts that done properly, the blocking of &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites could help to address online piracy.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although site blocking is a relatively blunt instrument and has its share of weaknesses and limitations, we believe that an appropriately structured and safeguarded injunctive relief scheme could play an important role in addressing online copyright infringement in Australia,&#8221; the Alliance writes.</p>
<p>One area in which the ISPs agree with the movie studios is in respect of ISP &#8220;knowledge&#8221; of infringement taking place in order for courts to order a block. The system currently employed in Ireland, where knowledge is not required, is favored by both parties, but the ISPs insist that the copyright holders should pick up the bill, from court procedures to putting the blocks in place.</p>
<p>The Alliance also has some additional conditions. The ISPs say they are only prepared to block &#8220;clearly, flagrantly and totally infringing websites&#8221; that exist outside Australia, and only those which use piracy as their main source of revenue.</p>
<p><strong>Follow the Money</strong></p>
<p>Pointing to the project currently underway in the UK coordinated by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, the Communications Alliance says that regardless of the outcome on blocking, a &#8220;follow the money&#8221; approach should be employed against &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites. This is something they already have an eye on.</p>
<p>&#8220;Some ISP members of Communications Alliance already have policies in place which prevent any of their advertising spend being directed to sites that promote or facilitate improper file sharing. Discussions are underway as to whether a united approach could be adopted by ISPs whereby the industry generally agrees on measures or policies to ensure the relevant websites do not benefit from any of the industry’s advertising revenues,&#8221; the ISPs note.</p>
<p><strong>Better access to legal content</strong></p>
<p>The Communications Alliance adds that rightsholders need to do more to serve their customers, noting that improved access to affordable content combined with public education on where to find it is required.</p>
<p>&#8220;We believe that for any scheme designed to address online copyright infringement to be sustainable it must also stimulate innovation by growing the digital content market, so Australians can continue to access and enjoy new and emerging content, devices and technologies.</p>
<p>&#8220;The ISP members of Communications Alliance remain willing to work toward an approach that balances the interests of all stakeholders, including consumers,&#8221; they conclude.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>While some harmonies exist, the submissions from the movie studios and ISPs carry significant points of contention, with each having the power to completely stall negotiations. With legislative change hanging in the air, both sides will be keen to safeguard their interests on the key issues, ISP liability especially.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93361
title: Popcorn Time Installed on 1.4 Million Devices in The U.S.
uri: Popcorn-Time-Installed-on-1-4-Million-Devices-in-The-U-S
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/VSKKqkoNyC8/
content:
<p><img src="media/b134dbd9.popcorn.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/popcorn.png" alt="popcorn" width="203" height="102" class="alignright size-full wp-image-89282">The Popcorn Time app brought BitTorrent streaming to the masses earlier this year.</p>
<p>The software became an <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/open-source-torrent-streaming-a-netflix-for-pirates-140308/">instant hit</a> by offering BitTorrent-powered streaming in an easy-to-use Netflix-style interface.</p>
<p>While the original app was <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/popcorn-time-devs-drop-like-flies-but-no-one-will-talk-140420/">shut down</a> by the developers after a few weeks, the project was quickly picked up by others. This resulted in several <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/popcorn-time-rivals-prep-tv-android-and-chromecast-support-140406/">popular forks</a> that have gained a steady user-base in recent months.</p>
<p>Just how popular the application is remained a mystery, until now. TorrentFreak reached out to one of the most popular <a href="http://time4popcorn.eu">Popcorn Time</a> forks at time4popcorn.eu to find out how many installs and active users there are in various parts of the world. </p>
<p>The Popcorn Time team was initially reluctant to share exact statistics on the app&#8217;s popularity across the globe, but they&#8217;re now ready to lift the veil. </p>
<p>Data shared with TorrentFreak shows that most users come from the <strong>United States</strong> where the application is installed on more than 1.4 million devices. There are currently over 100,000 active users in the U.S. and the number of new installs per day hovers around 15,000.</p>
<p>&#8220;At the beginning of August there were between 17-18K installations a day on all operating systems and last weekend there were somewhere between 13-15K a day,&#8221; the Popcorn Time teams informs us.</p>
