# articles

feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123164
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 06/06/16
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-06-06-16
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/58PthRbGoe0/
content:
<p><img src="media/472d3290.xmenapo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/xmenapo.jpg" alt="xmenapo" width="300" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-122802">This week we have four newcomers in our chart. </p>
<p>X-Men: Apocalypse 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-pirated-movies-week-053016/">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/x_men_apocalypse/">X-Men: Apocalypse</a> (HDCam/TC)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3385516/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jer8XjMrUB4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/13_hours_the_secret_soldiers_of_benghazi/">13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4172430/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MBjAN7jqsQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/london_has_fallen/">London Has Fallen</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3300542/">5.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AsOdX7NcJs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zootopia/">Zootopia</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2948356/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWM0ct-OLsM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_do_over_2016/">The Do Over</a> (Webrip) </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4769836/">6.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JVgQzBG5Ho">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_civil_war/">Captain America: Civil War</a> (TC) </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3498820">8.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrVegVI0Us">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10_cloverfield_lane/">10 Cloverfield Lane</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179933/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saHzng8fxLs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_angry_birds_movie/">The Angry Birds Movie</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1985949/">6.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U2DKKqxHgE">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alice_in_wonderland_through_the_looking_glass/">Alice Through the Looking Glass</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2567026/">6.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anvGUW-vsLE">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_v_superman_dawn_of_justice/">Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice</a> (TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2975590/">7.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX_iASz1Si8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123162
title: Copyright Group: Hypocrite .ORG Registry Should Ban The Pirate Bay
uri: Copyright-Group-Hypocrite-ORG-Registry-Should-Ban-The-Pirate-Bay
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/cALLAGuy2R0/
content:
<p><img src="media/760ee13a.thepirate.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/thepirate.jpg" alt="thepirate" width="248" height="232" class="alignright size-full wp-image-116122"><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-moves-to-se-domain-prevent-domain-seizure-120201/">Fearing</a> a domain seizure, The Pirate Bay moved away from its original .ORG domain name four years ago.</p>
<p>At the time, domain names were being seized left and right and the site&#8217;s operators feared that the U.S. based domain registry might do their same with theirs.</p>
<p>Finding a suitable alternative was easier said than done, however. After losing more than a dozen subsequent domain names, TPB decided to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bays-domain-shuffle-come-full-circle-160520/">switch back to the .ORG domain</a> a few weeks ago. </p>
<p>The domain shuffle has been watched closely by various copyright holder groups, who previously pressured registries to suspend new Pirate Bay domains, often with success. However, thus far the .ORG&#8217;s Public Interest Registry (<a href="https://pir.org/">PIR</a>) has not been very receptive to these calls. </p>
<p>This has angered several rightsholders, not least because the responsible registry is operating from the United States. Thus far their frustration has been voiced behind the scenes. However, the Copyright Alliance, which lists MPAA, RIAA and <a href="http://copyrightalliance.org/members">many prominent rightsholders</a> as members, has now taken it public.</p>
<p>Copyright Alliance CEO Keith Kupferschmid calls out the registry for allowing The Pirate Bay to use one of its domain names, and urges the organization to suspend the site&#8217;s .ORG domain.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is shocking that a domain name registry in the United States – one that is dedicated to &#8216;the public interest&#8217; – is allowing a blatantly illegal site to have a home on the .org domain,&#8221; Kupferschmid says.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is especially disturbing given that the operators of The Pirate Bay have been found guilty of criminal copyright infringement, The Pirate Bay domain names have been seized or suspended around the globe, and even its co-founder, Peter Sunde, has walked away from it,&#8221; he adds. </p>
<p>The Copyright Alliance calls out the registry as hypocritical, noting that it clearly states on its website that they&#8217;re committed to “always do[ing] the right thing” and that abuse of .org domains will not be tolerated.</p>
<p>While suspending TPB&#8217;s domain name is the right thing in the eyes of many rightsholders, players in the domain name industry don&#8217;t necessarily agree. Voluntarily disconnecting domains without due process is a far-reaching measure, and a line not all are willing to cross. </p>
<p>Also, the registry is less hypocritical than the Copyright Alliance claims. For example, on its website PIR clearly writes that their abuse policy doesn&#8217;t apply to copyright infringement issues, pointing to ICANN&#8217;s domain dispute resolution <a href="http://www.icann.org/en/help/dndr/udrp">policy</a> instead.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/bf842976.pirabuse.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirabuse.png" alt="pirabuse" width="585" height="151" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123177"></center></p>
<p>The .ORG registry hasn&#8217;t commented publicly on the matter, but it is very likely that they don&#8217;t want to take any action without a valid court order. This is the most objective procedure and one that copyright holders are clearly aware of. </p>
<p>Why Hollywood or the major music labels haven&#8217;t tried this yet is unknown. Just last year the RIAA managed to take several domains <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-defeats-grooveshark-clone-in-court-wins-17-million-151214/">offline</a> with proper court orders, which were processed relatively quickly. </p>
<p>The TPB-crew can&#8217;t really be bothered by the pressure on the registry. Even if the .ORG domain name is suspended, the site will continue operating on another one.</p>
<p>&#8220;TPB is more than just a domain, it&#8217;s a movement, and taking down one domain will have zero effect on our inalienable right to share culture with our peers,&#8221; TPB&#8217;s Spud17 tells us.</p>
<p>&#8220;Their petty targeting of one domain shows how ignorant they are of how the world works,&#8221; she adds. </p>
<p>The Copyright Alliance nonetheless hopes that PIR will respond &#8216;appropriately&#8217; now that they&#8217;ve taken the matter public, and urges the registry to voluntarily suspend the Pirate Bay domain.</p>
<p>&#8220;The fact that PIR is presently providing a sanctuary for The Pirate Bay to continue its criminal behavior is unacceptable and should stop immediately,&#8221; Kupferschmid concludes.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123194
title: YouTuber Sued Over Stanley Kubrick Movies Analysis
uri: YouTuber-Sued-Over-Stanley-Kubrick-Movies-Analysis
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/OEBPb47B24o/
content:
<p><a href="media/4c492862.clockwork.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/clockwork.png" rel="attachment wp-att-123197"><img src="media/4c492862.clockwork.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/clockwork.png" alt="clockwork" width="180" height="241" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123197"></a>Undoubtedly the lion&#8217;s share of copyright infringement lawsuits filed in the United States concern file-sharing activity, something which inevitably pits large entertainment corporations against Joe Public. David versus Goliath, it now seems, is heading to YouTube channel near you.</p>
<p>Late Friday, TorrentFreak received a tip linking us to a YouTube video posted on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL5kBJmBUVFLYBDiSiK1VDw">Channel Criswell</a>. In it a visibly shaken and somewhat bewildered young man tries to keep his composure while delivering what is clearly upsetting news.</p>
<p>&#8220;A couple of hours ago I received a court summons in the post. The reason I&#8217;m being sued is for the Stanley Kubrick video that I uploaded in February. I don&#8217;t know what to do,&#8221; said Channel Criswell operator Lewis Bond.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/U9Ev22Ixxws?rel=0&amp;showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>&#8220;I thought all this was over and done with and we could move on and no-one would have to take any legal action. But apparently I am being sued for copyright infringement and the people that have filed this lawsuit against me are after the maximum damages, which if I&#8217;ve read it correctly can be up to $150,000. And this&#8230;.this would ruin me,&#8221; he choked.</p>
<p>To understand the nature of this case it&#8217;s first necessary to examine Lewis&#8217; work. Watching just a couple of minutes of the video embedded below should leave readers in no doubt that his work is documentary in nature, with masses of commentary and criticism throughout. Lewis Bond is a talented man.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WFxPkhLNrcc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>Throughout the five minute <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Ev22Ixxws&#038;app=desktop">video</a> in which Bond reports his plight, the young filmmaker never refers to the people behind the lawsuit by name. However, we have ascertained that the claimants are US-based Serendip LLC and their claim has nothing to do with Kubrick himself.</p>
<p>In a complaint filed in a New York District Court back in March, Serendip LLC explain that they own the copyrights to music created by composer Wendy Carlos. Among other works, Carlos wrote the soundtracks for both A Clockwork Orange (1971) and The Shining (1980). The complaint involves the former.</p>
<p>&#8220;The three pieces of music at issue in this action were used in the soundtrack of the motion picture &#8216;A Clockwork Orange&#8217;, entitled &#8216;Title Music From A Clockwork Orange&#8217;, &#8216;March From A Clockwork Orange&#8217; and &#8216;William Tell Overture&#8217;,&#8221; the company explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;Unbeknownst to, and without permission or license from, Serendip, Defendant Lewis Bond made derivative works of music and sound recording works by Wendy Carlos in the soundtrack of a video, entitled &#8216;Stanley Kubrick – The Cinematic Experience.&#8217;</p>
<p>&#8220;On or about February 20, 2016, with the purpose, inter alia, of monetizing the video for his own benefit, Defendant uploaded the video with user name Channel Criswell to YouTube.com and linked to the YouTube video on Twitter.com and Patreon.com.&#8221;</p>
<p>Serendip describe the video (embedded above) as a &#8220;mélange of brief snippets taken from Stanley Kubrick’s motion pictures&#8221; alongside an &#8220;aggregate of about 3 minutes of music taken from the three tracks listed in the complaint.</p>
<p>The publisher says that the music used by Bond represents &#8220;substantial portions&#8221; of the tracks &#8220;ranging from 18% of a piece of 7 minutes duration to 45% of a piece of 2 minutes 20 seconds duration.&#8221;</p>
<p><Center><br>
<h4>Lewis in happier times</h4>
<p><a href="media/161a9e00.lewisbond.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lewisbond.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-123199"><img src="media/161a9e00.lewisbond.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lewisbond.jpg" alt="lewisbond" width="600" height="338" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-123199"></a></center></p>
<p>There is absolutely no mention of a fair use exception in the lawsuit filed by Serendip however there is a subtle hint that the company might believe that Bond&#8217;s commentary on Kubrick&#8217;s work not only stopped short of musical analysis, but also presented Carlos&#8217; work out of context.</p>
<p>&#8220;With the exception of about 5 seconds of the &#8216;William Tell Overture&#8217;, the music is not synced to picture as in the soundtrack of &#8216;A Clockwork Orange&#8217;, but instead is used behind many unrelated snippets from various Kubrick movies and the video shorts. At no time, does the video commentary discuss the music or its context as displayed in the video,&#8221; the lawsuit reads.</p>
<p>According to the publisher it sent a takedown notice to YouTube back in February and the platform responded by disabling the video. In response, Bond reportedly filed a counter-notice, which YouTube passed on with a note that &#8220;Serendip must file a federal court action within 10 business days or YouTube may reinstate the video to YouTube.com.&#8221;</p>
<p>From this point it&#8217;s clear that Bond felt that Serendip had overstepped the mark and according to the publisher he expressed those concerns several times in public. In summary, however, Serendip feel they are absolutely entitled to sue the YouTuber, describing his actions as &#8220;willful, intentional, and purposeful, in disregard of and indifferent to Serendip’s rights.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition to an injunction the publisher is also pressing for statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringement plus attorneys fees.</p>
<p>Only time will tell how this case will play out, but by picking on the easiest of soft targets Serendip is unlikely to endear itself with the Internet masses. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludovico_technique">Ludovico technique</a> sickened Alex whenever he heard his beloved Beethoven. This lawsuit might sadly do the same for fans of the brilliant Clockwork Orange.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123213
title: RIAA Fails to Take Down Pirate Bay Domain, For Now
uri: RIAA-Fails-to-Take-Down-Pirate-Bay-Domain-For-Now
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/b9N1cPBUwG4/
content:
<p><img src="media/760ee13a.thepirate.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/thepirate.jpg" alt="thepirate" width="248" height="232" class="alignright size-full wp-image-116122"><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-moves-to-se-domain-prevent-domain-seizure-120201/">Earlier today <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-group-hypocrite-org-registry-should-ban-the-pirate-bay-160606/">we wrote</a> about the Copyright Alliance&#8217;s critique of the US-based  Public Interest Registry (PIR), which is responsible for .ORG domains. </p>
<p>The group called out the registry as hypocritical, as it allows &#8220;criminal&#8221; sites such as The Pirate Bay to use its service. A few hours later it turns out that this criticism didn&#8217;t come out of nowhere.  </p>
<p>The Pirate Bay&#8217;s registrar <a href="http://easydns.org/">EasyDNS</a> <a href="http://blog.easydns.org/2016/06/06/riaa-to-org-registry-take-down-thepiratebay/">reveals</a> that the RIAA sent PIR <a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/314979775/Redacted-Letter-to-Elizabeth-Finberg-Re-the-Pirate-Bay-Dated-6-2-16-Final">a letter</a> last week, urging it to suspend the Pirate Bay&#8217;s domain. </p>
<p>The music group lists several European court decisions against The Pirate Bay, including the criminal convictions of its founders in Sweden. It states that the torrent site is clearly operating illegally, and hopes the registry will take its domain name out of circulation.</p>
<p>According to the RIAA, The Pirate Bay violates PIR&#8217;s anti-abuse policy and terms of service. As such, it hopes that a court order isn&#8217;t required for the registry to take action.</p>
<p>&#8220;When, as in this case, there is overwhelming evidence of infringing and abusive activity on a domain, along with court orders from several jurisdictions with well-developed copyright jurisprudence, it cannot be the &#8216;right thing&#8217; or &#8216;in the community interest&#8217; to hold out for those decisions to be processed before the U.S. courts before taking action,&#8221; the RIAA writes.</p>
<p><center><strong>RIAA&#8217;s letter to the Public Interest Registry</strong><br></br></center><center><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/314979775/content?start_page=1&#038;view_mode=scroll&#038;access_key=key-Jw0aQEUCZStiY7ouTVIX&#038;show_recommendations=false" data-auto-height="false" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488" scrolling="no" id="doc_79969" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></p>
<p>The RIAA&#8217;s letter was sent last week and thus far PIR has not taken any steps against the domain. Instead, it forwarded the RIAA&#8217;s letter to Pirate Bay&#8217;s registrar, the Canadian-based EasyDNS. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak spoke with EasyDNS CEO Mark Jeftovic, who informs us that he doesn&#8217;t want to be seen as a refuge for torrent sites. However, he is committed to protecting due process, and for now he sees no reason to suspend the domain name. </p>
<p>EasyDNS forwarded the letter to TPB and intriguingly, the site&#8217;s operator <a href="http://blog.easydns.org/2016/06/06/riaa-to-org-registry-take-down-thepiratebay/">replied</a> that they are DMCA compliant. In addition, they waved away any concerns about malware that was distributed through third-party ads.</p>
<p>Infringements or not, EasyDNS says its abuse policy only covers net abuse, not copyright matters. This means that in order to get a domain suspended the RIAA would need to present a local court order, or a foreign one that&#8217;s served through the Ontario Sheriff&#8217;s Office. </p>
<p>&#8220;We would need some kind of legal finding here in Ontario, or a foreign legal finding that has been duly served to us via the Ontario Sheriff&#8217;s Office,&#8221; Jeftovic tells us. </p>
<p>Alternatively, EasyDNS says it will accept the outcome of a formal proceeding under ICANN&#8217;s rules and regulations. However, it won&#8217;t take action against a one-sided complaint.</p>
<p>All in all, this means that the RIAA&#8217;s letter is unlikely to achieve the result they desire. This also begs the question, what&#8217;s next?</p>
<p>Although the RIAA would prefer to avoid a legal case against The Pirate Bay in the United States, if only to avoid the media attention, it appears that they have few other options left than to go to court. </p>
<p>Court case or not, the TPB team isn&#8217;t worried. They are not tied to the .ORG domain and can easily switch to an alternative. </p>
<p>“TPB is more than just a domain, it’s a movement, and taking down one domain will have zero effect on our inalienable right to share culture with our peers,” TPB’s Spud17 told us earlier today.</p>
<p>And so the whack-a-mole game is likely to continue. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123241
title: Takedown, Staydown Would Be a Disaster, Internet Archive Warns
uri: Takedown-Staydown-Would-Be-a-Disaster-Internet-Archive-Warns
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/-4gUJhM1Zmw/
content:
<p><img src="media/16a360f4.internet-archive.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/internet-archive.png" width="200" height="172" class="alignright">Currently there is a huge and coordinated effort by the world&#8217;s major copyright holders to push for changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).</p>
<p>In a nutshell, key entertainment industry players believe that the DMCA is no longer fit for purpose and has been twisted out of shape by pirate sites, Google and even YouTube, to work against their best interests.</p>
<p>One of the main problems is taking down infringing content. The legislation allows content to be removed following the issuing of a so-called DMCA notice, but copyright holders say that this descends into a game of whac-a-mole, with content repeatedly reappearing.</p>
<p>To end this cycle they&#8217;re pushing for a new mechanism provisionally titled &#8216;Takedown, Staydown&#8217; or &#8216;Notice and Staydown&#8217;. This would order web platforms to ensure that once content is taken down it will never appear again on the same platform. These proposals are currently under review by the US Copyright Office.</p>
<p>But while copyright holders feel this would be a great tool for them, it&#8217;s perhaps unsurprising that content platforms are less enthusiastic. After weighing in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/internet-archive-seeks-to-defend-against-wrongful-copyright-takedowns-160323/">earlier in the yea</a>r, the latest warnings from the <a href="http://archive.org">Internet Archive</a>, a gigantic public repository of a wide range of media, and are among the sternest yet.</p>
<p>Noting that even the current system is regularly abused by those seeking to silence speech, the Archive says that on a daily basis it receives wrongful takedowns for content that is in the public domain, is fair use, or is critical of the content owner. Therefore, further extending takedown rights could prove extremely problematic.</p>
<p>&#8220;We were very concerned to hear that the Copyright Office is strongly considering recommending changing the DMCA to mandate a &#8216;Notice and Staydown&#8217; regime. This is the language that the Copyright Office uses to talk about censoring the web,&#8221; the Archive <a href="https://blog.archive.org/2016/06/02/copyright-offices-proposed-notice-and-staydown-system-would-force-the-internet-archive-and-other-platforms-to-censor-the-web/">warns</a>.</p>
<p>The Archive has a number of concerns but key issues involve due process and user monitoring. Once a platform is in receipt of a &#8220;staydown&#8221; order, it will be required to ensure that content never reappears, regardless of the context in which it does so. This means that users posting content subject to fair use exceptions will effectively be denied their right to issue a counter-notice when their upload is blocked, thus trampling due process.</p>
<p>But of course, blocking content also requires that users are monitored, and the Internet Archive doesn&#8217;t like that idea at all.</p>
<p>&#8220;The current statute protects user privacy by explicitly stating that platforms have no duty to monitor user activity for copyright infringement. Notice and Staydown would change this – requiring platforms to be constantly looking over users’ shoulders,&#8221; the Archive warns.</p>
<p>With free speech potentially at stake here, the Internet Archive says that taking content down and keeping it down has constitutional implications.</p>
<p>&#8220;Notice and Staydown has a serious First Amendment problem. The government mandating the use of technology to affirmatively take speech offline before it’s even posted, without any form of review, potentially violates free speech laws,&#8221; it says.</p>
<p>Such an automated system would amount to a censorship &#8220;black box&#8221;, the Archive adds, to which the public would be denied the key.</p>
<p>&#8220;It would be very difficult to know how much legitimate activity was being censored.&#8221;</p>
<p>Fair use has come up time and time again during this DMCA debate and the Internet Archive is clearly very concerned that it receives protection. Worried that content filtering technology isn&#8217;t even up to today&#8217;s challenges, the Archive warns that systems that can identify instances of fair use simply don&#8217;t exist.</p>
<p>&#8220;So far, no computer algorithm has been developed that can determine whether a particular upload is fair use. Notice and Staydown would force many cases of legitimate fair use off the web,&#8221; it warns.</p>
<p>&#8220;Further, intermediaries are not the right party to be implementing this technology. They don’t have all the facts about the works, such as whether they have been licensed. Most platforms are not in a good position to be making legal judgments, and they are motivated to avoid the potential for high statutory damages. All this means that platforms are likely to filter out legitimate uses of content.&#8221;</p>
<p>Finally, there is the not insignificant matter of who is going to pay for all of these systems should platforms be forced to adopt them. While copyright holders would apparently reap the benefits, sites like the Internet Archive would probably be expected to foot the bill.</p>
<p>&#8220;Developing an accurate filter that will work for each and every platform on the web will be an extremely costly endeavor. Nonprofits, libraries, and educational institutions who act as internet service providers would be forced to spend a huge amount of their already scarce resources policing copyright,&#8221; the Archive warns.</p>
<p>&#8220;The DMCA has its problems, but Notice and Staydown would be an absolute disaster,&#8221; it concludes.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123253
title: KickassTorrents Enters The Dark Web, Adds Official Tor Address
uri: KickassTorrents-Enters-The-Dark-Web-Adds-Official-Tor-Address
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/DxwXfI6cf1k/
content:
<p><img src="media/6df39282.kickass.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kickass.jpg" alt="kickass" width="205" height="143" class="alignright size-full wp-image-21602">With millions of visitors per day KickassTorrents (KAT) is currently the most <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">visited torrent site</a> on the Internet. </p>
<p>As a result, copyright holders have taken aim at the site in recent years, resulting in ISP blockades in the UK, Finland and elsewhere. Soon, even <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kickasstorrents-next-target-for-aussie-piracy-blocklist-180416/">Australia</a> may be added to this list. </p>
<p>While these blocks are somewhat effective, there are also plenty of ways to circumvent them. KAT itself is operating <a href="https://kastatus.com/">various proxy sites</a>, for example, and today it steps up its unblocking efforts by joining the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_web">dark web</a>. </p>
<p>Through a newly launched domain KAT users can now access their favorite site on the Tor network. Tor, which stands for The Onion Router, is an encrypted anonymity network that can&#8217;t be easily blocked by ISPs. </p>
<p>&#8220;Good news for those who have difficulties accessing KAT due to the site block in their country, now you can always access KAT via this address <a href="http://lsuzvpko6w6hzpnn.onion/">lsuzvpko6w6hzpnn.onion</a> on a TOR network,&#8221; Mr. White announces.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/1d082713.kattor.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kattor.png" alt="kattor" width="581" height="299" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123260"></center></p>
<p>Tor users can access regular websites, but also dedicated Tor sites that use an .onion address. People who want to access these addresses have to be connected to the Tor network, through the special Tor browser for example.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak spoke to KAT&#8217;s Mr. White who informs us that an .onion address was added by popular request, making it easier for users to bypass even the strictest blockades.</p>
<p>KAT is not the first torrent site to become active on the Tor network. The Pirate Bay has had an .onion address for several years already. In addition, there are also several smaller torrent and warez communities active on the dark web.  </p>
<p>Thus far the response from KAT users has been mostly positive, with many welcoming bridge to the dark web. </p>
<p>&#8220;This is fantastic news. I had quite some difficulties trying to log in. Now no more,&#8221; one user notes. Another one adds, &#8220;welcome to Tor KAT family, nothing beats sailing on the dark net.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123309
title: uTorrent Forums Hacked, Passwords Compromised
uri: uTorrent-Forums-Hacked-Passwords-Compromised
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ZPKTmv1vgLM/
content:
<p><img src="media/9c3372dd.utorrentforums.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/utorrentforums.png" alt="utorrentforums" width="228" height="87" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-123313">With well over 150 million active users a month uTorrent is by far the most used BitTorrent client around.</p>
<p>In addition, the software also has a <a href="https://forum.utorrent.com/">dedicated community forums</a> with tens of thousands of visitors per day, and over 388,000 registered members. </p>
<p>According to a recent security alert these users would be to update their passwords, as the forum database has been compromised by hackers.</p>
<p>The uTorrent team, which is part of BitTorrent Inc, was alerted to the issue by one of their vendors earlier this week. While the vulnerability didn&#8217;t originate at the uTorrent forums, it was indirectly compromised. </p>
<p>&#8220;The vulnerability appears to have been through one of the vendor’s other clients, however it allowed attackers to access some information on other accounts. As a result, attackers were able to download a list of our forum users,&#8221; uTorrent writes.</p>
<p>The security alert is posted in the forums but as far as we know users haven&#8217;t been notified individually. There is no mention of the massive security breach on uTorrent and BitTorrent&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/utorrent">social media accounts</a> either. </p>
<p><center><strong>uTorrent forums with security warning</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/2a3ee98c.utorrcomprom.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/utorrcomprom.png" rel="attachment wp-att-123339"><img src="media/2a3ee98c.utorrcomprom.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/utorrcomprom.png" alt="utorrcomprom" width="600" height="408" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123339" srcset="http://torrentfreak.com/images/utorrcomprom-768x523.png 768w, http://torrentfreak.com/images/utorrcomprom.png 955w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a></center></p>
<p>According to the uTorrent team it&#8217;s not entirely clear what data has been compromised by the hack. The company&#8217;s vendor has made some changes to mitigate the fallout, but the hashed passwords are likely compromised. </p>
<p>&#8220;We are investigating further to learn if any other information was accessed. Our vendor has made backend changes so that the hashes in the file do not appear to be a usable attack vector,&#8221; the uTorrent team writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;As a precaution, we are advising our users to change their passwords. While the passwords may not be used as a vector on the forums, those hashed passwords should be considered compromised,&#8221; they add. </p>
<p>In addition, users are strongly advised to update their passwords at other sites, if the ones they&#8217;re using are identical to the one deployed on the forum.</p>
<p>While uTorrent no longer reports the number of forum users, a few months ago it listed <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20151216132126/http://forum.utorrent.com/">388,358 members</a> who together wrote over half a million posts. </p>
<p>The uTorrent forums use the Invision Power Board software. The same software also powers the separate <a href="http://forum.bittorrent.com/">BitTorrent forums</a>, which given the lack of a security notice doesn&#8217;t appear to be compromised. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak asked BitTorrent Inc. at which vendor the hack originated and whether it intends to communicate the issue to forum users in a more direct manner, but we have yet to hear back. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123302
title: Netflix Blocks IPv6 Tunnels Over Geo-Unblocking Fears
uri: Netflix-Blocks-IPv6-Tunnels-Over-Geo-Unblocking-Fears
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/CWrI9bVMSzQ/
content:
<p><a href="media/057c7f2e.netflix-logo.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/netflix-logo.png" rel="attachment wp-att-69714"><img src="media/b310fc7c.netflix-logo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/netflix-logo.png" alt="netflix-logo" width="200" height="121" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69714"></a>It used to be a little talked about secret but the fact that all Netflix users aren&#8217;t treated equally is now well and truly out of the bag.</p>
<p>Due to licensing deals with content providers, most regions in the world are granted access to differing levels of content. Users in the United States get the best deal from a choice perspective while subscribers in many other regions are offered much more shallow libraries.</p>
<p>However, for many years determined subscribers from all over the world have been using various tricks to gain access to the forbidden fruits of the U.S. Netflix library. This has largely been achieved through the use of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-anonymous-review-160220/">VPNs and proxies</a>, techniques which worked almost flawlessly until complaints from rightsholders forced Netflix into a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-providers-condemn-netflix-blocking-crackdown-160118/">crackdown</a> earlier this year.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, other methods to circumvent Netflix blocks do exist. Some savvy individuals have been using something known as a tunnel broker, an online service which provides the user with a network tunnel. One particular type, known as an IPv6 tunnel broker, provides users with a modern <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv6">IPv6</a> tunnel to sites via the much older (but massively more prevalent) <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv4">IPv4</a> protocol.</p>
<p>One such service is provided free of charge by Hurricane Electric, the operator of the world&#8217;s largest IPv6 transit network. Called simply &#8216;<a href="https://www.tunnelbroker.net">IPv6 Tunnel Broker</a>&#8216;, the company describes the service as follows.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our free tunnel broker service enables you to reach the IPv6 Internet by tunneling over existing IPv4 connections from your IPv6 enabled host or router to one of our IPv6 routers. Our tunnel service is oriented towards developers and experimenters that want a stable tunnel platform,&#8221; Hurricane explains.</p>
<p>With noble goals at heart, this service is clearly not designed to give Netflix headaches. However, with <a href="https://www.tunnelbroker.net/status.php">tunnel endpoints</a> in the United States that was apparently the net result, with people using the service able to access titles geo-restricted to the U.S.</p>
<p>Somehow this situation came to Netflix&#8217;s attention and during the past few days the company decided to take action. Numerous reports indicate that Netflix has now blocked users of Hurricane Electric&#8217;s tunnel broker from accessing its services, regardless of their intent. They now receive the <a href="http://www.dslreports.com/speak/print/default;30792233">message</a> below.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/88c88052.netflix-block-he.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/netflix-block-he.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-123311"><img src="media/88c88052.netflix-block-he.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/netflix-block-he.jpg" alt="netflix-block-he" width="600" height="576" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-123311"></a></center></p>
<p>A Reddit user called KeiroD <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/NetflixByProxy/comments/4mhlzd/netflix_is_now_starting_to_block_hurricane/d3vkzbq">contacted</a> Netflix after receiving an identical message with the same error code &#8211; M7111-1331-5059. From the transcript of the discussion its clear that KeiroD already had a good idea why he was blocked.</p>
<p>&#8220;The only thing that I can think of that would affect us would be using the Hurricane Electric tunnelbroker but we&#8217;re US-based as is Hurricane Electric&#8217;s tunnel,&#8221; he explained. Netflix responded as expected.</p>
<p>&#8220;Yes it is possible as they work the same as the VPN or proxies. There is a way to find out if that is the reason, do you have a way to turn it off for a moment so we can try the service again?&#8221; customer support asked.</p>
<p>In response KeiroD turned off IPv6 in his router&#8217;s tunnel broker setup, rebooted, and played a random movie successfully. </p>
<p>General blocking aside, the sad part here is that KeiroD is based in the United States, so already had access to U.S. content on Netflix. The fact that his account with Netflix was registered in the United States and his endpoint was in Kansas City didn&#8217;t help at all.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the topic is also under discussion in Hurricane Electric&#8217;s forums. After years of people questioning whether he had access to the U.S. version of Netflix, a Canadian user there reported that his Netflix suddenly stopped working a few days ago.</p>
<p>&#8220;Turns out that I did [have the U.S. Netflix] and didn&#8217;t even know it! Now Netflix is blocking me, and after a long while I finally figured out that it was because of my IPv6 tunnel. The thing is though, I am in Canada, and I use the tunnel server in Toronto, also in Canada, but Netflix detects my connections as coming from the US!&#8221; he <a href="https://forums.he.net/index.php?topic=3564.0">explains</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;Well of course this problem only affects traffic coming over the IPv6 tunnel. If I shut it down, then Netflix works fine over native IPv4. I obviously still want my IPv6 connectivity, and don&#8217;t have any easy way that I know of to specifically block only Netflix-related traffic from resolving IPv6 addresses and using the tunnel.&#8221;</p>
<p>Sadly, however, Hurricane say they can&#8217;t help.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our [subnet] is registered as part of a US company, and that is the address space being used there. We do not have any IPv6 allocations allocated and designated as &#8216;Canada&#8217;,&#8221; a senior Hurricane engineer responded.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our [subnet] is used globally, as-is. If Netflix has some sort of whitelisting system in place, perhaps the ranges used there can be submitted, if such a whitelist exists, Netflix willing.&#8221;</p>
<p>As an avid <a href="http://techblog.netflix.com/2012/07/enabling-support-for-ipv6.html">supporter</a> of IPv6, Netflix&#8217;s decision to block Hurricane users is somewhat disappointing, especially when they have U.S. accounts and are also based in the U.S.</p>
<p>Understandably the company is responding to pressure from rightsholders but interestingly there&#8217;s no change in the current situation even when they aren&#8217;t a factor. Netflix previously indicated it wanted to improve licensing issues by creating its own shows, shows that can be accessed anywhere in the world without issues. But even they are off-limits, it seems.</p>
<p>&#8220;This started happening to me this afternoon. Called Netflix support, and based on that conversation I concluded they consider Tunnelbroker a VPN/Proxy,&#8221; another user on HE&#8217;s forums explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;They&#8217;re not wrong, but it&#8217;s still frustrating. Ironically the show I was trying to resume is a Netflix original. I wouldn&#8217;t have expected that there would be licensing issues on their own content.&#8221;</p>
<p>And so the whac-a-mole continues&#8230;.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123387
title: Police: File-Sharing Cases Dominate Sweden IP Complaints
uri: Police-File-Sharing-Cases-Dominate-Sweden-IP-Complaints
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/66WkGjQMzAM/
content:
<p><a href="media/5bfa00ca.swedpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/swedpolice.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-67906"><img src="media/0d1bf087.swedpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/swedpolice.jpg" alt="swedpolice" width="187" height="86" class="alignright size-full wp-image-67906"></a>The Pirate Bay might no longer be the most popular torrent site on the Internet but its story is certainly the most colorful in the history of online piracy.</p>
<p>That history is now inexorably intertwined with that of Sweden, a Scandinavian country that found itself slammed into the middle of the United States&#8217; war on piracy due to the site operating from its territory.</p>
<p>At first Sweden took little action against TPB and its founders, but as pressure built the authorities governing the sub 10 million population decided that enough was enough. Not only would Pirate Bay be forced to its knees, but all similar services that had brought Sweden&#8217;s IP policies under the spotlight too.</p>
<p>The resulting crackdown, which has run for more than a decade but has intensified in the past six years, has seen countless torrent sites, Direct Connect hubs, streaming platforms and end users targeted by the authorities. </p>
<p>Once considered a piracy haven, Sweden is now a somewhat risky country to start a file-sharing operation or share large volumes of files. Nevertheless, the authorities report that illegal downloading continues at a pace.</p>
<p>According to stats just released by Sweden&#8217;s national police, the most common intellectual property crimes committed in the country relate to unauthorized file-sharing, despite physical counterfeiting being valued at billions of krona every year. </p>
<p>&#8220;75 percent of complaints are about copyright violations and file sharing, although we may be seeing some decline,&#8221; says Paul Pintér, police national coordinator for intellectual property crimes.</p>
<p>That decline is almost certainly due to the attractive legal services that have been gaining traction year on year. Platforms such as Spotify and Netflix are doing very well in Sweden, with three quarters of the population now using streaming services to consume music and video. The former has impressively tied up around 90% of the paying market. </p>
<p>Still, it&#8217;s apparent that Sweden still has work to do if it wants to eradicate the piracy problem. Despite the crackdown of recent years carried out by a dedicated copyright unit embedded in the police force, Pintér says that Sweden sits in third place among European Union countries when it comes to illegal downloads of music.</p>
<p>Quite why that&#8217;s the case is unclear, but police say they remain extremely busy when it comes to processing file-sharing complaints. According to Pintér his unit is handling around 120 such complaints every year, that&#8217;s roughly one every three days.</p>
<p>Not all reach the prosecution stage of course but those are big numbers for a country with a relatively small population. Still, the revelation is hardly a surprise.</p>
<p>Last month, local ISP Bahnhof <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bahnhof-police-requests-160521/">revealed</a> that when it comes to police requests for data, 27.5% relate to cases involving online file-sharing. This makes it the most prevalent &#8216;crime&#8217; committed by users, ahead of other offenses such as fraud, forgery and grooming minors.</p>
<p>So for now it appears that Sweden&#8217;s quest to crush file-sharing will continue. Last month it was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isp-boss-criticizes-calls-to-criminalize-file-sharers-160507/">reported</a> that Sweden&#8217;s Minister for Justice has called for even tougher punishments for infringers. And with even those making their own subtitles <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/fan-created-movie-subtitle-site-operator-facing-prison-160525/">facing prison</a>, it seems that no one is safe.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123285
title: “London Has Fallen” Pirates Targeted With Lawsuits and Automated $300 ‘Fines’
uri: London-Has-Fallen-Pirates-Targeted-With-Lawsuits-and-Automated
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/1LyX8d8RbuM/
content:
