# articles

feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180810
title: Mega Now Stores 63.8 Billion Files, Has Suspended 78,000 Users For Copyright Infringement
uri: Mega-Now-Stores-63-8-Billion-Files-Has-Suspended-78-000-Users-For-Cop
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/mXVdtXwkq2k/
content:
<p><img class="alignright " src="media/dc35328e.MEGA-logo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/MEGA-logo.png" width="290" height="158" />From a standing start in January 2013, file-hosting platform Mega has gone from strength to strength.</p>
<p>Founded by Kim Dotcom in response to the Megaupload takedown of 2012, Mega has since parted ways with the entrepreneur but its growth has continued in his wake.</p>
<p>According to figures published by Mega, at the end of the final quarter of 2013 the cloud storage company was hosting around 0.6 billion files. In 2014, that had leaped to 3.6 billion files, a figure that almost doubled to 11.9 billion by the end of 2015. The latest published data reveals that at the end of September 2019, Mega was storing an impressive 63.8 billion files.</p>
<p>Early 2015 the company published its <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mega-publishes-first-transparency-report-150615/">first</a> transparency report, a common practice for large technology companies including Google, Twitter and Reddit. The latest installment published today by Mega strives to underline the platform&#8217;s compliance with local and international law and has a clear emphasis on how it deals with copyright infringement.</p>
<p>With an obvious eye on the fate of Kim Dotcom and the ongoing Megaupload saga, Mega stresses that it enjoys safe harbor protections under New Zealand&#8217;s Copyright Act in respect of content uploaded by its users. Additionally, while there is no technical need for it to do so, the company says that it also respects the standards required to achieve safe harbor under the DMCA and the EU Copyright Directive.</p>
<p>As a result, Mega reports that when it receives a takedown notice it aims to disable access to content within four hours, with takedowns &#8220;usually being actioned&#8221; well within that self-imposed limit. However, with files reportedly being uploaded at the rate of 500 per second, there are bound to be some that breach copyright law.</p>
<p>For the first nine months of 2019, Mega reports that it processed around 317,500 takedown requests. As the table below shows, that is a relatively small number when viewed alongside the total number of files stored by the company.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/5b48e8ab.Mega-stats-2019.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Mega-stats-2019.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-180817" src="media/5b48e8ab.Mega-stats-2019.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Mega-stats-2019.png" alt="" width="650" height="621" /></a></center></p>
<p>Data provided by Mega shows that the number of links taken down peaked in 2014 at around 150,000, with a downward trend following until late 2015. Since then, takedowns have varied from a low of around 50,000 in the third quarter of 2018 to a high of 120,000 in the second quarter of 2019.</p>
<p>However, as the table below shows, the relatively steep rises seen this year had very little impact on the trend of reducing takedowns when compared to the percentage of files stored overall.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/407bb608.mega-takedowns-2019.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mega-takedowns-2019.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-180818" src="media/407bb608.mega-takedowns-2019.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mega-takedowns-2019.png" alt="" width="650" height="266" /></a></center></p>
<p>In light of the ongoing lawsuits in the United States, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-wants-judge-not-jury-to-rule-on-crucial-piracy-liability-questions-191218/">particularly involving ISP Cox Communications</a>, the manner in which technology companies handle the issue of so-called &#8220;repeat infringers&#8221; is now a key battleground when questions are raised over liability for infringement. In this regard, it&#8217;s clear that Mega doesn&#8217;t want to be seen falling short.</p>
<p>After initially operating a &#8220;five strikes&#8221; policy, in 2015 Mega introduced a &#8220;three strikes&#8221; regime that remains in place today. Related account suspensions peaked in the third quarter of 2017 at just over 8,000 but then suddenly tailed off to a relatively steady 2,000 to 2,500 suspensions per quarter thereafter.</p>
<p>Since its inception, Mega says it has suspended around 78,000 accounts for hitting the limits of its repeat infringer policy, which is a significant number but relatively small when compared to the number of user accounts overall.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/9ad104a8.mega-suspensions-2019.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mega-suspensions-2019.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-180826" src="media/9ad104a8.mega-suspensions-2019.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mega-suspensions-2019.png" alt="" width="650" height="325" /></a></center></p>
<p>Mega launched as &#8220;The Privacy Company&#8221; with file encryption a key selling point. The cloud storage platform says that it cannot decrypt any files without the appropriate key but &#8220;does have access to registration information and IP addresses used to access our services.&#8221;</p>
<p>The company adds that it holds personal data relating to users for extended periods, including email and IP addresses, plus &#8220;limited activity detail&#8221; relating to account access, file uploads, shares, and chats.</p>
<p>&#8220;Personal data is retained indefinitely while the user’s account is open. After account closure, Mega will retain all account information as long as there is any law enforcement request pending but otherwise for 12 months after account closure as users sometimes request that an account be re-activated,&#8221; Mega <a href="https://mega.nz/blog_59">states</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;After 12 months, identifying information such as email and IP addresses will be anonymized (except that email address records will be retained for reference by the user’s contacts or where the user has participated in chats with other Mega users) but other related database records may be retained.&#8221;</p>
<p>This information will only be handed over when Mega is required to do so by New Zealand law, a New Zealand court, or law enforcement authority &#8220;with appropriate jurisdiction&#8221;. However, the company notes that it may &#8220;consider&#8221; requests from overseas law enforcement and civil claimants.</p>
<p>&#8220;During the 2018-2019 year, Mega was served 7 legal orders from NZ authorities and then disclosed account information for 540 user accounts which are alleged to be involved in serious criminal activity overseas,&#8221; the company concludes.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180776
title: MPA Wants Enhanced Border Enforcement Against Pirate Streaming Boxes
uri: MPA-Wants-Enhanced-Border-Enforcement-Against-Pirate-Streaming-Boxes
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/P8LijvxwCfU/
content:
<p><img src="media/2e14f025.uscustomborder.jpeg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/uscustomborder.jpeg" alt="" width="250" height="250" class="alignright size-full wp-image-180789" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/uscustomborder.jpeg 400w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/uscustomborder-150x150.jpeg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" />U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is part of Homeland Security, regularly seizes copyright infringing goods.</p>
<p>In addition, it also targets devices that circumvent copyright protection measures, which violate the DMCA. These can include Blu-ray rippers or mod-chips, for example. </p>
<p>In recent years the number of DMCA-related seizures has been relatively low. In 2016, only 70 items were confiscated. While this grew to 297 seized shipments a year later, copyright holders see it as just a drop in the ocean. However, that could change going forward. </p>
<p>A few weeks ago, Customs and Border Protection launched a <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/10/16/2019-21980/enforcement-of-copyrights-and-the-digital-millennium-copyright-act">public inquiry</a> into its planned implementation of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (TFTEA) This includes several proposed regulation changes for seizures of “piratical articles.”</p>
<p>The consultation triggered a response from the Motion Picture Association (MPA). The group supports most changes but is concerned that the proposed definition of a “copyright protection measure” isn&#8217;t broad enough. </p>
<p>According to the proposal, it would only cover devices that are designed to circumvent access controls under the DMCA. However, the MPA would like to extend this to devices that circumvent &#8220;copy controls&#8221; as well. </p>
<p>&#8220;To adequately implement the TFTEA and ensure effective border enforcement is available against all circumvention devices that violate the DMCA, CBP should revise the definition of &#8216;copyright protection measure&#8217; to include copyright controls,&#8221; MPA writes, while offering a revised definition.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/cf721f70.mpachange3.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mpachange3.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="160" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-180791" /></center></p>
<p>With this broader definition, the Hollywood-funded group hopes to block or at least restrict the importation of pirate boxes. At the moment, these devices are rarely &#8211; if ever &#8211; seized by border patrol officers. </p>
<p>&#8220;MPA is hopeful that these proposed regulations will enhance border enforcement against Piracy Devices (also referred to as &#8216;illicit streaming devices&#8217; (ISDs) or in some cases &#8216;Kodi boxes&#8217;). These devices enable users to stream, download, or otherwise access unauthorized content from the Internet,&#8221; the group notes.</p>
<p><img src="media/2765c03d.kodi.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kodi.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" class="alignright size-full wp-image-106816" />The focus on these pirate boxes is no surprise as streaming piracy is seen as the latest and greatest piracy threat, according to the movie industry. </p>
<p>The MPA points out that pirate devices alone already result in billions of dollars in estimated losses for the North American entertainment industries. By seizing these devices at the border this could become less of an issue. </p>
<p>The group also gives an indication of what to look for. According to the MPA&#8217;s letter, China is the country to watch.</p>
<p>&#8220;China is a hub for the manufacture of these devices, many of which are exported to the United States, as well as for the development of the piracy apps and add-ons that allow these devices to be used to pirate content,&#8221; it reads. </p>
<p>Whether the proposed changes, with or without the MPA&#8217;s suggestion, will actually lead to more seizures is unclear. Many streaming devices are not illegal in their own right and can also be used to stream or download legitimate content. </p>
<p>However, the letter makes it clear that the movie industry is trying to keep the bad apples out, ideally with the help of enforcement authorities.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A copy of the Motion Picture Association&#8217;s letter forwarded to U.S. Customs and Border Protection is <a href="media/f60df153.Motion_Picture_Association.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Motion_Picture_Association.pdf">available here (pdf)</a>.</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180867
title: Man Who Sold £400K of Pirate IPTV Subscriptions Handed Suspended Sentence
uri: Man-Who-Sold-400K-of-Pirate-IPTV-Subscriptions-Handed-Suspended-Sent
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/oggE_mVAiIE/
content:
<p><a href="media/a7c0897c.iptv.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/iptv.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-135034 alignright" src="media/a7c0897c.iptv.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/iptv.jpg" alt="" width="261" height="173" /></a>For years, downloading movies and TV shows has been enough for many online pirates but the broad availability of illicit live streaming services is now a huge draw.</p>
<p>No longer limited to watching after-the-fact recorded content, streaming websites and IPTV services now offer packages that compete and even out-do traditional cable and satellite providers, with the added bonus of being delivered at almost pocket-money prices.</p>
<p>While consumers reap the benefits of low costs and a broader choice of content, suppliers of illicit IPTV  products are lured by the proposition of making good money. In Europe alone, the market is edging towards an estimated <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-iptv-services-generate-nearly-e1-billion-per-year-eu-study-shows-191128/">billion euros per year</a> and there is no shortage of people looking for a piece of the pie.</p>
<p>UK-based Steven Underwood was one of those streaming entrepreneurs but in January this year, things came crashing down. Following an investigation by the Federation Against Copyright Theft and Cornwall Trading Standards, the Police Regional Organised Crime Unit entered Underwood&#8217;s home with a search warrant. </p>
<p>An investigation revealed that the Redruth man had sold around £400,000 worth of subscriptions to his IPTV service. The platform was never named publicly named but it&#8217;s believed to have been in operation for at least two years, supplying illegal streams of Sky, BT, and Premier League content, among others.</p>
<p>It is relatively rare for these types of cases to go to trial and this one was no exception. In November, Underwood appeared before Truro Magistrates Court, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-man-admits-to-selling-400000-in-pirate-streaming-subscriptions-191121/">pleading guilty</a> to copyright and fraud offenses. All that remained was a hearing to determine his punishment.</p>
<p>At a sentencing hearing yesterday, the Court <a href="https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/18112964.steven-underwood-appeared-truro-crown-court-today/">heard</a> that between December 2016 and January 2019, 34-year-old Underwood admitted communicating a copyrighted work to the public for personal gain, contrary to the Copyright Designs and Patents Act, and further admitted an offense under the Fraud Act 2006.</p>
<p>Prosecutor Harry Ahuja told the Court that Underwood &#8220;had specific skills in IT&#8221; and used them to obtain illegal streams that were uploaded to remote servers, which cost the Cornwall man between £6,000 and £8,000 a month to maintain. </p>
<p>&#8220;You were engaged in a highly profitable piece of completely illegal activity,&#8221; Judge Bob Linford told Underwood.</p>
<p>Labeling the crimes as &#8220;extremely serious&#8221;, the Judge handed Underwood a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years, a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement (to lessen the likelihood of future offending), and made him the subject of a £10 confiscation order, Falmouth Packet <a href="https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/18112964.steven-underwood-appeared-truro-crown-court-today/">reports</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are constantly working to remove sellers of illegal streaming subscriptions from the market and bring them to justice,&#8221; said Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT, commenting on the sentencing.</p>
<p>&#8220;The message is clear &#8211; if you are tempted to sell access to content that is not licensed or owned by you, you risk facing a criminal conviction.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180880
title: Cox Is Liable for Pirating Subscribers, Hit With $1 Billion Damages Verdict
uri: Cox-Is-Liable-for-Pirating-Subscribers-Hit-With-1-Billion-Damages-Ve
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FCQw3E2XAoA/
content:
<p><img src="media/f71707b4.coxcomms.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/coxcomms.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="174" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128587" />Last year Cox <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-pays-substantial-settlement-to-end-repeat-infringer-piracy-lawsuit-180827/">settled</a> its piracy liability lawsuit with music rights company BMG.</p>
<p>The ink on this agreement was barely dry when the ISP faced a similar and additional complaint. This time it was up against 53 music companies, including Capitol Records, Warner Bros, and Sony Music.</p>
<p>The rightsholders complained that Cox categorically failed to terminate repeat copyright infringers and that it substantially profited from this ongoing ‘piracy’ activity. All at the expense of the record labels and other rightsholders.</p>
<p>Early this month the case went to trial where the parties vigorously defended their positions. The music companies argued that Cox willingly turned a blind eye to pirates, while Cox countered that it&#8217;s not to blame for the alleged infringements of subscribers.</p>
<p>A few hours ago the jury reached its final conclusion at the Virginia federal court, clearly siding with the music companies.</p>
<p>Cox was found to be both contributorily and vicariously liable for the alleged pirating activity of its subscribers. This applies to all the 10,017 copyrighted works the music companies claim were infringed. </p>
<p>In addition, the jury concluded that Cox&#8217;s action was &#8220;willful.&#8221; This allows for a maximum damages amount of $150,000 per work but the jury agreed on $99,830, which puts the total damages amount at $1 billion.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/3bf47a7f.billion.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/billion.jpg" alt="" width="596" height="335" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-180881" /></center></p>
<p>The RIAA, which helped many of its members with this case, is pleased with the outcome. The music industry group hopes that it will motivate other ISPs to change their anti-piracy policies. </p>
<p>“The jury’s verdict sends a clear message – Cox and other ISPs that fail to meet their legal obligations to address piracy on their networks will be held accountable,&#8221; RIAA&#8217;s Kenneth Doroshow <a href="https://www.riaa.com/statement-of-riaa-chief-legal-officer-kenneth-l-doroshow-on-the-cox-communications-verdict/">notes</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;The jury recognized these companies’ legal obligation to take meaningful steps to protect music online and made a strong statement about the value of a healthy music ecosystem for everyone – ranging from creators to fans to the available outlets for legitimate music consumption.”</p>
<p>Cox Communications is disappointed with the verdict. The company calls the damages amount &#8220;unjust and excessive” and is set to appeal.</p>
<p>“We plan to appeal the case and vigorously defend ourselves. We provide customers with a powerful tool that connects to a world full of content and information,&#8221; Cox said in a statement.</p>
<p>&#8220;Unfortunately, some customers have chosen to use that connection for wrongful activity. We don’t condone it, we educate on it and we do our best to help curb it, but we shouldn’t be held responsible for the bad actions of others,” Cox adds. </p>
<p>This means that the legal battle is likely to continue. And as <a href="https://variety.com/2019/music/news/cox-communications-music-copyright-suit-verdict-1203449254/">noted</a> by Variety, the present verdict isn&#8217;t final yet until all post-trial motions have been dealt with. </p>
<p>The $1 billion in damages the jury awarded is substantially higher than that of the earlier case against BMG. At the time, the jury awarded <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">$25 million</a>, based on 1,397 copyrighted works. This figure was later <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-pays-substantial-settlement-to-end-repeat-infringer-piracy-lawsuit-180827/">reduced in a settlement</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180861
title: Mangastream Disappears After Being Targeted by Publisher
uri: Mangastream-Disappears-After-Being-Targeted-by-Publisher
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/mdZryoAJGjw/
content:
<p><img src="media/91ce0c00.jump.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/jump.jpg" alt="" width="244" height="245" class="alignright size-full wp-image-180908" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/jump.jpg 244w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/jump-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 244px) 100vw, 244px" />Manga comics and magazines are huge. Not just in Japan but all over the world.</p>
<p>People used to read them on paper, but digital is the standard today. While that makes these comics more accessible, they’re also easier to pirate.</p>
<p>For years there has been an active ‘scanlation’ community. These are fan-made translations that are shared online. Sharing can begin innocently, by posting a copy on a message board. However, there are also entire sites dedicated to this practice. </p>
<p>These platforms draw millions of users which is something manga publishers are not happy with. While the pirate sites certainly helped to popularize the genre around the globe, it doesn&#8217;t help the creators if fans enjoy everything for free. </p>
<p>Earlier this year publishers already pressed <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-mangarock-shuts-down-and-goes-legal-190905/">MangaRock to change its business model</a> and go legal, and this week it appears that another major scanlation site has thrown in the towel. </p>
<p><a href="http://readms.net/">Mangastream</a>, which operated in the open for many years, has completely disappeared now. There is no official statement on the site&#8217;s homepage. Instead, it&#8217;s displaying a generic &#8220;name of resolved&#8221; error, which means that the domain&#8217;s nameservers have been stripped. </p>
<p>There has been no official announcement from the site&#8217;s operators. However, the domain name changes coincide with the removal of Mangastream&#8217;s official <a href="https://twitter.com/mstreamteam?lang=en">Twitter account</a>. This makes it very plausible that the &#8216;disappearance&#8217; is intentional.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/b4eba8d7.mangas.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mangas.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="405" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-180905" /></center></p>
<p>The recent events are a blow to many manga fans, especially since Mangastream was the source of many scanlations. While the motivation for the shutdown it remains guesswork, several leads point to the Japanese publisher Shueisha, known for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weekly_Sh%C5%8Dnen_Jump">Weekly Shōnen Jump</a> magazine.</p>
<p>Following in the footsteps of Mangastream, Jaimini&#8217;s Box <a href="https://jaiminisbox.com/blog/2019/12/19/a-new-era/">announced</a> that it would stop working on Weekly Shōnen Jump, but not on other series. </p>
<p>&#8220;If you haven&#8217;t seen it already, Mangastream has decided to stop working on WSJ series overall. The important part is, we think it is a good place for us to end too,&#8221; the site announced.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is a new beginning, and end, to an era of scanlation,&#8221; Jaimini&#8217;s Box added, pointing its readers to MANGA Plus, the authorized online manga platform that&#8217;s owned by Shueisha.</p>
<p>After digging further into the issue TorrentFreak was able to confirm that Shueisha indeed had its eyes set on Mangastream. </p>
<p>Earlier this year the Japanese publisher requested a DMCA subpoena at a US federal court in Maryland, demanding that Cloudflare should hand over all details it holds on the domain name&#8217;s owner. </p>
<p><center><img src="media/a9d51a11.mangastreamsub.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mangastreamsub.jpg" alt="" width="610" height="287" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-180909" /></center></p>
<p>Shueisha hoped that identifying the operators of the site could help the company to protect its copyrights. </p>
<p>&#8220;The purpose for which the subpoena is sought is to obtain the identity of alleged infringers and the information obtained therefrom will only be used for the purpose of protecting rights under the Copyright Act,&#8221; the attorney informed the court.</p>
<p>This filing dates back to March and it&#8217;s the only DMCA subpoena Shueisha requested. It is unclear whether this effort did indeed result in any useful information, as we don&#8217;t see a signed order on the docket, but it does confirm that Mangastream had a target on its back.</p>
<p>Paired with Jaimini&#8217;s Box&#8217;s decision to stop Weekly Shōnen Jump scanlation, it&#8217;s likely that Mangastream&#8217;s &#8216;disappearance&#8217; follows legal pressure from the company.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason may be, many of the site&#8217;s users are disappointed. A thread started on Reddit generated <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/manga/comments/ecr581/mangastream_appears_to_be_dead/?sort=new">hundreds of comments</a> and others took their frustration and dismay to Twitter.</p>
<p>There is no record of a federal lawsuit against Mangastream in the US. However, Shueisha did previously team up with other publishers in a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/manga-publishers-sue-pirate-site-hoshinoromi-in-new-york-court/">legal battle</a> against the operators of the pirate site Hoshinoromi. That case is ongoing.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180844
title: EU Court: Unauthorized Sale of Used eBooks Infringes Copyright
uri: EU-Court-Unauthorized-Sale-of-Used-eBooks-Infringes-Copyright
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/rWa2xhLNGUc/
content:
<p><img src="media/b4c1ecc6.tomskabinet.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tomskabinet.png" width="218" height="88" class="alignright size-full" />In 2014, we <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/online-store-can-sell-used-ebooks-court-rules-140723/">reported</a> on a lawsuit filed against Tom Kabinet, a Netherlands-based online marketplace for used eBooks.</p>
<p>Fearing that the sale of such content would undermine their business model, the Dutch Publishers Association (NUV) and the General Publishers Group (GAU) sought an injunction to restrain Tom Kabinet from further sales. The request was denied and went to appeal, with a succession of local courts seemingly unable to determine whether the sale of used eBooks is permissible under EU law.</p>
<p>So, in common with other complex copyright matters, questions were sent to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to determine whether the principle of exhaustion, whereby a copyright holder&#8217;s right of distribution is exhausted after the first sale of a product, applies to eBook content <a href="media/15e934e1.cp120094en.pdf" data-original-source="https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2012-07/cp120094en.pdf">as it does software</a> <em>(pdf)</em>.</p>
<p>In September 2019, Advocate General Szpunar delivered his non-binding <a href="http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&#038;docid=217552&#038;pageIndex=0&#038;doclang=EN&#038;mode=req&#038;dir=&#038;occ=first&#038;part=1&#038;cid=12770239">opinion</a>, advising that exhaustion under Article 4 of the InfoSoc Directive does not exist and that the provision of eBooks falls under the copyright holder&#8217;s right of communication to the public.</p>
<p>The CJEU has now handed down its decision which broadly concurs with the opinion of the Advocate General.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Court found that the supply by downloading, for permanent use, of an e-book is not covered by the right of ‘distribution to the public’ provided for by Article 4(1) of Directive 2001/29, but that it is covered by the right of ‘communication to the public’ provided for in Article 3(1) of that directive, in which case exhaustion is excluded under paragraph 3 of that article,&#8221; the CJEU <a href="https://media.licdn.com/dms/document/C4D1FAQHhWzKND-5eEA/feedshare-document-pdf-analyzed/0?e=1576836000&#038;v=beta&#038;t=jGloBKAWBUvjOuDJojic98KKOizGeanKdJNxzOvl-FA">release</a> reads.</p>
<p>The CJEU decision references an underlying World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Copyright Treaty, noting that the EU legislature intended that the rule of exhaustion be reserved for the distribution of physical objects, such as paper-based books.</p>
<p>&#8220;By contrast, the application of that rule of exhaustion to e-books would be likely to affect the interests of rightholders in obtaining appropriate reward much more than in the case of books on a material medium, since dematerialized digital copies of e-books do not deteriorate with use and are, therefore, perfect substitutes for new copies on any second-hand market,&#8221; the Court notes.</p>
<p>In respect of whether the supply of used eBooks represents a &#8220;communication to the public&#8221;, the Court said it considered whether technical means different to those previously used were deployed, or whether the communication was made to a &#8220;new public&#8221;, i.e an audience that wasn&#8217;t taken into account by the copyright holders when they authorized the initial communication to the public.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the present case, since the making available of an e-book is generally accompanied by a user license authorizing the user who has downloaded the e-book concerned only to read that e-book from his or her own equipment, it must be held that a communication such as that effected by Tom Kabinet is made to a public that was not already taken into account by the copyright holders and, therefore, to a new public,&#8221; the <a href="http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&#038;docid=221807&#038;pageIndex=0&#038;doclang=EN&#038;mode=req&#038;dir=&#038;occ=first&#038;part=1&#038;cid=47144">decision</a> reads.</p>
<p>On those grounds, the Court (Grand Chamber) ruled as follows:</p>
<p><em>The supply to the public by downloading, for permanent use, of an e-book is covered by the concept of ‘communication to the public’ and, more specifically, by that of ‘making available to the public of [authors’] works in such a way that members of the public may access them from a place and at a time individually chosen by them’, within the meaning of Article 3(1) of Directive 2001/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 on the harmonization of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society.</em></p>
<p>The ruling was welcomed by publishing group GAU.</p>
<p>&#8220;Now that the European Court of Appeal has followed the argument of the GAU / Media Federation and the conclusion of its AG, it is clear that what Tom Kabinet has done for all these years is contrary to copyright,&#8221; a GAU <a href="https://algemene-uitgevers.nl/gaumediafederatie-wint-zaak-tegen-tom-kabinet-bij-europese-hof/">statement</a> reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;The decision is not only important for the book sector, but also for the music and film industry, because now also for music and film, downloaded copies may not be resold. The GAU / Media Federation is happy that after many years there is finally clarity about the application of copyright to e-books.</p>
<p>&#8220;The GAU / Media Federation will now investigate with authors and publishers what recoverable damage Tom Kabinet has caused,&#8221; GAU concludes.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180929
title: Netflix Joins Another Major Anti-Piracy Coalition
uri: Netflix-Joins-Another-Major-Anti-Piracy-Coalition
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/qxTNFD__Jng/
content:
<p><img src="media/97118de6.netflixlogonew.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/netflixlogonew.png" alt="" width="267" height="152" class="alignright size-full wp-image-145677" />When Netflix had just started offering online video content years ago, it didn&#8217;t consider piracy to be a major issue. </p>
<p>However, now that the company itself is one of the largest content producers, this outlook has changed drastically. </p>
<p>Like many other rightsholders, Netflix now keeps a close eye on pirate sites and services. The company has its own in-house anti-piracy team and also works with third-party companies, to issue takedown requests.</p>
<p>Increasingly, the streaming service is also teaming with other rightsholders to coordinate its enforcement efforts. Netflix is one of the founding members of the Alliance For Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and earlier this year it joined the Motion Picture Association (MPA).  </p>
<p>This week brings yet another expansion, one that takes it across borders to Italy. Local anti-piracy organization FAPAV just <a href="https://fapav.it/fapav-sempre-piu-rappresentativa-e-autorevole-nel-settore-della-tutela-dei-contenuti-audiovisivi-e-multimediali/">announced</a> that Netflix and the Italian football league Serie A are its latest members.</p>
<p>&#8220;The addition of two new members, Lega Serie A and Netflix, will consolidate and further enrich the association&#8217;s membership base,&#8221; FAPAV announced at its end-of-year gathering.</p>
<p>The anti-piracy group has been very active in Europe over the past several years. A few months ago, it helped to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/operation-pirate-targets-incoming-release-group-190125/">bring down</a> the pirate release group FREE/iNCOMiNG, for example, and it was also involved in the court case that brought down the famous torrent site <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-orders-ethical-torrent-giant-tntvillage-to-stop-piracy-activity-191105/">TNTVillage</a>.</p>
<p>FAPAV has also been a driving force behind local pirate site blockades. In 2019, more than 400 new sites were blocked in Italy, which is more than double compared to the year before. </p>
<p>With help from Netflix, FAPAV will keep its focus on various piracy sources in the coming year. </p>
<p>IPTV piracy will be one of its main priorities in 2020, the group says. In addition to enforcement actions, it will also continue its efforts to educate the public on the downsides of piracy through informational campaigns. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180838
title: American Petroleum Institute Obtains DMCA Subpoena Ordering Cloudflare Action Against Pirate Site
uri: American-Petroleum-Institute-Obtains-DMCA-Subpoena-Ordering-Cloudflare
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/XEUlPaHpLJY/
content:
<p><a href="media/dfcf95c2.api-logo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/api-logo.png"><img src="media/dfcf95c2.api-logo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/api-logo.png" alt="" width="263" height="139" class="alignright size-full wp-image-180841" /></a>Most reports of copyright-based legal action in the United States center on the unlicensed downloading, sharing, or distribution of movies, TV shows, music and software.</p>
<p>Albeit at a slower rate, other less mainstream materials are also detailed in infringement complaints, notably copyrighted scientific and research papers, often with pirate sites like Sci-Hub or Libgen somewhere in the equation. This week a relatively rare complaint was filed in a US court protesting the illegal sale of copyrighted petroleum industry documents.</p>
<p>The application for a DMCA subpoena, filed at a Delaware district court by powerful oil and gas industry association American Petroleum Institute (<a href="https://www.api.org/">API</a>), claims that its authored standards documents are being made available online without its permission.</p>
<p>&#8220;For decades, API has authored standards for the safety and quality of products in the petroleum and gas industry. As author, API owns the copyright in these standards and has registered the copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office,&#8221; counsel for API writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;The copyrighted standards constitute a very valuable asset to API. Indeed, sales of the API standards to petroleum and gas industry professionals create considerable income for API.&#8221;</p>
<p>According to API, others are also benefiting from the sale of its standards. The application lists several problematic domains (e-standard.org, e-stds.org, pdfstandards.org) all of which direct to one main site located at e-standardstore.org.</p>
<p>&#8220;This company is not an authorized distributor of API’s standards. Despite not being an authorized distributor, these links display images of API’s logos. This unauthorized use of API’s logos falsely suggests to consumers that this company is an authorized distributor of API standards,&#8221; API adds.</p>
<p><Center><div id="attachment_180846" style="width: 660px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="media/6708f6db.e-standards.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/e-standards.png"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-180846" src="media/6708f6db.e-standards.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/e-standards.png" alt="" width="650" height="466" class="size-full wp-image-180846" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-180846" class="wp-caption-text"><em>The E-Standards.org &#8216;pirate&#8217; site</em></p></div></center></p>
<p>As the image above shows, API&#8217;s publications are easily discoverable on the infringing site. API says there are at least 1,700 standards for sale in PDF format, which is problematic in itself since the association only offers physical standards which means the downloads must be copies.</p>
<p>&#8220;Additionally, API does not permit sales of its standards in PDF format (or any other electronic format) by anyone. Therefore, the sale of downloadable or e-mailed copies of API’s standards are clearly sales of unauthorized copies or scans of API’s publications,&#8221; API adds.</p>
<p>API says that after investigating the &#8216;pirate&#8217; site&#8217;s IP addresses, they were determined to be operated by Cloudflare. As a result, API wants the CDN company to immediately terminate its services utilized by E-Standards.org while handing over the personal details of whoever is behind the platform.</p>
<p><center><div id="attachment_180849" style="width: 660px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="media/0385e039.api-cloudflare.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/api-cloudflare.png"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-180849" src="media/0385e039.api-cloudflare.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/api-cloudflare.png" alt="" width="650" height="384" class="size-full wp-image-180849" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/api-cloudflare.png 650w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/api-cloudflare-220x130.png 220w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-180849" class="wp-caption-text"><em>From the API subpoena to Cloudflare</em></p></div></center></p>
<p>The Delaware court quickly signed off on the API subpoena so some type of action by Cloudflare can be expected soon. That being said, this set of domains isn&#8217;t only a thorn in the side of API but also various other specialist organizations that author their own standards.</p>
<p>According to Google&#8217;s Transparency Report, all of the redirection domains have been the subject of DMCA notices, some of which date back to 2013. The main domain cited by API (E-Standards.org) is also at the center of most additional complaints including those filed by safety company Underwriters Laboratories, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the National Fire Protection Association, and American Water Works Association.</p>
<p><em>A copy of the DMCA subpoena to Cloudflare is available <a href="media/4f6ec424.API-DMCA-subpoena-Cloudflare-191217.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/API-DMCA-subpoena-Cloudflare-191217.pdf">here</a> (pdf)</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180649
title: Copyright Troll Back in Federal Court After it Fails to ‘Save Judicial Resources’
uri: Copyright-Troll-Back-in-Federal-Court-After-it-Fails-to-Save-Judici
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/2Y1Doz0kJhM/
content:
<p><img src="media/e32a206f.piratefish.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/piratefish.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="136" class="alignright size-full wp-image-106368" />Last week we reported that Strike 3 Holdings, the most active copyright litigant in the US, had <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/most-active-copyright-trolls-stopped-filing-u-s-piracy-lawsuits-for-now-191211/">stopped filing new lawsuits</a> in federal courts.</p>
<p>A few days later we found out that the adult entertainment company hadn&#8217;t really halted its efforts. Instead, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-troll-bypasses-federal-court-to-get-cheap-piracy-settlements-191213/">it had moved to a Florida state court</a> where it targeted dozens of alleged copyright infringers at once. </p>
<p>This maneuver is controversial. Copyright cases are a matter of federal law and generally don&#8217;t belong in state courts. However, Strike 3 filed their cases as a complaint for “a pure bill discovery.” </p>
<p>This means that, instead of filing a copyright complaint, it asked the court to allow it to request subpoenas against ISPs to identify the alleged pirates. That information can then &#8216;possibly&#8217; be used to file a federal case. Or it can be used to directly demand settlements from alleged infringers.  </p>
<p>The advantage of the latter option is that Strike 3 can target dozens if not hundreds of alleged pirates in a single case. This saves tens of thousands of dollars in filing fees, as many federal courts only allow one defendant per case.</p>
<p>The move to state courts has prompted objections from various copyright attorneys. They argue that these cases don&#8217;t belong in state court and, as we <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-troll-bypasses-federal-court-to-get-cheap-piracy-settlements-191213/">highlighted a few days ago</a>, the general belief is that Strike 3 is taking this route to save money. </p>