<p>The application has a surprisingly large user base in the  <strong>Netherlands</strong> too, as Android Planet <a href="http://www.androidplanet.nl/106052/popcorn-time-gebruikers/">found out</a>. The country comes in second place with 1.3 million installs. That&#8217;s a huge number for a country with a population of less than 17 million people.</p>
<p><strong>Brazil</strong> completes the top three at a respectful distance with 700,000 installed applications and around 56,000 active users.</p>
<p>The <strong>United Kingdom</strong> just missed a spot in the top three. The Popcorn Time fork has been installed on 500,000 devices there, with 30,000 active users and 4,500 new installs per day.</p>
<p><strong>Australia</strong>, which generally has a very high piracy rate, is lagging behind a little with 93,000 installs thus far, and &#8220;only&#8221; 6,500 active users.</p>
<p>The statistics above only apply to the time4popcorn.eu application. While it&#8217;s probably the most used, other forks such as <a href="https://popcorntime.io/">popcorntime.io</a> also have a large following to add to the total Popcorn Time user base.</p>
<p>The team behind time4popcorn.eu, meanwhile, says that it will continue to add new features and support for more operating systems. They are currently finishing up the first <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/popcorn-time-adds-apple-tv-support-ios-app-coming-soon-140730/">iOS version</a> which is expected to be released in a few days.</p>
<p>Aside from the technical challenges, the developers keep motivated by the large audience they&#8217;ve gathered in a relatively short period.</p>
<p>&#8220;We really love and appreciate all our devoted users from all over the world, and we want to emphasize to them once more that this is only the beginning of the beginning. We have so many awesome plans for the future,&#8221; they stress. </p>
<p>As long as there are no legal troubles down the road, this user base is expected to grow even further during the months to come.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93385
title: UK Police Make Third ‘Pirate’ Streaming Arrest
uri: UK-Police-Make-Third-Pirate-Streaming-Arrest
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/C8YYK8tZFTc/
content:
<p><a href="media/bc6e239e.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg"><img src="media/31176dbb.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg" alt="cityoflondonpolice" width="200" height="82" class="alignright size-full wp-image-71397"></a>Set up in the summer of 2013, the City of London Police&#8217;s Intellectual Property Crime Unit has quickly grown to become one of the world&#8217;s most active anti-piracy operations.</p>
<p>The unit employs a wide range of strategies, from <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-orders-registrars-to-suspend-domains-of-major-torrent-sites-131009/">writing to domain registrars</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-accuse-domain-name-registrar-of-facilitating-criminal-activity-140830/">threatening them</a>, to working <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-hijacks-ads-74-websites-refuses-name-140812/">with advertisers</a> in order to strangle the revenues of &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites.</p>
<p>PIPCU also relies on old-fashioned police work to deal with sites that fail to heed their warnings to tow the line. This has resulted in several arrests in the UK and the closure of dozens of domains, torrent site proxies in particular.</p>
<p>With key partner the Federation Against Copyright Theft and its members including the Premier League and BSkyB, piracy of TV-destined content has become an area of interest to PIPCU, particularly that involving live sports.</p>
<p>Early Monday, more than 200 miles away from their London base, officers from PIPCU arrested a man in Manchester in the north of England. Police say the 27-year-old is believed to have operated a series of websites which offered access to subscription-only TV services.</p>
<p>PIPCU say that the domains were sports-focused, so given the premium pay TV landscape in the UK it seems probable that they infringed the rights of BSkyB and possibly the Premier League. Police are yet to confirm the details.</p>
<p>While there are no figures available on site visitor numbers, police are using the term &#8220;industrial&#8221; to explain the size of the operation they shut down yesterday. A reported 12 computer servers streaming global sports were reportedly seized and their operator taken to a local police station for questioning.</p>
<p>“Today’s operation is the unit’s third arrest in relation to online streaming and sends out a strong message that we are homing in on those who knowingly commit or facilitate online copyright infringement,&#8221; said PIPCU chief DCI Danny Medlycott last evening.</p>
<p>“Not only is there a significant loss to industry with this particular operation but it is also unfair that millions of people work hard to be able to afford to pay for their subscription-only TV services when others cheat the system.”</p>
<p>PIPCU have not released the names of the sites in question so it&#8217;s impossible to assess their significance at this point. However, police are often quick to seize the domains of sites they close down so it&#8217;s expected that signs of that will begin to surface during the next few days enabling a more detailed assessment of the shutdown.</p>