<p><img src="media/59d6682b.download-keyboard.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/download-keyboard.jpg" alt="download-keyboard" width="200" height="138" class="alignright size-full wp-image-73383">Many Hollywood insiders see online piracy as a major threat, but only very few are willing to target file-sharers with lawsuits or settlement demands. </p>
<p>Millennium Films and LHF Productions, two companies behind the blockbuster &#8220;<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3300542/">London Has Fallen</a>&#8221; have no problem crossing this line. </p>
<p>A few days ago a high quality Blu-Ray rip of the movie appeared online, more than a week before the official release. Since then hundreds of thousands of people have pirated the film, much to the outrage of the studios. </p>
<p>To compensate the potential revenue loss of these and earlier leaks, LHF Productions has filed lawsuits against more than 1,000 people in recent weeks. </p>
<p>The cases are filed against &#8220;does&#8221; who are only known by their IP-address, with the studio then trying to uncover their real identities by subpoenaing their ISPs. After their personal info is released, the accused Internet subscribers will get a settlement offer, which can go up to several thousands dollars. </p>
<p>A relatively straightforward way to recoup damages, but there is an even easier option. In addition to the lawsuits the film&#8217;s production company Millennium Films has started sending automated settlement demands to U.S. Internet subscribers. </p>
<p>These settlement offers bypass the courts and are sent as part of a DMCA notice. Several Internet providers voluntarily forward these notices to the account holders associated with the infringing IP-addresses. </p>
<p><center><strong>Excerpt from the notice</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/b37adb5b.londonnotice-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/londonnotice-1.png" alt="londonnotice" width="558" height="327" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123292"></center></p>
<p>The language in the notices will be quite intimidating to some. After listing the evidence, Millennium Films&#8217; anti-piracy partner CEG TEK warns that the subscribers could face a potential lawsuit. </p>
<p>&#8220;CEG informs you that you may be held liable for monetary damages, including court costs and/or attorney fees if a lawsuit is commenced against you for unauthorized copying and/or distribution of the Work listed above,&#8221; it reads. </p>
<p>However, the letter also offers a way out. By settling the case right away and paying $300, all problems will go away. To increase the pressure, CEG TEK adds a hard deadline that expires after a few days.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you fail to respond or settle within the prescribed time period, the above matter may be referred to attorneys representing the Work&#8217;s owner for legal action. At that point the original settlement offer will no longer be an option, and the settlement amount will increase significantly,&#8221; the company adds. </p>
<p>Those who follow the link are directed to the settlement page where the suspected pirates can pay their dues directly through a credit or debit card. </p>
<p><center><strong>CEG TEK&#8217;s settlement page</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/dcafdeb7.ceglon.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ceglon.png" alt="ceglon" width="600" height="325" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123288" srcset="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ceglon-768x416.png 768w, http://torrentfreak.com/images/ceglon.png 770w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></center></p>
<p>CEG TEK is not a new player on the scene, but it&#8217;s rare to see notices for such a high-profile movie. The company mostly works with players in the adult industry, who typically demand a few hundred dollars per infringement as well.  </p>
<p>Despite all the anti-piracy activity, thousands of people are still sharing &#8220;London Has Fallen.&#8221; This means that there&#8217;s enough potential for more lawsuits and automated fines.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123396
title: Torrent Sites Get ‘Pre-Piracy’ Warning for UEFA Euro Cup
uri: Torrent-Sites-Get-Pre-Piracy-Warning-for-UEFA-Euro-Cup
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/bHqMPDTPBFU/
content:
<p><img src="media/c84b3a83.uefa2016logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/uefa2016logo.jpg" alt="uefa2016logo" width="225" height="203" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123401">In a few hours the <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/">2016 UEFA Euro Cup</a> kicks off in France, an event that will be seen by more than hundred million soccer fans from all over the world.</p>
<p>While most people watch the matches through licensed broadcasters, there is also a large group of people who resort to shady sources. </p>
<p>Most popular are the so-called “pirate” streaming sites where fans can watch the game live. These typically generate millions of views during popular sporting events.</p>
<p>In addition, those looking for an archive copy of a match or higher quality video, can find pirated copies on numerous torrent sites, where HD copies are uploaded minutes after the final whistle. </p>
<p>These unauthorized transmissions are a thorn in the side of various rightsholders and some are taking action to prevent it. Before the event kicks off, Sony Pictures Network (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Pictures_Networks">SPN</a>) has already issued the first warnings. </p>
<p>From a known source who prefers to remain anonymous, TorrentFreak obtained a copy of the <a href="media/86090ee8.spnletterfull.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/spnletterfull.png">letter</a> SPN sent to torrent sites and possibly streaming sites as well.</p>
<p>&#8220;Please be advised that our Client has exclusive Television Rights, Mobile Transmission Rights and Broadband Internet Transmission Rights for the upcoming 2016 UEFA Euro Cup,&#8221; the letter begins.</p>
<p>The Indian branch of Sony Pictures goes on to explain that they have the exclusive rights to broadcast the event in various countries, through <a href="http://www.espn.in/">ESPN</a> and other platforms.</p>
<p>Logically, this means that torrent sites and pirate streaming portals are not allowed to offer the same content. </p>
<p>&#8220;Any manner of communicating and/or making available for viewing the UEFA EURO CUP 2016 matches on any platform shall therefore amount to violation of our Client&#8217;s exclusive rights in which our client has invested significant amount of money,&#8221; SPN writes.</p>
<p><center><strong>Pre-piracy warning</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/e0953246.uefa2016letter.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/uefa2016letter.png" alt="uefa2016letter" width="546" height="230" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123402" srcset="http://torrentfreak.com/images/uefa2016letter-500x210.png 500w, http://torrentfreak.com/images/uefa2016letter.png 546w" sizes="(max-width: 546px) 100vw, 546px"></center></p>
<p>The &#8220;pre-piracy&#8221; warning alerts the site operators to possible legal consequences, including criminal prosecutions. </p>
<p>The company explicitly states that it&#8217;s &#8220;compelled to initiate legal proceedings (civil and/or criminal) should you engage in violation of our Client&#8217;s rights despite the present notice.&#8221;</p>
<p>Despite the startk language, the site owner who informed us about the notice says he has no plans to take action in response. Quite the contrary, the letter actually serves as a reminder to make sure that users have access to the latest UEFA Euro Cup matches.</p>
<p>&#8220;I forgot that we need to upload UEFA. It&#8217;s good that they reminded us,&#8221; the torrent site operator told TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123450
title: Canada Federal Court Restrains Sale of ‘Pirate’ Boxes
uri: Canada-Federal-Court-Restrains-Sale-of-Pirate-Boxes
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/B4iGUvQjAZw/
content:
<p><a href="media/c8e5dd3a.android-box.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/android-box.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-123456"><img src="media/c8e5dd3a.android-box.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/android-box.jpg" alt="android-box" width="240" height="240" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123456"></a>For years Internet piracy was the preserve of desktop machines running various flavors of peer-to-peer file-sharing software. Now, with viable computing available in devices as small as a phone, piracy is a do-anywhere affair.</p>
<p>As a result it&#8217;s now common for people to stream media to their living room and for that purpose there are few more convenient solutions than an Android device. Whether phone, tablet, HDMI stick or set-top box, the Android platform can bring all the latest movies, TV shows and live sports to any living room, for little to no outlay.</p>
<p>This type of Internet piracy is thriving all around the world and has already resulted in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/police-raid-pirate-android-box-sellers-six-arrested-160318/">arrests in the UK</a> and civil actions elsewhere. The latest news comes out of Canada, where Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, Videotron and others are taking on several retailers of Android set-top boxes.</p>
<p>The broadcasters&#8217; claims are relatively straightforward. As station operators they own the Canadian rights to a variety of TV shows. The defendants (ITVBOX.NET, My Electronics, Android Bros Inc., WatchNSaveNow Inc and MTLFreeTV) all sell devices that come ready configured with software designed to receive copyrighted content over the Internet.</p>
<p>The plaintiffs began their inquiries in April 2015 and in the year that followed purchased and tested the defendants&#8217; products. They not only found that the devices provided access to their content for free, but also that the defendants advertised their products as a way to avoid paying cable bills.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly the devices contained at least three sets of software &#8211; Kodi (along with the necessary <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-announces-legal-action-to-smash-piracy-links-160215/">infringing addons</a>), the Popcorn Time-like <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-dealt-with-showbox-provokes-record-labels-160208/">Showbox</a> application, plus tools to receive pirate subscription channels for a monthly fee.</p>
<p>As a result the TV companies went to court in an effort to obtain an  interlocutory injunction to stop the devices being made available for sale. The plaintiffs made claims under both the Copyright Act and Radiocommunication Act, the latter due to the devices receiving &#8220;illegally decrypted programming&#8221;.</p>
<p>Describing pre-loaded set-top boxes as an &#8220;existential threat&#8221; to their businesses, the plaintiffs said that piracy and subsequent declining subscriptions are the main factors behind falling revenue. On this basis and as a deterrent to others supplying such devices, an injunction should be granted.</p>
<p>While the plaintiffs showed up in force, court documents reveal that only one defendant attended the hearing. Vincent Wesley of MTLFreeTV told the court that he had nothing to do with the development or maintenance of the installed software. The set-top boxes, he argued, are just pieces of hardware like a tablet or computer and have &#8220;substantial non-infringing uses.&#8221; </p>
<p>The court wasn&#8217;t convinced.</p>
<p>&#8220;The devices marketed, sold and programmed by the Defendants enable consumers to obtain unauthorized access to content for which the Plaintiffs own the copyright. This is not a case where the Defendants merely serve as the conduit, as was argued by Mr. Wesley,&#8221; Judge Daniele Tremblay-Lamer wrote in her order.</p>
<p>&#8220;Rather, they deliberately encourage consumers and potential clients to circumvent authorized ways of accessing content — say, by a cable subscription or by streaming content from the Plaintiffs&#8217; websites — both in the manner in which they promote their business, and by offering tutorials in how to add and use applications which rely on illegally obtained content.&#8221;</p>
<p>As is often the case, the defendants&#8217; marketing strategies appear set to haunt them. All imply infringing uses with descriptions such as &#8220;Original Cable Killer&#8221;, &#8220;Cancel cable today&#8221;, &#8220;Every Movie Ever Made&#8221;, &#8220;Every TV Show Ever Made&#8221; and &#8220;Live Sports and Events&#8221;.</p>
<p>Granting the interlocutory injunction, the judge said that other companies selling similar devices can be joined as parties to the injunction, should the plaintiffs identify them as defendants.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is not the first time a new technology has been alleged to violate copyright law, nor will it be the last. There are questions for the Court to resolve at trial rather than at this interlocutory stage,&#8221; the judge <a href="media/63f823cb.Order2028June20120201629.pdf" data-original-source="http://www.smart-biggar.ca/files/Order%20%28June%201%202016%29.pdf">wrote</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;For the time being, I am satisfied that the Plaintiffs have established a strong prima facie case of copyright infringement and that an injunction would prevent irreparable harm without unduly inconveniencing the Defendants.&#8221;</p>
<p>A full trial will follow but from the evidence and defense presented thus far, it shouldn&#8217;t prove a difficult one for the broadcasters to win.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123251
title: Judge: Failing Megaupload Servers Should Be Repaired, Not Copied
uri: Judge-Failing-Megaupload-Servers-Should-Be-Repaired-Not-Copied
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/uZCakwohId4/
content:
<p><img src="media/9a9629f5.megaupload-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/megaupload-logo.jpg" alt="megaupload-logo" width="225" height="187" class="alignright size-full wp-image-95191">Megaupload was shutdown nearly half a decade ago, but data from hundreds of the site’s servers are still in storage. </p>
<p>This is also true for the files that were placed at Cogent. </p>
<p>While the original machines are no longer intact, the hosting company has backed up all data which it will keep in storage pending the various lawsuits against the company and its operators.</p>
<p>However, as time has gone by the condition of the harddrives has deteriorated. A few weeks ago Cogent <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-hard-drives-are-unreadable-hosting-company-warns-160518/">warned</a> that sixteen of them have actually become unreadable, which is a serious concern since they contain important evidence. </p>
<p>To resolve the issue the RIAA and MPAA, representing various major copyright holders, asked if they could preserve a copy of the data themselves. Alternatively, they were also open to bringing in an independent computer forensics vendor, to copy and preserve the data.</p>
<p>Megaupload disagreed, arguing that rightsholders or other outsiders shouldn&#8217;t get their hands on possibly privacy sensitive user data, and opted to simply repair the failing disks. </p>
<p>This week District Court Judge Liam O&#8217;Grady ruled on the matter at hand. He rejected the copying proposal by the rightsholders, and went with Megaupload&#8217;s suggestion instead.</p>
<p><center><strong>Judge O&#8217;Grady&#8217;s order</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/e963a195.megaserv.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/megaserv.jpg" alt="megaserv" width="600" height="272" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123377"></center></p>
<p>&#8220;The Court finds Defendants’ proposal is the more appropriate remedy for the issue at hand,&#8221; Judge O&#8217;Grady writes in his order. </p>
<p>The Judge instructs all stakeholders in the civil and criminal cases, including the U.S. Government and Cogent, to come together and agree on a repair process. </p>
<p>&#8220;[All parties] shall meet and confer with United States Magistrate Judge John F. Anderson to discuss and devise an appropriate solution to repair the Cogent drives and preserve the evidence on the Cogent servers, as well as to secure and preserve other digital evidence.&#8221;</p>
<p>While none of the parties are likely to disagree to a repair, they do have to determine who should pick up the tab. </p>
<p>Megaupload previously said that it doesn&#8217;t have the financial resources to do so, and suggested that either the copyright holders or the Government must take care of this. The Government is unlikely to pay though, and previously said that it no longer has an interest in the data.</p>
<p>The fact that the recent filings in the Megaupload proceedings are about data loss is exemplary of the slow progress in the cases, which are still a long way from trial. </p>
<p>Last December a New Zealand District Court judge <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-can-be-extradited-to-the-united-states-judge-rules-151223/">ruled</a> that Kim Dotcom and his colleagues can be extradited to the United States to face criminal charges. This decision was appealed and will be heard later this summer, so until then not much is expected to happen.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123462
title: Tube Sites Win Copyright Case Against Adult Studios
uri: Tube-Sites-Win-Copyright-Case-Against-Adult-Studios
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/KJCkHNygu_0/
content:
<p><a href="media/cdef4830.copyright-blood.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/copyright-blood.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-120567"><img src="media/bd0abf4c.copyright-blood.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/copyright-blood.jpg" alt="copyright-blood" width="225" height="151" class="alignright size-full wp-image-120567"></a>As the former operators of Megaupload are only too aware, hosting user-uploaded content can be a perilous activity, even when the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is followed to the letter. <a href="http://www.sunsocialmedia.com/">Sun Social Media</a> (SSM), a US-based company behind several video platforms, have also had a taste of the risks.</p>
<p>In addition to dating sites, SSM owns four so-called tube sites &#8211; Playvid.com, Playvids.com, Peekvids.com, and Feedvid.com. Adult video company Hydentra HLP (also known as MetArt Network), the operator of more than a dozen porn sites, sued SSM claiming that more than 70 of its videos appeared on SSM&#8217;s sites without permission.</p>
<p>According to court papers, SSM sites host more than 475,000 adult videos uploaded by their users. Each must agree only to upload videos to which they have the rights. Once uploaded, an independent outside contractor checks every video to ensure they don&#8217;t contain criminally illegal content or spam. If they do they are blocked.</p>
<p>In addition to SSM and its four videos sites, Hydentra named two other defendants in the case, SSM director Konstantin Bolotin and Constantin Luchian of IncorporateNow Inc, a company that among other things acts as SSM&#8217;s registered DMCA agent. Documents show that SSM accepts copyright claims in various formats, from email and fax, their &#8216;contact us&#8217; page, through to the unlikely option of posting claims through the mail. Claims are processed within 48 hours.</p>
<p>Importantly, SSM also has a repeat infringer policy operating on a &#8220;three strikes in six months and you&#8217;re out&#8221; basis. To date, SSM has reportedly terminated more than 1,000 users for multiple infringements.</p>
<p>Hydentra hired anti-piracy company Battleship Stance LLC to tackle infringement on various platforms including those operated by SSM. In the majority of cases these were sent electronically and actioned quickly. However, on one occasion the company chose to send 56 DMCA notices to SSM&#8217;s DMCA agent IncorporateNow. Printed on paper, delivered through the mail.</p>
<p>The package was signed for on January 20, 2015 by IncorporateNow’s landlord’s receptionist but for reasons that aren&#8217;t clear, DMCA agent Constantin Luchian never personally received the package. As a result the content stayed up.</p>
<p>On June 4, 2015, Hydentra filed a complaint against SSM, who at this point became aware of the allegedly infringing content. SSM disabled the files as appropriate but the lawsuit continued. </p>
<p>Hydentra filed claims for direct infringement, contributory infringement, vicarious copyright infringement, inducement of copyright infringement plus various claims related to trademarks.</p>
<p>Later, both parties filed Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment on each of the plaintiff&#8217;s claims. At the Federal Court in Miami, things didn&#8217;t go well for Hydentra.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Court agrees with Defendants that in imposing liability upon an internet service provider for third-party users’ uploading of copyrighted material, Plaintiff must establish that Defendants engaged in a volitional act to cause the illegal copying,&#8221; the judge wrote. </p>
<p>&#8220;To find otherwise would impose liability upon an otherwise passive internet service provider for conduct that is simply out of its control.&#8221;</p>
<p>No such acts were established resulting in SSM&#8217;s motion for Summary Judgment being granted and Hydentra&#8217;s being denied.</p>
<p>In respect of the claims of contributory infringement, SSM said that it could not be held liable since it had no knowledge of the paper-based DMCA notices. Once notified via lawsuit, all of the videos were removed. The judge said the matter of lost notices couldn&#8217;t be resolved during a motion for Summary Judgment.</p>
<p>&#8220;Neither party has cited cases, nor has the Court been able to locate cases, where a DMCA Designated Agent lost take-down notices, causing an internet service provider to incur liability for copyright infringement based upon constructive knowledge,&#8221; the judge wrote.</p>
<p>Furthermore, for a contributory infringement claim to succeed, Hydentra would need to show that SSM&#8217;s tube sites were not capable of &#8220;substantial noninfringing uses.” The company failed to do so.</p>
<p>&#8220;While the record is clear that at times, third-party users of Defendants’ Websites upload copyrighted material, there is record evidence that the Websites are capable of being used for purposes other than copyright infringement,&#8221; the judge noted.</p>
<p>SSM&#8217;s motion to dismiss was granted. The claim of Vicarious Copyright Infringement received the same treatment.</p>
<p>&#8220;To prevail on a claim for vicarious infringement, a plaintiff must allege that the defendant &#8216;infringes vicariously by profiting from direct infringement while declining to exercise a right to stop or limit it&#8217;,&#8221; the judge wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiff’s argument that the infringed videos somehow attracted and<br>
drew more visitors to Defendants’ Websites, which allowed Defendants to receive more revenue in advertisements, is not supported by record evidence and is highly speculative.&#8221;</p>
<p>The claim of Inducement of Copyright Infringement was dealt with even more swiftly.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Court agrees with Defendants that there is no record evidence that Defendants induced the third-party users into uploading copyrighted<br>
material. To the contrary, the record is clear that Defendants operated as passive internet service providers,&#8221; the judge wrote.</p>
<p><a href="http://bostonlawgroup.com/val-gurvits/">Val Gurvits of Boston Law Group</a>, who along with local counsel Brady Cobb defended the tube sites, is pleased with the result.</p>
<p>&#8220;SunSocial had a strong record of responding to DMCA notices and of terminating repeat infringers.  Of note is that in dismissing their copyright claims, the court actually ruled on the underlying merits of the case, and not on DMCA safe-harbor,&#8221; he informs TF.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Gurvits says that the sending of the paper notices was a troubling development.</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiff intentionally manufactured a DMCA &#8216;non-compliance&#8217; situation by interjecting paper DMCA notices into an established course of dealings via electronic ones.  They first sent all DMCA notices electronically, and SunSocial diligently acted on all of them.  Then for some reason they sent 56 paper notices (allegedly in one FedEx package).  Then they continued to send electronic notices,&#8221; Gurvits says.</p>
<p>&#8220;The only reason for Hydentra to interject paper notices into an established exchange of electronic notices is because they hope that recipient will mistakenly miss some of them.  It seems they used this process as a pretext for filing some of their other presently <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=justia+Hydentra&#038;ie=utf-8&#038;oe=utf-8&#038;client=firefox-b">pending lawsuits</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Hydentra is extremely active taking down content from Google, with more than 2.4 million URLs <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/owners/27867/Hydentra-L-P/">removed to date</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123026
title: “Piracy Monitoring Outfit Uses Flawed Tracking Technology”
uri: Piracy-Monitoring-Outfit-Uses-Flawed-Tracking-Technology
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/vpgPCakVBqY/
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">Nearly a decade ago, research from the University of Washington revealed that some piracy tracking outfits were <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/study-reveals-reckless-anti-piracy-antics-080605/">painfully sloppy</a>. </p>
<p>The researchers found that not all anti-piracy companies actually check if someone&#8217;s sharing a file, before sending out their DMCA notices. As a result, a local printer at a university was branded a serial pirate.  </p>
<p>This mistake is the result of passive monitoring, where tracking outfits don&#8217;t verify if an IP-address in a BitTorrent swarm is actually trading pieces of a copyrighted file. This results in many false accusations, not least because many trackers insert random IP-addresses.</p>
<p>While this practice has become more rare in recent years, tracking methods at some companies are still not perfect.  </p>
<p>TorrentFreak was recently approached by a torrent site operator who regularly scrapes trackers and BitTorrent&#8217;s DHT to discover new metadata. While his system is setup specifically to gather information (not to share any content), he is still accused of doing so by copyright holders.</p>
<p>&#8220;In less than 24 hours of indexing we’ve received more than a dozen DMCA notices from IP-Echelon, claiming that we are &#8216;distributing copyrighted video files&#8217;,” the site owner explains. </p>
<p>The odd part is that these notices we&#8217;re not meant for the website, but targeted the server that gathered the torrent information. These are similar to the warnings regular downloaders receive through their ISP, and list the IP-address and port that was allegedly used to &#8220;distribute&#8221; the files.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak has seen copies of the notices in question, which are sent on behalf of major movie studios including Paramount Pictures. They were not sent to the torrent site directly, but to its hosting provider instead.</p>
<p>&#8220;IP-Echelon has become aware that the below IP addresses have been using your service for distributing video files, which contain infringing video content that is exclusively owned by Paramount,&#8221; the tracking company writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are requesting your immediate assistance in removing and disabling access to the infringing material from your network.  We also ask that you ensure the user and/or IP address owner refrains from future use and sharing of Paramount materials and property,&#8221; the notice adds.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/79d6b228.ipecheerror.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ipecheerror.png" alt="ipecheerror" width="383" height="129" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123422"></center></p>
<p>The torrent site owner doesn&#8217;t deny that he is fetching information from the same BitTorrent swarms IP-Echelon is monitoring, but says that his systems are specifically configured not to share any infringing content.</p>
<p>In fact, he also received notices for a server that only fetches torrent metadata from the DHT. </p>
<p>&#8220;This server just fetches infodata, never starts any piece transfers. It was setup specifically as a &#8216;clean&#8217; box and never participated in any torrent transfers,&#8221; he says.</p>
<p>According to the site owner this shows that IP-Echelon doesn&#8217;t really bother to check if the people they accuse are actually sharing any substantial copyrighted data, unless they see metadata as &#8220;infringing&#8221; too. </p>
<p>&#8220;To qualify for &#8216;sharing&#8217; you have to actually share content. That is, have a piece of data, advertise that as available, and then send at least a valid piece of data when asked to. That would be proper actionable evidence.</p>
<p>&#8220;IP Echelon just seems to spam anyone who turns up in peer lists,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>When asking for additional details the site owner explained that his DHT fetching method uses libtorrent’s &#8216;disabled_storage&#8217; storage setting. This means that no data is stored on the server, so there would be no infringing pieces to upload either.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak contacted IP-Echelon to hear their side of the story, but the company preferred not to respond in detail. Instead, they left the following comment. </p>
<p>&#8220;We do not comment in the press regarding IP-Echelon&#8217;s technology and operations. However, we can assure you that all statements made by IP-Echelon in dispatched notices are accurate,&#8221; the company replied.</p>
<p>&#8220;Any recipient of a notice who has concerns about its legitimacy is welcome to get in touch with us direct,&#8221; the company added.</p>
<p>Without a comprehensive audit on both ends it&#8217;s hard to conclusively say which side is right. However, this is certainly not the first time that torrent tracking methods have been called into doubt. </p>
<p>Earlier this year researcher Aymeric Vitte TorrentFreak revealed <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/thousands-of-spies-are-watching-trackerless-torrents-151004/">extensive research</a> showing that very few DHT tracking outfits actually check whether a BitTorrent user is actively uploading content.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123398
title: The Sad Hypocrisy of the Clockwork Orange YouTube Lawsuit
uri: The-Sad-Hypocrisy-of-the-Clockwork-Orange-YouTube-Lawsuit
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/8xyiVKVaMF0/
content:
<p><a href="media/6f64d88e.clockwork-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/clockwork-logo.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-123470"><img src="media/6f64d88e.clockwork-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/clockwork-logo.jpg" alt="clockwork-logo" width="225" height="257" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123470"></a>Like many who first heard the news last weekend, I don&#8217;t admitting that I was moved by a video uploaded by YouTuber Lewis Bond. Seeing someone scared &#8211; terrified even &#8211; isn&#8217;t fun.</p>
<p>An aspiring young filmmaker, Bond runs Channel Criswell on YouTube and his work shows excellent promise for a fruitful career. Sadly, his immediate future looks decidedly more gloomy.</p>
<p>The details can be found <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtuber-sued-stanley-kubrick-movies-analysis-160606/">here</a>, but essentially a 20 minute video analysis of Stanley Kubrick movies created by UK-based Bond has provoked a lawsuit from a company holding the copyrights to some of the music tracks featured in the background.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, Bond appears to have a firm belief that he has a strong fair-use case. Serendip LLC, which owns the copyrights to the music featured in the 1971 movie &#8216;A Clockwork Orange&#8217;, beg to differ. Take a moment or two to listen to the track in question at the start of the video below, it&#8217;s important.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WFxPkhLNrcc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>The end result is a lawsuit which could see Bond on the receiving end of $150,000 in statutory damages for each infringement. From everything seen to date, it seems unlikely the 23-year-old can come up with that kind of cash. It&#8217;s possible he&#8217;ll struggle to finance a defense.</p>
<p>Seeing Bond visibly choked was a sad sight and it got me thinking. While undoubtedly a wonderful and timeless piece of music, is a track from 1971 really bringing in the money for Clockwork Orange composer Wendy Carlos today? Has Bond&#8217;s fleeting reproduction of a part of this track in his documentary caused real financial damage?</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t have the answer to those questions but while researching this case I came across something that surprised even me, a huge ClockWork Orange fan. Although arranged and performed by Carlos, the main theme from A Clockwork Orange isn&#8217;t her work at all. In fact, the entire piece &#8211; virtually note for note &#8211; has been lifted from a piece penned by composer Henry Purcell.</p>
<p>Born in England in September 1659, Purcell developed into what many consider to be one of the country&#8217;s greatest composers. His 1695 piece &#8216;Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary&#8217; was played at the funeral of Queen Mary II, who had died in December of the previous year.</p>
<p>It is an abridged version of this music that forms the entire basis of Carlos&#8217; 1971 work. Arrangement and beautiful synthesizer work aside, it&#8217;s virtually identical.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T9GrmokeHPY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>Purcell died in 1695 and quite rightfully his work is now in the public domain. As a result Wendy Carlos was absolutely within her right to take this piece and run with it and as a supporter of remix culture, I salute her efforts entirely.</p>
<p>Sadly, however, I can&#8217;t help but note the sad hypocrisy here. Just for a moment, let&#8217;s cast aside the legalities of copyright law and instead focus on the notion of artists using the work of others to create new art. </p>
<p>In the 1970s, Carlos took Purcell&#8217;s work and modernized it beautifully and there are now millions of people out there who only know her version of the work. By taking his work, she has touched audiences in a way Purcell could not. It&#8217;s probably worth noting that Carlos undoubtedly made more money from Purcell&#8217;s work than Purcell ever did too, and good for her.</p>
<p>Like Carlos before him, Lewis Bond is also somewhat of a remixer. His Kubrick analysis by Serendip&#8217;s own description is a &#8220;mélange of brief snippets&#8221; and he too is bringing the work of the filmmaker and indeed Wendy Carlos to a brand new audience that Purcell himself could only dream of. I&#8217;d like to think Purcell would be pleased for their success.</p>
<p>Importantly, in the same manner that Carlos paid homage to Purcell with her work, by opening his video with <strike>Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary</strike> the main theme from Clockwork Orange, in turn Bond paid homage to Carlos. It strikes me that rather than having disrespect for each other, all involved in this downward chain deeply appreciate each other&#8217;s talents.</p>
<p>Of course, since Bond&#8217;s channel is monetized, Carlos believes she should be paid for her work. Bond, on the other hand, is stuck in a fair use dilemma, and will have to fight an expensive court battle to find out who is in the right. Let&#8217;s face it, that is not going to happen.</p>
<p>Bond is unlikely to put up any kind of fight and whatever happens &#8211; win or lose &#8211; Serendip/Carlos aren&#8217;t going to get a penny from Bond in the UK. What I&#8217;m saying today is that among business people &#8211; among artists &#8211; in today&#8217;s climate there must be a better way to sort this out.</p>
<p>Getting the parties to talk might not be easy, but there are plenty of options if they just take the opportunity. Bond won&#8217;t have made much from his video, but paying a small sum to Carlos might be an option, if he doesn&#8217;t have the stomach for a fair use war.</p>
<p>The option I like best, however, is a collaboration. Carlos has talents. Bond has talents too. So, as artists, why not do something together? When it comes down to it they have a lot in common. Both have made new creative works on the backs of other people&#8217;s efforts without paying them a dime. That alone provides the basis for discussion &#8211; they&#8217;re already on the same page.</p>
<p>But most of all, why are people wasting each other&#8217;s lives with these pointless lawsuits? On YouTube there are plenty of instances where people have uploaded the whole of Carlos&#8217; work, literally a full-fledged pirate copy of everything notable she&#8217;s ever done. They&#8217;re freely available on the platform today yet Bond &#8211; someone who brings something creative to the party &#8211; faces financial ruination? That makes no sense.</p>
<p>Although Wendy Carlos and her representatives failed to respond to our requests for comment, there may be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. A TorrentFreak reader managed to make contact with someone on Wendy Carlos&#8217; site who fired back quite an email. It ends as follows:</p>
<p>&#8220;There is much bad advice on the internet about copyright and the use of music on YouTube, but some very good advice that should be followed is not to post other people&#8217;s copyrighted music on the internet &#8216;because you like it and want others to hear it&#8217;,&#8221; the email reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;This YouTube user would also be well advised to follow the old saw that &#8216;when you find yourself in a hole, you should stop digging.&#8217; His problems might go away if he would just &#8216;undo&#8217; his previous bad choices.&#8221;</p>
<p>That sounds like an olive branch. Someone might like to grab it.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123536
title: Pirates Get Game of Thrones Early, Again
uri: Pirates-Get-Game-of-Thrones-Early-Again
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/XKQ7ifGUgfc/
content:
<p><img src="media/9fc504d2.got6.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/got6.jpg" alt="got6" width="250" height="188" class="alignright size-full wp-image-121258">This year HBO decided to stop releasing promotional Game of Thrones screeners to the press. </p>
<p>The drastic move was taken to prevent early leaks, as had happened <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/first-episodes-of-game-of-thrones-season-5-leak-online-150412/">last year</a>. However, thus far this strategy hasn&#8217;t been very effective. </p>
<p>While no screener releases have come out, as planned, the company itself has been the source of several breaches already. </p>
<p>Sunday afternoon, several hours before the official premiere, episode 8 of Game of Thrones&#8217; latest season was already being shared online by tens of thousands of people. </p>
<p>A high quality copy with the scene release group tag &#8220;EXCLUSiVE&#8221; quickly spread to various torrent sites, giving pirates the exclusive indeed.</p>
<p>While it&#8217;s unclear how the group got their hands on the early copy, it appears that HBO may be to blame. The episode carries the regular HBO watermark and the &#8220;WEB&#8221; release tag shows that the video was ripped from an online service, likely HBO Go. </p>
<p>In addition to the Game of Thrones, HBO&#8217;s Veep and Silicon Valley were also released several hours early by the same scene group.</p>
<p><center><strong>HBO leaks</strong><br></br></center> <center><img src="media/24738d69.gotleak-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/gotleak-1.png" alt="gotleak" width="487" height="74" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123539"></center> </p>
<p>This isn&#8217;t the first episode of Game of Thrones to came out early this year. The same happened with the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/new-game-of-thrones-episode-leaks-online-early-160522/">fifth episode</a> due to a mistake at HBO Nordic. In addition, the season premiere also leaked a few hours early according to some reports. </p>
<p>For several years in a row Game of Thrones has been the most pirated TV-show, and this year the interest is once again overwhelming. What appears to be changing is HBO&#8217;s attitude towards those who share the show without permission.</p>
<p>Not too long ago HBO CEO Jeff Bewkes said that GoT&#8217;s piracy records were &#8220;better than an Emmy,&#8221; but the company gradually increased its efforts to combat unauthorized sharing. </p>
<p>Over the past several weeks thousands of pirates have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hbo-warns-game-of-thrones-pirates-removes-torrents-160507/">received warnings</a> in their mailboxes, the company is also fervently <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hbo-warns-game-of-thrones-pirates-removes-torrents-160507/">taking down</a> links to pirated copies of the show, and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hbo-cracks-down-on-game-of-thrones-porn-piracy-160601/">&#8220;porn&#8221;</a> clips and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hbo-utakes-down-game-of-thrones-spoilers-with-copyright-claims-160509/">spoilers</a> have been targeted. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123528
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 06/13/16
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-06-13-16
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/0QCr8DH09l0/
content:
<p><img src="media/472d3290.xmenapo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/xmenapo.jpg" alt="xmenapo" width="300" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-122802">This week we have four newcomers in our chart. </p>
<p>X-Men: Apocalypse 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-pirated-movies-week-060616/">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/x_men_apocalypse/">X-Men: Apocalypse</a> (HDCam/TC)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3385516/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jer8XjMrUB4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/warcraft/">Warcraft</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0803096/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhFMIRuHAL4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eye_in_the_sky/">Eye In The Sky</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2057392/">7.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOqeoj669xg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zootopia/">Zootopia</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2948356/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWM0ct-OLsM">trailer</a></td>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/midnight_special_2015/">Midnight Special</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2649554/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zuQTmVCEn4">trailer</a></td>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/13_hours_the_secret_soldiers_of_benghazi/">13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4172430/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MBjAN7jqsQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/london_has_fallen/">London Has Fallen</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3300542/">5.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AsOdX7NcJs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cell_2016/">Cell</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0775440/">4.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWM0ct-OLsM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_civil_war/">Captain America: Civil War</a> (TC) </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3498820">8.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCns4w3GA9A">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alice_in_wonderland_through_the_looking_glass/">Alice Through the Looking Glass</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2567026/">6.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anvGUW-vsLE">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123589
title: Steal This Show S01E11: ‘Is Pirate Party The Private Party?’