<p>The company itself sees things differently. Just days after we pointed out the lack of action in federal courts, the company filed a handful of new cases. However, these come with a twist. </p>
<p>The new cases we spotted specifically target IP-addresses that are associated with subscribers who objected to Strike 3&#8217;s state court shortcut. The timing, which coincides with our reporting, is interesting, and so are Strike 3&#8217;s arguments. </p>
<p>In the new complaints, the company states that it took its cases to state court to save &#8220;judicial resources&#8221; at the federal court. That the same move also saves tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs for the company itself isn&#8217;t mentioned. </p>
<p>&#8220;In an effort to conserve Federal judicial resources, Strike 3 originally moved to discover Defendant’s identity utilizing a state court procedure in Florida where Strike 3’s infringement detection servers are located,&#8221;<a href="media/7707b73a.85e3b441-250d-4eb0-bae1-b281e415a048.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/85e3b441-250d-4eb0-bae1-b281e415a048.pdf"> Strike 3 writes (pdf)</a>.  </p>
<p>&#8220;Defendant objected asserting that the action is more properly litigated in the federal court of his or her domicile. Because Plaintiff is amenable to litigating the matter in either forum, this suit was initiated,&#8221; the company adds.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/7707b73a.85e3b441-250d-4eb0-bae1-b281e415a048.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/85e3b441-250d-4eb0-bae1-b281e415a048.pdf">85e3b441-250d-4eb0-bae1-b281e415a048</a></p>
<p><img src="media/869f4286.strikeback.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/strikeback.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="259" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-180824" /></center></p>
<p>Strike 3&#8217;s suggestion that it merely wanted to help bring down the caseload at the federal court is something many skeptics will doubt. Whether it&#8217;s true or not, it does reveal that the company didn&#8217;t intend to file federal cases against all defendants. </p>
<p>After all, that would ultimately result in the same caseload for the federal court. </p>
<p>In other words, the plan was to reveal the identity of alleged pirates through the state court without filing a copyright case. The company could then use that information to extract settlements from these defendants, for a fraction of the time and costs at the federal court.</p>
<p>But apparently the costs reduction is just a by-product. The real goal here, according to Strike 3, was to conserve federal judicial resources.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180906
title: Russia Convicts a Pirate Site Operator for the Very First Time
uri: Russia-Convicts-a-Pirate-Site-Operator-for-the-Very-First-Time
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/oQIdJHdPCd4/
content:
<p><a href="media/fdb4ba62.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-125426 alignright" src="media/fdb4ba62.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167" /></a>Despite having one of the most aggressive site-blocking mechanisms anywhere in the world supported by a unique voluntary search engine <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/landmark-russian-anti-piracy-agreement-extended-until-end-october-191007/">de-indexing program</a>, prosecutions of pirate site operators rarely come to fruition in Russia.</p>
<p>That has now changed with the conviction of Stanislav Saigin, a man who operated three main sites that formerly operated from Kinogb.guru, kinokot.biz, and fosa.me. These platforms, supported by a dozen mirror sites, offered around 10,000 movies and TV shows to the public for free.</p>
<p>These streaming sites were among thousands that previously relied upon the now-defunct Moonwalk &#8216;pirate&#8217; CDN system. This massive cloud-based operation, which was taken down in October following <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/brein-mpa-and-ace-shut-down-massive-pirate-cdn-191021/">legal action</a> by BREIN, the MPA, and the Alliance For Creativity and Entertainment, fed the site not only with video content but advertising too, much of it placed by online casinos.</p>
<p>Cybersecurity company <a href="https://www.group-ib.com/">Group-IB</a>, which conducted the investigation into the Kinogb, says it repeatedly warned the operator of the sites against copyright infringement and asked for unlicensed distribution to be stopped. However, these overtures were ignored and instead, new mirror sites appeared when the other domains names were blocked by ISPs. As a result, Group-IB became involved in tracking down their operator.</p>
<p>&#8220;The owner of the kinogb network turned out to be a highly secretive and cautious individual: they did not have genuine social media accounts and were not registered on any forums. Nevertheless, Group-IB&#8217;s investigation department quickly picked up their trail,&#8221; Group-IB says in a statement sent to TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>&#8220;During the investigative activities carried out by the law enforcement agencies in the spring of 2019, the owner of the pirate network was detained. The suspected perpetrator was accused of violating copyright and related rights, which could be punishable by imprisonment for up to six years, with or without a fine of up to $8,000 or equaling the amount of the convicted individual’s wage, salary, any other income over a period of up to three years.&#8221;</p>
<p>Initially, the site operator allegedly confessed and agreed to cooperate with the authorities and as a result, a criminal case was sent to the Krasnogorsk City Court. However, the defendant then refused to plead guilty so as a result, he was handed a two-year suspended sentence and three years&#8217; probation.</p>
<p>“This case has set an important precedent that could help bring other owners of pirate resources to criminal responsibility,” says Andrey Busargin, Director of Brand Protection and Anti-Piracy at Singapore-based Group-IB.</p>
<p>&#8220;Pirates are part of organized criminal groups: some groups record videos in movie theaters, while others translate and dub films. Others still adapt and publish content online. Only criminal prosecution combined with tighter anti-piracy legislation can reduce the number of people engaging in this type of illegal business.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181014
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 12/23/19
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-12-23-19
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/WaYOS0-Xf-o/
content:
<p><img src="media/cdfa05ae.joker-1.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/joker-1.jpg" alt="" width="292" height="238" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181019" />This week we have four newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Joker 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 articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-on-bittorrent-12-16-19/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(10)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7286456/">Joker</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7286456/">8.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAGVQLHvwOY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2935510/">Ad Astra</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2935510/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK6Syms-X3w">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2584384/">JoJo Rabbit</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2584384/">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL4McUzXfFI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8106534/">6 Underground</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8106534/">6.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLE85olJjp8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560220/">Zombieland Double Tap</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560220/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlW9yhUKlkQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7131622/">Once Upon a Time &#8230; in Hollywood</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7131622/">7.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeMaP8EPAA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7984734/">The Lighthouse</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7984734/">8.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyag7lR8CPA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1206885/">Rambo: Last Blood</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1206885/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_L0v3C0ms">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6141246/">The Aeronauts</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6141246/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm4VnwCtQO8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1025100/">Gemini Man</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1025100/">5.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbyJignbSj0">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="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180978
title: Indonesian Government Continues Whac-A-Mole Against Local Streaming Piracy Giant
uri: Indonesian-Government-Continues-Whac-A-Mole-Against-Local-Streaming-Pi
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/cjwXgpsp6MM/
content:
<p><img src="media/43fac36e.indoxx1.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/indoxx1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="135" class="alignright size-full wp-image-180996" />With millions of views per day, &#8216;IndoXX1&#8217; is of one the largest pirate sites on the Internet.</p>
<p>In the West, the site doesn’t ring a bell with most people. In Indonesia, however, it is among the top 25 most visited websites in the country, only beaten by Google, YouTube, and a few others.</p>
<p>The site’s popularity didn’t go unnoticed by Hollywood. Earlier this year the MPA <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpa-adds-1xbet-and-baidu-to-latest-piracy-threat-report/">listed the site</a> in its yearly overview of notorious pirate sites submitted to the US Trade Representative.</p>
<p>“Indo 21” has emerged as the main brand for piracy in Bahasa throughout Indonesia and Malaysia. One of the related sites, indoxx1.center, has a local ranking of 40 in Indonesia according to SimilarWeb data with 23.85 million monthly visits in August 2019,&#8221; MPA wrote. </p>
<p>Today this information is already outdated. While IndoXX1 remains the most visited pirate brand in the country, it continuously relocates in order to evade local blocking efforts. </p>
<p>Most recently the portal was available through domains including idxx1.cam, indoxx1.art, and indoxx1.kim. However, a few days ago, Indonesia&#8217;s Information and Communications Ministry (Kominfo) stepped in to block these domains.</p>
<p>Kominfo&#8217;s actions coincide with the release of a new survey, commissioned by the Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition Against Piracy (<a href="https://asiavia.org/anti-piracy/cap/">CAP</a>), which shows that streaming piracy is rampant in Indonesia.</p>
<p>According to the study, 63% of Indonesians have accessed streaming piracy websites or torrent sites. In addition, 29% of consumers use set-top boxes that can stream pirated video content, with indoXXI(Lite) being the most popular app by far.</p>
<p>This isn&#8217;t the first time Kominfo has taken action against IndoXX1. Other domains have been banned previously as part of a national anti-piracy effort. In fact, the Government organization has blocked more than 1,000 domain names since July.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/be82d746.indox4.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/indox4.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="383" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181000" /></center></p>
<p>Revealing the gravity of the situation, Kompas <a href="https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2019/12/23/16521221/polri-dukung-pemblokiran-web-film-bajakan-indoxxi">reports</a> that these anti-piracy efforts can also count on the support of the national police.</p>
<p>While it&#8217;s clear that the authorities are taking the piracy problem seriously, it seems rather hard to curtail. On <a href="https://twitter.com/hafilova/status/1208382428781273089">social media</a>, many people are pointing out alternatives and, when we checked, indoXXI mirrors or copies were indeed available.</p>
<p>Many of the site&#8217;s users don&#8217;t really seem impressed by yet another blockade, and a meme illustrating the ineffectiveness of the measures has been viewed over a dozen million times in a few days.</p>
<p><center></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="in" dir="ltr">Pemerintah nutup indoXXI<a href="https://t.co/Yfya9Eglvn">pic.twitter.com/Yfya9Eglvn</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Hary Susanto (@hafilova) <a href="https://twitter.com/hafilova/status/1208382428781273089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>Since blocking isn&#8217;t 100% effective, to say the least, it may also be worth looking at other means to address the piracy problem. At the supply end, for example. That&#8217;s where help from the Government may also be welcome. </p>
<p>Local news site Coconuts <a href="https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/government-blocks-illegal-movie-streaming-site-indoxxi-mirrors-inevitably-appear/">reports</a> that Indonesia&#8217;s largest Internet provider Telkomsel currently blocks its subscribers from accessing Netflix. The state-owned ISP officially bans Netflix on censorship grounds, but some believe there may be financial reasons as well, as the company has ties to a local streaming service.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180950
title: Crisis Looms as YouTube Faces Permanent Blocking by Russian ISPs
uri: Crisis-Looms-as-YouTube-Faces-Permanent-Blocking-by-Russian-ISPs
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/-sOGXt8J2h4/
content:
<p><a href="media/72389cbc.sadyoutube.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/sadyoutube.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-117196 alignright" src="media/72389cbc.sadyoutube.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/sadyoutube.jpg" alt="" width="275" height="196" /></a>As the most popular video hosting platform on the Internet, YouTube is awash with both legal and unlicensed content. However, since the company is responsive to copyright complaints, it is largely protected by the safe harbor provisions of the DMCA.</p>
<p>The system is far from perfect and is nowhere near comprehensive. False positives, abusive copyright claims and the sheer volume of uploads make it almost impossible to police the platform to a standard acceptable to everyone. The same can be said of the Internet has a whole but with automated and manual takedown tools, YouTube does what it can.</p>
<p>One copyright holder that isn&#8217;t happy with YouTube&#8217;s efforts is Russian publishing giant Eksmo and its anti-piracy partner AZAPI, the Association for the Protection of Copyright in the Internet. It says the YouTube system &#8220;does not always work&#8221; so has decided to step up its efforts to protects its clients&#8217; rights.</p>
<p>As a result, Eksmo recently filed a court case against YouTube and the video platform of local search giant Yandex, claiming that the sites offer pirated audio copies of the sci-fi novel &#8216;The Three-Body Problem&#8217; by the Chinese author Liu Cixin.</p>
<p>The December complaint was initially rejected due to lack of evidence but on appeal, the Moscow City Court has now ruled that YouTube and Yandex.video must remove the content or face having it blocked by local ISPs. According to a report by local news outlet <a href="https://www.vedomosti.ru/">Vedomosti</a>, the content in question still exists on both platforms.</p>
<p>According to a statement from the Moscow City Court published by <a href="https://tass.ru/ekonomika/7401939">TASS</a> on Monday, it has now taken preliminary measures against both sites.</p>
<p>&#8220;The court ordered Yandex.video and YouTube to remove the link to the Cixin audiobook. As a security measure, the court imposed a block on this material on both hosting sites,&#8221; the press service said.</p>
<p>The Court spokesperson had no comment on the potential for YouTube or Yandex.video to be permanently blocked in Russia but it appears that AZAPI has plans for just that.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are ready to go to court using other books. If the complaints are satisfied, we can insist on the eternal blocking of Yandex.Video and YouTube in Russia,&#8221; AZAPI chief Maxim Ryabyko informs Vedomosti.</p>
<p>AZAPI represents the interests of Russia&#8217;s biggest publishers so the possibility for additional complaints is substantial. What remains unclear is the standard to which YouTube is being held. If the site receives a valid copyright complaint against a specific URL, it usually removes the content in a timely manner. However, that doesn&#8217;t necessarily prevent the same content from being uploaded again. At least from AZAPI&#8217;s perspective, this appears to be a case of repeat infringement.</p>
<p>&#8220;There were situations even when, after making a court ruling, we continued to find controversial copies on this platform,” Ryabyko says.</p>
<p>From the limited comments available, AZAPI seems to be demanding a &#8220;takedown, staydown&#8221; arrangement in response to its complaints, something which goes beyond Google&#8217;s responsibilities under the DMCA.</p>
<p>Whether AZAPI&#8217;s threats are ultimately designed to bring YouTube to the negotiating table is unclear but having the site blocked in Russia seems like the nuclear option, particularly when YouTube offers a <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9245819">number of special tools</a> that may help to prevent further infringement.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181026
title: Hive-CM8 is Looking For Frozen 2 and Star Wars Screeners
uri: Hive-CM8-is-Looking-For-Frozen-2-and-Star-Wars-Screeners
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/_QiR_ZFB9CA/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-181035" src="media/34c7d151.leak.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/leak.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="161" />At the end of the year, movie industry insiders traditionally receive the screener copies that are used to vote on the Oscars and other awards.</p>
<p>As is tradition, quite a few of these advance screeners will leak on various pirate sites. Last Christmas, the first screeners had yet to leak, but this year pirates got their presents early.</p>
<p>The first screener copy that leaked last week was &#8216;Uncut Gems,&#8217; which was soon followed by &#8216;Portrait of a Lady on Fire.&#8217; This week &#8216;JoJo Rabbit&#8217; followed, and just a few hours ago a copy of &#8216;A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood&#8217; appeared online.</p>
<p>The movies came out via release groups EVO and Hive-CM8, which both have a track record of getting their hands on these screeners.</p>
<p>Hive-CM8 has drawn considerable attention in the past due to the timing and volume of its releases. Four years ago high-quality copies of some of the hottest Hollywood productions appeared online, with some titles even beating their official theatrical releases.</p>
<p>This sparked outrage from Hollywood and an unprecedented apology from Hive-CM8. Going forward, the group <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hive-cm8-apologizes-for-leaking-hateful-eight-dvd-screener-151230/">promised</a> not to release any movies too early. And indeed, in the three years that followed, leaks came later and in lower numbers.</p>
<p>However, that doesn&#8217;t mean that the group plans to stay away from blockbuster titles entirely. In the notes that come with today&#8217;s release of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Hive-CM8 specifically fishes for some top titles.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are looking for frozen/star wars/1917/knives out. Who wants to be the hero that can get that for us?&#8221; the group writes.</p>
<p><center><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181045" src="media/5bebe9fd.screenertime.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/screenertime.jpg" alt="" width="574" height="248" /></center>While that may sound appealing to some people, it also shows that the group doesn&#8217;t have access to these screeners yet. This means that it&#8217;s very possible that they won&#8217;t leak at all.</p>
<p>Last year, Hive-CM8 called upon the public to help them get Creed 2, Destroyer, Mortal Engines, Frontrunner, Vox Lux, and Marven. However, of these screeners only Destroyer made it onto pirate sites.</p>
<p>Needless to say, there is quite a bit of risk involved with these leaks. People who share them through BitTorrent are already at risk, but the sources of these leaks are prime candidates for criminal investigations.</p>
<p>Despite changing its release schedule to accommodate Hollywood, Hive-CM8 shows no intention of halting its activities. It apparently has its security in order and mentions that protecting sources is its main goal.</p>
<p>&#8220;We will remove all kind of watermarks and digital tracers. If its not possible or suspicous security they wont get out, there is no need to do every title if its not secure enough, we dont want to burn a source [sic],&#8221; the group writes.</p>
<p>That said, Hollywood and enforcement agencies are certainly keeping a close eye.</p>
<p>Last year, the number of screener releases reached an <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/oscars-screener-leaks-drop-to-all-time-low-190226/">all-time low</a> with &#8216;just&#8217; eight making their way to pirate sites. Thus far the count is at four this year.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181067
title: Dutch Filmworks Takes Quest to Identify Alleged Pirates to the Supreme Court
uri: Dutch-Filmworks-Takes-Quest-to-Identify-Alleged-Pirates-to-the-Supreme
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Eu-kbwaGNVQ/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-145460" src="media/23b447e2.hitmans-bodyguard.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/hitmans-bodyguard.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="180" />Piracy settlement letters have become a serious threat in countries all round the world.</p>
<p>Until now, Dutch Internet users have been spared from this practice but local movie distributor Dutch Filmworks would like that to change.</p>
<p>Two years ago the company <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dutch-film-distributor-wins-right-to-chase-pirates-store-data-for-5-years-171208/">received permission</a> from the Dutch Data Protection Authority to track the IP-addresses of BitTorrent users who shared pirated movies.</p>
<p>However, that was only the first hurdle. The next step was to identify the subscribers behind the IP-addresses and Dutch Internet provider Ziggo didn’t want to share any customer data without a court order.</p>
<p>The case went to court, where the movie company requested the personal details of 377 account holders whose addresses were used to share a copy of “The Hitman’s Bodyguard”.</p>
<p>This didn&#8217;t go as planned for Dutch FilmWorks. In February, the Central Netherlands Court denied the company’s request for data and last month the Court of Appeal <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dutch-isp-does-not-have-to-identify-alleged-pirates-appeals-court-rules-191105/">reached the same conclusion</a>.</p>
<p>Both courts concluded that Dutch Filmworks&#8217; plans lacked transparency and it&#8217;s not clear what the movie company plans to do with the personal data it obtains. Dutch Filmworks said that it could either warn subscribers or request damages, but the criteria remain a guess.</p>
<p>It also remains unclear how large the proposed settlements will be. An initial figure of €150 per infringement was mentioned in the past, but this number could also be significantly higher.</p>
<p>The movie company is unhappy with both verdicts and told the Dutch newspaper <a href="https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2019/12/23/filmdistributeur-naar-hoge-raad-in-zaak-over-gegevens-illegale-downloaders-a3984874">NRC</a> that it will take the matter to the Supreme Court. This means that the 377 account holders from ISP Ziggo remain at risk.</p>
<p>In theory, it&#8217;s not impossible to obtain an order compelling Dutch Internet providers to hand over personal details of accused pirates. However, the previous verdicts make it clear that Dutch Filmworks has to come with a concrete plan.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the Supreme Court must find a balance between the privacy rights of subscribers and Dutch Filmworks’ intellectual property rights. When there&#8217;s too much uncertainty for accused subscribers, their rights tend to weigh stronger.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=179770
title: BitTorrent Tokens: The Last Minute Christmas Gift, Now Extortionate on eBay
uri: BitTorrent-Tokens-The-Last-Minute-Christmas-Gift-Now-Extortionate-on
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/cQaaqGdC9R0/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full" src="media/b2752405.ebay.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ebay.jpg" width="180" height="103" />It&#8217;s December 25, 2019, so Happy Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all the best to everyone from us here at TorrentFreak, wherever you may be and whatever you may be celebrating.</p>
<p>Sadly, for some of you today it won&#8217;t all be fun and games. Some will experience an awful sinking feeling, one prompted by the arrival of an unexpected guest bearing an equally unexpected Christmas card or, worse still, one accompanied by a Christmas gift, all beautifully wrapped with a little bow on top.</p>
<p>You won&#8217;t have prepared for this so panic will quickly set in. You&#8217;ll probably have a spare card you can quickly scribble on but no appropriate gift. This will cause acute embarrassment and raised blood pressure. Will a hastily prepared turkey sandwich or glass of wine suffice, or will something more substantial be required?</p>
<p>First of all, calm down. After assessing the value of the incoming gift, you can head off to Amazon to send an emailed gift card of roughly equivalent value. However, if your gift-bearer is a file-sharer, there is a more novel option.</p>
<p>As readers will be aware, earlier this year BitTorrent Inc. launched its BTT token. Reportedly, these could be earned in the new uTorrent client by seeding lots of content and then spent to obtain faster torrent downloads elsewhere. We <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/magnificent-bittorrent-speed-or-half-baked-magic-beans-190714/">couldn&#8217;t find much evidence</a> of anyone earning much or getting faster transfers but since when did an emergency gift have to be useful?</p>
<p>The problem here, however, is that you need some BTT now &#8211; right now &#8211; so how can that be achieved without panic-seeding terabytes of content and hoping for the best?</p>
<p>Easy. Quickly log into eBay and buy some.</p>
<p><center><img class="aligncenter size-full" src="media/0bb1fc58.image-166.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-166.png" width="650" height="310" /></center></p>
<p>As the image above shows, it is possible to buy 45,000 BTT tokens in one go. Think about it &#8211; your guest <em>brought only one gift</em>, so they can&#8217;t fail to be impressed by the scale of your offering. Unless they get out a calculator and realize what a scam this is.</p>
<p>While the deodorant gift set, socks, wine, or chocolates you&#8217;re trying to balance out are probably worth much less than €89.99 (US$100.44), the BTT haul on offer here represents such poor value it&#8217;s an absolute joke, and not a very funny one either.</p>
<p>As the image below shows, at the time of writing BTT tokens are worth less than $0.0003 each.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/db3e0901.btt-price.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/btt-price.png"><img src="media/db3e0901.btt-price.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/btt-price.png" alt="" width="600" height="252" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-180695" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/btt-price.png 600w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/btt-price-500x210.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></a></center></p>
<p>&#8230;..which means that 45,000 of them are worth around $12.78 (€11.45). Clearly, this is a massive profit for the numerous people on eBay offering to sell them, even when factoring in your gift vulnerability situation on Christmas Day.</p>
<p>But there are other problems too. While it may look like the BTT are up for sale, what you&#8217;re actually buying is a &#8220;contract to mine&#8221; BTT. The issue here is that unlike bitcoin or similar cryptocurrencies, there is <a href="https://twitter.com/bittorrent/status/1137102864814358529?lang=en">no mining involved</a> with the BTT utility token. They cannot be mined.</p>
<p><center><img class="aligncenter size-full" src="media/5e31cc07.image-165.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-165.png" width="1300" height="458" /></center></p>
<p>The bottom line here is that while 45,000 BTT may sound like a lot &#8211; even at $12.78 for this huge amount &#8211; they currently aren&#8217;t a particularly useful commodity. According to even the most experienced users who seed massive amounts of content constantly, it&#8217;s hard if not impossible to earn BTT and downloads don&#8217;t run noticeably faster when people spend them either.</p>
<p>This is a mystery that even torrent experts have puzzled over for months but this week a tweet from BitTorrent Inc. inadvertently revealed the root of the problem. When the BTT-powered BitTorrent Speed project was announced, CEO of BitTorrent Inc. Justin Sun said that &#8220;more than 100 million users&#8221; would soon reap the benefits.</p>
<p>However, it seems that interest in BTT is so minimal that meeting up with other BTT-powered users in a swarm is extremely unlikely.</p>
<p><center></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BitTorrentSpeed?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BitTorrentSpeed</a> is added in uTorrent Windows Client for 100% of new installs. Now it shows 47K daily active users and 138K monthly active users. In last 7 days about 400 users activated TRON accounts and claimed 50 BTT AirDrop to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BitTorrentSpeed?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BitTorrentSpeed</a> account. <a href="https://t.co/tBa3kr62Sg">https://t.co/tBa3kr62Sg</a></p>
<p>&mdash; BitTorrent Inc. (@BitTorrent) <a href="https://twitter.com/BitTorrent/status/1209027826487152640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>This almost complete lack of interest in BTT may yet turn around but as Christmas presents go, this token won&#8217;t set hearts racing in 2019. So to avoid embarrassment today, you should&#8217;ve kept a few blank Christmas cards back, pre-wrapped several bottles of half-decent wine, while continually reminding yourself never to panic-buy gifts off eBay.</p>
<p>Especially ones you can&#8217;t return when you sober up.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180324
title: Funding a Pirate Business’s Lawsuit is Mostly Unpopular With Pirates
uri: Funding-a-Pirate-Business-s-Lawsuit-is-Mostly-Unpopular-With-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/2DNZH3PESrg/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full" src="media/ef9df3c8.facepalm.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/facepalm.jpg" width="250" height="158" />For as long as there have been torrent sites, streaming platforms, &#8216;pirate&#8217; apps, download sites, services, and any variation thereof, there have been lawsuits attempting to hinder, paralyze, or shut them down.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s hardly breaking news to state that defending such legal action can be a punishing affair, not just emotionally but financially too. Usually brought by powerful entertainment companies and broadcasters, anyone tackling the above needs not only a steely disposition but also the deepest of deep pockets.</p>
<p>As a result, people facing lawsuits for operating such platforms have regularly run fundraisers, invariably claiming that they need huge sums of money to battle what are frequently depicted as marauding copyright bullies intent on destroying the free Internet.</p>
<p>While in some cases that might be at least partially true, many rely on the same language as their aggressors in an effort to rally the masses to part with their cash. In some cases people have a reasonable argument. In others they do not.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, these situations are always interesting, particularly when one factors in the response from the public.</p>
<p>Platforms that have always provided a free service, for example, are often considered more worthy of a donation when it comes to fighting &#8216;Goliath&#8217;. The same can be said of those who operated in a perceived gray area, such as unblocking platforms that have never offered any copyright works, or dual-use open-source projects.</p>
<p>Indeed, one rarely needs to be in receipt of a law degree to assess a platform and decide whether the litigation at hand is warranted or a true case of bullying that warrants a bit of moral and financial support. Equally, spotting the most ridiculous of &#8217;causes&#8217; shouldn&#8217;t be hard for anyone.</p>
<p>For example, take the matter of iStreamItAll that is currently trying to raise $10,000 via a <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/istreamitall-legal-fund">GoFundMe campaign</a> to battle Hollywood and the US Government.</p>
<p>&#8220;We need all the help we can to fight Hollywood, and the federal charges brought upon one of the owners Darryl Polo. Any help would be appreciated and will go towards our legal defense,&#8221; it reads.</p>
<p>Ignoring the not insignificant fact that the defendants have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/two-las-vegas-men-plead-guilty-in-u-s-criminal-streaming-piracy-case-191214/">already pleaded guilty</a>, $10,000 won&#8217;t go anywhere in a case like this. It would take perhaps several hundred thousand dollars to fight in <em>any</em> meaningful way but it would be money down the drain &#8211; people do not easily win cases like this in the US. That&#8217;s why there are others that are aiming higher &#8211; a lot higher.</p>
<p>A couple of months ago we reported on the case of Boom Media, a full-blown pirate IPTV reselling business that is now <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-iptv-reseller-boom-media-sued-in-the-united-states-191102/">being sued by DISH Networks</a> in the United States. Boom Media is asking for <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-iptv-reseller-boom-media-wants-250000-in-donations-to-fight-lawsuit-191130/">$250,000 in donations</a> to get things started in what is being portrayed as a battle to prevent DISH getting its hands on subscriber data.</p>
<p>If the broadcaster does get what it wants (and to be fair this seems likely) that could mean subscribers to the service receiving demands for cash settlements. This, of course, is somewhat akin to copyright-trolling, with low-level users being pursued for thousands of dollars to make supposed lawsuits go away.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s why the response to this plea for donations was of particular interest. Even when scouring the usual &#8216;pirate&#8217; haunts, discussions, forums and chats, finding a supporting voice for the fundraiser is particularly hard.</p>
<p>The general consensus seems to be that this was a business that has never shared a single penny of its profits with its users yet is now asking for donations to fight off a lawsuit on the basis that doing so will prevent subscribers&#8217; details ending up on the desks of DISH lawyers. The irony, particularly when viewed in the light of copyright trolls&#8217; actions in general, is not difficult to spot.</p>
<p>Companies like Boom Media knew very well what they were doing. They knew the consequences of running a pirate IPTV service or selling access to one. Lawsuits like this one should&#8217;ve been expected, prepared for, with litigation costs factored in as a cost of doing business. You know, like regular properly-run businesses do every day.</p>
<p>That the costs of keeping user data safe should now fall to the users of those services, some of whom will have had no idea that Boom wasn&#8217;t legitimate, is as offensive to users as the copyright holders complaining about their activities. But for other users, who knew they were buying into a cheap &#8220;black market&#8221; service (Boom&#8217;s own words), there should be zero surprises that this was a potential outcome.</p>
<p>Paying the <em>company&#8217;s</em> legal fees, which will then get swallowed up by lawyers in a case that cannot be reasonably won, is the choice of the donor. But the fact is that these fundraisers rarely raise any notable funds and in every case &#8211; <em>every case</em> &#8211; donors get absolutely nothing back, not even a free subscription in the million to once chance the service reappears offering the same thing.</p>
<p>This isn&#8217;t really about fighting for freedom, for the Internet, or helping David beat an evil Goliath, it&#8217;s about supporting people who knew from the start that what they were doing was illegal and now want yet more money to bail them out of a hole. And from the dozens of posts we&#8217;ve read on the topic, pirates everywhere know that and do not appreciate it.</p>
<p>All pirates have their causes, from the lowly &#8220;media is too expensive&#8221; to the militant &#8220;sticking it to the man&#8221;. But funding a for-profit &#8216;pirate&#8217; LLC&#8217;s fight against a for-profit broadcaster which is also an LLC is clearly not on most pirates&#8217; agendas.</p>
<p>Funny that&#8230;.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180960
title: Nintendo Counters RomUniverse Operator’s Defense in Piracy Case
uri: Nintendo-Counters-RomUniverse-Operator-s-Defense-in-Piracy-Case
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/qXy6v3a8c5U/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-177133" src="media/bc033a87.romuniverselogo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/romuniverselogo.png" alt="" width="282" height="70" />In September, Nintendo <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/nintendo-sues-romuniverse-for-mass-copyright-infringement/">filed a lawsuit</a> against the game download portal <a href="https://www.romuniverse.com/">RomUniverse</a>.</p>
<p>The website, which also allows users to download movies and books, stands accused of massive copyright infringement, including that relating to many Nintendo titles.</p>
<p>“The Website is among the most visited and notorious online hubs for pirated Nintendo video games. Through the Website, Defendants reproduce, distribute, monetize, and offer for download thousands of unauthorized copies of Nintendo’s video games,” the Japanese gaming giant wrote.</p>
<p>RomUniverse profited from these copyright infringements by offering premium accounts that allow users to download as many games as they want, Nintendo further alleged.</p>
<p>The site&#8217;s operator, California resident Matthew Storman, is not backing down, however. He decided to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/romuniverse-admin-asks-court-to-dismiss-nintendos-piracy-lawsuit-191026/">defend himself</a> in court and responded to Nintendo&#8217;s claims last October through a detailed motion to dismiss.</p>
<p>Storman didn’t deny that he is involved in the operation of RomUniverse. However, he sees himself as a Service Provider, who is not part of the ‘forum’ itself. On the contrary, the admin argues that he’s protected by the DMCA’s safe harbor provisions.</p>
<p>In addition, RomUniverse’s operator said that Nintendo is not the owner of the files and therefore has no standing in this case. Citing the First Sale Doctrine, Storman argued that those who buy games have the right to sell, destroy, or give them away.</p>
<p>“The First Sale Doctrine permits non-copyright or trademark owner to dispose of their copies as they see fit. The Plaintiff does not own copies on websites,” Storman wrote.</p>
<p>Late last week Nintendo responded to the motion to dismiss, describing is as wholly inadequate. Storman&#8217;s arguments &#8220;completely miss the mark&#8221; and his &#8220;smattering of passing references to other legal arguments are similarly unavailing,&#8221; the company counters.</p>
<p><center><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-180972" src="media/243de188.nint.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/nint.jpg" alt="" width="547" height="221" /></center>Nintendo points out that Storman&#8217;s affirmative defenses are not supposed to be pled in a motion to dismiss. Looking beyond this procedural issue, the game company notes that they would not work either.</p>
<p>Starting with the first sale doctrine defense, Nintendo points out that this doesn&#8217;t apply to mass copyright infringement. It only allows an owner of a lawful copy to dispose of an individual copy of a work.</p>
<p>&#8220;Mr. Storman is doing much more than simply distributing any copy of Nintendo’s copyrighted video games he many have,&#8221; Nintendo writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Instead, he is reproducing the video games, creating derivative works, and distributing hundreds of thousands of those derivative works. The first sale doctrine does not permit such blatant infringement.&#8221;</p>
<p>The DMCA safe harbor defense doesn&#8217;t work for Storman either, Nintendo notes. While RomUniverse&#8217;s operator didn&#8217;t specify which of the four safe harbors he relies on, it appears to be the one related to storage providers.</p>
<p>This safe harbor doesn&#8217;t apply, Nintendo says, as Storman himself uploads, organizes, and catalogs infringing content. That alone is enough to lose safe harbor protections. In addition, the operator also receives a direct financial benefit that can be linked to the infringing material.</p>
