# articles

feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172716
title: Chinese Game of Thrones Pirates Unaffected By US ‘Trade War’
uri: Chinese-Game-of-Thrones-Pirates-Unaffected-By-US-Trade-War
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/9dpmez9K058/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="media/1c5128ac.Game_of_Thrones_Season_8.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Game_of_Thrones_Season_8.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172718" width="197" height="284"/></figure></div>



<p>Following its launch in 2011, Game of Thrones became one of the most talked about and loved TV shows in history.</p>



<p>Eight years and dozens of Emmy awards later, episode six of season eight aired last Sunday, bringing the curtain down for the final time.</p>



<p>While millions were able to soak up this momentous TV occasion, fans in China were left brokenhearted. Tencent Video, the Chinese platform that has held the local distribution rights to the HBO series since 2014, revealed that it would not be broadcasting S08EP06.</p>



<p>Citing a mysterious &#8220;media transmission problem&#8221;,  Thrones fans were told that if they wanted to watch the show, that would have to be at a later date. </p>



<p>Strangely, however, HBO told the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/game-of-thrones-finale-frozen-out-in-china-by-trade-fight-11558359453">Wall Street Journal</a> that there had been no problem delivering content to Tencent, leading to speculation that the show had become yet another casualty of the trade war with the United States.</p>



<p>But even as officials bicker and argue, the flood of content across the Internet continues, seemingly untroubled by the political turmoil. If official channels aren&#8217;t able to provide what the public wants, then unofficial swarms of like-minded people will do their jobs for them.</p>



<p>Since the announcement, TorrentFreak has been looking around various popular torrent and eD2K (yes, that&#8217;s still a thing) sites in China. We can safely say that obtaining the final episode of Game of Thrones is not a problem.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/73a9ccac.image-37.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-37.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172724" width="600"/></figure>



<p>While the above image suggests availability for uTorrent and BitComet, a pair of torrent clients that are well known in the West, Chinese users are more likely to opt for the popular &#8216;Thunder&#8217; client.</p>



<p>Owned by Xunlei, Thunder is one of the world&#8217;s most popular torrent clients. As shown below, links for all episodes in the series are easy to obtain via &#8216;thunder&#8217; links, which can be thought of as a magnet link variant.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="media/6bb3d2ed.image-41.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-41.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172728"/></figure>



<p>Of course, if the Chinese are relying on Western video sources to satisfy their S08EP06 needs, many of them will find they meet a language barrier that needs to be overcome. While Tencent offered Chinese subtitles, pirates are also happy to oblige with hand-translated SRT files, to match the Amazon-sourced video.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/13fa403b.image-42.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-42.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172734" width="600"/></figure>



<p>Finally, in addition to trade war speculation, a piece in <a href="http://fortune.com/2019/05/20/game-of-thrones-china-finale/">Fortune</a> noted that the final episode contained a point about democracy that may not have gone down particularly well with Chinese authorities. This, it&#8217;s suggested, may have something to do with the episode failing to air as planned.</p>



<p>Whether that&#8217;s the case or not, Game of Thrones episodes are already subject to censorship edits in the region, a point not lost on Chinese pirates who enthuse in site comment sections about whether copies of the show are cut or uncut versions.</p>



<p>Needless to say, due to Tencent&#8217;s &#8220;media transmission problems&#8221;, it&#8217;s likely that most if not all pirate copies currently circulating fit into the latter category. There are some things that not even the Chinese government and its Great Firewall can control. </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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=9dpmez9K058:Om9gwPYyBGU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=9dpmez9K058:Om9gwPYyBGU:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=9dpmez9K058:Om9gwPYyBGU:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/9dpmez9K058" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172722
title: Cox Business Subscriber Doesn’t Want Identity Revealed in Piracy Lawsuit
uri: Cox-Business-Subscriber-Doesn-t-Want-Identity-Revealed-in-Piracy-Law
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/aLRFTMhMRxo/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-172081" src="media/181e573b.coxb.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/coxb.png" alt="" width="267" height="193">Last year a group of prominent record labels, all members of the RIAA, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/record-labels-file-billion-dollar-piracy-lawsuit-against-isp-cox-180802/">filed a lawsuit</a> against ISP Cox Communications.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The labels argue 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>As part of the discovery phase, both parties requested relevant information from each other. The labels, for example, were interested in finding out the names and addresses of Cox business subscribers that received copyright infringement warnings.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In addition to regular households, Cox also offers Internet connections to business clients and many of these – 2,793 to be precise – were flagged as pirates.</p>
<p>After some back and forth Cox and the record labels <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-has-to-share-names-of-pirating-business-subscribers-with-record-labels-190508/">agreed on a stipulated court order</a>, requiring the ISP to disclose this information. While the court signed off on this, not all affected subscribers are happy with this decision. One of them objected in court this week.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The company in question appeared as &#8220;John Doe&#8221; and explained that it&#8217;s a&nbsp; <span class="fontstyle0">non-profit corporation that provides hospital and medical care</span> facilities outside of Virginia.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As is quite common today, the non-profit operates a secured network that&#8217;s only accessible to its employees. In addition, it offers public WiFi access to patients and visitors. The latter was provided by Cox in the relevant time period.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Like other medical care providers, John Doe provides an unsecured, public<br>wireless network that can be accessed by patients and other visitors who agree to abide by John Doe’s terms of use for the Public WiFi network. Cox is the internet service provider for this Public WiFi network,&#8221; the company notes</span></p>
<p>It was this unsecured network that triggered the referenced copyright infringement notifications. This, despite the fact that all users had to agree to the terms of service, which specifically prohibited illegal downloading.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/da807996.prohibited.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/prohibited.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172736"/><figcaption>From the ToS</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The health care provider doesn&#8217;t refute that visitors or patients may have used the network to share copyright-infringing content. However, it notes that there&#8217;s not much it can do to identify these infringers. Not then and not now.</p>
<p>The health care provider doesn&#8217;t track MAC addresses of people who connected to the network, and even if it did, that would only identify a device, not a person.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Given this background, the &#8220;John Doe&#8221; company doesn&#8217;t see any reason why its details should be shared with the record labels. That won&#8217;t help to identify any copyright infringers. However, it does breach the health care provider&#8217;s privacy rights.&nbsp;</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Thus, disclosure of John Doe’s subscriber information will not lead to the discovery of the individual(s) who are alleged by Plaintiffs to have engaged in copyright infringement through the misuse of John Doe’s network in violation of the access agreement,&#8221; the company informs the court.</span></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;All disclosure will accomplish is a breach of John Doe’s privacy rights under the Cable Communications Privacy Act, 47 USC § 551, and the imposition of time and expense burdens on John Doe, all without furthering any claim or defense in this case.&#8221;</span></p>
<p>It is now up to the court to decide whether the details of the company can be handed over by Cox. Meanwhile, it remains unclear why the record labels are interested in this information at all, and how this will help their case.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of John Doe&#8217;s objection to the disclosure is <a href="media/6c748252.coxidentify.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/coxidentify.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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=aLRFTMhMRxo:O6k1tjUiHfQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=aLRFTMhMRxo:O6k1tjUiHfQ:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=aLRFTMhMRxo:O6k1tjUiHfQ:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/aLRFTMhMRxo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172705
title: Hundreds of Thousands of ‘Pirate’ Sites Disappear Following Takedown Notices
uri: Hundreds-of-Thousands-of-Pirate-Sites-Disappear-Following-Takedo
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/f63NXP86-n4/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-172754" src="media/bd91b3e6.nxdomain.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/nxdomain.png" alt="" width="272" height="189">Takedown notices are a vital tool for copyright holders who want to make sure that infringing copies of their work are not widely distributed.</p>
<p>Every week millions of these requests are sent to hosting platforms, as well as third-party services, such as search engines.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Quite a few of the major players, including Twitter, Google, and Bing, publish these requests online. However, due to the massive volume, it&#8217;s hard for casual observers to spot any trends in the data.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Researchers from <span class="fontstyle0">Queen Mary University of London and Boston University aim to add some context with an elaborate study covering a broad database of takedown requests. </span><span class="fontstyle0">Their results are now bundled in a <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1902.05796">paper titled</a>: &#8220;Who Watches the Watchmen: Exploring Complaints on the Web.&#8221;<br></span></p>
<p>The research covers all takedown requests that were made available through the Lumen Database in 2017. The majority of these were sent to Google, with Bing, Twitter, and Periscope as runners-up. In total, more than one billion reported URLs were analyzed.</p>
<p>Most takedown requests or &#8216;web complaints&#8217; were copyright-related, <span class="fontstyle0">98.6%</span> to be precise. This means that other notices, such as defamation reports, court orders, and Government requests, make up a tiny minority.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The researchers report that the complaints were submitted by <span class="fontstyle0">38,523 unique senders, covering 1.05 billion URLs.&nbsp;</span> While that&#8217;s a massive number, most reported links are filed by a very small group of senders.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;We find that the distribution of notices is highly skewed towards a few extremely active senders. The top 10% of notice senders report over 1 billion URLs, in stark contrast to just 550K by the bottom 90%,&#8221; the researchers write.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, the list of top senders is entirely made up of anti-piracy groups and trade organizations. In 2017, the top senders were Rivendell, Aiplex, and the UK music group BPI.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/624c27e1.topsenders.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/topsenders.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172757"/></figure></div>


<p>On the domain side, the results are skewed as well. The top 1% of all reported domain names were targeted in <span class="fontstyle0">63% of all complaints.</span> In other words, a small number of sites are responsible for the vast majority of all takedown notices.&nbsp;</p>
<p>These and other figures provide more insight into the various takedown characteristics. What we were most surprised about, however, are the researchers&#8217; findings regarding the availability of the reported domain names.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The researchers carried out periodic<span class="fontstyle0"> checks on the domains and URLs to verify if the websites are still active. This revealed that a few weeks after the first takedown notices were filed, 22% of the reported domains were inactive, returning an NXDOMAIN response.</span></p>
<p>&#8220;Many domain names are soon taken offline and 22% of the URLs are inaccessible within just 4 weeks of us observing the complaints. Hence, it is clear that we shed light on a highly dynamic environment from the perspective of domain operators too,&#8221; the article reads.</p>
<p>With a total dataset of more than a billion domain names, this suggests that hundreds or thousands of sites simply disappeared. Whether the takedown requests have anything to do with this is unclear though, as many site owners may not even be aware of them.</p>
<p>The disappearing domain names mostly use more exotic TLDs, with .LOL being the most popular, followed by .LINK, .BID, .SPACE, and .WIN. The vast majority of these (97%) have an Alexa rank lower than one million, which means that they only have a few visitors per day.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/2154415d.lol.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/lol.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172764"/></figure></div>


<p>It&#8217;s not clear why these domains disappear and the authors of the article stress that follow-up research is required to find out more. It would not be a surprise, however, if many of these are related to spam or scams that rely on temporary search engine traffic.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Finally, the article also observed worrying activity carried out by copyright holders. For example, some use seemingly <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/anti-piracy-outfits-caught-fabricating-takedown-notices-160918/">fabricated URLs</a>, as we have highlighted in the past, while others send hundreds of duplicate notices.&nbsp;</p>
<p>All in all the research should help to provide a better understanding of how takedown requests impact various stakeholders. This type of transparency is essential to improve procedures for the senders, but also to prevent abuse.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Transparency is critical and, as a society, it is important to know how and why information is filtered. This is particularly the case as we have found that these mechanisms might not be always used wisely,&#8221; the researchers conclude.&nbsp;</span></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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=f63NXP86-n4:tyyfEeNTOrg:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=f63NXP86-n4:tyyfEeNTOrg:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=f63NXP86-n4:tyyfEeNTOrg:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/f63NXP86-n4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172759
title: 1XBET: The Bizarre ‘CAM’ Brand That Movie Pirates Love to Hate
uri: 1XBET-The-Bizarre-CAM-Brand-That-Movie-Pirates-Love-to-Hate
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/zzLR342EBqQ/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="media/15f1d5ee.1xbet.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/1xbet.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172761" width="269" height="57"/></figure></div>



<p>For several decades, movie pirates have visited cinemas with cameras to record the latest movies.</p>



<p>In the early 80s, for example, pirate copies of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial made their way all over the planet, mainly for consumption via VHS and Betamax tapes. The quality was always dire but back then, beggars certainly couldn&#8217;t be choosers.</p>



<p>Since the early 2000s, things have changed dramatically. With the advent of high-quality cameras, sometimes operated by near-professional volunteers, the act of &#8216;camming&#8217; turned into an artform.</p>



<p>Now-defunct groups including <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/i-was-a-member-of-centropy-the-worlds-leading-movie-piracy-group-120526/">Centropy</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/canadian-movie-pirate-%E2%80%98maven%E2%80%99-dies-of-drug-overdose-100406/">maVen</a> graced the web with outstandingly good copies of the latest titles, driven in part by a desire to create the best possible products and with them a lasting legacy. If these groups had a voice in 2019, they&#8217;d be horrified at the &#8216;camming&#8217; state of play.</p>



<p>For reasons that appear to be entirely motivated by money, large numbers of cam copies hitting the web today are doing so in a defaced fashion. While studios have been watermarking their content for close to 20 years to defeat piracy, pirates are now disfiguring videos themselves in order to promote big business.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/08968801.image-44.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-44.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172762" width="600"/><figcaption>1XBET in-movie advertising watermark</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>While they are not the only culprit (some streaming sites also carry out the practice), online betting site 1XBET has its brand stamped all over dozens of pirate releases.</p>



<p>Indeed, it seems that most of the big &#8216;cammed&#8217; movies these days can&#8217;t avoid the clutches of 1XBET advertising. From Avengers: Endgame and John Wick 3, to Hellboy and Pokémon Detective Pikachu, 1XBET &#8216;sponsored&#8217; releases are an incredibly invasive species. </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/ef5fe3b9.image-43.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-43.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172760" width="600"/><figcaption>A small sample from The Pirate Bay</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>In addition to the kind of watermarks shown above, downloaders of 1XBET-labeled releases are now being &#8216;treated&#8217; to full-blown ads for the gambling platform in the middle of movies. And there&#8217;s no escaping them.</p>



<p>For example, the recent release of &#8216;Shazam&#8217; doesn&#8217;t even get six minutes into the movie before a glaring 30-second advert for the platform kicks in, complete with promo codes in several different languages. If pirates thought that downloading movies from pirate sites was a convenient way to avoid intrusive advertising, 1XBET releases are not a good option.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/d1cf0da7.image-45.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-45.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172767" width="600"/><figcaption><em>Less than six minutes into Shazam? Have an ad brea</em>k</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Dmitry Tyunkin, Deputy Director of Anti-Piracy and Brand Protection at cyber-security firm <a href="https://www.group-ib.com/">Group-IB</a>, says that cam watermarking is a cost-effective way to promote the gambling platform.</p>



<p>&#8220;1XBET is a gambling company originating from Russia that uses cam copies to advertise itself internationally. The strategy became popular and widespread because it is a relatively cheap way to promote their services – a raw cam copy would cost 300-400 USD, 600-700 USD after editing,&#8221; Tyunkin informs TF.</p>



<p>&#8220;According to our data, usually those who film cam copies sell them to camcording piracy groups, who offer to integrate the ads to gambling companies, such as 1XBET. [They then upload] the pirated copies to torrent websites, which spread [them] very fast across the Internet with watermarks and ads included in the pirated film.&#8221; </p>



<p>Many surprising things have happened in the piracy world over the past couple of decades but this recent phenomenon ranks up there with the most outlandish.</p>



<p>These are pirate releases, of some of Hollywood&#8217;s biggest titles, carrying advertising for a multi-million dollar gambling company. Group-IB says 1XBET has been involved in the practice since 2018, primarily targeting  developing English-speaking countries, such as India.</p>



<p>But at least as far as we can see, little is being done about it.</p>



<p>Hollywood itself hasn&#8217;t made any public statement. The USTR, which ordinarily attempts to protect the interests of US companies, hasn&#8217;t complained about the advertising in its piracy reports calling out other nations.</p>



<p>That is puzzling, to say the least. But it&#8217;s nothing short of bewildering when one considers that 1XBET is the &#8216;International Presenting Partner&#8217; of Italy’s &#8216;Serie A&#8217;, a soccer league that has been <a href="https://www.football-italia.net/132308/de-siervo-piracy-serie-problem">very vocal</a> about the threats presented by online piracy.</p>



<p>&#8220;As part of the agreement, 1xBet will be featured in all match graphics, idents and virtual goal mat advertising across every live Serie A game, on all platforms that are broadcast in the regions covered in the terms of the deal,&#8221; a <a href="https://www.sbcnews.co.uk/marketing/2018/11/12/1xbet-international-presenting-partner-serie-a/">report</a> on the partnership reads.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s important to note that there&#8217;s no overwhelming evidence available to the general public that 1XBET itself is driving camming &#8216;sponsorship&#8217; directly. Some have suggested that overenthusiastic affiliates may have taken this upon themselves but it&#8217;s so unorthodox that few explanations would come as a surprise.</p>



<p>Either way, it doesn&#8217;t just look bad for 1XBET.</p>



<p>The horrible watermarks and intrusive advertising are making many of the big releases look bad when viewed by pirates too. Never in the history of camming have cammed copies of movies been made to look deliberately worse before being uploaded online.</p>



<p>Pirate sites are littered with negative comments in respect of 1XBET &#8216;releases&#8217;. Pirates love getting the movies early but absolutely hate the ads. For now, however, there doesn&#8217;t appear to be much of an opportunity to get away from them.</p>



<p>When everything is considered it&#8217;s one of the most puzzling developments to come out of the piracy world, not just recently, but ever. The big question is how long it will continue. Until it stops paying off, perhaps.</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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=zzLR342EBqQ:SCYmx0UOlTk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=zzLR342EBqQ:SCYmx0UOlTk:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=zzLR342EBqQ:SCYmx0UOlTk:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/zzLR342EBqQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172855
title: RIAA Subpoenas Target Yet Another Huge YouTube-Ripping Site
uri: RIAA-Subpoenas-Target-Yet-Another-Huge-YouTube-Ripping-Site
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/UXt97zCpNjc/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/412867c7.riaa.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/riaa.png" alt="" class="wp-image-108672"/></figure></div>



<p>According to the major labels, so-called YouTube-ripping sites are a major threat to their business models.</p>



<p>Visitors to these platforms are able to enter a YouTube URL and then download whatever content they want to their own machines. That may be video and audio, or audio alone.</p>



<p>Either way, users then have less of a reason to revisit YouTube for the same content, depriving both the labels and YouTube of revenue, the companies argue. It&#8217;s now becoming clear that the music industry, led by the RIAA, wants to do something about this issue.</p>



<p>The latest target for the RIAA is YouTube-ripping giant Y2Mate.com, which offers conversion and downloads of content hosted on Google&#8217;s platform. As seen in the screenshot below, it offers a familiar and convenient interface for users to carry out those tasks.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/242ff9eb.image-52.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-52.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172872" width="600"/><figcaption><em>Screenshot of Y2Mate.com</em></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>It&#8217;s no surprise that Y2Mate now finds itself under the spotlight. According to <a href="https://www.similarweb.com/website/y2mate.com">SimilarWeb</a> stats, the site is attracting huge and increasing volumes of users, making it a major player on the Internet, period.</p>



<p>Y2Mate currently attracts just short of 64 million visits every month, something which places it well within the top 900 most-visited sites in the United States.</p>



<p>However, around 89% of its traffic actually comes from other regions, so its rank on the global stage is even more impressive. SimilarWeb data indicates that it&#8217;s the 570th most-trafficked site in the world.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/621a77b0.image-54.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-54.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172876" width="600"/><figcaption><em>Y2Mate traffic stats: (</em><a href="https://www.similarweb.com/website/y2mate.com"><em>SimilarWeb data</em></a><em>)</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>To unmask the operator of this site, the RIAA has just applied for and obtained DMCA subpoenas at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.</p>



<p>The first targets US-based CDN company Cloudflare and explains that the RIAA is concerned that Y2Mate is &#8220;offering recordings which are owned by one or more of our member companies and have not been authorized for this kind of use..&#8221;</p>



<p>The RIAA&#8217;s letter to Cloudflare lists three URLs where allegedly-infringing tracks can be downloaded. The tracks are &#8216;Never&#8217; by Heart and &#8216;Let Me Be The One&#8217; by Exposé (both 1985), plus the 1989 release &#8216;Don&#8217;t Wanna Fall In Love&#8217; by Jane Child.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s not clear whether the RIAA has already sent Cloudflare a separate takedown notice but the letter to company notes that if it has, that was &#8220;merely meant to facilitate removal of the infringing material&#8221; and does not &#8220;suggest or imply&#8221; that the company can rely on its safe harbor protections under the DMCA.</p>



<p>In any event, the RIAA is clear about why it obtained the subpoena.</p>



<p>&#8220;The purpose for which this subpoena is sought is to obtain the identities of the individuals assigned to [Y2Mate] who have reproduced and have offered for distribution our members&#8217; copyrighted sound recordings without their authorization,&#8221; the music group notes.</p>



<p>The letter sent to NameCheap has the same substance and also specifically demands the &#8220;name, physical address, IP address, IP address, telephone number, e-mail address, payment information, account updates and account history&#8221; of Y2Mate&#8217;s operator.</p>



<p>Both Cloudflare and NameCheap are further asked to consider the &#8220;widespread and repeated infringing nature&#8221; of Y2Mate and whether that constitutes a violation of the companies&#8217; repeat-infringer policies.</p>



<p>According to the Y2Mate site, however, the platform believes it is operating within the law.</p>



<p>Referring to itself as &#8216;Muvi&#8217;, a statement notes that its only purpose is to &#8220;create a copy of downloadable online-content for the private use of the user (&#8216;fair use&#8217;)&#8221; and the user bears full responsibility for all actions related to the data.</p>



<p>&#8220;Muvi does not grant any rights to the contents, as it only acts as a technical service provider,&#8221; the Y2Mate copyright page reads.</p>



<p>Just last week, the RIAA targeted another YouTube-ripping site, YouTubNow, with a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-obtains-subpoena-to-unmask-youtube-ripping-site-operator-190515/">similar subpoena</a>. Within hours of our report, the site went down, ostensibly for maintenance.</p>



<p>TF previously <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-obtains-subpoena-to-expose-infringing-cloudflare-users-180506/">reported</a> that the RIAA is targeting several other ‘pirate’ sites that use Cloudflare. Similar action is also being aimed at file-hosting platform <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/namecheap-must-identify-nofile-io-registrant-following-piracy-complaint-190514/">NoFile</a>. </p>



<p><em>The RIAA&#8217;s letters to Cloudflare and NameCheap can be found <a href="media/06f3281e.RIAA-y2mate-subpoena-cloudflare.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/RIAA-y2mate-subpoena-cloudflare.pdf">here</a> and <a href="media/a4dba7e9.RIAA-y2mate-subpoena-namecheap.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/RIAA-y2mate-subpoena-namecheap.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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=UXt97zCpNjc:KD2GY4N6DbQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=UXt97zCpNjc:KD2GY4N6DbQ:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=UXt97zCpNjc:KD2GY4N6DbQ:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/UXt97zCpNjc" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172932
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 05/27/19
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-05-27-19
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/k1GDM_6QcDs/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-172935" src="media/c58c822a.usmovie.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/usmovie.png" alt="" width="290" height="208">This week we have three newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Us 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>&nbsp;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-05-20-19/">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/tt6857112/">Us</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857112/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tzFRIQfwXg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448115/">Shazam!</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448115/">7.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oD7B7oiBtw">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/">Avengers: Endgame</a> (HDCam)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/">9.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcMBFSGVi1c">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6146586/">John Wick 3</a> (HDCam)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6146586/">8.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSXc5z9F7Do">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6472976/">Five Feet Apart</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6472976/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24YrEAGF32M">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6823368">Glass</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6823368">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBL6COBGjCA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9775360/">Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9775360/">7.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLZXFHIjZEY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5719748/">Cold Pursuit</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5719748/">6.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C2Nad0aMPg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">Aquaman</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmqJJqFX_CU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1489887/">Booksmart</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1489887/">7.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhd3lo_IWJc">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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=k1GDM_6QcDs:M-J5SDNFsus:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=k1GDM_6QcDs:M-J5SDNFsus:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=k1GDM_6QcDs:M-J5SDNFsus:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/k1GDM_6QcDs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172937
title: Movie Companies Sue ‘YTS’ and ‘YIFY’ Site Operators in US Court
uri: Movie-Companies-Sue-YTS-and-YIFY-Site-Operators-in-US-Cour
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/blExjQ44bvs/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-172941" src="media/2d781650.yts.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/yts.png" alt="" width="247" height="94">With millions of visitors, YTS.am is the most visited torrent site on the Internet, beating even the legendary Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>The site &#8216;unofficially&#8217; took over the YTS brand when the original group <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/yify-yts-shuts-down-the-end-of-a-piracy-icon-151030/">threw the towel in 2015</a>. It is one of the many sites out there today that keep the YTS and the related YIFY brands alive and well.</p>
<p>The popularity of these sites is a thorn in the side of filmmakers and a select group of them is now taking action through a complaint filed at a federal court in Hawaii.</p>
<p>The companies behind the movies Singularity, Once Upon a Time in<br>Venice, Mechanic: Resurrection, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, I Feel Pretty, Boyka: Undisputed and Hunter Killer, accuse the alleged operators of YIFYMovies.is and YTS.am of inducing and contributing to massive piracy.</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiffs bring this action to stop the massive piracy of their motion pictures brought on by websites under the collective names YIFY and YTS and their users,&#8221; it reads.</p>
<p>The case was filed last month but has thus far remained under the radar. The names of the alleged site operators are not known. They are referred to as Doe 1 and Doe 2 respectively.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Defendants DOE 1 and DOE 2 cause harm to Plaintiffs’ business within</span> <span class="fontstyle0">this District by diverting customers in this District to unauthorized Internet based content distribution services through, at least, the websites yifymovies.is and yts.ag</span> .&#8221;</p>
<p>Both sites operate differently. YTS.ag, which now uses the YTS.am domain name, is a torrent site and by far the most popular of the two. YIFYMovies.is, on the other hand, allows users to stream content directly on the site.</p>
<p>The movie companies accuse both site operators of intentional inducement of copyright infringement as well as contributory copyright infringement.</p>
<p>Among other things, they are believed to have helped many of the site&#8217;s users to download or stream movies without permission, while making money through advertisements.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While there are no known connections that we&#8217;re aware of, the filmmakers allege that both sites &#8220;act in concert&#8221; as they use the same type of logo. These are derived from the original YTS and YIFY logos, although these are used by many other copycat sites as well.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/584cd1f3.ytsds.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ytsds.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-172942"/><figcaption>YTS.am</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Through the lawsuit the filmmakers demand damages, which can reach up to $150,000 per pirated film.</p>
<p>In addition, the companies request an injunction to prevent third-party intermediaries such as hosting companies, domain registrars, and search engines, form facilitating access to the YIFYMovies.is,&nbsp; YTS.ag, and YTS.am domains.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While no injunction has yet been issued, YIFYMovies.is did suddenly disappear a few days ago. This may in part be due to the legal action and a related DMCA subpoena that was issued against Cloudflare, in an attempt to identify the site&#8217;s operator.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Besides the two site operators, the complaint also names two individuals who&#8217;re accused of downloading and distributing copyrighted films, in part through YTS.am or a related site. These have all been dismissed after signing a consent judgment.</p>
<p>The paperwork doesn&#8217;t indicate that a settlement was made, but the users in question do state that the deceptive and misleading language on the YTS and YIFY sites led them to believe that they were legal platforms. This will likely help the filmmakers&#8217; claims against the site operators.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>YTS.am, the largest target in this lawsuit, remains online at the time of writing.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of the complaint as well as the exhibits is <a href="media/961b0980.Yify_binder.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Yify_binder.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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=blExjQ44bvs:Zm42cCMvJJU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=blExjQ44bvs:Zm42cCMvJJU:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=blExjQ44bvs:Zm42cCMvJJU:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/blExjQ44bvs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172967
title: 24% of French Internet Users Stream Live TV Content Illegally
uri: 24-of-French-Internet-Users-Stream-Live-TV-Content-Illegally
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/OObCe8WRjqM/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="media/8474cc37.hadopilogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/hadopilogo.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-41298" width="259" height="115"/></figure></div>



<p>Just over a decade ago this month, France adopted new legislation allowing the country to more easily crack down on Internet piracy.</p>



<p>The so-called Hadopi law, which also spawned a government anti-piracy agency of the same name, was initially focused on the threat posed by peer-to-peer file-sharing systems, BitTorrent in particular.</p>



<p>However, ten years is a long time and since then, live streaming has stormed onto the scene as a convenient way for the public to view both licensed and unlicensed content. As a result, Hadopi is now taking an increased interest in how the latter is consumed online.</p>



<p>The findings of a new study carried out by Hadopi in conjunction with market research company <a href="https://www.ifop.com/qui-sommes-nous/">IFOP</a>, reveals that almost a quarter of French Internet users (24%) now access live TV programming illegally.</p>



<p>Perhaps unsurprisingly, streaming sites are the most popular locations, with 17% of all respondents admitting to using them to access live TV. Social networks prove slightly less popular at 14%, with just 5% admitting to using a dedicated IPTV device or application.</p>



<p>Platforms falling into the streaming site category are web-based affairs, often with embedded players, such as RojaDirecta, StreamonSports, and FootStream.tv etc. Of those using these services, 52% say they do so more than three times per week.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/9f44df88.image-56.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-56.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172980" width="600"/><figcaption><em>How live streaming sites work, as per Hadopi</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>The social network category is populated by services such as YouTube Live, Facebook Live, or Periscope, where Internet users share pirated streams of live content with each other. Six out of ten (61%) of these users admit to accessing streams more than three times per week.</p>



<p>The third category, IPTV, is defined as a service that&#8217;s accessible via devices including smart TVs, dedicated boxes, smartphones, tablets, or software. These provide users with access to often premium channels that would usually be available as part of a legal package from an official provider. </p>



<p>Almost three quarters (73%) of these users admit to using these services in excess of three times per week, something which is clearly bothering Hadopi, despite just 5% of respondents currently using them.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="media/ce900f72.image-57.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-57.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172981"/><figcaption><em>How &#8216;Pirate&#8217; IPTV services work, as per Hadopi</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>The agency says this relatively small IPTV usage figure is increasing and has a more damaging effect on legal consumption due to &#8220;cannibalization&#8221;. &#8216;Pirate&#8217; IPTV services are the closest one can get to an official streaming package so people are more likely to switch.</p>



<p>&#8220;54% of illegal IPTV users have already unsubscribed from a legal offer,&#8221; the report notes. </p>



<p>Additional uptake of pirate IPTV appears to have been driven by World Cup and Champions League fans after only some of these matches were delivered unencrypted to the public. </p>



<p>While the study focuses on live TV, it acknowledges that IPTV services pose a broader threat, since many also offer a VOD (Video-On-Demand) service containing hundreds if not thousands of movies and TV shows to be consumed at a time and place of the user&#8217;s choosing.  </p>



<p>It&#8217;s clear from the study that many of those using pirate IPTV devices and apps do so because of the cost. Of those who admitted using them, 66% pay less than 100 euros per year for a package, including some (9%) who pay nothing at all. </p>



<p>As a comparison, combined annual subscriptions to BEIN Sports, Canal+, SFR Sport and OCS amounts to more than 760 euros per year. However, even when a subscriber buys them all the offer can&#8217;t compete with the offerings of a regular IPTV provider.</p>



<p>&#8220;After this first phase of the study of the uses [detailed above], the Hadopi agency will continue its analysis of the ecosystem of the illegal supply of live TV programs in order to detect, anticipate and warn, against emerging illicit practices,&#8221; the agency writes.</p>



<p>&#8220;In connection with the rights holders, television channels, Hadopi brings its technical and legal expertise to promote the implementation of actions to ensure effective and efficient protection of sustainable creation on the Internet.&#8221;</p>