uri: Steal-This-Show-S01E11-Is-Pirate-Party-The-Private-Party
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/PZ-eO1RteIc/
content:
<p><img src="media/c7cb0060.rick1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rick1.jpg" alt="rick1" width="250" height="233" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123590">In this special episode <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Falkvinge">Rick Falkvinge</a>, founder of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_Party_of_Sweden">The Pirate Party</a></p>
<p>Rick talks about the origins of the party, its relationship to The Pirate Bay and Pirate Bureau, his&nbsp;experience of taking it to the European Parliament, and the party&#8217;s relation to questions of privacy and surveillance looming ever larger in today&#8217;s society. </p>
<p>Should the Pirate Party really be called the Private Party? No, says Rick, it&#8217;s evolving into the natural home of citizens&#8217; rights for digital freedom – and that&#8217;s just fine for pirates.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><a href="https://stealthisshow.com">Steal This Show</a> aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing copyright and file-sharing news. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary and analysis. </p>
<p>The guests for our news discussions will vary and we&#8217;ll aim to introduce voices from different backgrounds and persuasions. In addition to news, STS will also produce features interviewing some of the great innovators and minds. </p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Jamie King</p>
<p><strong>Guest:</strong> Rick Falkvinge.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="100%" height="180px" src="//stealthisshow.com/?lpe-frame=1&#038;lpe-season=1&#038;lpe-episode=11" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></p>
<p><strong>Produced </strong> <em>by </em>Jamie King<br>
<strong>Edited &#038; Mixed</strong> <em>by</em> Eric Bouthiller<br>
<strong>Original Music</strong> <em>by</em> David Triana<br>
<strong>Web Production</strong> <em>by</em> Siraje Amarniss</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123538
title: RIAA-Approved File-Sharing Service Hacked, 51m User Details Leaked
uri: RIAA-Approved-File-Sharing-Service-Hacked-51m-User-Details-Leaked
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FgI56C4Pdik/
content:
<p><a href="media/396663c3.imesh-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/imesh-logo.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-123557"><img src="media/396663c3.imesh-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/imesh-logo.jpg" alt="imesh-logo" width="200" height="200" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123557"></a>Back in 2003, when file-sharing technology was still in its relative infancy, several platforms had aspirations of becoming the next Napster. One of those was Israel-based iMesh, which at four years old was practically a veteran already.</p>
<p>But in September that year an increasingly irritable RIAA said enough is enough and sued iMesh in the United States. At the time, both parties were defiant. The RIAA insisted that iMesh should be shut down, while iMesh&#8217;s owners claimed they&#8217;d done nothing wrong.</p>
<p>However, in the summer of 2014 an unusual peace was reached, with iMesh paying the RIAA more than $4m in compensation and continuing business as normal. As strange as it may seem, the RIAA appeared to have licensed people they&#8217;d already branded as pirates.</p>
<p>There were changes though. iMesh was forced to release a new client that carried filtering technology provided by Audible Magic, with the aim of stopping infringement on the network. From the release of iMesh v6 in October 2005, it&#8217;s almost certain that the RIAA had access to vast amounts of iMesh user data.</p>
<p>Now, however, some of that data has landed in the public arena. Following the sudden disappearance of iMesh in recent weeks, <a href="https://www.leakedsource.com/">LeakedSource</a> is reporting that it has obtained an iMesh database containing 51,310,759 user records.</p>
<p>&#8220;Each record contains an email address, a username, one password, an IP address, a Country location and a join date,&#8221; the site says.</p>
<p>The breach, which appears to have taken place in September 2013, lists users from 55 countries participating on iMesh. With 13.7m users, the United States was by far the most popular country.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/8c38808c.imesh-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/imesh-1.png" rel="attachment wp-att-123547"><img src="media/8c38808c.imesh-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/imesh-1.png" alt="imesh-1" width="615" height="532" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-123547"></a></center></p>
<p>Sadly, as is often the case when such breaches are made public, the password situation on iMesh was pretty bleak.</p>
<p>&#8220;Passwords were stored in multiple MD5 rounds with salting. &#8216;Salting&#8217; makes decrypting passwords exponentially harder when dealing with large numbers such as these, and is better than what LinkedIn and MySpace did but MD5 itself is not nearly hard enough for modern computing. The methods iMesh used, albeit 3 years ago were still insufficient for the times,&#8221; LeakedSource notes.</p>
<p>Only making matters worse are the passwords deployed by users. Close to a million of iMesh&#8217;s users went for &#8216;123456&#8217;, with more than 330,000 going for the slightly longer variant &#8216;123456789&#8217;.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/f75fad17.imesh-pass.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/imesh-pass.png" rel="attachment wp-att-123553"><img src="media/f75fad17.imesh-pass.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/imesh-pass.png" alt="imesh-pass" width="598" height="698" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-123553"></a></center></p>
<p>For what would turn into a largely crippled file-sharing network, iMesh was still attracting plenty of new users. The leak shows that in 2006, just after the release of the RIAA-approved client, iMesh had 4.8 million people sign up. During 2011, <a href="https://www.leakedsource.com/blog/imesh">9.4 million jumped on board</a>. The last data available shows 2.5 million new members in 2013.</p>
<p>Now, however, iMesh is suddenly no more. After more than a decade of working with the RIAA (and even the MPAA who had a deal to limit movie sharing on the service), several weeks ago iMesh suddenly shut down. May 5 is the last date an active page is available on Wayback Machine, boasting access to <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160422103021/http://www.imesh.com/">15 million licensed songs</a> and videos.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, the iMesh shutdown is just one of many. At the same time several other platforms closed down including Bearshare, Shareaza and Lphant. Each show an almost identical <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160605172848/http://www.bearshare.com/">shutdown message</a> on their homepages since underneath they were all one and the same software operated by the same company.</p>
<p>But while it is customary for file-sharing fans to mourn the loss of file-sharing services, few with knowledge of how this network operated will be disappointed that these have gone, and not just because of the RIAA deal either.</p>
<p>The original <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-shareaza-conspiracy-in-a-nutshell-080313/">Shareaza</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/p2p-client-does-a-deal-with-the-devil-090310/">Lphant</a> projects were both subjected to hostile action by Discordia, the owners of iMesh, in circumstances that remain murky to this day. The original and safe version of Shareaza <a href="https://sourceforge.net/projects/shareaza/">continues on Sourceforge</a>, somewhat against the odds.</p>
<p>Users concerned that their data may have been compromised can check <a href="https://www.leakedsource.com/">here</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123579
title: Film Producer Wants ISPs Prosecuted Over Widespread Piracy
uri: Film-Producer-Wants-ISPs-Prosecuted-Over-Widespread-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/lU6Z1t4Fc_c/
content:
<p><img src="media/eba4c6a8.piratkeyb.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/piratkeyb.png" alt="piratkeyb" width="275" height="194" class="alignright size-full wp-image-108110">Like many other countries around the world, downloading music and movies is hugely popular in the Netherlands.</p>
<p>In part, the popularity was facilitated by the fact that downloading pirated music has long been legal under local law.</p>
<p>This tolerant stance towards online piracy changed in 2014 when the European Court of Justice ruled it to be unlawful. As a result the Dutch Government quickly outlawed unauthorized downloading.</p>
<p>Despite this change piracy remains widespread in the country and film producer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1327222/">Klaas de Jong</a> is now trying to hold four large Internet providers to account. </p>
<p>Last week De Jong filed a complaint with the police, holding KPN Telfort, Vodafone and Ziggo directly responsible. The producer wants the providers to be criminally prosecuted for passing on traffic to various pirate sites.</p>
<p>&#8220;If someone sells you an illegal bike, this fencer is also punishable,&#8221; De Jong tells <a href="http://www.parool.nl/kunst-en-media/filmproducent-klaas-de-jong-gaat-strijd-aan-met-providers~a4319285/">Het Parool</a>, adding that &#8220;time is running out.&#8221;</p>
<p>The producer, who has worked on many Dutch film projects, states that the local movie industry is losing tens of millions of euros due to piracy. </p>
<p>Whether the case will be prosecuted has yet to be seen. </p>
<p>In a civil proceeding against various ISPs a local court previously overturned the Pirate Bay blockade, concluding that it was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isps-no-longer-have-to-block-the-pirate-bay-dutch-court-rules-140128/">ineffective</a> and that it restricted the ISPs’ entrepreneurial freedoms.</p>
<p>This case is under appeal at the Supreme Court, which in turn has sought clarification from the EU Court of Justice on several issues.</p>
<p>De Jong&#8217;s complaint is not an isolated incident though and the local film industry is clearly losing its patience. </p>
<p>Earlier this year the Association of Professional Film Entrepreneurs (VPSO) decided to take action as well. In a letter sent to the Secretary of State for Justice they <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/movie-industry-demands-e1-2-billion-piracy-damages-from-dutch-govt-160205/">held the Government responsible</a> for over a billion euros in piracy losses.</p>
<p>The Dutch Government denied these allegations and said that the film industry has plenty of options to recoup their losses. Through civil procedures against downloaders, for example.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123598
title: BREIN Wants Usenet Providers to Expose Prolific Uploaders
uri: BREIN-Wants-Usenet-Providers-to-Expose-Prolific-Uploaders
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/SsgAKQWSIfM/
content:
<p><img src="media/4838a439.upload.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/upload.png" alt="upload" width="240" height="164" class="alignright size-full wp-image-114664">Dutch anti-piracy group <a href="http://anti-piracy.nl/index.php">BREIN</a> has targeted the operators of pirate sites for more than a decade, but more recently it began going after uploaders as well.</p>
<p>Over the past several months the group has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/busted-kickass-and-pirate-bay-uploaders-crowdfund-fines-151207/">tracked down</a> several prolific uploaders and has now announced intentions to take these efforts a step further.</p>
<p>While many efforts have focused on BitTorrent uploaders, BREIN is also keeping a close eye on other sharing platforms. This includes Usenet, which despite staying out of the piracy headlines, remains relatively popular.</p>
<p>Representing several large book publishers, the anti-piracy group is going after two anonymous Usenet users, who allegedly uploaded more than 2,000 books to newsgroups.</p>
<p>BREIN has already contacted their Usenet providers, Eweka and Usenetter, who in response cancelled the accounts in question. </p>
<p>However, they refused to hand over any personal details. According to the providers, they are no longer allowed to share personal data under the e-Privacy regulation if an account is disconnected. </p>
<p>BREIN contests this and is now taking the matter to court. According to the group this case isn&#8217;t about regular data retention policies, instead, it&#8217;s a unique situation where the enforcement rights of the publishers should outweigh privacy concerns.</p>
<p>A local court will now review both positions. The court has already stated that it will review the circumstances under which BREIN requested the data, when the users&#8217; accounts were still active. </p>
<p>If BREIN succeeds then the group has an extra tool in their arsenal, making it easier to expose prolific uploaders. This could also spell trouble for BitTorrent uploaders, as BREIN could try to request personal information from their ISPs.</p>
<p>BREIN director Tim Kuik informed TorrentFreak that they are hoping to recover damages from the uploaders, as well as information on other large scale infringers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our primary interest is to stop the infringements, furthermore to settle costs and damages or to sue for those on behalf of the injured right holders. Possibly the infringers may have information on other persons involved,&#8221; Kuik says.</p>
<p>According to Kuik, BREIN has a good chance of a successful outcome. Under Dutch jurisprudence, ISPs can be obliged to hand over personal information of customers if the infringing activity is plausible and the aggrieved party has a legitimate interest. </p>
<p>This isn&#8217;t the first time BREIN has gone after serial e-book infringers. Last year, a Dutch court ordered <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-must-expose-ebook-pirate-court-rules-151006/">Google</a> to hand over the personal details of a user that sold pirated books in the Play Store. In that case the court concluded that the rights of copyright holders outweigh the user&#8217;s rights.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123648
title: AMC Threatens Copyright Lawsuit Over Walking Dead Spoiler
uri: AMC-Threatens-Copyright-Lawsuit-Over-Walking-Dead-Spoiler
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/kq0tOlEhhOE/
content:
<p><a href="media/dc62f8c4.walkingdead.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/walkingdead.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-78036"><img src="media/6d222739.walkingdead.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/walkingdead.jpg" alt="walkingdead" width="278" height="182" class="alignright size-full wp-image-78036"></a>The Spoiling Dead Fans (TSD) is a community of hardcore The Walking Dead fans who have an even greater interest in the show than most. As their name suggests, they&#8217;re dedicated to obtaining all the latest information about the hit show &#8211; including information not yet in the public domain.</p>
<p>There have been suggestions recently that TSDF <em>might</em> reveal the identity of the individual who <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negan">Negan</a> killed with &#8216;Lucille&#8217;, his barbed wire covered baseball bat. As the cliff-hanger from the final episode of the last series, it&#8217;s pretty important to fans. As it turns out, it&#8217;s massively important to makers AMC too.</p>
<p>In a posting on their Facebook page this week, the operators of The Spoiling Dead told their 364,000 followers that AMC had contacted them with legal threats.  </p>
<p>&#8220;After two years, AMC finally reached out to us! But it wasn’t a request not to post any info about the Lucille Victim or any type of friendly attempt at compromise, it was a cease and desist and a threat of a lawsuit by AMC Holdings, LLC’s attorney, Dennis Wilson. They say we can’t make any type of prediction about the Lucille Victim,&#8221; they <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SpoilingDeadFans/posts/657869551034853">wrote</a>.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak has obtained a copy of the letter sent to TSDF in which AMC&#8217;s attorney at <a href="http://www.kilpatricktownsend.com/">Kilpatrick Townsend &#038; Stockton LLP</a> lays down the law. Surprisingly for a show that hasn&#8217;t aired and potentially hasn&#8217;t even been made yet, the law being laid down is copyright in nature.</p>
<p>&#8220;AMC is aware that The Spoiling Dead Fans site is promoting your claim that you have received copyright protected, trade secret information about the most critical plot information in the unreleased next season of The Walking Dead,&#8221; the letter begins.</p>
<p>&#8220;You also state that you plan to distribute this purported highly confidential information despite your knowledge that such distribution, if the information is indeed accurate, is unauthorized and will greatly damage AMC, distributors of The Walking Dead as well as Walking Dead fans awaiting the new seasons&#8217; release who wish to watch their favorite show unspoiled.&#8221;</p>
<p>AMC&#8217;s claim that any spoilers will amount to copyright infringement are somewhat eyebrow raising but according to the company this ground has been covered before.</p>
<p>&#8220;The release of plot summaries and particularly the types of crucial plot elements that you have stated you intend to release, have been found to constitute copyright infringement. Specifically, in <em>Twin Peaks Productions vs. Publications International</em>, the Court ruled that publishing a work that &#8216;recount[s] for its readers precisely the plot details&#8217; of a fictional work constitutes copyright infringement.&#8221;</p>
<p>By citing a specific case one might conclude that AMC&#8217;s attorney is confident that the cases are similar, but reading the details casts more than just a little doubt on his claims.</p>
<p>The historical case in question involved the publication of a book by Publications International which covered in detail the first eight episodes of the 1990/91 TV series <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098936/">Twin Peaks</a>. The big question was whether this use of copyright works was protected under fair use but in the end the court decided the publisher had gone too far.</p>
<p>The court <a href="media/f1bfe944.twinpeaks-publE28099ns-2dcir1993.pdf" data-original-source="http://copyright.gov/fair-use/summaries/twinpeaks-publ%E2%80%99ns-2dcir1993.pdf">found</a> that the defendant’s &#8220;detailed recounting of the show’s plotlines went far beyond merely identifying their basic outline for the transformative purposes of comment or criticism&#8221; adding:</p>
<p><em>Because the plot synopses were so detailed, and in fact lifted many sections verbatim from the original scripts, the court found that defendant copied a substantial amount of plaintiff’s original works.</em></p>
<p>This hardly seems to mirror the situation playing out alongside a potential spoiler of an unaired episode of The Walking Dead. Presumably that spoiler can be achieved by saying a single name too, which by no stretch of the imagination amounts to a substantial part of any show.</p>
<p>Merits of the argument aside though, AMC doesn&#8217;t appear in any mood for messing around.</p>
<p>&#8220;By advertising the illegal disclosure of intricate plot details of an unreleased episode of The Walking Dead without authorization, you will willfully and intentionally impair the commercial viability of the show and thus AMC&#8217;s ability and incentive to continue to produce creative works such as The Walking Dead,&#8221; the company&#8217;s attorney continues.</p>
<p>&#8220;In light of the above, we demand that you repudiate your intent to leak the &#8216;Lucille Victim&#8217; by confirming that you will cease and desist from that illegal disclosure and/or assisting others in the illegal disclosure.</p>
<p>&#8220;Should you fail to do so, AMC will file a lawsuit against you to enjoin your harmful illegal activities and seek to obtain money damages and injunctive relief to address your conduct.&#8221;</p>
<p>Whether the threats have any legal basis will probably never be known for sure but in the meantime The Spoiling Dead crew are having a pretty awful time of it. As a result they&#8217;ve decided not to take any chances.</p>
<p>&#8220;AMC has been harassing us for four days now by contacting our homes, our family members and our employers; even posting on this page and personal social media accounts. We are fans of this show just like you and aren’t a commercial operation that makes profit. We have families and careers to think about,&#8221; they explain.</p>
<p>&#8220;After consultation with our legal counsel, we have responded to AMC that the TSDF staff will not be posting our prediction on who gets Lucilled on any of our outlets.&#8221;</p>
<p>Speaking with TorrentFreak, &#8216;Shinyfirefly&#8217; of TSDF said that while AMC insist that a disclosure about the &#8216;Lucille Victim&#8217; was about to be made, no one from the company has provided that detail.</p>
<p>&#8220;[AMC} say that we claimed we received some illegal, protected information and that we said we were going to disclose the Lucille Victim based on that information. But they never identified WHERE the claim they say we made was. Even in our response to them we said we could not repudiate that claim because they didn&#8217;t identify it. They still haven&#8217;t. They are guessing,&#8221; Shinyfirefly said.</p>
<p>&#8220;It would be stupid of us to say something like that. All we ever said is that we were close to a confirmation and should be able to post who we thought it was in a couple weeks. There are lots of ways to confirm things and plenty of them legal.&#8221; </p>
<p>While the identity of the &#8216;Lucille Victim&#8217; has always been a hot topic among Walking Dead fans, it&#8217;s now likely that following the legal threats from AMC the interest will leak over into the wider mainstream, thus making it even less likely it will remain a secret.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s understandable that AMC want to protect their storylines, but this is not pre-Internet 1980 and the days of secrets like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_shot_J.R.%3F">Who Shot J.R.?</a> are long gone.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123666
title: ISP Association Nominates Copyright Troll As ‘Internet Villain’
uri: ISP-Association-Nominates-Copyright-Troll-As-Internet-Villain
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/xpY8KM1fuGM/
content:
<p><a href="media/aba3062c.badtroll.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/badtroll.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-66313"><img src="media/8a570fa2.badtroll.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/badtroll.jpg" alt="badtroll" width="190" height="164" class="alignright size-full wp-image-66313"></a>Founded in 1995, the Internet Services Providers&#8217; Association is the UK&#8217;s first trade group for ISPs. In addition to helping to found the anti-child abuse Internet Watch Foundation, <a href="http://www.ispa.org.uk/">ISPA</a> roles include the promotion of competition and innovation, plus self-regulation for the industry.</p>
<p>ISPA is currently headed up by a 10 person <a href="http://www.ispa.org.uk/about-us/organisation/">council</a>, which includes representatives from some of the country&#8217;s largest Internet Service Providers such as BT, Virgin and Sky. More broadly, ISPA has 134 <a href="http://www.ispa.org.uk/about-us/our-members/">members</a> including telecoms giants AOL, AT&#038;T and EE, plus technology companies Google and Microsoft.</p>
<p>Each year ISPA holds the ISPA Awards, a ceremony during which the group honors entities they believe have contributed to make the Internet a safer and more secure place for consumers.</p>
<p>This year&#8217;s nominees have just been announced and in common with previous outings, surveillance and privacy are dominant themes. Apple, for example, is nominated as an &#8216;Internet Hero&#8217; for its commitment to encryption and privacy. The FBI, on the other hand, is recognized as an Internet Villain for its efforts to undermine it.</p>
<p>Sadly, Villains are thick on the ground this year. Donald Trump has been shortlisted for his calls on the industry to ‘<a href="http://time.com/4150891/republican-debate-donald-trump-internet/">close down parts of the Internet</a>’ while <a href="https://panamapapers.icij.org/">Mossack Fonseca</a> are nominated for their poor cyber-security.</p>
<p>But perhaps of most interest to readers is that ISPA, an influential industry group, has chosen to short-list a notorious copyright troll for the coveted position of Internet Villain of the Year 2016.</p>
<p>The activities of TCYK LLC have been <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/?s=tcyk">well documented</a> in these pages. The company represents the makers of the Robert Redford movie The Company You Keep and for some time has been sending threatening letters to Internet account holders in the UK demanding cash settlements for alleged file-sharing.</p>
<p>&#8220;TCYK LLP are nominated for their ‘speculative invoicing’ campaign aimed at alleged copyright infringers that an MP described as ‘<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/disgusted-member-of-parliament-intervenes-in-internet-piracy-case-160307/">ludicrous</a>’,&#8221; ISPA announced this week.</p>
<p>But this isn&#8217;t the first time that ISPA has shortlisted a copyright troll for the most corrosive award of the year. In 2011, ACS:Law owner Andrew Crossley was nominated and later <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/acslaw-boss-is-internet-villain-of-the-year-110708/">went on to win</a> Internet Villain Of the Year.</p>
<p>Crossley was eventually made bankrupt and barred from practicing as a solicitor, but even winning this award probably won&#8217;t deter TCYK LLC from its activities. Many believe the company and its allies in the UK were setup with Crossley&#8217;s demise in mind, and have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-troll-partner-threatens-to-report-blogger-to-the-police-160403/">hardened themselves</a> from attacks and scrutiny. A flick of a switch and TCYK could be gone from the UK, no matter how rocky things become.</p>
<p>So, while <a href="http://www.ispa.org.uk/apple-trolls-ip-bill-mps-and-the-fbi-set-to-face-off-in-internet-hero-and-villain-awards-at-the-2016-uk-internet-industry-awards/">nominating</a> TCYK as Villain of the Year would be nice, it would be much more effective if ISPA actually used its power to stand up to shadowy copyright troll operations in order to protect consumers. Until that happens, customers will continue to be subjected to their unique brand of bullying. </p>
<p>The winners of the ISPA awards will be announced on Thursday 7th July 2016 in The Brewery in the City of London.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123679
title: U.S. ISP Sues Music Group Over Piracy Allegations
uri: U-S-ISP-Sues-Music-Group-Over-Piracy-Allegations
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/01D79b9saq0/
content:
<p><img src="media/dfb3d6f1.RCN_Corporation.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/RCN_Corporation.png" alt="RCN_Corporation" width="220" height="74" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123683"> With 400,000 subscribers nationwide, <a href="http://www.rcn.com/">RCN</a> is one of the larger Internet providers in the United States. </p>
<p>Like many other ISPs the company has been overloaded with piracy notices in recent years. One of the most prolific senders is Rightscorp, who submit DMCA notices on behalf of clients including BMG. </p>
<p>These notices are controversial, because they use an aggressive tone paired with settlement demands.</p>
<p>In addition, Rightscorp and its clients claim that ISPs could be held liable for the infringing actions of their customers if they fail to take proper action. This includes disconnecting repeat copyright infringers. </p>
<p>RCN is not pleased with these allegations and this week took legal action. The Internet provider filed a lawsuit against music rights group BMG at a New York federal court, seeking a legal opinion on the matter.</p>
<p>&#8220;The central question for this Court’s determination is whether an Internet service provider should be held liable for copyright infringement simply because it provides Internet connectivity to its customers,&#8221; RCN writes. </p>
<p>The Internet provider explains that BMG and its anti-piracy partner are demanding payment for the alleged wrongdoings of its customers. In the process, they are bombarding RCN&#8217;s mailservers with notices.</p>
<p>&#8220;Both BMG and Rightscorp are wrongly demanding payment from RCN for that alleged infringement, and have clearly expressed their intention to enforce these purported rights,&#8221; the ISP writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;To substantiate its allegations, BMG  asserts that RCN is on notice of the alleged wrongdoing  by  pointing  to  Rightscorp’s history of inundating RCN’s email server with millions of notifications purportedly reflecting instances of subscriber infringement.&#8221; </p>
<p><center><img src="media/b781eb26.demandpayment.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/demandpayment.png" alt="demandpayment" width="594" height="168" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123691"></center> </p>
<p>According to the Internet provider the notices are so numerous and so lacking in specificity, that it&#8217;s not feasible to investigate the claims. In addition, RCN points out that Rightscorp&#8217;s monitoring technology is flawed for various reasons.</p>
<p>Among other things, the ISP notes that Rightscorp only checks if a small portion of an alleged copyrighted work is shared, not the entire file. </p>
<p>RCN further says that it is not liable for the infringement of its subscribers because it is merely passing on traffic, which allows the company protection under the DMCA&#8217;s safe harbor provision. </p>
<p>The company is asking the court to review the matter and issue a declaratory judgment to provide more certainty.  </p>
<p>&#8220;BMG’s repeated assertions that RCN is liable for copyright infringement lack merit. RCN therefore seeks a judgment from this Court declaring that it is not liable to BMG for copyright infringement,&#8221; RCN writes.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/81474919.rcnrightscorp.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rcnrightscorp.png" alt="rcnrightscorp" width="600" height="258" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123687"></center></p>
<p>This is not the first lawsuit to deal with the question of liability.</p>
<p>In a similar case last year, Internet provider Cox Communications was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">held responsible</a> for the copyright infringements of its subscribers. In that case a Virginia federal court ordered Cox to pay BMG $25 million in damages.</p>
<p>Given the stakes at hand, it wouldn&#8217;t be a surprise to see various other ISPs and copyright holders taking an interest in RCN&#8217;s case, as it&#8217;s likely to have a wide impact.  </p>
<p>The full complaint filed by RCN is available here (<a href="media/7fa5e3a2.complaintrcn.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/complaintrcn.pdf">pdf</a>).</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123702
title: Copyright Trolls Slammed in UK House of Lords
uri: Copyright-Trolls-Slammed-in-UK-House-of-Lords
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/j2ErZ_0HXJM/
content:
<p><a href="media/09b30fbd.lucas-small.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lucas-small.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-123725"><img src="media/09b30fbd.lucas-small.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lucas-small.jpg" alt="lucas-small" width="250" height="252" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123725"></a>The Intellectual Property (Unjustified Threats) Bill was introduced in the House of Lords during May 2016.</p>
<p>Among other things, the draft legislation <em>(<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/intellectual-property-unjustified-threats-bill">pdf</a>)</em> aims to protect companies and individuals from threats of expensive IP litigation where no infringement has taken place.</p>
<p>While aimed largely at patents, trademarks and other design rights, during a Lords Grand Committee hearing yesterday the hot topic of unfounded threats against Internet users was thrust onto the agenda. <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-lucas/1879">Lord Lucas</a>, who previously tackled the infamous ACS:Law, was again at the forefront.</p>
<p>&#8220;The world is full of people who like to play a junior game of what this bill addresses. A few years ago I had a small role in the demise of ACS Solicitors which were thankfully sacked by the law society,&#8221; Lord Lucas began.</p>
<p>&#8220;They were shaking down Internet users for allegedly infringing copyright on pornography and other low grade media. Their evidence was extremely suspect and was never tested in court. ACS made its money from their threats and never took anyone to court, though it used the courts to target its victims via <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwich_Pharmacal_Order">Norwich Pharmacal Orders</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>But while ACS:Law is well and truly dead, others in the UK have now resumed shaking down Internet account holders with the aim of securing fast cash settlements. From his speech yesterday it&#8217;s abundantly clear that Lord Lucas is unhappy at this unwelcome development.</p>
<p>&#8220;Some careless person has dropped blood onto the ashes of ACS and the same scam is alive again. The same thin evidence. They have an IP address, they have not revealed how they get that IP address. But, given that IP address, they go through the same Norwich Pharmacal [ISP disclosure] procedure,&#8221; he told those assembled in the Moses Room, the main venue for grand committees.</p>
<p><center><br>
<h5>Lord Lucas in the House of Lords yesterday</h5>
<p><a href="media/dec767c7.lord-lucas-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lord-lucas-1.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-123724"><img src="media/dec767c7.lord-lucas-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lord-lucas-1.jpg" alt="lord-lucas-1" width="637" height="326" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-123724"></a></center></p>
<p>As has become clear during the past few years, companies involved in so-called Speculative Invoicing in the UK have learned from ACS:Law&#8217;s mistakes. Probably quite sensibly (they tend to feel the wrath of the Solicitors Regulatory Authority) no lawyers are involved in the threats being made to Internet subscribers. This fact has not escaped Lord Lucas.</p>
<p>&#8220;This time, to remove the vulnerability that ACS found, the solicitor involved, <a href="http://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/office/459854/wagner-co">Wagner and Co</a>, withdraws after obtaining the Norwich Pharmacal Order, so they&#8217;re not involved in the threat processes which are undertaken by shell companies. There doesn&#8217;t seem to be any redress for people threatened or for ISPs who are asked to comply with Norwich Pharmacal orders,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Up until this point no live companies had been named, but there would be no escape. A well-briefed Lord Lucas covered them all and had some advice for anyone whose path they cross.</p>
<p>&#8220;If anybody comes across the names of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-trolls-announce-uk-anti-piracy-invasion-151002/">Hatton and Berkeley</a>, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-troll-partner-threatens-to-report-blogger-to-the-police-160403/">RangerBay</a>, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/sky-subscribers-hit-with-new-wave-of-piracy-notices-160415/">GoldenEye International</a>, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/virgin-customers-targeted-in-new-porn-piracy-shakedown-150314/">Mircom International</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isp-association-nominates-copyright-troll-as-internet-villain-160615/">TCYK</a> &#8230;I really urge them to put [their correspondence] in the bin. The current scammers aren&#8217;t pursuing anyone [in court] they&#8217;re just after threats, and extortion, and shaking people down,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;I applaud our government for helping businesses avoid unjustified threats but I would really like to know what they intend to do to help the granny [<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/disgusted-member-of-parliament-intervenes-in-internet-piracy-case-160307/">accused by TCYK recently</a>] who is being threatened by their smaller, nastier cousins with allegations that she has been downloading illegally.&#8221;</p>
<p>Describing the companies above as &#8220;villains laughing at and abusing the system&#8221;, Lord Lucas called for citizens to be given the ability to respond to trolls with a &#8220;sue or desist&#8221; letter, which would render any further threats (short of court action) punishable by law.</p>
<p>&#8220;Wouldn&#8217;t that be a good right for citizens who are being threatened in any circumstances?&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Joe Hickster, the administrator of troll-watching site <a href="https://acsbore.wordpress.com/">ACS:Bore</a>, welcomes Lord Lucas&#8217; comments.</p>
<p>&#8220;Lord Lucas has lent legitimacy and sobriety to a cause of much concern for those in receipt of letters from the likes of Hatton &#038; Berkeley, Goldeneye International, Ranger Bay, TCYK and Mircom,&#8221; Hickster told TF. </p>
<p>&#8220;This may be a real turning point in the fight against copyright trolling in the UK.  With the ISPA <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isp-association-nominates-copyright-troll-as-internet-villain-160615/">shortlisting</a> TCYK as &#8216;Internet Villain of the Year&#8217; this week, lets hope this intervention from Lord Lucas will embolden them to send guidance to their members, to stand up and say NO! to these trolls.&#8221;</p>
<p>Only time will tell how the government will react to Lord Lucas&#8217; calls, but more than ever something needs to be done to force the UK&#8217;s copyright trolls to either put up, or shut up.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123740
title: Pirate Bay Co-Founder Must Pay Record Labels $395,000
uri: Pirate-Bay-Co-Founder-Must-Pay-Record-Labels-395-000
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/CBCEjLaoKA0/
content:
<p><a href="media/faf17427.peter-sunde2.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/peter-sunde2.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-85601"><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" srcset="http://torrentfreak.com/images/peter-sunde2-150x150.jpg 150w, http://torrentfreak.com/images/peter-sunde2.jpg 225w" sizes="(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px"></a>Content creators and distributors are some of The Pirate Bay&#8217;s most vocal critics, describing the platform as a piracy haven that deprives artists of their income.</p>
<p>However, in recent times criticism of the site has expanded to include one of the site&#8217;s founding members. Peter Sunde, aka brokep, is one of the most recognizable people in the file-sharing space yet he has openly called for the site to die, deriding it as a shadow of its former self.</p>
<p>But far from being able to leave the site behind as he physically did many years ago, Sunde &#8211; who has both Finnish and Norwegian ancestry &#8211; now finds himself in the midst of a new Pirate Bay related problem.</p>
<p>Following a ruling from the Helsinki District Court, the 37-year-old has been ordered to pay several major record labels around $395,000 (350,000 euros).</p>
<p>Sony Music Entertainment Finland, Universal Music, Warner Music, and EMI Finland sued Sunde claiming that the music of 60 of their artists has been shared illegally through The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>Earlier court action means that Pirate Bay is blocked by Finnish service providers including TeliaSonera and Elisa but of course, this made no difference to the site&#8217;s operations.</p>
<p>Finland&#8217;s <a href="http://www.digitoday.fi/yhteiskunta/2016/06/16/suomalaisoikeus-maarasi-pirate-bayn-perustajan-maksamaan-satojen-tuhansien-korvaukset/20166499/66">DigiToday</a> reports that there is no accusation that Sunde shared anything himself but the lawsuit from the record labels held him responsible.</p>
<p>Sunde did not appear in Helsinki to defend himself so the Court handed down a default judgment. He is now ordered to pay the full amount plus costs of around $62,000 (55,000 euros) to the local branch of IFPI. </p>
<p>He also faces a fine of one million euros if the content continues to be shared via The Pirate Bay but how he is supposed to do anything about that isn&#8217;t clear.</p>
<p>Sunde and Pirate Bay co-founders Fredrik Neij and Gottfrid Svartholm owe large sums of money to copyright holders following adverse decisions in cases dating back years. None of those judgments have been satisfied and there&#8217;s no reason to believe this one will be any different.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123521