<p>In the motion to dismiss, Storman highlighted that Nintendo sent him DMCA notices, which should confirm that he indeed has safe harbor protection. However, the game company counters that these notices are irrelevant. A service operator itself has to make sure that it ticks all the boxes when it comes to safe harbor eligibility.</p>
<p>All in all, it appears that by defending himself, Storman&#8217;s motion to dismiss is not as strong as he might have hoped. The matter is now in the hands of the court which, at the time of writing, has yet to rule on the matter.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.romuniverse.com/">RomUniverse</a> remains up and running and Storman continues to request <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/romuniverse-aims-to-crowdfund-legal-piracy-battle-with-nintendo-190923/">financial support</a> for his legal battle.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p>A copy of Nintendo&#8217;s response to Storman&#8217;s motion to dismiss the complaint is <a href="media/e6a3727b.nintendo.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/nintendo.pdf">available here (pdf)</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181082
title: Piracy Streaming Giant ‘IndoXXI’ Quits to Support the Local Creative Industry
uri: Piracy-Streaming-Giant-IndoXXI-Quits-to-Support-the-Local-Creati
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/LRvVeWwvcyI/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-180996" src="media/43fac36e.indoxx1.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/indoxx1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="135" />Earlier this week we reported that Indonesia&#8217;s Information and Communications Ministry has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/indonesian-government-continues-whac-a-mole-against-local-streaming-piracy-giant-191223/">continued its crackdown</a> on pirate sites.</p>
<p>The Government body has blocked more than 1,000 domain names since July. Streaming giant &#8216;IndoXXI,&#8217; which is listed among the 25 most visited sites in the country, was the main target.</p>
<p>The site has been blocked by ISPs in Indonesia before and also appeared on Hollywood&#8217;s radar. Despite the mounting pressure, it always managed to come back through new domain names.</p>
<p>That was also the case this time around. However, behind the scenes, the continued complaints must have made an impact on its operators as the site has announced that it will stop offering pirated movies in the new year.</p>
<p>&#8220;Very hard but must be done. Thanks to our entire loyal audience. From January 1, 2020, we will stop serving movies on this website in order to support and advance the country&#8217;s creative industry. Hopefully, the future will be better,&#8221; the translated message reads.</p>
<p><center><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181084" src="media/248512be.indox.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/indox.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="235" /></center></p>
<p>The announcement will be viewed as good news for the entertainment industry. However, as is usually the case when large sites shut down, there will be many others ready to take its place. Taking away one site doesn&#8217;t necessarily eliminate the demand from the public.</p>
<p>In any case, the surprise decision is big news in Indonesia. The &#8216;indoxxi&#8217; hashtag was trending on Twitter earlier and the story has been picked up by several major news outlets, <a href="https://www.cnnindonesia.com/teknologi/20191224065029-185-459519/indoxxi-tutup-1-januari-2020">including</a> CNN Indonesia.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181052
title: Baidu Cloud Storage Site Ordered to Pay Damages For TV Show Piracy
uri: Baidu-Cloud-Storage-Site-Ordered-to-Pay-Damages-For-TV-Show-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/9B6yJ-nEI9s/
content:
<p><a href="media/fd7a66dd.law-hammer.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-134548" src="media/fd7a66dd.law-hammer.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="203" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer.jpg 270w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px" /></a></p>
<p>China&#8217;s government is regularly accused of not doing enough to prevent piracy but court records show that there are many copyright cases under consideration.</p>
<p>A particularly interesting case that has now reached its conclusion featured Youku Tudou Inc., one of the country&#8217;s top online video platforms and Baidu Wangpan (Baidu Web Drive), a cloud-storage service operated by technology giant Baidu.</p>
<p>Filed by Youku, the lawsuit claimed that despite the company holding the rights to distribute the popular TV series &#8216;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Love_(TV_series)">Eternal Love</a>&#8216; online in China, copies of the show were being made available to the public after being uploaded to storage accounts on Baidu Wangpan. Youku says it sent numerous complaints to have the content removed but according to the company, the response was insufficient.</p>
<p>While Baidu did take some action, Youku was still able to find more than 11,000 Baidu Wangpan accounts offering episodes of the TV series for viewing without permission from the license holder, Caixin Global reports <em>(<a href="https://www.caixinglobal.com/2019-12-24/baidu-cloud-service-hit-with-record-fine-for-copyright-violations-101497587.html">paywall</a>).</em></p>
<p>The lawsuit accused Baidu of not taking down infringing links quickly enough, failing to take action against the accounts of repeat infringers, and not installing technology to prevent the uploading, storage, and sharing of copyrighted material.</p>
<p>Baidu countered by stating that its users had uploaded the TV shows and as a result, the company should not be held liable for their actions. It further said that it had responded to Youku&#8217;s complaints and that Youku&#8217;s demand for 29 million yuan (US$4.14 million) in compensation was excessive.</p>
<p>Local reports cite the judge in the case weighing whether the response of Baidu was sufficient, noting that more than 60% of infringing links were indeed removed but other content remained online.</p>
<p>The balance was ultimately decided in favor of Youku, with the Beijing court ordering Baidu to compensate Youku to the tune of one million yuan (US$143,000) and 30,000 yuan ($4,300) in expenses.</p>
<p>Both parties have appealed the ruling.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181184
title: Take-Two Files Copyright Suit to Kill Red Dead Redemption: Damned Enhancement Project
uri: Take-Two-Files-Copyright-Suit-to-Kill-Red-Dead-Redemption-Damned-Enha
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/IrdQbviETuc/
content:
<p><a href="media/384edd22.rdr2small.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rdr2small.png"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-181191" src="media/384edd22.rdr2small.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rdr2small.png" alt="" width="260" height="149" /></a>Take Two Interactive&#8217;s Red Dead Redemption (RDR1) is considered one of the greatest video games of all time but the open world masterpiece had a considerable shortcoming.</p>
<p>Officially a console-only release, millions of PC gamers were denied access to one of the most expensive video games ever made, an itch that remains unscratched to this day.</p>
<p>With the 2018 release of Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2), developer Rockstar Studios finally bridged the gap but for many fans, not having the original title on PC was something that needed to be addressed. Back in August, this simmering demand looked like it was going to be met with an <a href="https://gtaforums.com/topic/933869-wiprdrpc-red-dead-redemption-damned-enhancement-project/">announcement</a> revealing a new project titled &#8216;Red Dead Redemption: Damned Enhancement Project&#8217;.</p>
<p>The plan was not only to modify the Xbox360 and PS3 versions of RDR1 and bring the game to the PC, but also to <a href="https://www.dsogaming.com/news/modders-are-already-working-on-an-unofficial-red-dead-redemption-remaster-for-pc-first-screenshots/">improve the title</a> with better graphics and additional features.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ySEXO4r9DNA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>In September, however, things started to go off the rails. Project lead &#8216;DemandDev&#8217; took to <a href="https://gtaforums.com/topic/933869-wiprdrpc-red-dead-redemption-damned-enhancement-project/#comments">GTAForums</a> to reveal that development had been stopped. He didn&#8217;t directly state that Take-Two had put him under pressure but complained of being bullied by a corporation.</p>
<p>&#8220;They done shady stuff getting my private info and contacted my family,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been contacting people to spread word. I&#8217;m not letting them them bully me and keep my mouth shut. I complied and stopped progress but hopefully I can sort out this.&#8221;</p>
<p>Several months later, sorting it out will now have to be actioned through the courts. On December 26, Take-Two Interactive filed a lawsuit at a New York court against a Johnathan Wyckoff and John Does 1-10.</p>
<p>&#8220;Take-Two brings this action to maintain control over its world-famous video<br />
games in the face of Wyckoff’s publicly stated intent to distribute unauthorized software files that would dramatically change the content of Take-Two’s video games,&#8221; the lawsuit reads. </p>
<p>&#8220;Those unauthorized changes include but are not limited to importing the entire game map of 2010’s Red Dead Redemption into the 2018 game Red Dead Redemption II, enhancing graphics and visuals in Take-Two’s Red Dead Redemption game, and allowing players to play an enhanced version of the game on personal computer (&#8216;PCs&#8217;), a platform for which Take-Two itself has not yet released the Read Dead Redemption game.&#8221;</p>
<p>Claiming breaches of its intellectual property rights and user licensing agreements, Take-Two says that it &#8220;repeatedly&#8221; asked Wyckoff to cease and desist. When these contacts failed to stop the project, Take-Two said it was forced to take legal action.</p>
<p>Take-Two&#8217;s lawsuit details two matters. The first, the &#8216;RDRII Project&#8217;, aims to add the full RDR1 game map to RDR2. This, the company says, would not only &#8220;dramatically change the RDR2 experience but also reduce interest in purchasing a future release of RDR1 or a RDR1 add-on map for RDR2. The company doesn&#8217;t state it intends to release either, however.</p>
<p>The second targets the &#8216;Red Dead Redemption: Damned Enhancement Project&#8217; which Take-Two says would utilize game files from Grand Theft Auto V and RDR1 &#8220;to vastly improve the graphics and performance of the game&#8221; and enable players to play RDR1 on PC, where it isn&#8217;t officially available, &#8220;thereby destroying the market for an official, updated version from Take-Two, and creating competition for Take-Two’s PC-version of RDR2.&#8221;</p>
<p>Take-Two also takes issue with Wyckoff&#8217;s claimed hobbyist status by implying donations received are effectively payments and that the projects serve to drive traffic to his social media and streaming accounts. The company adds that efforts to resolve the dispute peacefully failed, claiming that Wyckoff suggested that if he didn&#8217;t release the project, it might somehow get &#8220;leaked&#8221; online.</p>
<p>Ultimately, Wyckoff was given until November 18 to comply with Take-Two&#8217;s demands but the company says the deadline came and went.</p>
<p>As a result, it was left with no choice but to file a lawsuit seeking &#8220;injunctive relief and damages that it will suffer as a result of Wyckoff’s direct and contributory copyright infringement under the Copyright Act of 1976&#8221;, breaches of Take-Two&#8217;s user agreement, and his &#8220;interference with Take-Two&#8217;s contracts with other Take-Two game players using his modifications.&#8221;</p>
<p>What happens next in the lawsuit remains to be seen but a post apparently made by Wyckoff a few hours ago suggests that his project is now &#8220;canceled&#8221;.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/15786072.rdr-enhanced-cancel.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rdr-enhanced-cancel.png"><img src="media/15786072.rdr-enhanced-cancel.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rdr-enhanced-cancel.png" alt="" width="650" height="560" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181194" /></a></center></p>
<p><em>Take-Two&#8217;s complaint, obtained by TorrentFreak, can be found here (<a href="media/aa05e053.1-19-cv-11818-Take-Two-v-Red-Dead-191226-complaint.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/1-19-cv-11818-Take-Two-v-Red-Dead-191226-complaint.pdf">pdf</a>)</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180711
title: Game of Thrones is the Most Torrented TV-Show of 2019
uri: Game-of-Thrones-is-the-Most-Torrented-TV-Show-of-2019
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/9cEX7nsjes8/
content:
<p><img src="media/f37b8d21.gotpron.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/gotpron.jpg" alt="" width="275" height="161" class="alignright size-full wp-image-122924" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/gotpron.jpg 275w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/gotpron-220x130.jpg 220w" sizes="(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px" />Since the release of the first episode back in 2011, Game of Thrones has conquered the hearts of many people. Unfortunately for HBO, not all of those fans enjoyed it through legal channels.</p>
<p>For several years Game of Thrones has been the most pirated TV-show. This year, when the final season aired, the interest was once again overwhelming.</p>
<p>As highlighted in the past, Game of Thrones is good for many millions of downloads per week. The show is so popular on pirate sites that it <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/game-of-thrones-visibly-boosted-global-piracy-traffic-190806/">visibly boosted traffic</a> this year.</p>
<p>This will be the last year that the HBO show tops the chart though. The series has ended which means that the most-torrented title will be up for grabs in 2020. There are a few strong contenders for this spot, including Disney&#8217;s The Mandalorian. </p>
<p>The Disney-exclusive show is listed in third place this year but whether it will maintain its momentum remains to be seen. This year&#8217;s numbers may in part be boosted by the fact that Disney+ is not available globally yet.</p>
<p>The Walking Dead saw a dip in official TV ratings and has been passed in the &#8216;pirate&#8217; list by a few shows including The Big Bang Theory and newcomer Chernobyl. The latter did very well as a mini-series, but won&#8217;t return in the coming years.</p>
<p>It’s worth noting that BitTorrent traffic only makes up a small portion of the piracy landscape. A lot of people use streaming sites and services nowadays, which generally do not report viewing stats.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><em>Below we have compiled a list of the most torrented TV-shows worldwide (single episode). The ranking is based on several sources, including statistics reported by public BitTorrent trackers. Full season downloads are not included.</em></p>
<table class="css hover" summary="Most downloaded TV-shows on BitTorrent">
<caption><strong>Most downloaded TV-shows on BitTorrent, 2019<br /></br></strong></caption>
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>rank</strong></th>
<th width="12%"><strong>last year</strong></th>
<th width="76%"><strong>show</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">torrentfreak.com</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones">Game of Thrones</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_(miniseries)">Chernobyl</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mandalorian">The Mandalorian</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Bang_Theory">The Big Bang Theory</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td align="left"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikings_(TV_series)">Vikings</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(TV_series)">The Walking Dead</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flash_(2014_TV_series)">The Flash</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_and_Morty">Rick and Morty</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergirl_(TV_series)">Supergirl</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_(TV_series)">Arrow</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=115050
title: The Top 19 Most Significant Piracy Shutdowns of 2019
uri: The-Top-19-Most-Significant-Piracy-Shutdowns-of-2019
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/kb4OI5b42tA/
content:
<p><a href="media/5db763c1.pirate-fire-burn.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-fire-burn.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-103753" src="media/5db763c1.pirate-fire-burn.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-fire-burn.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="208" /></a></p>
<p>For as long as pirate sites and services have been around, entertainment industry groups have poured significant resources into having them closed down.</p>
<p>When Napster went down in flames 20 years ago, some people thought that was mission accomplished. In 2005, when the MGM vs Grokster case went all the way to the Supreme Court and went in MGM&#8217;s favor, many people believed that file-sharing had received its fatal blow.</p>
<p>Today, 15 years later, the blows are still being delivered but the wars continue. In many respects, piracy is stronger than ever. In others, notably music, the industry is finally meeting piracy head-on with value-for-money services that in terms of quality, presentation, and ease of use, pirates cannot easily compete with.</p>
<p>As we take a look today at the Top 19 most significant piracy shutdowns of 2019, the emphasis is clear. The overwhelming majority of pirate site and service closures during the past 12 months have been at the hands of entertainment companies involved in the supply and distribution of movies, TV shows, and sporting events.</p>
<p><strong>January &#8211; Reddit&#8217;s /r/soccerstreams bites the dust</strong></p>
<p>Reddit&#8217;s /r/soccerstreams was once a discussion platform catering to around 420,000 subscribers and many more casual visitors. Among other things, the sub-Reddit allowed users to post links to live games, making it easy for soccer/football fans to watch matches for free.</p>
<p>As a result, the forum (or more accurately, Reddit itself) was inundated with DMCA complaints from rightsholders, demanding that links be removed. Reddit&#8217;s admins ultimately lost patience, informing the mods of /r/soccerstreams to take decisive action or face being banned. In the end, the sub fell on its own sword and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/reddit-soccerstreams-effectively-shuts-down-following-piracy-complaints-190121/">shut itself down</a>.</p>
<p><strong>May &#8211; One Step TV</strong></p>
<p>After what appeared to be a 2018 launch, pirate IPTV service OneStepTV grew to offer around 600 TV channels and 20,000 pieces of VOD content for $25 per month or less. While the service attracted plenty of initially happy customers, things started to go sour in April 2019.</p>
<p>After experiencing difficulty processing payments, One Step TV ultimately <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-ace-shut-down-pirate-iptv-service-seize-domain-190517/">stopped doing business</a> due to threats by the legal team of the Alliance of Creativity and Entertainment.</p>
<p><strong>May &#8211; Vader Streams</strong></p>
<p>As far as IPTV &#8216;brands&#8217; go, Vaders was one of the most recognizable in the space. With a large customer base and reportedly reliable service, Vaders <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vader-large-pirate-iptv-service-shuts-down-promises-to-protect-customers-190503/">disappeared into thin air</a> early May, leaving little but rumors and educated guesses in its wake.</p>
<p>In August, however, it was revealed that the Alliance for Creativity took the platform down, leaving Vaders&#8217; operators with an alleged <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vader-streams-was-shut-down-by-ace-must-pay-10m-damages-190821/">$10 million settlement bill</a>.</p>
<p><strong>June &#8211; Convert2MP3</strong></p>
<p>Despite the huge popularity of legal music streaming services such as Spotify, so-called YouTube-ripping platforms remain a thorn in the side of the world&#8217;s major recording labels. By facilitating the downloading of tracks to users&#8217; machines, both labels and YouTube are said to lose revenue due to these services.</p>
<p>With dozens of monthly visitors, Convert2MP3 was one of the biggest. As a result it attracted the negative attentions of music groups IFPI and BVMI, which sued the platform in Germany. A court handed down a preliminary injunction against Convert2MP3 but then the ripping service <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/stream-ripping-giant-convert2mp3-settles-with-music-industry-and-shuts-down-190621/">settled the case</a> by shutting down, handing over an unspecified amount in compensation, and surrendering its domain.</p>
<p><strong>June &#8211; IPTV Bulgaria</strong></p>
<p>In common with similar operations against other illicit IPTV providers in Eastern Europe, a June <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-iptv-network-shut-down-after-police-raid-cable-operators/">operation in Bulgaria</a> was based in criminal law rather than civil lawsuits. </p>
<p>Supported by Europol’s Intellectual Property Crime Coordinated Coalition (IPC3) and the Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA), the raids reportedly took down a pirate IPTV service with an estimated 700,000 worldwide subscribers. It was never named and no follow-up investigation has yet been made public.</p>
<p><strong>July / August &#8211; eBook.bike</strong></p>
<p>Legal actions against sites dedicated to eBooks are relatively rare. Those that see the parties duel it out in public beforehand are almost non-existent. For this reason alone, the lawsuit filed by author John Van Stry against former Pirate Party Canada leader Travis McCrea is easily one of the most unusual cases of the year.</p>
<p>A brief summary of the case is that someone uploaded Van Stry&#8217;s books to McCrea&#8217;s eBook download platform eBook.bike. Van Stry accused McCrea of not doing enough to control piracy on his platform, McCrea asked to be sued and Van Stry complied.</p>
<p>For reasons unknown, in July or August eBook.bike shut down, seemingly voluntarily. The case, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/?s=ebook.bike">documented in detail</a> here on TF, is not only still ongoing but also one of the most unorthodox lawsuits we&#8217;ve ever covered. How it will end is up for debate but if the aim was to shut down eBook.bike, victory was achieved months ago.</p>
<p><strong>September and ongoing &#8211; Manga Rock</strong></p>
<p>Given the focus on traditionally famous large sites such as The Pirate Bay or RARBG, Mango Rock may have seemed like an insignificant player, but nothing could be further from the truth. According to data from MUSO, the so-called &#8216;scanlation&#8217; site was even more popular than The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-mangarock-shuts-down-and-goes-legal-190905/">demise of the platform</a> is unusual in several respects, not least that the operators of the platform announced that they&#8217;d come to the realization that piracy is damaging. To remedy that they are now working on a legal platform as Manga Rock, which is still operational, is phased out.</p>
<p><strong>September &#8211; Xtream Codes and other IPTV players</strong></p>
<p>The <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/xtream-codes-iptv-system-targeted-in-massive-police-operation/">huge police operation</a> that spread across Italy, the Netherlands, France, and Bulgaria in September sent shockwaves through the IPTV community. More than two dozen people were arrested and at least 180 servers were seized.</p>
<p>While it wasn&#8217;t the only target, Xtream Codes, the software/system utilized by a reported 5,000 IPTV services and their 50 million customers, was wiped out leaving swathes of the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-xtream-codes-iptv-takedown-is-complex-and-confused-190919/">IPTV scene in chaos</a>. Little has been heard of the operation since but it does seem that many providers have found alternative solutions and are now back in business.</p>
<p><strong>September &#8211; Coto Movies</strong></p>
<p>While browser-based sites and services remain popular with pirates, apps for both Android and iOS are a convenient option for those seeking a straightforward consumption experience. This hasn&#8217;t gone unnoticed by entertainment companies who have targeted several over the years in an attempt to stem the tide.</p>
<p>Early September, third-party iOS app store TweakBox <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tweakbox-removes-pirate-movie-apps-following-legal-pressure-190903/">removed several movie piracy apps</a> in response to legal pressure. Following that news, the people behind the CotoMovies app decided to close down. It later transpired that the makers of the films Hellboy and Angel Has Fallen forced the move.</p>
<p>The operator of CotoMovies issued an apology but then poured fuel on the fire by stating he would be handing over user data so that the movie companies could &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/piracy-app-cotomovies-shuts-down-apologizes-and-exposes-users-190911/">enforce their valuable intellectual property</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>October &#8211; Share-Online.biz</strong></p>
<p>As Germany&#8217;s largest file-hosting site serving between six and ten million users, Share-Online.biz had a target on its back. In 2017, anti-piracy group GVU filed a criminal complaint against the platform. Two years later, the platform was shut down following police raids in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. </p>
<p>Three suspects in their forties and fifties were reportedly placed under investigation.</p>
<p><strong>October &#8211; Pirate CDNs</strong></p>
<p>Founded in 2013, Moonwalk acted as a back-end for pirate streaming sites. Back in February, TF was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-powered-cdns-operate-innovative-illicit-streaming-model-190203/">informed</a> that it was offering more than 33,000 movies and TV shows to site operators who embedded Moonwalk content and advertising into their own sites.</p>
<p>In Russia, Moonwalk was said to have serviced around 80% of pirate streaming platforms but in October it was all over. BREIN, the MPA and Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/brein-mpa-and-ace-shut-down-massive-pirate-cdn-191021/">teamed up</a>, leaving Moonwalk to announce that it would &#8220;NEVER be up again.&#8221;</p>
<p>Later that month the Moonwalk closure proved infectious, with several other &#8216;pirate&#8217; CDNs <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/more-pirate-cdns-shut-down-following-brein-mpa-ace-legal-action-191025/">also shutting down</a>.</p>
<p><strong>October &#8211; RapidVideo</strong></p>
<p>RapidVideo was one of the most popular file-hosting sites around but like many of its competitors, it had plenty of entertainment industry rivals. Under pressure from the MPA and ACE while facing a lawsuit in Germany filed by Warner Bros. and Netflix, RapidVideo <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rapidvideo-shuts-down-following-legal-pressure-from-warner-bros-and-netflix-191021/">threw in the towel</a>, leaving millions of users behind.</p>
<p><strong>October &#8211; Openload / Streamango / StreamCherry</strong></p>
<p>Already known to millions of users generating around 65 million hits per month, Openload hit the mainstream headlines in 2018 when it was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-openload-generates-more-traffic-than-hulu-or-hbo-go-181002/">claimed</a> to be generating more traffic than Hulu and HBO Go.</p>
<p>Previously <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-govt-brands-torrent-streaming-cyberlocker-sites-as-notorious-markets-180115/">branded</a> a &#8220;notorious market&#8221; by the USTR, this year Openload decided to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/huge-video-hoster-openload-stops-paying-uploaders-190419/">stop paying uploaders</a>. The move was controversial but nothing compared to what followed.</p>
<p>At the end of October, following some kind of agreement with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, Openload <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/openload-and-others-taken-down-by-anti-piracy-alliance-ace-191031/">suddenly shut down</a>, surrendered its domains, and paid &#8220;significant damages&#8221;. At the same time, hosting sites Streamango, StreamCherry, and VeryStream also disappeared.</p>
<p><strong>October &#8211; Boom Media</strong></p>
<p>Boom Media was once one of the most recognizable brands in the IPTV reseller space, offering packages from providers including Nitro, Epic, Beast, MFG, and Vaders. In October, however, it found itself on the wrong end of a lawsuit <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-iptv-reseller-boom-media-sued-in-the-united-states-191102/">filed by DISH Network</a>. </p>
<p>Despite signs that it might put up a fight, Boom Media shut itself down but the lawsuit hasn&#8217;t gone away.</p>
<p><strong>November &#8211; Movie2free.com, Thailand&#8217;s largest pirate site</strong></p>
<p>With millions of views per day, Movie2Free.com was not only popular in Southeast Asia, it was also one of the largest pirate sites on the Internet, period. However, in early November all that changed when Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/police-shut-down-thailands-most-popular-pirate-site-following-hollywood-request-191108/">confirmed</a> that the streaming portal had been shut down following a request from the Motion Picture Association.</p>
<p><strong>November &#8211; Omniverse One World Television</strong></p>
<p>In February 2019, several major Hollywood studios under the ACE banner <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/ace-sues-cord-cutting-service-omniverse-for-copyright-infringement/">filed a lawsuit</a> against IPTV service Omniverse One World Television. </p>
<p>The company put up a spirited defense, claiming that it acted entirely legally and had appropriate licensing deals in place. In the end, however, ACE prevailed. Alongside a reported <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/iptv-supplier-omniverse-agrees-to-pay-50-million-in-piracy-damages-191113/">$50 million settlement agreement</a>, Omniverse shut itself down.</p>
<p><strong>November &#8211; Gears Reloaded</strong></p>
<p>Finally, the strange story of YouTuber and entrepreneur Bill Omar Carrasquillo, otherwise known as OMI IN A HELLCAT. Carrasquillo is the self-confessed founder of IPTV service Gears Reloaded, a business that he claims to this day was fully legal.</p>
<p>In November he announced that he&#8217;d been raided by the FBI and IRS who &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/gears-reloaded-fbi-took-everything-says-iptv-boss-omi-in-a-hellcat-191121/">took everything</a>&#8221; as part of a copyright infringement and tax evasion <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/fbi-seized-at-least-5-2m-says-gears-reloaded-iptv-boss-omi-in-a-hellcat-191216/">investigation</a>.</p>
<p>Despite <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/gears-reloaded-omi-in-a-hellcat-iptv-raid-eye-witnesses-appear-on-tv-191128/">witnesses</a> and Carrasquillo himself appearing on TV to discuss the raids, rumors persist that he made the whole thing up. Meanwhile, the authorities are refusing to confirm anything, one way or the other.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181170
title: Australian Piracy Rates Drop, But So Does Spending
uri: Australian-Piracy-Rates-Drop-But-So-Does-Spending
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/D-FnL43ZJfY/
content:
<p><img src="media/53490471.aus.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/aus.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="159" class="alignright size-full wp-image-96798" />For years on end, entertainment industry insiders have regularly portrayed Australia as a piracy-ridden country.</p>
<p>To see if this is indeed the case, the Government conducts annual consumer surveys to study local piracy habits. In recent years, this has revealed a steady decline in piracy.</p>
<p>The latest online copyright infringement report, released by the Department of Communications and the Arts this week, suggests that there’s been a steady decrease in the number of people who consume music, movies, and TV shows illegally. This follows the trend that was revealed in earlier reports. </p>
<p>According to the Government, 16% of the population can be classified as pirates. This is a drastic drop compared to last year when a similar study found that 32% were pirates. In 2015, when the first survey was taken, the number was even higher at 43%. </p>
<p><center><img src="media/f00a9705.consume.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/consume.jpg" alt="" width="597" height="295" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181220" /></center></p>
<p>These are indeed impressive numbers. However, this doesn&#8217;t translate directly to more revenue for the entertainment industries. In fact, in many cases revenue appears to be down, based on the survey data. </p>
<p>For example, the total spend on music dropped from $88.34 in 2018 to $70.01 in 2019. This is the lowest amount since 2015 when the survey started. The drop is mostly caused by fewer concert and merchandise sales as well as physical music purchases.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/34de31f9.musicsp.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/musicsp.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="337" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181221" /></center></p>
<p>Although piracy has seemingly plummeted, the percentage of Australians who spend money on music remains unchanged at 46%.</p>
<p>A similar decline in revenue is visible for games and movies. For both categories, consumers spend less than in previous years, despite the dropping piracy rates. The only category where spending is up is TV, which saw a big spike in 2019, as shown below.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/1c8352c2.tvsp.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tvsp.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="298" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181222" /></center></p>
<p>If anything, the survey makes it clear that less piracy doesn’t automatically translate to higher spending. In fact, those who pirate and buy tend to spend much more on average, compared to those who only purchase content 100% legally.</p>
<p>The report found that people who consume everything legally spend $42 on average per three months. Their counterparts, who pirate and buy, spend more than twice as much, $84. in the same period. </p>
<p>This finding is consistent with previous research indicating that “hybrid” consumers (who pirate and buy) are bringing in the most money, probably because they are the most content-hungry consumers.</p>
<p>Another noteworthy finding deals with pirate site blockades, which are increasingly ordered by Australian courts. These are meant to decrease piracy, which the report appears to back up.</p>
<p>Of all respondents, only 7% say they will bypass a blocked site if they encounter one. The vast majority, 58%, will simply give up. This suggests that pirate site blocking is extremely effective, but is it?</p>
<p>Looking closer at the data we see that the 7% number comes from the entire survey. This means that the responses also include the answers from the 84% who don&#8217;t pirate to begin with. These people obviously have no intention to circumvent the blockades. </p>
<p>Finally, the report shows that those who say they will circumvent blockades see VPN services as the ideal tool. Of all respondents, 44% mentioned VPNs, which is up from 30% last year. </p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A copy of the consumer survey on online copyright infringement 2019 is available on the <a href="https://www.communications.gov.au/documents/consumer-survey-online-copyright-infringement-2019">Department of Communications and the Arts website.</a></em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180719
title: Piracy Highlights of The Decade: From Limewire to IPTV
uri: Piracy-Highlights-of-The-Decade-From-Limewire-to-IPTV
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FOvkpTqKuYA/
content:
<p><img src="media/a34c6170.cassettapemusic.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/cassettapemusic.png" alt="" width="276" height="152" class="alignright size-full wp-image-175024" />Early 2010, the online piracy ecosystem looked entirely different from what it does today. </p>
<p>IPTV and pirate streaming boxes had yet to reach the masses. Limewire was still the preferred piracy app for millions, while torrent sites such as BTJunkie, isoHunt and Mininova were dominating in terms of traffic.</p>
<p>Today, Limewire is a distant memory and the aforementioned torrent sites have all gone. Many other things have changed too. In this article, we will highlight some of the most pivotal events of the past ten years. </p>
<p>Bear in mind that this is by no means an exhaustive overview. It does, however, show that much has changed over the past ten years.</p>
<h4>2010</h4>
<p>The decade started with positive news for Alan Ellis, the operator of the defunct private music tracker OiNK. The jury returned a unanimous <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/oink-admin-found-not-guilty-walks-free-100115/">not guilty</a> verdict and Ellis walked free.</p>
<p>Not much later the final verdict in The Pirate Bay case was revealed. The Swedish Court of Appeal <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-appeal-verdict-101126/">sentenced</a> Peter Sunde to eight months in prison, Fredrik Neij received a 10-month sentence, and Carl Lundström four months. Pirate Bay co-founder Gottfrid Svartholm did not appear but was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/jail-sentence-for-pirate-bay-co-founder-made-final-111014/">later </a> sentenced to a year in prison.</p>
<p>Later that year there was bad news for Jammie Thomas-Rasset, a mother of four, who lost her case against the RIAA. Following a re-trial, Thomas-Rasset was ordered to pay $1.5 million for 24 songs she shared via Kazaa. This verdict was appealed and eventually reduced <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/supreme-court-refuses-to-hear-appeal-in-222000-file-sharing-case-130318/">to $222,000</a> by the Appeals Court.</p>
<p>In October a US federal court also sided with the RIAA in its battle against the Gnutella-based download client LimeWire. The world&#8217;s most popular file-sharing application <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/limewire-loses-court-battle-with-riaa-shuts-down-101026/">shut down</a> soon after.</p>
<p>In November 2010, the US Government launched &#8220;Operation in Our Sites,&#8221; through which it <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-government-seizes-bittorrent-search-engine-domain-and-more-101126/">seized several domain names</a> of alleged pirate sites including torrent search engine Torrent-Finder. Years later, the DoJ also <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/feds-drop-case-against-torrent-site-return-domain-after-5-years-151204/">dropped its case</a> against the torrent search engine and returned the domain name. </p>
<p>Another domain that was targeted by the feds was from Ninjavideo. This eventually resulted in several criminal indictments. Operation In Our Sites continued throughout the rest of the decade, taking down millions of domain names, mostly related to counterfeiting.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/24fa7845.seized-bowl.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/seized-bowl.jpg" alt="" width="525" height="394" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-46151" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/seized-bowl.jpg 525w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/seized-bowl-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px" /></center></p>
<p>2010 also marked the start of the so-called &#8216;copyright-trolling&#8217; lawsuits against alleged BitTorrent users in the US, which are still ongoing today. The first lawsuits, including one from the makers of The Hurt locker, targeted <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hurt-locker-makers-to-sue-thousands-of-bittorrent-users-100512/">tens of thousands of people</a> at once.</p>
<h4>2011</h4>
<p>After pressure from the entertainment industries, Google started to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-starts-censoring-bittorrent-rapidshare-and-more-110126/">censor piracy-related keywords</a> from its instant and autocomplete services. Keywords such as &#8220;The Pirate Bay&#8221; and &#8220;RapidShare&#8221; were excluded. This marked the start of a series of anti-piracy initiatives, including <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-downranks-65000-pirate-sites-in-search-results-180629/">downranking of pirate domains</a> in search results. </p>
<p>In March, President Obama’s “IP Czar” Victoria Espinel <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/white-house-streaming-should-be-a-felony-wiretap-infringers-110316/">laid the foundations</a> for PIPA and SOPA, calling on Congress to make changes in order to make it easier to clamp down on copyright infringement. Both bills were heavily protested in the months that followed.</p>
<p>Europe witnessed one of the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kino-to-raided-in-massive-police-operation-admins-arrested-110608/">largest piracy-related busts in history.</a> The popular movie streaming portal Kino.to was shut down and a dozen people connected to the site were arrested.</p>
<p>Richard O’Dwyer, the then 23-year-old UK-based administrator of TVShack was arrested by police. In the year that followed, the admin <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tv-shack-admin-richard-odwyer-will-not-be-extradited-to-u-s-121128/">successfully fought off</a> an extradition request from the U.S.</p>
<p>Megaupload released the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-label-artists-a-list-stars-endorse-megaupload-in-new-song-111209/">Megaupload song</a>, where superstar artists including P Diddy, Will.i.am, Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg, and Kanye West promoted the site. </p>