<p> <em>Hadopi&#8217;s paper can be downloaded here (<a href="media/eccc82e9.adopi_Consommation_illicite_programmesTV_en20direct_Synthese.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.hadopi.fr/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/ckeditor_files/Mai_2019_Etude_Hadopi_Consommation_illicite_programmesTV_en%20direct_Synthese.pdf">pdf</a>, French)</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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=OObCe8WRjqM:sWIB5lpwB0Q:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=OObCe8WRjqM:sWIB5lpwB0Q:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=OObCe8WRjqM:sWIB5lpwB0Q:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/OObCe8WRjqM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172930
title: DBR.ee Shut Down By Music Industry Groups
uri: DBR-ee-Shut-Down-By-Music-Industry-Groups
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/TQ3IAzrAEMo/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-172975" src="media/11e31c21.dbree.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dbree.png" alt="" width="250" height="170">While movies and TV-shows tend to be the most sought-after content among pirates, music remains popular as well.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thousands of album releases can be found on classic torrent sites and stream-ripping services are also widely used.</p>
<p>In addition, there&#8217;s a dedicated group of music fans who share their work in private forums, dedicated release sites, or through messaging tools such as Telegram and Discord.</p>
<p>These sites and services usually rely on third-party hosting platforms and have become renowned for hosting pre-release leaks. This includes DRB.ee.</p>
<p>The music industry isn&#8217;t happy with this activity and following a series of leaks last month, the RIAA took action. Among other things, the music group <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-obtains-subpoena-to-expose-infringing-cloudflare-users-180506/">requested a subpoena</a> from a Columbia federal court against Cloudflare, requiring it to hand over identifying information related to several domain names.</p>
<p>“We have determined that users of your system or network have infringed our member record companies’ copyrighted sound recordings. Enclosed is a subpoena compliant with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act,” the RIAA’s McDevitt wrote to Cloudflare.</p>
<p>Among the targets was the hosting site DBR.ee which, according to the RIAA, made a copy of Big Sean&#8217;s track &#8216;Emotional&#8217; available, as highlighted in the subpoena request.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/532f6787.cfriaa.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/cfriaa.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172028"/></figure></div>


<p>While it&#8217;s not known if and what information Cloudflare handed over, DBR.ee went offline soon after. The downtime was initially shrouded in mystery, with some claiming that the site would soon return. However, it has now become clear that the site was targeted by the RIAA, IFPI, and Music Canada.&nbsp;</p>
<p>After a domain name update, now DBR.ee links to a message from the three music groups, noting that the site is no longer available.</p>
<p>&#8220;This site has been shut down following legal action for copyright infringement,&#8221; the page states, featuring the logos of the three music organizations.</p>
<p>&#8220;Making available copyright protected music on the internet without authorisation from the copyright holder is illegal. Wilful, commercial scale copyright infringement could lead to criminal conviction. Illegal music services exploit the work of artists and pay nothing to those creating and investing in music.&#8221;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/351db5aa.shutdb5.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/shutdb5.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172976"/><figcaption>The shutdown notice</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>In a follow-up comment, IFPI explains to us that they identified and contacted the site operator, who agreed to stop the infringing activities. Whether the Cloudflare subpoena was instrumental wasn&#8217;t specifically confirmed, but that would make sense.</p>
<p> “DBR.ee was responsible for large scale copyright infringement of music content,&#8221; an IFPI spokesperson informed TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>&#8220;On behalf of our member record companies, IFPI, RIAA and Music Canada identified and contacted the site operator who has now agreed to shut down the site completely and not to infringe sound recording rights in the future.”</p>
<p>A source familiar with the site informed TorrentFreak that DBR.ee was hosted in Canada, which may further explain in the involvement of Music Canada. The organization informed us that it sides with IFPI&#8217;s statement.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s worth noting that Ayefiles, which was targeted with the same subpoena, has been offline for a few days as well. Similarly, the hosting platform Nofile, the subject of another RIAA subpoena, is also offline. </p>
<p>Others that were targeted, such as the unrelated Dbree.org and the music release site &#8216;Plus Premieres&#8217;, remain online. The latter does mention the downtime issues at DBR.ee </p>
<p>&#8220;With <span class="js-display-url">dbr.ee</span> and <span class="js-display-url">omerta.is</span> offline a lot of links need to be reuploaded. Considering how much music we have and our limited amount of editors that will take some time,&#8221; Plus Premieres<a href="https://twitter.com/PlusPremieresX/status/1130888846214868993"> said on Twitter</a> recently.</p>
<p>Now that the music industry has these platforms clearly in their sights, more reuploading may be needed in the near future.</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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=TQ3IAzrAEMo:1dqB0IgKnQQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=TQ3IAzrAEMo:1dqB0IgKnQQ:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=TQ3IAzrAEMo:1dqB0IgKnQQ:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/TQ3IAzrAEMo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173011
title: MagnetDL Makes Comeback Days After it Shut Itself Down
uri: MagnetDL-Makes-Comeback-Days-After-it-Shut-Itself-Down
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/oB0-fRByzQI/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-172648" src="media/7637f84a.magnetdl1.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/magnetdl1.png" alt="" width="267" height="149">Little over a week ago the magnet torrent search engine <a href="https://www.magnetdl.com/">MagnetDL</a> suddenly closed its doors, without prior warning.</p>
<p>Instead of the regular search box which served as a gateway to millions of downloads, users were welcomed by the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrent-site-magnetdl-shuts-down-190520/">following message</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“MagnetDL has closed. It has been a great seven years and it’s sad to have it come to an end. Thanks to everyone who has visited over the years especially our regular visitors,” a message on the site read.</p>
<p>The site, which has been around since 2012, had built up a dedicated userbase which was unpleasantly surprised by the news. The shutdown triggered a wave of responses, with some calling for a comeback.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While that kind of outreach usually doesn&#8217;t change anything, in this case, it motivated the operator to continue. Soon, the &#8216;goodbye&#8217; message was replaced by a new note announcing a swift and surprising comeback.</p>
<p>And indeed, a few hours ago the site reappeared as if nothing had happened. Intrigued by the turn of events, we reached out MagnetDL&#8217;s operator, who was willing to shed some light at what happened.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/ef2af43e.magnetdlback.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/magnetdlback.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173021"/><figcaption>Aaaand it&#8217;s back</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The initial decision to close the site was deliberate and came after facing a suspension from its former hosting provider.</p>
<p>&#8220;There was pressure on the web host from their ISP to suspend my account due to various copyright complaints. The choice was to either close the site or find a new server,&#8221; MagnetDL&#8217;s admin told us.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;There wasn’t much time to decide and so I began to wonder if it was worth continuing; that’s why it closed,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>The idea was to shut the magnet search engine down permanently, but after seeing the responses from users, doubt started to set in. Not much later, the initial decision was reversed and the site&#8217;s operator set things in motion to relocate to a new host.</p>
<p>&#8220;The people spoke and it was clear they wanted it back,&#8221; MagnetDL&#8217;s operator says. &#8220;The site provides a good service especially for those who may not be able to afford the latest movies or subscribe to a bunch of streaming services.&#8221;&nbsp;</p>
<p>While this almost sounds like a PR move, the motivation seems sincere. The site&#8217;s operator doesn&#8217;t plan to make any changes to the site and will just keep things the way they are.</p>
<p>The site is by no means a money magnet, but as long as ads pay the bills, the operator says he&#8217;s fine.</p>
<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s really not much revenue in a site like this but hopefully just enough to pay for the server. It’s still a relatively small site but that’s okay. There are no significant changes planned but focusing on keeping a fast, clean, user-friendly site.&#8221;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Needless to say, the users who complained earlier, are pretty happy with this decision.&nbsp;</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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=oB0-fRByzQI:kh36SqBhGaU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=oB0-fRByzQI:kh36SqBhGaU:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=oB0-fRByzQI:kh36SqBhGaU:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/oB0-fRByzQI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173044
title: Media & Telecoms Companies Reveal “Self-Learning” Anti-Piracy System
uri: Media-Telecoms-Companies-Reveal-Self-Learning-Anti-Piracy-Syst
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/JhBwbzutrjw/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/10efd0ba.network-round.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/network-round.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-126170"/></figure></div>



<p>Last November, major media and tech companies in Russia <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/landmark-anti-piracy-database-agreement-signed-in-moscow-181101/">signed</a> a landmark memorandum in order to tackle the rise of pirated content on the Internet.</p>



<p>Central to the agreement was the creation of a database populated with links to material deemed copyright-infringing by entertainment industry groups</p>



<p>Operators of search platforms agreed to query the database every five minutes and then, within six hours, remove links to the content from their search results. The same applies to sites that actually host content, such as Yandex.video and RuTube, for example.    </p>



<p>Population of the database got quickly underway and according to the <a href="http://np-mks.com">Media Communication Union</a> (MKC), which represents the interests of major media and telecoms companies, now contains around 300,000 links. However, the companies involved feel that the system can be much improved with the addition of custom software.</p>



<p>To that end, this week the MKC revealed that it has begun testing a new anti-piracy system that will allow content to be added to the database more quickly and efficiently. The tool not only allows URLs to be entered manually but also accepts input from &#8220;specialized search systems&#8221; that are able to identify illegal content.</p>



<p>&#8220;An automated solution based on specially trained neural networks is used to analyze the content of sites specified in the rights holders&#8217; reports,&#8221; MKC announced. </p>



<p>MKC says that manual testing is also used in a number of cases, with the results being sent to the neural network for &#8220;additional training.&#8221; As the project develops, the aim is to require the intervention of human operators on much fewer occasions.</p>



<p>&#8220;A modern software solution based on self-learning systems will significantly increase the effectiveness of the fight against Internet piracy and will further increase the consumption of legal video services,&#8221; said MKS President Mikhail Demin.</p>



<p>An almost fully-automated anti-piracy seems like a big ask, particularly when machines are often blamed for erroneous takedowns. However, for the head of Russian telecoms watchdog Roskomndazor, removing humans from the equation where possible will make the system more effective.</p>



<p>&#8220;This is a significant event for both sides of the Memorandum,” Alexander Zharov says.</p>



<p>&#8220;An automated solution for interaction within the framework of the Memorandum will help to increase the reaction times and reduce the risks associated with the &#8216;human factor&#8217;.&#8221;</p>



<p>It is not yet clear whether the system under development represents anything drastically new in the anti-piracy space, or whether the &#8220;self-learning&#8221; component will amount to anything more than scraping allegedly-infringing URLs and then sending these to the registry.</p>



<p>Nevetherless, beta tests are already underway and it&#8217;s expected that the finished product will be with rightsholders before the end of July.</p>



<p>The memorandum and supporting technical efforts are currently in operation voluntarily until the terms of the agreement run out November 1, 2019. However, given the level of commitment being shown by the parties involved, it&#8217;s expected to continue until the terms of the memorandum can be written into local law.</p>



<p></p>



<p></p>



<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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=JhBwbzutrjw:ggcp04f14UE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=JhBwbzutrjw:ggcp04f14UE:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=JhBwbzutrjw:ggcp04f14UE:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/JhBwbzutrjw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173013
title: Bell Wants Canada to Criminalize Pirate Streaming Services
uri: Bell-Wants-Canada-to-Criminalize-Pirate-Streaming-Services
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/pWPU2GBboKo/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-125426" src="media/fdb4ba62.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167">To ensure that the Internet is able to function to the benefit of the broader public, the Government of Canada appointed an external panel to review Canada&#8217;s communications legislative framework.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The panel is expected to release its findings next month, which will in part be based on input received from public submissions earlier this year.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thus far, most submissions have surprisingly been kept from public view. However, University of Ottawa professor <a href="http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2019/05/self-serving-in-the-extreme-bells-broadcast-and-telecom-submission-to-the-btlr-revealed/">Michael Geist</a> filed an Access to Information Act request and will publish the responses he receives. <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/411717061/BCE-BTLR-submission">The first one</a> comes from Canadian telco Bell and stretches to 167 pages.</p>
<p>Bell’s submission deals with a wide variety of topics ranging from online video regulations to online privacy requirements. For the purposes of this article, however, we focus on the company&#8217;s suggestions when it comes to piracy and copyright infringement.</p>
<p>One of the Government’s prime policy priorities, according to Bell, should be to combat content piracy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;Canadian creators, the Canadian broadcasting system, and the Canadian<br>telecommunications system do not have effective tools to protect the content that is central to the creative and digital economy against the rampant growth of digital piracy,&#8221; Bell writes.</p>
<p>The submission goes on to cite various piracy studies that support this claim. It reports, for example, that 26% of all Canadians admit to having accessed pirated content online. In addition, it mentions that 15.3% of all Canadian households use set-top-boxes with piracy add-ons or access piracy subscription services.&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to Bell, now is the time to address the online piracy issue and it provides two concrete proposals. The first one is aimed at tackling pirate online streaming services, including the previously mentioned streaming sites and set-top boxes.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Bell equates this relatively new type of piracy to the boom in black market satellite piracy roughly three decades ago. At the time, lawmakers responded by updating the Radiocommunication Act to criminalize the decoding of encrypted signals and the possession and sale of devices intended for that purpose.</p>
<p>&#8220;This stimulated law enforcement activity in the area of satellite piracy, which contributed to the investigation and shutting down of piracy operations and also had a significant deterrent effect,&#8221; Bell notes.</p>
<p>The telco stresses that a similar response is now required to deal with the online streaming epidemic. Most pirate streaming services no longer rely on encryption but are based on rebroadcasting content over the Internet instead.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This type of streaming activity should be criminalized in the Broadcasting Act, Bell recommends. Not just the services and sites that do the &#8216;broadcasting,&#8217; but also people who advertise or sell related products.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;Accordingly, we recommend that a provision be added to the Broadcasting Act making it a criminal offense for anyone subject to an exemption from the requirement to hold a license to knowingly operate, advertise, supply, or sell or offer to sell access to a distribution undertaking that retransmits broadcasting without lawful authorization from a programming undertaking.&#8221;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/75248593.crimstream.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/crimstream.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173053"/><figcaption>Criminalize</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>&#8220;Such an approach would concentrate criminal liability on commercially-motivated operators engaged in organized crime and would stimulate additional law enforcement activity to address this pressing threat,&#8221; Bell adds.</p>
<p>This measure doesn&#8217;t appear to be aimed at end-users but will certainly affect pirate streaming sites, vendors of pirate set-top boxes, as well as those who promote them.</p>
<p>The second anti-piracy proposal put forward by Bell is to make it possible for ISPs to block pirate sites more easily. This is the same plan proposed by Fairplay Canada Coalition last year, but with a twist.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;By far the most important tool that modernized legislation should adopt is the ability for an independent authority to grant orders requiring all Internet service providers (ISPs) to disable access to sites that are blatantly, structurally, or overwhelmingly engaged in piracy,&#8221; Bell writes.</p>
<p>This Fairplay blocking proposal <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/telecoms-regulator-denies-canadian-pirate-site-blocking-application-181002/">was denied</a> by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) last fall, which noted that it lacks jurisdiction. According to Bell, this is something the Government could change through an update of the Telecommunications Act.</p>
<p>Specifically, it wants the Government to amend current legislation to authorize the CRTC to approve and require Internet providers to disable access to sites that are blatantly, overwhelmingly, or structurally engaged in piracy.&nbsp;</p>
<p>That blocking is not a perfect solution, shouldn&#8217;t matter. Even a partial reduction in traffic to pirate sites, as has happened in other countries, should already be rather effective, Bell argues.</p>
<p>&#8220;A policy that reduces the total level of piracy by up to 40% from the level that would otherwise have prevailed, and that substantially increases the legal consumption of content, can only be considered incredibly effective. The fact that it does not eliminate 100% of piracy is not a justification for inaction,&#8221; the telco writes.</p>
<p>Website blocking also finds support in a <a href="http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2019/05/no-mandated-netflix-cancon-payments-shaw-argues-success-lies-in-more-regulatory-flexibility-in-btlr-submission/">separate submission</a> from Shaw Communications, another major Canadian telco.&nbsp; Similar to Bell, Shaw believes that an update to the Copyright Act is required to achieve that. The company, however, rejects a proposal to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/canadian-music-group-proposes-copyright-tax-on-internet-use-181006/">tax ISP subscriptions to support copyright holders</a>.</p>
<p>By criminalizing pirate streaming services and blocking pirate sites, Bell hopes to make a significant dent in Canada&#8217;s piracy rates. Whether the government’s expert panel will adopt these recommendations has yet to be seen.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Many copyright holders are likely to side with Bell,&nbsp; but there is plenty of opposition as well. Michael Geist, for example, characterizes Bell&#8217;s submission as &#8220;<a href="http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2019/05/self-serving-in-the-extreme-bells-broadcast-and-telecom-submission-to-the-btlr-revealed/">self-serving in the extreme</a>,&#8221; noting that it poses shocking risks to many stakeholders in Canada&#8217;s communication industry.</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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=pWPU2GBboKo:yGqEV2j8Q_Q:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=pWPU2GBboKo:yGqEV2j8Q_Q:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=pWPU2GBboKo:yGqEV2j8Q_Q:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/pWPU2GBboKo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172996
title: ISP Reports Movie Company to Data Protection Agency Over ‘Piracy’ Data
uri: ISP-Reports-Movie-Company-to-Data-Protection-Agency-Over-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/lNQDuR9AACo/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/efd05bc4.trollsign.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/trollsign.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-108977"/></figure></div>



<p>While some movie companies are satisfied with the income generated by their content, others are increasingly looking for additional revenue streams via legal action.</p>



<p>One of those companies is Venice PI, the outfit behind the Bruce Willis movie Once Upon a Time in Venice. It has filed several lawsuits in the United States with the aim of extracting cash settlements from alleged BitTorrent users, cases that haven&#8217;t always gone in the company&#8217;s favor.</p>



<p>In common with other companies involved in so-called &#8220;copyright trolling&#8221; cases, Venice PI has already found itself in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/judge-issues-devastating-order-bittorrent-copyright-troll-180110/">awkward positions</a> in court. That hasn&#8217;t prevented it from filing further lawsuits, however.</p>



<p>Indeed, Venice PI and partners have gone after &#8216;pirate&#8217; services too, including <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/filmmakers-settle-piracy-lawsuit-with-dragon-box-180703/">Dragon Box</a>, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/movie-studios-sue-founder-and-distributors-of-popular-pirate-app-showbox-180524/">Showbox</a>, and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/movie-companies-sue-popcorn-time-operator-in-us-court-190102/">Popcorn Time</a>. Given the status of these cases, it seems that settlements rather than full trials are still on the agenda.</p>



<p>Venice PI also appears to be testing similar markets overseas, with the company demanding that Spanish ISP <a href="https://www.euskaltel.com">Euskaltel</a> hand over the identities of individuals who allegedly downloaded and shared the previously-mentioned Bruce Willis movie.</p>



<p>Euskaltel says that it has repeatedly refused to hand over any data but was eventually ordered by Commercial Court No. 2 of Bilbao to hand over the personal details of subscribers behind IP addresses said to have pirated the movie.</p>



<p>&#8220;Despite the repeated refusal of the ISP to deliver any data to the Court, the Commercial Court number 2 of Bilbao issued a ruling dismissing Euskaltel&#8217;s opposition allegations, forcing the ISP to provide the Court with the required information,&#8221; a statement from Euskaltel reads.</p>



<p>&#8220;The Court forced Euskaltel to provide the data of the affected clients, without the possibility of appeal, delivering them to the film producer.&#8221;</p>



<p>Of course, it was no surprise when, in recent weeks, Euskaltel customers began receiving correspondence from lawyers representing Venice PI. </p>



<p>Somewhat unusually for such cases, the ISP reports that customers were targeted via their email addresses (rather than regular mail) with demands to pay a 150 euro settlement within five days of the notice &#8220;to avoid the initiation of legal proceedings.&#8221;</p>



<p>Interestingly &#8211; and despite being ordered to hand over the information by the Court &#8211; Euskaltel believes the use of the personal data in this manner may constitute a breach of Spain&#8217;s Data Protection regulations.</p>



<p>&#8220;The Telecommunications operator Euskaltel has filed a complaint with the Spanish Agency for Data Protection (AEPD) against the film producer Venice PI, LLC, for possible violation of data protection regulations as a result of the use of what the producer did with the Euskaltel customer data,&#8221; the company says.</p>



<p>&#8220;At no time did the Euskaltel group identify the owners of such IP addresses as authors of any infringement or make any assessment of the legality or illegality of the actions taken by users.&#8221;</p>



<p>The ISP says that when it provided information to Venice PI in compliance with an order for preliminary proceedings, the movie company was &#8220;not free to decide what to do the data, a circumstance that seems to have been breached and that may constitute an infringement of data protection regulations.&#8221;</p>



<p>The complaint was filed with the AEPD (Agencia Española de Protección de Datos) on May 20, 2019. The data protection agency has not yet commented on the complaint.</p>



<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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=lNQDuR9AACo:vd6ecSE-umU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=lNQDuR9AACo:vd6ecSE-umU:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=lNQDuR9AACo:vd6ecSE-umU:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/lNQDuR9AACo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172963
title: BitTorrent to Fork IPFS to Create Decentralized File-Storage System
uri: BitTorrent-to-Fork-IPFS-to-Create-Decentralized-File-Storage-System
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/duzZJBGk24U/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/5c2b692b.tron-bittorrent.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tron-bittorrent.png" alt="" class="wp-image-159222"/></figure></div>



<p>In 2018, BitTorrent Inc. was officially <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-inc-confirms-acquisition-by-tron-foundation-180724/">aquired by Tron</a>, a relatively new player in the cryptocurrency space.</p>



<p>Both companies have a keen interest in decentralization, with shared goals of allowing users around the world to communicate without third-party intervention.</p>



<p>While there is a constant online buzz about the cryptocurrency side of TRON, the 100+ million users of the uTorrent and BitTorrent Mainline clients have been keen to hear what this acquisition will mean for them. </p>



<p>Last year, TRON founder Justin Sun said that introducing <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tron-wants-to-give-bittorrent-users-financial-incentives-to-seed-180731/">financial rewards</a> for seeders will lead to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-and-tron-hope-other-clients-will-embrace-paid-seeding-180928/">faster download speeds</a> and greater content retention. While this system has yet to be revealed in public, this week Sun teased a potentially more exciting development via Twitter.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Welcome to the next generation of decentralized storage systems! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BTFS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BTFS</a> will be the largest decentralized P2P storage network with close to 100 million <a href="https://twitter.com/BitTorrent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BitTorrent</a> user nodes, over 1000 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TRON?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TRON</a> full nodes, 27 SR nodes, and global <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TronGrid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TronGrid</a> nodes. 3 days left! Are you excited? <a href="https://t.co/Gj3TzTM1Qg">pic.twitter.com/Gj3TzTM1Qg</a></p>&mdash; Justin Sun (@justinsuntron) <a href="https://twitter.com/justinsuntron/status/1132949563268947969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>Last evening, as promised, BitTorrent Inc. put more meat on the bones of this tweet.</p>



<p>&#8220;BitTorrent, a leader in peer-to-peer protocols and products, will incorporate BitTorrent File System (BTFS) to allow users to receive and host storage on their computers with other individuals and businesses,&#8221; the company said in a statement.</p>



<p>While the existing BitTorrent system is already a kind of decentralized storage system, BTFS will be different. Based on the existing InterPlanetary File System (<a href="https://ipfs.io/">IPFS</a>) protocol, BTFS seems destined to offer a way to store files online without the use of centralized hosting.</p>



<p>Instead of placing files on traditional hosting sites, files will be distributed across the computers of those participating in the BTFS network. At this stage, the most likely candidates appear to be the users of the uTorrent and BitTorrent Mainline torrent clients, but TRON hasn&#8217;t yet provided any solid information.</p>



<p>&#8220;BTFS is a continuing step in our mission to create a decentralized internet that allows everyone to share in the wealth of web commerce,&#8221; said Justin Sun, founder of TRON and CEO of BitTorrent.</p>



<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re creating a platform with BTFS, BitTorrent Speed blockchain integration and the BTT utility token to let users quickly and privately interact with each other around the world without a middleman or government intervention.&#8221; </p>



<p>Many believed that Sun&#8217;s tweet earlier this week meant that BTFS itself was three days from launch, but that isn&#8217;t the case. BitTorrent Inc. says the BTFS Mainnet will be launched &#8220;for public access&#8221; in Q3 2019 but BTFS itself is still undergoing testing and won&#8217;t be available until 2020.</p>



<p>An easy-to-understand explanation of how IPFS works can be found below.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe width="694" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5Uj6uR3fp-U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=duzZJBGk24U:HHMLmdFY3ys:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=duzZJBGk24U:HHMLmdFY3ys:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=duzZJBGk24U:HHMLmdFY3ys:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/duzZJBGk24U" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173048
title: RapidVideo Blocks Pirate Sites Over Copyright Concerns
uri: RapidVideo-Blocks-Pirate-Sites-Over-Copyright-Concerns
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/gWzvY96mIcU/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-162983" src="media/480ecaa6.rapidvideo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rapidvideo.png" alt="" width="245" height="154"><a href="https://www.rapidvideo.com/">RapidVideo</a> is a popular file-hosting site that specializes in hosting videos.</p>
<p>Similar to other file-hosting services, it can be used for good and bad. The bad, in this case, is uploading pirated videos.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Whether the site&#8217;s operators want it or not, that&#8217;s what many of RapidVideo&#8217;s users are indeed doing. A few months ago this resulted in a scathing report <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-reports-notorious-piracy-threats-to-the-us-government-181003/">from Hollywood&#8217;s MPAA</a>, which branded the site as a &#8220;notorious&#8221; piracy haven.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The U.S. Trade Representative didn&#8217;t adopt this recommendation in its yearly overview. Whether <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rapidvideo-responds-to-mpaas-piracy-claims-were-totally-legal-181019/">RapidVideo&#8217;s outspoken response</a> had anything to do with it is unknown. However, the video hosting site has recently taken several measures which are are not typical for a &#8220;notorious&#8221; site.</p>
<p>In April we <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/freeloading-kodi-add-on-users-are-undermining-rapidvideo-190405/">reported</a> that RapidVideo had shut down its pay-per-view rewards program, which was one of the MPAA&#8217;s main complaints. This week the video hosting service went a step further, by banning referrals from popular pirate video indexing sites.</p>
<p>The site&#8217;s operator informs TorrentFreak that referrals from the German sites Kinox.to , Streamkiste.tv , Filmpalast.to and Movie4k.to are now actively blocked. Instead of the requested videos, users now see the following message, translated from German.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m sorry! This portal is temporarily not available based on a copyright protection claim. Unfortunately, this content is not available in your region.&#8221;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/5f45c524.rapidblocked.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rapidblocked.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173082"/><figcaption>Blocked</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The message is shown to all visitors from these four video indexing sites. They are shown based on the referring URL but, if these fail, RapidVideo is also considering adding IP-address blockades in the future.&nbsp;</p>
<p>RapidVideo took the drastic measure because it&#8217;s particularly concerned about the German legal concept of ‘Störerhaftung’ (‘interferer liability’). This means that a third party can be held responsible for someone else’s infringements, even when it played no intentional part.</p>
<p>Add in Europe&#8217;s proposed Article 17, previously known as Article 13, and you get a volatile mix of potential copyright problems.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;Article 13 is coming within a few months to 2 years, so the control has to become tougher, because &#8216;Interferer liability&#8217; and &#8216;Article 13&#8217; together are a bad combination,&#8221; RapidVideo&#8217;s operator tells us.</p>
<p>RapidVideo&#8217;s operator stresses that there could be more blockades like this when Article 17 is implemented throughout the European Union member states.</p>
<p>It is worth noting that the four targeted sites are all blocked by the German ISP Vodafone as well. This is also what RapidVideo mentioned <a href="https://tarnkappe.info/rapidvideo-blockiert-kinox-to-movie4k-s-to-co/">to Tarnkappe</a> as an additional motivation.</p>
<p>A video hosting service such as RapidVideo blocking &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites is quite a game changer, to say the least. In the case of Kinox.to it appears to have had some effect already, as the site has removed all links to RapidVideo.</p>
<p>Movie4K seems to have taken another approach. When we tried to access a RapidVideo link from the site it went through an anonymous referrer service, which worked just fine.</p>
<p>But that&#8217;s the thing with blockades, there&#8217;s always a way around them.</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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=gWzvY96mIcU:EI7PA6tUArk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=gWzvY96mIcU:EI7PA6tUArk:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=gWzvY96mIcU:EI7PA6tUArk:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/gWzvY96mIcU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173091
title: As US Stream-Ripping Increases, Almost Half of Rippers Are Educated & Affluent
uri: As-US-Stream-Ripping-Increases-Almost-Half-of-Rippers-Are-Educated
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AU10_WWjzLM/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/fdb4ba62.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-125426"/></figure></div>



<p>According to major industry players, stream-ripping is a growing problem for recording labels and Internet platforms alike.</p>



<p>With revenues from streaming set to increase, people permanently downloading music from YouTube and similar platforms is considered a threat. Those who obtain content in this way can effectively circumvent the streaming business model, it&#8217;s argued.</p>



<p>A new study carried out by music industry research company <a href="https://www.musicwatchinc.com">MusicWatch</a> suggests that in the United States, the phenomenon is on the increase. </p>



<p>The study was carried out among 5,000 Internet users 13 years and above in January and early February 2019. From 15 million participants in 2017, the study found that around 17 million citizens in the U.S. participated in stream-ripping during 2018.</p>



<p>&#8220;I suspect the gain might be related to a few reasons,&#8221; MusicWatch Managing Partner Russ H. Crupnick informs TorrentFreak.</p>



<p>Crupnick cites a few factors, including the overall popularity of YouTube and the decline in purchases from iTunes &#8211; but people still wanting to have a song for their collection. The gradual decline of P2P sharing may also play a part as people still retain a desire for music, thanks to streaming. </p>



<p>&#8220;As more people stream they get a greater appetite for music,&#8221; Crupnick notes.</p>



<p>MusicWatch says that just over half (56%) of those who stream-rip are male, with 68% of all &#8216;rippers&#8217; falling into the 13 to 34-years-old bracket. The company categorizes 30% of users as &#8216;heavy&#8217;, ripping around 112 files (or roughly 10 to 11 albums worth of music) every year.</p>



<p>The main reasons for people to stream-rip are to have offline access to songs (46%) and wanting to own a song that isn&#8217;t considered worth buying (37%). While neither comes as a surprise, cost isn&#8217;t cited as a major factor. </p>



<p>Indeed, MusicWatch found that almost half (48%) of stream-rippers come from households with an annual income of $75K-$199K, with 43% holding down white-collar jobs. So what drives these people to rip?</p>



<p>&#8220;With a lot of piracy it’s not been about cost, it’s been about selectivity. I want something but not enough to pay for it?&#8221; Krupnick says.</p>



<p>&#8220;Unlike the P2P days, they aren’t downloading thousands of songs randomly. Just what they want for a collection, or a project. And they don’t want that song enough to pay $.99 for it.&#8221;</p>



<p>MusicWatch informs TF that the demographic for heavy streamers and those with a lot of devices is the affluent and the belief is that they are more tech-savvy than average. However, many people don&#8217;t consider that what they&#8217;re doing is potentially illegal.</p>



<p>&#8220;It’s  using YouTube; the app is on Google Play or Apple&#8217;s App Store&#8230;what’s  the problem?&#8221; Krupnick says,</p>



<p>&#8220;And in fact, I think that is part of the problem. We all knew that Napster/Limewire was &#8216;bad&#8217;. Here’s an app I get from Apple, that works fine on my iPhone or Mac, connects to a legal streaming service &#8211; where’s the problem?&#8221;</p>



<p>MusicWatch believes that search and app platforms should do more to educate consumers about which uses of their services could potentially result in copyright infringement. The company <a href="https://www.musicwatchinc.com/blog/thanks-to-stream-ripping-music-piracy-still-a-scourge/">adds</a> that stream-rippers are more likely to go the movies, play video games and subscribe to Netflix or Hulu, so if they pirate/rip music, that behavior could spill over to other areas.</p>



<p>&#8220;Discouraging stream-ripping isn’t just good for music; it’s good for the entire entertainment ecosystem,&#8221; MusicWatch concludes. </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/f56f7bda.Stream-Rip-Graphic.jpg" data-original-source="https://www.musicwatchinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Stream-Rip-Graphic.jpg" alt="" width="600"/></figure></div>