title: Google and GoDaddy Sign Anti-Piracy Pledge
uri: Google-and-GoDaddy-Sign-Anti-Piracy-Pledge
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/2s7SvMyTYJU/
content:
<p><img src="media/93bfea64.TAG.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/TAG.png" alt="TAG" width="250" height="208" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123644">In recent years various copyright holder groups have adopted a “follow-the-money” approach in the hope of cutting off funding to so-called pirate sites.</p>
<p>Part of this strategy are voluntary agreements between rightsholders, advertisers, and advertising agencies, with the goal of preventing ads from showing up on torrent sites and other pirate portals. </p>
<p>The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is a relatively new player which helps to facilitate these efforts. TAG coordinates an advertising-oriented Anti-Piracy Program and has already signed up <a href="https://www.tagtoday.net/participating-companies/">several large companies</a> across various industries. </p>
<p>A few days ago two large tech companies, Google and GoDaddy, joined up to TAG, with both taking the &#8220;<a href="https://www.tagtoday.net/tag-anti-piracy-pledge/">Anti-Piracy Pledge</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>Speaking with TorrentFreak, TAG explained that Google has taken the pledge as an advertiser. This means that their own advertising services are not &#8220;validated&#8221; and approved just yet. However, this is something they are working on.</p>
<p>&#8220;Google has signed on as an advertiser by taking the Pledge. They are also actively working to become a self-attested DAAP for their ad delivery services,&#8221; TAG informs us.</p>
<p>By signing the pledge both companies agree to &#8220;take commercially reasonable steps to minimize the inadvertent placement of digital advertising on websites or other media properties that have an undesired risk of being associated with the unauthorized dissemination of materials protected by the copyright laws&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p><center><strong>TAG Pledge</strong></center><center><img src="media/839c958c.tagpledge.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tagpledge.png" alt="tagpledge" width="561" height="417" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123560"></center></p>
<p>The above means that future Google and GoDaddy advertisements may work more closely with TAG certified partners, which carry the “Certified Against Piracy” seal featured at the top of this article. </p>
<p>Once Google is approved as a self-attested Digital Advertising Assurance Provider, it can carry the same seal for its own services. </p>
<p>Becoming certified is <a href="https://www.tagtoday.net/anti-piracy-program-application/#Self-Attested-DAAP">not cheap</a>. There is a registration fee of $10,000 and another $10,000 is required to carry the seal. However, TAG informs us that these costs can be waived for smaller businesses.</p>
<p>The MPAA applauds the steps taken by Google and GoDaddy and the Hollywood group hopes that more companies will follow in their footsteps. </p>
<p>&#8220;We also hope that more ad networks and intermediaries involved in the ad chain, like those run by Google, will come to the same conclusion – associating good brands with bad sites is bad business and harmful to creators and consumers,&#8221; MPAA&#8217;s Farnaz Alemi said. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123786
title: Wikimedia: If Copyright Law Ain’t Broken, Don’t Fix It
uri: Wikimedia-If-Copyright-Law-Ain-t-Broken-Don-t-Fix-It
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/4jtkH6ZI1Yc/
content:
<p><a href="media/4bfc2b38.censorwiki.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/censorwiki.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-73547"><img src="media/df0b8435.censorwiki.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/censorwiki.jpg" alt="censorwiki" width="180" height="175" class="alignright size-full wp-image-73547"></a>Copyright holders have a problem with their content appearing on the Internet without permission. They argue that if they do not remove that content and the links that connect to it, anyone is able to access it for free, thus undermining their business model.</p>
<p>As a result, every week millions of takedown notices are sent to countless platforms demanding that unauthorized movies, music, TV shows, software and images are removed for breaching copyright law.</p>
<p>But regularly, copyright holders say, after being taken down that same content reappears after being re-uploaded or reindexed by offending sites. This results in a circular and never-ending game of whac-a-mole.</p>
<p>To solve this problem entertainment industry groups are suggesting changes to the DMCA that would dictate that once content is taken down, it should never again appear on that same platform. While easily said, the mechanics of that dream are not straightforward.</p>
<p>The latest organization to express concerns is the Wikimedia Foundation, the group behind the ever-popular Wikipedia service. Wikimedia feels that its current handling of copyright issues would only be hindered by changes to the DMCA.</p>
<p>&#8220;On the Wikimedia <a href="https://www.wikimedia.org/">projects</a>, particularly Wikimedia Commons, the DMCA’s notice-and-takedown process plays only a small role in preventing copyright infringement,&#8221; says Wikimedia Foundation Legal Counsel, Charles M. Roslof.</p>
<p>&#8220;The community members who voluntarily enforce project policies do the heavy lifting by removing files that infringe copyright. As a result, we receive very few valid takedown notices — only 12 in <a href="http://transparency.wikimedia.org/content.html">all of 2015</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>Roslof says that the operation&#8217;s current processes work well to keep infringement to a minimum, with volunteers taking care of the majority of copyright issues before rightsholders even notice. </p>
<p>&#8220;When something does stick around long enough, the notice-and-takedown process is an effective backstop. This system can exist because of the current legal regime,&#8221; Roslof notes.</p>
<p>Wikimedia believes that if the DMCA is tightened to include a &#8220;takedown, staydown&#8221; mandate &#8211; effectively a requirement for platforms to proactively filter all uploaded content &#8211; that could negatively affect non-profits and the service they provide to the public.</p>
<p>&#8220;[It] is costly to implement such systems well — and it would be exceptionally hard on nonprofits like us,&#8221; Roslof <a href="http://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/06/16/copyright-law/">says</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;First, the variety of content and file types hosted on the Wikimedia projects makes it an incredibly difficult technological challenge to build such a tool that both works effectively and doesn’t over-remove files and chill speech. Second, being forced to monitor for infringement ourselves would reduce the Wikimedia communities’ ability to govern the projects.&#8221;</p>
<p>Of course, it will come as no surprise that a major underlying factor with &#8220;takedown, staydown&#8221; is the fear that by not complying each and every time, platforms such as those operated by Wikimedia could be held liable under copyright law and face stiff penalties. </p>
<p>&#8220;[S]tatutory damages — up to $150,000 for a single case of copyright infringement — create strong incentives for platforms to strictly comply with the notice-and-takedown process. Since any mistake in leaving up files that infringe copyright could cost tens of thousands of dollars, the section 512 safe harbors are crucial for platforms’ continued existence,&#8221; Roslof adds.</p>
<p>Finally, in the near future the US Copyright Office will again be inviting comments on Section 512 of the DMCA. Wikimedia hopes that its users and the general public will take the time to get involved.</p>
<p>&#8220;The fundamental purpose of copyright law is not to benefit authors but to ensure the public is able to enjoy new creative works. It is therefore important to ensure that the voices of the public and public interest are represented in these discussions,&#8221; Roslof concludes.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123307
title: Company Uses DMCA to Censor and Expose Critical Blogger
uri: Company-Uses-DMCA-to-Censor-and-Expose-Critical-Blogger
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/MKE3LLijl5k/
content:
<p><img src="media/06455d6f.smartcircle.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/smartcircle.png" alt="smartcircle" width="191" height="96" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123573">As one of the leading blog platforms, WordPress.com receives thousands of DMCA takedown requests every year. </p>
<p>The company is known to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/wordpress-rejects-43-of-all-piracy-takedown-notices-150726/">carefully inspect</a> all notices and has a track record of defending its users against DMCA abuse. In addition, it regularly highlights the worst offenders in its own &#8220;<a href="https://transparency.automattic.com/tag/hall-of-shame/">Hall of Shame</a>.&#8221; </p>
<p>This week WordPress.com is facing a challenge of a different kind, as a court-ordered DMCA subpoena requires them to expose the identity of a user following allegations of copyright infringement. </p>
<p>The user in question runs the weblog &#8220;<a href="https://thedevilcorp.wordpress.com/">The Devil Corp</a>,&#8221; which is extremely critical of the marketing and sales company <a href="https://www.smartcircle.com/">Smart Circle</a>, as well as several related entities.</p>
<p>&#8220;This consortium profits by exploiting its employees and they’ll work you like a farm animal and give you nothing for your time,&#8221; the blog reads. </p>
<p>&#8220;They offer slave hours for slave wages disguised as an opportunity for financial freedom and their &#8216;owners&#8217; are nothing more than professional dream sellers who’ll do anything to keep you around as long as possible. Drug dealers deserve more respect.&#8221;</p>
<p>These are harsh words, no doubt, but freedom of speech goes a long way in the United States. That said, it hasn&#8217;t prevented Smart Circle from targeting the blog via another route. </p>
<p>Late December, Smart Circle asked WordPress.com to remove various infringing images, which were copied from the company&#8217;s own website. The images in question were photos of some of Smart Circle&#8217;s key employees. </p>
<p>The photos were swiftly removed by WordPress, a decision the blog owner didn&#8217;t protest. Instead, he <a href="https://thedevilcorp.wordpress.com/executive-teams/">uploaded modified versions</a> of the original, portraying the employees in a devilish manner.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although the inclusion of those pictures was clearly fair use, I thought it best not to trouble the justice system and instead altered them in a satirical manner,&#8221; the blogger notes. </p>
<p><center><strong>Smart Circle parody/critique</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/662217db.smartcircle.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/smartcircle.jpg" alt="smartcircle" width="600" height="604" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123572"></center></p>
<p>After a few months passed, Smart Circle sent WordPress.com another DMCA takedown request, targeting the modified images. This time, however, WordPress.com left them online. </p>
<p>Not pleased with this decision, Smart Circle asked the court for a DMCA subpoena against the blog owner, which a clerk has now signed off on. This means that the company can compel WordPress.com to hand over the personal details of the blog owner.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/ceb48c38.wpsubpoena.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/wpsubpoena.jpg" alt="wpsubpoena" width="597" height="341" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123727"></center></p>
<p>TorrentFreak contacted WordPress.com&#8217;s parent company Automattic, who inform us that they have yet to be served. </p>
<p>“At the time of writing we have not been served with this subpoena. If and when we are, we’ll assess the available options at that point,” the company says. </p>
<p>Given the fact that WordPress.com didn&#8217;t comply with the DMCA request, it&#8217;s likely that the company will protest the subpoena. </p>
<p>The present case is relevant considering the recent discussions about DMCA abuse. Many independent content creators and digital rights activists have complained about various forms of abuse and threats in recent weeks. </p>
<p>While Smart Circle hasn&#8217;t crossed the line here (from a legal perspective at least), one can doubt whether DMCA subpoenas are meant to expose critics in cases like these, where fair use appears to be a reasonable defense.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123639
title: Pirate Bay Domain Dispute Appealed to Supreme Court
uri: Pirate-Bay-Domain-Dispute-Appealed-to-Supreme-Court
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ftBG1tiENnA/
content:
<p><img src="media/9484b25e.tpb-logo.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tpb-logo.jpg" width="222" height="198" class="alignright">In 2013, anti-piracy prosecutor Fredrik Ingblad filed a motion targeting two of The Pirate Bay’s oldest domains, ThePirateBay.se and PirateBay.se.</p>
<p>Ingblad filed a complaint against Punkt SE (IIS), the organization responsible for Sweden’s top-level .SE domain, arguing that since The Pirate Bay is an illegal site the domains are tools used to infringe copyright. On this basis they should be suspended, Ingblad said.</p>
<p>The case was heard in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/fate-of-pirate-bay-domains-hang-in-the-balance-150421/">April 2015</a> and a month later the Stockholm District Court <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/key-pirate-bay-domains-must-be-seized-court-rules-150519/">ruled</a> that The Pirate Bay should forfeit both ThePirateBay.se and PirateBay.se.</p>
<p>The case went to the Court of Appeal and last month the ruling of the District Court <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-orders-pirate-bay-domains-forfeited-state-160512/">was upheld</a>.</p>
<p>But as is so often the case with Pirate Bay legal action, the show isn&#8217;t over yet. Following the ruling, site co-founder Fredrik Neij indicated he would take an appeal to the Supreme Court. That has now been filed.</p>
<p>&#8220;Fredrik Neij moves that the Supreme Court, by the modification and elimination of the District Court and Court of Appeal&#8217;s decision, should reject the prosecutor&#8217;s request for Fredrik Neij’s forfeiture to the right of the domain names piratebay.se and thepiratebay.se,&#8221; Neij&#8217;s lawyer Jonas Nilsson writes in a translation sent to TF.</p>
<p>The situation is somewhat complex. In 2012, Neij transferred the domains to a person named Supavadee Trakunroek. However, the Court of Appeal found that transaction to be mere &#8216;paperwork&#8217; and that in real terms Neij had retained control of the domains.</p>
<p>With that in mind the question remained &#8211; should the domains be &#8216;seized&#8217; from Neij or from IIS, the organization responsible for Sweden’s top-level .SE domain?</p>
<p>The Court found that domain names should be considered a type of intellectual property, property that is owned by the person or organization that purchased the domain. Therefore, in this case IIS is not the owner of the Pirate Bay domains, Neij is.</p>
<p>It is this aspect of the ruling that Fredrik Neij is now appealing to the Supreme Court.</p>
<p>&#8220;Fredrik Neij argues that the District Court and the Court of Appeal wrongly concluded that a domain name is a type of intellectual property that can be confiscated in accordance with copyright law,&#8221; his appeal reads.</p>
<p>With the appeal now filed it is up to the Supreme Court to decide whether to take the case. Domains used for illegal activity have been seized in Sweden before, but none have been fought as actively as this one.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, The Pirate Bay is operating from the .org domain <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bays-domain-shuffle-come-full-circle-160520/">it began with</a>, all those years ago.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123491
title: Google Sees DMCA Notices Quadruple In Two Years
uri: Google-Sees-DMCA-Notices-Quadruple-In-Two-Years
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/2O3hBk3-pHQ/
content:
<p><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">In an effort to keep people away from pirate sites, copyright holders are overloading Google with DMCA takedown notices.</p>
<p>Since 2011 Google has removed <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-asked-to-remove-one-billion-pirate-search-results-151029/">more than a billion</a> &#8220;pirate&#8221; links from its search results, and the two billion mark is only a few months away. </p>
<p>The number of requests from rightsholders has increased dramatically, up to the point where Google now handles around three million “pirate” links every day.</p>
<p>To illustrate this growth, we processed all the weekly takedown requests as reported in the search engine&#8217;s Transparency Report. This shows that 5.1 million pirate URLs were reported to Google in first week of June, 2014, a figure that increased to over 22 million two years later.</p>
<p>The weekly numbers fluctuate but the graph below illustrates the upward trend. If the current pattern continues then Google is expected to process over a billion reported links this year alone.</p>
<p><center><strong>Google search DMCA notices, per week</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/16192678.google-dmca-quadruple.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/google-dmca-quadruple.png" alt="google-dmca-quadruple" width="500" height="384" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123618"></center></p>
<p>The surge in takedown notices has also gained the attention of the U.S. Government. A few months ago the Copyright Office launched a public <a href="media/dcbb6a6f.2015-32973.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-12-31/pdf/2015-32973.pdf">consultation</a> in order to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the current DMCA provisions.</p>
<p>This prompted heavy criticism from copyright groups, but Google itself maintains that the current system is working fine.  </p>
<p>&#8220;The notice-and-takedown process has been an effective and efficient way to address online infringement,&#8221; the company informed the Copyright Office in April.</p>
<p>&#8220;The increasing volume of URLs removed from Search each year demonstrates that rightsholders are finding the notice-and-takedown process worthwhile, efficient, and scalable to their needs.&#8221;</p>
<p>While Google believes that the millions of reported URLs per day are a sign that the DMCA takedown process is working properly, rightsholders see it as a signal of an unbeatable game of whack-a-mole.</p>
<p>A coalition of hundreds of artists and music group has characterized the DMCA law as <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/music-industry-u-s-copyright-law-is-obsolete-and-harmful-160401/">obsolete, dysfunctional and harmful</a>.</p>
<p>“The notice-and-takedown system has proved an ineffective tool for the volume of unauthorized digital music available, something akin to bailing out an ocean with a teaspoon,” they wrote.</p>
<p>Together with many other rightsholders they are opting for broad revisions. Among other things they want advanced technologies and processes to ensure that infringing content doesn’t reappear elsewhere once it’s removed, a so-called “notice and stay down” approach.</p>
<p>Until that&#8217;s the case, they will probably keep the flood gates wide open.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123768
title: KickassTorrents Hits New High With Unrivaled Community
uri: KickassTorrents-Hits-New-High-With-Unrivaled-Community
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/t2Btd0S90cA/
content:
<p><a href="media/ce5293c1.kat.JPG" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kat.JPG" rel="attachment wp-att-19182"><img src="media/5a6ca898.kat.JPG" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kat.JPG" alt="kat" width="215" height="144" class="alignright size-full wp-image-19182"></a>For a decade, TorrentFreak has produced charts of the world&#8217;s most popular torrent sites. These annual lists provide a regular snapshot of a constantly changing and volatile landscape.</p>
<p>Back in 2007, torrent index Mininova was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2007-071229/">ruling the waves</a> as the world&#8217;s most popular torrent site. Notably it became the first site of its kind to break into the Internet&#8217;s top 50 sites overall. Almost a decade ago The Pirate Bay was only big enough to take third place.</p>
<p>In 2008, TPB <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-torrent-sites-of-2008-081228/">took the lead</a>, pushing Mininova back into second place. A year later TPB was still maintaining the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-25-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2009-091213/">number one slot</a>, followed closely by meta-search engine Torrentz. Meanwhile, a lesser-known site called KickassTorrents was sitting patiently in the wings. </p>
<p>The Pirate Bay was the runaway leader in 2011, posting an Alexa rank of 76, more than 90 places ahead of its nearest rival. But by this time KickassTorrents was closing fast, taking the #4 most popular torrent site slot just behind the original isoHunt and Torrentz.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2012-120107/">year later</a>, KickassTorrents (by now also referred to as KAT) had improved its position yet again. Continuing the trend, in 2013 the site stepped up to take <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2013-130106/">second place</a> behind the mighty Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>For KAT, 2015 would become its most important year to date. After TPB suffered domain issues and an almost catastrophic raid on its datacenter, KAT took the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-popular-torrent-sites-2015-150104/">coveted top spot</a> as the world&#8217;s most popular torrent site.</p>
<p>At this point a much lower Alexa rank of 151 was enough to do the job but KAT kept its foot on the gas, building up to rank 85 by the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">start of 2016</a>. However, in keeping with its meteoric rise, KAT still wasn&#8217;t done. This week the site entered the Alexa top 70, quite possibly the only torrent index to do so since Mininova in 2007.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/8729073b.kat-alexa.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kat-alexa.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-123777"><img src="media/8729073b.kat-alexa.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kat-alexa.jpg" alt="kat-alexa" width="638" height="315" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-123777"></a></center></p>
<p>So what&#8217;s KAT&#8217;s secret? That isn&#8217;t a question easily answered but it&#8217;s clear that the people behind the site really know what they&#8217;re doing. On a basic level the site&#8217;s uptime is impressive, especially given the difficult nature of running a torrent index. It also carries a massive library of torrents that somehow manages to remain useful despite the site complying with thousands of DMCA notices.</p>
<p>But while many other sites progress by doing the basics well, KAT goes much further. Firstly, it&#8217;s a very good looking site while also being easy to navigate. It has a good search engine. It&#8217;s quick to load. In fact, it does everything one would expect of a good regular website. As a result it&#8217;s relatively rare to hear users complain.</p>
<p>And that brings us to the special sauce that few other sites in this niche can offer.</p>
<p>Largely thanks to the way the site is designed, KAT has developed perhaps the best <a href="https://kat.cr/community/">torrent-based community</a> publicly available on the Internet today. The site&#8217;s forums are buzzing with the kind of activity one used to see on dedicated file-sharing discussion platforms back in 2005. Most of those have long since died out but somehow the Kickass community is thriving with the same spirit a decade on.</p>
<p>Of course, there are always a few rotten apples out to spoil the barrel, but KAT&#8217;s community is largely comprised of people seeking to help others. Comment is generally constructive and those who step out of line are swiftly dealt with. That, coupled with KAT&#8217;s special achievements awards (think Xbox achievements but for torrents), people are incentivized to contribute, thereby making the site better for all involved.</p>
<p><Center><a href="media/e71e2a4d.kat-achieve.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kat-achieve.png" rel="attachment wp-att-123776"><img src="media/e71e2a4d.kat-achieve.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kat-achieve.png" alt="kat-achieve" width="600" height="312" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-123776"></a></center></p>
<p>So for now, KickassTorrents is not only the world&#8217;s most-visited torrent site in the public space, it&#8217;s probably the most enjoyable one to use too. Additionally, KAT not only facilitates access to content but also provides an excellent social platform for its users. That means people feel at home when on-site and miss it when they&#8217;re away &#8211; even when they have nothing to download.</p>
<p>Moreover, Kickass makes users feel at home and when people feel at home, they look after what they have. The resulting loyalty is a recipe for success, and there&#8217;s no sign that the site&#8217;s popularity will fade anytime soon.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=122978
title: High IQ Countries Have Less Software Piracy, Research Finds
uri: High-IQ-Countries-Have-Less-Software-Piracy-Research-Finds
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/RdCo6qeyjfY/
content:
<p><img src="media/db31635d.piratesdillemma.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/piratesdillemma.png" alt="piratesdillemma" width="222" height="159" class="alignright size-full wp-image-103800">There are hundreds of reasons why people may turn to piracy. A financial motive is often mentioned, as well as lacking legal alternatives.</p>
<p>A new study from a group of researchers now suggests that national intelligence can also be added to the list.</p>
<p>The researchers report their findings in a paper titled &#8220;Intelligence and Crime: A novel evidence for software piracy,&#8221; which offers some intriguing insights. </p>
<p>In a rather straightforward analysis, the research examines the link between national IQ scores and local software piracy rates, which are reported by the Business Software Alliance. As can be seen below, there&#8217;s a trend indicating that countries with a higher IQ have lower software rates. </p>
<p>&#8220;We find that intelligence has statistically significant negative impact on piracy rates,&#8221; the researchers confirm in their paper, drawing a causal conclusion.</p>
<p><center><strong>National IQ and Piracy rates</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/77579466.piracyintelligenceiq.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/piracyintelligenceiq.jpg" alt="piracyintelligenceiq" width="591" height="377" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123481"></center></p>
<p>There are some notable outliers, such as China, where piracy rates and IQ are both relatively high. On the other end of the spectrum we find South Africa, with a low national IQ as well as low piracy rates. </p>
<p>The general trend, however, shows a direct relation between a country&#8217;s average IQ and the local software piracy rates. </p>
<p>&#8220;After controlling for the potential effect of outlier nations in the sample, software piracy rate declines by about 5.3 percentage points if national IQ increases by 10 points,&#8221; the researchers note.</p>
<p>To rule out the possibility that the link is caused by external factors, the researchers carried out robustness tests with various variables including the strength of IP enforcement, political factors, and economic development. However, even after these controls the link remained intact.</p>
<p>Luckily for copyright holders, &#8216;dumb&#8217; countries are not &#8216;doomed&#8217; by definition. If the ruling elite is smart enough, they can still lower piracy rates. </p>
<p>&#8220;[The results] should not be taken as universal evidence that society with higher intelligent quotient is a requirement to alleviate software piracy,&#8221; the researchers write. </p>
<p>&#8220;Our findings indicate that if ruling elite enforces policies to decrease software piracy, intelligence provides a credible proxy of the degree of consent of such policies.&#8221;  </p>
<p>Interestingly, if these results hold up, with a bit of luck software piracy may solve itself in the long run. </p>
<p>Previous research found that software piracy increases literacy in African countries, which may in turn raise the national IQ, which will then lower piracy rates. Or&#8230; will that lower literacy again?</p>
<p>The full paper is available <a href="media/16dca3e4.MPRA_paper_71569.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/MPRA_paper_71569.pdf">here</a> (pdf). </p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123800
title: Pirate Streaming Site Operator’s Four Year Sentence Upheld
uri: Pirate-Streaming-Site-Operator-s-Four-Year-Sentence-Upheld
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/UtvYsqHCAUw/
content:
<p><img src="media/e025ecfa.fastpasstv.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/fastpasstv.jpg" width="180" height="169" class="alignright">Acting on intelligence provided by the UK&#8217;s Federation Against Copyright Theft, police in Northern Ireland raided a Londonderry home in May 2011.</p>
<p>Police were looking for evidence relating to streaming links site  FastPassTV and discussion and linking forum BedroomMedia. FACT believed that the brains behind the operation was local man Paul Mahoney. He was arrested and police seized equipment and cash totaling £83,000.</p>
<p>Like many cases of this type, passage through the legal system was glacial and it took until February 2015 for Mahoney to be charged. At first he pleaded not guilty but that wouldn&#8217;t last.</p>
<p>In June 2015 the 30-year-old pleaded guilty to all four charges against him including allowing the public to view copyrighted movies without rightsholder permission, conspiracy, and generating up to £300,000 in advertising revenue.</p>
<p>Prosecutors initially argued that Mahoney had cost the movie industry around <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/streaming-site-operator-accused-of-120m-piracy-fraud-150826/">£120 million</a> but that was eventually brought down to a large, although more reasonable, £12 million.</p>
<p>In September 2015, Mahoney was found guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison, two of which to be spent on license. However, with such a long sentence it was always likely that Mahoney would appeal the decision. That process is now complete and it&#8217;s bad news for the 30-year-old.</p>
<p>Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, Northern Ireland&#8217;s most senior judge, presided over the appeal. He was unsympathetic to Mahoney&#8217;s arguments.</p>
<p>&#8220;On any view this was a case of very significant harm,&#8221; he <a href="http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/120m-film-piracy-scam-man-loses-sentence-appeal-34810705.html">said</a>.</p>
<p>An aggravating factor were the actions taken by Mahoney since 2007 to avoid having his sites closed down. Sir Declan noted that cease-and-desist notices issued by FACT were ignored and despite police arresting Mahoney twice, he still continued.</p>
<p>&#8220;The website was clearly professionally structured and he retained staff to assist him with this,&#8221; the judge said.</p>
<p>&#8220;He was the driving force behind the criminal behaviour.&#8221;</p>
<p>At his earlier trial, Mahoney&#8217;s health issues including partial blindness and reclusive behavior were presented as mitigating factors. He never intended to get rich, his lawyer argued, it was a hobby that got out of control.</p>
<p>&#8220;There were no Rolex watches, no Ferraris outside and no evidence of an extravagant lifestyle. This enterprise took on a life of its own and became far more successful than this defendant ever envisaged,” he said.</p>
<p>Dismissing Mahoney&#8217;s appeal, the judge found that the mitigating factors had already been taken into consideration when the original sentence was handed down. He also said that Mahoney&#8217;s chance for a lighter sentence came and went when he failed to cooperate during initial interview and failed to plead guilty at the earliest opportunity.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123730
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 06/20/16
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-06-20-16
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/QpA9A2YIKhE/
content:
<p><img src="media/0c3bb7a8.warcrafts.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/warcrafts.jpg" alt="warcrafts" width="300" height="148" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123803">This week we have three newcomers in our chart. </p>
<p>Warcraft is the most downloaded movie.</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-pirated-movies-week-061316/">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="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/warcraft/">Warcraft</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0803096/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhFMIRuHAL4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_huntsman_winters_war">The Huntsman: Winter&#8217;s War</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381991/">6.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W65ndip7MM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_apocalypse/">X-Men: Apocalypse</a> (HDCam/TC)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3385516/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jer8XjMrUB4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whiskey_tango_foxtrot/">Whiskey Tango Foxtrot</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3553442/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxAcIWDi8ps">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eye_in_the_sky/">Eye In The Sky</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2057392/">7.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOqeoj669xg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zootopia/">Zootopia</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2948356/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWM0ct-OLsM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/london_has_fallen/">London Has Fallen</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3300542/">5.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AsOdX7NcJs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/13_hours_the_secret_soldiers_of_benghazi/">13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4172430/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MBjAN7jqsQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_last_heist/">The Last Heist</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4743562/">3.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4wIVPUb7yY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/midnight_special_2015/">Midnight Special</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2649554/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zuQTmVCEn4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123611
title: UEFA Cracks Down on ‘Pirate’ Euro Cup Streams
uri: UEFA-Cracks-Down-on-Pirate-Euro-Cup-Streams
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/JjphvPHOTUA/
content:
<p><img src="media/c84b3a83.uefa2016logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/uefa2016logo.jpg" alt="uefa2016logo" width="225" height="203" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123401">With a daily audience of tens of millions of people, the 2016 UEFA Euro Cup in France is one of the largest sporting events of the year. </p>
<p>While football is considered to be a game of the people, UEFA is carefully controlling who can watch what, when and where. </p>
<p>One of the thorns in the side of the football organization and its rightsholders are unauthorized live streams. These streams have become quite common, and offer people a chance to follow the various matches without having to pay for a subscription. </p>
<p>Over the past week UEFA and its partners have targeted several sites offering such streams. They includes several Google Blogspot blogs that are specifically setup to stream sports events. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak has checked several UEFA notices that were addressed to Blogspot and found that none of the pages were taken down. However, the live feeds on these sites are no longer available, which means that there is no infringing activity either.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/a6457e5d.uefablogspot.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/uefablogspot.png" alt="uefablogspot" width="600" height="401" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-123677"></center></p>
<p>This also signals one of the problems sports broadcasters often have to deal with. Due to the live nature of their &#8220;works&#8221; the actual takedowns have to be pretty much instant. After all, when a match has ended it&#8217;s already too late. </p>
<p>Some UEFA Euro Cup rightsholders have tried to address this by sending <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrent-sites-get-pre-piracy-warning-for-uefa-euro-cup-160610/">advance notices</a> to various sites. However, for site owners it is hard to take something down that doesn&#8217;t yet exists. </p>
<p>Various torrent sites therefore refused to take pre-preemptive action, and Google hasn&#8217;t responded yet to a similar <a href="https://www.lumendatabase.org/notices/12445686">pre-piracy request</a>.</p>
<p>In addition to various specialized live streaming portals, the UEFA Euro Cup and other events are also more frequently shared on social media. Apps such as Periscope make is very easy for people to stream and watch these events and despite the horrible quality, some get hundreds or thousands of views.</p>
<p>UEFA has previously gone after Periscope streams of other events and some recent Euro Cup streams have disappeared as well, suggesting that the football organization is keeping a close eye on these social streams too.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123844
title: Huge Artists Coalition Piles Pressure on Congress Over DMCA
uri: Huge-Artists-Coalition-Piles-Pressure-on-Congress-Over-DMCA
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/IsxCPerhAv0/
content:
<p><a href="media/54d089aa.congress-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/congress-1.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-123855"><img src="media/54d089aa.congress-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/congress-1.jpg" alt="congress" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123855"></a>For the past several months the effectiveness of the DMCA has been under the spotlight from two separate but unavoidably linked perspectives.</p>
<p>Firstly, copyright holders are tired of the endless game of whac-a-mole which sees them taking down copyrighted content from pirates sites (and even search engines like Google), only to have it reappear in the future. They argue that game can never be won and the only solution is a &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/takedown-staydown-would-be-a-disaster-internet-archive-warns-160607/">takedown, staydown</a>&#8221; regime.</p>
<p>Secondly, entertainment industry companies &#8211; largely in the recording sector &#8211; feel that platforms such as YouTube gain an unfair advantage by monetizing infringing content uploaded by their users. The law does not currently require these platforms to proactively monitor uploads so the end result is wide availability of infringing content, unless creators take measures to have it removed.</p>
<p>In the meantime, an interesting situation emerges. While platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music must license content before it goes up, YouTube has it already, meaning that when it comes to negotiating licenses for official content with the labels, YouTube and Google are in a position to offer less money. That&#8217;s the stance of the labels at least, and they want the DMCA changed to make that impossible.</p>
<p>To that end the industry has been rallying support from the artists themselves. Earlier this year hundreds lobbied Congress and now they&#8217;re back again, with a new open letter from an all-star lineup featuring some of the biggest names in music.</p>
<p>The coalition, which features more than 180 artists, songwriters and bands, is a who&#8217;s-who of modern music. Taylor Swift, Sir Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Trent Reznor, deadmau5, U2, Garth Brooks and Kenny G are united with one voice &#8211; the DMCA is broken and needs fixing.</p>
<p>&#8220;As songwriters and artists who are a vital contributing force to the U.S. and to American exports around the world, we are writing to express our concern about the ability of the next generation of creators to earn a living,&#8221; they begin.</p>