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<div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/o0Wvn-9BXVc' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p></center></p>
<h4>2012</h4>
<p>The new year <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/searchfreaks-top-12-file-sharing-copyright-events-of-2012-121231/">started</a>, with the historic <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/historic-the-internet-protests-anti-piracy-bills-120118/">SOPA and PIPA protests</a> that carried over from 2011. Eventually, both bills were defeated. </p>
<p>News headlines were also dominated by the <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-shut-down-120119/">Megaupload raid</a> and the indictment against the &#8220;Mega Conspiracy.&#8221; The criminal investigation <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/cyberlocker-ecosystem-shocked-as-big-players-take-drastic-action-120123/">disrupted</a> the file-hosting business and today, Kim Dotcom and several former colleagues still await the final decision regarding possible extradition to the US.</p>
<p>BTjunkie, one of the largest BitTorrent indexes at the time, decided to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/btjunkie-shuts-down-for-good-120206/">shut down voluntarily</a>. A combination of legal actions against fellow file-sharing sites and time-consuming projects was cited as reasons for the drastic decision.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/f866d9bb.rip-btjunkie.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rip-btjunkie.jpg" alt="" width="477" height="311" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-46354" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rip-btjunkie.jpg 477w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/rip-btjunkie-300x195.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 477px) 100vw, 477px" /></center></p>
<p>The founder of NinjaVideo, one of the first domains to be targeted in the ongoing Operation in Our Sites campaign, was sentenced for conspiracy and criminal copyright infringement. Hana Beshara, was sentenced to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/ninjavideo-founder-sentenced-to-22-months-in-prison-120106/">22 months in prison</a>. Several other accomplices received <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/second-ninjavideo-admin-jailed-for-copyright-infringement-120121/">lesser sentences</a>.</p>
<p>The Pirate Bay made dozens of headlines as well. The infamous BitTorrent site <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-dumps-torrents-120228/">removed torrents</a> for popular releases and moved to the .SE domain name to avoid a possible <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-moves-to-se-domain-prevent-domain-seizure-120201/">US domain name seizure</a>, which never came. </p>
<p>The Pirate Bay was also blocked by UK ISPs following a High Court order. Nonetheless, the site saw a huge <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-enjoys-12-million-traffic-boost-shares-unblocking-tips-120502/">increase in traffic</a>. </p>
<h4>2013</h4>
<p>The Motion Picture Association won its piracy lawsuit against file-hosting site Hotfile, which agreed to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hotfile-pays-80-million-to-the-mpaa-but-might-survive-131204/">pay a $80 million settlement</a>. However, this figure mostly served to impress and scare the public, as both parties settled the matter for &#8216;only&#8217; <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-secretly-settled-hotfile-4-million-80-million-141224/">$4 million</a> behind closed doors.</p>
<p>Kim Dotcom <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mega-is-brilliantly-secure-but-not-anonymous-130118/">launched Mega</a> as the successor to the defunct Megaupload. Mega billed itself as &#8220;The Privacy Company&#8221; and remains popular today despite the fact that its founder cut ties with the file-hosting service.</p>
<p>The MPAA and RIAA, helped by five major Internet providers in the United States, launched their <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/six-strikes-anti-piracy-scheme-starts-130225/">&#8220;six-strikes&#8221; Copyright Alert System</a>. After five or six warnings ISPs could take a variety of repressive measures to deter pirates. The system eventually shut down four years later.</p>
<p>Netflix revealed that piracy is more than a competitor. The company&#8217;s then Vice President of Content Acquisition revealed that they keep an eye on what&#8217;s popular on file-sharing platforms <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-uses-pirate-sites-to-determine-what-shows-to-buy-130914/">to determine what TV-series to buy</a>. This apparently worked well, as Netflix also mentioned that it was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-says-its-killing-bittorrent-traffic-130504/">killing BitTorrent traffic</a>.</p>
<p>Torrent search engine isoHunt <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isohunt-shuts-down-after-110-million-settlement-with-the-mpaa-131017/">settled its legal battle</a> with the MPAA for $110 million. The site&#8217;s owner, Gary Fung, decided to throw in the towel after fighting Hollywood for several years. Soon after the shutdown a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isohunt-resurrected-less-than-two-weeks-after-110-million-mpaa-deal-131029/">copycat site appeared</a>, which took over many of the site&#8217;s regular visitors.</p>
<p>Law firm Prenda was caught <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-helps-to-expose-copyright-troll-honeypot-130604/">uploading their own torrents</a> to The Pirate Bay, creating a honeypot for the people they later sued over pirated downloads. The accusation was first published here on TorrentFreak, based on input from the Pirate Bay. This would later turn into a criminal case.</p>
<h4>2014</h4>
<p>A new app named Popcorn Time <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/open-source-torrent-streaming-a-netflix-for-pirates-140308/">became an instant hit</a> by offering BitTorrent-powered streaming inside an easy-to-use Netflix-style interface. After being chased by lawyers, developers shut it down after a few weeks, saying that they wanted to move on with their lives. By then the app had been forked by others, which took over distribution and continued to develop the project.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/75cb0967.popcorntime-screen.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/popcorntime-screen.jpg" alt="" width="595" height="335" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84918" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/popcorntime-screen.jpg 700w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/popcorntime-screen-300x169.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 595px) 100vw, 595px" /></center></p>
<p>The Pirate Bay was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/swedish-police-raid-the-pirate-bay-site-offline-141209/">pulled offline</a> after Swedish police raided a data center near Stockholm. The police confiscated dozens of servers which many believed to belong to the notorious torrent site. Cryptic <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-domain-back-online-waving-a-pirate-flag-141221/">teasers</a> aside, The Pirate Bay remained offline for nearly two months but later <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-what-raid-police-never-got-our-servers-150921/">denied</a> that police took anything useful.</p>
<p>The music and movie industries and several of the UK&#8217;s leading ISPs <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-agree-to-send-out-music-movie-piracy-warnings-140509/">agreed on a deal</a> to tackle Internet piracy. The arrangement would see the BPI and MPA monitoring people sharing files illegally and the ISPs sending them &#8220;escalating&#8221; warning letters. It would take until 2017 before the first warnings were sent out.</p>
<p>Sony was hacked, revealing all sorts of inside scoops from the company. Among other things, leaked documents <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/leak-exposes-hollywoods-global-anti-piracy-strategy-141212/">revealed in detail</a> how Hollywood planned to take on piracy in the years to come. Several unreleased <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/sony-movies-leak-online-after-hack-attack-141129/">Sony movies</a> also ended up on pirate sites.</p>
<h4>2015</h4>
<p>Popular TV-torrent distribution group <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eztv-shuts-down-after-hostile-takeover-150518/">EZTV shut down</a>. After losing key domain names and data in a hostile takeover, EZTV founder NovaKing called it quits. The group&#8217;s retirement marked the end of an era in which the EZTV brand became synonymous with TV-torrents. Today, the brand still persists, but it&#8217;s a copycat that is not affiliated with the original group.</p>
<p>The first four episodes of the new Game of Thrones season <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/first-episodes-of-game-of-thrones-season-5-leak-online-150412/">leaked online</a> a day before the official premiere. The leak triggered a download spree but the real piracy boom came a few weeks later when Game of Thrones set the all-time swarm record with <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/game-of-thrones-season-finale-breaks-piracy-record-150615/">258,131 people simultaneously sharing</a> a single torrent of the season finale. That record still stands today.</p>
<p>The Stockholm District Court ordered the seizure of both thepiratebay.se and piratebay.se domains, arguing that they were linked to copyright crimes. Responding <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-moves-to-gs-la-vg-am-mn-and-gd-domains-150519/">to the decision</a>, the torrent site started rotating to a bunch of new domains, including thepiratebay.GS, LA, VG, AM, MN and GD.</p>
<p>After being one of Hollywood&#8217;s biggest arch-rivals, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/yts-yify-signs-unprecedented-settlement-with-mpaa-151105/">YTS/YIFY signed an unprecedented agreement</a> with the movie industry. Instead of going to trial, the MPAA signed a deal with YIFY&#8217;s operator, ending a multi-million dollar lawsuit before it really got started. The YTS/YIFY name is still out there today, but any sites carrying it have nothing to do with the original.</p>
<p>A federal jury ruled that Internet provider Cox Communications was responsible for the copyright infringements of its subscribers. The ISP was found guilty of willful contributory copyright infringement and ordered to pay music publisher BMG Rights Management <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-files-appeal-to-overturn-25-million-piracy-verdict-161110/">$25 million in damages</a>. This was the start of several similar piracy liability lawsuits.</p>
<p>On and before Christmas, high-quality screener copies of some of the hottest Hollywood productions <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-hateful-eight-and-the-revenant-leaked-online-151221/">appeared online</a>. Some titles, including The Hateful Eight, even appeared before their official theatrical release. Hive-CM8, the group that was responsible for these leaks, later <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hive-cm8-apologizes-for-leaking-hateful-eight-dvd-screener-151230/">apologized</a>.</p>
<h4>2016</h4>
<p>A criminal investigation by the U.S. Government <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/feds-seize-kickasstorrents-domains-charge-owner-160720/">brought down KickassTorrents</a>, the largest torrent site at the time. As a result, millions of people were left without their favorite torrent site. A group of former site staffers later <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kickasstorrents-brought-back-to-life-by-original-staffers-161216/">launched their own version of KickassTorrents</a>.</p>
<p>Torrentz.eu, one of the world&#8217;s largest torrent sites, announced &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-shuts-down-largest-torrent-meta-search-engine-says-farewell-160805/">farewell</a>&#8221; to its millions of users. The meta-search engine, which hosted no torrents of its own but linked to other sites including The Pirate Bay, decided to cease its operations. Soon after, the unaffiliated Torrentz2.eu jumped in to fill the gap.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/40dbcd01.torrentz-farewell.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/torrentz-farewell.png" alt="" width="600" height="143" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-125850" /></center></p>
<p>After months of domain hopping, The Pirate Bay <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-is-back-to-square-one-after-months-of-domain-hopping-151231/">moved back</a> to its original .org domain. The torrent site moved away from it years earlier to avoid a possible seizure, but instead, all alternative domains were either seized or suspended.</p>
<p>The private music tracker What.cd, arguably the world’s most comprehensive library of digital music, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/what-cd-shuts-down-following-reported-raids-in-france-161117/">shut down</a>. The site went offline after several of its servers were raided by French military police. The local music industry group SACEM later confirmed that the law enforcement efforts were part of a criminal investigation.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/9f76fdd7.whatcddown.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/whatcddown.png" alt="" width="445" height="180" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-130960" /></center></p>
<p>Two principals of the copyright-trolling Prenda law firm were arrested by the feds. The duo were <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/prenda-copyright-trolls-arrested-and-charged-with-fraud-and-extortion-161216/">charged</a> with conspiracy to commit fraud, money laundering, and perjury. As mentioned earlier, The Pirate Bay played a key role in the case.</p>
<p>A new report from piracy tracking firm MUSO revealed that the piracy landscape <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirates-switch-from-torrents-to-streaming-and-download-sites-160426/">continued to evolve</a>. There was a clear shift from torrents to direct download and streaming sites. Interestingly, traffic to private trackers remained relatively stable.</p>
<p>Pirate streaming boxes and the Kodi media player software began making headlines. In the UK, police <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-android-tv-box-sellers-raided-by-police-150612/">carried out raids</a> targetting several resellers. Concerned about piracy, the Kodi team <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-announces-legal-action-to-smash-piracy-links-160215/">announced legal action</a> against those who use its name to promote infringing activity. Soon after, Kodi itself was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/amazon-bans-kodi-app-over-piracy-concerns-150616/">banned by Amazon</a> over piracy concerns. </p>
<h4>2017</h4>
<p>Torrent site <a href="http://https//torrentfreak.com/extratorrent-shuts-down-for-good-170517/">ExtraTorrent shut down</a> &#8216;voluntarily.&#8217; The abrupt decision was announced in a brief message posted on the site’s homepage and came as a complete surprise to many friends and foes. ExtraTorrent&#8217;s distribution groups <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/extratorrents-distribution-groups-ettv-and-ethd-keep-going-170519/">ettv and EtHD remained active</a> and launched their own website.</p>
<p>Several prominent entertainment industry organizations <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-dramatically-expanding-ace-global-anti-piracy-coalition-190507/">launched</a> the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a huge anti-piracy coalition featuring not only MPAA members, but companies like Amazon, Netflix, CBS, HBO, and the BBC. In the years that followed, the group filed several lawsuits against pirate streaming box vendors including TickBox and Set-TV.</p>
<p>Popular anime torrent site <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/anime-torrent-site-nyaa-goes-down-after-domain-name-deactivation-170502/">NYAA lost control over several of its domain names</a>. Several people later pointed out that NYAA’s owner had decided to close the site voluntarily.</p>
<p>YouTube-MP3, the world&#8217;s leading YouTube-ripping site at the time, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-mp3-settles-with-riaa-site-will-shut-down-170904/">agreed to shut down</a> and hand over its domain to the RIAA. A private settlement agreement, including an undisclosed payment, put an end to the copyright infringement lawsuit filed by several major record labels a year earlier.</p>
<p>Mininova, once the biggest torrent site on the Internet, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrent-legend-mininova-will-shut-down-for-good-170226/">decided to shut down</a>. The site had lost nearly all of its traffic after a Dutch court ordered it to remove all copyright infringing torrents in 2009.</p>
<p>The Pirate Bay started using the computer resources of its visitors to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-website-runs-a-cryptocurrency-miner-170916/">mine Monero coins</a>. This resulted in a heated debate. Supporters saw it as a novel way to generate revenue and an opportunity to replace ads, while opponents went out of their way to block the mining script.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/aa8c5e5d.foot.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/foot.png" alt="" width="647" height="131" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-144755" /></center></p>
<p>Sci-Hub, often referred to as the &#8220;Pirate Bay of Science,&#8221; lost two court battles. Following a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/sci-hub-ordered-to-pay-15-million-in-piracy-damages-170623/">$15 million defeat </a>against Elsevier, the American Chemical Society won a default judgment of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-court-grants-isps-and-search-engine-blockade-of-sci-hub-171106/">$4.8 million in copyright damages</a>. Despite the verdicts, the site remains widely accessible today.</p>
<p>The streaming piracy threat really became apparent when the Motion Picture Association described illegal streaming devices as &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-sees-illegal-streaming-devices-as-piracy-3-0-170502/">Piracy 3.0.</a>&#8221; These devices offer a Netflix-like experience to consumers, but without rightsholders getting paid.</p>
<p>Kodi add-on repository TVAddons <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-turmoil-continues-as-tvaddons-mysteriously-disappears-170613/">disappeared</a>. It later became clear that the site&#8217;s founder was being sued in the US and Canada. The US lawsuit filed by Dish Networks was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-and-dish-network-settle-copyright-infringement-lawsuit-180826/">settled</a> but the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-telco-bailiffs-enter-operators-home-over-unpaid-attorneys-fees-180614/">Canadian action</a> remains ongoing.</p>
<p>After the initial disappearance, TVAddons <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-returns-ugly-war-canadian-telcos-kodi-addons-170801/">returned</a> with a more curated site.</p>
<h4>2018</h4>
<p>Demonoid went offline. During the summer the site started to suffer downtime and later on it vanished completely. The site’s owner, Deimos also <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/demonoid-goes-down-while-owner-remains-missing-180924/">went missing</a> around the same time. A few months later we heard that Deimos had <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/demonoid-founder-deimos-is-believed-to-have-passed-away-190416/">passed away</a>.  </p>
<p>Nintendo filed a complaint at a federal court in Arizona, accusing <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/nintendo-sues-console-rom-sites-for-mass-copyright-infringement-180720/">LoveROMS.com and LoveRETRO.co</a> of massive copyright and trademark infringement. The operators, a married couple, eventually agreed to a $12 million settlement in favor of the game developer.</p>
<p>The ad-free and privacy-focused torrent site “SkyTorrents” became a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/skytorrents-dumps-massive-torrent-database-and-shuts-down180221/">victim of its own success</a>. With millions of pageviews per day, the site was too expensive to manage, leaving the operator with no other option than to shut it down.</p>
<p>Terrarium TV – one of the most-loved ‘pirate’ applications for Android – <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/terrarium-tv-one-of-the-best-loved-pirate-apps-shuts-down-180911/">ceased operating for good</a>. Developer NitroXenon later informed TorrentFreak that, if required, he’d <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/terrarium-tv-dev-says-he-could-hand-user-info-to-authorities-180917/">give up user data</a> to the authorities.</p>
<p>The copyright trolling epidemic remained ongoing, but there is pushback as well. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reached a verdict in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/ip-address-is-not-enough-to-identify-pirate-us-court-of-appeals-rules-180828/">Cobbler Nevada v. Gonzales</a>. The Court ruled that identifying the registered subscriber of an IP-address by itself is not enough to argue that this person is also the infringer. The order also affected several other cases.</p>
<h4>2019</h4>
<p>A group of former Demonoid staffers <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/demonoid-staffers-launch-new-site-to-keep-the-legacy-alive-190724/">launched</a> a new torrent site to keep the legacy of founder Deimos alive. While the original Demonoid is not coming back, the new site aims to offer a new home to those who miss the defunct torrent tracker.</p>
<p>As detailed just a few days ago, 2019 also saw numerous enforcement actions and shutdowns</a> against pirate sites and services. The most prominent, including those targeted at Xtream Codes, Openload, Gears Reloaded, Cotomovies, and Vader are <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-top-19-most-significant-piracy-shutdowns-of-2019-191228/">detailed here</a>. These actions also show an increased focus on streaming sites and apps, including IPTV.</p>
<p>Two attorneys behind the controversial &#8216;copyright trolling&#8217; law firm Prenda were found guilty. They were the masterminds behind the fraudulent scheme that extracted settlements from alleged pirates. They repeatedly lied to the court and operated a pirate honeypot.</p>
<p>John Steele was sentenced to a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cooperative-copyright-troll-lawyer-sentenced-to-five-years-in-prison-190709/">five-year prison term</a> and Paul Hansmeier received a 14-year sentence, which is <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-troll-lawyer-appeals-14-year-prison-sentence-190627/">under appeal</a>.</p>
<p>Disney launched its new streaming platform which immediately gained millions of subscribers. While more legal platforms may sound positive, there are also concerns that more fragmentation will do little to curb piracy. Instead, people may be tempted to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/piracy-will-surge-if-more-legal-streaming-services-launch-research-shows-190927/">return to unauthorized sites and tools</a>, as they can&#8217;t or don&#8217;t want to sign up for a handful of subscription services.</p>
<p>At the and of a decade where the piracy masses moved from direct downloading and torrents to streaming-based tools, none other than The Pirate Bay appears to have jumped on the streaming bandwagon as well. The notorious torrent site now links to the new <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-is-trialing-high-quality-video-streaming-links-191209/">streaming service Baystream</a>, which allows people to stream videos directly in the browser.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180469
title: Domain Seizures Give ACE Anti-Piracy Portal a Massive Traffic Boost
uri: Domain-Seizures-Give-ACE-Anti-Piracy-Portal-a-Massive-Traffic-Boost
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FEQ8CDWU8ik/
content:
<p><a href="media/d3c834ea.openloadace.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/openloadace.png"><img class="wp-image-178843 alignright" src="media/d3c834ea.openloadace.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/openloadace.png" alt="" width="307" height="197" /></a>In 2017, the newly formed anti-piracy group Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) announced its presence to the world. Headed up by the traditional studios of the MPA plus Netflix and Amazon, the coalition also featured dozens of global movie and TV show giants.</p>
<p>The clear aim of ACE is to tackle video piracy on a global scale by pooling resources, finances, and knowledge. At least publicly, the coalition had a relatively slow start but as projects came to fruition, sites and platforms associated with piracy began to fall.</p>
<p>Some legal battles were conducted publicly through US courts (<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/iptv-supplier-omniverse-agrees-to-pay-50-million-in-piracy-damages-191113/">Omniverse</a>, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/iptv-service-set-tv-must-pay-7-6-million-in-piracy-damages-190801/">SetTV</a>) but many others were settled quietly behind the scenes, without any official announcements. But perhaps the most dramatic, such as the takedowns of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vader-streams-was-shut-down-by-ace-must-pay-10m-damages-190821/">major IPTV player Vaders</a> and file-hosting platforms <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/openload-and-others-taken-down-by-anti-piracy-alliance-ace-191031/">Openload and Streamango</a>, began silently, never went to trial, and were only confirmed when big cash settlements were revealed.</p>
<p>But of course, cash wasn&#8217;t the only thing ACE demanded from these players. In numerous cases so far (<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-ace-shut-down-pirate-iptv-service-seize-domain-190517/">1</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-now-controls-at-least-3-pirate-iptv-domains-190707/">2</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpa-america-quietly-takes-over-yet-more-pirate-iptv-domains-190920/">3</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/battle-against-iptv-mpa-ace-take-over-four-more-domains-191013/">4</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/ace-hits-two-more-pirate-streaming-sites-seizes-more-openload-domains-191110/">5</a>), &#8216;pirate&#8217; platforms were also compelled to hand over their domain names to the MPA. However, instead of lying dormant, ACE now uses them to deliver a short message to former users, declaring that platforms have been shut down due to copyright infringement.</p>
<p>A few seconds later visitors are then diverted to ACE&#8217;s anti-piracy portal, a place where movies and TV shows can&#8217;t be found. Instead, pro-copyright messages are presented with every click alongside details of previous ACE successes, shutdowns, and some (but certainly not all) ACE domain seizures.</p>
<p>Despite plenty of smaller domain seizures, traffic to Alliance4Creativity.com was minimal right up until September 2019 but then things took off in a big way. SimilarWeb stats reveal that at the start of the month the site had around 10,000 monthly visits.</p>
<p>At the start of October, however, visits had skyrocketed to around 620,000 per month, an increase of more than 6000%.</p>
<p>While this increase is impressive in its own right, by the start of November ACE&#8217;s website was receiving 2.3 million monthly visits, around 23,000% up on September&#8217;s traffic. Leading pirate sites aside, many illicit platforms never reach this number of eyeballs.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/c5d6a634.alliancewebsitetraffic.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/alliancewebsitetraffic.png"><img src="media/c5d6a634.alliancewebsitetraffic.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/alliancewebsitetraffic.png" alt="" width="650" height="441" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-180474" /></a></center></p>
<p>Given that the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/openload-and-others-taken-down-by-anti-piracy-alliance-ace-191031/">Openload/Streamango shutdown</a> took place on October 31, it seems likely that the majority of the traffic to ACE&#8217;s site comes from former users of the defunct file-hosting platforms.</p>
<p>Whether the figures will continue to rise when SimilarWeb&#8217;s stats update remains a question, however. It&#8217;s possible that all traffic is yet to be accounted for but as a negative, former Openload and Streamango users are unlikely to keep revisiting the domains now that they know that ACE is in control.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak approached ACE for comment on its increasingly &#8216;popular&#8217; website, which is now delivering its anti-piracy message while being largely fueled by traffic from seized &#8216;pirate&#8217; domains. Unfortunately, an ACE spokesperson declined on the group&#8217;s behalf.</p>
<p>In the background, however, more seizures are taking place. TF has discovered that in recent weeks ACE quietly took over the domains of another pair of allegedly-infringing sites, Jailbrokenfirestick.com and Jailbrokefiretv.com. In common with other smaller seizures, no official announcements were made but nevertheless, will still add to the Alliance&#8217;s growing website traffic.</p>
<p>Finally, there&#8217;s a strong chance that ACE will be analyzing the traffic hitting these former &#8216;pirate&#8217; domains that they now own. While that data isn&#8217;t likely to be particularly useful from a direct litigation perspective, it will certainly prove of interest to the global anti-piracy alliance.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181276
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 12/30/19
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-12-30-19
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/dun0UGPiFUk/
content:
<p><img src="media/cdfa05ae.joker-1.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/joker-1.jpg" alt="" width="292" height="238" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181019" />This week we have three newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Joker 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 articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-on-bittorrent-12-23-19/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7286456/">Joker</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7286456/">8.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAGVQLHvwOY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560220/">Zombieland Double Tap</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560220/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlW9yhUKlkQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2935510/">Ad Astra</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2935510/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK6Syms-X3w">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9354944/">Jexi</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9354944/">6.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txSOaY-je-o">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8106534/">6 Underground</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8106534/">6.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLE85olJjp8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7131622/">Once Upon a Time &#8230; in Hollywood</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7131622/">7.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeMaP8EPAA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2584384/">JoJo Rabbit</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2584384/">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL4McUzXfFI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1950186/">Ford v Ferrari</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1950186/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3h9Z89U9ZA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620981/">The Addams Family</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620981/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Ug863S8dQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(10)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1025100/">Gemini Man</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1025100/">5.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbyJignbSj0">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="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181114
title: TorrentFreak’s 19 Most Read Articles of 2019
uri: TorrentFreak-s-19-Most-Read-Articles-of-2019
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/l1ax1X2-ukM/
content:
<p><img src="media/ec39b92e.2019.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/2019.jpg" alt="" width="277" height="185" class="alignright size-full wp-image-149233" />Every year we write over 800 articles here at TorrentFreak, and some are more popular than others. </p>
<p>On the brink of the new year, we look back at 2019 by going over the 19 most read news items of the year.  </p>
<p>All in all, it was quite a controversial year once again. There were some very prominent <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-top-19-most-significant-piracy-shutdowns-of-2019-191228/">enforcement actions and shutdowns</a>, with Xtream Codes, Openload, Gears Reloaded, CotoMovies, Vaders and many others being targeted. </p>
<p>In addition, there was a lot of interest in leaks as well, especially those of Avengers: Endgame and screeners of the TV-shows American Gods, The 100, Bless This Mess, and Knightfall.</p>
<p>But what will 2020 bring?</p>
<h3>1. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/xtream-codes-iptv-system-targeted-in-massive-police-operation/">Xtream Codes IPTV System Targeted in Massive Police Operation</a></h3>
<p><em>Police in Italy announced a huge anti-piracy operation against the company operating popular IPTV service management system Xtream Codes. Searches were conducted in several countries including Italy, the Netherlands, France and Bulgaria, in a claimed effort to dismantle the company&#8217;s entire infrastructure.</em></p>
<h3>2. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/avengers-endgame-leaks-online-in-china-begins-to-spread-190424/">Avengers: Endgame Leaks Online in China, Begins to Spread</a></h3>
<p><em>Just hours after Avengers: Endgame premiered in China, a cammed copy appeared online. Data reviewed by TorrentFreak revealed that the movie was initially shared by exclusively China-based torrent users, but it soon spread all over the world.</em></p>
<h3>3. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/gears-reloaded-fbi-took-everything-says-iptv-boss-omi-in-a-hellcat-191121/">Gears Reloaded: FBI Just Took Everything, Says Pirate IPTV Boss OMI IN A HELLCAT</a></h3>
<p><em>YouTube sensation and founder of &#8216;pirate&#8217; IPTV Gears Reloaded &#8216;OMI IN A HELLCAT&#8217; said he was raided by the FBI who &#8220;took everything&#8221;, including his huge car collection. According to him, the FBI are investigating a variety of issues including the IPTV service, tax filings, and money laundering.</em></p>
<h3>4. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/openload-and-others-taken-down-by-anti-piracy-alliance-ace-191031/">Openload and Streamango Shut Down by Anti-Piracy Alliance ACE</a> </h3>
<p><em>Openload, one of the largest file-hosting sites on the Internet, agreed to shut down its service. Openload.co and several related domains, including Streamango, were taken over by global anti-piracy coalition ACE.</em></p>
<h4>5. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-xtream-codes-iptv-takedown-is-complex-and-confused-190919/">The Xtream Codes IPTV Takedown is Complex and Confused</a></h4>
<p><em>The international law enforcement action against Xtream Codes and what appear to be several entities using its services, turned out to be a complex affair. </em></p>
<h4>6. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">Which VPN Services Keep You Anonymous in 2019?</a></h4>
<p><em>Our yearly overview of the logging policies and other privacy and security features of dozens of VPN providers.</em></p>
<h4>7. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/reddit-kos-piracy-focused-mma-community-ex-ufc-fighter-gets-the-blame-190524/">Reddit KOs Piracy-Focused MMA Community, Ex-UFC Fighter Gets The Blame</a></h4>
<p><em>Reddit banned its popular /r/mmastreams sub-Reddit. Following numerous copyright infringement complaints, the 165,000 member community must now find a new home. After a controversial Twitter outburst, some believed that an ex-UFC fighter should shoulder part of the blame.</em></p>
<h4>8. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/piracy-app-cotomovies-shuts-down-apologizes-and-exposes-users-190911/">Piracy App ‘CotoMovies’ Shuts Down, Apologizes, and Exposes Users</a></h4>
<p><em>Popular movie piracy app CotoMovies shut down following legal pressure. The app&#8217;s developer issued an apology to filmmakers while urging former users to switch to legal services instead. CotoMovies further stated that it would transfer user data to the copyright holders.</em></p>
<h4>9. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/promo-screeners-of-american-gods-and-other-tv-shows-leak-online-190408/">Pirated Promo Screeners of ‘American Gods’ and Other TV-Shows Leak Online</a></h4>
<p><em>Unreleased episodes of several high-profile TV-shows including American Gods, The 100, Bless This Mess, and Knightfall leaked online. The leaks came from promotional screeners, some of which carried revealing watermarks. </em></p>
<h4>10. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rarbg-adds-exe-files-to-torrents-but-no-need-to-panic-190126/">RARBG Adds .EXE Files to Torrents, But No Need to Panic</a></h4>
<p><em>RARBG began adding what first appear to be .exe files to their torrents. Considering that these executables are often linked to malware, some people started to panic. </em></p>
<h4>11. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-is-trialing-high-quality-video-streaming-links-191209/">The Pirate Bay is Trialing High-Quality Video Streaming Links</a></h4>
<p><em>In addition to traditional magnet links, many Pirate Bay titles started to feature a streaming button, which allows users to stream movies and TV shows directly in the browser on a new site called BayStream.</em></p>
<h4>12. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/disney-launched-and-pirates-love-it-especially-mandalorian-191113/">Disney+ Launched and Pirates Love It, Especially Mandalorian</a></h4>
<p><em>When Disney&#8217;s exclusive streaming service launched millions of users signed up. However, others went to pirate sites instead. For some, this is the only way to watch the highly anticipated Mandalorian series.</em></p>
<h4>13. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-torrent-site-1337x-blocked-by-malwarebytes-for-alleged-fraud-181119/">Top Torrent Site 1337x Blocked By MalwareBytes For Alleged ‘Fraud’</a></h4>
<p><em>1337x.to, one of the world&#8217;s most popular torrent sites, was blocked by anti-malware company MalwareBytes. The tool claimed that 1337x is engaged in &#8220;fraud&#8221; and that it tries to steal people&#8217;s information or credit card details.&#8221; </em></p>
<h4>14.<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrent-paradise-creates-decentralized-pirate-bay-with-ipfs-190120/"> Torrent Paradise Creates Decentralized ‘Pirate Bay’ With IPFS</a></h4>
<p><em>A developer going by the handle ‘Urban Guacamole’ launched Torrent-Paradise, a torrent index that is powered with IPFS. Short for InterPlanetary File System, IPFS is a decentralized network where users make files available among each other. </em></p>
<h4>15. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bays-stuck-in-time-no-new-uploads-190115/">The Pirate Bay’s Stuck in Time, No New Uploads</a></h4>
<p><em>The Pirate Bay&#8217;s upload functionality broke down for several days. This meant that users were unable to upload any new torrents to the site. </em></p>
<h4>16. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vader-large-pirate-iptv-service-shuts-down-promises-to-protect-customers-190503/">Vader: Large ‘Pirate’ IPTV Provider Shuts Down, Promises to Protect Customers</a></h4>
<p><em>Vader, one of the leading providers of pirate IPTV services, shut down. The service insisted that no customer information would fall into the wrong hands. It was later revealed that the platform was targeted by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment.</em></p>
<h4>17. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-mangarock-shuts-down-and-goes-legal-190905/">‘Pirate’ Site Manga Rock Starts Shutdown, Will Go Legal</a></h4>
<p><em>The massively popular manga comic scanlation platform Manga Rock announced its pending shutdown. The site&#8217;s operators say that they now realize how much damage piracy does. They are committed to relaunching as an authorized service, MR Comics, in the near future.</em></p>
<h4>18. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-moves-to-a-brand-new-onion-domain-191206/">The Pirate Bay Moves to a Brand New Onion Domain</a></h4>
<p><em>The Pirate Bay ditched its old and mostly unreadable Onion domain for something more recognizable and potentially more permanent. The switch was reported to TorrentFreak after Pirate Bay proxy sites noticed extended downtime on the old domain.</em></p>
<h3>19. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bandersnatch-is-a-pirate-hit-without-interactivity-but-theyre-missing-out-190106/">Bandersnatch is a Pirate Hit Without Interactivity, But They’re Missing Out</a></h3>
<p><em>Netflix released Bandersnatch. The latest installment of the Black Mirror series was interactive, allowing viewers to make choices. One of the big questions is whether the format poses a big challenge for pirates to replicate. </em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181298
title: All DMCA Notices Filed Against TorrentFreak in 2019 Were Bogus
uri: All-DMCA-Notices-Filed-Against-TorrentFreak-in-2019-Were-Bogus
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/etC9AwT-aQg/
content:
<p><a href="media/e42a6e23.tf-logo-1.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tf-logo-1.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-166114 alignright" src="media/e42a6e23.tf-logo-1.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tf-logo-1.png" alt="" width="246" height="258" /></a>Every year we publish <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrentfreaks-19-most-read-articles-of-2019-191231/">around 800 articles</a> here at TorrentFreak, all of them covering copyright, piracy, privacy and closely related issues.</p>