<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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=AU10_WWjzLM:p-Z8US2N0H8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=AU10_WWjzLM:p-Z8US2N0H8:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=AU10_WWjzLM:p-Z8US2N0H8:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/AU10_WWjzLM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173089
title: File-Sharing Legend “Napster” Turns 20 Years Old Today
uri: File-Sharing-Legend-Napster-Turns-20-Years-Old-Today
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/w833ADYGzIs/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-173118" src="media/e6cf79dd.napsterlo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/napsterlo.png" alt="" width="287" height="216" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/napsterlo.png 287w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/napsterlo-200x150.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 287px) 100vw, 287px">Somewhere in the fall of 1998 a user named &#8216;Napster&#8217; joined the w00w00 IRC channel, a chatroom on the EFnet network populated by a few dozen elite &#8216;hackers&#8217;.</p>
<p>&#8216;Napster&#8217; shared a new idea with the group. The then 17-year-old developer wanted to create a network of computers that could share files with each other. More specifically, music tracks.</p>
<p>To many people, including some in the IRC channel, that idea sounded absurd. At the time people could already download files from the fringes of the Internet but on a very limited scale. And even then, the choice was limited, and transfers were very unreliable.</p>
<p>Creating a network of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people who would all open up their hard drives to the rest and offer up bandwidth, was something that was entirely alien. &#8216;Napster&#8217;, however, had a feeling that people might be interested.</p>
<p>This feeling was shared by another teenage computer fanatic named &#8216;Man0War&#8217;. The two shared ideas online and eventually decided to meet up.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s when Shawn Fanning (aka Napster), who got the Napster nickname for his &#8216;nappy&#8217; hair, first saw Sean Parker (aka Man0War). Together, they came up with a plan to bring the idea to fruition.</p>
<p>Fast forward a few months and it&#8217;s June 1, 1999. What started as a distant vision was now a fully-fledged application that was ready to shake the world. The software, which carried the name of its inventor, Napster, soon found its way to millions of computers all over the world.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/84366932.napsterlist.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/napsterlist.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173119"/><figcaption>Napster</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>From there, things developed quickly. After roughly three months, Napster already provided access to four million songs and in less than a year, 20 million people had downloaded the application.</p>
<p>What started as a simple idea quickly transformed into a multi-million dollar business. The company, which employed several people that were in the w00w00 IRC channel, changed the way millions of people enjoyed music.</p>
<p>For many of Napster&#8217;s users, the application represented something magical. It was a gateway for musical exploration that dwarfed even the largest record stores in town. And all for free.</p>
<p>Initially, the novelty concealed the fact that people were not supposed to share their music libraries with the rest of the world, but this would quickly change. Within a year, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%26M_Records,_Inc._v._Napster,_Inc.">the RIAA sued Napster Inc</a>. and soon after several artists including Metallica and Dr. Dre followed.</p>
<p>Like most record labels, these artists saw the file-sharing software as a threat. They felt that it would destroy the music industry, which was at its peak at the time. However, there were also more positive sounds from artists who recognized the promotional effect of Napster.</p>
<p>While Dr. Dre said &#8220;Fuck Napster,&#8221; Chuck D famously described it as &#8220;the new radio.&#8221;</p>
<p>Napster&#8217;s users were not concerned about what the labels and artists thought. They were interested in expanding their music libraries. While there are no official numbers, Napster was responsible for a significant portion of the global Internet traffic at the time.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/db70fc42.napsterpc.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/napsterpc.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173120"/><figcaption>Napster</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>University campuses were soon transformed into file-sharing hotspots. At some campuses over half of all bandwidth was consumed by MP3-sharing students and staff. This eventually led to a ban of the application <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20031012144421/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/942090.stm">at several universities</a>, even before copyright issues arose.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the user base swelled to a peak of more than 26.4 million users worldwide in February 2001. But despite the epidemic growth and backing from investors, the small file-sharing empire couldn&#8217;t overcome the legal challenges.</p>
<p>The RIAA case resulted in an injunction from the Ninth Circuit Court, which ordered the network to shut down. This happened during July 2001, little more than two years after Napster launched. By September that year, the case had been settled for millions of dollars.</p>
<p>While the Napster craze was over, file-sharing had mesmerized the masses and the cat was out of the bag. Grokster, KaZaa, Morpheus, LimeWire, and many others popped up and provided sharing alternatives, for as long as they lasted. Meanwhile, BitTorrent was also knocking on the door.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While the aforementioned software was often associated with piracy, Napster had a momentous impact on the development of legal services. People clearly signaled that there were interested in downloading music, so the first download stores were launched, with iTunes taking the lead.</p>
<p>These download portals never came close to what Napster offered though. Many music fans were not interested in buying a few tracks here and there, they wanted millions of files at their fingertips, ready to be played. This included a Swedish teenager named Daniel Ek.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Napster experience eventually <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/how-the-pirate-bay-helped-spotify-become-a-success-180319/">triggered Ek</a> to come up with a legal alternative that would replicate his first experience with piracy. That application was Spotify, which for its part sparked a music streaming subscription boom.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Interestingly, music streaming is now the most important source of income for the music industry. These Napster-inspired services are good for roughly <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/02/streaming-accounted-for-nearly-half-of-music-revenues-worldwide-in-2018/">half of all the music revenues worldwide</a>, completing the circle, in a way.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Even the Napster brand, which has switched owners several times, lives on as a <a href="https://napster.com/">music subscription service</a> today, owned by US retailer Best Buy.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Napster&#8217;s founders, meanwhile, went on to create several other successful companies.</p>
<p>Sean Parker is a multi-billionaire now, in part thanks to his early involvement with Facebook. Fanning, aka Napster, is not doing badly either, with a net worth of more than 100 million, much like many other members of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W00w00">w00w00</a> IRC channel.</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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=w833ADYGzIs:iezaGS4voHI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=w833ADYGzIs:iezaGS4voHI:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=w833ADYGzIs:iezaGS4voHI:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/w833ADYGzIs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173006
title: YouTube-Rippers Infringe Copyright on “Industrial Scale” Says Judge
uri: YouTube-Rippers-Infringe-Copyright-on-Industrial-Scale-Says-Judg
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/tJO_k83QK3A/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/72389cbc.sadyoutube.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/sadyoutube.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-117196"/></figure></div>



<p>As part of the music industry&#8217;s war on so-called &#8216;stream-ripping&#8217;, earlier this year Sony, Universal, and Warner, with assistance from Music Rights Australia and the Australasian Performing Right Association, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/new-aussie-blocking-applications-targets-79-pirate-sites-plus-4-stream-ripping-platforms-190110/">demanded</a> that ISPs in Australia block access to several YouTube-ripping platforms.</p>



<p>Following a Federal Court appearance <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/aussie-music-industry-in-court-to-demand-stream-ripping-site-blocks-190403/">in April</a>, during which the music groups asked for action against four key players &#8211; 2conv, Flv2mp3, FLVto, and Convert2mp3 &#8211; Justice Perram <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/aussie-music-industry-wins-first-ever-stream-ripping-site-blocks-190516/">handed down an order</a> requiring most of the country&#8217;s ISPs to block the platforms.</p>



<p>This week, the Judge published the reasoning for his decision. While the blocking aspects are specific to Australian law, it contains some interesting comments about the activities of such platforms that may inform similar cases and actions in other regions.</p>



<p>In setting up his arguments, Justice Perram places an emphasis on the differences between streaming and downloading from YouTube.</p>



<p>While it has been argued that in practice there is only one difference (the former is a transient process while the latter goes a step further by retaining the data), the Judge indicates that is not for the end user to decide. The decision is made by the entity that uploads the data to YouTube and by YouTube itself.</p>



<p>&#8220;A person who uploads media to YouTube is required, as part of that process, to determine who can view that media and under what circumstances. It is possible as part of that process to grant permission to permit downloading of files,&#8221; the Judge writes. </p>



<p>In most cases uploading takes place after the user selects the &#8216;Standard YouTube License&#8217;, which only allows end users to stream the media, not download. Uploading under a &#8216;Creative Commons License&#8217; can permit end users to download but the labels do not upload on this basis. In essence, the decision of whether to allow streaming or downloading from YouTube lies with the uploader, the Judge says.</p>



<p>YouTube then delivers that content to end users under the terms of the uploading agreement, which is &#8220;achieved by YouTube defaulting to delivery of the media via the HTML5 format which enables streaming but not downloading.&#8221;</p>



<p>Turning to the ripping sites themselves, the Judge notes that in testing the platforms a paralegal at a law firm was able to &#8220;strip music files&#8221; out of the musical works uploaded to YouTube by the record companies. Since she was given permission, that was fine, but the Judge noted that there is &#8220;no doubt&#8221; that anyone else doing so would have infringed copyright.</p>



<p>After ripping took place on the sites in question, the resulting content was made available to end users. That, the Judge notes, is a &#8220;communication to the public&#8221; so in respect of the musical works detailed in the case, that represents copyright infringement.</p>



<p>&#8220;It follows that the operators of the websites are infringing the relevant music and performance copyrights by copying the soundtracks out of music videos streamed from YouTube,&#8221; the Judge writes.</p>



<p>&#8220;They are also infringing the same copyrights by making soundtracks then available online and electronically transmitting them to users. The operators also facilitate the infringement of both kinds of copyright by permitting users to make a copy of the soundtrack.&#8221;</p>



<p>Given that uploaders can grant the ability to allow streaming or downloading, the Judge says that such ripping platforms will only be of use to anyone where YouTube does not allow download functionality, i.e &#8220;where no permission is given to make a copy of media on YouTube.&#8221;</p>



<p>A statement published on the ConvertMP3 platform, that claims that downloading from YouTube is &#8220;completely legal&#8221; when users have obtained permission from the copyright owner to do so, is described as &#8220;technically correct&#8221; by the Judge. However, he dismissed the disclaimer as &#8220;entirely without substance&#8221;, existing only to &#8220;underscore the dishonesty of the website operators.&#8221;</p>



<p>The traffic to the websites listed in the order is considerable (66.5 million visits to Convert2mp3.net in January 2019 and 112.4 million to Flvto.biz in January 2019 alone), something which indicates that they are &#8220;responsible for piracy of music from music videos on an industrial scale.&#8221;</p>



<p>While it&#8217;s important to repeat that the order was considered and granted under Australian law, there are common threads with legislation in other regions that may yet prove important in cases against similar platforms.</p>



<p><em>Justice Perram&#8217;s order can be downloaded <a href="https://www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Judgments/fca/single/2019/2019fca0751">here</a>.</em></p>



<p> </p>



<p> </p>



<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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=tJO_k83QK3A:CdAYkh9djRU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=tJO_k83QK3A:CdAYkh9djRU:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=tJO_k83QK3A:CdAYkh9djRU:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/tJO_k83QK3A" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172352
title: ‘Netflix’ Flags Netflix.com As a Pirate Site, Or Does It?
uri: Netflix-Flags-Netflix-com-As-a-Pirate-Site-Or-Does-It
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Ll7tlg1wqbM/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-145677" src="media/97118de6.netflixlogonew.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/netflixlogonew.png" alt="" width="267" height="152">Netflix, like many other rightsholders, keeps a close eye on pirate sites.</p>
<p>The company has its own in-house anti-piracy team and also works with third-party companies, to issue takedown requests.</p>
<p>Over the past two years, the streaming giant has sent more than five million of these to Google alone. Many of them ask the search engine to remove links to pirate sites, but this week our eye was drawn to a more unusual request.</p>
<p>The notice in question was sent by the anti-piracy outfit Marketly, on behalf of Netflix, and identifies 250 URLs which presumably link to pirated copies of the movie &#8220;Triple Frontier.&#8221; However, on closer inspection, many of the reported links are not infringing at all.</p>
<p>The most obvious mistake is that <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18396921?access_token=iJ3nZ2ihpYhFggx6EJAwQw">the notice</a> reports Netflix&#8217;s own listing of &#8220;Triple Frontier&#8221; as a pirate copy, requesting Google to remove it from its search index.</p>
<p>Google spotted the mistake and didn&#8217;t comply. However, that&#8217;s not the only error. The same takedown request also includes a variety of links to other legitimate websites. This article from <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/ben-afflecks-triple-frontier-drew-52-million-viewers-in-first-month-netflix-says/">The Wrap</a> about Netflix&#8217;s streaming numbers for example, which mentions Triple Frontier, but isn&#8217;t piracy related.</p>
<p>The same is true for several other reported URLs. This includes a Hollywood Reporter <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-says-triple-frontier-viewed-by-52-million-households-first-month-1202487">story</a>, this <a href="https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/netflix-to-test-top-10-lists-1203191020/">top ten list</a> from Variety, this <a href="https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/netflix-umbrella-academy-viewers/">article</a> from The Daily Dot, a Business Insider<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflixs-mediocre-movies-are-huge-hits-bird-box-triple-frontier-2019-4"> report</a>, and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1488606/news">IMDb&#8217;s news page</a> for Triple Frontier. We could go on and on.</p>
<p>These findings could easily be used to once again argue that automated DMCA takedown processes are highly inaccurate. After all, if Google wasn&#8217;t sharp enough to spot these errors, legitimate content would have disappeared from the search results.</p>
<p>However, since we have seen our fair share of imposters over the past year, we&#8217;re not sure that this notice was sent by Marketly at all, or if Netflix has anything to do with it.</p>
<p>Marketly indeed works for Netflix and the streaming service does own the distribution rights to Triple Frontier. However, neither company is known for its negligence when it comes to these types of takedown efforts, although Marketly <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/warner-bros-takes-down-torrentfreak-tweet-over-software-piracy/">took down one of our tweets recently</a>.</p>
<p>Upon closer inspection, our doubts started to grow. For one, the Marketly that sent this takedown requests has a separate listing in Google&#8217;s transparency report.</p>
<p>In addition, there have been other Marketly imposters recently. For example, Google <a href="https://transparencyreport.google.com/copyright/reporters/206090">has flagged this copycat</a> as being fraudulent.</p>
<p>We&#8217;re more than happy and are inclined to chalk this clearly erroneous notice up as another scam attempt. Likely in an effort of a pirate site to punish competitors, as we&#8217;ve seen before.</p>
<p>However, that doesn&#8217;t make this less of a problem. In fact, if scammers continue to make claims like this, it will likely lead to overbroad takedowns. And with millions of URLs being submitted per day, Google will have a hard time catching them all.</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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=Ll7tlg1wqbM:SwUu-0QusMo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=Ll7tlg1wqbM:SwUu-0QusMo:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=Ll7tlg1wqbM:SwUu-0QusMo:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/Ll7tlg1wqbM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172842
title: Veteran Pirate With Millions of Downloads Says “Sharing is Caring”
uri: Veteran-Pirate-With-Millions-of-Downloads-Says-Sharing-is-Caring
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/zchVMJu4pII/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="media/1c4adcc8.92673002681786923483.jpg" data-original-source="https://imgsaver.com/images/2019/03/12/92673002681786923483.jpg" alt="" width="179" height="241"/><figcaption><em>Probably not Thumper</em></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Every week, millions of pirates head off to popular torrent sites for their software fix. </p>



<p>Whether they&#8217;re looking for the latest operating systems, graphics tools, or DVD/Blu-ray burning software, most things are available for free download.</p>



<p>What most people never question is why these tools are available for free and indeed, who puts them online. Today we can put a little meat on those bones.</p>



<p>We recently spoke with Thumper, aka ThumperTM, one of the longest-standing uploaders on public torrent sites like The Pirate Bay and 1337x. But this isn&#8217;t just any uploader. Thumper is responsible for almost 1,000 torrent uploads over the past nine years, leading to millions of downloads across the Internet.</p>



<p>Thumper identifies as female (impossible to confirm, but we&#8217;ll proceed on that basis) and sports the profile picture as seen top right. It&#8217;s an image used by many Internet users so probably isn&#8217;t an accurate depiction. Thumper also claims to be from Switzerland but in this game, such &#8216;facts&#8217; should be taken with a pinch of salt alongside a knowingly obvious nod to security.</p>



<p>What cannot be denied, however, is the popularity of Thumper&#8217;s torrents. If we take her Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2016 release as an example, that has received more than 801,000 downloads on 1337x alone.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/0a3df5e9.image-50.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-50.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172845"/><figcaption><em>801,864 downloads on 1337x alone</em></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>&#8220;This torrent has been download a few million times from all sites, because Office is one of the must-have programs for most of us,&#8221; Thumper informs TF. </p>



<p>Of course, not all torrents are this popular but Thumper&#8217;s history goes back around 14 years, when torrents weren&#8217;t even a priority for her. Things began on so-called &#8220;one-click&#8221; hosting sites in 2005, with a progression to torrents in 2007.</p>



<p>&#8220;I started uploading torrents at H33t, Demonoid, 1337x, ThePirateBay, and RARBG. Then I started my own site in 2010 (ThumperDC.com and TechTools.NET). Now all of those sites redirect to our legit Windows forum, TheWindowsForum.com,&#8221; she explains.</p>



<p>Over the past 12 years, Thumper&#8217;s torrents (mainly Windows software uploads) have spread far and wide. She has been uploading on The Pirate Bay since April 2010 and on that site alone has a confirmed 946 torrents, as the private user panel screenshot below shows.<br></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/6aa47ee3.06Rpdrn.png" data-original-source="https://i.imgur.com/06Rpdrn.png" alt=""/><figcaption><em>946 torrents at the time of writing</em></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>The Pirate Bay is obviously a very high-profile site but Thumper is a bit of a celebrity elsewhere too.</p>



<p>More than nine years ago she joined 1337x and for the last eight has been a trusted moderator there. In the interim, Thumper was also an uploader at the now-defunct original KickassTorrents, but still continues over at that platform&#8217;s namesake, KATCR.</p>



<p>Uploading and seeding so many torrents is a big undertaking, especially over a large number of years. There&#8217;s also a bit of a stigma attached to software uploads because unlike movies and TV shows, they have the potential to contain a virus or malware.</p>



<p>However, since reputations can be gone in a flash if an uploader lets something nefarious <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cracksnow-apologizes-for-ransomware-torrents-says-accounts-were-hacked-190224/">slip through the net</a>, Thumper says that precautions are carried out in advance. Most uploaded software is obtained from friendly crackers (people who remove copy protection) before being run through a virtual machine and then scanned for viruses. Only then is it uploaded.</p>



<p>This perhaps contributed to Thumper earning a &#8220;green skull&#8221; from The Pirate Bay team around 2011, which is a small logo next to a user name which informs potential downloaders that while releases aren&#8217;t guaranteed to be flawless, they are more trusted than others without.</p>



<p>This is particularly important when one considers that people sometimes try to masquerade as Thumper in order to gain traction. We independently confirmed her status on one of the torrent sites she uploads to but most people don&#8217;t have that luxury so should proceed with caution when seeing her &#8216;brand&#8217; online.</p>



<p>&#8220;The Pirate Bay has a ton of fake uploads lately, even some of them are infected and uploaded by other users with our tag &#8216;Windows app name v1.0 [ThumperDC]  or [TechTools] or [TheWindowsForum]&#8217;, for example,&#8221; Thumper explains.</p>



<p>&#8220;1337x has other rules for new uploaders, you must apply for uploader status, then we review and decide if x_User is legit.  People should always use torrent sites which are safe: 1337x, TPB, KATCR, RARBG, or TorrentGalaxy.&nbsp; And make sure to download from trusted uploaders.&#8221; </p>



<p>Finally, one of the biggest questions is why someone like Thumper keeps releasing torrent after torrent, year after year. What&#8217;s in it for her?</p>



<p>Each release does contain links to her own site (which now specializes in discussions and technical support for Windows software), so there&#8217;s obviously some benefit there. However, she insists that this isn&#8217;t the main motivation.</p>



<p>&#8220;Sharing is caring,&#8221; she concludes, citing the years-old &#8216;pirate&#8217; mantra.</p>



<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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=zchVMJu4pII:eeXS7kRk74I:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=zchVMJu4pII:eeXS7kRk74I:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=zchVMJu4pII:eeXS7kRk74I:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/zchVMJu4pII" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173148
title: Netflix Joins Effort to Expand Aussie Pirate Site Blocklist
uri: Netflix-Joins-Effort-to-Expand-Aussie-Pirate-Site-Blocklist
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/WZULjXKmI1E/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-96798" src="media/53490471.aus.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/aus.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="159"></p>
<p>Copyright holders are increasingly demanding that ISPs should block access to pirate sites in order to protect their business.</p>
<p>This is also the case in Australia, where blocking injunctions were made possible four years ago following amendments to copyright law.</p>
<p>The orders are requested under Section 115a of Australia’s Copyright Act. This allows copyright holders to apply for injunctions to force ISPs to prevent subscribers from accessing ‘pirate’ sites.</p>
<p>Over the past two years, many of the world&#8217;s largest torrent and streaming sites <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australian-court-orders-isps-to-block-181-pirate-domains-including-subtitle-sites-181220/">have already been blocked</a>, but the work is far from done. A new application recently submitted at the Federal Court of Australia requests ISPs to block dozens of websites.</p>
<p>The complaint comes from Village Roadshow&nbsp;as well as several other prominent movie companies such as Disney Enterprises and Universal City Studios. For the first time, Netflix Studios has joined in as well, as Computerworld <a href="https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/661759/movie-studios-unswayed-by-search-engine-argument-anti-piracy-case/">notes</a>.</p>
<p>Netflix&#8217;s involvement doesn&#8217;t really come as a surprise as the streaming giant has gradually expanded its anti-piracy efforts of the years. It joined the Alliance For Creativity and Entertainment, for example, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-becomes-a-member-of-the-mpaa/">as well as the MPAA</a>.</p>
<p>The list of targets identified in the complaint includes a wide variety of sites, including the torrent sites <em>BitTorrent.am</em> and <em>HD-torrents.org</em>, streaming portals Y<em>o-movies.com</em> and <em>Afdah.com</em>, as well as several release blogs such as <em>Scene-rls.com</em> and <em>Crazy4tv.com</em>.</p>
<p>In total, the injunction lists 86 sites, which are operating from a total of 137 domain names.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the court order has a strong focus on Asian content. Several of the targeted sites, such as <em>BTBTT</em> and <em>123kubo.org</em>, are predominantly popular in Asian countries. In addition, the list also includes many anime sites such as <em>Animeultima</em>.to and <em>Ryuanime.com</em>.</p>
<p>The latter is likely due to the fact that the Australian distribution group Madman Anime Group is listed as one of the applicants as well.</p>
<p>According to the movie outfits, these sites really only have one purpose. That is, to allow their visitors to download, stream or otherwise access copyrighted content.</p>
<p>&#8220;The primary purpose of the Target Online Locations is to infringe or facilitate the infringement of copyright,&#8221; the application reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;[T]he owners or operators of the Target Online Locations demonstrate a disregard for copyright generally, in that they provide easy access to the copyright works of others, sometimes in exchange for money, and sometimes on a free basis,&#8221;</p>
<p>The list of ISPs that requested to set up the blockades includes Telstra, Optus, Vocus, TPG, Vodafone, and several subsidiaries. If granted, the measures will have to be implemented through DNS blocking, IP-address blocking, or any other means agreed with the rightsholder.</p>
<p>The application follows a well-defined format and considering the movie companies&#8217; previous efforts, the blocking order will likely be granted.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>List of all sites and URLs requested to be blocked.</em></p>
<p><center><br>
<iframe id="doc_14276" class="scribd_iframe_embed" title="Block Req" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/412242897/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;access_key=key-bndUOFKGdyGwUg0RBlkm&amp;show_recommendations=true" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" data-auto-height="false" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488"></iframe></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/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=WZULjXKmI1E:dbJEJcdC4Pk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=WZULjXKmI1E:dbJEJcdC4Pk:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=WZULjXKmI1E:dbJEJcdC4Pk:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/WZULjXKmI1E" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173171
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 06/03/19
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-06-03-19
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/pQtkumoiQzE/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-173174" src="media/d9bb9858.captain.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/captain.png" alt="" width="237" height="149">This week we have three newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Captain Marvel 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>&nbsp;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-05-27-19/">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/tt4154664/">Captain Marvel</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154664/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LHxvxdRnYc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857112/">Us</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857112/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tzFRIQfwXg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/">Avengers: Endgame</a> (HDCam)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/">9.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcMBFSGVi1c">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448115/">Shazam!</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448115/">7.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oD7B7oiBtw">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4943998/">Deadwood</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4943998/">8.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0WrXmhvXTA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5968394/">Captive State</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5968394/">7.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68xCzI406A">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6472976/">Five Feet Apart</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6472976/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24YrEAGF32M">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6823368">Glass</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6823368">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBL6COBGjCA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6146586/">John Wick 3</a> (HDCam)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6146586/">8.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSXc5z9F7Do">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(10)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1489887/">Booksmart</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1489887/">7.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhd3lo_IWJc">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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=pQtkumoiQzE:R0wUV6Eh33A:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=pQtkumoiQzE:R0wUV6Eh33A:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=pQtkumoiQzE:R0wUV6Eh33A:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/pQtkumoiQzE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173094
title: YouTube Ordered to Hand Over Identities of Manga Pirates
uri: YouTube-Ordered-to-Hand-Over-Identities-of-Manga-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ezWeBbxEn5A/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/72389cbc.sadyoutube.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/sadyoutube.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-117196"/></figure></div>



<p>Users of YouTube upload millions of pieces of content to the platform every month, much of it without incident or irritation to third-parties.</p>



<p>However, there are those who upload copyright content, most of it music and videos, that infringe on the rights of the original owners.</p>



<p>When that happens, copyright holders can file claims with YouTube to have the content removed, via the platform&#8217;s Content ID system or by filing a manual claim.</p>



<p>Users are generally aware that these complaints have the potential to lead to a &#8216;strike&#8217; against their accounts but a publishing giant in Japan seems to want to take things much further.</p>



<p>Founded in 1922, <a href="https://www.shogakukan.co.jp">Shogakukan Inc.</a> is one of Japan&#8217;s largest publishers offering more than 60 magazines, 8,000 books, and 13,000 manga titles (comics/graphic novels), to name a few. It&#8217;s also part owner of Viz Media, the largest publisher of comic books and graphic novels in the United States.</p>



<p>Shogakukan&#8217;s manga publications are often pirated in digital formats (PDF documents, for example) but they also get uploaded to YouTube. These take the form of videos, often set to music, featuring static views of the pages of each title, timed for easy reading. </p>



<p>YouTube users who uploaded the company&#8217;s content in this fashion now need to look over their shoulders.</p>



<p>On May 24, lawyers acting for Shogakukan requested a DMCA subpoena at a California district court to help it identify several YouTube channel operators who allegedly uploaded images of the company&#8217;s content. </p>



<p>DMCA subpoenas are not reviewed by a judge and only require a signature from a court clerk. As a result, Shogakukan may shortly be in receipt of some very sensitive information, at least according to its letter to YouTube.</p>



<p>In addition to requiring YouTube to disable access to the infringing works as listed by the publisher, the Google-owned video platform must also hand over the personal details of several channel operators identified as LNDA, Kile Russo, Anime FightClub, and Optimistic Neko, among others.</p>



<p>The subpoena requires YouTube to hand over information it holds on the alleged infringers &#8220;from the time of user registration with any and all of the Infringer&#8217;s Accounts&#8221;, including names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, IP address logs, account and credit card numbers and the names of financial institutions connected to them.</p>



<p> According to the subpoena, the information above shall be obtained &#8220;from any and all sources&#8221; including YouTube accounts, Google AdSense accounts, &#8220;or any other service accounts(s) registered with or linked to the infringer&#8217;s account&#8221; with YouTube.</p>



<p>Interestingly, however, the term &#8220;infringer&#8221; appears to apply to a broader range of YouTube users than just the handful of individuals listed in the subpoena.</p>



<p>The letter contains a list of Shogakukan works and then states that, in addition to the named channels/users, YouTube must hand over the details of &#8220;any other users registered with www.youtube.com who uploaded and/or posted any Infringing Work specified under the column entitled as &#8220;Infringing Work&#8221; in Exhibit A.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="media/3442f1d3.image-58.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-58.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173182"/><figcaption>Exhibit A (DMCA subpoena to YouTube)</figcaption></figure>



<p>Given the broad nature of the subpoena, it seems that YouTube is not only being asked to provide targeted information but is also required to work pro-actively by searching for the content in question and then handing over the personal details of anyone who may have uploaded it.</p>



<p>While the DMCA subpoena process may be quick, a judge&#8217;s experience might have proven valuable in this case, given its potential scope.</p>



<p><em>The subpoena and associated documents can be found here (<a href="media/127196e9.Japan-DMCA-subpoena-YouTube-doc1.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Japan-DMCA-subpoena-YouTube-doc1.pdf">1</a>,<a href="media/5b918820.Japan-DMCA-subpoena-YouTube-doc2.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Japan-DMCA-subpoena-YouTube-doc2.pdf">2</a>)</em></p>



<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=ezWeBbxEn5A:s-W7F0_wYm8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=ezWeBbxEn5A:s-W7F0_wYm8:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=ezWeBbxEn5A:s-W7F0_wYm8:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/ezWeBbxEn5A" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173202
title: Canadian Copyright Review Rejects Site-Blocking Regime, Keeps Safe Harbors
uri: Canadian-Copyright-Review-Rejects-Site-Blocking-Regime-Keeps-Safe-Har
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/XlG0SPXBnRE/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-173230" src="media/48839d03.copyreview.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/copyreview.png" alt="" width="283" height="187">Late 2017 Canada&#8217;s government <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/canadian-government-triggers-major-copyright-review-171214/">requested</a> the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (<a href="https://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/INDU">INDU</a>) to carry out a thorough review of the Copyright Act.</p>
<p>After dozens of hearings, where it heard hundreds of witnesses and reviewed input from various stakeholders, the final review is now ready and published in public.</p>
<p>In a detailed report spanning 182 pages, the Committee issues 36 recommendations, covering a wide range of copyright issues. Interestingly, the first suggestion from the Committee is to remove the mandatory five-year review, which it just completed.</p>
<p>Through various hearings and briefs, many rightsholders stressed that stronger copyright protections are required to deal with online piracy. This includes regular pirate sites but covers also copyright-infringing material uploaded to sites such as YouTube and Facebook.</p>
<p>Several stakeholders, including the <span class="fontstyle0">Motion Picture Association-Canada, argued that &#8216;content filters&#8217; would be appropriate. This is comparable to the requirement put forward in Article 17 of the EU Copyright Directive, which may result in &#8216;upload filters.&#8217;</span>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Related proposals suggested narrowing the &#8216;safe harbor&#8217; for online service providers (OSPs). This includes changes to sections <span class="fontstyle0">31.1 and 41.27 of the Copyright Act, including abolishing these altogether.</span></p>
<p>While the Committee acknowledged the &#8220;value gap&#8221; problem for rightsholders, it stresses that the rights of Internet users should be taken into account as well.</p>
<p>&#8220;[P]roposed amendments to sections 31.1 and 41.27 of the Act would be too blunt a solution to address the issue, especially since there is no consensus among stakeholders about which OSPs cause problems and why. Subjecting OSPs to increased regulations should also reflect a balanced approach,&#8221; the report reads.</p>
<p>The Committee finds it questionable, for example, that online services would be required to take down or de-monetize content, without allowing the uploader to respond to allegations of copyright infringement. That appears to refer, indirectly, to the EU&#8217;s Article 17.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Instead of making any concrete suggestions, the Committee recommends keeping an eye on how the EU deals with this issue, and draw lessons from this approach. Ultimately, however, any changes should be in the best interests of all Canadians, which is summarized in two recommendations.</p>
<p><em><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Recommendation 21: That the Government of Canada monitor the implementation, in other jurisdictions, of extended collective licensing as well as legislation making safe harbour exceptions available to online service providers conditional to measures taken against copyright infringement on their platforms.&#8221;</span></em></p>
<p><em><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Recommendation 22 That the Government of Canada assert that the content management systems employed by online service providers subject to safe harbour exceptions must reflect the rights of rights-holders and users alike.&#8221;</span></em></p>
<p>Moving onto enforcement against traditional pirate sites, the Committee reviewed input from various stakeholders who suggested the introduction of a site-blocking regime.&nbsp;</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;The fight against piracy should focus more on large-scale, commercial infringers, and less on individual Canadians who may or may not understand that they are engaged in infringement,&#8221; the Committee notes, adding that it sees value in pirate site blocking.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>To this end, the Telecommunications Act could be revised to streamline the blocking process. However, creating a separate regime that would bypass the courts, as several rightsholders have suggested, goes too far.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;It is for the courts to adjudicate whether a given use constitutes copyright infringement and to issue orders in consequence. The courts already have the expertise necessary to protect the interests of all involved parties,&#8221; the Committee writes.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>Among other things, a separate regime without oversight would increase the risk of overreach, which could lead to net neutrality violations. The Committee, therefore, suggests that any changes that would simplify site-blocking should keep net neutrality in mind.</p>
<p><em><span class="fontstyle3">&#8220;Recommendation 27: Following the review of the </span><span class="fontstyle4">Telecommunications Act</span><span class="fontstyle3">, that the Government of Canada consider evaluating tools to provide injunctive relief in a court of law for deliberate online copyright infringement and that paramount importance be given to net neutrality in dealing with impacts on the form and function of Internet in the application of copyright law.&#8221;</span></em></p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/097299f7.rec27.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rec27.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173229"/></figure></div>