<p>&#8220;The  existing laws threaten the continued viability of songwriters and recording artists to survive from the creation of music. Aspiring creators shouldn’t have to decide between making music and making a living. Please protect them.&#8221;</p>
<p>The artists say that one of their biggest problems is caused by the DMCA. They don&#8217;t mention YouTube specifically, but it&#8217;s clear that the video platform and owner Google are their primary targets.</p>
<p>&#8220;[The DMCA] has allowed major tech companies to grow and generate huge profits by creating ease of use for consumers to carry almost every recorded song in history in their pocket via a smartphone, while songwriters’ and artists’ earnings continue to diminish. Music consumption has skyrocketed, but the monies earned by individual writers and artists for that consumption has plummeted,&#8221; the artists write.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/9e9f8b43.artist-list.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/artist-list.png" rel="attachment wp-att-123851"><img src="media/9e9f8b43.artist-list.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/artist-list.png" alt="artist-list" width="650" height="510" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-123851"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;The DMCA simply doesn’t work. It’s impossible for tens of thousands of individual songwriters and artists to muster the resources necessary to comply with its application,&#8221; they continue.</p>
<p>&#8220;The tech companies who benefit from the DMCA today were not the intended protectorate when it was signed into law nearly two decades ago. We ask you to enact sensible reform that balances the interests of creators with the interests of the companies who exploit music for their financial enrichment. It’s only then that consumers will truly benefit.&#8221;</p>
<p>In short, the artists (and of course their paymasters at the labels) believe that YouTube is running a &#8216;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-says-youtube-is-running-a-dmca-protection-racket-160412/">protection racket</a>&#8216; with their music. They&#8217;ll be hoping that Congress sees it that way too.</p>
<p>Tech companies, on the other hand, believe that the safe harbor provisions of the DMCA give them the protection they need <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/wikimedia-if-copyright-law-aint-broken-dont-fix-it-160617/">to innovate</a>. Only time will tell whose rights will be eroded, but the battle lines have been drawn. </p>
<p>The full letter can be found here <em>(<a href="media/1398178c.DMCAAd_Final_Updated_618.pdf" data-original-source="https://morningconsult.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/DMCAAd_Final_Updated_618.pdf">pdf</a>)</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123868
title: Pirate Bay Co-Founder to Sue Record Labels For Defamation
uri: Pirate-Bay-Co-Founder-to-Sue-Record-Labels-For-Defamation
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/3WBxr9QxF-A/
content:
<p><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" srcset="http://torrentfreak.com/images/peter-sunde2-150x150.jpg 150w, http://torrentfreak.com/images/peter-sunde2.jpg 225w" sizes="(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px">Last week the local branches of Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music, Warner Music and EMI won a default judgment against Pirate Bay co-founder Peter Sunde. </p>
<p>The Helsinki District Court <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-co-founder-must-pay-record-labels-395000-160616/">ordered</a> Sunde to pay $395,000 (350,000 euros) for music shared illegally through the site by its users.</p>
<p>In addition, he faces an additional one million euro fine if the infringements continue in the future, even though he has no control over the site.</p>
<p>The ruling came as a shock to the former Pirate Bay spokesman. Not just because he didn&#8217;t share anything himself, but also because he hasn&#8217;t been involved with the torrent site for a decade.</p>
<p>Sunde informs TorrentFreak that he wasn&#8217;t aware of the Finnish case until after the verdict was handed down, which suggests that he wasn&#8217;t served properly. However, he certainly doesn&#8217;t plan to let things go. On the contrary, he&#8217;s hitting back with a lawsuit of his own, accusing the record labels of defamation</p>
<p>&#8220;I’ve decided I’m going to sue them for damage against my good name and stealing a lot of time from me,&#8221; Sunde tells TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>&#8220;I’m a public person in Finland and they’re calling me a criminal when they KNOW I’m not involved in what they’re suing me for. It’s defamation.&#8221;</p>
<p>Turning the tables, Pirate Bay&#8217;s co-founder is demanding compensation from the labels instead. Standing idly by is no longer an option and Sunde believes that he has a strong case which will hold up in court.</p>
<p>&#8220;It’s getting very obvious the case will be won by me and it’s time to hit them back. Attacking has always been my best defense and I’m going to demand what I’m owed finally.&#8221;</p>
<p>With the lawsuit Sunde hopes to put an end to the continued allegations against his person by various entertainment industry outlets. The Finnish case is the first but it&#8217;s possible that more defamation suits will follow elsewhere.</p>
<p>Sunde&#8217;s lawyer Peter Herkko Hietanen informs TorrentFreak that the default judgment of last week can also be appealed within 30 days, after which a retrial may follow. </p>
<p>After serving a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bays-peter-sunde-picks-fight-free-internet-141129/">prison sentence</a> for the copyright infringements of others, Sunde has regained his focus with various other projects over the past year.</p>
<p>In addition to several <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-builds-the-ultimate-piracy-machine-151219/">art projects</a> he continues his <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-aims-to-disrupt-online-advertisement-industry-160503/">work for Flattr</a>, as well as various speaking gigs and media projects.</p>
<p>With regard to The Pirate Bay&#8217;s current operation the site&#8217;s co-founder has been very clear in recent years. Like <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founders-speak-out-on-the-sites-past-and-future-130811/">several others</a> who were involved during the early days, he believes that the site has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/peter-sunde-the-pirate-bay-should-stay-down-141210/">served its purpose</a> and should have been shut down a long time ago.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123897
title: VPN Providers Protest Plans to Expand Government Hacking Powers
uri: VPN-Providers-Protest-Plans-to-Expand-Government-Hacking-Powers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/hclSZNbIUx0/
content:
<p><a href="media/f88b1ae3.rule41.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rule41.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-123902"><img src="media/f88b1ae3.rule41.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rule41.jpg" alt="rule41" width="230" height="175" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123902"></a>Back in April the U.S. Supreme Court approved a rule change that will allow law enforcement to obtain a warrant to hack into computers and even phones anywhere in the world.</p>
<p>The changes affect <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcrmp/rule_41">Rule 41</a> of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure which determines how the government investigates criminal complaints.</p>
<p>The changes will allow a judge to grant permission to law enforcement agencies enabling them to hack computers anywhere, provided the location of the target computer has been hidden by technical means. That means that users of TOR, VPNs, and proxies etc could all become vulnerable, regardless of why they are using such tools. But it doesn&#8217;t stop there.</p>
<p>&#8220;It might also extend to people who deny access to location data for smartphone apps because they don’t feel like sharing their location with ad networks,&#8221; the EFF previously <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/04/rule-41-little-known-committee-proposes-grant-new-hacking-powers-government">warned</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;It could even include individuals who change the country setting in an online service, like folks who change the country settings of their Twitter profile in order to read uncensored Tweets.&#8221;</p>
<p>Also of concern is the second part of the proposal which would allow judges to issue a search warrant authorizing the hacking or seizing of computers that might be acting as part of a botnet. That means you, if your computer happens to have been infected with a botnet trojan.</p>
<p>Importantly, Congress didn&#8217;t vote through the changes to Rule 41, judicial approval was obtained by the Department of Justice instead. This means that unless Congress passes new legislation to block the changes, time will run out December 1, 2016.</p>
<p>With this deadline looming, a fresh push is underway to try and block what many see as a serious danger to computer users&#8217; security worldwide. To that end a broad coalition of 50 organizations including public interest groups, privacy tool providers, and Internet companies have written to Congress opposing the changes.</p>
<p>In their letter, Google, EFF, Demand Progress, FightForTheFuture, TOR, VPN providers Private Internet Access, Golden Frog and Hide My Ass, plus many others, urge Congress to &#8220;consider and debate&#8221; the implications of the new rule. </p>
<p>&#8220;The changes to Rule 41 give federal magistrate judges across the United States new authority to issue warrants for hacking and surveillance in cases where a computer’s location is unknown,&#8221; the letter reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;This would invite law enforcement to seek warrants authorizing them to hack thousands of computers at once — which it is hard to imagine would not be in direct violation of the Fourth Amendment.&#8221;</p>
<p>Noting that the changes would allow for the hacking of innocent computer users, the coalition describes the proposal as dangerously broad.</p>
<p>&#8220;It fails to provide appropriate guidelines for safeguarding privacy and security, and it circumvents the legislative process that would provide Congress and the public the critically necessary opportunity to evaluate these issues,&#8221; they continue.</p>
<p>But perhaps most importantly, the proposed changes will undermine the security of those who need it most &#8211; those who have taken legitimate steps to protect their privacy with anonymizing tools such as VPNs and TOR.</p>
<p>&#8220;There are countless reasons people may want to use technology to shield their privacy.  From journalists communicating with sources to victims of domestic violence seeking information on legal services, people worldwide depend on privacy tools for privacy, personal safety, and data security,&#8221; the letter reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;Many businesses even require their employees to use virtual private networks for security, especially during travel. Such tools should be actively promoted as a way to safeguard privacy, not discouraged.&#8221;</p>
<p>Finally, the groups encourage Congress to take action.</p>
<p>&#8220;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/5321/text">The Stopping Mass Hacking Act</a> offers a simple solution: it rejects the changes to Rule 41. Passing this bill by December 1 will ensure that Congress has time to fully consider the issue of government hacking before this practice becomes widespread. We urge you to support this bill and to reject the changes to Rule 41,&#8221; <a href="https://www.eff.org/document/rule-41-coalition-letter">their letter concludes</a>.</p>
<p>A petition to stop the changes to Rule 41 can be found <a href="https://noglobalwarrants.org/#take-action">here</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123957
title: Court Orders Usenet Providers to Expose Prolific Pirates
uri: Court-Orders-Usenet-Providers-to-Expose-Prolific-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/KQKMlB4GLuw/
content:
<p><img src="media/4838a439.upload.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/upload.png" alt="upload" width="240" height="164" class="alignright size-full wp-image-114664">Dutch anti-piracy group <a href="http://anti-piracy.nl/index.php">BREIN</a> has won its court case against Usenet providers Eweka and Usenetter.</p>
<p>On behalf of several large book publishers, the group had <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/brein-wants-usenet-providers-to-expose-prolific-uploaders-160614/">requested the personal details</a> of two anonymous users who allegedly uploaded more than 2,000 books to newsgroups.</p>
<p>The Usenet providers terminated the accounts but refused to hand over any personal details. Instead, they claimed that they are not allowed to share personal data under e-Privacy regulations if an account is no longer active.</p>
<p>BREIN disagreed and took the matter to court. They argued that the book publishers&#8217; right to protect their content trumps the privacy concerns of the Usenet uploaders in this case.  </p>
<p>In an order issued today (<a href="media/845080fb.22062016_Rb._Haarlem_BREIN_vs._Eweka_en_Usenetter.pdf" data-original-source="http://anti-piracy.nl/assets/Vonnissen/22062016_Rb._Haarlem_BREIN_vs._Eweka_en_Usenetter.pdf">pdf</a>) the Court of Haarlem agrees with this assessment. As a result, the two providers are required to hand over the IP-addresses, payment info, and any other personal information they have on file.</p>
<p>If the providers fail to comply within five days they face a penalty of 1,000 euros ($1,130) per day, to a maximum of 100,000 euros, <a href="http://www.nu.nl/internet/4281725/usenetproviders-moeten-gebruikersgegevens-afstaan-brein.html">Nu.nl reports</a>.</p>
<p>BREIN director Tim Kuik <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/brein-wants-usenet-providers-to-expose-prolific-uploaders-160614/">previously informed</a> TorrentFreak that they are hoping to recover damages from the uploaders, as well as information on other large scale infringers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our primary interest is to stop the infringements, furthermore to settle costs and damages or to sue on behalf of the injured right holders. Possibly the infringers may have information on other persons involved,&#8221; Kuik says.</p>
<p>Under Dutch jurisprudence, ISPs can be obliged to hand over personal information of customers if the infringing activity is plausible and the aggrieved party has a legitimate interest.  </p>
<p>This could also spell trouble for BitTorrent uploaders, as BREIN could try to request personal information from their ISPs.</p>
<p>This isn&#8217;t the first time that BREIN has gone after serial e-book infringers. Last year, a Dutch court ordered <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-must-expose-ebook-pirate-court-rules-151006/">Google</a> to hand over the personal details of a user that sold pirated books in the Play Store. In that case the court also concluded that the rights of copyright holders outweigh the user&#8217;s rights.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123866
title: Dallas Buyers Club Face Court Sanctions Over Piracy “Extortion” Tactics
uri: Dallas-Buyers-Club-Face-Court-Sanctions-Over-Piracy-Extortion-Ta
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/qiuHg2zubj0/
content:
<p><img src="media/2381f8ad.dallas1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dallas1.jpg" alt="dallas" width="275" height="155" class="alignright size-full wp-image-96710">The makers of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790636/">Dallas Buyers Club</a> have sued thousands of BitTorrent users over the past few years.</p>
<p>Many of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dallas-buyers-club-sues-bittorrent-pirates-citing-oscar-wins-140312/">these cases</a> end up being settled for an undisclosed amount. This usually happens after the filmmakers obtain the identity of the Internet account holder believed to have pirated the movie.</p>
<p>Not all alleged downloaders are eager to pay up though. In fact, many don’t respond to the settlement letters they receive or claim that someone else must have downloaded the film using their connection.</p>
<p>This is also true for the case Dallas Buyers Club (DBC) filed against California resident Michael Amhari. </p>
<p>Earlier this year the filmmakers claimed that Amhari downloaded a pirated copy of the movie after he was linked to a &#8220;pirating&#8221; IP-address. Dallas Buyers Club&#8217;s attorney demanded a settlement of $10,000 and warned that “the price would go up” if he didn&#8217;t pay up soon enough. </p>
<p>Amhari, however, denied the allegations and explained that he lived in an apartment residence at San Diego State University with an open Wi-Fi connection. Nevertheless, the movie studio pursued its claim and increased the settlement demand to $14,000. </p>
<p>He continued to deny any involvement and even agreed to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/filmmakers-ask-pirate-take-polygraph-backtrack-agrees-160518/">take a polygraph</a> test to prove it, as DBC suggested. However, the filmmakers later retracted this offer and moved for a default judgment instead. </p>
<p>This judgment was set aside earlier this month and now the alleged &#8220;pirate&#8221; is pushing back in court. </p>
<p>Through his lawyer, Amhari is now asking for the case to be dismissed due to lack of evidence, as well as an award of attorney fees and monetary sanctions for DBC&#8217;s abuse tactics in these and other cases. </p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiff has utilized extortion tactics by progressively demanding more money from defendant on each successive conversation with defense counsel and through emails, based on plaintiff&#8217;s costs and attorney fees,&#8221; attorney Clay Renick writes.</p>
<p>In his argument (<a href="media/783fc60a.amhari-dismiss.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/amhari-dismiss.pdf">pdf</a>), Renick cites DBC&#8217;s own words, as they previously admitted that “Ahmari may not be the actual infringer as he shared a student apartment with other individuals.&#8221;</p>
<p>Despite this knowledge, they continued their case against Amhari. </p>
<p>&#8220;Despite the warning from the Court, Plaintiff moved forward to aggressively and maliciously name defendant in a manner that constitutes libel against defendant,&#8221; Amhari&#8217;s attorney writes. </p>
<p>As a result of the allegations, the accused pirate had to spend thousands of dollars on legal fees. According to the defense lawyer, however, it is clear that DBC doesn&#8217;t have any evidence linking his client to the actual download.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is uncontroverted that the sole basis of plaintiff&#8217;s lawsuit was that defendant was a subscriber to the IP address of which a movie was supposedly downloaded,&#8221; Renick writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiff seems to believe that conflating a subscriber&#8217;s IP address to being the actual infringer should shield him from liability for those libelous statements and unethical actions to extort money from defendant,&#8221; the attorney adds.</p>
<p>Based on the lack of evidence, Amhari is asking the court to dismiss the case. In addition, he is requesting $12,000 in attorney fees and a monetary penalty of $36,000 for the coercive tactics used in this and other cases.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123916
title: Pirate Bay Blockade Lifted By Austrian Court
uri: Pirate-Bay-Blockade-Lifted-By-Austrian-Court
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Zok5vLL8G1g/
content:
<p><img src="media/0e036607.pirate-bay.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-bay.jpg" width="200" height="207" class="alignright">As a result of its attitudes towards copyright law, The Pirate Bay is without doubt the most blocked &#8216;pirate&#8217; site in history.</p>
<p>The notorious torrent index is already the subject of blocking orders in many countries worldwide, and others such as Australia are queuing up to add their names to the growing list. But for many citizens of Austria, where the site was blocked last year, the trend has just been reversed.</p>
<p>Following legal action that had dragged on <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/block-the-pirate-bay-within-3-days-austrian-isps-told-140729/">for years</a>, last year the Commercial Court of Vienna finally ordered local ISPs to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-will-be-blocked-in-austria-150803/">block</a> subscriber access to The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>In addition to TPB, the court order also required the Internet providers to block three other “structurally infringing” sites &#8211; Isohunt.to, 1337x.to and the now-defunct h33t.to. Soon after, local music rights group LSG sent its lawyers after several other large ISPs urging them to follow suit, or else.</p>
<p>But now, a year on, the blocks appear to be unraveling after the Vienna Higher Regional Court overruled the decision of the Commercial Court. The ruling, which was handed down May 30 but only just made public, means that the ISPs are free to unblock the previously blocked sites.</p>
<p>Text from the unpublished ruling sent to TorrentFreak by <a href="http://futurezone.at/netzpolitik/oberlandesgericht-wien-hebt-netzsperren-auf/205.654.701">FutureZone.at</a> sees the court reference a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/supreme-court-opens-door-for-pirate-site-blockades-in-germany-151126/">case</a> from Germany which concluded that ISP blocks are only warranted if copyright holders have exhausted all their options to take action against those actually carrying out the infringement.</p>
<p>In a press release, Maximilian Schubert, Secretary General of industry group Internet Service Providers Austria (ISPA), welcomed the decision as &#8220;an important milestone&#8221; in the fight against entertainment industry blocking demands.</p>
<p>But despite the clearly uncertain legal waters and battles yet to be concluded, rightsholders still aren&#8217;t giving up.</p>
<p>ISPA reports that in the days following the judge&#8217;s decision yet more blocking requests arrived at several of the country&#8217;s ISPs. They contain demands to block streaming platforms movie4k.tv, movie.to, movie2k.pe and kinox.tv.</p>
<p>ISPA is not impressed with these calls and has criticized rightsholders for attempting to force ISPs into the &#8220;role of a judge&#8221; when deciding whether there&#8217;s indeed a sufficient basis for a block.</p>
<p>&#8220;A problem in this context is that the offending pages also have legal content and it is no longer possible to access that if barriers are put in place,&#8221; Schubert said.</p>
<p>In closing, Schubert also warned that rightsholders are unlikely to accept the decision and will almost certainly appeal to the Supreme Court. Shortly after an appeal from the music industry was confirmed.</p>
<p>&#8220;The foundations for site blocking in Austria were clarified legally in a four-year procedure involving the European Court. In the present decision of the Vienna Higher Regional Court, we see the interests of artists and cultural producers ignored,&#8221; <a href="http://www.krone.at/Digital/Gericht_hebt_Website-Sperren_in_Oesterreich_auf-kinox.to_-_Co.-Story-516245">said</a> IFPI CEO Franz Medwenitsch.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123900
title: MPAA Boss: Europe’s Geo Unblocking Plans Threaten Movie Industry
uri: MPAA-Boss-Europe-s-Geo-Unblocking-Plans-Threaten-Movie-Industry
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/JIt9RQ7zsgw/
content:
<p><img src="media/6631a012.dodd.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dodd.jpg" alt="dodd" width="200" height="262" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-123951">Consumers who want to watch movies or TV-shows online are limited to the content that they are permitted to see in their home country. </p>
<p>This means that the Netflix library in one country can be entirely different from that of a neighboring nation.</p>
<p>This is a direct result of the territorial licensing deals the movie industry is built on. However, now that people are more connected online these restrictions are also an increasing source of frustration. </p>
<p>To counter these consumer-unfriendly limitations, the European Commission has suggested a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-proposal-bans-netflix-style-geo-blocking-and-restrictions-151209/">ban on certain types of geo-blocking</a> as part of the Digital Single Market reforms. </p>
<p>Some of these changes for other industries were detailed earlier this year, but the exact plans for the audio-visual sector will have to wait until this fall. This will give various movie industry insiders time to change the commission&#8217;s course.</p>
<p>In a keynote address at the <a href="http://www.filmexpos.com/cineeurope/">CineEurope</a> convention this week, MPAA Chairman and CEO Chris Dodd described the unblocking goals as a threat to the movie industry. Encouraging participants to reach out to their representatives, Dodd described the concerns as &#8220;real, very real.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;While the stated goals of these proposals are laudable – offering greater choice to European consumers and strengthening cultural diversity – in reality, these ideas could actually cause great harm to Europe’s film industries and its consumers,&#8221; Dodd said. </p>
<p>&#8220;What particularly concern me are proposals that would threaten the practices of territorial licensing and contractual freedom. These practices have long served as the financial bedrock of Europe’s film industries,&#8221; he added. </p>
<p>Dodds fears that without territorial licensing and other exclusivity agreements, investors will pull out. This could then lead to lower budgets and fewer films. </p>
<p>In addition, it would take away the freedom of filmmakers to launch their products where and when they want, which is often done to maximize their chance of success in a specific region. </p>
<p>&#8220;The European Union is made up of 28 different nations with different cultures, different languages, and different tastes. Forcing every film to be marketed and released the same way everywhere, at the same time, is a recipe for failure,&#8221; Dodd said.</p>
<p>&#8220;The ability of filmmakers and distributors to market and release their films where, how, and when they think best gives them the greatest chance to succeed,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>According to Dodd, geo-blocking is ultimately in the best interests of consumers as well. Citing a recent study <a href="http://www.oxera.com/Latest-Thinking/Publications/Reports/2016/The-impact-of-cross-border-access-to-audiovisual-c.aspx">released</a> by Oxera, geo-unblocking would bring less diversity, less content and higher prices for consumers, he argued.</p>
<p>With this message, the MPAA&#8217;s boss encourages film industry insiders to reach out to their elected representatives, to make sure their position is heard.</p>
<p>&#8220;With summer upon us, we are reaching a critical period, and we need to keep the pressure on,&#8221; Dodd adds. &#8220;Your representatives need to hear from you.&#8221; </p>
<p>In a few months time, we will know whether the movie industry pressure will be able to keep the status quo intact, or if the geo-blocking notifications will become less prevalent in the future.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123998
title: Studios & ISPs Clash Over Aussie Pirate Bay Blockade
uri: Studios-ISPs-Clash-Over-Aussie-Pirate-Bay-Blockade
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/DIeIe-V4vtY/
content:
<p><a href="media/c5e87d4f.aus.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/aus.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-96798"><img src="media/dbb74c88.aus.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/aus.jpg" alt="aus" width="250" height="159" class="alignright size-full wp-image-96798"></a>After <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australia-passes-pirate-site-blocking-law-150622/">new legislation</a> was passed last year, the first site-blocking cases were filed in Federal Court during the early part of 2016.</p>
<p>Two major industry players are putting the legislation to the test, with Roadshow Films (the movie division of Village Roadshow) and TV giant Foxtel both seeking to have several pirate sites blocked at the ISP level.</p>
<p>Foxtel wants to render The Pirate Bay, Torrentz, isoHunt and TorrentHound inaccessible in Australia. Roadshow is targeting streaming portal <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-targeted-by-aussie-blockade-refutes-studio-claims-160219/">Solarmovie</a>.</p>
<p>After a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/aussie-pirate-bay-blocking-process-begins-in-federal-court-160315/">hearing in March</a>, entertainment companies and local ISPs appeared in court again this week to thrash out the details. The ISPs aren&#8217;t putting up a fight against blocking per se, but there are still many practical issues to be agreed.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca1968133/s115a.html">Section 115a</a> of the Copyright Act states that ISPs can be forced to block an overseas &#8220;online location&#8221; if its purpose is to infringe copyright. To future-proof the law against new technologies, the term &#8220;online location&#8221; is intentionally broad. No surprise then that rightsholders argued this week that it encompasses blocking more than just IP addresses and URLs.</p>
<p>“[It&#8217;s] a broader shorthand reference for the idea that those responsible for the publication of the digital content at the website accessible by various URLs and IP addresses are within the broader definition of online location,” <a href="http://www.itnews.com.au/news/what-defines-an-online-location-in-australian-piracy-site-blocking-421182">said</a> Foxtel and Roadshow counsel Richard Lancaster.</p>
<p>What rightsholders are striving for is a situation similar to the one in the UK, where sites such as The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents are blocked but proxies and other workarounds can be easily added to existing injunctions. To date, rightsholders and ISPs have been unable to reach agreement on how such a mechanism can be implemented in Australia.</p>
<p>Today, there was further legal argument, and not unexpectedly the ISPs are at odds with several of the studios&#8217; demands.</p>
<p>To cut down on costs, rightsholders want the ability to swiftly add mirrors and proxies to existing blocking orders after formally advising ISPs. They say this will streamline the process and ensure that new blocks are put in place within 15 days.</p>
<p>However, ISPs Telstra, Optus, TPG and M2 say that rightsholders should have to obtain new court orders for each &#8220;workaround&#8221; site that appears.</p>
<p>Counsel for Telstra said that taking the official route would not entail much more work than informally filing a request with ISPs. According to an <a href="http://www.itnews.com.au/news/aussie-isps-fight-against-rolling-piracy-site-blocking-421224">ITNews</a> report, the rightsholders disagreed.</p>
<p>“This is a known problem in the real world. It will be a problem that arises in the implementation of your honor’s orders,&#8221; Richard Lancaster said.</p>
<p>&#8220;And we’re concerned &#8211; given this is the first [blocking] case &#8211; that a procedure be adopted that will not create a real administrative burden for the future in having to do something unnecessary and elaborate such as the [ISPs] suggest.”</p>
<p>Arguing the case for a simplified process, Lancaster said that in the unlikely event of a problem while executing an informal website block, any issues could be quickly be presented to the court for resolution.</p>
<p>“It’s not a proportionate response to the likelihood that these secondary [proxy and mirror] sites will be popping up for the copyright owners to be required to brief lawyers, pay them to prepare an affidavit, file it and serve it and so on. An out of court notification is sufficient by way of technical notice and practical operation.”</p>
<p>While the sides continue to butt heads over the mechanics of blocking, the not insignificant matter of who will pay also persists. Predictably, rightsholders feel that ISPs should foot the bill. ISPs think otherwise.</p>
<p>Arguing that ISPs are &#8220;successful and wealthy organizations,&#8221; Lancaster said that the costs of blocking are both minimal and &#8220;comfortable&#8221; for them to bear. And if ISPs are paying, that will provide them with an incentive to keep costs down.</p>
<p>“In England the rights holders don’t have to pay for implementation because it’s regarded as being part of the business of carrying out the business of an ISP,” Lancaster said.</p>
<p>“The [rights holders] can’t control the cost of implementation. If the [ISPs] bear the cost, that will encourage the most efficient and cost effective way of blocking. It’s appropriate that if the law requires that illegal or infringing content be blocked or stopped, and that requires some action on the part of [ISPs], they should bear those costs.&#8221;</p>
<p>And the rightsholders aren&#8217;t stopping there. Not only do they want ISPs to cover the costs of blocking, they want them to foot all of the legal bills too.</p>
<p>“They’re the ones that turned it into a contested hearing, putting on evidence and rounds of hearings,” Lancaster told the court.</p>
<p>The hearings continue.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124053
title: Piracy Phishing Scam Targets U.S. ISPs and Subscribers
uri: Piracy-Phishing-Scam-Targets-U-S-ISPs-and-Subscribers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/t1VaO17ulhE/
content:
<p><img src="media/5f33ed04.scam1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/scam1.jpg" alt="scam" width="225" height="152" class="alignright size-full wp-image-76894">For more than a decade copyright holders have been monitoring unauthorized downloads. Traditionally this resulted in harmless takedown notices, but increasingly, these warnings are bundled with automated &#8220;fines.&#8221; </p>
<p>Rightscorp and CEG TEK are the best known anti-piracy outfits employing this tactic, and this week another party appeared to have joined.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak was alerted to a takedown notice Lionsgate purportedly sent to a Cox subscriber, for allegedly downloading a pirated copy of the movie Allegiant. Under threat of a lawsuit, the subscriber was asked to pay a $150 settlement fee.</p>
<p>This request is unique as neither Lionsgate nor its tracking company <a href="https://www.ip-echelon.com/">IP-Echelon</a> are known to engage in this practice. </p>
<p>When we contacted IP-Echelon about Lionsgate&#8217;s supposed settlement offer, we heard to our surprise that these emails are part of a large phishing scam, which has at least one large ISPs fooled. </p>
<p>&#8220;The notices are fake and not sent by us. It’s a phishing scam,&#8221; IP-Echelon informed TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>For a phishing scam the fake DMCA notice does its job well. At first sight the email appears to be legit, and for Cox Communications it was real enough to forward it to their customers. </p>
<p><center><strong>Fake takedown notice</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/886d6587.IP-echelon-fake.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/IP-echelon-fake.png" alt="IP-echelon-fake" width="708" height="706" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-124061"></center></p>
<p>If an ISP is fooled, the rest of the scam is even more convincing, since Cox then treats the email as a regular DMCA takedown notice. This means that they forward it to their customers from an official Cox address.</p>
<p>In reality, however, the ip-echelon.report domain isn&#8217;t owned by IP-Echelon and the settlement money goes directly to the phishers.</p>
<p>IP-Echelon and its clients are not happy with having their names exploited in this type of scam. They are aware of the issue and inform us that U.S. law enforcement is currently looking into the matter.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, they suggest that ISPs carefully check the PGP signature before forwarding any notices to their customers.</p>
<p>&#8220;The case is being investigated by US law enforcement. IPE notices are signed with PGP for ISPs to check authenticity,&#8221; IP-Echelon said.</p>
<p>One Cox subscriber who received a notice inquired about the matter in the ISP&#8217;s support forums. She says she didn&#8217;t download the movie in question, and wonders if it could be a scam.</p>
<p>&#8220;I know your email, if real, said not to contact you but I am not sure what to do. I don&#8217;t want to give into a scam or if real pay for something I didn&#8217;t do,&#8221; the subscriber <a href="http://forums.cox.com/forum_home/internet_forum/f/5/p/14338/55805.aspx">writes</a>.</p>
<p>In response, a Cox representative confirmed that the email is real and explained that it was forwarded by the network security team. Apparently, the phishing scam was good enough to have the security experts fooled. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak alerted Cox to the fake notices but at the time of writing we have yet to receive a response. Whether any other ISPs have fallen for the same scam is unknown at this point.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s ironic that Cox is getting caught up in this. The ISP previous refused to forward these type of notices, even legit ones, to its customers. However, this policy was reversed after they <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">lost their court case</a> against BMG late last year. </p>
<p>In any case, Internet subscribers who receive a settlement demand from IP-Echelon, whether it&#8217;s for Lionsgate or another copyright holder, should alert their ISPs to this phishing scam. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123983
title: Researchers Crack ‘Social DRM’ EBook Watermarks
uri: Researchers-Crack-Social-DRM-EBook-Watermarks
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/LI6u5HSykQI/
content:
<p>The unauthorized copying and distribution of copyrighted content is a multi-billion dollar puzzle that entertainment industry companies are desperate to solve.</p>
<p>As such, anti-piracy companies are always trying to come up with new ways to stop people from sharing that material online. With that an almost impossible task, some have taken to watermarking instead, with the aim of tracking content and providing a trail back to the source.</p>
<p>What watermarking (so-called &#8216;Social DRM&#8217;) offers over more traditional DRM mechanisms is that it limits inconvenience to the end user and doesn&#8217;t hinder file compatibility across devices. However, it does have serious privacy implications for those using &#8216;infected&#8217; files. </p>
<p>This problem has become a thorn in the side of a group of researchers calling themselves the Institute for Biblio-Immunology. In an email sent to TorrentFreak this week, the group detailed its work against the <a href="https://www.booxtream.com/">BooXtream</a> watermarking system offered by Dutch company Icontact.</p>
<p>It all began when publisher Verso Books published an <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/2077-the-boy-who-could-change-the-world">eBook version</a> of Aaron Swartz&#8217;s &#8216;The Boy Who Could Change the World&#8217;. This edition of the book prompted an <a href="https://punctumbooks.com/blog/the-boy-who-couldnt-change-the-world">angry response</a> from some quarters and the addition of BooXtream watermarks only made matters worse.</p>
<p>The problem is that BooXtream embeds the personal details of the eBook buyer into the book itself, and this stays with the file forever. If that book turns up anywhere where it shouldn&#8217;t, that purchaser can be held responsible.</p>
<p>Sean B. Palmer, the &#8220;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030117084743/http://www.aaronsw.com/2002/continuity">virtual executor</a>&#8221; of Aaron Swartz, subsequently <a href="https://punctumbooks.com/blog/the-boy-who-couldnt- change-the-world/#comment-129709">asked</a> Verso to remove the watermarks. They refused and it lit a fire under the Institute for Biblio-Immunology (IBI).</p>
<p>After a long process dissecting BooXtream&#8217;s &#8216;Social DRM&#8217; the researchers have now published a lengthy communique which reveals how the watermarking system works and can be defeated.</p>
<p>Speaking with TorrentFreak, IBI says its motivation is clear. Books should inform buyers, not breach their privacy.</p>
<p>&#8220;Books should be used as tools for disseminating knowledge and information. What &#8216;social DRM&#8217; watermarking systems do instead is turn books into tools of surveillance and oppression by monitoring who shares what knowledge, where,&#8221; IBI explain.</p>
<p>&#8220;We don&#8217;t like this, and because the publisher Verso has refused to remove the watermarks themselves, we decided to do it for them, and to show everyone how these systems work.&#8221;</p>
<p>But there are bigger issues at stake. While people in the West take the freedom to read books of their choosing for granted, not everyone has that luxury.</p>