<p>Over the course of 2019, many have detailed the efforts of content companies and their anti-piracy partners who have filed lawsuits, copyright complaints, and DMCA-type takedown notices to have content removed from allegedly-infringing sites.</p>
<p>In many cases those legal efforts were warranted but there have been some obvious screw-ups too.</p>
<p>Time and again, anti-piracy companies have overstepped the mark, attempting to have legitimate content removed. And, yet again, TorrentFreak.com has also been targeted by companies, their bots, or even individuals who simply can&#8217;t tell the difference between pirated content and legitimate news and informational pieces.</p>
<p>In previous years we&#8217;ve received erroneous complaints from the likes of Amazon, Electronic Arts, Disney, Entertainment One, Vertigo Films, Magnolia Pictures, NBCUniversal, Paramount, and even BBC Worldwide. This year we can add more.</p>
<p>According to Google&#8217;s Transparency Report, in 2019 Google received a further 11 DMCA takedown notices targeting our domain, sent on behalf of Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures, and sundry others. All of them were completely bogus.</p>
<p>In January, <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/17879420?access_token=4LO0nxp9Rn6ZGAkh29iX7g">we were accused</a> of infringing the rights of Dreamworks, among others, after <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-on-bittorrent-01-07-19/">simply mentioning</a> that a DVD Screener copy of the movie Green Book was the 9th most popular movie downloaded using BitTorrent during the first week of 2019.</p>
<p>In March, a complaint sent on behalf of Columbia Pictures <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18185148?access_token=umHUQTltmmmCg9aKavMjqQ">told Google</a> that an <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/boss-baby-torrent-downloads/">archive page</a> referencing Boss Baby downloads (dating back to 2016) was somehow infringing their rights.</p>
<p>In April we were the dubious recipient of two complaints, both from the Estonian Organization for Copyright Protection. The <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18405685?access_token=LdoKOqjVz7_AZIKGoNSwJA">first claimed</a> that we were offering the CBS movie Five Feet Apart, simply because we have a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/yts/">content tag</a> on the site mentioning torrent site YTS.</p>
<p><a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18420594?access_token=TEleeaRNmNzJ5Q9D2Qszcw">The second</a> claimed we&#8217;d somehow helped to distribute the Finnish movie The Eternal Road after <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">publishing a list</a> of the top 10 most popular torrent sites of 2016.</p>
<p>After a whole month of peace, Google received <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18777453?access_token=IRbHVY1pjoELTW4gEh37wQ">yet another bogus complaint</a> about TF in June, this time from Japanese company &#8216;유니콘미디어&#8221; stating that we were offering the Illumination/Universal Pictures title The Secret Life of Pets for download. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/secret-life-pets-torrent-downloads/">We were not</a>. </p>
<p>In July we received two complaints, both on behalf of Sony Pictures. The <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18827500">first</a> because we <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/inferno-torrent-downloads/">referenced</a> the movie Inferno and the <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18828072?access_token=vJFNJgTiJw57IL1tso6xPw">second</a> because we <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dont-breathe-torrent-downloads/">did the same</a> for the movie Breathe.</p>
<p>The complaint <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/19050043?access_token=hQ9dktT_h7_UJqRCPYVStA">filed against us</a> in August was even more absurd than the others. Fourteen years ago, back in 2005 when TorrentFreak was in its formative years, we published a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/legal-movies-organized/">list of public domain movies</a> that are not only free but also legal to download and share.</p>
<p>However, according to a complaint filed by movie company Vertigo Releasing, that article included pirate links to the 2019 movie &#8216;The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil&#8217;. Why? We have no idea but there were a total of five public domain movies in that list that included either the word &#8216;cop&#8217; or &#8216;devil&#8217; in their titles.</p>
<p>A DMCA notice <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/19326204?access_token=bF_6d6fsOj6dNxI5S-V0rA">filed with Google</a> in October set pulses racing. According to an adult content creator called &#8216;LittleSubGirl&#8217;, our <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-dominates-internet-traffic-worldwide-bittorrent-ranks-fifth-181116/">2018 article</a> explaining how Netflix was <em>dominating</em> Internet traffic infringed her copyrights. It&#8217;s really not the kind of dominating we had in mind when the piece was written, honest.</p>
<p>In November a <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/19574423?access_token=CQQ9WwXNze2w3_79ENxFtg">shockingly broad notice</a> was sent to Google targeting not only us but Facebook, Beatport, TrustPilot, RottenTomatoes and a swathe of others. It claimed that we were offering John Wick 3 for download but was immediately flagged by Google as suspect.</p>
<p>&#8220;We believe that an impostor or someone else abusing the process submitted this request. We report it here for the sake of completeness and to provide a view into one kind of abuse of the DMCA process,&#8221; the company <a href="https://transparencyreport.google.com/copyright/request/8421625">advised</a>.</p>
<p>Finally, December brought <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/19716956?access_token=RN_rmmHX-ELQTvWgJt47Ow">yet another complaint</a> from a company that can&#8217;t tell the difference between a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-on-bittorrent-11-04-19/">news report</a> detailing the most popular titles being shared on BitTorrent and a pirate site offering links to the same.</p>
<p>Grand total: 11 DMCA complaints filed in 2019, all of them completely bogus.</p>
<p>See you next year folks&#8230;. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=179531
title: FACT Partner Up With UK Copyright Troll Outfit
uri: FACT-Partner-Up-With-UK-Copyright-Troll-Outfit
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ulb0-z9KVNU/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full" src="media/6680eb0f.fact-logo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/fact-logo.png" width="268" height="142" /></p>
<p>The Federation Against Copyright Theft, or FACT as it&#8217;s more commonly known, has developed a reputation for cracking down on mostly video-based piracy in the UK.</p>
<p>During its recent history, FACT has worked on behalf of the Premier League, Sky, and BT Sport, among others. FACT&#8217;s activities in this respect have been fairly broad, from tackling IPTV providers and sellers, creators and distributors of Kodi add-ons, to bringing prosecutions against pub landlords who show live football without an appropriate license.</p>
<p>Recently, however, it appears that FACT has struck up a partnership with H&amp;B Administration LLP, a company closely connected to controversial copyright-trolling activities in the UK.</p>
<p>Given FACT&#8217;s traditional modus operandi, of not targeting end-users but going after suppliers and facilitators, the pairing comes as a surprise, to say the least. We recently contacted FACT with a request for comment on the partnership but we received no response.</p>
<p>News of the partnership was made public in a filing to the UK&#8217;s Companies House, which reveals that FACT Worldwide Ltd became a member of H&amp;B Administration LLP on September 11, 2019.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full" src="media/abd7fa49.image-160.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-160.png" width="680" height="627" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The addition of FACT means that the LLP now has four officers &#8211; the (in)famous <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/?s=robert+croucher">Robert Croucher</a>, FACT Worldwide Ltd, Hatton &amp; Berkeley Management Ltd, and TCYK LLC &#8211; the company behind the Robert Redford movie, The Company You Keep.</p>
<p>H&amp;B previously targeted UK Internet subscribers demanding cash settlements on behalf of TCYK while making various grand anti-piracy announcements that never lived up to their billing. On November 5, 2019, Companies House described H&amp;B Administration LLP as a &#8220;dormant company&#8221;.</p>
<p>While FACT didn&#8217;t respond to our request for comment, Hatton and Berkeley founder Robert Croucher previously told us that the purpose of H&amp;B Administration LLP is to provide an “insured and administrative wrapper&#8221; to mitigate risk when suing pirates.</p>
<p>“I can say that these type of proceedings [cases against alleged infringers] are to be wrapped with an insurance policy hereon providing a level of risk mitigation to rights holders seeking reparation for damages sought at trial,” Croucher said.</p>
<p>Quite why FACT has decided to get into bed with H&amp;B remains open to question but if Croucher&#8217;s explanation still stands, limiting risk during litigation is a potential plus for the company.</p>
<p>FACT CEO Kieron Sharp is now <a href="https://www.hb-administration.co.uk/meet-the-team">listed on H&amp;B&#8217;s website</a> as part of the team there conducting &#8220;civil and criminal enforcement.&#8221; Given FACT&#8217;s client base of well-known companies such as the Premier League, Sky and BT Sport &#8211; all of which have plenty of funds available for their own litigation, even if a case or two went wrong &#8211; the news of the partnership with H&amp;B is indeed curious.</p>
<p>That being said, FACT Worldwide&#8217;s latest set of accounts may indicate a need for financial caution.</p>
<p>To the year ended December 31, 2018, FACT Worldwide&#8217;s revenues were £1,343,310, resulting in a gross profit of £201,907. However, after administrative expenses were deducted, the company made an operating loss of £393,115.</p>
<p>The accounts also reveal that on May 1, 2019, the company underwent a financial restructuring. A company called Global Due Diligence Limited, which gave FACT Worldwide a loan of £1,428,500, repayable in 4.5 years&#8217; time, also acquired 70% of FACT Worldwide&#8217;s share capital.</p>
<p>The big remaining question is whether the image of FACT as a strictly professional targeter of piracy facilitators will be blended or indeed confused with H&amp;B&#8217;s less palatable penchant for targeting the man in the street, and whether public perceptions of the parties will be adjusted to suit.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181107
title: European Commission Calls Out Canada’s Lacking Copyright Policy
uri: European-Commission-Calls-Out-Canada-s-Lacking-Copyright-Policy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/XnL3ggogSM8/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-83641" src="media/6e26cf2e.canada-pirate.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/canada-pirate.png" alt="" width="225" height="113" />The Canadian Government is no stranger to having its copyright policies critiqued.</p>
<p>The US Trade Representative, for example, has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/canada-and-switzerland-remain-on-us-pirate-watchlist-under-president-trump-170501/">repeatedly</a> placed its northern neighbor on a “watch list” because it fails to properly deter piracy.</p>
<p>While Canada has made several changes to its copyright regime in recent years, many rightsholders are not satisfied. Through political pressure from foreign governments, they hope to urge the country to address what they see as problematic issues.</p>
<p>This doesn&#8217;t only take place through the US Government &#8211; the European Commission is chiming in as well. Repeating many of the points that were previously highlighted by the USTR, the Commission summarized its main complaints in a report on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in<br />
third countries</p>
<p>&#8220;The Canadian IPR system still features certain shortcomings. Despite recent positive developments, a number of issues remain to be addressed, in particular in copyright and related rights as well as in enforcement,&#8221; the European Commission writes.</p>
<p>One of the highlighted problems is Canada’s fair dealing rules, which add educational use to the list of copyright infringement exceptions. According to the EU Commission, the language used in the law is too broad, damaging the rights of educational publishers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Broad exceptions in copyright law are applied in a way that appears to be detrimental to right holders. EU stakeholders are particularly concerned about the fair dealing exception for educational purposes and the exception for non-commercial user-generated content,&#8221; the Commission writes.</p>
<p>The same issue was previously pointed out by the US Government. That&#8217;s also true for the second problem, Canada&#8217;s lack of a takedown procedure to ensure that infringing content is removed by online service providers.</p>
<p>Canada previously implemented a &#8220;notice-and-notice&#8221; scheme. This only requires services to alert infringing parties, but it should ideally be complemented with a takedown requirement, the Commission notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Stakeholders indicate that the &#8216;notice and notice&#8217; regime for online copyright infringements, which came into effect in January 2015, still needs to be supplemented by a &#8216;notice and take down&#8217; requirement, as well as by other measures to encourage all players to address online infringements in an effective way,&#8221; the Commission writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is currently no requirement for the internet service provider (ISP) or the user to take down infringing material and the only way to enforce a takedown is via the courts,&#8221; it adds.</p>
<p><center><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181293" src="media/f77f7a8a.canissues.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/canissues.png" alt="" width="598" height="221" /></center>The repeated use of the term &#8220;stakeholder&#8221; shows that the Commission heavily relies on input from copyright holders. While this is common, it may not be the most balanced approach.</p>
<p>Finally, the Commission also points out that many pirate websites are still hosted in Canada. This is a concern, it writes, as rightsholders are not able to request an injunction to have websites blocked by ISPs.</p>
<p>That last complaint is outdated, as Canada&#8217;s Federal Court recently issued the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/federal-court-approves-first-pirate-site-blockade-in-canada-191118/">country&#8217;s first website blocking order</a>. This is likely because copyright holders already submitted their complaints before that happened.</p>
<p>All in all the complaints are nothing new for Canada&#8217;s Government so whether they will make an impact has yet to be seen. The country previously wasn&#8217;t very impressed by <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/canada-rejects-flawed-and-one-sided-piracy-claims-from-us-govt-170310/">&#8220;one-sided&#8221; foreign complaints</a> on its copyright policies.</p>
<p>Canada is working on an update of its copyright law. Earlier this year, the Government&#8217;s Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology clearly rejected a non-judicial site-blocking regime, while it <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/canadian-copyright-review-rejects-site-blocking-regime-keeps-safe-harbors-190603/">advised</a> keeping the current safe harbor policy intact.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p>A copy of the European Commission&#8217;s Report on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in third countries is available <a href="media/6254456c.imfname_10950053.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/imfname_10950053.pdf">here (pdf)</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180962
title: Torrent Site YTS ‘Settles’ Piracy Lawsuit with Movie Company but Stays Online
uri: Torrent-Site-YTS-Settles-Piracy-Lawsuit-with-Movie-Company-but-S
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FPaGOmIKsiU/
content:
<p><img src="media/5f6a61f6.ytslt.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ytslt.png" alt="" width="223" height="81" class="alignright size-full wp-image-174026" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ytslt.png 223w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/ytslt-220x81.png 220w" sizes="(max-width: 223px) 100vw, 223px" /><a href="https://yts.lt/">YTS</a> is the most-visited torrent site on the Internet. With millions of daily visitors, it even beats the legendary Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>The site ‘unofficially’ took over the YTS brand when the original group threw in the towel in 2015. Since then, it has amassed a rather impressive user base. However, that growth didn’t go unnoticed by copyright holders.</p>
<p>The movie industry sees the popular torrent site as one of the main piracy threats and last year YTS became the target of three different copyright infringement lawsuits in the US.</p>
<p>These cases were not filed by the big law firms that represent Hollywood&#8217;s major movie studios. Instead, they were filed by a single attorney from Hawaii, Kerry Culpepper, who works for Millennium Films and several of its daughter companies.</p>
<p>With these lawsuits, the filmmakers hoped to take the site offline and recoup damages. That can be an extremely difficult endeavor, especially when a site operator resides abroad, but part of this mission has now been achieved. </p>
<p>In the case filed on behalf of Wicked Nevada LLC, known for the thriller &#8220;<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2481498/">Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile</a>&#8220;, the filmmakers agreed to a consent judgment with Senthil Vijay Segaran, the suspected operator of YTS.</p>
<p>The original complaint referred to the operator as a John Doe. However, this was later updated to name Segaran as the person in charge. Segaran was also the person who previously agreed to remove several torrents linking to Millenium Films&#8217; movies from YTS. </p>
<p>In the consent judgment, signed a few days ago, Segaran denies liability for copyright infringements. However, he confirms that he is the &#8216;John Doe&#8217; described in the complaint and admits that people used YTS to share pirated content.</p>
<p>&#8220;Senthil Vijay Segaran denies liability but acknowledges that he is Defendant JOHN DOE dba YTS as identified in the original complaint and concedes that one or more third parties uploaded the torrent file of Plaintiff&#8217;s motion picture to the website YTS.LT,&#8221; the judgment reads.</p>
<p>Segaran specifically admits that &#8220;his website YTS.LT provided links for distributing the torrent file under the file name &#8216;Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile (2019) [WEBRip] [720p] [YTS.AM]&#8217;.&#8221; </p>
<p>According to the consent judgment, which is signed by both parties, the operator didn&#8217;t upload the &#8216;Wicked&#8217; torrent to the site. Who did, remains unmentioned. </p>
<p>Although Segaran denies liability, he did agree to pay $150,000 in damages, which also happens to be the maximum amount of statutory damages for copyright infringement. </p>
<p>&#8220;A Money Judgment is awarded in favor of Plaintiff Wicked Nevada, LLC against Defendant Senthil Vijay Segaran in the amount of $150,000 for damages,&#8221; the consent judgment reads. </p>
<p><center><img src="media/49eca8a1.yts-1.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/yts-1.png" alt="" width="599" height="154" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181319" /></center></p>
<p>The judgment was signed by US District Judge Susan Oki Mollway. In addition to the damages amount, it also includes a permanent injunction. This prevents YTS&#8217;s operator from distributing and/or promoting torrent files that point to Wicked Nevada&#8217;s film.</p>
<p>A damages judgment against the operator of the largest torrent site in the world is a major achievement. Although more people could manage the site, several Millenium Films movies are no longer listed on the platform.</p>
<p>That said, the site remains <a href="https://yts.lt/">up and running</a>. And as long as Wicked Nevada&#8217;s movie is not listed, YTS.lt doesn&#8217;t violate the permanent injunction. </p>
<p>The two remaining lawsuits against YTS, by the makers of movies including Hellboy, Singularity, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and Hunter Killer, remain ongoing. However, given that they are handled by the same attorney based on a nearly identical complaint, we may see similar consent judgments there as well. </p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>TorrentFreak obtained a copy of the stipulated consent judgment between Wicked Nevada and Senthil Vijay Segaran, signed by United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway, which is <a href="media/9bffccd3.ytsconsent.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ytsconsent.pdf">available here (pdf)</a>.</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181308
title: Nintendo Wins Injunction Against Switch Mod & Pirate Game Seller
uri: Nintendo-Wins-Injunction-Against-Switch-Mod-Pirate-Game-Seller
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/TxgLiyaJbng/
content:
<p><a href="media/03e211e3.switchnintendo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/switchnintendo.png"><img src="media/03e211e3.switchnintendo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/switchnintendo.png" alt="" width="255" height="221" class="alignright size-full wp-image-165556" /></a>In January 2018, hacking group Team-Xecuter <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/modding-legends-team-xecuter-announce-future-proof-nintendo-switch-hack-180104/">announced</a> a Nintendo Switch hack that presented the opportunity for people to run pirated games on the console.</p>
<p>This type of exploit is nothing new for hardware manufacturers like Nintendo but given its aggressive stance towards its intellectual property rights, the company wasn&#8217;t likely to sit back and watch the development and distribution that followed.</p>
<p>Indeed, during December 2018, Nintendo took <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/nintendo-targets-sellers-of-pirated-switch-games-in-court-181213/">legal action</a> against a California resident alleged to have sold Nintendo Switch mod devices produced by Team-Xecuter, memory cards containing pirated copies of Nintendo titles, plus a modified version of the NES Classic accompanied by 800 pirated games.</p>
<p>The main defendant in the case, initially identified as &#8216;Mikel Euskaldunak&#8217; by Nintendo, was later named as Sergio Mojarro Moreno. In September 2019 there were signs that the parties had agreed to settle the case and on December 30, 2019, that agreement was detailed by a California court.</p>
<p>Stating that Nintendo is a world-famous video gaming brand whose status is underpinned by substantial investment in intellectual property, the consent judgment and injunction begins with the main defendant (Does 1-10 were dismissed) agreeing that Nintendo&#8217;s copyrights and trademarks are &#8220;valid and enforceable in all respects&#8221; while acknowledging that the company&#8217;s technical protection measures are &#8220;valid&#8221;.</p>
<p>The judgment then goes on to restrain the defendant and anyone acting in concert with him from circumventing, offering services, and/or offering technologies, devices or components that circumvent Nintendo&#8217;s technical protection measures.</p>
<p>Moreno is also restrained from selling, renting, offering or distributing unauthorized copies of Nintendo&#8217;s copyrighted works, infringing its trademarks, or using the Internet &#8220;or any digital network&#8221; to provide services to the public that enable copyright infringement of Nintendo&#8217;s works.</p>
<p>The consent judgment requires the defendant to refrain from several types of additional conduct such as challenging the validity or enforceability of any Nintendo intellectual property right or technological protection method &#8220;in any forum in the future&#8221;, hacking, modifying or circumventing Nintendo&#8217;s technical measures, or reverse engineering any computer program or software developed by Nintendo or its affiliates.</p>
<p>The defendant is further required to provide written certification to Nintendo that no circumvention software or devices, including but not limited to SX Pro or Trinket M0 chips, and/or illegal copies of games were in his or his agents&#8217; possession at the date of the stipulated judgment and injunction or, if they were, have been destroyed.</p>
<p>Entering judgment in favor of Nintendo on each and every claim for relief in its amended complaint, the court ordered the parties to bear their own costs and attorneys&#8217; fees while standing by to enforce the terms of the order in the event of any further dispute.</p>
<p><em>Obtained by TorrentFreak, the stipulated judgment and permanent injunction can be viewed here (<a href="media/ef68a7da.-Sergio-Mojarro-Moreno-stipulated-judgment-injunction-191230.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/8-18-cv-02196-Nintendo-vs-Sergio-Mojarro-Moreno-stipulated-judgment-injunction-191230.pdf">pdf</a>)</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181340
title: Infamous Pirate Group Starts Year by Leaking Frozen 2 Screener
uri: Infamous-Pirate-Group-Starts-Year-by-Leaking-Frozen-2-Screener
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/mWGjJGQf-sc/
content:
<p><img src="media/45b44e34.froz.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/froz.jpg" alt="" width="280" height="286" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181350" />Every year movie screeners are sent out to industry insiders who cast their votes for the Oscars and other awards.</p>
<p>While these releases are generally well-protected, several titles still manage to leak online. In recent years, piracy group Hive-CM8 has been the source of most of these leaks. It has been no different this time around.</p>
<p>The first two screeners that were released &#8211; &#8216;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/first-pirated-screener-of-the-season-leaks-online-191216/">Uncut Gems</a>&#8216; and &#8216;Portrait of a Lady on Fire&#8217; &#8211; were released by rival group EVO. After that, however, Hive-CM8 joined in with several screener copies. The group also made it clear that it was still looking for more sources, specifically requesting <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hive-cm8-is-looking-for-frozen-2-and-star-wars-screeners-191224/">&#8216;Frozen 2&#8217; and &#8216;Star Wars.&#8217;</a></p>
<p>This request was answered, at least in part, because the group&#8217;s first release of the new year is a screener of Frozen 2. In fact, the leaked Frozen 2 screener is branded as &#8220;the happy new year&#8217;s release.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The happy new year&#8217;s release is here! for all kids and everyone who loves it too, have fun guys,&#8221; Hive-CM8 writes in its release notes.</p>
<p>This is a rather significant leak that will trigger millions of downloads. While it may please many pirates, Disney will not be happy. The movie is still playing in theaters and the official digital release is still months away.</p>
<p><center><strong>Frozen.2.2019.DVDScr.XVID.AC3.HQ.Hive-CM8</strong></center><center><img src="media/a496b5c9.frozen2sc-e1578043362545.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/frozen2sc-e1578043362545.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="253" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181349" /></center></p>
<p>Hive-CM8 previously promised to play nice with Hollywood. That means not releasing films too early. However, the group notes that Frozen 2 has already &#8220;played in the budget&#8221; which means that it is &#8220;ready to go.&#8221;</p>
<p>Fair game or not, the pirate group stresses that the quality of screeners is nothing compared to that of the big screen. Those who want to have the best experience are better off going to their local movie theater.</p>
<p>&#8220;Please keep in mind a Screener does not represent the Video and Audio quality the Producers intend to show, so please support your local cinemas for the full Experience,&#8221; Hive-CM8 writes. </p>
<p>At the time of writing, seven screeners have leaked this season. This means that, at this rate, last year&#8217;s <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/oscars-screener-leaks-drop-to-all-time-low-190226/">all-time low</a> of eight leaks will be easily exceeded. In any case, Hive-CM8 doesn&#8217;t plan to stop yet and is calling for more sources in its release notes.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><center><img src="media/f13168d0.hivenotes.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/hivenotes.jpg" alt="" width="617" height="341" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181353" /></center></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181383
title: MangaDex Targeted by DMCA Subpoena, Now Migrating Servers
uri: MangaDex-Targeted-by-DMCA-Subpoena-Now-Migrating-Servers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/kbnPaLsceh8/
content:
<p><a href="media/56f1d468.mangadex.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mangadex.png"><img src="media/56f1d468.mangadex.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mangadex.png" alt="" width="260" height="263" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181386" /></a>Sites offering manga comics and magazines are a huge deal on the Internet, particularly ones that users can access without paying. This, of course, runs counter to the business plans of many manga creators.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, however, many mango titles are only officially available in certain languages. This has left a gap in the market for unofficial &#8216;scanlation&#8217; sites that have stepped in to meet demand by offering scanned copies of physical publications supported by fan-made translations.</p>
<p>Mangadex is one such platform, one with a massive following too. Operating from both MangaDex.org and .com, according to SimilarWeb stats the site pulls in more than 30 million visits per month. As a result, it was no surprise that when it went down a few days ago, users began to panic, despite the site&#8217;s official explanation on Twitter.</p>
<p><center></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Announcement of *Temporary* MangaDex Shutdown</p>
<p>We will be going offline within the next 24hrs or so while we move to a new hosting service and perform server maintenance. We are expecting to be down for roughly 72hrs <img src="media/5dccdb79.1f613.png" data-original-source="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/1f613.png" alt="😓" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></p>
<p>Announcement thread: <a href="https://t.co/08deQnOp6y">https://t.co/08deQnOp6y</a> <a href="https://t.co/UGUcL4aU2G">pic.twitter.com/UGUcL4aU2G</a></p>
<p>&mdash; MangaDex (@MangaDex) <a href="https://twitter.com/MangaDex/status/1212465962970238977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>While the site may indeed return in the hours or days to come, the downtime wasn&#8217;t broadly announced in advance, which can indicate that something unexpected happened to force some kind of change. The site hasn&#8217;t been forthcoming with any information on this front but TorrentFreak has learned that it is facing legal pressure, which may (or indeed may not) be connected to the current downtime.</p>
<p>On December 20, 2019, attorney Evan Stone &#8211; who has a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/confessions-of-a-bittorrent-pirate-chasing-lawyer-110422/">reputation</a> for chasing down pirates &#8211; requested a DMCA subpoena at a Texas court to be served against Cloudflare on behalf of his client, VIZ Media, LLC.</p>
<p>&#8220;The purpose of the accompanying subpoena is to obtain the identity of the<br />
alleged copyright infringer in control of the internet domain listed on in the subpoena.<br />
The information obtained will be used only for the purpose of protecting the rights<br />
granted to my client under Title 17 of the United States Code,&#8221; the filing reads.</p>
<p>An attached &#8216;Electronic notice of copyright infringement&#8217;, signed by Eric Green of anti-piracy company Remove Your Media, lists the Japanese manga title allegedly being infringed as &#8216;Boruto&#8217;. The website URL listed in the document belongs to MangaDex.</p>
<p><Center><a href="media/75e11709.mangadex-cloudflare.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mangadex-cloudflare.png"><img src="media/75e11709.mangadex-cloudflare.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mangadex-cloudflare.png" alt="" width="649" height="729" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181393" /></a></center></p>
<p>The DMCA subpoena requires Cloudflare to hand over &#8220;identifying information, including name, e-mail address, physical address, billing information or any other relevant contact information for the alleged infringer who controls the site at mangadex.org and/or the domain itself.&#8221;</p>
<p>If Cloudflare is to comply with the subpoena, it will have to supply the information listed above to attorney Evan Stone on or before February 8, 2020. Whether the information will indeed be of use in identifying the operator of MangaDex is unknown.</p>
<p>Overall, it&#8217;s been a tough few months for fans of scanlation platforms. In September, Manga Rock said it would <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-mangarock-shuts-down-and-goes-legal-190905/">close down</a> in order to launch a legal platform. Last month, Mangastream <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mangastream-disappears-after-being-targeted-by-publisher-191221/">disappeared</a> after being targeted by a DMCA subpoena obtained by Japanese publisher Shueisha.</p>
<p>Whether these closures will massively boost sales on official platforms remains a question, however. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/piracy-boosts-sales-of-some-manga-comics-research-shows-190920/">A recent study</a> published by Professor Tatsuo Tanaka of the Faculty of Economics at Keio University concluded that while selective takedowns may have a positive effect on sales, piracy may boost sales of some comics.</p>
<p><em>The DMCA subpoena and related documents can be found here (<a href="media/2c6c098e.DMCA-subpoena-MangaDex-1.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/DMCA-subpoena-MangaDex-1.pdf">1</a>,<a href="media/619a838d.DMCA-subpoena-MangaDex-2.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/DMCA-subpoena-MangaDex-2.pdf">2</a>,<a href="media/6d222214.DMCA-subpoena-MangaDex-3.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/DMCA-subpoena-MangaDex-3.pdf">3</a>)</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=180408
title: NFL Targets VPN Sites that ‘Promote’ Illegal Streaming
uri: NFL-Targets-VPN-Sites-that-Promote-Illegal-Streaming
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/VXRVWMpo3AA/
content:
<p><img src="media/160ce9c6.nfl.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/nfl.jpg" alt="" width="289" height="177" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-168172" />VPN services are the go-to tools for people who are looking for some extra privacy and security on the Internet.</p>
<p>However, there are other use cases for these services as well. Bypassing geographical restrictions is a widely advertised feature, with VPNs enabling people to access content that&#8217;s not available in their own country.</p>
<p>As a result, people using VPNs can access the American Netflix library in another country, or catch up on the BBC iPlayer while abroad. While this wasn&#8217;t much of a problem years ago, today more and more content providers are actively banning VPN users to block these &#8216;unauthorized&#8217; viewers.  </p>
<p>The American football league NFL is not a fan of this type of VPN use either, it appears. However, its enforcement strategy goes further than those displayed by other companies.</p>
<p>This week we stumbled upon a <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/19631311?access_token=039QZdFYV-7OKgyQ0Lnf_w">DMCA takedown notice</a> that was sent to Google on behalf of the NFL. The complaint in question didn&#8217;t list any pirated copies of NFL games but instead requested the removal of several VPN-related URLs.</p>
<p>According to the notice, the VPN sites &#8220;promote the use of their software to illegally stream NFL games.&#8221;</p>
<p><center><img src="media/be4889b8.vpnfl.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/vpnfl.jpg" alt="" width="560" height="275" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-180529" /></center></p>
<p>Looking at the targeted URLs they do indeed mention the NFL. More specifically, most describe how people can use a VPN to access NFL content through official and authorized channels. </p>
<p>A VPN can provide access to a broader range of content in some cases, as it looks like the user is coming from another country. As a result, VPNs &#8216;bypass&#8217; the NFL&#8217;s technical protection measures, which are used to enforce its licenses. That will likely violate its terms of service, even if people have a legitimate subscription.</p>
<p>The targeted URLs include VPN service ExpressVPN, as well as several dedicated VPN review sites and tech publications such as bestvpn.org, vpnspblog.com, vpnmentor.com, vpnfan.com, tomsguide.com, howtogeek.com, and technadu.com.</p>
<p>Whether DMCA takedown notices are the right instrument to deal with this issue is up for debate. It appears that Google is not yet convinced, as it has decided not to remove the vast majority of the links. </p>
<p>The only three pages that were deleted from Google&#8217;s search results are from thevpn.guru and flashrouters.com. It&#8217;s not immediately clear to us why these are different from the rest. </p>
<p>We were only able to spot a few VPN oriented notices from the NFL, so it could be that this is just incidental. Also, with an increasing number of imposters sending takedown requests we can never be 100% sure that the NFL is indeed behind these notices. </p>
<p>We reached out to the listed anti-piracy partner for more information, but at the time of writing we have yet to hear back </p>
<p>Looking through other NFL notices sent by the same outfit we do see more that target NFL-related sites and URLs. In addition to the VPN complaints, these also <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/19588310?access_token=kq4JJFERFu6AB49YIzCJhw">target a long list</a> of domains that claim to offer cheap or free NFL access, including nfltvpro.com and nflgptv.com.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181342
title: OMI IN A HELLCAT: Selling Drugs to Making “$200K a Day” From Pirate IPTV
uri: OMI-IN-A-HELLCAT-Selling-Drugs-to-Making-200K-a-Day-From-Pirat
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/827NP2ERcKI/
content:
<p><img class="alignright " src="media/21cc8203.image-161.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-161.png" width="257" height="142" />One of the most curious ongoing piracy cases in the world right now involves popular YouTuber Bill Omar Carrasquillo, aka OMI IN A HELLCAT.</p>
<p>In November 2019, the apparently mega-rich founder of pirate IPTV service Gears TV and Gears Reloaded took to YouTube to declare that he&#8217;d been <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/gears-reloaded-fbi-took-everything-says-iptv-boss-omi-in-a-hellcat-191121/">raided by FBI and IRS agents</a> who took pretty much everything he had.</p>
<p>A fleet of supercars and at least <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/fbi-seized-at-least-5-2m-says-gears-reloaded-iptv-boss-omi-in-a-hellcat-191216/">$5m in funds from his bank accounts</a> were among the haul, he claimed, assertions that he later repeated in several YouTube videos and even a TV interview with CBS News.</p>
<p>But while most people involved in copyright and tax evasion matters tend to remain tight-lipped while their cases are ongoing, Carrasquillo is taking the opposite approach. For reasons best known to him, he&#8217;s talking about his problems and history every week, giving additional details that previously hadn&#8217;t been in the public eye.</p>
<p>An interview with fellow YouTube channel &#8216;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0KfHrqdI1sWILqSBQTALGA">Say Cheese TV</a>&#8216; this week has only poured more fuel on the fire, with Carrasquillo revealing that he got into piracy after an unpleasant experience that ended his previously-rumored drug-dealing days.</p>
<p>&#8220;I got into this little altercation where I got robbed. That&#8217;s the last time I ever sold drugs, on July 4, 2014. I and I said &#8216;you know what, fuck this&#8217;, I ain&#8217;t never gonna sell drugs again,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>After this experience, OMI said he went through a few weeks of depression but then a couple of months later a thought popped into his head as a way to make money &#8211; Firestick.</p>
<p>&#8220;Once that Firestick popped in my head I was like, &#8216;You know what, I was broke before and I sold DVDs&#8217;,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Noting that the plastic discs are now more or less obsolete, he says he wanted to find a way to deliver content to people digitally &#8211; while making some money of course.</p>
<p>&#8220;I gotta find a way to put digital movies onto a stick and that&#8217;s how it started. Back when Kodi was poppin&#8217; I was one of the first ones doing Kodi sticks and that&#8217;s how I started making a lot of money. Buying these boxes from Amazon already pre-loaded and just re-selling them for more money. I&#8217;d buy them for $50 and sell them for $120-$150 and that&#8217;s how it started,&#8221; he told Say Cheese.</p>
<p>At the time OMI says he had 10-15 &#8216;bands&#8217; ($10-$15,000) put aside in savings but the Firestick business gained traction and quickly brought in a lot more money.</p>