<p>That&#8217;s a major disappointment to the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/telecoms-regulator-denies-canadian-pirate-site-blocking-application-181002/">Fairplay Coalition</a>, which came up with the site-blocking regime. However, rightsholders did succeed in convincing the Committee that higher statutory damages are needed to deter infringement.</p>
<p>Another piracy-related issue that came up relates to the notice-and-notice scheme. This allows rightsholders to send infringement notices to ISPs, which must be forwarded to subscribers. </p>
<p>ISPs <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isps-call-for-piracy-notice-standard-to-deal-with-millions-of-warnings-190111/">complained that this is very resource intensive</a>, as there is no standard notice format. That also opens the door to abuse, where rightsholders demand settlements from subscribers, even though that&#8217;s outlawed. The Committee agrees and recommends standardization of the notices. </p>
<p><em>&#8220;Recommendation 25: That the Government of Canada make regulations to require notices sent under the notice-and-notice regime be in a prescribed machine-readable format.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) was also heard by the Committee.  The organization wants ISPs and other large companies to maintain a Whois database of IPv6 IP-addresses and numbers. This would help to track down copyright infringers.</p>
<p>Such a database is already in place for IPv4 numbers but the Committee recommends expanding this so it covers IPv6 resources as well.</p>
<p><em>&#8220;Recommendation 26: That the Government of Canada examine ways to keep IPv6 address ownership information up-to-date in a publicly accessible format similar in form and function to American Registry for Internet Numbers’ IPv4 &#8216;WHOIS&#8217; service.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>The last issue we highlight is a proposed limitation to fair dealing for educational use. Several publishers requested this noting that they&#8217;re losing revenue, but the Committee believes that a further review is needed before it can make any concrete recommendations.</p>
<p>At the same time, the Committee proposes to expand current fair dealing rights by making the examples which are listed in the Copyright Act illustrative, instead of exhaustive. This would make it easier to classify new types of creative expressions as fair dealing.</p>
<p>All-in-all the review of the Copyright Act provides a mixed bag for all involved. While the recommendations are clear, it is still up to the Canadian government to act on them. </p>
<p>University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist, who has followed the developments closely, describes the report as <a href="http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2019/06/the-authoritative-canadian-copyright-review-report-industry-committee/">balanced</a>. However, we expect that many rightsholders had hoped for more. </p>
<p>The Committee makes it clear, however, that their conclusions represent a compromise. Not everyone will agree, but it&#8217;s what they have to work with going forward.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Reviewing the Act is not about deciding who is right between stakeholders, but about capturing as many perspectives as possible to ensure that, on the whole, the resulting recommendations reflect the reality of living together,&#8221; the Committee writes.</span></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;This report’s success lies in making stakeholders feel compelled to respond to it with passion, integrity, and rigour –whether or not they agree with its content,&#8221; it adds.</span></p>
<p>&#8211;<em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of the Statutory Review of the Copyright Act is <a href="media/16cc4935.Statutory-Review-of-the-Copyright-Act.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Statutory-Review-of-the-Copyright-Act.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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=XlG0SPXBnRE:2SH12foaE8o:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=XlG0SPXBnRE:2SH12foaE8o:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=XlG0SPXBnRE:2SH12foaE8o:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/XlG0SPXBnRE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173206
title: Pirate ‘CAM King’ 1XBET Becomes Russia’s 3rd Largest Online Advertiser
uri: Pirate-CAM-King-1XBET-Becomes-Russia-s-3rd-Largest-Online-Adve
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/GfZHIAbTQmA/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="media/9a669a6a.1xbet.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/1xbet.png" alt="" class="wp-image-172761" width="270" height="58"/></figure></div>



<p>Since 2018, it&#8217;s likely that Internet users searching for the latest pirate &#8216;cam&#8217; copies of Hollywood movies will have been exposed to the brand 1XBET.</p>



<p>1XBET is an online gambling company based in Russia that currently has more than 140 of its URLs blocked by the Russian government after being declared illegal. However, it is still managing to attract eyeballs all around the world via online advertising, including via ads placed in pirated copies of movies.</p>



<p>In a TF <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/1xbet-the-bizarre-cam-brand-that-movie-pirates-love-to-hate-190526/">report</a> published last month, we covered some of the activities being associated with the company, along with thoughts from local anti-piracy sources. Interestingly, 1XBET is now making headlines in Russia for being one of the most prolific online advertisers in the entire region.</p>



<p>The information comes from a new study, published by research company <a href="https://mediascope.net/">Mediascope</a>, ranking the companies that placed the greatest volume of advertising online in Russia during the first quarter of 2019.</p>



<p>At the top of the pile with 3.3% market share is Google, which doesn&#8217;t comes as a huge surprise. The search giant is followed by PepsiCo in second position with 3.1%. In a remarkable third place sits 1XBET, with a significant 2.4% of the market.</p>



<p>To give some perspective, food giant Danone claims 2.3% of the market while Universal Pictures Russia has even less with 1.9%.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/61ea52f8.Mediascope.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Mediascope.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-173222" width="600"/><figcaption><em>Mediascope data (credit: <a href="https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/04/06/2019/5cec209b9a79476daecc0c21">RBC</a>)</em></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>What makes this achievement even more bewildering is that last year, another &#8216;sponsor&#8217; of piracy releases was also making headlines for similar reasons.</p>



<p>Azino 777, another gambling company <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/piracy-is-booming-in-russia-with-help-from-online-casinos-180923/">closely connected </a>to &#8216;pirate&#8217; releases, previously took the top spot for advertising online in Russia with 6.7% of the market. This year the company was ranked just 60th. It&#8217;s believed that the anti-piracy memorandum <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/landmark-anti-piracy-database-agreement-signed-in-moscow-181101/">signed last year</a> is at least partly responsible for the decline since participants are able to delete &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites from search results.</p>



<p>Mediascope data published by local news outlet <a href="https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/04/06/2019/5cec209b9a79476daecc0c21">RBC</a> shows that during the first quarter of 2018, researchers found Azino 777 adverts on 670 sites but during the same period in 2019, that had fallen to just 143. Additionally, the volume of ad impressions for Azino 777 in videos delivered via Yandex&#8217;s video service was 11 times smaller during the same period. </p>



<p>Russia&#8217;s Internet Video Association, which represents legal online video operators, has been filing complaints with telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor against sites where Azino 777 ads can be viewed. Of around 500 complaints filed in 2019, around half &#8211; which include streaming sites and torrent indexes &#8211; have been blocked.</p>



<p>But despite the progress against Azino 777, the job still isn&#8217;t finished. The rise of 1XBET indicates there are still problems with gambling advertising connected with piracy. </p>



<p>&#8220;This indirectly indicates that piracy is still flourishing,” Maxim Ryabyko, director general of the Association for the Protection of Copyright on the Internet, told RBC. </p>



<p>According to Mediascope, in the first quarter of 2018, 1XBET ads appeared on 59 sites that were monitored. In the same period during 2019, that had risen to 447. In addition, advertising on Yandex video players grew 27 times over the volumes observed during the first three months of 2018.</p>



<p>During the past week alone, 1XBET-branded &#8216;cams&#8217; have continued to hit the Internet. Among them copies of Ma, Rocketman, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. 1XBET and/or its affiliates are clearly not yet done with their mission to grab the eyes and wallets of pirate consumers, in Russia and around the world.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/8e4c34b4.image-59.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-59.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173223" width="600" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-59.png 1106w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-59-500x210.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1106px) 100vw, 1106px"><figcaption>Godzilla, 1XBET style&#8230;.</figcaption></figure>
<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=GfZHIAbTQmA:Q2XKTVeW-68:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=GfZHIAbTQmA:Q2XKTVeW-68:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=GfZHIAbTQmA:Q2XKTVeW-68:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/GfZHIAbTQmA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172852
title: Ukraine Cyberpolice Reveal Results of ‘Operation Pirates’
uri: Ukraine-Cyberpolice-Reveal-Results-of-Operation-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/glG1m7m4DiI/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="media/f9b2d3b6.national.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/national.png" alt="" width="243" height="243"/></figure></div>



<p>After being regularly <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-calls-out-dozens-of-countries-on-yearly-piracy-watchlist-180430/">featured</a> in the USTR’s ‘Priority Watch List’ for failing to do enough to protect intellectual property rights, Ukraine has been under pressure to act against piracy.</p>



<p>As a result, Ukraine&#8217;s cyberpolice unit has made several announcements since mid-2018 indicating they are doing just that.</p>



<p>Last June, police <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/ukraine-cyberpolice-shut-down-pirate-streaming-site-180630/">shut down&nbsp;Olainfilm</a>, a streaming site with half a million users. Then in February 2019, authorities announced that dozens of sites, allegedly operated by the same man,&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/ukraine-cyberpolice-shut-down-dozens-of-pirate-sites-190204/">had also been closed down</a>. </p>



<p>Building on this work, several weeks ago the Ukrainian government announced the launch of “Operation Pirates”, an anti-piracy initiative aimed at tackling all forms of piracy. With that specific effort now complete, it appears that most actions have been taken against pirates exploiting video content.</p>



<p>According to an announcement by the country&#8217;s cyberpolice unit, the operation closed &#8220;more than 30 pirate online cinemas&#8221;, a term that is most often used to describe streaming sites. In total, 19 criminal proceedings are now underway for alleged copyright infringement offenses.</p>



<p>Police haven&#8217;t provided a full list of fallen sites but four &#8211; three of which with relatively significant traffic &#8211; were named in a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/ukraine-cyberpolice-raid-pirate-sites-detain-government-employee-190508/">report</a> last month. They were operated by two brothers, one of whom works for a high-level government department handling taxes and customs while tackling fraud.</p>



<p>Of the 30 sites closed by police, 13 were allegedly operated by one man based in Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine. His motivation is said to be the revenues generated by advertising on the platforms.</p>



<p>Given that so-called &#8216;camming&#8217; is considered a particularly damaging form of piracy, Hollywood will be pleased that Ukrainian police have also captured their very first &#8216;cammer&#8217;.</p>



<p>According to the authorities, a case has been filed against a &#8220;young man&#8221; who was caught filming movie premieres for distribution via pirate sites. The man, from the city of Kryvy Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk region, now faces up to two years in prison for alleged violations of Part 1 of Art. 176 (Violation of copyright and allied rights) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.</p>



<p>In addition to tackling piracy of movies and TV shows, the Ukrainian authorities say that they&#8217;ve also been investigating people involved the illegal transmission of thousands of live TV channels. No arrests have been reported in connection with the investigation.</p>



<p>&#8220;The completion of the operation does not mean that work in this direction is stopped,&#8221; said Ukrainian cyberpolice chief Sergey Demedyuk.</p>



<p>&#8220;We continue to take measures to expose so-called pirates and are ready to interact with the right holders to respond to the violation of their rights. So, we call on interested parties to cooperate in countering piracy.&#8221;</p>



<p>In recent weeks, an anti-piracy memorandum was signed by Starlight Media (Ukraine’s largest broadcasting group), Media Group Ukraine (one of the largest media holding companies), TV channel Studio 1 + 1, Discovery Networks, IFPI-member Music Industry Association of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Anti-Piracy Association. </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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=glG1m7m4DiI:A8vpgKKX-QI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=glG1m7m4DiI:A8vpgKKX-QI:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=glG1m7m4DiI:A8vpgKKX-QI:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/glG1m7m4DiI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173142
title: Terminating Subscribers Doesn’t Stop Pirates, Charter Argues
uri: Terminating-Subscribers-Doesn-t-Stop-Pirates-Charter-Argues
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Jl8Way13-8k/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-170114" src="media/74ccf2fd.charter.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/charter.png" alt="" width="277" height="151"></p>
<p>Regular Internet providers are being put under increasing pressure for not doing enough to curb copyright infringement.</p>
<p>Music rights company BMG got the ball rolling a few years ago&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">when it won</a>&nbsp;its piracy liability lawsuit against Cox.</p>
<p>Following on the heels of this case, several major record labels including Capitol Records, Warner Bros, and Sony Music, hopped onto the bandwagon. Helped by the RIAA, they <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-sues-isp-grande-communications-for-failing-to-disconnect-pirates-170422/">went after</a> ISP Grande Communications and, more recently, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/music-companies-sue-charter-for-turning-a-blind-eye-to-piracy-190326/">Charter Communications</a>.</p>
<p>The labels accuse Charter of deliberately turning a blind eye to its pirating subscribers. They argue that the ISP failed to terminate or otherwise take meaningful action against the accounts of repeat infringers, even though it was well aware of them.</p>
<p>A few days ago Charter responded to these allegations. The company denies that it plays an active role in any infringing activities and believes the labels&#8217; arguments are flawed.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;This suit is the latest effort in the music industry’s campaign to hold Internet Service Providers (&#8216;ISPs&#8217;) liable for copyright infringement, allegedly carried out by internet subscribers, for merely providing internet access,&#8221; Charter states.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>The labels sued the ISP for two types of secondary liability for copyright infringement; <span class="fontstyle0">contributory infringement and vicarious liability. While Charter believes that both claims will fail, it has submitted a motion to dismiss only the latter.</span></p>
<p>In its motion Charter notes that, in order for a vicarious liability claim to succeed, the labels must show that the ISP <span class="fontstyle0">profited directly from copyright infringements that it had both a right and ability to control. This is not the case, the ISP notes.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiffs fail to allege a plausible causal connection between any alleged<br>
direct infringement and the subscription fees received by Charter,&#8221; the motion reads</p>
<p>&#8220;For example, Plaintiffs do not allege that infringers specifically chose Charter over other providers so they could infringe Plaintiffs’ copyrights, or that other ISPs were terminating subscribers, leading them to seek out Charter as a safe haven.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition, the ISP points out that it doesn&#8217;t operate a file-sharing service, nor does it promote BitTorrent, or receive compensation for any file-sharing services. Instead, it merely charges a flat fee from its subscribers for which it provides Internet access.</p>
<p>The labels argued that the ISP offers a tiered pricing structure, charging higher fees for higher downloading speeds. However, Charter notes that this isn&#8217;t in any way catered to pirates. People who consume legal media also benefit from higher speeds, after all.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Plaintiffs do not, and cannot, allege that those who illegally download music want faster speeds than those who do so legally, much less than those who download considerably larger movie or other files,&#8221; Charter writes.</span></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Such allegations would be implausible, as subscribers paying for higher tiers of service for lawful uses want to download content just as fast as those doing so illegally.&#8221;</span></p>
<p>Charter stresses that there is no evidence that it directly <span class="fontstyle0">profits from copyright infringement. In addition, it doesn&#8217;t have a right and ability to control any infringements either, which negates another element of vicarious liability.</span></p>
<p>The labels argued that the ISP has control over the infringements, as it can terminate the Internet accounts of repeat infringers. However, Charter counters that this doesn&#8217;t prevent subscribers from continuing to pirate elsewhere.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0"> &#8220;Charter cannot monitor and control its subscribers’ use of the internet, and its ability to terminate subscribers altogether does not prevent them from committing acts of infringement from other connections,&#8221; Charter notes.</span></p>
<p>Charter adds that it <span class="fontstyle0">can&#8217;t monitor and control its subscribers’ use of the Internet, while adding that peer-to-peer file sharing protocols can be used for both infringing and non-infringing purposes.</span></p>
<p>All in all the ISP sees terminations as an overbroad and imprecise measure.</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiffs’ termination remedy suffers from &#8216;imprecision and overbreadth&#8217; based on the inability to confirm allegations in a notice, the extremity of the measure, and the failure to halt infringing activity from another source,&#8221; Charter adds.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">Based on these and other arguments Charter asks the court to dismiss the vicarious liability claim. That would still leave the contributory infringement claim intact, but the ISP is confident that it can deal with this at a later stage.</span></p>
<p>In addition to the suit against Charter, the record labels also sued its subsidiary <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/music-companies-sue-isp-bright-house-for-failing-to-disconnect-pirates-190325/">Bright House</a> for the same alleged offenses in a Florida court. Bright House responded to this lawsuit with a near identical motion to dismiss.</p>
<p>Both motions are now with the respective courts, which will at a later stage decide whether to dismiss the claims or not.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of Charter Communications&#8217; motion to dismiss the claim for vicarious liability is available <a href="_wp_link_placeholder" data-wplink-edit="true">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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=Jl8Way13-8k:ibRjGqazQDY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=Jl8Way13-8k:ibRjGqazQDY:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=Jl8Way13-8k:ibRjGqazQDY:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/Jl8Way13-8k" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173296
title: Steal This Show S04E17: The Future of Power, with Cory Doctorow
uri: Steal-This-Show-S04E17-The-Future-of-Power-with-Cory-Doctorow
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/xnIKPfaZ3HU/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-173297" src="media/9d76b633.rad.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rad.png" alt="" width="200" height="307">In this episode author Cory Doctorow discusses three stories from his new collection, Radicalized. We discuss:</p>
<p>&#8211; The perils of DRM, and becoming dependent on manufacturers — from printers, to toasters and beyond — and how (or if) we can force control of our technological future.</p>
<p>&#8211; What lengths it’s permissible to go to when we’re trying to effect change against the systems which might very well end the world as we know it;</p>
<p>&#8211; If all of this fails, the ethical, philosophical and practical problems involved in waiting out the apocalypse in a high-tech, high-security bunker.</p>
<p>Grab Cory’s new book Radicalized — DRM and EULA free – at <a href="https://craphound.com/">Craphound.com</a>, or all the traditional online retailers.<br>
&#8212;</p>
<p><a href="https://stealthisshow.com">Steal This Show</a> aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing crypto, privacy, copyright and file-sharing developments. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary, and analysis.</p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Jamie King</p>
<p><strong>Guest:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://craphound.com/">Cory Doctorow</a></p>
<p><center><iframe src="//stealthisshow.com/?lpe-frame=1&amp;lpe-season=4&amp;lpe-episode=17" width="100%" height="180px" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></p>
<p><strong><sup><em>If you enjoy this episode, consider becoming a patron and getting involved with the show. <a href="https://patreon.com/user?u=4275705">Check out Steal This Show&#8217;s Patreon campaign</a>: support us and get all kinds of&nbsp;fantastic benefits!</em></sup></strong></p>
<p><strong>Produced </strong> <em>by </em>Jamie King<br>
<strong>Edited &amp; Mixed</strong> <em>by</em> Lucas Marston<br>
<strong>Original Music</strong> <em>by</em> David Triana<br>
<strong>Web Production</strong> <em>by</em> Eric Barch</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=xnIKPfaZ3HU:xre_Qi-BAYQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=xnIKPfaZ3HU:xre_Qi-BAYQ:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=xnIKPfaZ3HU:xre_Qi-BAYQ:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/xnIKPfaZ3HU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173030
title: Pirate Bay Registrations are Closed Due to Spam Flood
uri: Pirate-Bay-Registrations-are-Closed-Due-to-Spam-Flood
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/lCQlxAoxHiw/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-116122" src="media/d4dd039c.thepirate-e1470829181981.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/thepirate-e1470829181981.jpg" alt="" width="220" height="206">It&#8217;s been relatively smooth sailing for The Pirate Bay in recent months.&nbsp;</p>
<p>After a tough 2018 with several days of downtime, the popular torrent site hasn&#8217;t had any major outages in a while.&nbsp;</p>
<p>However, for prospective users who want to upload new torrents, all is not well. For more than two weeks now, The Pirate Bay has closed the site to new users.&nbsp;</p>
<p>People who try to register an account are out of luck. While the registration page is still up, it persistently returns the following error message: &#8220;<em>Wrong code x. The username and/or e-mail address is already in use.</em>&#8220;</p>
<p></p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/65a475e0.wrongcode5-1.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/wrongcode5-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173250"/><figcaption>Error&#8230;</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>While this may appear to be some kind of coding mistake, it is in fact intentional. TPB admin &#8216;Winston&#8217; closed registrations following a request from the crew, staff member Spud17 informs TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>&#8220;Registrations are closed at the request of one of the crew members, as TPB was being battered by floods of malware torrents,&#8221; Spud17 says.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve asked Winston to make it so that new uploaders cannot upload 1000 fakes in 2 seconds.&#8221;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Closing registrations does indeed fix this, but it&#8217;s a pretty drastic measure. The crew hopes that a more permanent spam control feature will be introduced and that registrations will then open up again.&nbsp;</p>
<p>At the time of writing the crew doesn&#8217;t know when this issue will be dealt with. It could be a matter of days, but a few more weeks is also possible. Patience is the only advice they can give.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The people who already had an account can still upload torrents, of course, so most regular users won&#8217;t even notice that there&#8217;s an issue. If they do, it&#8217;s probably because there is less spam than usual.&nbsp;</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=lCQlxAoxHiw:AU_VjBpgoC8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=lCQlxAoxHiw:AU_VjBpgoC8:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=lCQlxAoxHiw:AU_VjBpgoC8:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/lCQlxAoxHiw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173322
title: ’12 Million Watched a Pirate Stream of Joshua vs. Ruiz on YouTube’
uri: 12-Million-Watched-a-Pirate-Stream-of-Joshua-vs-Ruiz-on-YouTube
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/qpV_9gRb4gs/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-173367" src="media/5a33665d.fight-1.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/fight-1.png" alt="" width="250" height="151">The fight between Anthony <span class="il">Joshua</span> and Andy <span class="il">Ruiz</span> Jr last weekend was highly anticipated by boxing fans.</p>
<p>Events like this draw an audience of millions. Unfortunately for the rightsholders, not all fans go through legal channels.</p>
<p>Before the fight, Kieron Sharp of anti-piracy group <a href="https://www.fact-uk.org.uk/">FACT</a> issued a public announcement, urging the public to do the right thing. “More and more people are becoming aware that piracy is illegal – don’t find yourself in the criminals’ corner this weekend,” he said.</p>
<p>Whether these words had any impact is hard to measure, but new statistics released by piracy monitoring firm <a href="https://www.muso.com/">MUSO</a> reveal that millions of people watched the fight through unlicensed channels.</p>
<p>MUSO estimates that 13 million people turned to unauthorized sources. The vast majority of these, 93% or over 12 million views, are traced back to YouTube. These numbers surpass those for the Fury vs Wilder fight last year, which came in at nearly <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-was-the-top-source-for-pirated-fury-vs-wilder-streams-181204/">10 million views</a>.</p>
<p>YouTube usually responds rapidly when any infringing content is spotted, but with live events like this, many takedown notices come too late it appears.</p>
<p>The geographical location data for the unauthorized viewers show that most came from Nigeria, 2,351,496 to be precise. This may in part be due to the Nigerian background of the British boxer Anthony Joshua, who lost the fight in the seventh round.</p>
<p>Kenya follows at a respectable distance with 998,027 viewers, followed by the&nbsp;United Kingdom with 921,994, the United States with 600,501, and Mexico with 587,028 viewers.</p>
<p>Commenting on the findings Andy Chatterley, CEO at MUSO, says that this is the largest unauthorized streaming audience his company has ever tracked.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Joshua vs. Ruiz fight has been the largest unauthorized audience that we’ve ever tracked across boxing and it’s staggering to see that 93% of the audience watched via YouTube,” Chatterley says.</p>
<p>The numbers are definitely impressive, which may be in part driven by the high cost of the pay-per-view broadcasts.</p>
<p>As for the fight, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-was-the-top-source-for-pirated-fury-vs-wilder-streams-181204/">the </a><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ruiz+joshua+rematch">latest reports</a> note that Joshua is looking for a rematch against Ruiz. If it gets that far, it will be interesting to compare the unauthorized streaming numbers, although it may be hard to beat the 13 million.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=qpV_9gRb4gs:jJ4w01r4U4M:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=qpV_9gRb4gs:jJ4w01r4U4M:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=qpV_9gRb4gs:jJ4w01r4U4M:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/qpV_9gRb4gs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173204
title: RIAA Targets 14 New Sites in Campaign Against YouTube-Rippers & Piracy
uri: RIAA-Targets-14-New-Sites-in-Campaign-Against-YouTube-Rippers-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/8sLKcVnDE9Q/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/412867c7.riaa.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/riaa.png" alt="" class="wp-image-108672"/></figure></div>



<p>For some time, the world&#8217;s leading record labels have complained that YouTube doesn&#8217;t pay the going rate for musical content streamed to its users.</p>



<p>However, when consumers use so-called YouTube-ripping sites to obtain content, it&#8217;s claimed that the position worsens. By obtaining music in this fashion, users are able to keep local libraries which further deplete YouTube hits and by extension, revenue generated by the labels.</p>



<p>To plug this hole, the RIAA is working to identify the operators of leading YouTube-ripping platforms. Via DMCA subpoenas, the industry group has been forcing CDN service Cloudflare and domain registries such as NameCheap to hand over the personal details of the people behind these tools.</p>



<p>Two new DMCA subpoenas, obtained by the RIAA in recent days, reveal an apparent escalation in this activity. Mainly targeting Cloudflare but in one instance also NameCheap, the RIAA demands private information relating to several sites.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://www.10convert.com/">10Convert.com</a></strong></p>



<p>With around two million visitors per month (<a href="https://www.similarweb.com/website/10convert.com#overview">SimilarWeb stats</a>), this platform has a prime focus on YouTube-ripping. The majority of its traffic comes from Brazil (69%), with the United States accounting for a little over 2% of its users.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://www.amoyshare.com">Amoyshare.com</a></strong></p>



<p>Enjoying around 4.6m visits per month with most of its visitors coming from the United States (15%), this platform&#8217;s focus is offering downloadable tools that enable users to grab videos and music from a wide range of platforms.</p>



<p>However, Amoyshare also offers &#8220;AnyUTube&#8221;, an online converter which is the element the RIAA is complaining about.</p>



<p><strong><a href="http://anything2mp3.cc">Anything2MP3.cc</a></strong></p>



<p>This site, which enjoys a relatively low 300,000 visits per month, appears to be dual-use. While it is possible to download content from YouTube, Anything2MP3 also offers users the ability to convert their own audio files in the browser.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://imp3juices.com/">IMP3Juices.com</a></strong></p>



<p>With around six million visits per month, this platform is one of the more popular ones targeted by the RIAA. Around 12.5% of the site&#8217;s traffic comes from Italy, with the US following behind with just under 10%.</p>



<p>The site functions like a &#8216;pirate&#8217; download portal, with users able to search for artists and download tracks. However, the RIAA provides a URL which reveals that the site also has a YouTube to MP4 conversion feature. Indeed, it seems possible that much of the site&#8217;s content is obtained from YouTube.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://bigconverter.com">BigConverter.com</a></strong></p>



<p>Down at the time of writing, possibly as a result of the subpoena, this site offered downloading functionality for a range of sites, from YouTube and Facebook through to Twitter, Vimeo, Vevo, Instagram, Dailymotion, Metacafe, VK, AOL, GoogleDrive and Soundcloud.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://youtubemp4.to">YouTubeMP4.to</a></strong></p>



<p>Enjoying around 7.7 million visits per month, YouTubeMP4.to is a straightforward YouTube video downloader. Almost 23% of its traffic comes from the United States with the UK just behind at close to 11%.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://qdownloader.net/">QDownloader.net</a></strong></p>



<p>This platform has perhaps the most comprehensive offering of those targeted. It claims to be able to download content from <a href="https://qdownloader.net/supported-sites">800 sites</a>, of which YouTube is just one. With more than 12 million visits per month, it&#8217;s not difficult to see why QDownloader has made it onto the RIAA&#8217;s hit list.</p>



<p><a href="https://genyoutube.net"><strong>GenYouTube.net</strong></a></p>



<p>Another big one, this multi-site downloader platform attracts around seven million visits per month. The majority of its traffic comes from India (14%), with the United States following behind with around 12%.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://break.tv/">Break.TV</a></strong></p>



<p>For reasons that aren&#8217;t immediately clear, YouTube and SoundCloud downloader Break.TV has lost a lot of its monthly traffic since late 2018. From a high edging towards three million visits per month, it now enjoys just over 1.6 million. Interestingly the site <a href="https://break.tv/en/about">says</a> it must only be used to obtain Creative Commons licensed material.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://www.mp3xd.com/">MP3XD.com</a></strong></p>



<p>In common with IMP3Juices.com, MP3XD.com appears to be focused on offering pirate MP3 downloads rather than straightforward ripping services. However, its content does appear to have been culled from YouTube.</p>



<p>Given that it defaults to Spanish, it seems to target Latin America. Indeed, with close to 10 million visits per month, almost a third hail from Mexico, with Venezuela and Argentina following behind.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://dl-youtube-mp3.net/">DL-YouTube-MP3.net</a></strong></p>



<p>This platform is a straightforward YouTube-ripping site, offering downloads of both video and audio content. It is one of the lower-trafficked sites on the list, with around 870,000 visits per month with most of its traffic (38%) coming from France.</p>



<p><strong><a href="http://convertbox.net/">ConvertBox.net</a></strong></p>



<p>With around 150,000 visits, ConvertBox is the smallest platform targeted by the RIAA in this batch. It offers conversion features for YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and SoundCloud via its website and mobile apps. Around a fifth of its traffic comes from France.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://downloaders.io/en">Downloaders.io</a></strong></p>



<p>Another multi-downloader, Downloaders.io offers tools to rip content from a number of platforms, YouTube included. It&#8217;s traffic has been up and down since the start of the year but has averaged around 200K visits per month. Close to 30% of traffic hails from the United States.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://hexupload.net">Hexupload.net</a></strong></p>



<p>A relative newcomer, this site doesn&#8217;t appear to fit into the ripping or general pirate site niche. Down at the time of writing, this 270,000 visit per month platform appears to have acted as a file upload site, from which users could generate revenue per download.</p>



<p>Cloudflare and NameCheap will now be required to hand over the personal details they have on the users behind all of these sites. As usual, that will include names, addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and more.</p>



<p>It isn&#8217;t clear what the RIAA has planned for these platforms but since the request was made by the group&#8217;s Vice-President Online Piracy, it doesn&#8217;t take much imagination to come up with a few ideas.</p>



<p>This latest move by the RIAA follows similar action against several other sites detailed in our earlier reports (<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-obtains-subpoena-to-expose-infringing-cloudflare-users-180506/">1</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-obtains-subpoena-to-unmask-youtube-ripping-site-operator-190515/">2</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-subpoenas-target-yet-another-huge-youtube-ripping-site-190527/">3</a>).</p>



<p><em>The RIAA&#8217;s letters to Cloudflare and NameCheap can be found </em><a href="media/0f0f6db7.8sLKcVnDE9Q" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/8sLKcVnDE9Q/"><em>here</em></a><em> and </em><a href="media/95da8185.AnythingtoMP3-Namecheap.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/AnythingtoMP3-Namecheap.pdf"><em>here</em></a><em>.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=8sLKcVnDE9Q:c0gTZ45gGOk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=8sLKcVnDE9Q:c0gTZ45gGOk:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=8sLKcVnDE9Q:c0gTZ45gGOk:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/8sLKcVnDE9Q" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173380
title: Russia Says it Will Soon Begin Blocking Major VPNs
uri: Russia-Says-it-Will-Soon-Begin-Blocking-Major-VPNs
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ORxEdrgrU9I/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/e49204f7.deniedblocked.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/deniedblocked.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-143825"/></figure></div>