<p>&#8220;Imagine if a watermarked ebook contains someone&#8217;s name (as many do). Suppose that someone is reading that watermarked ebook under a regime that bans the particular kind of material covered in that book,&#8221; IBI add.</p>
<p>&#8220;If the operatives of the regime see the watermark, they would then be able to arrest and perhaps even execute the purchaser of the ebook if they too are living under the same regime.&#8221;</p>
<p>But matters of life and death aside, IBI say they believe that people should not only be able to read whatever they want, they should also be able to share that knowledge with others.</p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s how information spreads across cultures, through unrestrained, free propagation of knowledge. Watermarking systems attempt to corrupt these vectors of knowledge transmission by identifying and then filing legal action against some readers,&#8221; they conclude.</p>
<p>The lengthy report can be found <a href="https://pastebin.com/raw/E1xgCUmb">here</a>. Much of it is fairly technical but in a follow-up email, IBI pointed TF to a <a href="https://github.com/grayleonard/booXtream-ePub-drm-remover">Github page</a> containing a script to automate the processes detailed in their communique.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s likely that BooXtream will respond to this provocation so the war for free access to information and privacy isn&#8217;t over just yet.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124015
title: Rightscorp Pressures ISPs to Hijack Pirates Browsers
uri: Rightscorp-Pressures-ISPs-to-Hijack-Pirates-Browsers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/V0HetntUf7Q/
content:
<p><img src="media/c715a8a7.hijack.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hijack.png" alt="hijack" width="180" height="231" class="alignright size-full wp-image-75668">Rightscorp has made plenty of headlines in recent years, often due its aggressive attempts to obtain settlements from allegedly pirating Internet users.</p>
<p>Thus far these efforts haven&#8217;t been particularly successful. Rightscorp is reporting <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rightscorp-blames-vpns-and-isps-for-drop-in-revenue-160331/">millions in losses</a> and most major Internet providers are not forwarding their settlement demands, even when they are offered a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rightscorp-offered-internet-provider-a-cut-of-piracy-settlements-150525/">cut of the proceeds</a>. </p>
<p>In order to make their services more &#8216;appealing&#8217; to ISPs the anti-piracy firm recently added a new strategy. In addition to sending in notices, it now offers ISPs a system where the browsers of subscribers are locked until they pay their &#8216;fine.&#8217;</p>
<p>We uncovered the browser hijacking plan before, but thanks to a letter made public by Internet provider RCN we can now see how Rightscorp promotes it to ISPs.</p>
<p>The letter detailing Rightscorp&#8217;s proposal was released by RCN this week, as part of the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-isp-sues-music-group-over-piracy-allegations-160615/">court case</a> it started earlier this month. In the letter Rightscorp claims that it&#8217;s tracking tens of thousands of repeat infringers on RCN&#8217;s network, for which it sent over a million notices.</p>
<p>&#8220;Unfortunately, the problem on your network is massive and growing,&#8221; Rightscorp writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is our professional estimation that on an annual basis, there are still 95 million instances of songs, movies, TV shows, software applications and eBooks being distributed illegally on the RCN network annually without compensation to the owners,&#8221; they add.</p>
<p>The anti-piracy outfit says that in order to solve this issue and prevent further Government regulation, repeat infringements have to be properly warned. This means implementing a system where subscribers face serious consequences.</p>
<p>&#8220;In our opinion, the average RCN subscriber simply does not fear that there will be any consequences if they continue to engage in piracy.</p>
<p>&#8220;Rightscorp has a proven solution that has reduced repeat copyright infringers on ISPs that work with us. We see 374% less repeat infringement on ISPs that work with us versus ISPs that do not work with us,&#8221; the letter adds. </p>
<p>Instead of merely forwarding settlement demands, Rightscorp proposes a system where the ISP hijacks subscribers&#8217; browsers. Initially, this would only affect 10% of infringers but the number would gradually increase to 90%. </p>
<p>The letter also contains details about the setup of the hijacking system, which works via a combination of soft and hard redirects. </p>
<p><center><strong>Rightscorp&#8217;s proposal</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/2e1b5c21.rightscrcnletter.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rightscrcnletter.jpg" alt="rightscrcnletter" width="537" height="621" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-124097"></center></p>
<p>The soft redirect will suspend Internet access until the subscribers acknowledge that they&#8217;ve read the notice. After five notices this switches to a hard redirect, which requires subscribers to pay up in order to browse the web again.</p>
<p>&#8220;These single notices will have a button that the subscriber can click to indicate that they have read the notice, and it will disappear,&#8221; Rightscorp explains. </p>
<p>&#8220;Once the subscriber receives five such notices, the subscriber will receive a &#8216;hard redirect&#8217; where the subscriber will have to pay the bill to remove the redirect notice,&#8221; they add.</p>
<p>The letter is framed as a cooperation that can benefit both parties, but also applies some mild pressure here and there. For example, it closes by mentioning the devastating effect piracy can have on copyright holders and reminds the ISP of the major impact it can have.</p>
<p>&#8220;Without the browser hijacking, copyright holders have no option to stop piracy,&#8221; the company claims.</p>
<p>&#8220;Just one RCN subscriber with a 5Mbps upload speed running BitTorrent can give away 1.5 million MBps or 12,000 movies a year for free. We are tracking thousands of RCN subscribers doing exactly that every day.&#8221; </p>
<p>&#8220;Do you really want to stand by and do almost nothing while every American content creator is forced to have their work distributed worldwide for free on your network?&#8221; the letter asks.</p>
<p>We doubt that RCN is cheering on its pirating subscribers. However, the company also doesn&#8217;t appreciate being pressured into commercial partnerships with companies that have a dubious status. </p>
<p>Instead, it declined the offer and filed a lawsuit against music group BMG, one of Rightscorp&#8217;s major clients, describing the company&#8217;s piracy monitoring tools <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-isp-sues-music-group-over-piracy-allegations-160615/">as flawed</a>. Whether any other ISPs will take the bait will become apparent in the future.</p>
<p>Rightscorp&#8217;s full letter can be downloaded here (<a href="media/425a48c7.rcn-rightscorp.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rcn-rightscorp.pdf">pdf</a>).</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124007
title: Help! My VPN Provider Is Compromised By a Gag Order!
uri: Help-My-VPN-Provider-Is-Compromised-By-a-Gag-Order
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/StAQ8hvAVYo/
content:
<p><img src="media/59e11dd9.proxysh-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/proxysh-1.png" alt="proxysh" width="216" height="93" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124043">Millions of Internet users around the world use a VPN to protect their privacy online. One of the key benefits is that it <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-anonymous-review-160220/">hides one&#8217;s true IP-address</a> from third-party monitoring outfits, countering a lot of unwanted snooping. </p>
<p>However, law enforcement is not always happy with these services and in extreme cases can compel VPN providers to start logging internal connections to catch a perpetrator. </p>
<p>This is what <a href="https://www.vpncompare.co.uk/vpn-provider-warrant-canary-sings-gagging-order-received/">appears to have happened</a> to Seychelles-based VPN service Proxy.sh. Earlier this month the company <a href="https://proxy.sh/panel/announcements.php?id=203">excluded</a> one of its nodes from its warrant canary. </p>
<p>&#8220;We would like to inform our users that we do not wish any longer to mention France 8 (85.236.153.236) in our warrant canary until further notice,&#8221; the company announced on its website, and via email to its customers.</p>
<p><center><strong>Proxy.sh&#8217;s warning</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/6c255e6e.proxycana.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/proxycana.png" alt="proxycana" width="600" height="148" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-124046"></center></p>
<p>The <a href="https://proxy.sh/canary">warrant canary</a> states that no warrants, searches or seizures of any kind have been received, but this is no longer true for the French node. The fact that this has been announced indirectly suggests that the company is not allowed to communicate about it publicly.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to Proxy.sh hoping to get some additional information. While no further details were provided, the VPN provider strongly advises its users not to connect to the &#8216;compromised&#8217; node.</p>
<p>&#8220;We recommend our users to no longer connect to it. We are striving to do whatever it takes to include that node into our warrant canary again,&#8221; Proxy.sh says.</p>
<p>&#8220;The warrant canary has been particularly designed to make sure we could still move without being legally able to answer questions in a more detailed manner. We are happy to see it put to use after all and that our users are made aware of it,&#8221; they add.</p>
<p>The announcement will come as a shock to most Proxy.sh users and many will be wondering what they should do next. A good question, but unfortunately not one with an easy answer.</p>
<h4>Leave or stay?</h4>
<p>Some users may be inclined to leave. Why stay with a VPN provider that&#8217;s partly compromised if there are many other alternatives out there? This is a logical and understandable response. </p>
<p>On the other hand, one can also value Proxy.sh&#8217;s transparency in the matter. The company takes its warrant canary seriously where other VPN providers, with or without a warrant canary, may have stayed quiet. </p>
<p>Ironically, the fact that Proxy.sh received a gag order increases the trustworthiness of the company itself, although that comes at a price. </p>
<p>We suspect that there are only a few VPN providers that would suspend their operations &#8220;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavabit">Lavabit style</a>&#8221; on receipt of a narrowly targeted gag order that doesn&#8217;t compromise its service as a whole. Considering the fact that only one node is in question, the request does appear to be rather targeted in this case. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s also worth keeping in mind that many large Internet companies including Google and Facebook receive gag orders on a regular basis. Most users have no clue that this is happening, and others simply don&#8217;t care.</p>
<h4>Trust?</h4>
<p>VPN users who would prefer their VPN provider to shut down instead of complying with a gag order should leave, that much is clear. But how do you know that the next choice will be as transparent as Proxy.sh?</p>
<p>As is often the case it all boils down to trust. Do you trust your VPN provider to handle your private communications carefully, and to what degree does a gag order on one of the nodes change this?</p>
<p>How one answers this question is a matter of personal preference.</p>
<p>Most of our questions to Proxy.sh remained unanswered, presumably due to the court order, but the company was able to provide some additional details on their compliance with orders from various jurisdictions.</p>
<p>While the company is incorporated in the Seychelles, it also complies with orders from other jurisdictions it operates from.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our company respects the law everywhere it operates, but it still has the option to cooperate fully while ceasing any further operations in any specific jurisdiction,&#8221; Proxy.sh says. </p>
<p>&#8220;Depending on the level of threat to our users’ privacy and according to our legal advisers, we take the decision to bring updates to our warrant canary either for a specific node or for a whole country.&#8221;</p>
<p>So what would you do in this situation?</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123798
title: Streaming Site Operators Face Jail & $1.7m Forfeiture
uri: Streaming-Site-Operators-Face-Jail-1-7m-Forfeiture
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/pi6_ZojMvyM/
content:
<p><img src="media/d707f101.swefilmlogo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/swefilmlogo.png" width="180" height="111" class="alignright">Founded half a decade ago, Swefilmer was Sweden&#8217;s most popular unauthorized streaming site.</p>
<p>Offering all the latest movies and TV shows, Swefilmer (and another, Dreamfilm) captured up to 25% of all web TV viewing in Sweden according to a 2015 report.</p>
<p>Last summer, however, the noose began to tighten. In July local man Ola Johansson <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/swedens-largest-streaming-site-will-close-after-raid-150729/">revealed</a> that he’d been raided by the police under suspicion of being involved in running the site.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, police continued the hunt for the site&#8217;s primary operator and in March 2016 it was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/operator-of-swedens-largest-streaming-site-arrested-on-secret-european-warrant-160301/">revealed</a> that a Turkish national had been arrested in Germany on a secret European arrest warrant. The 25-year-old is said to be the person who received donations from users and set up Swefilmer&#8217;s deals with advertisers.</p>
<p>Both men have now been prosecuted by Swedish authorities. In an indictment filed in the Varberg District Court, both men are accused of copyright infringement connected to the unlawful distribution of more than 1,400 movies.</p>
<p>Additionally, the 25-year-old stands accused of aggravated money laundering offenses related to his handling of Swefilmer&#8217;s finances.</p>
<p>The prosecution says that the site generated more than $1.7m between November 2013 and June 2015. More than $1.5m of that amount came from advertising with user donations contributing around $110,000. The state wants the 25-year-old to forfeit the full amount. A $77,000 car and properties worth $233,000 have already been seized.</p>
<p>While both could be sent to prison, the 22-year-old faces less serious charges and will be expected to pay back around $3,600. </p>
<p>The trial, which is expected to go ahead in just over a week, will be the most significant case against a streaming portal in Sweden to date.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124119
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 06/27/16
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-06-27-16
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Syvf4PZS-cU/
content:
<p><img src="media/e3a13982.batsups.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/batsups.png" alt="batsups" width="300" height="174" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124122">This week we have three newcomers in our chart. </p>
<p>Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the most downloaded movie.</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 Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip 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-pirated-movies-week-062016/">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="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_v_superman_dawn_of_justice/">Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2975590/">7.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WWzgGyAH6Y">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/warcraft/">Warcraft</a> (TS/TC)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0803096/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhFMIRuHAL4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/finding_dory/">Finding Dory</a> (HDTS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2277860">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLIy1K8kJPo">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_huntsman_winters_war">The Huntsman: Winter&#8217;s War</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381991/">6.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W65ndip7MM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whiskey_tango_foxtrot/">Whiskey Tango Foxtrot</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3553442/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxAcIWDi8ps">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hardcore_henry/">Hardcore Henry</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3072482">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI1Ovh5JnOE">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_apocalypse/">X-Men: Apocalypse</a> (HDCam/TC)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3385516/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jer8XjMrUB4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eye_in_the_sky/">Eye In The Sky</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2057392/">7.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOqeoj669xg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_divergent_series_allegiant/">Allegiant</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3410834/">5.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvq6cMtT5nA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zootopia/">Zootopia</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2948356/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWM0ct-OLsM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124117
title: If Extradited, How Might Kim Dotcom Be Treated in the US?
uri: If-Extradited-How-Might-Kim-Dotcom-Be-Treated-in-the-US
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/XX0VLJ058MU/
content:
<p><a href="media/4367ffb1.nomm.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/nomm.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-124137"><img src="media/4367ffb1.nomm.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/nomm.jpg" alt="nomm" width="240" height="201" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124137"></a>Following the massive raids on Megaupload and its operators in January 2012, there are few signs that the case is progressing at anything greater than a glacial pace.</p>
<p>Notably, Kim Dotcom and his former business associates continue to live in New Zealand despite efforts by authorities in the United States to have them extradited to face trial.</p>
<p>Dotcom is clear, however. Every time there is a push to tighten the noose, the entrepreneur fights back. This will not be a battle easily won by either side, and the Megaupload founder is as determined as ever to maintain his comfortable and privileged life.</p>
<p>But consider for a moment if it all went wrong. Imagine the final, <em>final</em> appeal fails and an order is handed down for Dotcom to be extradited to the United States. How might that play out? </p>
<p>Thus far, former Megaupload programmer Andrus Nõmm is the only person from the case to have faced justice in the United States. He was sentenced to a year and a day after <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-programmer-arrested-in-the-u-s-150210/">traveling voluntarily</a> to the United States last year.</p>
<p>In all, Nõmm served just over <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-programmer-already-freed-from-u-s-prison-151127/">ten months</a>, a sentence dwarfed by the five decades or more faced by Kim Dotcom. But despite the comparatively short time inside, the 37-year-old Estonian says his experience was still pretty miserable.</p>
<p>In an interview with Estonian journalist <a href="http://www.delfi.ee/news/paevauudised/ekspress/it-mees-johvist-usa-valitsus-ja-kim-dotcom-roovisid-neli-aastat-minu-elust?id=74201189">Toivo Tänavsuu</a> just republished in English by <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/06/from-file-sharing-to-prison-a-megaupload-programmer-tells-his-story">Ars Technica</a>, Nõmm says that things were bad from the outset.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was held in a detention center for a few weeks, and that was worse than prison. You share a closed room which is maybe two by three meters, and you only get out for six to seven hours a day. There are no beds. You only get a 3-4 centimeter thick piece of polyurethane foam which you can lay down on the concrete floor,&#8221; Nõmm says.</p>
<p>While Kim Dotcom was held in prison in New Zealand following his arrest in 2012, conditions were better than this. Nutritionally, markedly so.</p>
<p>&#8220;They gave us enough [food] so that we didn’t die. I was starving all the time,&#8221; Nõmm reveals. &#8220;There were three or four different menus with a list of different things: hamburgers, meatloaf, steak. But no matter what you asked for, they always brought you a tiny, bland burger.&#8221;</p>
<p>But accommodation woes were only the beginning. The Estonian says that when he appeared in court in Virginia, the agreement he&#8217;d signed with the U.S. before departing his former home in the Netherlands had been lost.</p>
<p>&#8220;I actually had to sign a paper with counts to which I hadn’t confessed — for example, the claim that I knew that Megaupload was earning millions. We signed the new agreement half an hour before the hearing. They used very specific English in court, but nobody was interested in whether I needed an interpreter or not,&#8221; he says.</p>
<p>As Nõmm set off to serve his year in prison, he did so on a bus, in shackles.</p>
<p>&#8220;You don’t get any food, you can’t go to the toilet, and sometimes you drive for 12 hours straight,&#8221; he says.</p>
<p>&#8220;They never send you straight to where you’re going. You drive through a number of other prisons first. If you make trouble, say by complaining to the judge that your rights are being violated, you’re put through this thing called &#8216;diesel therapy.&#8217; They bounce you back and forth between prisons like a ping-pong ball.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Megaupload programmer was on the bus for 16 hours, stopping off en route for a 10-day stay in a supermax prison and eventually landing at Moshannon Valley prison in Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>&#8220;The prisoners were in barracks, 80 men to a block. There were five buildings altogether, each of them with six blocks like some kind of big hospital. Most of the inmates did sports. I wasn’t interested in body-building or getting tattoos. I just walked around for hours or read,&#8221; Nõmm says.</p>
<p>&#8220;I read a lot, four or five books a week. I scribbled some plans and specifications for my projects, or watched stupid American TV series. I took Spanish and Chinese courses. Not much of either stuck, but at least it took up my time.&#8221;</p>
<p>While Moshannon Valley is a lower-risk facility, it certainly wasn&#8217;t a walk in the park. Nõmm says that everybody had to work for at least 20 hours each week &#8220;unclogging the toilets, digging pits, painting, or helping sort the books&#8221; and for this the inmates were paid 12 cents per hour. For scale, a pack of coffee cost $4.</p>
<p>Nõmm survived his ordeal and says that prison hasn&#8217;t changed him. Notably, however, he has nothing good to say about Kim Dotcom, despite the Megaupload founder giving him a job and openly supporting the Estonian on Twitter.</p>
<p>&#8220;[Dotcom] is only saying that to make himself look better. He even tried to go into politics in New Zealand to win the elections and change the law so they couldn’t extradite him,&#8221; Nõmm says.</p>
<p>&#8220;He understands that social media has a massive influence. Civil war within Megaupload isn’t in his best interests. He’s this martyr, this freedom fighter.&#8221;</p>
<p>With Nõmm&#8217;s sentence served, he&#8217;s now a free man and can largely put his Megaupload ordeal behind him. Kim Dotcom cannot say the same and Nõmm believes that authorities in the United States will ultimately get their hands on him.</p>
<p>&#8220;He’ll eventually end up in the US. He’ll most likely throw everyone under the bus. Kim’s only interested in Kim,&#8221; he concludes.</p>
<p>Whatever happens next, Dotcom won&#8217;t want to spend fifty minutes in a U.S. prison, let alone 50 years. He&#8217;ll spend every penny he has left to stop that from happening, but this is just the beginning.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124146
title: Game of Thrones Piracy Peaks After Season Finale
uri: Game-of-Thrones-Piracy-Peaks-After-Season-Finale
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Nw7-_kBSWNM/
content:
<p><img src="media/9fc504d2.got6.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/got6.jpg" alt="got6" width="250" height="188" class="alignright size-full wp-image-121258">Traditionally, the Game of Thrones season finale is among the most viewed episodes of the season, also on pirate sites.</p>
<p>With the Internet abuzz over the latest plot twists and turns, many people turned to torrent sites to grab a pirated copy of the show.</p>
<p>The first episodes appeared online shortly after the official broadcast ended and at the time of writing more than 350,000 people are actively sharing a copy. This is the highest number we&#8217;ve seen this year. </p>
<p>Data gathered by TorrentFreak estimates that after just eight hours, well over a million people have already downloaded the final episode of this season via BitTorrent. Millions more are expected to follow during the days to come.</p>
<p>The most popular release is currently an HD version of little over a gigabyte. This is different from previous years, when SD copies were consistently the most downloaded of all. </p>
<p>While the demand is significant, there is no all time &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/game-of-thrones-season-finale-breaks-piracy-record-150615/">swarm record</a>&#8221; to report. Also, the overall download numbers appear to be roughly on par with previous years, perhaps a bit lower. </p>
<p>Although it&#8217;s too early to jump to conclusions, there are a few explanations why Game of Thrones piracy might no longer be growing, via torrents at least. </p>
<p>For one, the number of legal alternatives have been growing steadily in recent years. Also, the same is true for &#8220;unauthorized&#8221; streaming sites where people can view pirated copies of Game of Thrones episodes instantly.</p>
<p>Another factor may be that HBO significantly cranked up its enforcement efforts this year. As a result, it is quite hard, or impossible, to find recent Game of Thrones episodes on some popular torrent sites. </p>
<p>The &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hbo-warns-game-of-thrones-pirates-removes-torrents-160507/">disappearing</a>&#8221; torrents also lead to scattered swarms, making it harder to break the previous record. Time will tell how this apparent trend develops during the years to come.</p>
<p>That said, it is worth keeping in mind that interest in the show still dwarfs the competition. This means that there is little doubt that it will be crowned the most downloaded TV show for the fifth year in a row. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124041
title: Judge Dismisses Movie Piracy Case, IP-Address Doesn’t Prove Anything
uri: Judge-Dismisses-Movie-Piracy-Case-IP-Address-Doesn-t-Prove-Anything
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/1feWCRctdjk/
content:
<p><img src="media/17a592c8.trollsign.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/trollsign.jpg" alt="trollsign" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-108977">For more than half a decade so-called &#8220;copyright trolling&#8221; cases have been keeping the U.S. judicial system busy. </p>
<p>While new cases are still filed every week, there are signs that some judges are growing tired of the practice, and are increasingly skeptical about the claims made by copyright holders.</p>
<p>In the Oregon District Court, Magistrate Judge Stacie Beckerman recently recommended dismissal of a complaint filed by the makers of the Adam Sandler movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3203616/">The Cobbler</a>. </p>
<p>According to the Judge both claims of direct and indirect infringement were not sufficient for the case to continue. What&#8217;s unique in this case, is that the direct infringement claims were dismissed <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sua_sponte">sua sponte</a></em>, which <a href="https://fightcopyrighttrolls.com/2016/06/26/two-breathtaking-first-time-precedents-demonstrate-that-copyright-troll-lawsuits-cannot-withstand-meaningful-judicial-scrutiny/">hasn&#8217;t happened before</a>.</p>
<p>To prove direct infringement copyright holders merely have to make it &#8220;plausible&#8221; that a defendant, Thomas Gonzales in this case, is indeed the copyright infringer. </p>
<p>This is traditionally done by pointing out that the IP-address is directly linked to the defendant&#8217;s Internet connection, for example. However, according to Judge Beckerman this is not enough.</p>
<p>&#8220;The only facts Plaintiff pleads in support of its allegation that Gonzales is the infringer, is that he is the subscriber of the IP address used to download or distribute the movie, and that he was sent notices of infringing activity to which he did not respond. That is not enough,&#8221; she writes in her recommendation. </p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiff has not alleged any specific facts tying Gonzales to the infringing conduct. While it is possible that the subscriber is also the person who downloaded the movie, it is also possible that a family member, a resident of the household, or an unknown person engaged in the infringing conduct.&#8221;</p>
<p>That an outsider could be the pirate is not unlikely. The defendant operates an adult foster care home where several people had access to the Internet. The filmmakers were aware of this and during a hearing their counsel admitted that any guest could have downloaded the film.</p>
<p>To gather more information, the filmmakers were allowed to depose Gonzales, but this didn&#8217;t result in any additional evidence. Nevertheless, they amended the complaint to name Gonzales as the defendant, which is not correct according to Judge Beckerman.</p>
<p>&#8220;Based on the facts alleged in the First Amended Complaint, Gonzales is but one of many possible infringers, and Plaintiff’s allegation that Gonzales is the infringer is just a guess.&#8221; </p>
<p>“&#8217;Plausible&#8217; does not mean certain, but it does mean &#8216;likely,&#8217; and Plaintiff has not pled sufficient facts to support its allegation that Gonzales is the likely infringer here. Accordingly, the district judge should dismiss Plaintiff’s claim for copyright infringement.&#8221;</p>
<p>The filmmakers also tried to hold Gonzales accountable for the infringements of others through his connection, but the Judge concluded that a claim of indirect copyright infringement doesn&#8217;t hold up here either.</p>
<p>In <a href="media/709eacdd.gov.uscourts.ord.121926.35.0.pdf" data-original-source="http://ia600203.us.archive.org/13/items/gov.uscourts.ord.121926/gov.uscourts.ord.121926.35.0.pdf">March</a>, Beckerman recommended dismissing the claims for both direct and indirect copyright infringement, a conclusion District Court Judge Anna Brown <a href="media/b273dea7.brownorder.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/brownorder.pdf">adopted</a> earlier this month. </p>
<p>&#8220;This Court agrees with the Magistrate Judge that Plaintiff has failed to allege sufficient facts to state a plausible claim &#8220;tending to exclude the possibility that an alternative explanation is true&#8221;,&#8221; she concludes. </p>
<p>While not all judges across the country may come to the same conclusion, the ruling offers hope for defendants who are in a similar position. Suing alleged BitTorrent pirates is still an option but increasingly judges demand additional proof.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124172
title: Europe’s ‘Net Neutrality’ Rules Fail to Ban BitTorrent Throttling
uri: Europe-s-Net-Neutrality-Rules-Fail-to-Ban-BitTorrent-Throttlin
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FiuqBQgZ1Xk/
content:
<p><img src="media/9aeb5988.nneu.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/nneu.png" alt="nneu" width="222" height="194" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124173">For several years politicians have debated on how Europe should approach net neutrality.</p>
<p>Late last year the results of these negotiations <a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32015R2120&#038;rid=2">were included</a> in the Telecoms Single Market (TSM) regulation. </p>
<p>While the rules offer improvements for some individual members states, various activist groups and experts warn that they don&#8217;t offer real network neutrality.</p>
<p>The current language would allow ISPs to throttle BitTorrent traffic permanently if that would optimize overall “transmission quality.” This is not a far-fetched argument, since torrent traffic can be quite demanding on a network.</p>
<p>To address this issue a coalition of activist groups have launched a campaign, hoping to change the current plans. They urge Europeans to have their voice heard in a public consultation that was launched by Europe&#8217;s regulatory body <a href="http://berec.europa.eu/eng/news_consultations/ongoing_public_consultations/3771-public-consultation-on-draft-berec-guidelines-on-implementation-of-net-neutrality-rules">BEREC</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;We need to deliver thousands of comments to regulators, explaining to them why they should pass strong net neutrality guidelines that ban ISPs from doing class-based throttling, or zero-rating,&#8221; Holmes Wilson of Fight for the Future (<a href="https://www.fightforthefuture.org/">FFTF</a>) says.</p>
<p>FFTF is one of the driving forces behind the <a href="http://savenetneutrality.eu/">Save Net Neutrality</a> campaign. According to Wilson, BitTorrent users should be particularly concerned as the current rules do next to nothing to prevent throttling.</p>
<p>&#8220;Europe’s new net-neutrality rules should ban throttling BitTorrent, but they don’t. They leave ISPs a loophole,&#8221; Wilson tells TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>&#8220;ISPs can say they’re doing it for &#8216;traffic management&#8217; purposes—even when their networks aren’t clogged, because the rules say they can throttle to &#8216;prevent impending network congestion&#8217;,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>In addition to file-sharing traffic, the proposed rules also allow Internet providers to interfere with encrypted traffic including VPN connections. Since encrypted traffic can’t be classified through deep packet inspection, ISPs may choose to de-prioritize it altogether.</p>
<p>In theory, ISPs may choose to throttle any type of traffic they want, as long as they frame it as a network congestion risk.</p>
<p>&#8220;So if your ISP is lazy, or wants to cut corners and save money, they can throttle BitTorrent, or VPNs, or Bitcoin, or Tor, or any class of traffic they can identify,&#8221; Wilson says.</p>
<p>The &#8220;<a href="http://www.savenetneutrality.eu/">EU Slowdown</a>” campaign that was launched today encourages the public to have their say on the matter, hoping to improve the current rules. Thus far 7,000 sites are participating already, with many displaying a “Slow Loading” icon.</p>
<p>Wilson hopes that more sites will join in. Torrent sites in particular may want to urge their users to participate.</p>
<p>&#8220;We think the torrent community has a lot at stake here, so we hope that torrent sites and the makers of torrent clients can join in, starting today, or through the July 18th deadline for comments,&#8221; Wilson says.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124170
title: ‘Denuvo Crack Video’ & Rumors Excite Pirates
uri: Denuvo-Crack-Video-Rumors-Excite-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/kMGRqQ8mEXc/
content:
<p><a href="media/05d838b7.denuvo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/denuvo.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-116067"><img src="media/fe5f698e.denuvo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/denuvo.jpg" alt="denuvo" width="210" height="109" class="alignright size-full wp-image-116067"></a>For several decades owners of home computers have been aware of a simple fact. If legitimate software is available, it can be copied for use by someone who hasn&#8217;t paid for it.</p>
<p>For years this was as simple as audio-recording a cassette tape or cloning disks of various kinds, but more recently things have become decidedly more challenging. Digital Rights Management, or DRM as it&#8217;s more often known, is now a serious thorn in the side of software pirates.</p>
<p>The situation is being felt most acutely in the gaming world, where various protection methods are beginning to take their toll on those who prefer not to pay for the biggest games around.</p>
<p>In particular, the infamous Denuvo DRM anti-tamper system is responsible for keeping games such as Just Cause 3, Doom, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and a raft of other titles out of the hands of pirates. However, partially confirmed rumors emanating from Russia suggest that the cracks (excuse the pun) might be appearing in Denuvo.</p>
<p>Just to be clear, until such time that a working crack appears in the wild, most rumors (and there have been plenty of them recently) should be taken with a generous pinch of salt. However, during the past 24 hours, there have been unusual levels of excitement to suggest a crack might actually be close to surfacing.</p>
<p>The game at the forefront of discussion is the critically-acclaimed Rise of the Tomb Raider (ROTTR) from Square Enix. Like many Denuvo protected titles, ROTTR has thus far proven uncrackable but according to sources on Russian sites MKDev and Exelab, serious progress is being made.</p>
<p>What is causing the most excitement is a video which claims to show a crack of ROTTR in action. With most notation in Russian it&#8217;s difficult to follow in precise detail, but from the images alone it seems very likely that the game has been compromised, at least up to a point. (<a href="https://yadi.sk/i/R7U4UT0EspQoy">Watch here (low frame rate)</a>)</p>
<p><center><a href="media/409c073c.rottr1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rottr1.png" rel="attachment wp-att-124196"><img src="media/409c073c.rottr1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rottr1.png" alt="rottr1" width="650" height="365" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-124196"></a></center></p>
<p>So who is taking credit for this amazing feat? Well officially, no one yet, but various clues suggest that the crack is the product of a collaboration between a Russian hacker known online as Bronco and Scene group RELOADED (RLD).</p>
<p>While RLD is predictably saying nothing, yesterday Bronco gave a shout out to RLD on Exelab&#8217;s forums in a posting which included the words &#8220;special thanks RLD and v00doo.&#8221; </p>
<p>Furthermore, MKDEV (who is also working on Denuvo and was responsible for cracking Football Manager 2016) is indicating on his site (in broken English) that RLD might soon be delivering a crack for Rise of the Tomb Raider.</p>
<p>&#8220;SOON THEY ARE COMING … 1 BY 1 NOT BY OUR HAND BUT…RLD…ROTTR…,&#8221; his message reads.</p>
<p>Additionally, a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackStatus/comments/4q3gnh/mkdev_confirms_someone_else_cracked_denuvo_and/d4q6pp5">hi-res image</a> from the &#8216;crack&#8217; video appears to show &#8216;RLD!&#8217; in the near right-hand corner, perhaps more evidence that RLD played a major role in what is currently happening.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/301b5872.rottr2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rottr2.png" rel="attachment wp-att-124198"><img src="media/301b5872.rottr2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rottr2.png" alt="rottr2" width="650" height="382" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-124198"></a></center></p>
<p>In the absence of any &#8216;official&#8217; announcement some <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackStatus/comments/4q4ldh/to_clear_up_misconceptions_about_denuvo_crack/">analysis</a> has been provided by an individual known online as RengarSenpai. He has also been working on Denuvo and appears to have gained access to some of MKDEV&#8217;s research in the past.</p>
<p>&#8220;The truth is that Denuvo is fully cracked for that specific game [Rise of the Tomb Raider], not emulated or worked around,&#8221; he writes. </p>
<p>But of course, the proof of the pudding is always in the eating and short of the all-important crack appearing in public, many will doubt it even exists.</p>
<p>Still, that hasn&#8217;t stopped the breathless celebrations starting early, especially from those prepared to download mysterious .exe files labeled up as Rise of the Tomb Raider cracks.</p>
<p>Rest assured, they&#8217;re all fakes&#8230;.at least for now.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124202
title: Steal This Show S01E12: ‘Pirates – The Indie Producer’s Best Friend?’