<p>&#8220;I first called my brother I said, &#8216;You know, I&#8217;m making five bands [$5,000] a week. And he said, &#8216;You ain&#8217;t making no five bands a week&#8217;. I said &#8216;I swear to God, off these Firestick things&#8217;.&#8221;</p>
<p>Then according to Carrasquillo, the business began to skyrocket.</p>
<p>&#8220;Two months later I&#8217;m making $15,000, then a month later &#8211; three months later, I&#8217;m making $30,000 a week, then $40,000 a week, then $100,000 a week. Damn, $200,000 a week, $300,000 a week, $400,000 a week. I thought, &#8216;What the fuck am I doing here?&#8221;</p>
<p>After just 12 months the big milestone was reached.</p>
<p>&#8220;I became a millionaire after a year,&#8221; OMI said. &#8220;I did good, made a couple of million. But 2017 to 2018? My God.&#8221;</p>
<p>What&#8217;s important to note here is that OMI says he didn&#8217;t get rich by selling Firesticks to individuals, one by one, piece by piece. The business of selling pre-loaded sticks was only a prelude to his major cash generator &#8211; the launch of his own pirate IPTV service.</p>
<p>&#8220;What happened was I made these apps, I made an app called Gears TV. If you ever watched anything with a Gears TV app on it, that was mine. The app sold for about a year and a half, two years ago,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;So I&#8217;m living my regular life. Now I&#8217;m making a couple of hundred &#8216;bands&#8217; [$200k] every day, every other day. I don&#8217;t want to get into specific details about how much money I&#8217;m making because I&#8217;m still fighting this case. But I&#8217;m seeing [millions]. Like too many millions.&#8221;</p>
<p>The key is that OMI wasn&#8217;t making millions simply from selling an app. He doesn&#8217;t go into huge detail during his interviews but it&#8217;s clear that the users of the Gears app also required a recurring subscription, which meant that money was coming in all the time through resellers of the service.</p>
<p>&#8220;They&#8217;re buying but these people that I sold the app to still have to pay me my bread. So everything they&#8217;re making off that app, they got to fork it over. Cos I was selling the app for 40 &#8216;M&#8217;s&#8230;.to a couple of people&#8230;.to a group.&#8221;</p>
<p>By any standard, the amounts being discussed here are considerable, especially in the light of a supposed ongoing copyright infringement and tax evasion investigation. But of course, there will still be people out there thinking they&#8217;d like a piece of that action, a point not lost on Say Cheese who asked if Carrasquillo had any tips for fans thinking of starting up a similar service.</p>
<p>&#8220;Listen, what I did &#8211; it takes hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars of infrastructure to do what I did. I started with the slow grind and I got to where I got to. But trust me, where we was at in 2014, 2015, 2016, you would never get to that point now,&#8221; he responded.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Feds are trying to cut down every streaming app &#8211; and streaming ain&#8217;t illegal. Illegal was the movies. You can&#8217;t host movies, that&#8217;s the illegal part. That&#8217;s why I think they&#8217;re having such a hard time with this case, it&#8217;s because I wasn&#8217;t fucking with movies. It was a straight streaming app, I wasn&#8217;t stealing channels, I was paying for my cable boxes, I was paying for my cable service.</p>
<p>&#8220;And that&#8217;s why I&#8217;m so comfortable talking about it. They know. They took all the cable boxes out of all my houses that they hit, they took all the video encoders. Encoders are like capture cards. I basically made a Twitch network, private, with all channels for $10-$15 per month. I had a ton of subscribers, I don&#8217;t want to talk about how many subscribers I had, it&#8217;s up to them [the FBI/IRS] to figure it out.&#8221;</p>
<p>OMI also revealed that during a recent flight back from the Dominican Republic, the Feds were actually on the plane with him. He <a href="https://youtu.be/_e08DLdZSGA">said</a> he was joking around but in one of his videos there was an agent sitting next to him &#8220;the whole time.&#8221;</p>
<p>But despite having &#8220;pretty much everything&#8221; taken from him in November, Carrasquillo can be seen &#8216;buying&#8217; <a href="https://youtu.be/Qqbiw3AYjGE">yet more new cars</a> in his latest YouTube videos. This, he says, is a result of the revenue he&#8217;s generating from his YouTube content, which he claims is currently around $50,000 per month &#8211; with a potential for more.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181359
title: Top 10 Most Popular Torrent Sites of 2020
uri: Top-10-Most-Popular-Torrent-Sites-of-2020
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/auzX6iJ3Ts0/
content:
<p><img src="media/f39ef5a0.2020.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/2020.jpg" alt="" width="277" height="185" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181365" />In terms of popularity, torrent sites have been surpassed by streaming sites in recent years. However, they remain very popular.</p>
<p>As we enter a new year we see that The Pirate Bay has taken the lead once again, moving up from the third spot last year. </p>
<p>After a turbulent time, the site has been relatively stable over the past twelve months, although it still doesn&#8217;t allow new users to sign up.</p>
<p>Looking more broadly we see that the entire list has remained relatively intact this year. A few sites have switched places but none of the major sites disappeared, which by itself is already quite an achievement. </p>
<p>This year&#8217;s overview includes two newcomers. The game-oriented &#8216;Fitgirl Repacks&#8217; enters in ninth place and the Indian site Tamil Rockers closes the list in tenth place. These two replace TorrentDownloads and Zooqle, which both saw a significant traffic dip and dropped outside the top 10.</p>
<p>We traditionally limit our overview to torrent sites that are targeted primarily at an English or international audience. This means that <a href="https://rutracker.org/forum/index.php">RuTracker</a>, <a href="https://torrentwal2.com/">TorrentWal</a>, <a href="http://rutor.info/">Rutor</a>, <a href="https://dytt8.net">Dytt8</a>, and <a href="http://etoland.co.kr/">Etoland</a> aren&#8217;t included even though they would qualify in terms of traffic.</p>
<p>Below is the full list of the ten most-visited torrent sites at the start of the new year. The list is based on various traffic reports and we display the Alexa rank for each. In addition, we include last year’s ranking.</p>
<p><center></p>
<h2>Most Popular Torrent Sites (domains) of 2020</h2>
<p></center></p>
<h4>1. <a href="http://thepiratebay.org/">The Pirate Bay</a></h4>
<p>After more than 16 years, The Pirate Bay remains afloat. After suffering substantial downtime in 2018, last year went relatively smoothly. The site closed registrations a few months ago but remains open to the public. It&#8217;s also still operating from its .org domain but it&#8217;s uncertain if that will remain the case in the future.</p>
<div align="right">
<h5>Alexa Rank: 169/ Last year #3</h5>
</div>
<h4>2. <a href="http://yts.lt/">YTS.lt</a></h4>
<p><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/yts/">YTS.lt</a> is the unofficial successor of the defunct YTS or YIFY group. The site focuses on movie releases which are popular around the globe. YTS has been the target of three lawsuits in the US recently. While the operator signed a consent judgment to pay damages to one filmmaker, the site itself remains online.</p>
<div align="right">
<h5>Alexa Rank: 244 / Last year #1</h5>
</div>
<h4>2. <a href="http://1337x.to">1337x</a></h4>
<p><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/1337x/">1337x</a> keeps its spot in the top three. Unlike some other sites, it has a loyal group of uploaders that provide fresh content on a daily basis. </p>
<div align="right">
<h5>Alexa Rank: 307 / Last year #2</h5>
</div>
<h4>4. <a href="http://rarbg.to/">RARBG</a></h4>
<p><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rarbg-to-in-org/">RARBG</a> has remained steady over the past year. The site operates from several popular domain names, but only the one with the most traffic is taken into account for this list. RARBG was founded in 2008 and specializes in high-quality video releases.</p>
<div align="right">
<h5>Alexa Rank: 428 / Last year #4</h5>
</div>
<h4>5. <a href="https://nyaa.si/">NYAA.si</a></h4>
<p>NYAA.si is a popular resurrection of the anime torrent site NYAA. While there is fierce competition from alternative pirate streaming sites, the torrent portal continues to do well, climbing one position compared to last year.</p>
<div align="right">
<h5>Alexa Rank: 861 / Last year #6</h5>
</div>
<h4>6. <a href="https://torrentz2.eu/">Torrentz2</a></h4>
<p><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz2-eu/">Torrentz2</a> launched as a replacement for the original Torrentz.eu site, which voluntarily closed its doors in 2016. The site doesn&#8217;t host any torrent files but remains a popular meta-search engine.</p>
<div align="right">
<h5>Alexa Rank: 1,090 / Last year #5</h5>
</div>
<h4>7. <a href="http://eztv.io/">EZTV.io</a></h4>
<p>The original TV-torrent distribution group EZTV shut down after a hostile takeover in 2015, with new owners claiming ownership of the brand. The group switched to a new domain last year and was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-overblocking-190718/">inadvertently blocked</a> in the Netherlands because it shared an IP-address with The Pirate Bay.</p>
<div align="right">
<h5>Alexa Rank: 1.186 / Last year #9</h5>
</div>
<h4>8. <a href="https://www.limetorrents.info/">LimeTorrents</a></h4>
<p>LimeTorrents has been around for more than ten years. Like many other entries in this list it is blocked by ISPs in countries around the world, which seems to hurt overall traffic somewhat.</p>
<div align="right">
<h5>Alexa Rank: 1,581 / Last year #7</h5>
</div>
<h4>10. <a href="http://fitgirl-repacks.site/">Fitgirl Repacks</a></h4>
<p>Fitgirl Repacks is by no means a traditional torrent site. It is the home of a popular group that releases slimmed down cracked versions of popular games, which keeps download times to a minimum. They publish torrents on other sites but also offer magnet links of their own, which is why we included the site here.</p>
<div align="right">
<h5>Alexa Rank: 1,883 / Last year #NA</h5>
</div>
<h4>10. <a href="http://tamilrockers.ws/">Tamil Rockers</a></h4>
<p>The torrent site TamilRockers is infamous in India, where it has its homebase. However, as it&#8217;s available in English, the site is used worldwide. Despite several enforcement actions and arrests of alleged admins and operators, the site is thriving.</p>
<div align="right">
<h5>Alexa Rank: 2,035 / Last year #NA</h5>
</div>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><em>Disclaimer: Yes, we know that Alexa isn&#8217;t perfect, but it helps to compare sites that operate in a similar niche. We also use other traffic metrics to compile the top ten. Please keep in mind that many sites have mirrors or alternative domains, which are not taken into account here. We don&#8217;t encourage the use of any of these sites, the yearly list is published as an informational / news resource.</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181049
title: The Art of War: Lessons for Pirates and Anti-Pirates Alike
uri: The-Art-of-War-Lessons-for-Pirates-and-Anti-Pirates-Alike
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/QqsVfklVsDI/
content:
<p><a href="media/0411bcbe.bomb.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/bomb.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-27591 alignright" src="media/0411bcbe.bomb.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/bomb.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="213" /></a>People who run pirate sites and services tend to be pretty interesting individuals. Some are extraordinarily talented and smart, with technical skills that can leave one in awe. Some are funny and insightful too, while others are irritable and almost impossible to deal with.</p>
<p>Surprise. People who work at anti-piracy companies can be pretty interesting individuals too. They also tend to be talented and smart, with technical skills in abundance. In some cases they are some of the nicest people you will ever deal with while some are the nastiest characters around. Like their counterparts, they cover the usual spread of human traits.</p>
<p>In many ways, however, these warring groups of people are very similar, they just approach the same thing from different angles. The aim of pirates is to spread media and the aim of anti-pirates is to stop them from doing so. Put this scenario into a video game and its no different from a team deathmatch. It’s not personal either, it’s just business.</p>
<p>The point is that both ‘teams’ are on the same battlefield and as a result, can benefit from the same strategies. And it can be argued that there has been no greater strategist than Chinese general Sun Tzu, the credited author of The Art of War.</p>
<p>Despite being written 2,500 years ago, the wisdom of this work shines through today. So which of his teachings are most relevant to both sides of the piracy ‘wars’?</p>
<p>Perhaps the most obvious, which underlines the similarities between the factions, is that “<em>to know your enemy, you must become your enemy</em>&#8220;. On a basic level, by understanding your adversary deeply, you are able to think how he thinks. Stepping deeper, some ‘pirates’ on pirate sites are not pirates at all, even though they act like them.</p>
<p>“<em>It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results</em>.”</p>
<p>Perhaps one of the great ironies of starting a pirate platform is that if it fails quickly, the disappointment comes with a gilded edge – the enemy will never come. Great success, on the other hand, almost certainly means the opposite. Not considering this at the very beginning can be a recipe for disaster.</p>
<p>As Sun Tzu said: “<em>The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable</em>.”</p>
<p>In 2019 this quote became relevant every time we wrote about small Kodi-addon developers in the UK being targeted by FACT and even the police. The majority of these people seemed to have miscalculated how important their software would ultimately become and, as a result, left a trail of digital breadcrumbs to their front doors.</p>
<p>When the authorities arrive with overwhelming force, a cascade of quotes inevitably follows, all centered around the imbalance of power and the pointlessness of self-sacrifice in an unwinnable battle. Importantly, they know that “<em>supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting</em>.”</p>
<p>That’s what the strongly-worded cease-and-desist letters backed up with a credible threat of civil or criminal prosecution aim to achieve. They don’t want a war, you don’t want to lose, so be sensible and back away now, they say. Or as Sun Tzu put it “<em>build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across</em>” in the hope that the “<em>the wise warrior avoids the battle</em>.“</p>
<p>Of course, there is a valid theory that anti-piracy groups cannot take on the world so if everyone resisted they would be unable to cope with the workload. They know that better than anyone so they pick their fights wisely, in order to project an image of power and present a credible deterrent.</p>
<p>“<em>To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill</em>,” Sun Tzu said. “<em>To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill</em>.”</p>
<p>But for some pirates, giving in has never been an option and one needs to look no further than The Pirate Bay to see how Sun Tzu’s teachings have applied again and again. Every single time that site or the people behind it have been targeted, the response has been the same – this will not work and we will never stop.</p>
<p>Host targeted, we have another – and another. Domain targeted, we have a dozen more. Blocked by ISPs, here are a thousand proxies. Or as Sun Tzu wrote, “<em>Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you. This will diminish his enthusiasm.</em>”</p>
<p>Tying up disproportionate resources in one battle is not prudent, particularly against a resilient enemy such as The Pirate Bay. “<em>If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak</em>,” Sun Tzu taught. “<em>By reinforcing every part, he weakens every part.</em>”</p>
<p>The Pirate Bay, however, is a unique case. Having lost so many battles, they now operate from a position of strength. The site isn’t invincible but there are many softer targets that produce more bang for content providers’ buck – and less embarrassment when it all comes to nothing – again.</p>
<p>When everything is said and done, setting out to achieve anything significant in piracy is a gamble. Sun Tzu probably has something to say about that too, but a Chinese proverb explains things perfectly. It’s a plan that should never be deviated from, if survival needs to be ensured.</p>
<p>“<em>If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time.</em>”</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181433
title: MangaDex Returns Under a New Domain, Confirms Legal Issues
uri: MangaDex-Returns-Under-a-New-Domain-Confirms-Legal-Issues
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/YcwCkVXjujE/
content:
<p><img src="media/56f1d468.mangadex.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mangadex.png" width="260" height="263" class="alignright size-full" />With tens of millions of visitors per month, MangaDex is a real force in the manga community.</p>
<p>The site&#8217;s status as an unofficial provider of manga &#8216;scanlations&#8217; (scanned copies with translations) is valued by fans, many of whom are keen to experience harder-to-find content in languages other than their native tongue.</p>
<p>Last week, however, MangaDex fans had to go without their usual fix. The site went down with staff reporting that a server migration and database maintenance were underway. The platform eventually returned yesterday but not under its usual .org domain.</p>
<p>According to an announcement by moderator &#8216;Zephyrus&#8217;, MangaDex was forced to switch to <a href="https://mangadex.cc/">MangaDex.cc</a> due to legal issues.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our .cc domain is temporary for now,&#8221; he writes. &#8220;Our .org domain was acquired via our reseller, who has removed us from CF and have stopped supporting us due to legal pressure.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8216;CF&#8217; is a reference to Cloudflare, the US-based CDN company utilized by millions of regular sites as well as large volumes of &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites and services.</p>
<p>While MangaDex was down, TorrentFreak <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mangadex-targeted-by-dmca-subpoena-now-migrating-servers-200103/">discovered</a> that during December 2019 the site was targeted in a DMCA subpoena filed by attorney Evan Stone on behalf of VIZ Media, LLC, mentioning a chapter of &#8216;Boruto&#8217;.</p>
<p>It remains unclear whether that specific problem caused the downtime during the past few days but MangaDex has now confirmed the reason for the DMCA subpoena.</p>
<p>&#8220;To anyone paying attention to the news, the Boruto chapter in question was an official English rip. Uploading official chapters has always been against our rules, and we&#8217;d appreciate your continued assistance in reporting any content that breaks our rules in the future,&#8221; Zephyrus notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Thanks to all our users for staying vigilant and reporting all official sources, early releases, troll chapters and all other content that breaks our rules.&#8221;</p>
<p>Interestingly, someone claiming to be a former admin of a manga fan group hit Reddit yesterday to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/mangadex/comments/ek4n83/we_are_the_cause_of_the_shutdown_and_we_are/">issue an apology</a> for triggering the DMCA subpoena. Claiming to be from &#8216;Boltmangacolor&#8217;, a group that has been coloring Boruto manga since February 2019, the individual said it was their colored upload that caused the problem.</p>
<p>&#8220;We used to upload our works on imgur, but then switched to mangadex because of efficiency reasons; we meant in no way to infringe any rules, we honestly didn’t know such a rule even existed, and that it could cause all of these problems,&#8221; the person wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;Please note that this is in no way related to the Boruto community or the Boruto manga itself, but only to us admins who uploaded and chose the scans to color. We stopped working with the team a month ago, so stuff like this will never happen again. We are deeply, tremendously sorry.&#8221;</p>
<p>In the meantime, MangaDex says it&#8217;s still in the process of migrating content, meaning that some older chapters may not be available on the new server. In any event, the forecast is for the site to be back to its previous form in the early part of this week.</p>
<p>Additionally, MangaDex says it also has issues in respect of funding the platform. The alarm bells don&#8217;t seem to be ringing too loudly at the moment but Zephyrus says that due to its reseller terminating support for handling site donations, other avenues are being explored. If all else fails, ads may appear on the site &#8220;as a last resort.&#8221;</p>
<p>The site is currently operating relatively smoothly via MangaDex.cc but the scanlation platform believes that it will return to MangaDex.org when the &#8220;transfer to our new provider completes.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181440
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 01/06/20
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-01-06-20
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/TDUHEA9t64w/
content:
<p><img src="media/a1597b1f.mal-1.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/mal-1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="268" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181442" />This week we have three newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 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 articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-on-bittorrent-12-30-19/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4777008/">Maleficent: Mistress of Evil</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4777008/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL1f8yNxGBk">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7286456/">Joker</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7286456/">8.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAGVQLHvwOY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4520988/">Frozen 2</a> (DVDScr)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4520988/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwzLiQZDw2I">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560220/">Zombieland Double Tap</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560220/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlW9yhUKlkQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7390646/">Black and Blue</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7390646/">5.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCfSeVCr7ng">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9354944/">Jexi</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9354944/">6.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txSOaY-je-o">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2935510/">Ad Astra</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2935510/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK6Syms-X3w">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7131622/">Once Upon a Time &#8230; in Hollywood</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7131622/">7.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeMaP8EPAA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620981/">The Addams Family</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620981/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Ug863S8dQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1950186/">Ford v Ferrari</a> (DVDScr)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1950186/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3h9Z89U9ZA">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="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181431
title: Movie Companies Sue YTS Users, Including One Who Hid Behind a VPN
uri: Movie-Companies-Sue-YTS-Users-Including-One-Who-Hid-Behind-a-VPN
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/GKuedHCW6J4/
content:
<p><img src="media/5f6a61f6.ytslt.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ytslt.png" alt="" width="223" height="81" class="alignright size-full wp-image-174026" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ytslt.png 223w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/ytslt-220x81.png 220w" sizes="(max-width: 223px) 100vw, 223px" />Last week we reported that the operator of YTS, one of the most visited torrent sites, resolved a piracy lawsuit that was filed against it by movie outfit Wicked Nevada.</p>
<p><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrent-site-yts-settles-piracy-lawsuit-with-movie-company-but-stays-online-200102/">In a consent judgment</a>, the YTS admin agreed to pay $150,000 in damages. In addition, he promised not to share torrents of the film &#8220;Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile.&#8221;</p>
<p>What is most unusual about the agreement is that the torrent site itself remains operational. This means that, aside from the hefty damages award, YTS can continue its business as usual. However, that doesn&#8217;t mean that its users can&#8217;t be targeted.</p>
<p>Soon after our coverage, we noticed that Wicked Nevada filed a new lawsuit together with several other movie companies including Dallas Buyers Club, Bodyguard Productions, and Rambo V Productions. This complaint is also related to YTS, but targets alleged users of the site over alleged copyright infringement.</p>
<p>The movie companies list a group of Doe defendants and a Hawaiian man named Harry Beasor. According to the complaint, all defendants registered an account with the YTS website using their email address. In addition, their IP-addresses were linked to pirating films of the movie companies that filed the suit. </p>
<p>While lawsuits against alleged BitTorrent pirates are not new, this complaint stands out and raises quite a few concerns. </p>
<p>Apparently, the movie companies know the email addresses for some registered YTS users. Not only that, but they also know which torrents were downloaded from the site using the accounts and what IP-addresses were used, as the complaint makes clear.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendant Harry Beasor used the YTS website to download torrent files associated with Plaintiffs’ Works from Internet Protocol (&#8216;IP&#8217;) address 91.207.175.82 associated with his VPN service,&#8221; it reads, specifically mentioning the movies London Has Fallen, Mechanic: Resurrection, and I Feel Pretty.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendant Harry Beasor used the IP address of the VPN service because he knew that he was copying the Works without a valid license and therefore in violation of Plaintiffs’ exclusive rights,&#8221; the complaint adds. </p>
<p>The movie companies point out that YTS openly advertises the use of a VPN. According to the torrent site, it&#8217;s a good option for users to protect themselves from expensive lawsuits. </p>
<p><center><img src="media/13c3c5e1.tysvpn.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tysvpn.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="250" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181436" /></center></p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to the attorney of the filmmakers, Kerry Culpepper, to find out how this private user information was obtained from the site. He informed us that, at this moment, he cannot comment on the matter in public. </p>
<p>This leaves us with little more than speculation. A likely scenario is that the YTS operator gave up the user information as part of the negotiations. This would not be unprecedented, as the developer of the app CotoMovies <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/piracy-app-cotomovies-shuts-down-apologizes-and-exposes-users-190911/">shared similar information</a> with the film companies in the past.</p>
<p>We contacted YTS for a comment on this possibility, but at the time of writing, we have yet to hear back. </p>
<p>What is clear is that the movie companies linked emails that were used to register with YTS to actual IP-addresses. All the Doe defendants are users of the ISP Spectrum, who the copyright holders hope to expose through a subpoena. Mr. Beasor used a VPN, which appears to have been Private Internet Access, but the rightsholders already have his name and no additional subpoena is requested.</p>
<p>The complaint doesn&#8217;t make it clear how the movie companies tracked down the name of Mr. Beasor. The most likely scenario is that the email address gave this away, but we were unable to confirm this independently. </p>
<p>While clear details are not available, the lawsuit shows that using a VPN is not very helpful if there are other leads that point to one&#8217;s identity. If someone uses an easily identifiable email which can be linked to a VPN address that was used with the same account, even the best VPN doesn&#8217;t protect one&#8217;s privacy. </p>
<p>That said, the movie companies&#8217; case is certainly no shoo-in. People who register an account with YTS don&#8217;t have to confirm their email address, so anyone can sign up with a random address, including those of other people. </p>
<p>In addition, most VPN IP-addresses are used by dozens or hundreds of people at once, so it&#8217;s impossible to prove without a doubt that one person shared a single file at any given point in time. Especially since many VPN providers don&#8217;t keep logs that could help to identify a single user. </p>
<p>That said, the fact that the movie companies are going after YTS users, claiming to have access to details that are only supposed to be available in the torrent site&#8217;s user database, is quite worrying, to say the least.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A full copy of the complaint, filed by Fallen Productions, Inc., Criminal Productions, LHF Productions, Millennium Funding, Bodyguard Productions, Hunter Killer Productions, HB Productions, Rambo V Productions, TBV Productions, Colossal Movie Productions, Venice PI, Colossal Movie Productions, Headhunter, Dallas Buyers Club, Definition Delaware, and Wicked Nevada, obtained by TorrentFreak, is <a href="media/68c2be39.vpnsuit.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/vpnsuit.pdf">available here (pdf)</a></em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181460
title: The Pirate Bay’s Seeded ‘Archive’ Grows to 2.5 Petabytes
uri: The-Pirate-Bay-s-Seeded-Archive-Grows-to-2-5-Petabytes
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/cwLIJbGSj8c/
content:
<p><img src="media/52d18fa1.tpblogobig.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tpblogobig.jpg" alt="" width="280" height="294" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181462" />This year, The Pirate Bay will celebrate its 17th anniversary.</p>
<p>That’s quite an achievement for any website but particularly for a pirate site when considering the mounting legal pressures.</p>
<p>Over the years The Pirate Bay has certainly weathered a few storms. There were raids, technical problems, and hosting complications, but the site has always returned. This year it even regained its position as <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2020-200105/">the most popular torrent site of all</a>, after a year of absence from the top spot.</p>
<p>While the infamous torrent site often makes the news, surprisingly little is known about what happens behind the scenes. The site&#8217;s operator, who goes by the nickname &#8220;Winston,&#8221; rarely comments in public. At the start of the new year, however, he made an exception. </p>
<p>For the first time ever, TPB&#8217;s operator has publicly shared statistics on how much data are &#8216;uploaded&#8217; through the site. These files, including movies, software, and music, don&#8217;t actually hit its servers. They can be shared through the torrent and magnet links on the site though.</p>
<p>TPB&#8217;s operator reveals that, in 2019, the uploaded torrents linked to a massive 776 terabytes of data. More than half of these (405 terabytes) are still actively shared or seeded, as it&#8217;s called in BitTorrent terminology.  </p>
<p>This is a lot of data, but it&#8217;s only a subsection of everything that&#8217;s available via The Pirate Bay. In total, more than 6,720 terabytes, or 6.7 petabytes have been &#8216;uploaded&#8217; to the site. Of this data, over 2.5 petabytes are still being seeded.</p>
<p>The chart below shows how this uploaded data evolved over time. Older content is obviously seeded by fewer people, but that&#8217;s not the only thing that stands out. Most visible is the continued increase in uploads between 2004 and 2014, and the significant drop after that. </p>
<p><center><img src="media/f93add0a.tpbdata5.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tpbdata5.jpg" alt="" width="630" height="384" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181472" /></center></p>
<p>This drop can be explained by The Pirate Bay&#8217;s prolonged downtime around the end of 2014 and the start of 2015. Following a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/swedish-police-raid-the-pirate-bay-site-offline-141209/">raid by the Swedish police</a>, the torrent site remained offline for roughly two months, which substantially hurt the upload numbers.</p>
<p>After the downtime, the &#8216;uploaded&#8217; data was roughly cut in half. This coincided with a drop in visitor numbers. Even today the site hasn&#8217;t fully recovered to the pre-raid numbers, but volumes are increasing year by year.</p>
<p>An archive of more than six petabytes is certainly impressive. According to TPB&#8217;s own calculations, it would cost $168,000 to put it all on Amazon&#8217;s cheapest 14TB hard drives. It&#8217;s certainly not impossible, as the Internet Archive hosts 48 petabytes, but it&#8217;s costly. </p>
<p>The Pirate Bay doesn&#8217;t have to store much though. All the torrent files combined make up a few gigabytes at most, as the full files are stored and shared by users. While this is cost-effective, it does come at a price. </p>
<p>Since more than half of TPB&#8217;s archive is no longer seeded, more than four petabytes of data are not available for download. This may change if people seed again, but the general trend is that availability goes down as time passes.</p>
<p>In order to keep decentralized distribution working, people have to share. TPB&#8217;s Winston <a href="https://thepiratebay.org/blog/243">notes</a> that the ability to share not just files but also costs and resources is BitTorrent&#8217;s main advantage.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is where bittorent shines, as long as we all keep seeding, especially the rarer and older stuff, one or a few don&#8217;t have to take all the cost,&#8221; Winston says. </p>
<p>&#8220;We all contribute a few cents or dollars per month, on internet connections we already have, and unused storage on our computers, and everyone worldwide can continue to enjoy the torrents for years and decades to come,&#8221; he adds, while wishing the site&#8217;s users a happy new year.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181468
title: Cloudflare Sued For Failing to Terminate 99 ‘Repeat Copyright Infringing’ Sites
uri: Cloudflare-Sued-For-Failing-to-Terminate-99-Repeat-Copyright-Infrin
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/awAzdz1q8ns/
content:
<p><a href="media/c84f558d.cloudflarelogo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/cloudflarelogo.png"><img src="media/c84f558d.cloudflarelogo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/cloudflarelogo.png" alt="" width="260" height="135" class="alignright size-full wp-image-137767" /></a>When copyright holders feel they have exhausted all options to have websites stop their allegedly-infringing activities, there is a growing trend to move further up the chain.</p>
<p>Sites now regularly have copyright complaints filed against their hosting companies and domain registries, for example, demanding that they take action to prevent contentious behavior. Since millions of websites now use Cloudflare&#8217;s services, that makes the CDN provider a prime candidate for pressure. A new case filed yesterday in a Tennessee district court provides yet another example.</p>
<p>American Clothing Express Inc., which does business as Allure Bridals and Justin Alexander, designs and manufactures wedding dresses. As part of the companies&#8217; sales and marketing efforts, they claim to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars per year on photoshoots featuring models wearing their creations.</p>
<p>According to the companies, however, the resulting photographic images are also being deployed by unauthorized overseas websites (sample below) in an effort to drive customers to unaffiliated bridal stores in local markets selling &#8220;cheap imitation&#8221; dresses.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/6a629220.davidsdress.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/davidsdress.png"><img src="media/6a629220.davidsdress.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/davidsdress.png" alt="" width="650" height="523" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181489" /></a></center></p>
<p>The plaintiffs state that they lack a meaningful remedy against such sites, noting that the majority are hosted on servers in China, other locations in South East Asia, or on offshore servers that advertise their non-compliance with United States&#8217; copyright laws. </p>
<p>&#8220;Complaints sent by Plaintiffs, or their agents, to the Infringing Website Defendants, or to the entities hosting them in these far-away jurisdictions, largely fall on deaf ears. Domestic judgments obtained against the Infringing Website Defendants are often unenforceable against them in their home jurisdictions,&#8221; the complaint reads.</p>
<p>The filing lists 99 websites (represented by Does 1-200) falling into these categories that all have something in common &#8211; they are or have been customers of US-based Cloudflare. As a result, the plaintiffs have resorted to filing infringement notices with the CDN company, hoping it will take action to restrict the availability of the infringing images.</p>
<p>Indeed, over the past three years the companies claim that they sent several thousand infringement notifications to Cloudflare which included the URLs of pages on the allegedly infringing sites where unlicensed images were being used. The complaint acknowledges that Cloudflare forwarded the complaints to its customers and their hosts but due to the nature of the clients, the hosting providers mostly ignored the takedown demands.</p>
<p>The complaint targets the operators of the 99 sample sites with claims of direct copyright infringement but additionally, due to Cloudflare&#8217;s involvement, the CDN company itself is accused of contributory copyright infringement.</p>
<p>&#8220;CloudFlare had actual knowledge of the specific infringing activity at issue here because anti-counterfeiting vendors retained by Plaintiffs delivered more than seven thousand notifications to CloudFlare of the ongoing infringement being prosecuted herein over the course of three years,&#8221; the complaint reads.</p>
<p>In common with a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/repeat-copyright-infringer-case-against-cloudflare-can-continue-court-rules-190716/">similar on-going case</a> in California involving another bridal company, the plaintiffs in this matter also state that Cloudflare should have taken more permanent action when they realized that complaints were being made against the same customers time and again, as illustrated by the sample in the image below.</p>
<p><Center><a href="media/6533cdb6.bridal-dmca-cloudflare.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/bridal-dmca-cloudflare.png"><img src="media/6533cdb6.bridal-dmca-cloudflare.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/bridal-dmca-cloudflare.png" alt="" width="650" height="569" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181494" /></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;CloudFlare could have stopped this infringement being perpetrated through its CDN by simply terminating the accounts of repeat infringers,&#8221; the complaint continues.</p>
<p>&#8220;CloudFlare has never terminated a repeat infringer in response to notifications sent by Plaintiffs or other bridal manufacturers. Consequently, an exceedingly disproportionate amount of websites infringing Plaintiffs’ copyrights are optimized by CloudFlare, as opposed to other providers of CDNs, due to CloudFlare’s well-known policy of refusing to terminate repeat infringers.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the plaintiffs don&#8217;t mention Cloudflare&#8217;s competitors by name, the complaint alleges that in response to similar copyright infringement notices, other CDN providers told their clients that if the images weren&#8217;t removed, their entire website accounts would be terminated.</p>
<p>The term &#8216;repeat infringer&#8217; is becoming increasingly common in United States copyright infringement cases.</p>
<p>In December 2019, Cox Communications was hit with a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-hit-with-1-billion-damages-verdict-191220/">$1 billion copyright infringement verdict</a> after a Virginia federal jury determined that the ISP didn&#8217;t do enough to stop repeat infringers. Cox was found to be contributorily and vicariously liable for the alleged pirating activities of its subscribers on more than 10,000 copyrighted works.</p>
<p>For comparison, Allure Bridals and Justin Alexander state that Cloudflare is liable for contributory copyright infringement relating to more than 5,000 infringing images published on 99 different websites. Overall, Cloudflare serves many thousands of pirate sites, making the outcome of this and similar cases of particular interest.</p>
<p>In respect of the &#8220;willful and intentional&#8221; direct infringement claims against the 99 websites themselves, Allure Bridals and Justin Alexander request actual or statutory damages, injunctive relief to prevent the ongoing infringements, and the destruction of all copies of copyright works made in violation of the bridal companies&#8217; rights.</p>