<p>When it comes to site-blocking, Russia is one of the most aggressive countries in the world.</p>



<p>Thousands of pirate sites are blocked on copyright grounds while others are restricted for containing various types of &#8220;banned information&#8221;, such as extremist material.</p>



<p>The domains of these platforms are contained in a national blacklist. Service providers of many types are required to interface with this database, in order to block sites from being accessible via their systems. This includes VPN providers, particular those that ordinarily provide censorship workarounds.</p>



<p>Back in March, telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/russia-orders-major-vpn-providers-to-block-banned-sites-or-face-blocking-themselves-190328/">wrote</a> to ten major VPN providers &#8211; NordVPN, ExpressVPN, TorGuard, IPVanish, VPN Unlimited, VyprVPN, Kaspersky Secure Connection, HideMyAss!, Hola VPN, and OpenVPN &#8211; ordering them to connect to the database. Many did not want to play ball.</p>



<p>NordVPN, for example, flat-out <a href="https://nordvpn.com/blog/nordvpn-servers-roskomnadzor-russia/">refused to comply</a>, stating that doing so would violate service agreements made with its customers. IPVanish also <a href="https://blog.ipvanish.com/russias-censorship-request-response-vpn/">rejected</a> any censorship, as did <a href="https://www.vpnunlimitedapp.com/blog/what-roskomnadzor-demands-from-vpns/">VPN Unlimited</a>, <a href="https://www.goldenfrog.com/blog/russia-demands-vpn-providers-to-comply-with-censorship-vyprvpn-refuses">VyprVPN</a> and <a href="https://openvpn.net/response-to-russia-content-censorship/">OpenVPN</a>.</p>



<p>The VPN services in question were given a limited time to respond (30 days) but according to Roscomnadzor, most are digging in their heels. In fact, of the companies contacted with the demands, only one has agreed to the watchdog&#8217;s terms.</p>



<p>&#8220;We sent out ten notifications to VPNs. Only one of them &#8211; Kaspersky Secure Connection &#8211; connected to the registry,&#8221; Roscomnadzor chief Alexander Zharov informs <a href="https://www.interfax.ru/russia/664085">Interfax</a>.</p>



<p>&#8220;All the others did not answer, moreover, they wrote on their websites that they would not comply with Russian law. And the law says unequivocally if the company refuses to comply with the law &#8211; it should be blocked.&#8221;</p>



<p>And it appears that Roscomnadzor is prepared to carry through with its threat. When questioned on the timeline for blocking, Zharov said that the matter could be closed within a month.</p>



<p>If that happens, the non-compliant providers will themselves be placed on the country&#8217;s blacklist (known locally as FGIS), meaning that local ISPs will have to prevent their users from accessing them. It is not yet clear whether that means their web presences, their VPN servers, or both.</p>



<p>In the case of the latter, it&#8217;s currently unclear whether there will be a battle or not. TorGuard has already <a href="https://torguard.net/blog/why-torguard-has-removed-all-russian-servers/">pulled its servers</a> out of Russia and ExpressVPN currently <a href="https://www.expressvpn.com/vpn-server">lists no servers</a> in the country. The same is true for OpenVPN although VyprVPN <a href="https://www.giganews.com/vyprvpn/vpn-server-locations.html">still lists</a> servers in Moscow, as does HideMyAss.</p>



<p>Even if Roscomnadzor is successful in blocking any or all of the non-compliant services, there are still dozens more to choose from, a fact acknowledged by Zharov.</p>



<p>&#8220;These ten VPNs do not exhaust the entire list of proxy programs available to our citizens. I don&#8217;t think there will be a tragedy if they are blocked, although I feel very sorry about it,&#8221; Zharov 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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=ORxEdrgrU9I:eRZb-dapOtY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=ORxEdrgrU9I:eRZb-dapOtY:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=ORxEdrgrU9I:eRZb-dapOtY:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/ORxEdrgrU9I" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173270
title: Piracy is Ethically Acceptable For Many Harvard Lawyers, Research Finds
uri: Piracy-is-Ethically-Acceptable-For-Many-Harvard-Lawyers-Research-Find
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/TzAQVB53CKE/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-173408" src="media/8fa1e161.caring-1.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/caring-1.png" alt="" width="277" height="176">Most people know all too well that it&#8217;s against the law to share a pirated copy of a movie or TV-show.</p>
<p>However, law and ethics are not always in sync. Not even among those who are schooled as lawyers.</p>
<p>This is the conclusion of an intriguing new study conducted among Harvard lawyers by Prof. Dariusz Jemielniak and Dr. Jérôme Hergueux. The research, published in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/utis20">The Information Society</a> journal, found that many lawyers believe that casual piracy is ethically acceptable.</p>
<p>The researchers polled the perceptions of more than 100<span class="fontstyle0"> international Masters of Law (<a href="https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/graduate-program/llm-admissions/">LL.M</a>.) students at Harvard, who all have a law degree. They were asked to evaluate how acceptable various piracy scenarios are, on a five-point scale going from very unacceptable to very acceptable. </span></p>
<p>The piracy scenarios ranged from downloading a TV-show or movie which isn&#8217;t legally available, through pirating music to simply save money, to downloading content for educational or even commercial purposes. In total, 19 different alternatives were presented.</p>
<p>While the researchers expected that lawyers would have conservative ethical positions when it comes to piracy, the opposite was true. The average of all answers was 3.23, which means that it leans toward the &#8220;acceptable&#8221; point of the scale.</p>
<p>&#8220;We find that digital file sharing ranks relatively high in terms of ethical acceptability among our population of lawyers—with the only notable exception being infringing copyright with a commercial purpose,&#8221; the researchers conclude.</p>
<p>Not all forms of piracy were considered equally ethical. Pirating content because there&#8217;s no legal way to access it is seen as most acceptable (3.36 out of 5). This is followed by pirating due to a lack of financial resources (3.32) and pirating for educational purposes (3.28).</p>
<p>Downloading copyrighted material for commercial purposes is seen as the least ethical, with an average rating of 1.76. Pirating to avoid payment is also at the unacceptable end of the scale, with an average of 2.73.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/2f0d54d5.piratelaw.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/piratelaw.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173355"/></figure></div>


<p>These reported results clearly show that some forms of piracy are ok, according to these lawyers. However, the reported results are all averages and there obviously is no scenario that&#8217;s seen as acceptable by all lawyers.</p>
<p>To give an illustration, when the respondents were asked to evaluate the example where someone streamed a TV-show because it&#8217;s not legally available, 58% believed it to be (very) acceptable, 21% viewed it as neither acceptable nor unacceptable, while the remaining 21% saw it as (very) unacceptable.</p>
<p>On the other hand, when presented with a scenario where someone downloads cracked software for commercial purposes, only 7% saw it as (very) acceptable, 71% viewed it as (very) unacceptable, with the remaining 22% ending up in the middle.</p>
<p>While not reported in the paper, it&#8217;s worth noting that nearly all of the lawyers have friends who download TV-shows from the Internet. When asked about it, roughly 95% answered positively, with one lawyer noting that &#8220;all students do it for personal use.&#8221;</p>
<p>The paper further shows that there are differences between lawyers as well. Those who work in the public sector, or plan to work there, are even more tolerant of online copyright infringement than those in the private sector. That makes sense, as the former have<span class="fontstyle0">&nbsp;a duty to acknowledge the public interest.</span></p>
<p>The lawyers who participated in the survey are not all experts in copyright law. Still, the findings confirm that there&#8217;s a clear mismatch between the law and what is seen as ethically acceptable, even among legal scholars.</p>
<p>This matches the conclusion drawn by the researchers.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;[T]he fact that even the international elite lawyers perceive digital file sharing as generally acceptable signals that policies are increasingly misaligned with social practices,&#8221; the researchers write.</span></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">The line is clearly drawn at &#8220;commercial&#8221; copyright infringement. This is also a criterion that was put forward by some scholars, activists, and politicians, including those of the Pirate Party. In fact, many self-proclaimed pirates are against commercial copyright infringement.</span></p>
<p>The fact that this is not reflected in law may be due to the finding that &#8216;private sector&#8217; lawyers are more conservative. They are the ones who work on behalf of rightsholders.</p>
<p>According to the researchers, it might be good to reconsider whether that&#8217;s a good idea. They suggest that, as it is now, copyright is mostly used to advanced informational capitalism, while ignoring the ethical reality.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;When lawyers and pirates concur in terms of their ethical assessment of file sharing practices, the legal </span><span class="fontstyle3">status quo </span><span class="fontstyle0">appears to be more of a tool for advancing informational capitalism</span><span class="fontstyle0"> than reflecting everyday practices of common sense and fairness perception.</span></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;These findings support the calls for further de-criminalization of copyright legislation,&#8221; the researchers conclude.</span></p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of the full paper titled &#8220;Should digital files be considered a commons? Copyright infringement in the eyes of lawyers&#8221; is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01972243.2019.1616019?af=R">available here</a>, for free.&nbsp;</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=TzAQVB53CKE:J2SybnzdBG8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=TzAQVB53CKE:J2SybnzdBG8:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=TzAQVB53CKE:J2SybnzdBG8:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/TzAQVB53CKE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173344
title: DMCA Takedowns Try to Delist Dozens of Adult Homepages from Google
uri: DMCA-Takedowns-Try-to-Delist-Dozens-of-Adult-Homepages-from-Google
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/PHQOs_8cIXA/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/206e821a.censored-china.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/censored-china.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-153780"/></figure></div>



<p>Google receives millions of notices requesting the removal of allegedly-infringing links from its search results every month.</p>



<p>The load is truly huge, as is the flood of pirated content the DMCA notices attempt to address. It&#8217;s a huge task on all sides, so it&#8217;s not a surprise some dubious takedowns slip through the net. Over the past couple of weeks, more than usual appear to have done just that.</p>



<p>Without going into too much detail and annoying the purists, hentai can loosely be defined as adult-focused comics and cartoons. Hailing from Japan, hentai has a huge following worldwide and, of course, is widely pirated.</p>



<p>Several companies and organizations attempt to take infringing content down but this week a new one stepped up to cause waves across hundreds of sites.</p>



<p>It isn&#8217;t clear who is behind &#8216;Copyright Legal Services INC&#8217; (CLS). A specific Google search yields nothing and its takedown notices offer no additional information either. However, several of its DMCA notices indicate that the original works it tries to protect can be bought from DLSite.com, a platform operated by Japan&#8217;s <a href="https://www.crunchyroll.com/en-gb/anime-press-release/2012/06/26-1/harnessing-the-power-of-doujinshi-digital-manga-and-eisys-team-up-to-localize-digital-doujin-for-the-masses">EYSIS, Inc</a>.</p>



<p>At first view, the notices filed by CLS seem unremarkable. They list original works and then allegedly-infringing URLs. However, what these notices then try to do is purge from Google entire adult-site homepages, full sections, plus pages that clearly aren&#8217;t infringing.</p>



<p><em>Due to their inherent NSFW nature, we won&#8217;t quote them directly here but anyone interested can click the links provided.</em></p>



<p>For instance, <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18674130?access_token=OZ-p2JBldT2ekGZeXSwuJw">this notice</a> attempts to remove ‘xhamster.com/hd’ and the ‘subbed’ and ‘english’ tag archives on YouPorn.com.. Many other sites are listed too, with the notice even trying to take down their contact pages. Around two dozen homepages are among the 331 targeted URLs.</p>



<p>Another <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18663544?access_token=0B5YPkBmusDHc67cD3Vz2Q">notice</a> targets 198 URLs, six of them site homepages. In common with the other notices, some have been removed from Google search, others have not. It&#8217;s hard to make a clear determination but Google seems to delist some smaller sites while giving sites like YouPorn and xHamster a pass.</p>



<p>The list of notices <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18650491?access_token=BJsJrYjY2hvbjAWf3zc0lw">goes on</a>, <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18650364?access_token=5IKD8wqq4CrxbjxPu-AnEw">and on</a>, <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18644395?access_token=miUSnAZX8RxRKXfyx2KZDQ">and on</a>, <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18663434?access_token=reyGkAbvHGS5iKWahhfKWw">and on</a>, with the same general theme of some accurate reports, many massively overbroad ones, and notices that nearly always target some sites&#8217; homepages, some of which were acted upon by Google. </p>



<p>A site operator affected by the wave of takedowns sent TorrentFreak a list of the homepages that were requested for removal from Google. They numbered 294, which is a lot by any measurement.</p>



<p>Of course, there are a number of other factors that also need to be highlighted.</p>



<p>While it&#8217;s impractical to check them all, a cursory view of a few dozen domain URLs shows that most of the sites are probably infringing someone&#8217;s copyrights, so these types of notices (when accurate) shouldn&#8217;t come as a surprise. </p>



<p>It&#8217;s also possible that some of the sites carried the content in question on their homepages when the notices were sent to Google. However, given the volume of sites and the limited range of content, it seems likely this would be the exception and not the rule.</p>



<p>The operator of one site &#8211; <a href="https://gelbooru.com/">Gelbooru.com</a> &#8211; which had its homepage <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/18663539?access_token=2NWIajY74gqdLhZS1-foQg">delisted</a> from Google despite containing no infringing content, told TorrentFreak that complaining to Google proved fruitless.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/1bcee5e3.image-60.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-60.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173398" width="600"/><figcaption>Homepage delisted</figcaption></figure>



<p>&#8220;Thanks for reaching out to us,&#8221; Google responded.<br>       <br>&#8220;At this time, Google has decided not to take action. We encourage you to review <a href="https://library.educause.edu/topics/policy-and-law/digital-millennium-copyright-act-dmca">https://library.educause.edu/topics/policy-and-law/digital-millennium-copyright-act-dmca </a>for more information about the DMCA. If you have legal questions about this notification, you should retain your own legal counsel.&#8221;</p>



<p><em>The full list of notices referenced above can be found <a href="https://www.lumendatabase.org/notices/search?sender_name=Copyright+Legal+Services+INC">here</a> but may require registration to view in detail, as reported <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/lumen-database-restricts-access-to-dmca-notices-plans-to-expand-190510/">here</a>.</em></p>



<p> </p>



<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=PHQOs_8cIXA:-ReVTPbnCwE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=PHQOs_8cIXA:-ReVTPbnCwE:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=PHQOs_8cIXA:-ReVTPbnCwE:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/PHQOs_8cIXA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173386
title: TVAddons Boast Over 14 Million Active Users Per Month
uri: TVAddons-Boast-Over-14-Million-Active-Users-Per-Month
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/KSZW2NVRW6U/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-145066" src="media/0f952272.tvaddonsnew.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddonsnew.png" alt="" width="277" height="119">Dedicated streaming set-top boxes, many of which are running on Kodi, have become increasingly popular over the past several years.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://kodi.tv/">Kodi software</a> itself is perfectly legal, but many third-party add-ons complement it to offer access to pirated movies, TV-shows, and live-streaming.</p>
<p>These &#8216;pirate&#8217; add-ons can be found on a variety of sites and resources. Some are blatantly offering infringing content, but it’s not always clear what’s permitted and what’s not.</p>
<p>TVAddons, a popular repository of third-party Kodi add-ons, learned this the hard way. Previously the site used to offer many problematic add-ons. This lead to lawsuits in both <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dish-network-sues-zemtv-and-tv-addons-for-copyright-infringement-170605/">the US</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-returns-ugly-war-canadian-telcos-kodi-addons-170801/">Canada</a>, after which the company cleaned up its site and tightened its policies.</p>
<p>When the site returned, during the summer of 2017, it had to start from scratch. Since some of the most popular add-ons were removed, many people thought, or even hoped, that the comeback would be destined to fail.</p>
<p>However, this is not the case. New statistics released by <a href="https://www.tvaddons.co/">TVAddons</a> show that its repository is still widely used.</p>
<p>&#8220;There are many groups that wish to see TV ADDONS die. They include Hollywood, copyright bullies, preloaded box sellers, paid IPTV sellers, Kodi &#8216;blogs,&#8217; and probably cyber-lockers too. They’d be free to continue their profit-seeking, without us getting in the way,&#8221; TVAddons says.</p>
<p>&#8220;Unfortunately for the haters, we aren’t going anywhere. We continue to grow, maintaining a healthy number of daily active users.&#8221;</p>
<p>The site revealed its most recent &#8216;visitor&#8217; statistics for May. These are not site visits, but the number of connections that ping TVAddons servers by using its add-ons.</p>
<p>Last month, TVAddons received up to <a href="https://www.tvaddons.co/kodi-statistics-may2019/">1.76 million</a> unique calls to its update server per day, and over 14 million for the entire month. This means that every 24 hours, roughly one-and-a-half million &#8216;Kodi boxes&#8217; with their add-ons are online, checking for updates.</p>


<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="media/d874fe7e.tvaddmay.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddmay.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-173390"/><figcaption>TVAddons repo stats for May 2019</figcaption></figure>


<p>These numbers are indeed quite significant. However, what TVAddons doesn&#8217;t mention is that they are down quite a bit compared to a few years ago, before the legal trouble started.&nbsp;</p>
<p>During September 2016, TVAddons had <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-kodi-add-ons-gain-massive-popularity-161007/">roughly 24.7 million users a month</a> and a rough average of 5.6 million per day. This shows that daily usage has dropped significantly.</p>
<p>The number of website visits also shows a downward trend, although that&#8217;s never been very high. According to the TVAddons team, this is in part due to the removal of the old add-on library.</p>
<p>&#8220;We lost website ranking when we upgraded our site, because our old add-on library is down which had over 800 pages in it. We have the new and hugely upgraded version almost ready to go public,&#8221; TVAddons informs TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>It is clear, however, that TVAddons isn&#8217;t done yet. Since the legal trouble started it has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-and-dish-network-settle-copyright-infringement-lawsuit-180826/">settled its U.S. lawsuit with Dish</a>. However, the Canadian lawsuit through which the repository lost its old domain, remains ongoing.</p>
<p>That lawsuit is not a threat to the current site, according to TVAddons. The suit in question targets TVAddons&#8217; founder Adam Lackman who has since <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-founder-resigns-to-ensure-kodi-addon-platforms-longevity-180622/">distanced himself</a> from the Kodi-addon repository.</p>
<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s no update on the Canadian lawsuit yet, but it&#8217;s really Adam Lackman&#8217;s personal problem at this point. We continue to support him as much as we possibly can, but his lawsuit has no bearing on our community,&#8221; TVAddons says.</p>
<p>While there are no official figures available, the interest in Kodi, in general, appears to be waning. Traffic to the official Kodi site is dropping and the number of Kodi <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&amp;geo=US&amp;q=kodi">searches on Google</a> is on a downward spiral too.&nbsp;</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=KSZW2NVRW6U:TlhtExVgqOo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=KSZW2NVRW6U:TlhtExVgqOo:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=KSZW2NVRW6U:TlhtExVgqOo:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/KSZW2NVRW6U" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173194
title: One Amazon Copyright Complaint Costs Torrent Site its Domain
uri: One-Amazon-Copyright-Complaint-Costs-Torrent-Site-its-Domain
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/akMjun53gkk/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/114a07a1.stopstop.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/stopstop.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81719"/></figure></div>



<p>There are thousands of torrent and streaming sites on the Internet today. They come in all shapes and sizes but most have one thing in common &#8211; they need a domain name for people to access them.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s not unheard of for such sites to lose their domains after dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of copyright complaints. But to lose control over a domain after just one is pretty bad luck but, as it turns out, not exactly straightforward.</p>



<p>The site in question is <a href="https://theredbear.cc/">TheRedBear.cc</a>, a lesser-known but perfectly functional torrent indexer. In conversations with the site&#8217;s operator last month it became clear to us that he was having issues with his domain registrar, EuroDNS. Those issues were the result of a copyright complaint filed by Amazon.</p>



<p>According to information provided by the site owner, he&#8217;s always eager to process DMCA takedown notices when they arrive. He uses scripts to automate takedowns and he says he has a good relationship with anti-piracy companies. However, the complaint from Amazon apparently ended up in a spam folder and wasn&#8217;t processed as quickly as it should&#8217;ve been.</p>



<p>This led Amazon to file a complaint with EuroDNS, which references a single URL and reads as follows <em>(edited for clarity):</em></p>



<p>&#8220;Amazon has learned that the website located at theredbear.cc&#8230;for which you are the hosting provider, is distributing unauthorized copies of Amazon Properties via the distribution of Amazon Properties video files. This constitutes copyright infringement in violation of federal copyright law section 17 U.S.C. 501, as well as similar laws around the world,&#8221; the complaint reads.</p>



<p>&#8220;Amazon has already notified the Website of infringement through its vendor Digimarc. However, the Website has failed to comply expeditiously with this takedown request and continues to cause, enable, induce, facilitate and materially contribute to the infringement by continuing to provide its users with the means to unlawfully distribute, reproduce and otherwise exploit the property.&#8221;</p>



<p>While the complaint sounds serious, this wasn&#8217;t enough on its own for TheRedBear to lose its domain. What it did trigger, however, was a detailed review by EuroDNS of the account through which it was registered. </p>



<p>According to the site operator, EuroDNS then began demanding copies of his passport and a personal telephone call from his country of origin (rather than the virtual line he usually uses) to confirm various details.</p>



<p>The operator told us he provided information when he signed up in 2018 and that in his opinion, a review wasn&#8217;t necessary. Nevertheless, EuroDNS appears to have determined otherwise and suspended his account. </p>



<p>TorrentFreak spoke with EuroDNS about the issues. The company&#8217;s legal department spoke generally but confirmed that as long as they don&#8217;t host a website to which a domain points, they don&#8217;t suspend domains following a copyright complaint, as they do with domains that are clearly involved in illegal activity such as &#8220;phishing, social hatred etc.&#8221;</p>



<p>However, without the registry prejudging anything that has been alleged, copyright complaints do get forwarded to domain owners. In this case, two key complications then arose, both seemingly related to having verifiably accurate registration details.</p>



<p>&#8220;EuroDNS shall be entitled to charge the Customer for any action performed on the Customer&#8217;s behalf in connection with a third party claim, insofar as the Customer fails to acknowledge receipt of the EuroDNS notification in regard to such a claim, or if EuroDNS finds it  necessary to take action in regard to such a claim such as sending a registered letter and making phone calls on behalf of the Customer and  the complaining third party,&#8221; the company said.</p>



<p>&#8220;Nevertheless, such notification will automatically trigger a swift review of the concerned account to make sure that our customer complies with our Terms and Conditions. In case of a clear breach of our Terms and Conditions, unrelated to the original complaint, we might suspend our services to the concerned customer if the latter failed to take proper action.&#8221;</p>



<p>So, given the above, what appears to have happened in this case is that the copyright complaint triggered a review, the review criteria weren&#8217;t met, and EuroDNS suspended the account, which prevented changes to the domain. </p>



<p>While the domain is currently up it will shortly expire, meaning one domain gone, triggered by a copyright complaint but actioned on the basis of the registry&#8217;s own terms and conditions.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s unclear whether TheRedBear will continue with a similar domain registered elsewhere (news will reportedly be delivered <a href="https://theredbear.home.blog/">via the site&#8217;s blog</a>), but it seems unlikely that EuroDNS will be involved.</p>



<p> </p>



<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=akMjun53gkk:fFDE-9XlwT0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=akMjun53gkk:fFDE-9XlwT0:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=akMjun53gkk:fFDE-9XlwT0:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/akMjun53gkk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173274
title: Zippyshare’s “Forbidden” Message Spreads to Spain
uri: Zippyshare-s-Forbidden-Message-Spreads-to-Spain
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/lINF6aIg3NY/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-169483" src="media/d46a0e91.zippylogo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/zippylogo.png" alt="" width="275" height="86">Founded in 2006, file-hosting service <a href="https://zippyshare.com/">Zippyshare</a> has been around for well over a decade.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The sharing hub, with an estimated 100 million users, is listed among the 500 most-visited sites on the Internet.&nbsp;</p>
<p>However, in recent months Zippyshare began selectively closing its doors in several regions. In March we reported that <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/zippyshare-is-blocked-for-uk-visitors-but-why-190315/">UK visitors</a> had been blocked, and a few weeks later <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/zippyshare-shows-forbidden-message-to-german-visitors-190426/">German visitors</a> got the same treatment.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Instead of being welcomed by the regular homepage, they see a &#8220;forbidden&#8221; error in their browser, suggesting that the operators have specifically banned these regions.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/800381ee.forbiddenzippy.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/forbiddenzippy.png" alt="" class="wp-image-169486"/><figcaption>Forbidden!</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>This month Zippyshare&#8217;s mysterious blocking efforts expanded to Spain. Visitors from Southern European countries, or anyone who accesses the site from a Spanish IP-address, can no longer access the site.</p>
<p>The error message doesn&#8217;t explain what&#8217;s going on which has resulted in some simply presuming that the site has shut down, voluntarily or not. That&#8217;s certainly not the case though.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/e4b0c69d.zippydead1.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/zippydead1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173285"/><figcaption><a href="https://twitter.com/oscarbenidorm/status/1135117656049311745">Dead?</a></figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Others believe Zippyshare is blocked or banned in Spain, noting that it can still be accessed through a French VPN server.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/a68b6ec8.zippyblock.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/zippyblock.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173284"/><figcaption><a href="https://twitter.com/rodrimora/status/1135595263928754176">Banned?</a></figcaption></figure></div>


<p>While that&#8217;s closer to the truth, the site isn&#8217;t being blocked by ISPs. On the contrary, it appears that Zippyshare is responsible for the blocking here. For some reason, people from the UK, Germany, and Spain are no longer welcome.&nbsp;</p>
<p>We tried to get a comment from the site&#8217;s operators this week but have yet to receive a response. Our previous inquiries also remained unanswered.</p>
<p>One likely explanation is that Zippyshare took this step after some kind of legal pressure. It wouldn’t be the first time that a website has done this. Previously, several stream-rippers also blocked UK traffic, presumably over similar concerns.</p>
<p>While we&#8217;re not aware of any concrete legal issues,&nbsp; the RIAA did report Zippyshare as a &#8216;notorious&#8217; pirate site to the US Trade Representative late last year. That said, the site remains freely available in the US.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason for or source of the localized blockade is, people can always find a workaround. The site can still be accessed through a VPN, as long as it&#8217;s not from a server in one of the blocked countries.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=lINF6aIg3NY:8FNo0HOp7Sc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=lINF6aIg3NY:8FNo0HOp7Sc:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=lINF6aIg3NY:8FNo0HOp7Sc:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/lINF6aIg3NY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173450
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 06/10/19
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-06-10-19
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/KTLzpimYXmE/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-173174" src="media/d9bb9858.captain.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/captain.png" alt="" width="237" height="149">This week we have three newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Captain Marvel 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>&nbsp;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-06-03-19/">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/tt4154664/">Captain Marvel</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154664/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LHxvxdRnYc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5884052/">Pokémon Detective Pikachu</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5884052/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1roy4o4tqQM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857112/">Us</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857112/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tzFRIQfwXg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/">Avengers: Endgame</a> (HDCam)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/">9.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcMBFSGVi1c">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5461944/">Hotel Mumbai</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5461944/">7.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVQpbp54ljA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448115/">Shazam!</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448115/">7.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oD7B7oiBtw">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5968394/">Captive State</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5968394/">7.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68xCzI406A">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6428676/">Wonder Park</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6428676/">5.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VML6rQWssSk">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6823368">Glass</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6823368">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBL6COBGjCA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4943998/">Deadwood</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4943998/">8.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0WrXmhvXTA">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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=KTLzpimYXmE:V8qFGcJsbSo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=KTLzpimYXmE:V8qFGcJsbSo:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=KTLzpimYXmE:V8qFGcJsbSo:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/KTLzpimYXmE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173435
title: Kim Dotcom Begins Final Supreme Court Battle to Avoid US Extradition
uri: Kim-Dotcom-Begins-Final-Supreme-Court-Battle-to-Avoid-US-Extradition
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/MKStIzc1dGU/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="media/b27ab4c9.dotcom-court.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/dotcom-court.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-97483" width="243" height="189"/></figure></div>



<p>When file-hosting site Megaupload was shut down in 2012, few could have predicted the events of the years to follow.</p>



<p>The arrest of founder Kim Dotcom and colleagues Mathias Ortmann, Bram van der Kolk and Finn Batato in New Zealand, triggered dozens of legal processes, many designed to expedite, delay or indeed avoid the quartet&#8217;s extradition to the United States.</p>



<p>Before it was closed, Megaupload claimed responsibility for around 4% of global Internet traffic. Much of this, the United States government claims, was pirated content, particularly movies, TV shows and music, costing US companies around US$500 million.</p>



<p>Dotcom has persistently argued that as an online service provider, Megaupload should receive safe harbor protections in respect of the activities of its users. US authorities, on the other hand, see a massive criminal conspiracy for which the four should face justice on the other side of the world.</p>



<p>At every step thus far, the New Zealand legal system has found in favor of sending the men to the United States.</p>



<p>In December 2015, Judge Dawson in the District Court found that Dotcom and his associates were eligible for extradition. That decision was subsequently appealed to the High Court, with Dotcom and his now former colleagues launching an appeal alongside a demand for a judicial review.</p>



<p>During February 2017, the appellants discovered that both of those efforts had proven unsuccessful. However, the men were granted leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal on two questions of law, including whether the High Court was correct to find that their alleged conduct amounted to an extradition offense.</p>



<p>In July 2018, the Court of Appeal upheld the earlier decision that Dotcom and the others were indeed eligible to be extradited. Importantly, the Court considered whether copyright infringement can be a criminal offense in New Zealand and the United States.</p>



<p>It was ultimately found that the alleged conduct of the men would breach various offenses under the Crimes Act 1961, meaning that extradition would be permissible. But this wouldn&#8217;t be a typical Dotcom matter if a final chance of appeal wasn&#8217;t grabbed with both hands.</p>



<p>As a result, the case headed to the Supreme Court, where the final hearing is taking place over five days this week, beginning today.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/e5a7f2d8.image-61.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-61.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173448" width="600"/></figure></div>



<p>&#8220;In 2005 I created a website that allowed people to upload files to the cloud. At the time only small files could be attached to emails. Megaupload allowed users to email a link to a file. That’s it,&#8221; Dotcom <a href="https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/1137856160374042625">wrote</a> on Twitter this morning.</p>



<p>&#8220;In 2019 the NZ Supreme Court decides if I should be extradited for this &#8216;crime&#8217;.&#8221;</p>



<p>While lawyers for the accused are set to pick at every available thread in order to unravel the decision against their clients, early reports from the Supreme Court suggest already familiar themes.</p>



<p>Grant Illingworth, representing Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk, <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/391635/dotcom-extradition-finding-antithesis-of-justice-lawyer-tells-supreme-court">told</a> the Court that he would be arguing that the alleged offenses did not amount to a crime in New Zealand, meaning that they could not be extraditable offenses. But, even if they were, insufficient evidence had been produced to show that offenses had even occurred.</p>



<p>&#8220;The district court judge misapplied the law at every stage of the judicial analysis,&#8221; Illingworth said, as quoted by <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/391688/megaupload-not-intended-for-illegal-use-dotcom-s-lawyers-say">RNZ</a>.</p>



<p>&#8220;That constituted a serious miscarriage of justice. No higher court could have justified a finding of that kind, no matter how much they agreed with the outcome.&#8221;</p>



<p>Interestingly &#8211; or perhaps worryingly &#8211; it appears that discussions over how Megaupload operated were conducted via analogies this morning. At issue was Megaupload offering content for download and, in some cases, rewarding uploaders for putting that content there in the first place.</p>



<p>Justice Susan Glazebrook asked Illingworth whether it would be a breach of copyright if she photocopied a novel hypothetically written by one of her fellow judges and then sold it on a street corner. Illingworth said Megaupload didn&#8217;t make the copies, its users did.</p>



<p>&#8220;They&#8217;re providing the photocopier, someone else comes along and uses the photocopier. They&#8217;re [Megaupload] not putting up a sign saying, &#8216;Please come and use our photocopier for illegal purposes,'&#8221; he said.</p>



<p>Justice Joe Williams then elaborated on the analogy, alluding to Megaupload&#8217;s reward program.</p>



<p>&#8220;What if I get a wheelbarrow and I convey the copies [of the novel] to the street corner, knowing that she&#8217;ll be selling them, and she and I have some kind of agreement to share the profits?&#8221; he said.</p>