uri: Steal-This-Show-S01E12-Pirates-The-Indie-Producer-s-Best-Fr
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/U2MxFQAyrio/
content:
<p><img src="media/bdfe7b85.stslogo1-e1448220349193.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/stslogo1-e1448220349193.png" alt="stslogo" width="222" height="222" class="alignright size-full wp-image-113912">In this episode <a href="http://www.sub-genre.com/about/">Brian Newman</a>, CEO of <a href="http://www.sub-genre.com">SubGenre</a>, discusses entertainment artists against the DMCA, British Lords against copyright trolls, and Dutch film producers suing ISPs. </p>
<p>Brian brings fresh perspective on the question of whether piracy&#8217;s really hurting indie film producers – and argues that piracy may not be a failure of morality, but of business.</p>
<p>He further explains how for him, P2P and sharing represents a real chance for filmmakers to develop audiences as the depth of choice available on services like Netflix is shrinking, Brian argues that piracy can be an important means of discovery for these companies.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><a href="https://stealthisshow.com">Steal This Show</a> aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing copyright and file-sharing news. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary and analysis. </p>
<p>The guests for our news discussions will vary and we&#8217;ll aim to introduce voices from different backgrounds and persuasions. In addition to news, STS will also produce features interviewing some of the great innovators and minds. </p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Jamie King</p>
<p><strong>Guest:</strong> <a href="http://www.sub-genre.com/about/">Brian Newman</a></p>
<p><center><iframe width="100%" height="180px" src="//stealthisshow.com/?lpe-frame=1&#038;lpe-season=1&#038;lpe-episode=12" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></p>
<p><strong>Produced </strong> <em>by </em>Jamie King<br>
<strong>Edited &#038; Mixed</strong> <em>by</em> Riley Byrne<br>
<strong>Original Music</strong> <em>by</em> David Triana<br>
<strong>Web Production</strong> <em>by</em> Siraje Amarniss</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124220
title: We’re Not Liable for Pirating Subscribers, Windstream Tells Court
uri: We-re-Not-Liable-for-Pirating-Subscribers-Windstream-Tells-Court
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/oD-HCzoqDfg/
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">Can an Internet provider be held liable for subscribers who share pirated files? Yes, a Virginia federal jury <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">ruled late last year</a>.</p>
<p>This verdict caused shockwaves in the ISP industry when several companies suddenly realized that they could become the next target.</p>
<p>With 1.1 million subscribers in the United States, <a href="http://www.windstream.com/">Windstream</a> is one of the &#8216;candidates.&#8217; The company is well aware of this risk but instead of waiting around the ISP is taking the initiative.</p>
<p>This week Windstream filed a complaint for declaratory judgment at a New York District Court, directed against music rights group <a href="https://www.bmg.com/">BMG</a> and its anti-piracy partner <a href="http://www.rightscorp.com/">Rightscorp</a>.</p>
<p>For several years BMG has accused Windstream and its subscribers of various copyright infringements. The notices they send are issued by the monitoring outfit Rightscorp and often come with a settlement demand for the account holders.</p>
<p>Windstream, however, says that it&#8217;s not in any way obligated to forward these notices to the subscribers in question. Instead, the ISP points out that it&#8217;s a mere conduit for Internet services.</p>
<p>&#8220;Similar to other ISPs, Windstream only provides Internet connectivity, making it a mere conduit for the transmission of Internet services,&#8221; Windstream writes in its complaint.</p>
<p>&#8220;As a pipeline to the Internet, Windstream does not monitor or otherwise control the manner in which its subscribers utilize their Windstream Internet connection and does not initiate, control, select or modify the material or content transmitted by Windstream subscribers over Windstream’s network.&#8221; </p>
<p>According to the ISP, the notices sent by Rightscorp also lack sufficient information to prove that actual copyright infringements have taken place by their customers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants have no direct evidence that any Windstream subscriber is engaged in direct copyright infringement and Windstream, as a mere conduit for the transmission of Internet services, cannot be held liable for direct copyright infringement,&#8221; the complaint reads.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/3bfad072.nodirwind.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/nodirwind.png" alt="nodirwind" width="599" height="197" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-124251"></center> </p>
<p>Windstream previously made its position clear to both BMG and Rightscorp and tried to come to a resolution, but that didn&#8217;t stop more notices being sent to the ISP. </p>
<p>Instead, the companies maintain that Windstream is liable for contributory and vicarious copyright infringement, and accuse it of failing to disconnect repeat infringers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants claim that Windstream’s knowledge and allowance of unchecked infringement on its network makes Windstream liable for secondary copyright infringement and actual or statutory damages as high as $150,000 per infringed work.&#8221; </p>
<p>These allegations go way too far, Windstream believes. As a result, the company is seeking a judgment declaring that it&#8217;s not liable for the infringing actions of its subscribers under the DMCA&#8217;s safe harbor provisions, among other things. </p>
<p>“Defendants have no direct evidence that any Windstream subscriber engaged in direct copyright infringement and Windstream, as a mere conduit for the transmission of Internet services, cannot be held liable for direct copyright infringement,” they write.</p>
<p>In addition, the ISP says that it doesn&#8217;t authorize, direct or encourage its subscribers to pirate anything. Nor does it profit from the alleged copyright infringements that may take place on their network.</p>
<p>With this lawsuit Windstream hopes to obtain legal clarity on several key issues. Aside from the broader liability question, the ISP also asks the court to declare that it&#8217;s not required to comply with or respond to Rightscorp&#8217;s notices at all, under the DMCA.</p>
<p>Windstream&#8217;s lawsuit is similar to the one <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-isp-sues-music-group-over-piracy-allegations-160615/">filed by RCN</a> earlier this month, although the latter doesn&#8217;t include Rightscorp as a defendant. These are likely to be followed closely by the larger ISPs, as the outcomes will have a major impact on the industry.</p>
<p>The full complaint is available <a href="media/a2ad6fd8.windstream-complaint.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/windstream-complaint.pdf">here (pdf)</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124218
title: DMCA Notices Nuke 8,268 Projects on Github
uri: DMCA-Notices-Nuke-8-268-Projects-on-Github
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/HyoAHlQ6-EQ/
content:
<p><a href="media/81d7c5cd.github.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/github.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-95413"><img src="media/3f278289.github.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/github.jpg" alt="github" width="180" height="180" class="alignright size-full wp-image-95413" srcset="http://torrentfreak.com/images/github-150x150.jpg 150w, http://torrentfreak.com/images/github.jpg 180w" sizes="(max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px"></a>Without a doubt, <a href="https://github.com">Github</a> is a huge player in the world of coding. The platform is the largest of its type in the world with the company currently reporting 15 million users collaborating across 38 million repositories.</p>
<p>As the development platform used by file-sharing projects including the infamous Popcorn Time, Github appears a few times a year here on TF. Those appearances are often due to various types of copyright disputes, from allegedly infringing projects to allegedly stolen code.</p>
<p>When it comes to Github copyright complaints, those reported here are the tip of a vast iceberg but thanks to the transparency report just published by the company, we now have a much clearer idea of the numbers involved.</p>
<p>&#8220;In 2015, we received significantly more takedown notices, and took down significantly more content, than we did in 2014,&#8221; Github reports.</p>
<p>Last year the company received just 258 DMCA notices, with 17 of those responded to with a counter-notice or retraction. In 2015, that number jumped to 505 takedown notices, with just 62 the subject of counters or withdrawals.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/82f2150e.githubdmca1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/githubdmca1.png" rel="attachment wp-att-124231"><img src="media/82f2150e.githubdmca1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/githubdmca1.png" alt="githubdmca1" width="650" height="429" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-124231"></a></center></p>
<p>But while tracking and reporting the numbers of DMCA notices is useful, the numbers shown above obscure a more serious situation. Copyright holders are not limited to reporting one URL or location per DMCA notice. In fact, each notice filed can target tens, hundreds, or even thousands of allegedly infringing locations.</p>
<p>&#8220;Often, a single takedown notice can encompass more than one project. We wanted to look at the total number of projects, such as repositories, Gists, and Pages sites, that we had taken down due to DMCA takedown requests in 2015,&#8221; Github writes.</p>
<p>When processed, a much bigger picture was revealed.</p>
<p><Center><a href="media/26b73296.githubdmca2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/githubdmca2.png" rel="attachment wp-att-124232"><img src="media/26b73296.githubdmca2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/githubdmca2.png" alt="githubdmca2" width="650" height="429" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-124232"></a></center></p>
<p>By any measure, September 2015 was a particularly active month and this naturally raised alarm bells at Github. Upon investigation, it became clear that the company had received DMCA notices that targeted many repositories all at once.</p>
<p>&#8220;Usually, the DMCA reports we receive are from people or organizations reporting a single potentially infringing repository. However, every now and then we receive a single notice asking us to take down many repositories,&#8221; Github explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;We classified &#8216;Mass Removals&#8217; as any takedown notice asking us to remove content from more than one hundred repositories, counting each fork separately, in a single takedown notice.&#8221;</p>
<p>When these type of notices are withdrawn from the report, Github says that DMCA notice frequency normalizes across the year, but nevertheless they still represent a significant proportion of the notices received. <em>(A &#8216;Frequent Noticer&#8217; is someone who sends more than four notices in a year)</em></p>
<p><center><a href="media/2549c9b4.githubdmca3.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/githubdmca3.png" rel="attachment wp-att-124236"><img src="media/2549c9b4.githubdmca3.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/githubdmca3.png" alt="githubdmca3" width="650" height="426" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-124236"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;While 83% of our 505 DMCA takedown notices came in from individuals and organizations sending requests to take down small numbers of repositories, the remaining 17% of notices accounted for the overwhelming majority of the content we actually removed,&#8221; Github says.</p>
<p>&#8220;In all, fewer than twenty individual notice senders requested removal of over 90% of the content GitHub took down in 2015.&#8221;</p>
<p>Finally, Github provides detail on important issues surrounding user privacy, which mainly affects those who maintain projects that are likely to attract legal attention.</p>
<p>In 2014, Github received a total of 10 subpoenas relating to projects it hosts. Last year that grew to 12 and in total the company handed over information in 83% of cases.</p>
<p>However, due to gagging orders, affected users were only given notice in just 30% of cases. Github received seven gag orders in 2015, up from four in 2014.</p>
<p>Finally, Github touches on the issue of National Security Orders.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are not allowed to say much about this last category of legal disclosure requests, including national security letters from law enforcement and orders from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court,&#8221; the company writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;If one of these requests comes with a gag order — and they usually do — that not only prevents us from talking about the specifics of the request but even the existence of the request itself.&#8221;</p>
<p>To that end, Github &#8216;reveals&#8217; that it received somewhere between zero and 249 National Security Orders in 2015. The full report is available <a href="https://github.com/blog/2202-github-s-2015-transparency-report">here</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124235
title: Landmark Piracy Trial Suspended Pending EU Ruling
uri: Landmark-Piracy-Trial-Suspended-Pending-EU-Ruling
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/OO2k3yUCMsE/
content:
<p><a href="media/c579e316.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-86520"><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>Following successful prosecutions of torrent site operators such as those behind The Pirate Bay, Sweden has turned to the increasing problem of online streaming.</p>
<p>Cases involving streaming sites are relatively rare and as a result, case law is thin on the ground. Nevertheless, last year Swedish authorities felt confident enough to close down the country&#8217;s most popular streaming site.</p>
<p>Founded half a decade ago, Swefilmer took advantage of increasing trends towards browser-based viewing of pirate content. In addition to convenience and a non-existent learning curve, advanced users were also attracted to the perceived security benefits of streaming platforms.</p>
<p>Swefilmer gained significant traction but that came to an end last summer when one of the site&#8217;s operators was arrested and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/swedens-largest-streaming-site-will-close-after-raid-150729/">detained for 90 hours</a>. </p>
<p>That was followed this year by the <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/operator-of-swedens-largest-streaming-site-arrested-on-secret-european-warrant-160301/">detention of the site&#8217;s main operator</a> in Germany, following the execution of a secret European arrest warrant.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/streaming-site-operators-face-jail-1-7m-forfeiture-160626/">reported</a> last week, the men &#8211; aged 22 and 25 &#8211; were recently prosecuted. Together they face charges of facilitating copyright infringement of more than 1,400 movies alongside penalties of $1.7m.</p>
<p>Swefilmer&#8217;s primary operator also stands accused of aggravated money laundering offenses related to his handling of the site&#8217;s finances.</p>
<p>The Swefilmer case is one of the most important prosecutions in Sweden&#8217;s piracy crackdown history and this week the trial began as planned. Entertainment giants including Disney, Sony, Warner, Universal and Fox lined up Tuesday to take down their adversaries, but things didn&#8217;t go to plan.</p>
<p>Rather than the relatively open-and-shut case anticipated by the prosecution, after just a few hours a decision was made to <a href="http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=128&#038;artikel=6462504">suspend</a> the case.</p>
<p>&#8220;We asked the court to seek a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice, and we got what we wanted,&#8221; <a href="http://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/halland/rattegangen-mot-swefilm-inleds">says</a> Claes Kennedy, the lawyer representing the 22-year-old.</p>
<p>While Kennedy&#8217;s client admits to having been involved in the operation of Swefilmer, all along he has maintained that his actions did not amount to a crime. Why that might indeed be true lies in a case currently in the hands of the ECJ.</p>
<p>The case deals with a dispute between Dutch blog GeenStijl.nl and Playboy. In 2011, GeenStijl published a post linking to leaked Playboy photos, which were stored on file-hosting platform FileFactory.</p>
<p>Although Playboy publisher Sanoma successfully requested the removal of the photos from FileFactory, GeenStijl continued to link to other public sources where the images were still available. This, Sanoma argued, amounted to infringement.</p>
<p>A Dutch Court subsequently asked the EU Court of Justice to rule whether those links could be seen as a ‘communication to the public’ under Article 3(1) of the Copyright Directive of the Copyright Directive, and whether they facilitated copyright infringement.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, Advocate General Melchior Wathelet delivered <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/linking-to-pirated-content-is-not-copyright-infringement-160407/">his advice</a> to the ECJ, noting that in his opinion &#8220;linking&#8221; is not the same as &#8220;making available&#8221; &#8211; that would only apply to the original uploader. That means that GeenStijl’s acts of linking would not amount to infringement, the ECJ summarized.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hyperlinks which lead, even directly, to protected works are not ‘making them available’ to the public when they are already freely accessible on another website, and only serve to facilitate their discovery,” the EU Court of Justice wrote.</p>
<p>The Advocate General’s advice is not binding, but the ECJ often gives significant weight to this kind of expert opinion. The final verdict is expected to be released later this year and Claes Kennedy is hoping for a positive outcome for his client.</p>
<p>&#8220;What we know so far, is that linking to another website is not to be considered the same as making available to the public. But we are waiting for a decision from the EU Court,&#8221; Kennedy says.</p>
<p>So for now the Swefilmer trial is on hold, initially until September but potentially later depending on when the ECJ hands down its ruling. Whenever it arrives the decision will have implications way beyond this case and right across Europe.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=123984
title: MPAA’s Domain Name ‘Policing’ Results in First Suspensions
uri: MPAA-s-Domain-Name-Policing-Results-in-First-Suspensions
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AzablQCnjPI/
content:
<p><img src="media/1f9a16ec.mpaa-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mpaa-1.jpg" alt="mpaa" width="222" height="163" class="alignright size-full wp-image-119098">In recent years various entertainment industry groups have switched their efforts away from legislation, towards voluntary cooperation with various stakeholders.</p>
<p>This has resulted in several agreements with Internet providers, advertising agencies and payment processors, which are all designed to help prevent piracy.</p>
<p>A few months ago this strategy was expanded to cover key players in the domain name industry. In February, the MPAA and the Donuts registry signed a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/inside-the-mpaas-piracy-deal-with-the-donuts-domain-registry-160210/">landmark agreement</a> under which the movie industry group acts as &#8220;trusted notifier&#8221; of &#8220;pirate&#8221; domains. </p>
<p>Traditionally, it has been very hard for rightsholders to get domain names suspended without a court order, but through voluntary agreements this process is simplified. </p>
<p>A few months have passed since the initial announcement and according to the domain registry the first results are positive. </p>
<p>The MPAA referred the first three domain names to Donuts in March. After a careful inspection, the registry agreed that the associated sites were indeed linked to illegal downloading or streaming.</p>
<p>&#8220;We concluded that the first two were identical to well-known pirated content websites, which were subjects of prior court orders and were illegally streaming and providing downloads of movies, including those still in theaters. The third was dedicated to illegally downloading and live streaming television series,&#8221; Donuts <a href="http://www.donuts.domains/donuts-media/blog/the-trusted-notifier-program-outcomes-of-first-referrals-by-mpaa">notes</a>.</p>
<p>In response, Donuts alerted the responsible domain name registrars about the infringing conduct, paired with a request to inform the persons who registered the domains. </p>
<p>This eventually resulted in two domain name suspensions on the registrar level. In the third case the site&#8217;s hosting provider took the site offline. </p>
<p>Neither Donuts nor the MPAA have published the targeted domain names. However, additional research reveals that the Donuts domain Primewire.guru was suspended recently, which fits the profile. </p>
<p><center><strong>Primewire.guru, now suspended</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/e3addb96.primewireguru.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/primewireguru.jpg" alt="primewireguru" width="600" height="344" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-124250"></center></p>
<p>A few weeks after the first reports, MPAA submitted another set of three &#8220;allegedly infringing&#8221; domain names. In two of these cases Donuts agreed that the sites were violating their abuse policies, and after the registrants failed to reply, the domains were suspended. </p>
<p>The third domain name, which remains unnamed, is dedicated to streaming TV series. However, after discussions with the registrar and the owner of the domain, no direct action was taken. The domain owner apparently argued that the site complies with takedown requests, so Donuts says that further investigation is needed to make a final decision. </p>
<p>While the MPAA&#8217;s efforts have resulted in some suspensions, there are still several &#8220;pirate&#8221; sites online with Donuts managed domains. This includes domains with the prominent .movie TLD, so there&#8217;s still plenty of policing to do.</p>
<p>From the registry point of view Donuts is satisfied with the progress so far. They are happy to contribute in the &#8220;continuing battle against pervasive illegal online piracy&#8221; but stress that they aren&#8217;t suspending domains names on a whim. </p>
<p>&#8220;Donuts has been extremely careful in balancing the rights of its end-user customers along with those of copyright holders. We continue to believe this is a useful and efficient manner for addressing blatant online piracy, and we encourage others in the domain name community to follow suit with similar programs,&#8221; the registry concludes.</p>
<p>The MPAA&#8217;s Chief of Global Content Protection, Dean Marks, agrees and hopes that more domain name registries will come onboard in the near future.</p>
<p>In addition to the deal with Donuts, the MPAA also signed a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-signs-anti-piracy-deal-with-large-domain-registry-160413/">similar agreement with Radix</a>, Asia&#8217;s largest new gTLD applicant. Whether more registries will follow in the future has yet to be seen.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124297
title: Google Senior Counsel Defends Company’s Anti-Piracy Measures
uri: Google-Senior-Counsel-Defends-Company-s-Anti-Piracy-Measures
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/WlpRY2UlnUQ/
content:
<p><a href="media/2ca46867.google-water.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/google-water.png" rel="attachment wp-att-89037"><img src="media/2ca46867.google-water.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/google-water.png" alt="google-water" width="250" height="153" class="alignright size-full wp-image-89037"></a>While threats against The Pirate Bay were once in vogue, entertainment industry outfits have already decided that attacking ancillary legitimate companies might be the way forward.</p>
<p>As a result (and despite going way beyond its obligations under current copyright law) Google is increasingly being made the scapegoat for the world&#8217;s piracy problems.</p>
<p>Someone uploads illegal content to YouTube? That must be Google&#8217;s fault. Google indexes an allegedly infringing site among the millions of others it indexes? Google&#8217;s fault too, even though it&#8217;s prepared to deindex any number of pages on request. </p>
<p>In short, whatever the company does, it&#8217;s never enough, and the pressure is being ramped up from all angles from those who expect Google to become the Internet police.</p>
<p>Last evening TF published an <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaas-domain-name-policing-results-in-first-suspensions-160630/">article</a> detailing how the MPAA&#8217;s deal with the Donuts registry had resulted in the disabling of the Primewire.guru domain.</p>
<p>The piece was retweeted by Google Senior Counsel <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_von_Lohmann">Fred von Lohmann</a> but soon others were weighing in. Lawyer <a href="https://twitter.com/devlinhartline">Devlin Hartline</a> from the <a href="http://cpip.gmu.edu/">Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property</a> immediately accused Google of being part of the problem.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bye, <a href="https://t.co/s6nqGfpa6D">https://t.co/s6nqGfpa6D</a>! Google helped you: <a href="https://t.co/VmjkA8gStl">https://t.co/VmjkA8gStl</a> But the good guys won this time! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FixTheNet?src=hash">#FixTheNet</a> <a href="https://t.co/xr936udq9g">https://t.co/xr936udq9g</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Devlin Hartline (@devlinhartline) <a href="https://twitter.com/devlinhartline/status/748568505210052609">June 30, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </p>
<p>Von Lohmann quickly fired back, noting that all Google had done was index the site like any other among the billion online today. It also received less than <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/domains/primewire.guru/">500 URL complaints</a> against the site and had removed them all.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/devlinhartline">@devlinhartline</a> You mean &quot;google indexed the site on the web, for which &lt;500 URLs were ever DMCA&#39;d&quot;. <a href="https://t.co/VB9GUIiXKy">https://t.co/VB9GUIiXKy</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Fred von Lohmann (@flohmann) <a href="https://twitter.com/flohmann/status/748570654937493504">June 30, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>But by now Hartline had the bit between his teeth</p>
<p>&#8220;It was an obvious pirate site, which @DonutsInc thankfully did something about rather than index it for the world. #FixTheNet,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/devlinhartline/status/748571436999118848">wrote</a>.</p>
<p>But Hartline wasn&#8217;t done yet. Since Primewire.guru is clearly a very small player, the lawyer upped the ante by changing the argument to encompass a much bigger site.</p>
<p>4Shared.com is a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/ten-websites-hit-with-70m-dmca-complaints-in-a-year-160529/">world leader</a> when it comes to copyright complaints so Hartline asked von Lohmann why that site still appears in search results, throwing in a #lame for good measure.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/flohmann">@flohmann</a> And when noticed 37,970,792 times, <a href="https://t.co/mMTPCBvvt3">https://t.co/mMTPCBvvt3</a>, you still index a site, <a href="https://t.co/T07R9GxkmR">https://t.co/T07R9GxkmR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FixTheNet?src=hash">#FixTheNet</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lame?src=hash">#lame</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Devlin Hartline (@devlinhartline) <a href="https://twitter.com/devlinhartline/status/748572620321341441">June 30, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Noting that Hartline had switched the argument, von Lohmann turned his attention to the Google search parameters his sparring partner had included in his Tweet. Rather than searching for specific and perhaps pirate content, Hartline&#8217;s search was formulated to show all of 4shared&#8217;s pages. As a result, <a href="https://t.co/T07R9GxkmR">that&#8217;s what he got</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;Can you get 4shared to appear [in Google&#8217;s search results] with a query that doesn&#8217;t include their name?&#8221; von Lohmann responded. Hartline quickly fired back.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you think that 4shared is so obviously pirate that you demote it in the search results, why not just remove it altogether?&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/devlinhartline/status/748575704246149120">said</a>. Old ground, von Lohmann said.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/devlinhartline">@devlinhartline</a> Not room here to revisit the entire SOPA/PIPA debate, but shouldn&#39;t be too hard for you to find info on that.</p>
<p>&mdash; Fred von Lohmann (@flohmann) <a href="https://twitter.com/flohmann/status/748578753865932800">June 30, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>In response, Hartline said he was &#8220;well aware&#8221; of the debate but still he persisted. If Donuts is prepared to pull the trigger, why doesn&#8217;t Google simply do &#8220;more&#8221;?</p>
<p>Of course, no matter what anti-piracy measures Google puts in place, rightsholders always want &#8220;more&#8221;. For its part, Google feels that it&#8217;s doing enough but in the meantime von Lohmann had some pretty sound advice for Hartline. If you don&#8217;t want infringing results, stop searching for them.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/devlinhartline">@devlinhartline</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DonutsInc">@DonutsInc</a> Where &quot;more&quot; = whole-site removal of a site that you can&#39;t make appear in a search result w/o its name in query.</p>
<p>&mdash; Fred von Lohmann (@flohmann) <a href="https://twitter.com/flohmann/status/748609599956090881">June 30, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>This is a pretty important statement from von Lohmann. What he&#8217;s reiterating is that unless people go specifically hunting for content on sites that have received the most DMCA notices, those sites won&#8217;t appear in search results.</p>
<p>This means that users who are casually searching for music, movies or TV shows (legal or illegal) won&#8217;t be handed results from 4shared or other popular &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites unless they form their searches to do so.</p>
<p>Of course, &#8216;pirate&#8217; results still appear but these days the quality of those results is much lower than it used to be. Rightsholders won&#8217;t be happy until they&#8217;ve gone completely though, so arguments like these will continue, ad infinitum.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124311
title: KickassTorrents Removed More Than 1 Million Torrents
uri: KickassTorrents-Removed-More-Than-1-Million-Torrents
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/QPigIPZVCfc/
content:
<p><img src="media/2279eece.kickasstorrents_500x5001-300x300.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x5001-300x300.png" alt="kickasstorrents_500x500" width="220" height="220" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-99785" srcset="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x5001-150x150.png 150w, http://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x5001-300x300.png 300w, http://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x5001.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 220px) 100vw, 220px">As the largest torrent site on the Internet, KickassTorrents (<a href="https://kat.cr/">KAT</a>) has become the go-to spot for millions of filesharers.</p>
<p>Like many other torrent sites, KAT is often used to share pirated files, much to the frustration of copyright holders.</p>
<p>However, unlike other sites such as The Pirate Bay, KAT accepts DMCA takedown notices. This means that rightsholders have the option to remove infringing content from the site.</p>
<p>This option hasn&#8217;t gone unnoticed by the site&#8217;s users, who sometimes see their uploads disappearing <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/major-kickasstorrents-uploader-has-2400-torrents-nuked-by-unity-160601/">in real-time</a>. In other cases, it can make it quite hard to find the latest episode of one&#8217;s favorite TV-show. </p>
<p>To find out how many DMCA requests the site processes, we asked the KAT team for an overview. </p>
<p>According to KAT&#8217;s official figures, 15,794 torrent files were deleted over the past week, and 55,238 for the most recent month. This means that at the current rate, the site removes more than half a million torrents per year.</p>
<p>Since the site started to keep track of the number of deleted torrents, which is a few years ago, well over a million torrents have been purged from the site. 1,200,313 to be precise. </p>
<p><center><strong>Torrent removed&#8230;</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/c9579cb9.fearkat.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fearkat.png" alt="fearkat" width="600" height="145" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-110257"></center></p>
<p>While the removals are a source for frustration among users, it also encourages some to come up with creative solutions to &#8216;<a href="http://kekasworld2.comli.com/KAT/DMCA/">revive</a>&#8216; removed torrents. </p>
<p><center><strong>Torrent revived?</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/034b7721.kekahash.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kekahash.png" alt="kekahash" width="526" height="140" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-124339"></center></p>
<p>The KAT forums are littered with dedicated threads where people discuss alternative means to access removed content. For example, by generating a magnet link from the torrent&#8217;s hash. </p>
<p>In addition to reviving torrents, users also regularly re-upload files that have disappeared, starting a perpetual cat-and-mouse game.</p>
<p>Despite pushback from both users and copyright holders, the KAT team isn&#8217;t getting actively involved in the takedown discussion. </p>
<p>Like most other user-generated content platforms, they offer users the freedom to upload content as long as they stick to <a href="https://kat.cr/rules/">the rules</a>, and rightsholders the tools to protect their work.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124362
title: Ricky Gervais: Don’t Pirate My Film, I Stand to Make Millions
uri: Ricky-Gervais-Don-t-Pirate-My-Film-I-Stand-to-Make-Millions
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/M0uzqTUVAds/
content:
<p>Anti-piracy PSAs come in all shapes and sizes, but nearly all of them fail to appeal to the public they&#8217;re intended for. </p>
<p>Today, as part of the Industry Trust&#8217;s &#8220;Moments Worth Paying For&#8221; campaign, British comedian Ricky Gervais gives it a shot with a special anti-piracy message of his own. </p>
<p>The PSA is for his upcoming movie &#8220;<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3137630/">David Brent: Life on the Road</a>,&#8221; in which he brings the iconic character from The Office back to life. The movie premieres later this summer and Gervais hopes that pirates will go to see it in the cinema, instead of heading to a nearby torrent site.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re basically asking you not to pirate movies. The quality is bad, and it&#8217;s a lot of people&#8217;s livelihoods,&#8221; Gervais says.  </p>
<p>Pretty classic language for a PSA, but Gervais then adds another dimension. </p>
<p>&#8220;For example my new movie David Brent: Life On The Road. If it does well I stand to make millions. If you pirate it, sure, you&#8217;ll save a few quid. But millions&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p><center><iframe width="600" height="338" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/3nDyHFVdExI?rel=0&amp;controls=0&amp;showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>Of course, the entire PSA is tongue-in-cheek, but by using one of the classic pirate excuses combined with more traditional anti-piracy language, Gervais creates more food for discussion than more traditional PSAs.</p>
<p>The short video confuses both pirates and creators, and actually provides a starting ground for a decent discussion.</p>
<p>Amusingly, the <a href="http://www.industrytrust.co.uk/">Industry Trust</a> stresses that Gervais himself wrote the anti-piracy message, as if they need an excuse. To compensate, they are quick to stress that piracy seriously hurts the UK movie industry.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Industry Trust handed artistic control of the trailer to Gervais, who tore up the rule book and took the trailer spectacularly off-message as only he can,&#8221; they write.  </p>
<p>&#8220;While the trailer is a light-hearted take on piracy, the reality is that in 2015, the top 20 titles made up, a total of 41% of the total UK box office, meaning that a high percentage of films weren’t seen by a lot of people.&#8221; </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124291
title: BitTorrent Protocol Turns 15 Years Old Today
uri: BitTorrent-Protocol-Turns-15-Years-Old-Today
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/0dwueMvfsuo/
content:
<p><img src="media/fc978c9d.bittorrent_logo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bittorrent_logo.png" alt="bittorrent_logo" width="120" height="120" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124332">“My new app, BitTorrent, is now in working order, check it out here,” Bram Cohen <a href="http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/decentralization/message/3160">wrote on a Yahoo! message</a> board on July 2, 2001.</p>