<p>The contributory copyright infringement claim against Cloudflare asserts that the CDN company assisted the direct infringers by storing copies of the infringing images on servers in the United States, improving the performance of the infringing websites, while concealing their true locations.</p>
<p>As a result, Cloudflare&#8217;s behavior is also described as &#8220;willful and intentional&#8221;, with the plaintiffs demanding a similar injunction in addition to actual or statutory damages.</p>
<p><em>The complaint can be obtained here (<a href="media/b5cce1ad.20-cv-02007-Allure-Bridals-Justin-Alexander-complaint-200601.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/2-20-cv-02007-Allure-Bridals-Justin-Alexander-complaint-200601.pdf">pdf</a>)</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181397
title: Facebook Sees Copyright Abuse as One of the Platform’s Main Challenges
uri: Facebook-Sees-Copyright-Abuse-as-One-of-the-Platform-s-Main-Challeng
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/y6mmvS2oU7c/
content:
<p><img src="media/b11f3383.facethumb-e1567519375759.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/facethumb-e1567519375759.png" alt="" width="250" height="202" class="alignright size-full wp-image-176769" />When it comes to targeting infringement, Facebook has rolled out a few anti-piracy initiatives over recent years. </p>
<p>In addition to processing regular takedown requests, the company has a “<a href="https://rightsmanager.fb.com/">Rights Manager</a>” tool that detects infringing material automatically and allows owners to take down or monetize the content.</p>
<p>In a recent meeting organized by the European Commission, Facebook explained in detail how this automated system works. The meeting was organized to create a dialogue between various parties about possible solutions for the implementation of Article 17.</p>
<p>In Facebook&#8217;s presentation Dave Axelgard, product Manager for Rights Manager, explained how automated matching of copyrighted content takes place on the social media network. He also detailed what actions rightsholders can take in response, and how users can protest misuse and abuse of the system.</p>
<p>The EU meeting was attended by a wide range of parties. In addition to copyright holders, it also included various people representing digital rights organizations. Facebook made it clear that it keeps the interests of all sides in mind. It specifically highlighted, however, that abuse of Rights Manager is a serious concern. </p>
<p>&#8220;We spend much of our time building systems to avoid blocking legitimate content,&#8221; Axelgard mentioned during his presentation.</p>
<p>&#8220;The way that inappropriate blocks occur is when rightsholders gain access to Rights Manager despite our application process, who attempt to upload content to the tool that they do not own.&#8221;</p>
<p>Another form of overblocking that takes place is when copyright holders upload content that they don&#8217;t own. This can happen by mistake when a compilation video is added, which also includes content that&#8217;s not theirs.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/20530c7b.prio.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/prio.jpg" alt="" width="525" height="291" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181530" /></center></p>
<p>Facebook works hard to catch and prevent these types of misuse and abuse, to ensure that its automated detection system doesn&#8217;t remove legitimate content. This is also something to keep in mind for the implementation of possible &#8216;upload filters&#8217; with the introduction of Article 17.</p>
<p>&#8220;Misuse is a significant issue and after operating Rights Manager for a number of years, we can tell you it is one of the most sensitive things that need to be accounted for in a proportionate system,&#8221; Axelgard says.</p>
<p>Facebook tries to limit abuse through a variety of measures. The company limits access to its Rights Manager tool to a select group of verified copyright holders. In addition, it always requires playable reference files, so all claims can be properly vetted. </p>
<p>The social media network also limits the availability of certain automated actions, such as removal or blocking, to a subset of Rights Manager users. This is in part because some smaller rightsholders may not fully understand copyright, which can lead to errors. </p>
<p>Finally, Facebook points out that misuse of its Rights Manager tool constitutes a breach of its Terms of Service. This allows the company to terminate rightsholders that repeatedly make mistakes.</p>
<p>&#8220;If we find that Rights Manager is being misused, then under our Rights Manager terms we have the ability to terminate someone&#8217;s access to the tool. We really do want to stress how important it is that platforms have the ability to adjust access and functionality related to these powerful technologies to avoid misuse,&#8221; Axelgard notes.</p>
<p>The strong focus on misuse was welcomed by digital rights groups, <a href="https://www.communia-association.org/">including Communia</a>. However, it also raised some eyebrows among rightsholders. </p>
<p>Mathieu Moreuil of the English Premier League, who represented the Sports Rights Owner Coalition, asked Facebook whether the abuse of Rights Manager really is the company&#8217;s main challenge.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s definitely one of our main challenges,&#8221; Axelgard confirmed, while noting that Facebook also keeps the interests of rightsholders in mind.</p>
<p>Overall, Facebook carefully explained the pros and cons of its system. Whether it is an ideal tool to implement Article 17 in EU countries is another question. In its current form Rights Manager isn&#8217;t, as it doesn&#8217;t allow all copyright holders to join in. </p>
<p>Also, Rights Manager works with audio and video, but not with digital images, which is another major restriction. </p>
<p>On the other hand, there are pitfalls from a consumer perspective as well. Automated systems may be very good at detecting copyrighted content, but Facebook confirmed that they currently can&#8217;t make a determination in respect of copyright exemptions such as parody and fair use. </p>
<p>&#8220;Our matching system is not able to take context into account. It&#8217;s just seeking to identify whether or not two pieces of content matched to one another,&#8221; Axelgard said, responding to a question from Communia&#8217;s Paul Keller.</p>
<p>This shortcoming of automated filters was also confirmed by Audible Magic, the popular music matching service that&#8217;s used by dozens of large companies to detect copyright infringements.</p>
<p>&#8220;Copyright exceptions require a high degree of intellectual judgment and an understanding and appreciation of context. We do not represent that any technology can solve this problem in an automated fashion. Ultimately these types of determinations must be handled by human judgment,&#8221; Audible Magic CEO Vance Ikezoye said.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.communia-association.org/">noted</a> by Communia, the most recent stakeholder meeting once again showed that automated content recognition systems are extremely powerful and very limited at the same time. </p>
<p>If any of these technologies become the basis of implementing Europe&#8217;s Article 17 requirements, these shortcomings should be kept in mind. Or as Facebook said, a lot of time and effort should go into preventing legitimate content being blocked.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A video of the full stakeholder meeting is available <a href="https://webcast.ec.europa.eu/copyright-stakeholder-dialogues-16-12">on the European Commission&#8217;s website</a>. A copy of Facebook&#8217;s slides is available <a href="media/729c459c.Facebook.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Facebook.pdf">here (pdf)</a>.</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181483
title: Manga Publisher Takeshobo Sues Cloudflare For Copyright Infringement
uri: Manga-Publisher-Takeshobo-Sues-Cloudflare-For-Copyright-Infringement
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ud6KnfeWuJU/
content:
<p><a href="media/c84f558d.cloudflarelogo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/cloudflarelogo.png"><img src="media/c84f558d.cloudflarelogo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/cloudflarelogo.png" alt="" width="260" height="135" class="alignright size-full wp-image-137767" /></a>Founded in 1972, Takeshobo is major publisher based in Japan. The company distributes dozens of manga publications on monthly schedules, many under the Bamboo Comics label.</p>
<p>On Tuesday the company revealed that it had taken legal action to protect its titles being made available online by pirate sites. However, in common with an increasing number of companies in multiple spaces, its lawyers are going after Cloudflare.</p>
<p>Takeshobo revealed that on December 20, 2019, it filed a civil action against the CDN company at the Tokyo District Court.</p>
<p>&#8220;The nature of the complaint is that Cloudflare, Inc. provides a server to an illegal site where many copyrighted works, including those published by us, are illegally uploaded and made available for free,&#8221; a statement from Takeshobo reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;We asked directly to remove the uploaded copyrighted material from the company&#8217;s server, but because no action was taken, we requested the court to remove the copyright infringing page and pay damages.&#8221;</p>
<p>Since no court documents have yet been made available to the public and the publisher refers only to &#8220;an illegal site&#8221;, there&#8217;s no absolute confirmation of which &#8216;pirate&#8217; site Takeshobo is referencing. The company does state, however, that &#8220;an order based on copyright infringement has been issued at a District Court in the United States.&#8221;</p>
<p>Another possible pointer can be found in Takeshobo&#8217;s statement, which further indicates that the legal case against Cloudflare in Japan was filed in collaboration with Mr. Hanamura, one of the authors of the &#8216;Dorukara&#8217; comic distributed by the company.</p>
<p>With this information in hand, TorrentFreak was able to trace court documents filed in the United States during July 2019, which reveal Takeshobo asking Cloudflare to take action against various &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites using its services, including those making the &#8216;Dorukara&#8217; publication available to the public.</p>
<p>&#8220;Takeshobo Inc. is seeking a subpoena pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 512(h) to obtain information sufficient to identify the persons infringing its copyrighted works,&#8221; an application for a DMCA subpoena filed at a district court in California reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;The purpose for which this subpoena is sought is to obtain the identity of the alleged infringers. Such information will only be used for the purpose of protecting rights<br />
under the Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 101, et seq.).&#8221;</p>
<p>Domains belonging to several &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites are listed in the subpoena against Cloudflare &#8211; Hoshinoromi.org, Worldjobproject.org, Hanascan.com, Mangahato.com, and Manatiki.com.</p>
<p><Center><a href="media/583ed8f5.dmca-subpoena-takeshobo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dmca-subpoena-takeshobo.png"><img src="media/583ed8f5.dmca-subpoena-takeshobo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dmca-subpoena-takeshobo.png" alt="" width="650" height="360" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181533" /></a></center></p>
<p>Readers will recall that Hoshinoromi.org was presented by some as a &#8216;successor&#8217; to the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mangamura-uploader-pleads-guilty-another-denies-charges-190909/">previously shuttered</a> Mangamura platform, which at the time was considered one of the largest infringers of manga publishers&#8217; copyrights.</p>
<p>However, after being <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/manga-publishers-sue-pirate-site-hoshinoromi-in-new-york-court/">sued last September</a> at a federal court in New York by publishers Shueisha, Kadowaka, Kodansha, and Shogakukan, Hoshinoromi.org and the related<br />
Worldjobproject.org shut down.</p>
<p>That leaves Hanascan.com, Mangahato.com, and Manatiki.com, all of which are operating today. Manatiki is clearly the smallest player, pulling in around 327,000 visits per month according to SimilarWeb stats. Hanascan is considerably larger with around 3.2 million visits per month but Mangahato is in a clear lead with around 3.5 million.</p>
<p>An image presented as part of the DMCA subpoena application last year shows all three domains allegedly carrying &#8216;Dolkara&#8217; content, which according to <a href="https://myanimelist.net/manga/111087/Doll-Kara">MyAnimeList</a> is an alternative title for &#8216;Dorukara&#8217;.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/6f3ccbf4.dolkara-URLS.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dolkara-URLS.png"><img src="media/6f3ccbf4.dolkara-URLS.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dolkara-URLS.png" alt="" width="650" height="414" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181532" /></a></center></p>
<p>Another curiosity can be found in the URLs highlighted above. Domain names aside, the URLs listed for all three sites are identical in construction and present content in more or less the same format.</p>
<p>We can also confirm that all of the content remains in place, via Cloudflare&#8217;s services, despite demands in Takeshobo&#8217;s DMCA subpoena to &#8220;remove or disable&#8221; the allegedly infringing works from the listed domains. </p>
<p>Whether Takeshobo is targeting one, all, or indeed none of these domains remains a question but it is crystal clear that Cloudflare did not remove or disable access to any of the above content as the earlier DMCA subpoena demanded.</p>
<p>Whether that dispute is also part of the lawsuit now underway in Tokyo against Cloudflare is still unconfirmed but the pieces seem to point in that direction.</p>
<p><em>The documents supporting the application for a DMCA subpoena, which was signed off by the court last year, are available <a href="media/dea0e248.takeshobo-dmca-subpoena-190715.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/takeshobo-dmca-subpoena-190715.pdf">here</a> and <a href="media/2edb4de3.takeshobo-dmca-subpoena-2-190715.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/takeshobo-dmca-subpoena-2-190715.pdf">here</a> (pdf)</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181525
title: Canadian Pirate Site Blockade Expands With New Domains
uri: Canadian-Pirate-Site-Blockade-Expands-With-New-Domains
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/VI1evE0snFc/
content:
<p><img src="media/a2cf27d4.canada.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/canada.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="165" class="alignright size-full wp-image-60888" />Last November Canada’s Federal Court approved the first <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/federal-court-approves-first-pirate-site-blockade-in-canada-191118/">piracy blockade</a> in the country.</p>
<p>Following a complaint from major media companies Rogers, Bell and TVA, the Court ordered several major ISPs to block access to domains and IP-addresses of the pirate IPTV service GoldTV.</p>
<p>A few days after the order was issued the first blockades were active. These prevented GoldTV customers from accessing the IPTV portal directly, as intended, but it didn&#8217;t take long before several <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/iptv-service-easily-circumvents-first-canadian-piracy-blockade-191205/">alternative domains</a> popped up.</p>
<p>These new domains are managed by GoldTV or its resellers and point to the access portal, allowing subscribers an unblocked route to access the IPTV service. </p>
<p>This wasn&#8217;t entirely unexpected. While IPTV blockades are relatively rare, we have seen similar &#8216;proxy&#8217; workarounds in the past when traditional pirate sites were blocked in other counties. Having learned from this experience, the Canadian court order specifically allowed Bell and the other companies to expand the blocklist. </p>
<p>Specifically, they can amend the original blocklist with any &#8220;domain, subdomain or IP address that has as its sole or predominant purpose to enable or facilitate access to the Target Websites,&#8221; provided that the IP-address is &#8220;not associated with any other active domain.&#8221;</p>
<p>Such an update was requested early last month and two weeks later the Canadian Federal Court approved it. An overview of the new blocking requirements was published this week by Andy Kaplan-Myrth, TekSavvy’s vice-president of regulatory affairs.</p>
<p>This shows that, after some IP-addresses and a domain name were previously removed, several new ones were added with the latest order.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/51d654be.goldtvupdate.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/goldtvupdate.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="682" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181553" /></center></p>
<p>The newly added addresses include gold.myiptvplanet.com, live4k.online, and several pctvhd.net and beex.me subdomains. When we checked these, all indeed redirected to the GoldTV access portal. According to reports we received, the new domains have been added to the blocklist of several Canadian ISPs, as expected.</p>
<p>Avvidavids reveal that the new domains were tracked down by posing as a customer or reseller of the GoldTV service.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the rightsholders asked to keep the names of the new domains secret until the order was granted. The Wire Report <a href="https://thewirereport.ca/2020/01/08/court-docs-detail-expansion-of-canadian-website-blocking-order/">notes</a> that they sent a <a href="media/ae012a15.Letter-Dec-4-2019.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Letter-Dec-4-2019.pdf">letter (pdf)</a> to the ISP asking them to &#8220;refrain from publicizing&#8221; the new domains until the Court made a decision. </p>
<p>Keeping possible updates out of the public eye is in the interest of the copyright holders, as it prevents GoldTV from anticipating new blocks. However, it raises concerns among some legal experts who believe that information in a public case should be out in the open. If not, that should be up to a court to decide. </p>
<p>That said, the Canadian procedure is much more transparent than in other countries such as the UK, where new blocklist updates aren&#8217;t published at all, making it impossible for the public to check for potential overblocking.</p>
<p>While the expanded blocks are certainly frustrating for GoldTV customers, there will likely be new domains to replace them, continuing the whack-a-mole. The downside for the copyright holders is that there&#8217;s a significant delay in the process. </p>
<p>Bell and the others first have to file for an amended order, which then has to be approved by the court. After that, it can take up to two weeks before ISPs implement the blockade.  This whole process can take more than a month. In this timeframe, new domain names may have already been put into use.</p>
<p>While website blocks are far from perfect, the continued frustration of switching to new domains may be enough for some pirates to throw in the towel. Or they may switch to more permanent circumvention alternatives, such as VPNs. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the bigger blocking battle continues as well. Internet provider TekSavvy has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/teksavvy-appeals-first-canadian-pirate-site-blockade-191126/">appealed the blocking order</a> and hopes to have it overturned. It clearly violates network neutrality and undermines the open Internet, the ISP previously said.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181571
title: PrimeStreams IPTV Redirecting to ACE But its Not an Anti-Piracy Seizure
uri: PrimeStreams-IPTV-Redirecting-to-ACE-But-its-Not-an-Anti-Piracy-Seizur
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/GZ-U2qNPW0w/
content:
<p><a href="media/a299d9ae.hackerhacked.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/hackerhacked.jpg"><img src="media/a299d9ae.hackerhacked.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/hackerhacked.jpg" alt="" width="278" height="189" class="alignright size-full wp-image-168637" /></a>For the past several weeks, some &#8216;pirate&#8217; IPTV services have been subjected to &#8216;hacks&#8217; carried out by as-yet unidentified people.</p>
<p>In early December, Helix Hosting became the first <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/helix-iptv-hackers-threaten-to-expose-resellers-customers-191210/">reported case</a>. Its homepage was defaced with a message explaining that the service had been asked to pay a ransom or face having its customer database leaked online.</p>
<p>Just a few days later, PrimeStreams became the victim of similar blackmail efforts. Its operator revealed that a weak password had been exploited and that 10 bitcoin was being demanded in order to prevent the service&#8217;s confidential data from <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/after-helix-hosting-primestreams-iptv-suffers-hack-70k-extortion-attempt-191217/">being exposed to the world</a>.</p>
<p>Unconfirmed reports indicated that other services were also targeted in December, which may or may not have settled in the face of similar threats. However, PrimeStreams&#8217; situation appears to be ongoing as a quick visit to what used to be its main servicing domain (PrimeStreams.store) reveals a rather ominous message.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/d3c834ea.openloadace.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/openloadace.png" width="600" height="385" class="aligncenter size-full" /></center></p>
<p>This countdown-timer message usually indicates that a domain has been taken over by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, the global anti-piracy coalition headed up by the MPA. It is currently displayed on dozens of file-sharing and IPTV platforms, commonly after they have reached some kind of settlement with the world&#8217;s largest entertainment groups. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vader-streams-was-shut-down-by-ace-must-pay-10m-damages-190821/">Vaders</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/openload-and-others-taken-down-by-anti-piracy-alliance-ace-191031/">Openload</a> are two of the most obvious examples.</p>
<p>Of course, seeing that message will probably be enough to send many customers running for the hills but the truth is relatively easy to uncover. This isn&#8217;t a domain seizure carried out by ACE but most probably the work of a malicious actor, as a dive into the domain&#8217;s details reveal.</p>
<p><Center><a href="media/fc1d5060.primestreams-store.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/primestreams-store.png"><img src="media/fc1d5060.primestreams-store.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/primestreams-store.png" alt="" width="650" height="424" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181575" /></a></center></p>
<p>As the image above shows, at the time of writing the PrimeStreams domain is using the services of Njalla, the domain registration and hosting service closely associated with Pirate Bay co-founder Peter Sunde. That doesn&#8217;t mean that Njalla has anything to do with the issue, of course, but it does indicate in a particularly clear way that ACE isn&#8217;t the entity in control here.</p>
<p>When ACE does take control of a domain, Openload.co for example, there are many tell-tale signs that the seizure is legitimate, including the use of the MPA&#8217;s own nameservers, redirection to certain banks of servers in the United States, not to mention contact details that relate to bodies and individuals at the MPA. </p>
<p>If we rule out the highly unlikely possibility that the operator of PrimeStreams redirected his own domain to ACE&#8217;s anti-piracy servers, then we&#8217;re left with a situation that was most probably engineered by a malicious actor. Whether that was the same person who threatened the site in December is unknown but losing a domain to an unauthorized third-party is an extremely serious matter.</p>
<p>The double-edged sword here is the involvement of Njalla. While there&#8217;s a possibility that there might be an element of sympathy at the sight of an unlawful hack (not to mention that some of the team were previously involved in The Pirate Bay and Piratbyrån), Njalla is utterly militant when it comes to the privacy of its users so may not even be able to help. </p>
<p>That might have played a part in PrimeStreams&#8217; decision to dump this domain entirely and transfer to a <a href="https://www.primehosting.one/">new one</a>. The big question, however, was whether the service had any more big security headaches waiting to kick in. Sure enough, within hours of going live, incredibly that domain was &#8216;hacked&#8217; as well.</p>
<p>In the meantime, ACE gets <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/domain-seizures-give-ace-anti-piracy-portal-a-massive-traffic-boost-191230/">yet another traffic boost</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181604
title: Kingdom Come Dev Warhorse Studios Decorates Office With Framed Codex ‘Pirate’ NFO
uri: 2020-01-10-
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/GVgTsG-5DYo/
content:
<p><a href="media/9cf40aa9.kingdom-come-small.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kingdom-come-small.png"><img src="media/9cf40aa9.kingdom-come-small.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kingdom-come-small.png" alt="" width="260" height="136" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181614" /></a>For most game developers around the world, piracy is no laughing matter. Particularly on PC, games are pirated in their millions, diverting large revenues away from creators thus damaging the market, many believe.</p>
<p>But for <a href="https://warhorsestudios.cz/">Warhorse Studios</a>, the developer behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance, having a laugh at piracy isn&#8217;t off-limits. The fun began early January 2020 when Daniel Vávra, a Czech video game designer and director who co-founded Warhorse Studios, took to Twitter to reveal a revamp of the company&#8217;s headquarters in Prague.</p>
<p>&#8220;So after a year, we finally decorated walls of our office. And since I hate looking at &#8216;work&#8217; when going to toilets, I chose some old school classics,&#8221; Vávra <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielVavra/status/1213164428646109191">wrote</a>. &#8220;But since it&#8217;s impossible to get those covers in hi-res I had to upscale them with AI software and the results are unbelievable!&#8221;</p>
<p><center><a href="media/8dfead15.artwork-1.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/artwork-1.png"><img src="media/8dfead15.artwork-1.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/artwork-1.png" alt="" width="650" height="370" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181617" /></a></center></p>
<p>The results of these efforts are indeed impressive but the best was yet to come. A special presentation, taking pride of place in what looks like a luxurious kitchen area at the developer&#8217;s offices, was this week posted to Twitter.</p>
<p>&#8220;Among posters with some classic old school games, we put this poster on a very special spot,&#8221; Vávra <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielVavra/status/1214700886905241600">revealed</a> along with a &#8216;crying/laughing&#8217; emoji.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/6ccd8712.kingdom-come-deliverance-framed-e1578646993424.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kingdom-come-deliverance-framed-e1578646993424.jpg" width="650" height="488" class="aligncenter size-full" /></center></p>
<p>For those unfamiliar with this image, it&#8217;s an exact replica of the NFO file (information file) created by the infamous cracking group &#8216;Codex&#8217; after the group cracked the minimal protection on Kingdom Come: Deliverance and placed a pirated version on the Internet.</p>
<p>Of course, this shows that Warhorse has a wicked sense of humor but perhaps the developer has already had the last laugh.</p>
<p>The pirated PC version of the game <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackWatch/comments/7x80s6/kingdomcomedeliverancecodex/">appeared online</a> within hours of the official Steam release on February 13, 2018 but shortly after an official copy was put on sale completely <a href="https://www.gog.com/game/kingdom_come_deliverance">DRM-free via GOG</a>. This suggests that spending lots of money on something like Denuvo wasn&#8217;t on the agenda and the developer wasn&#8217;t overly concerned about the effects of piracy on the title.</p>
<p>In the event, sales were excellent. According to an IGN <a href="https://uk.ign.com/articles/2018/02/15/kingdom-come-deliverance-has-sold-around-half-a-million-copies">report</a> published two days after launch, the game had already sold half a million copies including more than 300,000 on Steam, a feat that pushed it to the top of the best-sellers list. Within a week it had sold a million copies.</p>
<p>Then, on the first anniversary of the game&#8217;s release, two other interesting pieces of news landed at the same time.</p>
<p>The first was that despite day-and-date piracy, Kingdom Come: Deliverance had sold an impressive <a href="https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-02-13-thq-nordic-acquires-warhorse-studios-in-a-33-2m-cash-deal">two million copies</a>. The second was that Warhorse Studios had been acquired by THQ Nordic for €33.2 million after the Czech studio generated €42 million in revenue during 2018 alongside €28 million in pre-tax earnings.</p>
<p>Not bad at all when one considers that Kingdom Come: Deliverance was Warhorse&#8217;s first release after raising funding for the title via a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1294225970/kingdom-come-deliverance/posts/2001407">2014 Kickstarter campaign</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181513
title: ‘Academic’ Torrent Client Hopes to Shake up the Entertainment Industry
uri: Academic-Torrent-Client-Hopes-to-Shake-up-the-Entertainment-Indu
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/CNualnSsq2g/
content:
<p><img src="media/fa4d06dd.tribler-1.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tribler-1.jpg" alt="" width="236" height="150" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181516" />The <a href="https://www.tribler.org/">Tribler client</a> has been around for nearly 15 years. During that time it has developed into the only truly decentralized BitTorrent client out there.</p>
<p>Even if all torrent sites were shut down today, Tribler users would still be able to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tribler-makes-bittorrent-impossible-to-shut-down-120208/">find and add</a> new content. </p>
<p>The project is managed by dozens of academic researchers, which is a guarantee for continued development. In recent years alone, the Tribler team added a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-anonymous-and-impossible-to-shut-down-141218/">built-in Tor network</a> to the client, as well as <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/researchers-use-a-blockchain-to-boost-anonymous-torrent-sharing-180129/">a blockchain</a> that can function as an internal currency.</p>
<p>This week Delft University of Technology <a href="https://www.tudelft.nl/2020/tu-delft/eur33m-financiering-voor-invoeren-van-vertrouwen-in-de-interneteconomie/">announced</a> that its research group has secured an additional €3.3 million to continue building an ‘Internet-of-Trust.’ A large part of this new cash flow will be used to improve the Tribler client.</p>
<p>With financial backing secured for the years to come, project leader Professor Johan Pouwelse has set some big goals. With Tribler, he hopes to lay the groundwork for a new ecosystem that can replace the powerful multi-billion dollar companies that currently dominate the entertainment industries. </p>
<p>Pouwelse wants to put the artists back in control. They, and only they, should be in charge of monetizing and distributing content. </p>
<p>This idea isn&#8217;t new. Artists increasingly want to take back their rights. Taylor Swift, for example, spoke up when she learned that her former record label wanted to prevent her from performing her own songs. Meanwhile, Imogen Heap is trying to create a fairer music ecosystem powered by a blockchain.</p>
<p>Professor Pouwelse has followed these developments closely and believes that artists should ultimately be in control of their own work. This means cutting out the middlemen.</p>
<p>&#8220;Every artist should be self-published and self-promoted. Without profiteers, more artists will earn their living from their passion. Without profiteers, fans will get more content creation from their idols,&#8221; Pouwelse says.</p>
<p>&#8220;The music industry is driven by intermediaries that keep the biggest slice of the pie to themselves. Pioneers such as Imogen Heap are creating new business models where artists receive fair compensation for their creativity.&#8221;</p>
<p>The ideal to overthrow powerful entertainment industry companies sounds very much like The Pirate Bay&#8217;s message during the mid-2000s. However, while Tribler&#8217;s torrent client does list a lot of Pirate Bay content, its goal isn&#8217;t to advocate piracy. </p>
<p>On the contrary, decentralization may be a step towards limiting piracy, as content can become much cheaper when artists distribute it directly. Right now labels, but also YouTube, Apple, Twitch and many other platforms, take a big cut. According to Pouwelse, that&#8217;s a waste of money. </p>
<p>The professor sees a future where content storage and distribution are put back into the hands of individuals. It&#8217;s a world where people set their own rules instead of being dictated to by major companies, which also includes Google and Facebook, which often restrict what people can publish.  </p>
<p>While this all sounds very ambitious and promising, there is a major problem. In theory, it&#8217;s not hard for creators, or people in general, to store and publish everything themselves. The real problem is the exposure and adoption of decentralized alternatives. </p>
<p>Tribler does indeed have all the crucial elements for an artist to release an album and keep 100% of the profits. But when there are only a few thousand users on the platform, these profits are minimal. In fact, they would likely make more if they only made 5% through the regular &#8220;middlemen&#8221; channels. </p>
<p>This is a real dilemma. In order for decentralized alternatives to work, they need a substantial user base, one that can rival the existing options. Getting there at once will require a miracle of sorts. </p>
<p>Pouwelse understands the challenges but firmly believes that change is possible, especially when BitTorrent and the blockchain work in tandem.</p>
<p>&#8220;BitTorrent has not eliminated the golden profits that sit between the artist and your ears. BitTorrent and blockchain are perhaps the perfect mixture for change in the entertainment industry.</p>
<p>&#8220;Blockchain might be powerful enough to break the corporate stranglehold on the business and set artists free,&#8221; Pouwelse adds. </p>
<p>Whether this vision will eventually become a reality is uncertain. However, the Triber project does provide an excellent use case for what&#8217;s possible when it comes to decentralized publishing. In addition, it will also aid the development of other decentralized digital infrastructures.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181610
title: Replica Store Sells ‘Cheap’ Knock Off of €890 Pirate Bay Hoodie
uri: Replica-Store-Sells-Cheap-Knock-Off-of-890-Pirate-Bay-Hoodie
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/wXoa9OGtG4w/
content:
<p><img src="media/5de7c085.tpbhood.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tpbhood.jpg" alt="" width="211" height="228" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181657" />During the early years, The Pirate Bay promoted an &#8216;official&#8217; clothing store, which sold t-shirts and hoodies for reasonable prices. </p>
<p>This site has since disappeared, but it&#8217;s not hard to find Pirate Bay-themed clothing elsewhere. Dozens of vendors have copied the iconic logo to sell cheap merchandise to fans. </p>
<p>However, when the Switzerland-based fashion brand <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/red-hot-vetements-fashion-brand-is-selling-a-845-pirate-bay-hoodie/">Vetements joined in</a> with their own variant last year, they upped the ante. </p>
<p>Experts regard Vetements as one of the <a href="https://www.lyst.com/data/the-lyst-index/q319/">10 hottest</a> fashion brands at the moment, which means that it can only be afforded by the happy few. That&#8217;s also the case for their Pirate Bay clothing. </p>
<p>The company started by selling a fashionable hoodie for just under $900 and it currently has a whole range of Pirate Bay clothing, including a <a href="https://vetementswebsite.com/shop/pirate-tee/">€550 t-shirt</a> and <a href="https://vetementswebsite.com/shop/black-the-pirate-bay-shorts/">€540 shorts</a>. The top item, however, must be the comfortable <a href="https://vetementswebsite.com/shop/hacker-hoodie-dress/">hacker hoodie dress</a>, which currently goes for €980.</p>
<p>&#8220;Channelling the theme of a digital dystopia, the piece has a print of ‘The Pirate Bay’ — one of the biggest services for torrenting digital content,&#8221; Vetements explains, noting that it pairs well with some sneakers.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/fefa20c4.hackerdress.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/hackerdress.jpg" alt="" width="609" height="462" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181623" /></center></p>
<p>Vetements <a href="https://vetementswebsite.com/shop/black-overpriced-birthday-hoodie/">seem to understand</a> that their clothing is overpriced, but as long as it sells they have little to complain about. What they may not be happy with though, is that counterfeiters are using their Pirate Bay design to create cheap knock-offs. </p>
<p>Apparently, the Pirate Bay hoodie was hot enough to be ripped off, as people have been openly <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/FashionReps/comments/dll623/find_vetements_pirate_bay_hoodie_vetementsshop/">requesting</a> cheaper replicas online. This demand was filled by several &#8216;unauthorized&#8217; vendors including the well-known rep-store <a href="http://reondistrict.com/">Reon District</a>, which now sells a &#8216;pirated&#8217; Pirate Bay hoodie for a fraction of the price. </p>
<p>These &#8216;copyright-infringing&#8217; Pirate Bay hoodies come in different qualities and prices. The Reon one is still not cheap, selling at €130, but does it match up to the original quality? At TorrentFreak, we are in no position to review it, but luckily someone else took up the challenge.</p>
<p>Reddit user &#8216;plexor666&#8217; posted the findings in the FashionReps subreddit, a community of hundreds of thousands of knock-off enthusiasts. The detailed <a href="https://imgur.com/a/5Ur5o35#BdtaBrK">side-by-side comparison</a> shows that the copy is pretty decent, but not perfect. The wash tag, for example, has a plastic feel and the wrong font.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/fc5e0a2f.washt.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/washt.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="444" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181624" /></center></p>
<p>Whether these differences are worth €750 is up for debate. However, based on two reviews, including one from the Redditor above, it&#8217;s a pretty good copy. Only the &#8216;thick&#8217; cords may need a replacement.</p>
<p>&#8220;Reon&#8217;s hoodie is amazing, nobody will call it out. Only thing that really bothers me are the thick cords on the hood. Looks really shitty I will look for a replacement,&#8221; plexor666 <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/FashionReps/comments/emahqt/vetements_pirate_bay_rep_vs_retail_comparison/">writes</a>.</p>
<p>These open discussions are quite common in the subreddit, as opposed to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/reddits-r-piracy-deleting-almost-10-years-of-history-to-avoid-ban-190407/">/r/piracy which is under heavy pressure</a> from rightsholders. Counterfeiting is not new for Vetements either. That said, they might not appreciate their Pirate Bay gear being pirated.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s hard to see what&#8217;s next, but at this point, it wouldn&#8217;t surprise us if Vetements sued Reon over their &#8216;pirated&#8217; hoodie. Or perhaps it may be more fitting if they try to have the domain seized, or blocked by ISPs. True Pirate Bay style.</p>
<p>And perhaps The Pirate Bay can then take action against Vetements for copying its logo without permission?</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181607
title: ‘Copyright Troll’ Malibu Media Gets Sued By its Former Law Firm
uri: Copyright-Troll-Malibu-Media-Gets-Sued-By-its-Former-Law-Firm
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/L5VaFLvsLDM/
content:
<p><a href="media/bba34cbf.smallclaimsfinepenaltycourt.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/smallclaimsfinepenaltycourt.jpg"><img src="media/bba34cbf.smallclaimsfinepenaltycourt.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/smallclaimsfinepenaltycourt.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="176" class="alignright size-full wp-image-148048" /></a>Over the past several years, adult entertainment company Malibu Media has been one of the most <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/most-active-copyright-trolls-stopped-filing-u-s-piracy-lawsuits-for-now-191211/">active copyright litigants</a> in the United States. Targeting large numbers of alleged file-sharers, the company has received potentially huge sums in cash settlements.</p>
<p>But while the company usually makes the headlines for its file-sharing cases, a dispute with a former business partner is now shining a light behind the scenes. This week, Florida-based The Lomnitzer Law Firm sued California-based Malibu Media over their business dealings.</p>
<p>According to the lawsuit, in May 2017 Lomnitzer and Malibu entered into an agreement for the former to provide legal services to the latter.</p>