<p>Illingworth responded by saying it was never Megaupload&#8217;s intention to reward people for illegal behavior, it was all about rewarding them for increasing the site&#8217;s traffic.</p>



<p>While the hearing is set to run until Friday, any decision will take months to reach. Even if extradition is upheld, it will still need the approval of New Zealand&#8217;s Minister of Justice Andrew Little to take place.</p>



<p>His signature would mean that the men would be shipped to the US to face charges of copyright infringement, racketeering, and money laundering plus the possibility of years &#8211; even decades &#8211; in prison.</p>



<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=MKStIzc1dGU:_ravAmOon-M:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=MKStIzc1dGU:_ravAmOon-M:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=MKStIzc1dGU:_ravAmOon-M:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/MKStIzc1dGU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=172710
title: SET TV Loses Lawyer and Goes Dark in Piracy Case
uri: SET-TV-Loses-Lawyer-and-Goes-Dark-in-Piracy-Case
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ojJhfNueXzk/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-154559" src="media/12fdf7b4.settv.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/settv.jpg" alt="" width="277" height="181">Last year the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, the global anti-piracy alliance featuring several Hollywood studios, Amazon, Netflix, and other entertainment companies, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-amazon-and-hollywood-sue-set-tv-over-iptv-piracy-180422/">sued Florida-based SET Broadcast, LLC</a>.</p>
<p>The company offered a popular software-based IPTV service and also sold pre-loaded set-top boxes.</p>
<p>While it was marketed as a legal service, according to the ACE members, <a href="https://www.setvnow.com/">Set TV&#8217;s</a> software was little more than a pirate tool, allowing buyers to stream copyright-infringing content.</p>
<p>“Defendants market and sell subscriptions to ‘Setvnow,’ a software application that Defendants urge their customers to use as a tool for the mass infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted motion pictures and television shows,” the complaint read.</p>
<p>The ACE members were not the only rightsholders that complained. June last year Dish Network tagged on with another copyright infringement lawsuit against the company, and soon after, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/set-tv-suddenly-goes-offline-but-is-the-ace-lawsuit-to-blame-180611/">the IPTV service went offline</a>.</p>
<p>This was a blow to SET TV&#8217;s more than 180,000 subscribers and the company itself was hit hard as well. Last November it reached a settlement with Dish, agreeing to pay more than <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/settv-iptv-service-ordered-to-pay-dish-90000000-in-piracy-damages-181113/">$90 million</a> in damages and sign over its domain name.</p>
<p>The case against ACE is not over yet though. Over the past months, it moved into the discovery phase and the copyright holders requested to depose owner SET TV owner Jason Labossiere and its employee Nelson Johnson, who are both listed as defendants.</p>
<p>However, both parties failed to respond, as did SET TV as a company. Meanwhile, the relationship with their attorney Joseph Shapiro also went south. Outstanding invoices were left unpaid which prompted Shapiro to <a href="media/a672e3ea.gov.uscourts.cacd.707896.40.0_2.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.707896/gov.uscourts.cacd.707896.40.0_2.pdf">withdraw</a> from the case.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants have not paid invoices for attorney fees for more than five months and are unwilling to make any payment at this time or to commit to any payment plan,&#8221; the court was informed.</p>
<p>&#8220;Additionally, relations between Defendants and Mr. Shapiro have degraded such that it is no longer feasible for Mr. Shapiro to represent Defendants in this case.&#8221;</p>
<p>In April the court <a href="media/ac4f898d.gov.uscourts.cacd.707896.45.0_2.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.707896/gov.uscourts.cacd.707896.45.0_2.pdf">agreed to remove</a> the attorney from the case, instructing SET TV to find new counsel. Despite this clear instruction from the court, none of the defendants responded.</p>
<p>This left the ACE members with few other options than to <a href="media/446c3d99.gov.uscourts.cacd.707896.47.0_2.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.707896/gov.uscourts.cacd.707896.47.0_2.pdf">request an entry of default</a> against Set Broadcast. This was entered by a court clerk a few days ago, and if the company remains dark, it will likely lose the case.</p>
<p>Now that the company is in default the copyright holders will likely submit a motion for a default judgment, proposing what they believe is an appropriate damages amount. This will likely amount to millions of dollars.</p>
<p>Considering the earlier $90 million settlement with Dish, it&#8217;s doubtful that there is any money left to take.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=ojJhfNueXzk:wchjE2QurpU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=ojJhfNueXzk:wchjE2QurpU:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=ojJhfNueXzk:wchjE2QurpU:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/ojJhfNueXzk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173440
title: Pirate Site Blocking Efforts Expand to Ecuador
uri: Pirate-Site-Blocking-Efforts-Expand-to-Ecuador
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/G-_ZyM16tV8/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-131227" src="media/00e1b706.redcard.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/redcard.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="156">Well over a decade ago copyright holders first went to court to block a pirate site.&nbsp;The target in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/danish-isp-forced-to-censor-the-internet/?doing_wp_cron=1560238756.4491679668426513671875">this initial case</a>, which took place in Denmark, was the Russian MP3 &#8216;store&#8217; AllofMP3.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The court eventually ordered local ISPs to block the site and soon after similar requests were made in countries all around the world.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, the Motion Picture Association reported that <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/nearly-4000-pirate-sites-are-blocked-by-isps-around-the-world-190210/">4,000 websites have been blocked in 31 countries</a> over the past several years. As rightsholders see blocking as an effective means to hinder pirates the list continues to expand, with the South American country Ecuador as the latest addition.</p>
<p>Late last week Ecuador&#8217;s National Intellectual Property Service (SENADI) issued an administrative order requiring Internet providers to block subscribers from accessing several Rojadirecta websites.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As one of the oldest and most prominent live streaming sites, <a href="http://www.rojadirecta.me/">Rojadirecta</a> is a thorn in the side of many international sports organizations. In this case, the blocking order was requested by Fox Latin America and Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://twitter.com/SENADI_Ecuador/status/1136707604812587014">blocking order</a> requires local Internet providers to block a total of five domain names; Rojadiretahd.online, Rojadirectatv.football, Rojadirectatv.tv, Rojadirecta.online and Rojadirecta-tv.me.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/f7412bfa.ecuablock.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ecuablock.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173479"/><figcaption>The blocking order</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>This is the first blocking order of this kind in Ecuador that we&#8217;re aware of. According to reports, some ISPs are using DNS blockades, which are relatively easy to circumvent, but more evasive techniques are being utilized as well.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Opponents of the blocking measures complain that they violate freedom of expression. They fear that more blocking efforts will follow, without proper judicial oversight.&nbsp;</p>
<p>That said, SENADI&#8217;s order has a clear legal basis. The measure is permitted <a href="http://www.usuariosdigitales.org/2017/02/07/alertadigitalec-gobierno-podria-dar-baja-portales-web-directamente-determina-violacion-copyright/">under the</a> Organic Code on the Social Economy of Knowledge, Creativity and Innovation. In this case, ISPs were required to take action before June 6th, or face criminal liabilities.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/a60f80f2.blockingnot.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/blockingnot.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-173488" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/blockingnot.jpg 600w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/blockingnot-220x130.jpg 220w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption><a href="https://twitter.com/bazuzu22/status/1137066377410437121">Blocking notice</a></figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Interestingly, the list of targeted &#8220;Rojadirecta&#8221; domains doesn&#8217;t include the official website, which operates from Rojadirecta.me. Instead, it appears to be targeted at third-party sites that use the same name.</p>
<p>At the time of writing Rojadirectatv.football is redirecting to Rojadirectaonline.biz, possibly in an attempt to circumvent the blocking efforts. Rojadiretahd.online and Rojadirecta.online have stopped working entirely, as these domains were suspended by the domain name registrar.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of SENADI&#8217;s blocking order is <a href="media/25ab1913.SENADI-order.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/SENADI-order.pdf">available here (pdf)</a>.</em></p>
<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=G-_ZyM16tV8:DhV7j_KZeRY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=G-_ZyM16tV8:DhV7j_KZeRY:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=G-_ZyM16tV8:DhV7j_KZeRY:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/G-_ZyM16tV8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173499
title: India Court Hands Down Cricket World Cup Piracy Blocking Order
uri: India-Court-Hands-Down-Cricket-World-Cup-Piracy-Blocking-Order
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/TMk16jbnqVs/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/a3637ca1.broken-radio.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/broken-radio.png" alt="" class="wp-image-53881"/></figure></div>



<p>Over the past decade there have been dozens of orders requiring Internet service providers around the world to block access to copyright-infringing content.</p>



<p>The majority of these orders have attempted to protect the movie and music industries but more recently live sports broadcasters have become involved.</p>



<p>In most if not all sports-blocking cases, the content has been both audio and visual, such as live soccer matches to which the English Premier League owns the rights. However, a new blocking order out of India is attempting to block &#8216;pirate&#8217; radio streams, delivered via the Internet.</p>



<p>The application was made by <a href="https://www.channel2group.net/">Channel 2 Group Corporation.</a> According to the company&#8217;s website, its founder is Ajay Sethi, a man with a passion for cricket, who launched &#8220;the first ever Radio over the internet – Cricket Radio.&#8221;</p>



<p>Channel 2&#8217;s application at the Delhi High Court states that the company previously acquired the audio rights to the ICC Men’s World Cup, 2019. The agreement allows it to transmit audio coverage of Cricket World Cup matches (live, delayed, or highlights) via the Internet and private FM radio stations throughout India.</p>



<p>Of course, while Channel 2&#8217;s agreement may be exclusive in theory, the company says that other entities are encroaching (or likely to encroach) on its rights as the tournament progresses. As such, it&#8217;s seeking protection from the Court to have such broadcasts blocked.</p>



<p>In an <em>ex parte</em> interim order handed down by the Delhi High Court, the broadcaster appears to have been granted permission to do just that.</p>



<p>In total there are 249 defendants in the case, two of which are government departments only present for administrative reasons and 247 for direct involvement. Just one is mentioned by name in the published order, lead defendant <em>live</em>.<em>mycricketlive</em>.<em>net. </em>The remainder are not detailed but are variously described as follows:</p>



<ul><li>Defendants 1-64 (URLs/Websites)</li><li>Defendants 65-68 (private radio platform operators)</li><li>Defendants 69-105 (Internet service providers)</li><li>Defendants 105-107 (Government departments) <em>(108 absent from list)</em></li><li>Defendants 109-249 (Unknown defendants, to be determined)</li></ul>



<p>&#8220;The Plaintiff’s apprehension regarding the likely abuse of Plaintiff’s exclusive Audio Rights and intellectual property rights arises from previous instances of infringement of the Plaintiff’s exclusive broadcasting rights by various interested persons,&#8221; the order reads.</p>



<p>&#8220;The said instances of infringement caused considerable financial loss to the Plaintiff. The Plaintiff is given to believe from its agencies that the Defendants arrayed herein will infringe the exclusive Audio Rights of the Plaintiff.&#8221;</p>



<p>Channel 2 states that defendants 1-105 have no right to offer radio/audio broadcasts of any ICC Event, including those in the World Cup. As a result, they urgently need to be restrained from doing so, since the tournament has already begun. Defendants 69-105 must take measures to block the unlicensed streams provided by the infringing websites/services.</p>



<p>Defendants 109-249 are so-called <em>Ashok Kumars</em>, which are the Indian equivalent of <em>John Does</em>. They are predicted to infringe on Channel 2&#8217;s rights so need to be dealt with quickly should they do so, the Court agreed.</p>



<p>&#8220;The Plaintiff apprehends that if the Plaintiff were to wait and identify specific parties and collect evidence of infringement by such specific parties, significant time would be lost and the cricket matches may come to an end,&#8221; the order reads.</p>



<p>&#8220;Irreparable injury, loss and damage, would be caused to the Plaintiff in such a scenario, which would be impossible to quantify in monetary terms alone.&#8221;</p>



<p>As part of the interim order, search engines are also required to delete from their results any websites/URLs that provide access to infringing sites/streams. They must do so following a notification from Channel 2 itself.</p>



<p>Given the broad nature of many blocking injunctions in this and other jurisdictions, not much of the above comes as a surprise anymore. However, there is a somewhat unusual addition to the order, which targets services that provide ball-by-ball and/or minute-by-minute updates on the status of matches.</p>



<p>They may only do so &#8220;gratuitously only after a time lag of 15 minutes.&#8221;</p>



<p><em>The interim order of the Delhi High Court can be found <a href="media/7fc7242e.Channel2-blocking-order-Delhi-High-Court.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com//images/Channel2-blocking-order-Delhi-High-Court.pdf">here</a> (pdf)</em></p>



<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=TMk16jbnqVs:bE8OlfdYRIM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=TMk16jbnqVs:bE8OlfdYRIM:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=TMk16jbnqVs:bE8OlfdYRIM:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/TMk16jbnqVs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173565
title: La Liga Fined €250K For Breaching GDPR While Spying on Piracy
uri: La-Liga-Fined-250K-For-Breaching-GDPR-While-Spying-on-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/yDWcjyscxOg/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/c74c42c9.laliga.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/laliga.png" alt="" class="wp-image-156904"/></figure></div>



<p>With millions of fans around the globe, Spain&#8217;s La Liga soccer league is one of the most popular in the game.</p>



<p>To allow fans to keep up with all the latest news, La Liga offers an <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=es.lfp.gi.main&amp;hl=en_GB">Android app</a> with a number of features including schedules, kick-off times, and the all-important results. </p>



<p>Controversially, however, the app also has a surprising trick up its sleeve. </p>



<p>After gaining consent from users, La Liga&#8217;s software turns fans&#8217; phones into spying devices which are able to analyze their surroundings using the microphone, listening out for unauthorized broadcasts in bars and restaurants, for example. This audio, collected Shazam-style, is then paired with phone GPS data to pinpoint establishments airing matches without a license.</p>



<p>The feature was outlined in the app&#8217;s <a href="http://www.laliga.es/aficionesunidas/aviso-legal">privacy policy</a> along with stated uses that include combating piracy.</p>



<p>&#8220;The purposes for which this functionality will be used are: (i) to develop statistical patterns on soccer consumption and (ii) to detect fraudulent operations of the retransmissions of LaLiga football matches (piracy),&#8221; the policy read when <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/soccer-league-turns-app-users-into-piracy-spies-180611/">first uncovered</a> last summer.</p>



<p>While controversial, La Liga felt that it was on solid ground in respect of the feature and its declaration to app users. <a href="https://www.aepd.es/">AEPD</a>, Spain&#8217;s data protection agency (Agencia Española de Protección de Datos), fundamentally disagrees.</p>



<p>As a result, AEPD has hit La Liga with a <a href="https://elpais.com/economia/2019/06/11/actualidad/1560264403_529943.html">significant 250,000 euro fine</a> for not properly informing its users in respect of the &#8216;microphone&#8217; feature, including not displaying a mic icon when recording.</p>



<p>The data protection agency said that La Liga&#8217;s actions breached several aspects of the EU&#8217;s <a href="https://eugdpr.org/">GDPR</a>, including a failure to gain consent every time the microphones in users&#8217; devices were activated.</p>



<p>In a statement, La Liga says it &#8220;disagrees deeply&#8221; with the AEPD&#8217;s decision and believes the agency has &#8220;not made the effort to understand how the technology works.&#8221; Announcing it will go to court to challenge the ruling, La Liga says it has always complied with the GDPR and other relevant data protection regulations.</p>



<p>Noting that users of the app must &#8220;expressly, proactively and on two occasions give their consent&#8221; for the microphone to be used, La Liga further insists that the app does not &#8220;record, store or listen&#8221; to people&#8217;s conversations.</p>



<p>&#8220;[T]he technology used is designed to generate only a specific sound footprint (acoustic fingerprint). This fingerprint only contains 0.75% of the information, discarding the remaining 99.25%, so it is technically impossible to interpret the voice or human conversations. This footprint is transformed into an alphanumeric code (hash) that is not reversible to the original sound,&#8221; La Liga says.</p>



<p>AEPD has ordered La Liga to introduce new mechanisms to ensure that users are properly notified when the anti-piracy features of the app are in use. However, La Liga says it has no need to implement them because at the end of the current season (June 30, 2019), the functionality will be disabled.</p>



<p>&#8220;La Liga will continue to test and implement new technologies and innovations that allow us to improve the experience of our fans and, of course, fight against this very serious scourge that is piracy,&#8221; the league 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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=yDWcjyscxOg:WBaHOf1Jz6g:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=yDWcjyscxOg:WBaHOf1Jz6g:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=yDWcjyscxOg:WBaHOf1Jz6g:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/yDWcjyscxOg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173584
title: Aussie Blocking Juggernaut Continues With 105 More ‘Pirate’ Domains
uri: Aussie-Blocking-Juggernaut-Continues-With-105-More-Pirate-Domain
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/4BD_ovPxwLI/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/e49204f7.deniedblocked.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/deniedblocked.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-143825"/></figure></div>



<p>Last December, Australia’s Federal Court <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australian-court-orders-isps-to-block-181-pirate-domains-including-subtitle-sites-181220/">issued an injunction</a> in favor of Village Roadshow, Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount, Columbia, Universal, and Warner, requiring local ISPs to block 181 pirate domains linked to 78 sites.</p>



<p>Soon after, the same companies (plus Australian distributor Madman and Tokyo Broadcasting) returned to court with a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/new-aussie-blocking-applications-targets-79-pirate-sites-plus-4-stream-ripping-platforms-190110/">new application</a> to block 79 “online locations” associated with 99 domains.</p>



<p>In common with previous blocking applications, local ISPs including Telstra, Optus, Vocus, TPG, Vodafone, plus their subsidiaries, were asked to prevent access to the platforms, stated as all being located overseas. In all, 52 Internet service providers were listed in the application.</p>



<p>This week, more than six months after the original documents were filed, Justice Nicholas in the Federal Court granted an order under Section 115A of the Copyright Act 1968 in favor of the studios.</p>



<p>The order appears to have changed slightly since the original application. It now lists 104 domains spread across 76 allegedly-infringing platforms. Many of the sites are well-known torrent and streaming services, including StreamCR, Torrenting, TorrentLeech, AnimeHeaven, and HorribleSubs, to name just a few.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s extremely unusual for any sites to mount any kind of defense against blocking but earlier this year, Socrates Dimitriadis &#8211; the operator of Greek-Movies.com &#8211; <a href="https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/657802/operator-greek-movie-website-opposes-attempt-it-blocked-australia/">did just that</a>.</p>



<p>&#8220;My site is just a search engine that refers users to third-party websites,&#8221; he explained in a letter to the Court. </p>



<p>That appears to have held no sway with the Judge. Greek-Movies is the 15th site listed in the injunction, with ISPs required to target its main domain (greek-movies.com) and/or its IP address 136.243.50.75, using DNS, IP address or URL blocking, or &#8220;any alternative technical means&#8221;.</p>



<p><em>A copy of the injunction can be downloaded <a href="media/234ea50b.Roadshow-v-Telstra-Dec18-Order-June-12-2019.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com//images/Roadshow-v-Telstra-Dec18-Order-June-12-2019.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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=4BD_ovPxwLI:1UAfyd_AFwI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=4BD_ovPxwLI:1UAfyd_AFwI:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=4BD_ovPxwLI:1UAfyd_AFwI:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/4BD_ovPxwLI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173535
title: DISH and Bell IPTV ‘Pirates’ Pressed to Settle Or Face Legal Action
uri: DISH-and-Bell-IPTV-Pirates-Pressed-to-Settle-Or-Face-Legal-Actio
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/uvuhUn9mUcQ/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-135034" src="media/a7c0897c.iptv.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/iptv.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="155">Traditional file-sharing pirates are no stranger to settlement demands from copyright holders.&nbsp; For over a decade, companies have been monitoring BitTorrent swarms in an effort to extract cash from alleged infringers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>These efforts have now carried over to IPTV streaming pirates. Generally speaking, it&#8217;s impossible for rightsholders to see who&#8217;s using pirate IPTV services unless the provider is willing to hand over customer details. This is exactly what&#8217;s happening.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The IPTV settlement campaign is run by NagraStar, which is a joint venture between DISH Network and Kudelski Group. While some rightsholders try to keep these efforts out of the public eye, NagraStar has a <a href="https://www.satscams.com/">public website</a> explaining in detail what they do.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The company is already known for demanding settlements from and filing lawsuits against people who decrypt satellite signals including IKS (Intenet Key Sharing) pirates. As Cord Cutters News <a href="https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/dish-is-threatening-lawsuits-against-iptv-subscribers/">spotted</a>, this has now carried over to pirate IPTV subscribers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>NagraStar&#8217;s efforts focus on people who obtain programming from DISH Network and Bell TV, without permission. These generally are subscribers of unlicensed IPTV services. These subscriber records are not public, but some vendors hand them over when they are caught.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;When NagraStar settles with pirates who operate online services that sell illegal content, we commonly receive transaction evidence of all the sales made to end users and secondary resellers. NagraStar uses this information to send letters and emails proposing a settlement amount to avoid litigation,&#8221; NagraStar explains.</p>
<p>The company says that these settlements are needed to recoup the losses it suffers from these pirate IPTV services. The demands aren&#8217;t cheap either. Pirate subscribers typically get a settlement offer of $3,500 while resellers of unauthorized IPTV subscriptions have to cough up $7,500.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/46447d3f.satscams.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/satscams.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173610"/></figure></div>


<p>NagraStar knows that many of the targeted subscribers may not realize that they are doing something wrong. However, on paper there appears to be little clemency, aside from the offer to pay the settlement in monthly installments for those who can&#8217;t afford to pay at once.</p>
<p>In addition, people who are willing to hand over illicit streaming devices or pirate set-top boxes can get a discount. The same is true for those who are willing to give up their credentials to piracy forums, which NagraStar will likely use to gather further intel.</p>
<p>The company stresses that its letters are not a scam. Ignoring a settlement demand isn&#8217;t wise either, it states, noting that the case will then be escalated to its legal team.</p>
<p>&#8220;Choosing to ignore this letter will result in your referral to our legal team. This usually leads to a lawsuit, which results in a judgment that is public record,&#8221; NagraStar writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;In court, every illegal purchase made can carry a hefty fine of up to $10,000. It is in your best interest, as well as NagraStar&#8217;s, to settle this matter outside of court with a pre-suit settlement offer to avoid heavy fines and to keep this matter confidential.&#8221;</p>
<p>This threatening language is self-serving, of course, and aimed at motivating people to pay up. That said, the risk of a lawsuit is indeed legitimate. NagraStar has previously filed several lawsuits against vendors and individual pirates.</p>
<p>NagraStar&#8217;s website also features several testimonies from pirates, or statements of compliance, as they are called. This includes a &#8220;<a href="https://www.satscams.com/forum/nagrastar-forum/pirates/statements-of-compliance/524-statement-from-a-rocket-iptv-pirate">Rocket IPTV</a>&#8221; pirate, and a former subscriber of an <a href="https://www.satscams.com/forum/nagrastar-forum/pirates/statements-of-compliance/459-statement-from-an-iptv-pirate">unnamed pirate IPTV</a> service.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/c40ee523.rocket-1.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rocket-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173608"/></figure></div>


<p>While its unlikely that NagraStar will pursue legal action against all who ignore the letters, disregarding the settlement demands is not without risk.</p>
<p>Chicago law firm &#8216;<a href="https://russellfirmip.com/dish-network-nagrastar-defense/">The Russell Firm</a>&#8216;, which has experience with defending people accused of piracy, including in this matter, urges recipients to take the letters seriously.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;Whatever you do, do not ignore the letter. Legal matters don’t get cheaper with time. They get more complicated and more expensive,&#8221; the law firm advises, noting that they offer a free consultation.</p>
<p>NagraStar, for its part, points out that a lawyer is not required to settle a claim. The company stresses that its associates will do their best to negotiate a reasonable settlement offer, whatever that may be.&nbsp;</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=uvuhUn9mUcQ:w_p4Fh0opuo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=uvuhUn9mUcQ:w_p4Fh0opuo:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=uvuhUn9mUcQ:w_p4Fh0opuo:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/uvuhUn9mUcQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173627
title: Fragmented Streaming Landscape Keeps Piracy Relevant, Research Suggests
uri: Fragmented-Streaming-Landscape-Keeps-Piracy-Relevant-Research-Suggest
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/SFpLiGd-uO0/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-134675" src="media/84a71927.exodus-movies.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/exodus-movies.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="181"></p>
<p>There is little doubt that, for many people, streaming services have become the standard for watching movies and TV-shows.</p>
<p>This is no surprise, since subscription-based streaming services are among the best and most convenient alternatives to piracy at this point.</p>
<p>There is a problem though. The whole appeal of the streaming model becomes diluted when there are too many ‘Netflixes.’</p>
<p>More choice wouldn&#8217;t be a bad thing if all these services offered a broad library of content. The problem, however, is that all have different &#8216;libraries&#8217; and exclusive productions are becoming more and more common.</p>
<p>Since most households have a limited budget for online entertainment, consumers have to choose which services they want. This is a problem that keeps getting worse, especially now that Apple and Disney are planning to release their own streaming platforms soon.</p>
<p>The irony of this situation is that the platforms, which are supposed to make piracy obsolete, are in fact keeping it relevant. This has been argued anecdotally in the past, but research by piracy research firm <a href="https://www.muso.com/">MUSO</a> among 1,000 UK adults, shows that this is indeed happening.</p>
<p>The vast majority of all surveyed consumers, 80.4%,&nbsp; feel that they’re already paying too much for content streaming. At the same time, 64.2% of the people who took part in the survey are not willing to pay for any more streaming services this year.</p>
<p>Even more worrying is that more than half of all respondents, 50.8%, said they were likely or very likely to use unlicensed platforms to search for content that&#8217;s not available to them. In other words, they are considering to pirate video in order to get what they want.</p>
<p>&#8220;This research shows that people will inevitably seek it elsewhere via unlicensed platforms, but this does, however, create further opportunities for content owners to understand this audience with meaningful and valuable insights,” MUSO CEO Andy Chatterley notes.</p>
<p>“With most people only subscribing to only a couple of services, it’s going to be really interesting to see what happens with the launch of Disney+ and Apple TV+. Will consumers ditch an existing service for one of the new ones? Or will Apple struggle to crack the TV market again?”</p>
<p>While it&#8217;s easy to blame rightsholders and streaming platforms, this puzzle isn&#8217;t easy to solve.</p>
<p>Ideally, there would be a single platform where people can access everything they want, similar to pirate sites and services. The problem is, however, that this won&#8217;t bring in enough revenue, at least not at the subscription rates we have now.</p>
<p>That said, there has to be a better option than to keep adding more and more services and fragmenting the steaming landscape?</p>
<p>In any case, the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/most-top-films-are-not-available-on-netflix-research-finds-140926/">flawed argument</a> that people have no &#8216;excuse&#8217; to pirate because there are plenty of legal alternatives is weakening every year. Yes, pretty much everything can be accessed legally, but people need deep pockets to do so.</p>
<p>It appears that the people who benefit the most from increased fragmentation are the operators of pirate sites and services. That&#8217;s probably not what Hollywood intended.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=SFpLiGd-uO0:yZfyOM67trg:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=SFpLiGd-uO0:yZfyOM67trg:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=SFpLiGd-uO0:yZfyOM67trg:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/SFpLiGd-uO0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173644
title: Red-Hot Vetements Fashion Brand is Selling a $845 Pirate Bay Hoodie
uri: Red-Hot-Vetements-Fashion-Brand-is-Selling-a-845-Pirate-Bay-Hoodie
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Q13DQBy92dE/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/0e036607.pirate-bay.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-bay.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-53470"/></figure></div>



<p>The Pirate Bay is the most recognized pirate site on the Internet. It has endured the roughest of high seas for more than 15 years and is still going strong.</p>



<p>The site&#8217;s logo, pictured right, has been published on thousands of websites and for many, its familiar tape-and-crossbones logo is both iconic and rebellious.</p>



<p>Enter stage left storming fashion brand Vetements. Previously based in Paris, the &#8220;design collective&#8221; has been making waves all over the world and is currently listed as one of the world&#8217;s hottest brands, just a single place behind Versace in the <a href="https://www.lyst.com/the-lyst-index/2019/q1/">latest Lyst Index</a>.</p>



<p>Hoping to climb even further up the greasy pole that is high fashion, Vetements is now selling a Pirate Bay-themed hoodie that shamelessly rips off the site&#8217;s logo. Buyers can pick one up for the <a href="https://www.matchesfashion.com/us/products/1291612">bargain price of $845</a>.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/b4f8d7ee.image-63.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-63.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173646" width="600"/><figcaption>An absolute giveaway</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>While the full ship emblem on the front isn&#8217;t an exact replica of the original, it&#8217;s so close as to make very little difference. Those squinting to read the text along the bottom are advised it reads &#8220;Vetements Free Downloads&#8221;, in case anyone doesn&#8217;t recognize this is a Pirate Bay-themed hoodie, of course.</p>



<p>The back of this stunning piece of high-fashion cloth is adorned with an alphabetically-sorted list of countries of the world. While that&#8217;s perhaps expected given The Pirate Bay&#8217;s reach, Sweden &#8211; the site&#8217;s birthplace &#8211; is completely absent.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/dc024065.image-64.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-64.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173655"/><figcaption>No Sweden?</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>The big question here is whether someone in the setting department screwed up and left Sweden out, or is this one of those clever fashion things that&#8217;s designed to provoke conversation. The Pirate Bay can be found everywhere except Sweden? That works &#8211; on a couple of levels.</p>



<p>But of course, now we&#8217;re getting sucked in and this was probably Vetements&#8217; plan all along. Keep in mind this is a company that sells a t-shirt <a href="https://www.mytheresa.com/en-gb/vetements-dhl-printed-cotton-t-shirt-966990.html">with a DHL logo on the front</a> for several hundred dollars. And people buy them in droves.</p>



<p>For at least one person responsible for the creation of The Pirate Bay, this act of fabric-based piracy is definitely not acceptable.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As one of the founders of The Pirate Bay I want to let the clothing brand Vetements know that this absurd pricing of a cheap pirated copy is not ok: <a href="https://t.co/4JcVw6WdpJ">pic.twitter.com/4JcVw6WdpJ</a></p>&mdash; marcin ??? (@dekaminski) <a href="https://twitter.com/dekaminski/status/1138923737766617088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>While Marcin appears to make his position clear, he seems more irritated by the extortionate price than the fact that Vetements is attempting to profit from the site&#8217;s image. Either way, this can only lead to yet more publicity for the file-sharing movement and &#8211; sigh &#8211; Vetements.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=Q13DQBy92dE:CxBbJrnbF5I:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=Q13DQBy92dE:CxBbJrnbF5I:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=Q13DQBy92dE:CxBbJrnbF5I:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/Q13DQBy92dE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173558
title: BREIN Criticizes Bullet-Proof Hosts, Forces Pirate Webcasters to Get Licenses
uri: BREIN-Criticizes-Bullet-Proof-Hosts-Forces-Pirate-Webcasters-to-Get-L
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/T323uCnm9ak/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="media/c74e46cc.bulletproof.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/bulletproof.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-162236" width="250" height="165"/></figure></div>



<p>While millions of the world&#8217;s pirates are focused on sites offering movies, TV shows, music, videogames and software, many are enjoying unlicensed content without even knowing it.</p>



<p>There are tens of thousands of radio stations on the Internet, most of which require licensing to operate legally. However, many operate on a hobbyist basis, with official paperwork and sanctioning left as a mere afterthought.</p>



<p>For many, there are zero consequences for taking this approach but for several Netherlands-based Internet stations, that didn&#8217;t turn out to be the case.</p>



<p>Dutch anti-piracy outfit BREIN informs TorrentFreak that following information provided by one of its members <a href="https://www.stichtingwebcasting.nl/sena">SENA</a>, it successfully targeted four Dutch radio stations, or webcasters as they&#8217;re sometimes known.</p>



<p>SENA helps artists and producers exploit neighboring rights and part of that effort involves webcasters/stations paying the group a license fee to operate. Once paid, stations are able to display the SENA logo to indicate they are above board. The four stations in question, all Netherlands-based according to BREIN, hadn&#8217;t paid the necessary fee.</p>