<p>As pointed out by DCI Medlycott, yesterday&#8217;s arrest is the third involving a streaming site operator in the UK. Although the sites were not revealed by police at the time, TorrentFreak previously <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-streaming-site-admin-several-domains-suspended-140409/">revealed</a> that the operator of BoxingGuru.co.uk, boxingguru.eu, boxingguru.tv and nutjob.eu was arrested during April in the north of England.</p>
<p>In May, PIPCU had the domain of the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cricfree-bounces-back-after-uk-police-domain-seizure-140524/">Cricfree.tv streaming portal suspended</a> but its operator was able to bring the site back under a new domain.</p>
<p>Yesterday&#8217;s arrest appears to be PIPCU&#8217;s first since <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-operator-torrent-site-proxies-140806/">the arrest</a> of a UK-based torrent site proxy operator in early August.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=93383
title: UK Govt. Warns Google, Microsoft & Yahoo Over Piracy
uri: UK-Govt-Warns-Google-Microsoft-Yahoo-Over-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/UcdCSHT89zA/
content:
<p><img src="media/c579e316.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg" width="250" height="210" class="alignright">Developments over the past 12 months have sent the clearest message yet that the UK government is not only prepared to morally support the creative industries, but also spend public money on anti-piracy enforcement.</p>
<p>The government-funded City of London Intellectual Property Crime Unit is definitely showing no signs of losing interest, carrying out <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-make-third-pirate-streaming-arrest-140902/">yet another arrest</a> yesterday morning on behalf of video rightsholders. In the afternoon during the BPI&#8217;s Annual General Meeting in London, the unit was being praised by both government officials and a music sector also keen to bring piracy under control.</p>
<p>&#8220;We’ve given £2.5 million to support the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, PIPCU,&#8221; Culture Secretary Sajid Javid told those in attendance.</p>
<p>&#8220;The first unit of its kind in the world, PIPCU is working with industry groups – including the BPI – on the Infringing Websites List. The list identifies sites that deliberately and consistently breach copyright, so brand owners can avoid advertising on them.&#8221;</p>
<p>Referencing rampant online piracy, Javid said that no industry or government could stand by and let &#8220;massive, industrial scale&#8221; levels of infringement continue.</p>
<p>&#8220;I know some people say the IP genie is out of the bottle and that no amount of wishing will force it back in. But I don’t agree with them,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/sajid-javids-speech-at-british-phonographic-industry-agm">said</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;We don’t look at any other crimes and say &#8216;It’s such a big problem that it’s not worth bothering with.&#8217; We wouldn’t stand idly by if paintings worth hundreds of millions of pounds were being stolen from the National Gallery.Copyright infringement is theft, pure and simple. And it’s vital we try to reduce it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Going on to detail the Creative Content initiative which the government is supporting to the tune of £3.5m, Javid said <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/how-uk-piracy-warnings-work-140517/">the system</a> would deliver a &#8220;robust, fair and effective enforcement regime&#8221;. </p>
<p>But that, however, is only one part of the puzzle. Infringing sites need to be dealt with, directly and by other means, he added.</p>
<p>&#8220;Copyright crooks don’t love music. They love money, and they’ve been attracted to the industry solely by its potential to make them rich. Take away their profits and you take away their reason for being. Of course, it’s not just up to the government and music industry to deal with this issue,&#8221; he noted.</p>
<p>Putting search engines on notice, the MP said that they have an important role to play.</p>
<p>&#8220;They must step up and show willing. That’s why [Business Secretary] Vince Cable and I have written to Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, asking them to work with [the music industry] to stop search results sending people to illegal sites,&#8221; Javid said.</p>
<p>&#8220;And let me be perfectly clear: if we don’t see real progress, we will be looking at a legislative approach. In the words of [Beggars Group chairman] Martin Mills, &#8216;technology companies should be the partners of rights companies, not their masters&#8217;.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Culture Secretary said that when it comes to tackling piracy, the government, music industry and tech companies are &#8220;three sides of the same triangle.&#8221; But despite that expectation of togetherness, only time will tell if the search engines agree to the point of taking voluntary action to support it.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com">TorrentFreak</a>, for the latest info on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/copyright-issues/">copyright</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/category/pirate-talk/">file-sharing</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/">anonymous VPN services</a>.</p>
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