<p>While the precise details are to be submitted under seal, the outline is that Lomnitzer would coordinate Malibu&#8217;s litigation against pirates across the United States, receive settlements and pay them into a trust account, pay court filing fees, pay process server fees and investigators, and pay expenses related to the deposition of Malibu.</p>
<p>The law firm claims that it issued invoices to Malibu on a regular basis, using money in the trust account to pay some while dispensing settlement funds back to Malibu. However, the lawsuit claims that a date currently unknown, Malibu &#8220;began a program of circumventing the agreement.&#8221; </p>
<p>According to the complaint, this came in the form of instructing attorneys in other jurisdictions, that were previously instructed by Lomnitzer, to &#8220;bypass&#8221; the law firm. This involved sending settlement money directly to Malibu rather than Lomnitzer, &#8220;while still expecting the Firm to pay court filing fees, process server fees, etc., all incurred for and on behalf of and for the benefit of Malibu.&#8221;</p>
<p>Faced with these circumstances, on August 30, 2019, Lomnitzer terminated its representation of Malibu. Since then it claims to have received invoices from third-parties incurred as a result of its representation of Malibu while its own invoices to Malibu itself (totaling more than $262,500) remain unpaid.</p>
<p><Center><a href="media/037a3466.lomnitzer-malibu-invoices.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/lomnitzer-malibu-invoices.png"><img src="media/037a3466.lomnitzer-malibu-invoices.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/lomnitzer-malibu-invoices.png" alt="" width="650" height="226" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181640" /></a></center></p>
<p>The bottom line according to Lomnitzer&#8217;s suit is that Malibu owes the law firm $280,05.32 plus additional interest accruing after December 31, 2019. It is demanding a judgment from the court to that end, an order allowing it to use funds in the trust account towards that amount, plus an order &#8220;confirming the Firm’s lien against all proceeds of all pending litigation in which Malibu is a Plaintiff.&#8221;</p>
<p>To address the allegations that other law firms are paying settlements directly to Malibu rather than Lomnitzer, Malibu&#8217;s former legal team are also seeking an order to prevent Malibu from &#8220;disbursing any settlement monies from any and all pending litigation nationwide to anyone other than the Firm.&#8221;</p>
<p>On top, of course, Lomnitzer is demanding attorney fees and costs plus any other relief the court deems &#8220;just and proper&#8221;.</p>
<p><em>The lawsuit filed by Lomnitzer against Malibu can be found <a href="media/737401aa.9-20-cv-80027-Lomnitzer-vs-Malibu-complaint-200901-.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/9-20-cv-80027-Lomnitzer-vs-Malibu-complaint-200901-.pdf">here</a> (pdf)</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181558
title: Dish Network Proposes Blockchain Based Anti-Piracy System
uri: Dish-Network-Proposes-Blockchain-Based-Anti-Piracy-System
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Jiz1-6yIzlE/
content:
<p><img src="media/62b29e54.dishc.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dishc.jpg" alt="" width="244" height="150" class="alignright size-full wp-image-160937" />American satellite and broadcast provider <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dish_Network">Dish Network</a> has fought several legal battles against alleged pirate streaming tools in recent years.</p>
<p>The company filed a lawsuit against the people behind TVAddons, for example. More recently the company <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dish-sues-multiple-pirate-tv-streaming-sites-191122/">went after</a> multiple pirate streaming sites and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-iptv-reseller-boom-media-sued-in-the-united-states-191102/">IPTV reseller Boom Media</a>.</p>
<p>In addition to using well-established legal options, the company is also thinking ahead. That became clear this week when we spotted a new patent application from Dish, which envisions a blockchain-based anti-piracy system.</p>
<p>According to the company, piracy has become increasingly problematic. It&#8217;s not just limited to dedicated pirate sites but also plagues legitimate platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, it notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;The distribution of infringed material on content sharing platforms such as Facebook and YouTube has grown rapidly,&#8221; Dish writes in its patent application.</p>
<p>&#8220;For example, viewers can easily find links to live sporting events, hosted on someone&#8217;s Facebook account, find the newest episodes of their favorite series on YouTube or Dailymotion or even join groups like `mobile movies` on Telegram..,&#8221; the company adds.</p>
<p>Dish writes that &#8220;millennials&#8221; and the &#8220;next generation&#8221; are increasingly turning their backs on the traditional bundle service system, opting for less-costly alternatives instead. These cheaper alternatives include the consumption of unlicensed content on legitimate services.</p>
<p>While most large companies have their own anti-piracy solutions, these often have shortcomings, such as requiring rightsholders to actively search for pirated content. While a few large outfits use hash recognition to automatically detect content, those systems are often proprietary and not freely available. </p>
<p>The new patent application envisions a technology that is supposed to be superior. While it can&#8217;t really be used to stop pirate sites, it proposes a blockchain-based anti-piracy system that legitimate services can use to check whether the content is published with permission, or not.</p>
<p>&#8220;The inventors have conceived and reduced to practice a software and/or hardware facility that can be used by content owners to assert ownership of content so that copyright friendly websites and services can take action against copyright piracy effectively, efficiently and is scalable,&#8221; Dish writes. </p>
<p>&#8220;The facility makes available to all content owners watermarking/fingerprinting technology so an identifier can be embedded in the content. The facility utilizes blockchain technology to add information related to each unique identifier in a database and allows an authorized user (e.g., the owner) to update the information through a blockchain transaction.&#8221;</p>
<p><center></center<img src="media/2ae94daf.dispatent5.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dispatent5.jpg" alt="" width="792" height="545" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181649" /></center></p>
<p>There are several practical implementations possible, but it&#8217;s clear that Dish is in favor of a widely available system that sites and services can use to determine whether content is authorized. The watermark or fingerprint-based system should interact with a blockchain to verify ownership details. </p>
<p>Without a practical implementation, it&#8217;s hard to determine whether this approach will succeed or not. However, blockchain-based copyright management itself <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=blockchain+copyright+management">is not a new idea</a>, as others have proposed this as well. The same is true for watermarking and fingerprinting. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s interesting to see that Dish is actively pursuing an alternative anti-piracy approach. Time will tell if it comes to fruition, and if so, how effective it will be. One thing&#8217;s almost guaranteed though, there will be plenty of attempts by pirates to get around it.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A copy of the patent application titled &#8220;Content anti-piracy management system and method&#8221; is available <a href="media/c0384fb3.dishpatent.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dishpatent.pdf">here (pdf)</a>.</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181582
title: Kim Dotcom’s K.im Domain Goes Up For Sale, Displays Google SEO Rant
uri: Kim-Dotcom-s-K-im-Domain-Goes-Up-For-Sale-Displays-Google-SEO-Rant
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/YBRXYa1BGRU/
content:
<p><a href="media/f3fda91c.kim-logo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kim-logo.png"><img src="media/f3fda91c.kim-logo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kim-logo.png" alt="" width="270" height="132" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181588" /></a>Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has announced the development of many projects since the destruction of his file-hosting platform in 2012.</p>
<p>With a stated aim of revolutionizing the file-sharing space, one of the most prominent was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-2-0-will-outsource-file-hosting-and-prevent-takedown-abuse-161025/">initially dubbed Megaupload 2 (MU2)</a>. Utilizing investment platform BnkToTheFuture, in 2016 it raised over a million dollars from 354 investors in just two weeks.</p>
<p>MU2 and the associated BitCache platform were originally penciled in for a January 2017 launch but like many complex projects, ultimately missed its target. With the project still under development, MU2 was later renamed K.im, a clear reference to Kim Dotcom&#8217;s well-known name and its greatest marketing asset.</p>
<p>Conveniently, Kim Dotcom had previously bought &#8216;K.im&#8217; back in 2013, acquiring the Isle of Man domain name for a <a href="https://domainnamewire.com/2013/06/13/kim-dotcom-buys-k-im-domain-name-for-20000/">reportedly record-setting $20,000</a> via Sedo. This was put to use as the project&#8217;s main homepage but now, several years later, things are not going to plan.</p>
<p>Visitors to K.im are no longer greeted by all the details of the K.im, Bitcache and associated Kimcoin project. Instead, they are treated to an insecure site (no https) that delivers an anti-Google SEO-based rant penned by Bulgarian <a href="https://seo.domains/">expired domain</a> specialist <a href="https://twitter.com/karakehayov">Kalin Karakehayov</a>.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/ce8cd488.k-im-domain-page.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/k-im-domain-page.png"><img src="media/ce8cd488.k-im-domain-page.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/k-im-domain-page.png" alt="" width="650" height="518" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181590" /></a></center></p>
<p>An almost identical piece to that shown above was previously published on Karakehayov&#8217;s own domain at <a href="http://karakehayov.com/google-if-you-dont-know-what-seo-is">Karakehayov.com</a> but the version on K.im replaces references to the original domain with references to K.im.</p>
<p>Having previously used Cloudflare&#8217;s services as a front to its hosting, K.im now uses servers in Bulgaria to display the anti-Google sentiments. Unfortunately, due to the GDPR, it&#8217;s hard to state conclusively that the domain is now under Karakehayov&#8217;s personal control, despite hosting his content.</p>
<p>For the K.im team, however, that detail might be the least of their worries. The entire project has been built around the Kim Dotcom brand and it now seems fairly clear that the K.im domain isn&#8217;t under its control anymore. Awkwardly, that is also more than obvious on Twitter, with dozens of Dotcom&#8217;s posts mentioning the K.im project and linking to the K.im domain now showing the message &#8220;PURE SPAM&#8221;.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/e4ca36e4.kim-twitter-deface.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kim-twitter-deface.png"><img src="media/e4ca36e4.kim-twitter-deface.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kim-twitter-deface.png" alt="" width="650" height="941" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181594" /></a></center></p>
<p>Whether this PR catastrophe can be reversed is currently unclear but adding insult to injury, the K.im domain has now been put up for sale by its owner on Sedo, the marketplace from where Dotcom bought it. There&#8217;s no reserve price but the domain is being offered by an account opened in 2014 with a stated location of &#8216;Georgia&#8217;.</p>
<p>While the apparent loss of this domain can probably be overcome, the future of the entire K.im project is somewhat up in the air.</p>
<p>In November 2019, Bitfinex <a href="https://www.bitfinex.com/posts/430">declared</a> that due to a rapidly evolving &#8220;regulatory environment&#8221;, the K.im token sale had been indefinitely postponed.</p>
<p>&#8220;After careful evaluation, we regret to announce that Bitfinex Token Sales and the K.im team have mutually agreed not to hold the token sale at this time. K.im will defer any decision on whether to create tokens on, or undertake a token issue in relation to the K.im platform until it is fully functional,&#8221; the statement read.</p>
<p>Since then, no one associated with the project, including Dotcom himself, has made any public statement on the future of K.im or the Kimcoin token. TorrentFreak has requested comments from both Kim Dotcom and Kalin Karakehayov and will update this article should they arrive.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181701
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 01/13/20
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-01-13-20
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/d1Jz-bFA5Rs/
content:
<p><img src="media/cdfa05ae.joker-1.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/joker-1.jpg" alt="" width="292" height="238" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181019" />This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 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 articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-on-bittorrent-12-30-19/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7286456/">Joker</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7286456/">8.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAGVQLHvwOY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4777008/">Maleficent: Mistress of Evil</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4777008/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL1f8yNxGBk">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10039344/">Countdown</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4520988/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZsgNH17_X4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4520988/">Frozen 2</a> (DVDScr)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4520988/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwzLiQZDw2I">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7390646/">Black and Blue</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7390646/">5.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCfSeVCr7ng">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(10)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1950186/">Ford v Ferrari</a> (DVDScr)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1950186/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3h9Z89U9ZA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7131622/">Once Upon a Time &#8230; in Hollywood</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7131622/">7.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeMaP8EPAA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6394270/">Bombshell</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6394270/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2G9-KhBek8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2935510/">Ad Astra</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2935510/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK6Syms-X3w">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620981/">The Addams Family</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620981/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Ug863S8dQ">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="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181683
title: Game Developer Sees Boost in Sales After Releasing Official Torrent
uri: Game-Developer-Sees-Boost-in-Sales-After-Releasing-Official-Torrent
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/6dTWAQ37Xic/
content:
<p><img src="media/d767d091.gazers.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/gazers.jpg" alt="" width="288" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181684" />Online piracy is an issue that affects many industries and indie game development is certainly no exception.</p>
<p>Some developers see piracy as an evil that needs to be rooted out as soon as possible. However, others are more open to some of the motivations behind it and are willing to experiment.</p>
<p>Game developer Shota Bobokhidze, aka &#8216;ShotX,&#8217; falls in the latter category. The indie developer from Tiblisi, Georgia, runs his one-man company ShotX Studio which just released a new shooter game titled &#8216;Danger Gazers.&#8217;</p>
<p>The release is available <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1043150/Danger_Gazers/">on Steam</a> where it currently sells at $9.99. While that&#8217;s not an extremely steep price, ShotX realizes the average game fan may not have the financial means to try out all the new titles that come out every month.</p>
<p>This prompted the developer to release a special edition targeting the pirate community. It&#8217;s something he already planned to do with the game Kontrakt in 2018, but that idea was canned after The Pirate Bay kept returning server errors. </p>
<p>This time he was more successful. Late last week the torrent made its way <a href="https://thepiratebay.org/torrent/35556105/Danger.Gazers.1.1.0.Developer.ShotX">onto The Pirate Bay</a>, carrying a special message from the creator.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is the latest DRM-free version of Danger Gazers (1.1.0), there&#8217;s no catch here, no Steam only features, just the fully functional game,&#8221; ShotX writes on The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/2f530e76.dangertorrent.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dangertorrent.jpg" alt="" width="594" height="367" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181689" /></center></p>
<p>The game can be downloaded for free, no strings attached. The developer&#8217;s only request is that people consider buying it if they like what they see, or to support the project in any other way. The same message was later repeated <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackWatch/comments/emb4y5/dangergazers110developershotx_official_developers/">on Reddit</a> where ShotX highlighted his release.</p>
<p>Ironically, the developer&#8217;s <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackWatch/comments/em9dq2/dangergazers110developershotx_official_developers/">first post</a> on Reddit was removed, presumably because the moderators assumed it was a pirated version. However, that&#8217;s certainly not the case.</p>
<p>This is not the first time that a game developer has plugged his work on a pirate site, but it remains a rarity. To find out more about ShotX&#8217;s motivations, we decided to reach out for some additional comments. </p>
<p>The developer informs us that he is all too familiar with piracy. He grew up in a situation where piracy was often the only option to get new software. Today he also sees the other side of the story, as he relies on sales to make a living. However, he still understands that not everyone can easily buy his work. </p>
<p>&#8220;The decision to release a torrent came along with the memories of my time spent with pirated software,&#8221; ShotX says. </p>
<p>&#8220;I remember that I didn&#8217;t feel any guilt at all as there was simply no other choice for me at that moment, moreover, had I known that there were other options I could have supported developers with, I&#8217;d have done all I could without a second thought.&#8221; </p>
<p>Releasing the game on The Pirate Bay allows people to try it out for free. This comes with the added advantage of free exposure, which is welcome too, as it&#8217;s becoming harder and harder for new games to get noticed.</p>
<p>ShotX says that this certainly wasn&#8217;t a planned PR campaign. He just wanted to get the word out and give the free torrent a chance. That said, he does believe that piracy can have a positive exposure impact, which was also the case here.</p>
<p>&#8220;It wouldn&#8217;t have been effective if it was a planned PR move to get people to buy the product. It was just a kind act that I was lucky enough to get noticed. I&#8217;m sure it would have been apparent if it wasn&#8217;t so,&#8221; he says.</p>
<p>ShotX&#8217;s approach worked well. The Reddit post promoting the official torrent reached a broad audience. This resulted in a lot of free downloads but also motivated people to buy the game and spread the word.</p>
<p>&#8220;The response so far was amazing,&#8221; ShotX says. While he didn&#8217;t expect anything in return, the free release actually resulted in a significant revenue boost.</p>
<p>&#8220;There was a noticeable boost in sales, some kind individuals even donated twice as much and most importantly all the rest supported me in their own ways by sharing my game and respecting my decision,&#8221; the developer adds. </p>
<p>The developer didn&#8217;t promote the torrent on his social media or on his official site, as he specifically wanted to reach out to the pirate community. Given the results, this was quite successful. </p>
<p>This shows that some &#8216;pirates&#8217; are definitely willing to pay under the rights conditions but it doesn&#8217;t mean that this is easily repeatable. If all indie developers started releasing torrents it would no longer be something special and could become harder to get noticed once again.</p>
<p>In this case, however, it clearly paid off.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181691
title: ACE Shuts Down UlangoTV ‘Pirate’ IPTV App, Seizes Domain
uri: ACE-Shuts-Down-UlangoTV-Pirate-IPTV-App-Seizes-Domain
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/HQtIGvkUQGE/
content:
<p><a href="media/a7c0897c.iptv.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/iptv.jpg"><img src="media/a7c0897c.iptv.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/iptv.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="155" class="alignright size-full wp-image-135034" /></a>There are dozens of apps available online today that act as straightforward players of IPTV streams. These usually cause no copyright infringement issues for their operators as they come with no pre-loaded content.</p>
<p>While many can be configured with a premium subscription so that infringing content can be received at the direction of users, others blur the lines by attempting to aggregate links to streams that exist in open form on the Internet.</p>
<p>One of these players was known as UlangoTV. Previously available via Google Play, Amazon, CNET, and many other third-party download sites, variants of the UlangoTV app acted as a search engine for live IPTV streams, which were color-coded to provide additional information.</p>
<p>&#8220;Every day thousands of new stream URLs are found, analyzed and classified,&#8221; the publisher&#8217;s description on CNET reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;For the safety of users and for the protection of the content owners, the search results are flagged with color codes: Yellow streams have been known to us for more than 6 months. Typically these &#8216;official&#8217; streams are without license problems. All registered users can see these streams freely. Blue streams have been known to us for more than 6 weeks. Also these are usually &#8216;official&#8217; streams without license problems.&#8221;</p>
<p><center><a href="media/5772fd87.ulangotv.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ulangotv.png"><img src="media/5772fd87.ulangotv.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ulangotv.png" alt="" width="650" height="386" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181697" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ulangotv.png 650w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/ulangotv-220x130.png 220w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" /></a></center></p>
<p>However, as acknowledged by its publisher, not all streams made available in the app could be considered trouble-free.</p>
<p>&#8220;Magenta streams are usually short-lived and have only been known to us recently. These streams are likely to originate from unlicensed sources,&#8221; the developer noted.</p>
<p>This type of link aggregation teeters fairly close to the edge of legality but with UlangoTV+, a premium and premium plus subscription option offered by the same developer, broadcasters may have considered the line had been crossed.</p>
<p>&#8220;So in this app UlangoTV+ we introduced a new option called Premium Plus, which is only available to a few users who want to pay a premium price and now receive handpicked streams with tightly controlled connectivity,&#8221; the <a href="https://apkpure.com/ulangotv-iptv-explorer/tv.ulango.ulangotv2">marketing added</a>.</p>
<p>With no user shortage for the popular app, during October last year an unexpected message appeared on UlangoTV&#8217;s Twitter account which indicated that the project had <a href="https://twitter.com/ulango_tv/status/1181839907066646528">come to an end</a>.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/6d88948c.ulangotv-shut.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ulangotv-shut.png"><img src="media/6d88948c.ulangotv-shut.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ulangotv-shut.png" alt="" width="650" height="373" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181707" /></a></center></p>
<p>The tweet gave no clear indication of the reason behind the decision to close but now, several months later, we have the strongest message yet that legal threats from entertainment industry groups played a key role.</p>
<p>Users who visit the Ulango.TV domain today get an all-too-familiar message that due to claims of copyright infringement, the site and associated app have been shut down by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/d3c834ea.openloadace.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/openloadace.png"><img src="media/d3c834ea.openloadace.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/openloadace.png" alt="" width="600" height="385" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-178843" /></a></center></p>
<p>After the usual countdown timer expires, visitors are redirected to the ACE anti-piracy portal. There is no mention there of the shutdown which tends to suggest that a relatively peaceful agreement was reached with the app&#8217;s developer, which would&#8217;ve included shutting down and handing over the Ulango domain.</p>
<p>Indeed, domain records show that Ulango.tv is now owned by the Motion Picture Association, which adds to a growing list of dozens of domains taken over as part of the Alliance&#8217;s ongoing anti-piracy activities.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181722
title: TV Channel Owner Arrested For Airing ‘Pirate’ Movie Days After Theatrical Release
uri: TV-Channel-Owner-Arrested-For-Airing-Pirate-Movie-Days-After-The
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/5ykpr_qen2w/
content:
<p><a href="media/298332a0.old-tv.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/old-tv.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-34676" src="media/298332a0.old-tv.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/old-tv.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="122" /></a>Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, better known as Rajinikanth, is a superstar of Indian cinema, having been active in the industry for decades.</p>
<p>During his time on the silver screen, piracy has been running rampant across India but even he will have been taken by surprise following the events of the past few days.</p>
<p>Rajinikanth&#8217;s latest movie, action thriller <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darbar_(film)">Darbar</a>, was released theatrically on January 9, 2020, quickly recovering around <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/box-office/darbar-box-office-collection-rajinikanth-starrer-mints-rs-150-crore-worldwide-in-first-weekend/articleshow/73223091.cms">75% of its costs</a> during its first weekend alone.</p>
<p>However, on January 12, just three days after its official release, local cable channel Saranya TV took the decision to broadcast a pirated copy of the movie, as illustrated in the image below obtained by <a href="https://www.galatta.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news/darbar-illegal-telecast-channel-closed-owner-absconding.html#articleimage1">Galatta.com</a>.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/21b9eb6a.darbar-pirate.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/darbar-pirate.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181727" src="media/21b9eb6a.darbar-pirate.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/darbar-pirate.png" alt="" width="650" height="376" /></a></center></p>
<p>In common with many local movies, infamous torrent site TamilRockers reportedly leaked Darbar online shortly after its release but subsequent &#8216;pirate&#8217; broadcasting on cable TV is unusual, particularly during a theatrical window. This has caused outrage at <a href="https://www.lycaproductions.in/">Lyca Productions</a>, the production company behind the movie, which responded by filing a complaint with local police.</p>
<p>&#8220;The movie has been receiving good response from the public and it is running successfully in all centers all over the world, in the meantime we are astounded and distressed to know, that the movie was telecasted illegally in a local TV Channel called Saranya TV at Madurai on 12.01.2020 evening,&#8221; a <a href="https://twitter.com/RIAZtheboss/status/1216698791689998337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1216698791689998337&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com%2Fentertainment%2Fregional-cinema%2Frajinikanth-darbar-makers-file-complaint-against-local-tv-channel-for-airing-pirated-version-of-film-579352">statement</a> from Lyca reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;Having come to know this, we have officially filed a complaint against the said local TV Channel at The Commissioner Office, Law &amp; Order, Madurai.&#8221;</p>
<p><center><a href="media/660915d1.darbar-complaint.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/darbar-complaint.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-181729" src="media/660915d1.darbar-complaint.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/darbar-complaint.png" alt="" width="650" height="929" /></a></center></p>
<p>According to the local distributor for the movie, police were swift to act against the operators of Saranya TV. After initial reports that the channel had been closed and its operators had gone on the run, it now appears arrests have been made.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is true that the offenders have been arrested, but FIR [<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_information_report">First information report</a>] is yet to be registered as the investigation is still in progress,&#8221; a statement obtained by <a href="https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-16/rajinikanth-ar-murugadoss-darbar-illegal-telecast-exclusive-police-investigation-details.html">Behindwoods</a> reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;It appears that they have used 2-3 relay points for broadcasting the film. While a computer system [has] already been seized, the police are now in the process of probing and confiscating other types of equipment, including CPUs, relay hubs and other systems that they were using to telecast the movie.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition to the action against the cable TV company, a Galatta source reports that after the movie was widely shared on Whatsapp, a complaint was filed by Lyca in that direction too.</p>
<p>No official announcement on that front has been made by Lyca but an anti-piracy company is working on its behalf to prevent piracy on the messenger application.</p>
<p><Center></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">If anyone sends you a pirated copy of Darbar on WhatsApp, please share its screenshot and the sender&#39;s phone number to claim@blockxpiracy.com. We&#39;ll take care of it.</p>
<p>Celebrate <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DARBAR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DARBAR</a>, stand against piracy.<a href="https://twitter.com/LycaProductions?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LycaProductions</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BLOCKX?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BLOCKX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SayNoToPiracy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SayNoToPiracy</a></p>
<p>&mdash; BLOCK X (@blockxpiracy) <a href="https://twitter.com/blockxpiracy/status/1216257500745326594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181569
title: Number of Pirated Screener Leaks Already Higher Than Last Year
uri: Number-of-Pirated-Screener-Leaks-Already-Higher-Than-Last-Year
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/kOx_8h7tY5E/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-22131" src="media/1077d5d7.oscartorrents.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/oscartorrents.png" alt="" width="185" height="198" />Yesterday <a href="https://oscar.go.com/news/nominations/oscar-nominations-2020-list-nominees-by-category">the contenders</a> for the 2020 Oscars were announced. </p>
<p>&#8216;Joker&#8217; emerged as the main favorite with eleven nominations, closely followed by &#8216;1917&#8217; and &#8216;Once Upon a Time in Hollywood&#8217; with ten each.</p>
<p>While Hollywood was buzzing with excitement over the news, a screener copy of another Oscar favorite &#8211; &#8216;Little Women&#8217; &#8211; began spreading across pirate sites.</p>
<p>Pirated screeners are nothing new. Every year copies of popular films that are solely intended for private awards screenings end up in public. These releases are typically well secured, but release groups such as EVO and Hive-CM8 find their way around the protections.</p>
<p>One trend that we observed over recent years, however, is that fewer screener leaks were being posted online. Back in 2007, 29 screeners of nominees (81%) had leaked when the winners were announced. In 2019, this number was down to seven (23%).</p>
<p>Last year was an <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/oscars-screener-leaks-drop-to-all-time-low-190226/">all-time low</a>, which appeared to be good news for Hollywood. However, the downward trend hasn&#8217;t continued. During the current season, ten screener copies have already made their way onto pirate sites, of which eight received an Oscar nomination.</p>
<p>With several weeks still to go until the awards ceremony, this number will likely go up. To give an indication, in both 2018 and 2019 three pirated screeners came out after mid-January.</p>
<p><center><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-181736" src="media/a2089d89.littlerelease.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/littlerelease.jpg" alt="" width="589" height="235" /></center></p>
<p>It&#8217;s worth noting though that the number of screener leaks itself doesn&#8217;t say much about security or enforcement efforts. In fact, the changing movie industry, where online streaming platforms are gaining dominance, could be the prime reason for a decline in these leaks.</p>
<p>Screeners are generally only released if there is no higher quality leak out already. Since pirated WEBRips and WEB-DLs generally come out soon after a movie premieres on a streaming service, screeners are less relevant. </p>
<p>To give an example, &#8216;The Irishman&#8217; was widely available on pirate sites just hours after it premiered on Netflix. This trend is also what we see in <a href="https://waxy.org/2016/01/pirating_the_oscars_2016/">the data</a> from pirate screener watcher Andy Baio.</p>
<p>Of all the major Oscar contenders, only four are not yet available in high-quality formats on pirate sites. These are &#8216;1917,&#8217; &#8216;Just Mercy,&#8217; &#8216;Richard Jewell,&#8217; and &#8216;Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker&#8217;.</p>
<p>As in previous years, release group Hive-CM8 is responsible for the bulk of the leaked screeners. And if we believe their latest release notes, they are not done yet. The group is openly calling for sources who have access to more screeners, including the latest Star Wars film.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><em>A complete list of the screeners that have leaked thus far:</p>
<p>&#8211; Uncut Gems (12/16/2019) by EVO<br />
&#8211; Portrait of a Lady on Fire (12/16/2019) by EVO<br />
&#8211; Jojo Rabbit (12/21/2019) by Hive-CM8<br />
&#8211; A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (12/23/2019) by Hive-CM8<br />
&#8211; Knives Out (12/25/2019) by Hive-CM8<br />
&#8211; Ford v Ferrari (12/29/2019) by Hive-CM8<br />
&#8211; Frozen 2 (01/02/2019) by Hive-CM8<br />
&#8211; Harriet (01/04/2019) by Hive-CM8<br />
&#8211; Bombshell (01/09/2019) by Hive-CM8<br />
&#8211; Little Woman (01/13/2019) by Hive-CM8</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=181740
title: Operator of Popcorn Time Info Site is Liable for Piracy, Supreme Court Rules
uri: Operator-of-Popcorn-Time-Info-Site-is-Liable-for-Piracy-Supreme-Court
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Cwy8kCyJ9aI/
content:
<p><img src="media/ac12bf8c.popcornt.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/popcornt.png" alt="" width="237" height="106" class="alignright size-full wp-image-101106" />Five years ago, Popcorn Time was widely embraced by pirates, thanks to its ability to stream torrent files through a user-friendly interface.</p>
<p>This rapid rise raised concern among many movie industry companies, who worked hard to contain the threat by going after several forks and their developers.</p>
<p>This resulted in the shutdown of several projects including Popcorntime.dk. The site offered information on Popcorn time and its availability but didn’t host any software itself. Nevertheless, it still found itself subjected to rightsholders&#8217; complaints.</p>
<p>The matter piqued the interest of Danish law enforcement which eventually resulted in a criminal investigation. In August 2015, Danish police <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-men-for-spreading-popcorn-time-information-150819/">arrested the alleged operator</a> and Popcorntime.dk was subsequently shut down and placed under the control of the state prosecutor.</p>
<p>The case was highly unusual because the domain in question didn’t host the Popcorn Time software. Instead, the site offered instructions, information, news articles, as well as links to sites where the application was available.</p>
<p><center><strong>PopcornTime.dk as it appeared in 2015</strong><br /></br></center><center><img src="media/b55ae501.popcorndk.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/popcorndk.png" width="600" height="315" class="aligncenter size-large" /></center></p>
<p>In most cases this issue would have blown over, especially since the site had a relatively small number of users. However, the Danish investigation triggered a criminal prosecution, with the operator facing a potential prison sentence.</p>
<p>In 2018, this <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/man-handed-conditional-prison-sentence-spreading-popcorn-time-information-180208/">resulted</a> in a conditional 6-month prison sentence for the man behind PopcornTime.dk. The court ruled that spreading information about the controversial movie streaming service warranted liability for contributory copyright infringement.</p>
<p>The defendant disagreed and appealed the case at the High Court, which later handed down a similar verdict. In a final attempt to have the ruling reversed, the site operator went to the Danish Supreme Court, which announced its verdict yesterday. </p>
<p>The Supreme Court confirmed the decisions of the High Court and District Court, ruling that the operator of Popcorntime.dk is indeed liable for contributory infringements via Popcorn Time.</p>
<p>In his defense, the operator argued that the previous rulings restricted his right to freedom of expression and information, which would violate Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. </p>
<p>However, the Supreme Court disagreed. Instead, it ruled that the site was specifically designed to target potential Popcorn Time users who received concrete instructions on how to use the software. This is a criminal offense, even in the absence of concrete infringements by users, the Court found.</p>
<p>The Court thereby assumed that &#8220;a large number of users of [the operator&#8217;s] website have downloaded and used the Popcorn Time program and that use of the software, as a general rule, involved copyright infringement.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Court upheld the 6-month conditional prison sentence. The site operator, who is now in his 40s, was further sentenced to 120 hours of community service and more than $67,000 in ad revenue was confiscated.</p>
<p>Local anti-piracy group RettighedsAlliancen (Rights Alliance) is pleased with the outcome. According to the organization, this ruling is the first of its kind when it comes to criminal contributory copyright infringements.</p>
<p>&#8220;The judgment is, as far as we know, the first of its kind in the EU on the legal basis of criminal contributory copyright infringements,&#8221; Rights Alliance Director Maria Fredenslund informs TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>&#8220;So it confirms that the marketing and recommendations on the websites are in fact contributory infringements, even though they are not related to any particular copyright infringement, but rather to the infringements related to the Popcorn Time service in general.&#8221; </p>
<p>The Supreme Court ruling could have far-reaching consequences for other websites that provide information about piracy services. While the nature and purpose of the site still play a role, operators can&#8217;t simply hide behind the fact that they don&#8217;t host an infringing application on their server.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A copy of the Supreme Court verdict (in Danish) is <a href="media/11cfd10b.135-19-anonym.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/135-19-anonym.pdf">available here (pdf)</a></em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymous-in-2019/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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