<p>&#8220;The radio streams of the channels are provided by a hosting provider based abroad that is not affiliated with <a href="https://www.stichtingwebcasting.nl">Stichting Webcasting Nederland</a> and does not otherwise have the required licenses,&#8221; BREIN said in a statement.</p>



<p>Following BREIN&#8217;s approach, three paid up. A fourth took the nuclear option and shut down. However, BREIN had other stations on its radar too, but they indicated their streaming host is the formal owner of their channels.</p>



<p>The host, which BREIN says operates under the <a href="https://www.idfnv.com/en/">IDFNV</a> and <a href="https://www.microglollc.com/">Microglo</a> brands, offers Shoutcast and IceCast server hosting, among other things. The anti-piracy outfit says that the company failed to respond to a demand for it to obtaining licensing for the stations or shut them down. That probably didn&#8217;t come as a surprise.</p>



<p>&#8220;A complicating factor is that host profiles itself as a &#8216;bullet-proof host&#8217; and is based in the Seychelles,&#8221; <a href="https://stichtingbrein.nl/brein-pakt-illegale-webcasting-aan/">BREIN</a> explains.</p>



<p>&#8220;In other words, the host will never provide data and states that it has nothing to do with Dutch or EU regulations. The host wants to make himself and his customers invulnerable to enforcement actions.&#8221;</p>



<p>However, both sales portals for the host offer servers inside the EU and indeed the Netherlands, a &#8220;vulnerability&#8221; that BREIN may yet exploit. BREIN adds that licensors could also play a part, by refusing to do business with webcasters and stations that utilize such companies.</p>



<p>&#8220;Licensors could make it a condition that licensees do not use hosts that deliberately also host unauthorized channels. After all, such hosts earn money from illegality and should not be supported by the legal providers,&#8221; BREIN says.</p>



<p>This type of action is rarely publicized but BREIN chief Tim Kuik says his company has carried out this type of enforcement before.</p>



<p>&#8220;It is not our job to license but we will enforce on the request of our participating right holders,&#8221; Kuik concludes.</p>



<p> </p>



<p> </p>



<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=T323uCnm9ak:wfRPQi73xNY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=T323uCnm9ak:wfRPQi73xNY:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=T323uCnm9ak:wfRPQi73xNY:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/T323uCnm9ak" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173637
title: Sky Streaming Service Uses ‘Pirate’ Subtitles on Chernobyl Episode
uri: Sky-Streaming-Service-Uses-Pirate-Subtitles-on-Chernobyl-Episode
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FVmHu6j1qDo/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-173676" src="media/9f560849.skyshow-e1560429415789.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/skyshow-e1560429415789.png" alt="" width="267" height="168">Every day, millions of people enjoy fan-made subtitles.</p>
<p>These files help foreigners to better understand English entertainment and provide the hearing impaired with a way to comprehend audio.</p>
<p>The subtitles are often used in combination with pirated files. While helpful to many, they are a thorn in the side for major copyright holders, who see them as yet another threat to their business.</p>
<p>As a result, fansub communities are increasingly portrayed as illegal operations. Several sites are now <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australian-court-orders-isps-to-block-181-pirate-domains-including-subtitle-sites-181220/">blocked by ISPs</a> and site operators have been taken <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/founder-of-subtitle-site-convicted-for-copyright-infringement-170914/">to court</a> following copyright infringement allegations.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Given this backdrop, it&#8217;s quite unusual to see one of the largest entertainment industry brands using these &#8216;pirate&#8217; subtitles on its official streaming service. This is exactly what Comcast-owned <a href="https://show.sky.ch/en/">Sky Switzerland</a> is doing at the moment.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Subscribers of the local Sky platform who watch the last episode of the hit series Chernobyl, with English subtitles enabled, see the following message appearing around the five-minute mark.</p>
<p>&#8220;- Synced and corrected by VitoSilans &#8211; www.Addic7ed.com.&#8221;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/9ad32fa6.skysub.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/skysub.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173652"/><figcaption><em>The message (screenshot by TF)</em></figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The message is part of the credits that are typically added to fan-made subtitles. In this case, it clearly indicates that they were sourced from <a href="http://t.co/mTFTePYXbP">Addic7ed.com</a>, a well-known resource for these type of subtitles and one that is <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australian-court-orders-isps-to-block-181-pirate-domains-including-subtitle-sites-181220/">blocked</a> by ISPs in Australia.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Looking more closely at the official video and the Addic7ed subtitles, we see that the timing doesn&#8217;t match. This suggests that the subtitle has been synced separately to fit the Sky video. However, the opening &#8216;credits&#8217; were not removed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Also, these subs generally have a closing credit too. These are not visible during the episode on Sky.ch.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Addic7ed team tells us that it doesn&#8217;t mind seeing their subs being used by major entertainment conglomerates. It has happened before and as long as it helps people to enjoy a movie or TV-show, everybody benefits.</p>
<p>&#8220;When we started the project we wished that content would be available to a larger audience by breaking the language barrier or providing English subtitles for hearing impaired people, which would otherwise not enjoy videos as much. If this means that others take our work, so be it,&#8221; Addic7ed informs TF.</p>
<p>&#8220;Professionals or not, our main objective was reached: more people enjoyed the show. Kudos to Sky for keeping the credits.&#8221;</p>
<p>Sky Switzerland hasn&#8217;t responded to our request for comment at the time of publication. Whether the Addic7ed credit was left in intentionally is highly doubtful though. It seems more likely that someone forgot to remove it.</p>
<p>In any case, the mention hasn&#8217;t gone unnoticed either. At least one person has alerted <a href="https://twitter.com/fel1x/status/1138908781277077504?s=03">Sky via Twitter</a>, but the company didn&#8217;t respond there either.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Interestingly, this is not the first time &#8216;pirate&#8217; subtitles have been used on a streaming service. In the past, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-caught-using-pirated-subtitles-in-finland-121019/">Netflix was caught</a> using &#8220;unauthorized&#8221; fansubs as well. In addition, American anime distributor Funimation previously used &#8216;pirate&#8217; subs <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/anime-distributor-dubs-using-pirated-subs-110321/">in their dubbing room.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=FVmHu6j1qDo:-zJjYSCvbxI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=FVmHu6j1qDo:-zJjYSCvbxI:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=FVmHu6j1qDo:-zJjYSCvbxI:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/FVmHu6j1qDo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173682
title: ‘Copyright Troll’ Lawyer Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison
uri: Copyright-Troll-Lawyer-Sentenced-to-14-Years-in-Prison
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/kFGT1oy1o-g/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-108977" src="media/efd05bc4.trollsign.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/trollsign.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167">In an effort to turn piracy into profit, copyright holders have chased alleged BitTorrent pirates through courts all over the world.</p>
<p>This so-called &#8216;copyright troll&#8217; model was also adopted by the firm Prenda Law. However, the lawyers involved began to break the law themselves.</p>
<p>The firm was accused of all sorts of wrongdoing including <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/prenda-spoofs-identity-wants-case-sealed-130815/">identity theft</a>, misrepresentation, and even deception. Most controversial was the shocking revelation that Prenda&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-helps-to-expose-copyright-troll-honeypot-130604/">uploaded their own torrents</a>&nbsp;to The Pirate Bay, creating a honeypot for the people they later sued over pirated downloads.</p>
<p>This eventually caught the attention of the US Justice Department. In 2015 we first reported that two Pirate Bay co-founders had been questioned by Swedish police, acting on behalf of the FBI. The feds were interested in the honeypot evidence, to build a case against Prenda.</p>
<p>A year later the investigation was finished, resulting in a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-pleads-guilty-role-multi-million-dollar-scheme-fraudulently-obtain-copyright">criminal indictment</a> against Prenda attorneys Paul Hansmeier and John Steele. The US Government accused the pair of various crimes, including money laundering, perjury, mail and wire fraud.</p>
<p>Since then both defendants have signed plea agreements, admitting their guilt in the fraudulent scheme.</p>
<p>Today the first of the two was sentenced. Paul Hansmeier appeared before a federal court in the District of Minnesota, where U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen sentenced the Prenda attorney to 14 years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release.</p>
<p>The Judge departed upward from the 12.5-year prison sentence the U.S. prosecutor <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-wants-copyright-troll-lawyer-in-prison-for-12-5-years-190328/">recommended</a>. In addition to the prison sentence, Hansmeier must pay his victims a total of $1.5 million in restitution.</p>
<p>Among other things, Hansmeier instructed his brother to upload torrents of videos he produced himself. In doing so he misled the court, as he made it appear as if the videos were from a third-party company.</p>
<p>Whether the people that were sued were indeed guilty wasn&#8217;t much of an issue. This means that many innocent people were likely targeted as well.</p>
<p>“Hansmeier was generally content to take this step without investigating whether the subscriber was, in fact, the infringer. Hansmeier thus inflicted plenty of pain on persons who did not, in fact, download his pornographic bait,” the Government previously wrote.</p>
<p>All victims of the Prenda scheme are all eligible for restitution. The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Minnesota <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/victims-of-prenda-law-copyright-trolls-can-now-register-for-restitution-190427/">previously invited</a> those who were affected by the fraudulent anti-piracy lawyers to come forward.</p>
<p>John Steele, the second defendant in the Prenda case, is scheduled to be sentenced next month. The U.S. prosecutor previously stated that Steele has been very cooperative following his arrest so has recommended an 8-10 year sentence, <a href="https://fightcopyrighttrolls.com/2019/06/14/first-copyright-troll-goes-to-prison-prendas-hansmeier-sentenced-to-14-years/">as FCT notes</a>.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>Breaking story, further clarifications and updates will follow if needed.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=kFGT1oy1o-g:zvL4QH20pbw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=kFGT1oy1o-g:zvL4QH20pbw:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=kFGT1oy1o-g:zvL4QH20pbw:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/kFGT1oy1o-g" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173554
title: Just Six Percent of Finns Say They Illegally Stream Movies or TV Shows
uri: Just-Six-Percent-of-Finns-Say-They-Illegally-Stream-Movies-or-TV-Shows
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/iphwCB4Avbc/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="media/fe566856.finland1.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/finland1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-25779" width="260" height="186"/></figure></div>



<p>Trying to persuade the public to consume content online legally is a battle that&#8217;s been waged by the entertainment industries for close to 20 years.</p>



<p>The advent of high-quality legal offers has made that task much easier in recent times but piracy levels continue to cause problems in many countries around the world. In Finland, however, the trend appears to be a downwards one.</p>



<p>An annual survey carried out by market research company <a href="https://www.taloustutkimus.fi/in-english.html">Taloustutkimus Oy</a> reveals that the majority of citizens are against piracy, with 58% of the population believing it&#8217;s not acceptable in any form. That figure falls just 11% when considering unauthorized downloading for personal use.</p>



<p>The most common form of illicit consumption was found to be streaming from illegal services, with 9% of respondents admitting that they do so. That&#8217;s down from the 12% returned in a similar study carried out last year.</p>



<p>Interestingly, just six percent of respondents admitted to accessing unlicensed movies or TV shows from illegal online services. That&#8217;s down from 7 percent in 2018.</p>



<p>Anti-piracy group <a href="https://ttvk.fi/tekijanoikeusbarometri-2019-kolmasosalla-vaikeuksia-erottaa-laillinen-palvelu-laittomasta">TTVK</a>, which published a summary of the study, says that illicit downloading has dropped overall.</p>



<p>&#8220;Although illegal downloads are still the most common among the youngest age group [15-24], downloading has still dropped significantly,&#8221; TTVK notes.</p>



<p>&#8220;According to the survey, 13% of people under 25 say that unauthorized downloading of Internet-based material is acceptable for their own use, but only nine percent of the age group themselves or a member of the family report doing this.</p>



<p>&#8220;In 2015, the corresponding figure was 29%, so the consumption of Finnish entertainment seems to have moved more and more to legal channels as streaming services became more common.&#8221; </p>



<p>As &#8216;pirate&#8217; streaming services have developed, many have presented themselves with impressive Netflix-style interfaces. Popcorn Time was perhaps the most famous front-runner but now there are dozens of sites and apps that to the untrained eye are indistinguishable from legal sites.</p>



<p>The study found that around a third of respondents have difficulty distinguishing between legal and illegal sites. Fortunately, close to six out of ten (57%) say they can do so easily, even if the rest remain unsure.</p>



<p>For Finns, some clarity is available by visiting <a href="http://www.laillisetpalvelut.fi/">Laillisetpalvelut.fi</a>, a portal designed to help consumers find legal resources. However, the study found that awareness is weak, with only 6% of respondents having knowledge of the resource.</p>



<p>In general terms, 84% of respondents regard copyright as an important issue, with just 3% believing it&#8217;s completely unnecessary. TTVK will also be pleased that 83% respondents feel that that copyright organizations are necessary, with 79% feeling they &#8220;are on the right track&#8221;.</p>



<p>&#8220;In addition, Finns are very much in agreement that creative workers should receive compensation for the work they do, depending on how much of their works are utilized,&#8221; TTVK notes, referencing 91% of respondents.</p>



<p><em>The full results of the 2019 survey can be viewed </em><a href="media/c9f30e8d.tekijanoikeusbarometri-2019_piratismi.pdf" data-original-source="https://ttvk.fi/assets/uploads/2019/06/tekijanoikeusbarometri-2019_piratismi.pdf"><em>here</em></a><em>, 2018 survey </em><a href="https://ttvk.fi/tekijanoikeusbarometri-2018-piratismille-yha-vahemman-ymmarrysta-laillisten-sisaltopalveluiden-kayton-yleistyessa"><em>here</em></a><em>.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=iphwCB4Avbc:06EGLIpDGGk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=iphwCB4Avbc:06EGLIpDGGk:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=iphwCB4Avbc:06EGLIpDGGk:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/iphwCB4Avbc" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173515
title: ‘Pirating’ Cox Business Subscriber Can Remain Anonymous, Court Rules
uri: Pirating-Cox-Business-Subscriber-Can-Remain-Anonymous-Court-Rul
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/lBzrIa685aI/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-135982" src="media/5d6c67f9.privacy.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/privacy.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="170">Copyright holders are increasingly taking Internet providers to court, accusing the companies of failing to terminate repeat copyright infringers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Up until recently, the alleged pirating subscribers have remained anonymous. However, in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/record-labels-file-billion-dollar-piracy-lawsuit-against-isp-cox-180802/">the case</a> between several music labels and Cox Communications, this position changed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Without direction from the court, the ISP <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-has-to-share-names-of-pirating-business-subscribers-with-record-labels-190508/">agreed to reveal the identities</a> of thousands of business subscribers whose connections were repeatedly used to share infringing material. These personal details are not being made public, but names, addresses, and other info will be handed over to the labels.&nbsp;</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not clear what the rightsholders intend to do with this information but it&#8217;s unlikely to be in the interests of the accused subscribers. This didn&#8217;t sit well with one business subscriber, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-business-subscriber-doesnt-want-identity-revealed-in-piracy-lawsuit/">which protested</a> the stipulated order in court.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The &#8220;John Doe&#8221; company, an unnamed <span class="fontstyle0">non-profit that provides hospital and medical care</span> facilities, is one of the 2,793 affected business subscribers. The organization didn&#8217;t deny the piracy allegations but told the court that the infringements were made over its unsecured network, which is accessible to visitors.</p>
<p>Before accessing this network all visitors had to agree to the terms of service, which specifically prohibited illegal downloading. Apparently, this wasn&#8217;t enough.</p>
<p>The company states that revealing its identity to the record labels isn&#8217;t going to change anything. There is no record of who accessed the network at the time of the infringements, so tracking down the culprits is impossible.</p>
<p>&#8220;Thus, disclosure of John Doe’s subscriber information will not lead to the discovery of the individual(s) who are alleged by Plaintiffs to have engaged in copyright infringement through the misuse of John Doe’s network in violation of the access agreement,” the company informed the court.</p>
<p>Instead, the company argued that disclosure will breach its privacy rights under the Cable Communications Privacy Act. It therefore filed a request to prevent its personal info from being handed over.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The music labels and Cox didn&#8217;t respond to this objection and after a thorough review of the arguments, US Magistrate Judge John F. Anderson decided to grant the objection. This means that the company&#8217;s information can&#8217;t be shared with the labels.</p>
<p>&#8220;No response has been filed to this motion and the fourteen-day period for doing so has expired. Having reviewed the motion and supporting declaration, and there being no opposition, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion is granted, and defendant shall not be required to disclose John Doe’s subscriber information to the plaintiffs,&#8221; Judge Anderson writes.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s unclear why there was no response to the objection, but it&#8217;s possible that the music labels and Cox preferred not to draw any more attention to the matter. Sacrificing the details of one subscriber likely outweighs having an extensive review.</p>
<p>After all, there are still 2,792 business subscribers who didn&#8217;t object.</p>
<p>Without any further pleadings, it remains unclear what the music companies plan to do with the subscriber information. Perhaps more will become clear once the case progresses.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/e64e0210.orderbusiness.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/orderbusiness.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173519"/><figcaption>The order</figcaption></figure></div>
<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=lBzrIa685aI:QBexWO53A04:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=lBzrIa685aI:QBexWO53A04:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=lBzrIa685aI:QBexWO53A04:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/lBzrIa685aI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173688
title: Namecheap ‘Suspends’ Domain of File-hosting Service Nofile.io
uri: Namecheap-Suspends-Domain-of-File-hosting-Service-Nofile-io
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/HzDSn3f0lJk/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-172374" src="media/98a0d93e.nofileio.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/nofileio.png" alt="" width="277" height="156">Nofile.io is a popular no-nonsense file-hosting service that&#8217;s been around for roughly two years.</p>
<p>Similar to other hosting services, people can use it to upload and share files. However, this week the site has been unreachable.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Upon closer inspection, we found out that the downtime is the result of a domain name issue. It appears that the site&#8217;s registrar, Namecheap, has put the Nofile.io domain on &#8220;serverHold.&#8221;</p>
<p>According to ICANN, the <a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/epp-status-codes-2014-06-16-en">serverHold</a> domain status is uncommon and “usually enacted during legal disputes, non-payment, or when your domain is subject to deletion.”</p>
<p>This status is set by the domain registrar, Namecheap in this case, and informs the registry not to activate the DNS. As a result, the website in question will become inaccessible.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s unclear why Namecheap took this action. We reached out to the company earlier this week, but haven&#8217;t heard back.</p>
<p></p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/7476399b.nofilewhois6.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/nofilewhois6.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173717"/><figcaption>serverHold</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The suspension may be related to an earlier issue. As reported last month, the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/namecheap-must-identify-nofile-io-registrant-following-piracy-complaint-190514/">RIAA obtained a DMCA subpoena</a> ordering Namecheap to hand over the personal details of the owner of the domain name.</p>
<p>“The website associated with this domain name offers files containing sound recordings which are owned by one or more of our member companies and have not been authorized for this kind of use, &#8221; RIAA wrote at the time.</p>
<p>RIAA highlighted that a leaked track by rapper ‘Tyler, the Creator,’ titled ‘Earfquake,’ was shared on the site and requested the personal details of the domain owner from Namecheap.</p>
<p>While the registrar is not known to suspend domains based on these type of allegations, it could be that this inquiry that raised some red flags. For example, it may have revealed that the WHOIS information was false. That can be reason for a suspension.</p>
<p>Last week we reported on a similar issue, where a torrent site <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/one-amazon-copyright-complaint-costs-torrent-site-its-domain-190609/">lost its domain name</a> due to inaccurate WHOIS data.</p>
<p>Whether something similar happened here remains unconfirmed. However, unless the operator of Nofile.io resolves the matter with Namecheap, the site&#8217;s domain name will remain suspended.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=HzDSn3f0lJk:5rzhmj71Cuc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=HzDSn3f0lJk:5rzhmj71Cuc:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=HzDSn3f0lJk:5rzhmj71Cuc:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/HzDSn3f0lJk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173432
title: After RIAA Targets DJ & Producer Site Mixstep, Site Shuts Down
uri: After-RIAA-Targets-DJ-Producer-Site-Mixstep-Site-Shuts-Down
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/UKSayMUQad8/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/5ad8905b.image-65.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-65.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173715"/></figure></div>



<p>In recent weeks the RIAA has really stepped on the gas in an effort to tackle sites offering allegedly-infringing content.</p>



<p>The music industry group&#8217;s current weapon-of-choice is the DMCA subpoena. These orders, which are easy to obtain and do not need to be scrutinized by a judge, give the RIAA significant discovery powers that help to identify the operators of online platforms.</p>



<p>The latest site to be targeted by the RIAA is Mixstep.co, an upload platform designed for audio works. Last week the powerful industry group told a Columbia federal court that the site was hosting content at a <a href="https://mixstep.co/fctoaifh1515">single URL</a> which infringes one or more of its members&#8217; copyrights.</p>



<p>The RIAA says the URL linked to the Ed Sheeran/Justin Bieber track &#8220;I Don&#8217;t Care&#8221; but the location was already inaccessible the morning after the subpoena was obtained. Nevertheless, the RIAA now wants to identify the operator of the site.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/8b15c64a.image-66.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-66.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173721" width="600"/><figcaption>The message where the file used to be</figcaption></figure>



<p>The subpoena orders domain registry Namecheap to hand over the personal details of the platform&#8217;s domain owner, including name, physical address, IP address, telephone, email address, payment, account history, and other information.</p>



<p>TorrentFreak spoke with the operator of Mixstep who told us he wasn&#8217;t previously aware why the RIAA is targeting him. The site was never intended to host infringing content and was actually set up for the use of creators.</p>



<p>&#8220;We made this project for DJs and producers,&#8221; he told TF.</p>



<p>In common with many upload platforms &#8211; YouTube included &#8211; Mixstep has users who uploaded infringing content. However, the site has been working hard to take content down and has dealt severely with those who have abused the service.</p>



<p>&#8220;We already banned a lot of users who uploaded illegal files,&#8221; the operator added.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s not completely clear why the RIAA wants to identify the operator of the site but if its aim was to neutralize the platform, the music group has achieved that goal. With the service operated on a zero profit basis, its owner says it has run its course.</p>



<p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s enough to fight with all these [users uploading infringing files] so we&#8217;re going to shut down our project very soon. Anyway, Mixstep was a no-profit project,&#8221; he said.</p>



<p><a href="https://mixstep.co/fctoaifh1515"></a>Visitors to the site now see the following message, so it may be &#8216;mission accomplished&#8217; for the RIAA.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/6a39de17.image-62.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-62.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173549" width="600"/><figcaption>The end of the show</figcaption></figure>



<p><em>The RIAA&#8217;s letter to Cloudflare can be downloaded <a href="media/f1a2a2f2.RIAA-subpoena-mixstep-namecheap.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com//images/RIAA-subpoena-mixstep-namecheap.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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=UKSayMUQad8:H80BZzNvZu8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=UKSayMUQad8:H80BZzNvZu8:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=UKSayMUQad8:H80BZzNvZu8:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/UKSayMUQad8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173762
title: Cheat Maker Shuts Down After Being Sued by Pokémon Go Creator
uri: Cheat-Maker-Shuts-Down-After-Being-Sued-by-Pokémon-Go-Creator
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Rcrp5evwVjI/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/8b8b139a.pokemongologo.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/pokemongologo.png" alt="" class="wp-image-124873"/></figure></div>



<p>Video gaming is huge business, generating billions for companies around the world. However, the way some people choose to play games doesn&#8217;t always sit well with entertainment companies.</p>



<p>In order to gain advantages over regular players, some resort to using cheats created by third parties. These provide access to skills and abilities unavailable in the regular versions of games. Development group Global++ provided such cheats for Pokémon Go and other titles but that drew the ire of San Francisco-based Niantic, the game&#8217;s original developer.</p>



<p>As first reported by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/niantic-global-hacker-group-lawsuit-harry-potter2019-6?r=US&amp;IR=T">Business Insider</a>, on Friday Niantic filed a lawsuit in a California federal court against Global++, two individuals named as Ryan Hunt (aka ELLIOTROBOT) and Alen Hunter (aka IOS NOOB), plus 20 &#8216;John Does&#8217;.</p>



<p>Niantic&#8217;s complaint states that the only permissible way to play its augmented reality games (Pokémon Go, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and Ingress) is via its original apps installable on mobile devices.</p>



<p>These apps, which contain protected proprietary code, have permission to access Niantic&#8217;s servers. However, Niantic says that Global++ illegally copied its work.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/cc51be8a.image-67.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-67.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173784" width="599"/><figcaption>Global++ website</figcaption></figure>



<p>&#8220;Defendants hack Niantic’s apps to access and copy Niantic’s Client Code, then modify and adulterate the Client Code to create what they call &#8216;tweaks&#8217;—i.e., unauthorized, hacked versions of Niantic’s apps. Defendants then market their hacked apps under the titles Potter++ (or, in some cases, Unite++), PokeGo++, and Ingress++,&#8221; the complaint reads.</p>



<p>These cheats not only undermine the gaming experience for legitimate players, Niantic adds, they are also used by Global++ to &#8220;steal valuable and proprietary game-related information&#8221; which is then utilized for commercial purposes.</p>



<p>These cheating programs have been reportedly distributed to hundreds of thousands of users but when Niantic asked Global++ to stop its activities, the unincorporated entity allegedly ignored the US-based developer and continued as before.</p>



<p>Seeking an injunction from the court, Niantic&#8217;s complaint begins with alleged breaches of the Copyright Act, given that Global++ copied Niantic&#8217;s code in order to develop its cheats, and then distributed that infringing code to its users.</p>



<p>According to the company&#8217;s analysis, up to 99% of Niantic&#8217;s original code is used in Global++ cheat software.</p>



<p>Niantic further alleges breaches of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act due to Global++ and its users accessing Niantic&#8217;s servers &#8220;through unauthorized, hacked versions of Niantic&#8217;s apps.&#8221; According to the company, this illegal activity persisted even after Global++ was informed in writing that their access was unauthorized.</p>



<p>Finally, Niantic notes that since Global++ are Niantic account holders bound by the company&#8217;s Terms of Service, breaches of that agreement &#8211; including copying Niantic&#8217;s code and misappropriating its code for commercial purposes &#8211; are also evident.</p>



<p>With Niantic&#8217;s new Harry Potter game set for launch, the company is urgently seeking a preliminary injunction from the court to prevent Global++ from launching a new version of its Potter++ cheat within days &#8220;or possibly even hours&#8221; of that event. However, Global++ now appears to be more receptive to Niantic&#8217;s demands.</p>



<p>Following claims in the complaint that Niantic has spent more than $1 million over the past year attempting to deal with Global++ cheats, Global++ took to its official Discord channel to indicate that the show is now over.</p>



<p>&#8220;It is with great sadness that we will be shutting down indefinitely incompliance [sic] with our legal obligations,&#8221; the statement reads.</p>



<p>&#8220;It has been a fun ride with the entire community and we have made some unbelievable memories. We will hold close to our heart all of the people that we were able to introduce Pokemon to that for various reasons could not play the game. Take care all.&#8221;</p>



<p>At the time of writing, the <a href="https://globalplusplus.com">Global++ website</a> is down, its Discord channel is closed, its <a href="https://twitter.com/GlobalTweaks/">Twitter account</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/globalplusplus/">Facebook accounts</a> are no more, and its <a href="https://globalplusplus.github.io/">Github.io address</a> is returning errors.</p>



<p><em>Niantic&#8217;s motion for a preliminary injunction can be found <a href="media/1e7845d4.Niantic-vs-Global-6-14-19.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Niantic-vs-Global-6-14-19.pdf">here</a> (pdf)</em></p>



<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=Rcrp5evwVjI:Jx3c3EAV4r8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=Rcrp5evwVjI:Jx3c3EAV4r8:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=Rcrp5evwVjI:Jx3c3EAV4r8:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/Rcrp5evwVjI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173767
title: Prolific Pirate Bay User Agrees to Pay $2,900 to Movie Outfits
uri: Prolific-Pirate-Bay-User-Agrees-to-Pay-2-900-to-Movie-Outfits
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/qNhTVkAeCDQ/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-142141" src="media/9dd69e0d.tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg" alt="" width="256" height="219">Every year, thousands of people are sued in the United States for allegedly sharing pirated video, mostly through BitTorrent.</p>
<p>These efforts share a familiar pattern. After the film companies acquire a subpoena to obtain the personal details of an alleged pirate, they contact this person with a settlement request.</p>
<p>In 2017, movie companies used this strategy to identify the then<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/72-year-old-man-accused-of-pirating-over-a-thousand-torrents-170810/"> 72-year-old Mr. Harding</a> from Hawaii, whose Internet connection was used to share more than 1,000 torrents.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The film companies reached out to the man and offered a hefty $3,900 settlement, which would increase to $4,900 if he failed to respond in time. However, Mr. Harding denied downloading the files, describing the pay-up-or-else demand as “absolutely absurd.”</p>
<p>The accusations eventually made the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/72-year-old-man-accused-of-pirating-over-a-thousand-torrents-170810/">local press</a> and after a careful review of the matter movie company attorney Kerry Culpepper decided to dismiss&nbsp;the case against the elderly man.</p>
<p>However, that didn&#8217;t mean that the downloads were completely disregarded. After digging into the matter, the movie companies learned that, while the offending IP-address was linked to Mr. Harding, the home in question was used by someone else.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The movie companies &#8216; <span class="fontstyle0">UN4 Productions</span> &#8216; and &#8216;Millennium Funding&#8217; eventually found out that the resident or tenant in question was Mr. Graham. This prompted the rightsholders to file a new federal lawsuit, targeting this man, who they believed was the true &#8216;pirate.&#8217;</p>
<p>This time the accusations were indeed lodged against a prolific downloader. In a declaration submitted to the court Mr. Graham, who is in his fifties, admits that he regularly used The Pirate Bay to download files.</p>
<p>&#8220;Since approximately 2016, I have been downloading torrent files of motion pictures from websites of the Pirate Bay at my residence. I believed that it was acceptable to do so because the websites are completely open with their objective to share files,&#8221; he states.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/f2a7785c.tpbfiles.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tpbfiles.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173780"/></figure></div>