<p>It was the first time a working copy of the BitTorrent code had been made available to the public, but the initial response wasn’t exactly overwhelming.</p>
<p>“What’s BitTorrent, Bram?” was the sole reply he received on the board.</p>
<p>Fast forward 15 years and BitTorrent has become one of the most prominent technologies of the current millennium. One that transformed the web and which is still hugely relevant today. </p>
<p>When Cohen first announced his invention to the world, he could have never imagined that the technology would be used by hundreds of millions of people in the years that followed. </p>
<p>He was simply trying to improve file transfers, by using people&#8217;s upload and download capacity simultaneously.</p>
<p>“Fundamentally, I was trying to figure out how people on the Internet could utilize all the unused upstream bandwidth to make it faster to send huge files,” Bram Cohen told TorrentFreak, commenting on these early days.</p>
<p><center><strong>BitTorrent FAQ Cohen wrote in 2001</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/ef3d2768.btfaq.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/btfaq.jpg" alt="btfaq" width="600" height="169" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-124331"></center></p>
<p>While the technology itself was the main focus for Cohen, the public quickly realized that BitTorrent opened the door to sharing huge files, which was very rare at the time. </p>
<p>Since BitTorrent users download and upload at the same time, popular files are distributed more quickly. With other file-sharing technologies, distribution slows down.</p>
<p>This idea was a major breakthrough at the time. Before then, it was virtually impossible for a regular Internet user to share a video with dozens of people, but torrents made it possible. As a result, BitTorrent soon became responsible for a quarter of all Internet traffic. </p>
<p>As with many innovations on the web, porn fans were among the first to embrace the new technology in its full glory. Several of the early torrent sites were exclusively centered around adult content, and a torrent site without a porn category was rare.</p>
<p>After a few months, torrent sites started popping up left and right, listing a wide range of content. This included perfectly legal Linux distros, but also pirated copies of The Matrix, Photoshop and the Spice Girls&#8217; latest album.</p>
<p>With the rise of sites such as The Pirate Bay, Mininova, isoHunt and KickassTorrents, torrents became a synonym for piracy among the broader public. However, the technology itself is &#8220;neutral&#8221; and used more broadly than most people realize. </p>
<p>Twitter and Facebook also discovered the power of BitTorrent. Behind the scenes, it&#8217;s helping these tech giants distribute files across their servers faster and more efficiently than any other alternatives. And the opportunities don’t end there.</p>
<p>BitTorrent Inc, the company Bram Cohen co-founded in 2004 has released various applications for the BitTorrent protocol over the past years. A &#8220;sync&#8221; tool that lets people run their private backup solution, for example, or a browser that serves webpages without the need for a central server. </p>
<p>Cohen himself also worked hard on a live streaming implementation of BitTorrent. Although this hasn&#8217;t been adopted widely just yet, BitTorrent Inc. believes that it could power the future of online live news and entertainment. </p>
<p>Whatever the future may look like, it is safe to say that with BitTorrent, Bram Cohen changed the lives of dozens of millions of people. </p>
<p>Directly, by allowing people around the world to easily share large files without the need for a central server. But also indirectly, by being one of the great motivators for the entertainment industries to compete with piracy and offer their content online.</p>
<p>If Bram hadn&#8217;t taken his invention public 15 years ago, the Internet may have looked very different today. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124350
title: ICANN: We Won’t Pass Judgment on Pirate Sites
uri: ICANN-We-Won-t-Pass-Judgment-on-Pirate-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/4Ss1r8uVyoo/
content:
<p><img src="media/2b29b99e.cassette.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/cassette.jpg" width="200" height="150" class="alignright">There are plenty of options for copyright holders seeking to hinder the progress of pirate sites but one of the most effective is attacking domains.</p>
<p>The strategy has been employed most famously against The Pirate Bay and over the past couple of years the site has lost most of the domains it deployed to stay online.</p>
<p>At the very top of the domain name &#8216;tree&#8217; is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This non-profit body is responsible for the smooth-running of the Internet&#8217;s Doman Name System. However, if copyright holders had their way, ICANN would also act as the Internet&#8217;s piracy police by forcing registrars to prevent illegal use of domain names.</p>
<p>Last year, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/icann-refuses-to-play-piracy-police-150612/">ICANN told TorrentFreak</a> that it had no role to play in &#8220;policing content&#8221; but of course, copyright holders continue to pile on the pressure.</p>
<p>The latest efforts come from the <a href="http://www.ipconstituency.org/">Intellectual Property Constituency</a> (IPC) and the <a href="http://www.onlineaccountability.net/">Coalition for Online Accountability</a> (COA), which count the major studios and record labels among their members.</p>
<p>Both have concerns over the &#8220;Public Interest Commitments” (PICs) present in new <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_top-level_domain">gTLD</a> registry agreements. <a href="http://blog.fairwindspartners.com/icann-registry-agreement-what-brands-need-to-know-about-spec-11/">Specification 11</a> states that registry operators must include a clause in their registry/registrar agreements which prohibits domain name holders from engaging in various kinds of abuse, from malware and phishing through to copyright and trademark abuse.</p>
<p>This contractual wording allows registries to lay down acceptable use rules with registrars, who in turn do the same with domain owners. However, IPC believes that it is the job of the registries, registrars and ultimately ICANN to enforce these terms and conditions and suspend pirate domains.</p>
<p>In April, IPC chief Greg Shatan wrote to ICANN chair Dr. Stephen Crocker <em>(<a href="media/7ef888d1.shatan-to-crocker-11apr16-en.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/shatan-to-crocker-11apr16-en.pdf">pdf</a>)</em>. He expressed concern at earlier ICANN comments which indicated that the group considers copyright infringement, counterfeiting, and other fraudulent practices to be &#8220;outside its mandate&#8221;.</p>
<p>That was followed by a June 17, 2016 follow-up letter to ICANN from COA <em>(<a href="media/73ca608b.metalitz-to-marby-17jun16-en.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/metalitz-to-marby-17jun16-en.pdf">pdf</a>)</em> expressing similar concerns.</p>
<p>This week, ICANN&#8217;s Dr. Crocker responded <em>(<a href="media/46819668.crocker-to-shatan-30jun16-en.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/crocker-to-shatan-30jun16-en.pdf">pdf</a>)</em> to the April letter from IPC, confirming that his group will &#8220;bring enforcement actions&#8221; against registries and registrars that fail to include abuse warnings in their end-user agreements.</p>
<p>However, ICANN also made it crystal clear that it won&#8217;t be getting directly involved in disputes involving allegedly infringing domains.</p>
<p>&#8220;This does not mean, however, that ICANN is required or qualified to make factual and legal determinations as to whether a Registered Name Holder or a website operator is violating applicable laws and governmental regulations, and to assess what would constitute an appropriate remedy for such activities in any particular situation,&#8221; Dr. Croker told IPC.</p>
<p>Noting that both registries and registrars have expressed difficulty in assessing alleged violations of the law, ICANN invites those with a grievance against allegedly infringing sites to deal with matters themselves. One possibility might be through voluntary agreements such as those the MPAA struck with <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaas-domain-name-policing-results-in-first-suspensions-160630/">Donuts</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-signs-anti-piracy-deal-with-large-domain-registry-160413/">Radix</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;While these initiatives are outside of ICANN&#8217;s limited remit, we are hopeful that these voluntary efforts will produce usable tools and mechanisms for use by Registries and Registrars,&#8221; Dr. Croker said.</p>
<p>Finally, ICANN notes that there is nothing stopping &#8220;harmed parties&#8221; from taking action against registries, registrars or domain owners &#8220;through administrative, regulatory or judicial bodies to seek fines, damages, injunctive relief or other remedies available at law.&#8221;</p>
<p>In other words, if copyright holders want something done about their disputes, there are several options available already. Just don&#8217;t expect ICANN to become judge, jury, and executioner.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124110
title: Scene Group Asks For Bitcoin Donations, Gets $0
uri: Scene-Group-Asks-For-Bitcoin-Donations-Gets-0
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ePOkUGxEjho/
content:
<p><img src="media/dd921ef4.spamtvlogo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/spamtvlogo.png" alt="spamtvlogo" width="275" height="87" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124276">While &#8216;pirates&#8217; don&#8217;t always come across as well-coordinated, the groups that make up the top of the piracy pyramid abide by strict rules and traditions.</p>
<p>This is particularly true for the more traditional release groups that belong to The Scene. These groups are highly organized and only share content among themselves through topsites. At least, that&#8217;s what they are supposed to. </p>
<p>Scene groups &#8220;race&#8221; against each other and their ultimate goal is to be the first to release a certain title. The more races they win, the more credit they earn, simple as that. </p>
<p>For most release groups it&#8217;s their reputation that counts. Money doesn&#8217;t play a major role in this game. Of course, some cash is needed to buy equipment and other gear, but the topic is generally not discussed, neither are calls for donations.</p>
<p>Breaking with what may be described as a taboo, one Scene group has decided to cross the bridge. </p>
<p>Starting recently, TV Scene group &#8220;spamTV&#8221; is including a call for support in their release notes, as the screenshot below clearly shows.</p>
<p><center><strong>spamTV NFO calling for donations</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/ea74fdd0.spamTV.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/spamTV.png" alt="spamTV" width="600" height="450" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-124272" srcset="http://torrentfreak.com/images/spamTV-200x150.png 200w, http://torrentfreak.com/images/spamTV.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></center></p>
<p>&#8220;SUPPORT OUR CAUSE! BTC = 13mSLHHhmK5MUdtdcVVkmuJW9997EZpfM4,&#8221; a note in their NFO file reads.</p>
<p>This is the first time we&#8217;ve seen a Scene group publicly asking for Bitcoin donations through one of their releases. Given that Scene releases are supposed to stay private, we also wonder who the call is for.</p>
<p>While it may be unique for a Scene group, donations are <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-gets-a-massive-9-in-donations-per-day-160501/">more common among other pirate sources</a>. P2P groups, distribution groups, and torrent site owners generally cater to a much wider audience, and many ask their users to chip in.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for them, pirates are not known as the most generous bunch, so the income from donations is usually minimal, to say the least. </p>
<p>This isn&#8217;t very different for spamTV. After listing their request for Bitcoin donations in several releases, they have yet to earn their first penny. </p>
<p><center><strong>spamTV donations so far</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/47ef6af1.spamtvdonations.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/spamtvdonations.png" alt="spamtvdonations" width="600" height="200" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-124281"></center></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124400
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 07/04/16
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-07-04-16
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/z8yC2s5He5M/
content:
<p><img src="media/e3a13982.batsups.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/batsups.png" alt="batsups" width="300" height="174" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124122">This week we have three newcomers in our chart. </p>
<p>Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 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 Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip 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="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-062716/">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="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_v_superman_dawn_of_justice/">Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2975590/">7.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WWzgGyAH6Y">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/independence_day_resurgence/">Independence Day: Resurgence</a> (HDTS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1628841/">5.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbduDRH2m2M">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/finding_dory/">Finding Dory</a> (HDTS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2277860">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLIy1K8kJPo">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/warcraft/">Warcraft</a> (TS/TC)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0803096/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhFMIRuHAL4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/central_intelligence/">Central Intelligence</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1489889/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxEw3elSJ8M">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/me_before_you/">Me Before You</a> (Subbed Webrip)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2674426/>7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W65ndip7MM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_apocalypse/">X-Men: Apocalypse</a> (HDCam/TC)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3385516/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jer8XjMrUB4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_divergent_series_allegiant/">Allegiant</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3410834/">5.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvq6cMtT5nA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_huntsman_winters_war">The Huntsman: Winter&#8217;s War</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381991/">6.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W65ndip7MM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whiskey_tango_foxtrot/">Whiskey Tango Foxtrot</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3553442/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxAcIWDi8ps">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124266
title: Really? Buy a Pirate TV Box, Get a Free Cruise?
uri: Really-Buy-a-Pirate-TV-Box-Get-a-Free-Cruise
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/jfLjE0sn_vk/
content:
<p><a href="media/d101e6e4.zstream-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream-logo.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-124282"><img src="media/d101e6e4.zstream-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream-logo.jpg" alt="zstream-logo" width="230" height="239" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124282"></a>Advertising and marketing efforts are all around us. Every waking hour of every day, someone somewhere tries to get us interested in their latest product or service.</p>
<p>While TV and radio have dominated over the years, increasingly the Internet is the go-to platform for companies determined to portray their product as the next big thing.</p>
<p>The Internet has many great qualities and for those looking to do something a bit different or wild, its unregulated nature means you can do whatever the hell you want. Or at the least shoot first, worry about the consequences later.</p>
<p>That appears to be the philosophy of the company behind the Z Stream Box, the next &#8216;big&#8217; thing in audio-visual consumption. Promoted via a glossy website and numerous online videos, the set-top Z Stream Box aims to fulfil the dreams of every movie, TV show, sports and music junkie.</p>
<p>&#8220;Get the Biggest Shows, the Latest Movies, Stream the biggest blockbusters here first. Watch every episode of your favorite shows, past and present, Live and on demand. Enjoy the latest series and specials as they premiere without waiting,&#8221; the advertising reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;Break free of annual contracts, surprise fees and TV that ties you down. With Z Stream Box® get the TV you love over 100 of your favorite channels, Hit movies, Documentaries, Sports and more! NO contracts and NO monthly payments ever.&#8221;</p>
<p>While these kinds of claims are usually the sole preserve of pirate devices, there are various indicators on the Z Stream site suggesting that this must be a legitimate offer. Firstly, it has celebrity endorsements. Here&#8217;s a nice image of singer, songwriter and actress Christina Millian enjoying the device.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/b1186a57.zstream1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream1.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-124269"><img src="media/b1186a57.zstream1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream1.jpg" alt="zstream1" width="582" height="781" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-124269"></a></center></p>
<p>And to make sure that the cord-cutting phenomenon resonates with the younger generation, here&#8217;s YouTube star <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Stepsgirl">Jordyn Jones</a> holding a Z Stream Box and looking surprised at how much it can do.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/51bd9a30.zstream2.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream2.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-124271"><img src="media/51bd9a30.zstream2.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream2.jpg" alt="zstream2" width="586" height="603" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-124271"></a></center></p>
<p>For those who haven&#8217;t already guessed, the basic premise of the Z Stream Box is that people can stop paying their expensive cable bills and get all their content online. It&#8217;s an Internet sensation!</p>
<p>Actually, let&#8217;s cut the nonsense. Z Stream Box is nothing more than a Kodi-enabled Android box with all the best pirate addons such as Genesis and Icefilms fully installed.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/4b660f2a.zstream4.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream4.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-124278"><img src="media/4b660f2a.zstream4.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream4.jpg" alt="zstream4" width="580" height="297" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-124278"></a></center></p>
<p>While that probably isn&#8217;t much of a shock by now, the way this device is being marketed is nothing short of remarkable.</p>
<p>Claimed celebrity endorsements aside, the people at Z Stream have commissioned a full-blown 18-minute infomercial for their device which must have cost a small fortune and would be at home on any shopping channel.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/0cd04339.zstream3.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream3.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-124273"><img src="media/0cd04339.zstream3.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream3.jpg" alt="zstream3" width="560" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-124273"></a></center></p>
<p>Seriously, this gig has absolutely everything &#8211; several glossy presenters, many actors, a perfect family, potential and existing &#8216;customers&#8217; who can&#8217;t quite believe how good the device is, and much much more.</p>
<p>Of course, you&#8217;re probably wondering how much all this costs. Well, it&#8217;s the equivalent of just a few months cable, apparently. Admittedly that&#8217;s quite a lot of cash, but it&#8217;s the savings that are important, Z Stream say.</p>
<p>In the end it&#8217;s revealed the unit costs &#8216;just&#8217; $295.95. That&#8217;s almost $300 for a box that would cost less than $100 if people looked around for something similar on eBay or Amazon. But do those products come with a free five-day cruise for two around the Bahamas, including all onboard meals and entertainment? Thought not. <em>(18 minutes into the video below)</em></p>
<p><center><a href="media/435c69db.zstream5.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream5.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-124285"><img src="media/435c69db.zstream5.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zstream5.jpg" alt="zstream5" width="580" height="410" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-124285"></a></center></p>
<p>The full and quite unbelievable infomercial is embedded below and for those interested in just how far pirate advertising can go, the Z Stream Box website can be found <a href="http://zstreambox.com/">here</a>. Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zstreambox/">here</a>, YouTube account <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaLdWXG-oaV2apfSV1tEHYA">here</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> The Z Stream Box website has been taken down, <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:OUAU9Ett-MwJ:zstreambox.com/+&#038;cd=1&#038;hl=en&#038;ct=clnk&#038;client=firefox-b">Google Cache</a> to the rescue, with <a href="http://archive.is/ps29r">Archive.is backup</a></p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GCfLI48MiuA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p><em>Video mirror <a href="http://sendvid.com/1g6heehm">here</a></em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124301
title: Pirate Blocking Injunctions Could Be Abused, Researchers Say
uri: Pirate-Blocking-Injunctions-Could-Be-Abused-Researchers-Say
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/fmC1PChBIAA/
content:
<p><a href="media/07db73b3.stop-blocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://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>Faced with resilient websites and services that respond quickly to attacks by law enforcement, copyright holders around the world have sought more permanent ways of limiting the growth of pirate sites.</p>
<p>Spreading rapidly through Europe to countries as far-flung as Australia, one of the most popular has become the website-blocking injunction. Initially obtained via complex and pioneering legal processes, in some countries these court orders are now fairly easily obtained.</p>
<p>Researchers from Western Sydney University and King&#8217;s College London have <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2802037">published a paper</a> examining regimes in three key regions, the EU, Australia and Singapore. They find that all display shortcomings which negatively affect rightsholders and in some cases even due process.</p>
<p>&#8220;[T]here are problems not only with the remedy itself but also in the manner in which the blocking injunction is implemented,&#8221; the researchers write.</p>
<p>&#8220;The fact that multiple proceedings have to be filed in order to obtain a global level of enforcement and the possibility of blocking measures being circumvented are problems with the remedy itself.&#8221;</p>
<p>In other words, copyright holder dreams of rendering content inaccessible everywhere will require injunctions in all countries against every major ISP. Even then, that won&#8217;t solve the problem of the workarounds (proxies, VPNs) that are constantly being made available.</p>
<p>But while rightsholder problems are regularly documented, the researchers also draw attention to the manner in which injunctions are obtained, particularly in the UK where many hundreds of sites are blocked by ISPs. Their first concern focuses on how site operators are effectively excluded from proceedings.</p>
<p>&#8220;Notably, neither of [the] domestic provisions under which the High Court typically exercises jurisdiction in granting blocking injunctions provide that the operators of the online locations sought to be blocked be made party to the application before the court,&#8221; the researchers write.</p>
<p>&#8220;Thus, a common feature in the series of cases leading to blocking injunctions in the copyright context&#8230;is that only the ISPs who were called upon to block the target online locations were before court and not the operators of the online locations in issue.&#8221;</p>
<p>While it is unlikely that many site operators would appear in court to contest an injunction, the researchers say it is a &#8220;cause for significant concern&#8221; that the legal mechanism effectively freezes them out of the process, especially since local ISPs no longer contest proceedings.</p>
<p>&#8220;[M]ost orders to-date have been granted after consideration of the applications on paper alone. Essentially, what this means is that the court is only possessed of the material submitted by the rights-holders, which go uncontested by the ISPs, leaving the interests of the operators of the target online locations completely unrepresented,&#8221; they write.</p>
<p>But while noting the above, the researchers do make it clear that the court hears the merits of these cases. They also add that the sites being blocked are &#8220;patently infringing&#8221;. However, due to the way the legal process operates, it&#8217;s possible it could be abused.</p>
<p>&#8220;What must be emphasised is that, in future, there may be instances where the operator of an online location has a plausible defence to a claim of IP infringement,&#8221; the researchers say.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the circumstances where the court is only privy to the pleadings and documentary evidence submitted on behalf of a right-holder, the court’s discretion may become the subject of abuse, especially since the only other party before court (i.e. the ISP) shows no interest in protecting the operators of target online locations.</p>
<p>Indeed, due to the manner in which the relevant EU directives are implemented, even site operators who can be identified and notified don&#8217;t have to be informed of proceedings under the law.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the EU’s context at least&#8230;.the implementation of the blocking injunction fall short of due process requirements,&#8221; the researchers note.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although, in the UK&#8230;.a safeguard was incorporated into blocking orders allowing the authors/owners of the content blocked to apply to court to have the injunction varied or set aside, the lack of a notice requirement under the law may render this safeguard, at best, useless.&#8221;</p>
<p>Thus far there have been no signs that rightsholders have attempted to abuse the blocking process in the UK, but the almost complete lack of transparency after court orders are issued remains a cause for concern.</p>
<p>Once an injunction is obtained, rightsholders are free to add additional domains to the UK&#8217;s blocklist, as and when they see fit. No ISP currently maintains a public list of the domains being blocked meaning that the whole process is shielded from public scrutiny.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s believed that more than 1,000 sites might be blocked in this manner but few people have this information. A public list would go some way to inspiring confidence that the kind of abuse the researchers highlight doesn&#8217;t come to pass.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124402
title: Blizzard Sues Overwatch “Cheat” Maker For Copyright Infringement
uri: Blizzard-Sues-Overwatch-Cheat-Maker-For-Copyright-Infringement
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/IAhdxQ-dB5k/
content:
<p><img src="media/50295694.blizz.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blizz.jpg" alt="blizz" width="250" height="147" class="alignright size-full wp-image-113379" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/blizz.jpg 250w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/blizz-220x130.jpg 220w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px">Over the years video game developer Blizzard Entertainment has published many popular game titles.</p>
<p>Most recently the company released the new first-person shooter &#8220;<a href="https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/">Overwatch</a>,&#8221; which became an instant bestseller. The game received rave reviews and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue during its first weeks on sale. </p>
<p>While most Overwatch players stick to the rules, there&#8217;s also a small group that tries to game the system. By using cheats such as the <a href="http://www.watchover-tyrant.com/">Watchover Tyrant</a>, they play with an advantage over regular users. </p>
<p>Blizzard is not happy with the Overwatch cheat and has filed a lawsuit against the German maker, Bossland GMBH, at a federal court in California. Bossland also sells <a href="https://www.thebuddyforum.com/">cheats for various other titles</a> such as World of Warcraft, Diablo 3 and Heroes of the Storm, which are mentioned in the complaint as well.</p>
<p>The game developer accuses the cheat maker of various forms of copyright infringement, unfair competition, and violating the DMCA&#8217;s anti-circumvention provision.</p>
<p>According to Blizzard these bots and cheats also cause millions of dollars in lost sales, as they ruin the games for many legitimate players.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants’ sale and distribution of the Bossland Hacks in the United States has caused Blizzard to lose millions or tens of millions of dollars in revenue, and to suffer irreparable damage to its goodwill and reputation.&#8221; </p>
<p>&#8220;Moreover, by releasing &#8216;Overwatch Cheat&#8217; just days after the release of &#8216;Overwatch,&#8217; Defendants are attempting to destroy or irreparably harm that game before it even has had a chance to fully flourish.&#8221; </p>
<p>The Overwatch cheat has already become relatively popular in a short period of time. Thousands of players are reportedly using the tool, which enables them to display the locations and health status of hidden or obscured opponents. </p>
<p><center><br></br></center><center><img src="media/2853ed26.watchover.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/watchover.jpg" alt="watchover" width="600" height="280" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-124408"></center></p>
<p>Blizzard believes that by developing the cheats,  Bossland has infringed on its copyrights in various ways. Among other things, the complaint accuses the German cheat maker of contributory copyright infringement. </p>
<p>&#8220;They have done so by enabling and encouraging third-party &#8216;freelancers&#8217; or contractors to fraudulently obtain access to the Blizzard Games and then, having done so, to engage in unauthorized reproduction of the Blizzard Games,&#8221; the complaint reads. </p>
<p>&#8220;They also have done so by enabling users of the Bossland Hacks (particularly the Overwatch Cheat) to use the software to create derivative works, such as the dynamic screen overlay generated by the Overwatch Cheat,&#8221; it adds. </p>
<p>Blizzard notes that it has already taken action against thousands of cheaters. In response, Bossland announced that they would make their tool harder to be detected, which suggests that they intentionally violate the game&#8217;s EULA.</p>
<p>The game developer adds that the various cheats and bots may have generated millions in revenue for the German company, and demands compensation for its losses.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants not only know that their conduct is unlawful, but they engage in that conduct with the deliberate intent to harm Blizzard and its business. Blizzard is entitled to monetary damages, injunctive and other equitable relief, and punitive damages against Defendants,&#8221; the complaint reads.</p>
<p>Aside from the Overwatch cheat, the current case is very similar to one filed against a freelancer who works for Bossland. This case never really took off and was dismissed earlier this year.</p>
<p>TF spoke with Bossland CEO Zwetan Letschew, who informed us that his company hasn&#8217;t received the complaint at its office yet. However, they are no stranger to Blizzard&#8217;s legal actions. </p>
<p>&#8220;There are over 10 ongoing legal battles in Germany already,&#8221; Letschew says, noting that it&#8217;s strange that Blizzard decided to take action in the US after all these years.</p>
<p>&#8220;Now Blizzard wants to try it in the US too. One could ask himself, why now and not back in 2011. Why did Rod Rigole [Blizzard Deputy General Counsel] even bother to fly to Munich and drive with two other lawyers 380 km to Zwickau. Why not just sue us in the US five years ago?&#8221;</p>
<p>While Letschew still isn&#8217;t convinced that the lawsuit is even real, he doesn&#8217;t fear any legal action in the U.S. According to the CEO, a California court has no jurisdiction over his company, as it has no ties with the United States.</p>
<p>In addition, he is supported by a lawsuit his company won in Germany against Blizzard earlier this year. In that case, which dealt with the Heroes of the Storm bot, Blizzard was ordered to pay Bossland&#8217;s legal costs and attorney fees.</p>
<p>The full complaint filed at the Central District Court of California is available <a href="media/a6128d07.blizzard-bossland.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blizzard-bossland.pdf">here (pdf)</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=124475
title: Pirating TV-Shows and a Movie Costs Finnish Man Over €32,000
uri: Pirating-TV-Shows-and-a-Movie-Costs-Finnish-Man-Over-32-000
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/1vN2ucqCWpc/
content:
<p><img src="media/5451b1e2.finland1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/finland1.jpg" alt="finland" width="200" height="143" class="alignright size-full wp-image-25779">Starting <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/file-sharing-copyright-trolls-invade-finland-140326/">two years ago</a> TV-show and movie distributors in Finland began sending out thousands of settlement letters to alleged pirates, demanding payments of between 600 and 3,000 euros.</p>
<p>The letters in question are sent by lawfirm Hedman Partners, which threatens legal action if accused pirates refuse to cooperate.</p>
<p>It’s unclear how many recipients have paid up since the scheme started, but it is no surprise that some have ignored the warnings, hoping that the lawfirm wouldn&#8217;t follow-up on the threat. </p>
<p>However, Hedman Partners did take several people to court and the first case came to its conclusion in court yesterday. </p>
<p>The lawsuit in question was filed against a man who was accused of downloading ten episodes of the pirate TV-series &#8220;Black Sails&#8221; and a copy of the movie A Walk Among the Tombstones via BitTorrent.</p>
<p>The rightsholders employed the German tracking company Excipio, who linked the man&#8217;s IP-address to several swarms where these videos were distributed. In addition, the same IP-address was linked to dozens of other downloads.</p>
<p>In his defense, the man denied having downloaded the videos while pointing out that his Wi-Fi network was open to anyone. In fact, he actually bought the router on the same day the first infringement was observed.</p>
<p>Because of the open Wi-Fi network, outsiders could have easily been responsible for downloading the pirated videos, the defense argued. To illustrate this point, they setup a Wi-Fi honeypot at the defendant&#8217;s home to which the first outsider connected within minutes.</p>
<p>In response, the rightsholders provided evidence showing that the man &#8216;admitted guilt&#8217; in an online forum, where an unredacted copy of the initial settlement letter was posted.</p>
<p>After weighing these and other arguments from both sides, the Finnish Market court <a href="http://markkinaoikeus.fi/fi/index/paatokset/teollisjatekijanoikeudellisetasiat/teollisjatekijanoikeudellisetasiat/1467628378764.html">found the defendant guilty</a>. </p>
<p>The rightsholders demanded 8,500 euros in damages, but the court limited this to 50 euros per TV-episode and 100 euros for the movie, which makes 600 euros in total. </p>
<p>However, in addition the man must now pay 31,762 euros to cover the legal expenses of the copyright holders, Crystalis Entertainment and Scanbox Entertainment.</p>
<p>Jaana Pihkala, Executive Director at the local anti-piracy group, is happy with the court&#8217;s decision. He warns people who use unauthorized services, and notes that the settlement letter campaign is designed to limit the number of lawsuits.</p>
<p>&#8220;The letters and reconciliation process are designed to reduce unnecessary litigation,&#8221; <a href="http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/2016070421844603_uu.shtml">Pihkala says</a>.</p>
<p>Previously, the Market Court&#8217;s Chief Judge Kimmo Mikkola warned that a flood of file-sharing cases could <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/judge-worries-that-piracy-lawsuits-will-flood-courts-151126/">prove problematic</a>, as the court&#8217;s resources are limited.</p>
<p>The defendant in this case is not ready to give up just yet though. He has announced that he will appeal the case before the high court, which has yet to decide whether it will take on the case.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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