<p>According to the declaration, Mr. Graham often downloaded so many files that he doesn&#8217;t remember the names of many torrents. As such, he is not confident that he downloaded the movies &#8220;<span class="fontstyle0">Boyka: Undisputed IV&#8221; and&nbsp;</span> &#8220;<span class="fontstyle0">Mechanic: Resurrection,&#8221; which are listed in the complaint.</span></p>
<p>The account holder of the Internet connection, who was initially accused, was not aware of this activity.&nbsp; Mr. Graham, meanwhile, apologized to the rightsholders and agreed not to use The Pirate Bay going forward.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;I agree to stop using the Pirate Bay,&#8221; Mr. Graham writes.</p>
<p>While the man denies liability, he does admit to downloading copyrighted movies through The Pirate Bay and in a consent judgment, submitted to the court, he agrees to a $2,900 settlement to cover costs, fees, and damages.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In addition, the stipulated consent judgment includes a permanent injunction prohibiting Mr. Graham from infringing the copyrights of the two movie companies going forward.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of the stipulated consent judgment is available <a href="media/b23b493d.72consent.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/72consent.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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=qNhTVkAeCDQ:7NSy103oOnc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=qNhTVkAeCDQ:7NSy103oOnc:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=qNhTVkAeCDQ:7NSy103oOnc:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/qNhTVkAeCDQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173818
title: VidAngel Must Pay $62.4 Million for Ripping and ‘Pirating’ Movies
uri: VidAngel-Must-Pay-62-4-Million-for-Ripping-and-Pirating-Movies
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Na-G9tjoMDk/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-173821" src="media/6b8606e0.vidangel.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/vidangel.png" alt="" width="245" height="83">Founded in 2013, Utah-based startup <a href="https://www.vidangel.com/">VidAngel</a> entered the video streaming market with a rather innovative business model.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The company allowed its users to rent popular movies and TV-shows, with the option to filter out violence, sex, profanity, and other objectionable content.</p>
<p>While there was plenty of demand for the service, it operated without permission from the major movie studios. Instead, the company acquired DVDs, which it would then rip using AnyDVD, so they could be streamed online.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Users interested in a movie were able to rent it for $20, and then sell it back after a day for $19. This made rentals as cheap as $1 per streamed movie, effectively beating all legal competitors.</p>
<p>VidAngel made sure that it would have physical DVDs in its archive for all movies and TV-shows that were rented out at any given time. This resulted in a rather extensive library of duplicate discs, as the massive collection of &#8220;The Revenant&#8221; DVDs below shows.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/0a91bfee.vidangel.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/vidangel.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-173824"/><figcaption>&#8220;Thousands&#8221; of The Revenant DVDs (credit: <a href="http://blog.vidangel.com/2016/07/14/disney-v-vidangel-round-1/">VidAngel</a>)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>After operating its service for a few months, VidAngel drew the attention of several major movie studios including Disney and Warner Bros. In 2016, they teamed up to file a lawsuit against VidAngel, accusing it of copyright infringement and violating the DMCA&#8217;s anti-circumvention provision.</p>
<p>&#8220;VidAngel does not have permission to copy Plaintiffs’ movies and television shows or to stream them to VidAngel’s users,&#8221; the studios&#8217; <a href="media/183fee65.gov.uscourts.cacd.650117.1.0.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.650117/gov.uscourts.cacd.650117.1.0.pdf">complaint</a> read.</p>
<p>&#8220;Instead, VidAngel appears to circumvent the technological protection measures on DVDs and Blu-ray discs to create unauthorized copies and then uses those copies to stream Plaintiffs’ works to the public without authorization.&#8221;</p>
<p>VidAngel was convinced, however, that its business was legal. It argued that it was protected by the <a href="https://www.copyright.gov/docs/regstat061704.html">Family Movie Act</a>, which allows consumers to skip objectionable movie content without committing copyright infringement.</p>
<p>The movie studios disagreed and earlier this year were backed by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The Court granted<a href="media/4a2f89cf.gov.uscourts.cacd.650117.323.0.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.650117/gov.uscourts.cacd.650117.323.0.pdf"> summary judgment</a>, ruling that VidAngel is liable for violating the DMCA&#8217;s anti-circumvention provision and committing copyright infringement.</p>
<p>The only question that remained was the scale of the damages. This was determined yesterday, following a multi-day trial where the jury concluded that a $62.4 million damages award was appropriate.</p>
<p>The bulk of the damages, $61.4 million, is for copyright infringement. With 819 titles mentioned in the suit, this amounts to $75,000 per infringed work, half of the maximum statutory damages.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The additional million in damages is for circumventing the DMCA&#8217;s anti-circumvention provisions by ripping the DVDs. This cost VidAngel $1,250 per title.</p>
<p>The movie studios are happy with the outcome. In a joint statement, they state that it sends a clear message to others who might consider operating a similar service.</p>
<p>“The jury today found that VidAngel acted willfully, and imposed a damages award that sends a clear message to others who would attempt to profit from unlawful infringing conduct at the expense of the creative community,” the studios note.</p>
<p>VidAngel, however, vows to fight on and is likely to appeal the case.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;We find today’s ruling unfortunate, but it has not lessened our resolve to save filtering for families. VidAngel plans to appeal the District Court ruling, and explore options in the bankruptcy court.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our court system has checks and balances, and we are pursuing options on that front as well,&#8221; VidAngel CEO Neal Harmon adds.</p>
<p>As KSL&#8217;s excellent <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/46571828/vidangel-goes-to-court-for-2-day-disney-trial-could-face-expensive-damages">timeline shows</a>, VidAngel filed for bankruptcy in 2017 to protect itself from the lawsuit. However, the company isn&#8217;t going anywhere just yet.</p>
<p>VidAngel&#8217;s original video streaming operation was shut down following a permanent injunction, but it later introduced a new service that allows users to &#8220;filter&#8221; Netflix, HBO and Amazon content for a fixed monthly subscription.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=Na-G9tjoMDk:eMy26Y_TCkk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=Na-G9tjoMDk:eMy26Y_TCkk:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=Na-G9tjoMDk:eMy26Y_TCkk:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/Na-G9tjoMDk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173810
title: Pirate IPTV Network Shut Down After Police Raid Cable Operators
uri: Pirate-IPTV-Network-Shut-Down-After-Police-Raid-Cable-Operators
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/7COmDssuXmg/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/a7c0897c.iptv.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/iptv.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-135034"/></figure></div>



<p>With pirate IPTV services continuing to gain traction around the world, moves to undermine their businesses are on the increase.</p>



<p>Many publicized enforcement actions feature IPTV providers and their resellers but news coming out of Bulgaria indicates that a player higher up the chain has been targeted by authorities.</p>



<p>Cybercrime officers from an anti-organized crime unit of the Ministry of the Interior have targeted five cable operators accused of intercepting and rebroadcasting foreign and local channels without permission from the rightsholders.</p>



<p>Supported by Europol’s Intellectual Property Crime Coordinated Coalition (IPC3) and the Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA), the operation is said to have taken down a pirate IPTV service with an estimated 700,000 worldwide subscribers.</p>



<p>Authorities say that following the raids across eight cities in Bulgaria, all of the hardware used in the operation was seized, including the servers that were used to provide content to the IPTV provider&#8217;s mobile applications.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/c4b00fd6.image-68.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-68.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173820" width="600"/><figcaption><em>Images from the raids (Credit: Ministry of the Interior)</em></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>According to the Ministry of the Interior, permission for the raids was obtained from several district courts. Eight teams were formed which carried out simultaneous actions on offices and other premises targeting technical equipment used by the cable operators.</p>



<p>Several TV companies are reported to have suffered damage from the alleged intellectual property offenses, including private national broadcasting channel bTV, local TV network Nova, and US cable and satellite network HBO.</p>



<p>The Ministry of the Interior reports that intellectual property crimes have caused damage to the country&#8217;s reputation overseas. Indeed, the USTR called out Bulgaria in its latest <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-places-36-countries-on-annual-piracy-watchlist-190429/">Special 301 Report</a>, noting that &#8220;online and broadcast piracy remains a challenging copyright enforcement issue&#8221; in the country.</p>



<p>A full investigation is underway in respect of intellectual property violations but the government says that alongside it will be looking for evidence of tax evasion.</p>



<p>Moving forward, regular checks will be carried out at all cable operators, with those suspected of illegal activity treated as a priority.</p>



<p><center><style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class="embed-container"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QBttAALiYiI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=7COmDssuXmg:lz3NyccIdeo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=7COmDssuXmg:lz3NyccIdeo:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=7COmDssuXmg:lz3NyccIdeo:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/7COmDssuXmg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173769
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 06/17/19
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-06-17-19
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/eKY54AOwMHE/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-173774" src="media/91791e28.dumbo6.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dumbo6.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="245">This week we have three newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Dumbo 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>&nbsp;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-06-10-19/">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/tt3861390/">Dumbo</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3861390/">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocWpGdITSR4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5884052/">Pokémon Detective Pikachu</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5884052/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1roy4o4tqQM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154664/">Captain Marvel</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154664/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LHxvxdRnYc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857112/">Us</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857112/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tzFRIQfwXg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6292852/">I Am Mother</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6292852/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5BKctcZxrM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1618434/">Murder Mystery</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1618434/">6.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YEVQDr2f3Q">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/">Avengers: Endgame</a> (HDCam)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/">9.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcMBFSGVi1c">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5461944/">Hotel Mumbai</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5461944/">7.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVQpbp54ljA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5968394/">Captive State</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5968394/">7.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68xCzI406A">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6823368">Glass</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6823368">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBL6COBGjCA">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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=eKY54AOwMHE:KB7ROJmQjko:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=eKY54AOwMHE:KB7ROJmQjko:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=eKY54AOwMHE:KB7ROJmQjko:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/eKY54AOwMHE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173866
title: File-Sharing Giant Openload Has its Domain Suspended
uri: File-Sharing-Giant-Openload-Has-its-Domain-Suspended
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FOAAiymitCY/
content:
<p><a href="https://openload.co/"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-162114" src="media/329514a7.openload.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/openload.png" alt="" width="250" height="141"></a></p>
<p>With millions of regular visitors, file-hosting site <a href="https://openload.co/">Openload</a> generates <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-openload-generates-more-traffic-than-hulu-or-hbo-go-181002/">more traffic</a> than popular streaming services such as Hulu or HBO Go.</p>
<p>While the site has plenty of legal uses it is also a thorn in the side of many copyright holders, due to the frequent appearance&nbsp;of pirated content.</p>
<p>This pirate stigma most recently resulted in a mention on the US Government’s list of “<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-govt-identifies-top-pirate-sites-and-other-notorious-markets-190426/">Notorious Markets</a>”.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While the site has been spared from any legal action, that we know of, it suffered a major setback this week. As of a few hours ago the site&#8217;s main Openload.co domain is no longer responsive.</p>
<p>Instead of the regular homepage featuring the browser uploader, users see an error message in their browser, explaining that the site&#8217;s IP-address can&#8217;t be found.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/25929a24.openloaderror.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/openloaderror.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173869"/><figcaption>Openload is missing</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The error message is the result of missing DNS entries, which is also apparent from the &#8216;serverHold&#8217; status message in the domain&#8217;s Whois details.</p>
<p>According to ICANN, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/epp-status-codes-2014-06-16-en">serverHold</a>&nbsp;domain status is uncommon and “usually enacted during legal disputes, non-payment, or when your domain is subject to deletion.”</p>
<p>This status is set by the domain registrar, which is Tucows in this case, and renders the domain inaccessible.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/74f4c53a.openwhois.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/openwhois.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173872"/><figcaption>serverHold</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>It&#8217;s unclear why this this action was taken. We&#8217;ve reached out to Tucows but the company didn&#8217;t immediately reply to a request for comment.</p>
<p>Interestingly, Malwarebytes currently blocks the Openload.co domain name because it may contain a Trojan. Whether that&#8217;s related to the broader domain issue is unknown.</p>
<p>Openload hasn&#8217;t made any public statement on the issue, as far as we know. However, it is worth noting that the site&#8217;s <a href="https://openloadstatus.com/">official status page</a> is unreachable as well. The status page downtime is not tied to a domain problem but appears to be server related.</p>
<p>This isn&#8217;t the first time Openload has had a domain name suspended. The same <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/openload-domain-suspended-by-namecheap-160726/">happened in 2016</a>, when domain registrar Namecheap presumably took action after &#8220;too many DMCA complaints.&#8221;</p>
<p>Openload was eventually able to regain control over the domain and Namecheap publicly admitted that its legal team &#8220;was too heavy handed,&#8221; adding that Openload should be fine as long as they properly respond to DMCA notices.</p>
<p>Openload is believed to have some backup domains. Oload.stream and Oload.life are working alternatives that serve the same content, it seems, but we were unable to confirm 100% that these are official.&nbsp;</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=FOAAiymitCY:2SZXAtbq3H0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=FOAAiymitCY:2SZXAtbq3H0:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=FOAAiymitCY:2SZXAtbq3H0:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/FOAAiymitCY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173893
title: Steal This Show S04E18: ‘You’ll See This Message When It Is Too Late’
uri: Steal-This-Show-S04E18-You-ll-See-This-Message-When-It-Is-Too-La
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/GI5phQc0XIA/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-173894" src="media/4c5d53c6.tYpdZgad-e1560937282287.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/tYpdZgad-e1560937282287.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250">In this episode we meet Josephine Wolff, who wrote a new book on financial and economic cybercrime, <em><a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/youll-see-message-when-it-too-late">You&#8217;ll See This Message When It Is Too Late</a></em>.</p>
<p>We discuss two important case studies from the book. First, the massive financial fraud botnet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameover_ZeuS">GameOver Zeus,&nbsp;</a>which innovated by using P2P to distribute its command and control infrastructure, and a network of money mules to route funds to its owners, making it extremely hard to detect.</p>
<p>Moving on to the case of&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLA_Unit_61398">PLA 61398</a>, we discuss the Chinese deployment of hacking resources for economic advancement via China’s so-called APT or Advanced Persistent Threat Units.&nbsp;Wrapping up, we discuss the question of international law and order in the context of massive, distributed cyber operations that remain extremely hard to detect and police.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><a href="https://stealthisshow.com">Steal This Show</a> aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing crypto, privacy, copyright and file-sharing developments. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary, and analysis.</p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Jamie King</p>
<p><strong>Guest: </strong><a href="https://twitter.com/josephinecwolff?lang=en">Josephine Wolff</a></p>
<p><center><iframe src="//stealthisshow.com/?lpe-frame=1&amp;lpe-season=4&amp;lpe-episode=18" width="100%" height="180px" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></p>
<p><strong><sup><em>If you enjoy this episode, consider becoming a patron and getting involved with the show. <a href="https://patreon.com/user?u=4275705">Check out Steal This Show&#8217;s Patreon campaign</a>: support us and get all kinds of&nbsp;fantastic benefits!</em></sup></strong></p>
<p><strong>Produced </strong> <em>by </em>Jamie King<br>
<strong>Edited &amp; Mixed</strong> <em>by</em> Lucas Marston<br>
<strong>Original Music</strong> <em>by</em> David Triana<br>
<strong>Web Production</strong> <em>by</em> Eric Barch</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=GI5phQc0XIA:xJL3nqeFDak:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=GI5phQc0XIA:xJL3nqeFDak:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=GI5phQc0XIA:xJL3nqeFDak:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/GI5phQc0XIA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173799
title: Kodi Add-On Developer Arrested On Same Day as Popular Repo Goes Down
uri: Kodi-Add-On-Developer-Arrested-On-Same-Day-as-Popular-Repo-Goes-Down
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/DEn1yypssrM/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/b9b1c884.image-69.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/image-69.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173848"/></figure></div>



<p>While overall interest in Kodi appears to be on a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-boast-over-14-million-active-users-per-month-190608/">downward trend</a>, millions of people still use the software to organize their media.</p>



<p>Larger numbers still augment Kodi with software add-ons which allow them to stream movies, TV shows, and sports events, often in a way that infringes copyright. As a result, entertainment companies and their agents are keen to reduce the use of such tools.</p>



<p>With little fanfare, the Covert Development and Disruption Team of the UK&#8217;s North West Regional Organised Crime Unit recently announced that there had been an arrest in connection with this kind of activity.</p>



<p>According to police, a 40-year-old man was detained in Winsford, Cheshire, following a joint investigation with anti-piracy outfit Federation Against Copyright Theft. The unit said that man was arrested in connection with creating and maintaining a Kodi add-on configured to supply illegal online streams.</p>



<p>&#8220;The scale of the offending was significant and affected broadcasters and rights owners in the UK and worldwide. Police searched an address, seized evidence, and interviewed the suspect has later been released on police bail pending investigation,&#8221; a statement reads.</p>



<p>Typically for this kind of announcement, details are scarce. Other than location and age, no further details were made available on the alleged offender, or the add-on that had triggered the referral from FACT. As a result, it&#8217;s not currently possible to positively identify the person or the add-on in question.</p>



<p>What we do know is that last Friday, on the very same day that the police say they carried out the arrest of the man in Cheshire, a very popular add-on and associated repository (repo) went down without warning or explanation. </p>



<p>Supremacy is a popular Kodi add-on that provides access to a wide range of content, from movies and TV shows to live sports. The add-on works by &#8216;scraping&#8217; or aggregating content from existing online sources, presenting them inside the add-on for users to select.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/382c71ff.image-70.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-70.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173849" width="600"/><figcaption><em>Supremacy add-on (historic)</em></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>While other repos have also offered the add-on, Supremacy was once available for download from the Supremacy repo, previously located at https://2Supremacy.uk. That domain was registered with Namecheap on March 25, 2019 and isn&#8217;t set to expire until March 25, 2021.</p>



<p>However, there is an additional note in the domain&#8217;s WHOIS which suggests something is wrong.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/fa6262fd.image-71.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image-71.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173850" width="600"/><figcaption>2Supremacy.uk &#8211; SUSPENDED</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Other signs of changes on June 13, 2019 can be found on the repo itself. </p>



<p>While no longer accessible, cached versions of the site show that the repo did indeed disappear on the same day, with the /addon and /repo directories both modified at 08:01 am.  An associated Facebook page and Telegram group also disappeared in a similar fashion.</p>



<p>TorrentFreak contacted several sources, none of which were able or willing to provide us with the precise location of the Supremacy developer or his exact age, so definitively connecting the dots isn&#8217;t possible. We were told that there are rumors of an arrest but that&#8217;s a common occurrence when established and thriving projects go down with no explanation. </p>



<p>Returning to the confirmed arrest last week, it&#8217;s unclear why FACT chose to refer the add-on developer, whoever he is, to the police. There is yet to be a successful criminal prosecution of an add-on developer in the UK or elsewhere. Several have been threatened privately, however.<br></p>



<p>TorrentFreak requested comment from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit and FACT but at the time of publication neither had responded.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=DEn1yypssrM:1u_v8CeC1YU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=DEn1yypssrM:1u_v8CeC1YU:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=DEn1yypssrM:1u_v8CeC1YU:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/DEn1yypssrM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173929
title: More Kodi Add-On Repos Shut Down in Wake of UK Arrest
uri: More-Kodi-Add-On-Repos-Shut-Down-in-Wake-of-UK-Arrest
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/8OURnQlepWI/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/810a3565.deletemini.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/deletemini.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-150938"/></figure></div>



<p>Developers of Kodi add-ons, including those who maintain places to download them (repositories), have long been at risk of legal action, should they provide access to infringing content.</p>



<p>Many have been targeted directly, having received cease-and-desist letters from groups including the massive Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). Until recently, action through the civil courts has been the assumed course of action for rightsholders but that changed with the news that police in the UK became involved.</p>



<p>As per our <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-add-on-developer-arrested-on-same-day-as-popular-repo-goes-down-190619/">report</a> published yesterday, the Covert Development and Disruption Team of the UK’s North West Regional Organised Crime Unit recently arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of developing and maintaining an add-on designed to facilitate access to infringing content.</p>



<p>Nobody has yet been able to publicly verify the precise target but on the same day the arrest took place, the popular Supremacy repository (repo) went down in mysterious yet coincidental circumstances. During the past few hours, news of the arrest appears to have prompted other developers to rethink their futures.</p>



<p>Given its popularity, Kodi add-on enthusiasts will be disappointed to hear that the Exodus-forked 13 Clowns add-on is one of the casualties. The end of the add-on was announced via Twitter and also in a slightly unorthodox fashion, via the Kodi software itself.</p>



<p>Rather than take the <a href="https://the13clowns.github.io/">associated repo</a> down, the developer pushed an update which reportedly <a href="https://www.tvaddons.co/13clowns-mavericktv-overeasy/">disabled</a> the add-on and delivered a shutdown message.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><center><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you everyone for everything. Good bye. <a href="https://t.co/go2vZZushF">pic.twitter.com/go2vZZushF</a></p>&mdash; 13Clowns (@1Clowns) <a href="https://twitter.com/1Clowns/status/1141426620592340992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></center><figcaption><em>Goodbye 13 Clowns</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>The Maverick TV add-on also disappeared last evening. No disabling &#8216;update&#8217; of the add-on appears to have been pushed but the associated repository was deleted. That was followed by an announcement on Twitter which indicated the show is over.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><center><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I&#39;ve been Maverick. Thank you all. And Good Bye.</p>&mdash; Maverick (@MaverickAddon) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaverickAddon/status/1141439054917099520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></center><figcaption><em>Maverick TV, no more&#8230;.</em></figcaption></figure>


<p></p>


<p>Another casualty is the Exodus-forked Overeasy add-on. That tool was previously available from the Eggman repo but both have gone down, with the latter currently displaying an <a href="http://repo.mreggman.xyz/">empty directory</a>.  </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/58cdf0c2.e8jJHcV.jpg" data-original-source="https://i.imgur.com/e8jJHcV.jpg" alt="" width="600"/><figcaption><em>Overeasy and Eggman repo call it quits</em><br></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Some of the now-discontinued repos also contained add-ons <a href="https://koditips.com/supremacy-13-clowns-maverick-tv-overeasy-repos-offline/">in addition to their own</a>, so the full fallout may not be known for a while. Some add-ons will find new homes but others may yet decide to throw in the towel.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s important to note that none of the above cited the arrest as a reason for closure but again, in common with the disappearance of the Supremacy repo, there are a number of coincidences that appear to fit recent developments.</p>



<p>Whatever the reasons for the closures, having an organized crime unit become involved in taking down a Kodi add-on developer is a massive escalation in the UK and will certainly prompt pause for thought among those in a similar position.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=8OURnQlepWI:-gItbIV_Ymc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=8OURnQlepWI:-gItbIV_Ymc:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=8OURnQlepWI:-gItbIV_Ymc:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/8OURnQlepWI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173856
title: Video Piracy Study Estimates Billions in Lost Revenue, But Misses Crucial Data
uri: Video-Piracy-Study-Estimates-Billions-in-Lost-Revenue-But-Misses-Cruc
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/6iLItV9ouU0/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-170290" src="media/b9ea03ed.dollars.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dollars.jpg" alt="" width="280" height="206">Despite the growing availability of legal options, online piracy remains rampant. Every day pirate sites and services are used by millions of people worldwide.</p>
<p>This is a serious problem for major content producers, Hollywood included. At the same time, it&#8217;s also seen a threat to the wider U.S. economy, which generates hundreds of billions of dollars from video entertainment.</p>
<p>How copyright infringement affects the economy in actual numbers is hard to measure, especially since the piracy landscape changes rapidly. That said, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce <a href="https://www.theglobalipcenter.com/">Global Innovation Policy Center</a>, in partnership with <a href="https://www.nera.com/">NERA Economic Consulting</a>, attempted an estimate.</p>
<p>In a report titled &#8220;<a href="https://www.theglobalipcenter.com/report/digital-video-piracy/"><em>Impacts of Digital Piracy on the U.S. Economy</em></a>&#8221; they combine multiple data sources, paired with a broad range of assumptions, to estimate how much revenue video piracy is costing the U.S. economy.</p>
<p>In order to calculate how much piracy costs, the researchers first had to determine the global piracy volume. They did so by combining data from two known piracy tracking firms.</p>
<p>Specifically, the number of pirated movies and TV-shows are estimated using data from the German BitTorrent tracking outfit Tecxipo. These are then extrapolated to estimate the volume of other piracy sources, such as streaming and direct downloads, based on data from the UK outfit MUSO.</p>
<p>In addition, the researchers use academic studies to approximate the displacement rate. This is a crucial variable, as it estimates the percentage of pirated files that can be counted as a lost sale. The report settled on a lower bound of 14%, which means that roughly one in seven pirate downloads or streams are seen as lost revenue.</p>
<p>All this information, paired with location data, the average price per source, and a variety of other variables, ultimately leads the researchers to conclude that in 2017 online video piracy resulted in a revenue loss of at least $29.2 billion.</p>
<p>&#8220;The study shows that all of the benefits that streaming brings to our economy have been artificially capped by digital piracy. Using macroeconomic modeling of digital piracy, the study estimates that global online piracy costs the U.S. economy at least $29.2 billion in lost revenue each year,&#8221; the report reads.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">In raw numbers, the researchers put the number of pirated&nbsp; U.S.-produced movies at $26.6 billion, while they estimate that roughly 126.7 billion U.S.-produced TV episodes are pirated digitally each year. This piracy takes place mostly from outside the United States.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>The impact on the broader economy is even larger. According to the researchers, online video piracy costs the <span class="fontstyle0">U.S. economy between 230,000 and 560,000 jobs and between $47.5 billion and $115.3 billion in reduced gross domestic product (GDP) each year.</span></p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/39a09546.jobslost.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/jobslost.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173971" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/jobslost.png 596w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/jobslost-220x130.png 220w" sizes="(max-width: 596px) 100vw, 596px"><figcaption>Jobs &#8216;lost&#8217;</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Not all types of piracy are the same of course. A pirated Netflix movie results in lower losses than a Hollywood blockbuster. Similarly, a pirated Bollywood film doesn&#8217;t impact the U.S. economy much.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the report notes that piracy by U.S. citizens doesn&#8217;t necessarily have to be detrimental to the economy. The money these people &#8216;save&#8217; by pirating is likely spent locally, which, depending on various factors, could even be beneficial to the economy as a whole.</p>
<p>Or as the researchers put it:</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Consumers spend the income gained from displaced legal consumption on other goods and services, many of which are produced in the U.S.</span> <span class="fontstyle0">Therefore, the net effect on the U.S. economy of this component of piracy could be either positive or negative, depending on the relative magnitudes of the multipliers for the revenue losses and the revenue gains.&#8221;</span></p>
<p>The most significant impact comes from foreigners who pirate U.S. content, as the money they save is likely not being spent in America.</p>
<p>Overall the report provides a detailed overview of the potential revenue losses. Displacement rates are complex, of course, as there are probably hundreds of other variables that could have been taken into account, but it looks like the researchers did a good job at factoring in the most crucial elements.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, however, there is a glaring error that can&#8217;t easily be ignored.</p>
<p>The report specifically set out to provide an up-to-date overview of the new piracy ecosystem, one that includes apps and illicit streaming devices. No surprise, as dedicated streaming boxes are generally seen as <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-sees-illegal-streaming-devices-as-piracy-3-0-170502/">the biggest threat to Hollywood</a>.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;These rapid changes necessitate up-to-date estimates of the impact of digital piracy,&#8221; the report notes.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>The problem, however, is that most app and streaming device piracy isn&#8217;t covered by the study. The report relies on category data from MUSO, which only covers regular browser visits to pirate sites.</p>
<p>This typically excludes most apps and pirate set-top boxes. Also, the boom in IPTV piracy isn&#8217;t covered by these data either.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to the researchers, who informed us that they weren&#8217;t aware of this. This means that their overall estimate of the impact of video piracy is even more reserved than they initially assumed. Needless to say, that has not been left out intentionally.</p>
<p>Whether it&#8217;s complete or not, these types of studies are generally welcomed by rightsholders. As such, the report will likely be mentioned frequently in future lobbying 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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=6iLItV9ouU0:RAqVSx6_w8U:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=6iLItV9ouU0:RAqVSx6_w8U:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=6iLItV9ouU0:RAqVSx6_w8U:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/6iLItV9ouU0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173845
title: Court Orders Danish ISPs to Block Copyright-Infringing News Site
uri: Court-Orders-Danish-ISPs-to-Block-Copyright-Infringing-News-Site
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/WpS43vufzME/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-124850" src="media/b13e6c72.blocked-censor.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/blocked-censor.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="170"></p>
<p>For more than a decade, Denmark has been a testbed for pirate site blockades.</p>
<p>The first blocks <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/danish-isp-forced-to-censor-the-internet/">date back to 2006</a>, when music industry group IFPI filed a complaint targeting the unlicensed Russian MP3 site AllofMP3.</p>
<p>Not much later, Denmark became the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-blocked-by-isp-080204/">first European country</a>&nbsp;to force an ISP to block access to The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>Since then, many other pirate sites have received the same treatment. These are typically download or streaming portals, which have been targeted in other countries as well. However, this week, a Fredriksberg court issued a new order that&#8217;s more unusual.</p>
<p>The verdict, handed down on Monday, requires local Internet provider <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TDC_A/S">TDC</a> to prevent its subscribers from accessing a news portal called &#8216;<a href="https://theworldnews.net/">The World News</a>&#8216;. Under the Danish ISP Code of Conduct, other major ISPs in Denmark will also implement a similar block.</p>
<p>The news site in question doesn&#8217;t offer access to any movies, music or games, but republishes articles from news websites from all over the world, often with photos included.</p>
<p>The site has an archive of millions of articles and can be tailored based on the reader&#8217;s location. The news articles all credit their source, but the link that&#8217;s included is often not clickable, so the site doesn&#8217;t send traffic back to many original publications.</p>
<p>The World News positions itself as a decentralized <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM2Un8Rzszc">anti-fake news platform</a>, built on a blockchain, and says it provides readers with &#8216;verified&#8217; news. The site&#8217;s domain is registered in Panama, it&#8217;s managed by the U.S. corporation &#8220;World News LLC,” and is <a href="https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/leben/neues-medienprojekt-will-fake-news-aufdecken-was-ist-davon-zu-halten-133810601">reportedly operated</a> by people from Ukraine.</p>
<p>While it looks like a rather useful news aggregator, many articles on the site are republished without permission, according to rightsholders. In Denmark, this prompted the anti-piracy group <a href="https://rettighedsalliancen.dk/">RettighedsAlliancen</a> (The Rights Alliance) to take the matter to court.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Representing the Danish Media Association, RettighedsAlliancen asked the court to order local Internet provider TDC to block the site. The anti-piracy group has previously submitted similar requests, but this is the first time a news site is targeted.&nbsp;</p>
<p>After reviewing the complaint, this week the Fredriksberg court decided that the site should indeed be blocked by TDC.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;TDC is required to implement a technical solution, for example, DNS blocking, which is suitable to prevent TDC customers from accessing the Internet services that the website mentioned in the claim currently gives access to,&#8221; the order reads.</p>
<p>The Danish Media Association is very pleased with the court&#8217;s ruling, According to Holger Rosendal, Chief Legal Officer at the industry group, it will help media outlets to protect their copyrights as well as their income.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is expensive to produce credible, informative and independent journalism, and thus there is a great need to stop the illegal exploitation of media content, which undermines the media economy and thereby the possibility of continuing news production,” Rosendal says.</p>


<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="media/198509bb.worldnews.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/worldnews.png" alt="" class="wp-image-173851"/><figcaption>The news site&#8230;</figcaption></figure>


<p>At the time of writing, there are over 170,000 Danish news articles featured on The World News. The site only had a few hundred Danish readers per day in recent weeks, but the media companies believe that it had a negative impact nonetheless.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The World News itself appears to be surprised by the blocking order and states that it will remove content when prompted to do so by rightsholders.</p>
<p>&#8220;The World News is one of the biggest news aggregators in the world. We gather and analyze news from all media to detect fake news and facts manipulation,&#8221; a spokesperson form the site informed TorrentFreak.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;If we break the law in any jurisdiction, we remove any content from our servers for the first request in a few hours. We didn&#8217;t receive any notifications about rules violation from Danish media. We are completely on the side of authors and ready to work together.&#8221;</p>
<p>RettighedsAlliancen says that it tried to contact the site using the four email addresses listed on the website, as well as the domain name registrant address.</p>
<p>The Danish anti-piracy organization sent the website a cease and desist notice and informed its operators about the lawsuit, giving them an opportunity to defend themselves. RettighedsAlliancen informs TorrentFreak that these emails remained unanswered.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Technically, RettighedsAlliancen is not a media outfit, so both statements may be accurate. However, that doesn&#8217;t change the fact that the site will have to be blocked by Internet provider TDC.</p>
<p>RettighedsAlliancen stresses that, in addition to enforcing the news outlets&#8217; copyrights, the blocking order will help to make sure that these publications get the revenue they&#8217;re entitled to.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;A blockade will also effectively prevent cash flows from ending up in the hands of criminal backers. The blocked illegal Panama-based service has, among other things, earned money from advertising revenue from visitors to the website &#8211; revenue that Danish news media misses,&#8221; the anti-piracy group notes.</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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=WpS43vufzME:ej7ERp7oW_Q:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=WpS43vufzME:ej7ERp7oW_Q:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=WpS43vufzME:ej7ERp7oW_Q:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/WpS43vufzME" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=174003
title: Stream-Ripping Giant Convert2MP3 Settles With Music Industry and Shuts Down
uri: Stream-Ripping-Giant-Convert2MP3-Settles-With-Music-Industry-and-Shuts
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/93ZJhgNsM-Q/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-135510" src="media/f4aba6d7.piratemusiccasset.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/piratemusiccasset.png" alt="" width="234" height="152">The music industry views stream-ripping as one of the largest piracy threats, worse than torrent sites or direct download portals.</p>
<p>In 2016, the RIAA, IFPI, and BPI filed legal action against YouTube-MP3, the largest stream ripping site at the time. This case eventually resulted in a settlement in which the site <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-mp3-settles-with-riaa-site-will-shut-down-170904/">agreed to shut down voluntarily</a>.</p>
<p>This was a clear victory for the music industry, which swiftly moved on to its <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-identifies-top-youtube-mp3-rippers-and-other-pirate-sites-171006/">next targets</a>. This included Convert2MP3, which was sued in Germany with backing from the music groups IFPI and BVMI.</p>
<p>With dozens of millions of monthly visitors, <a href="http://convert2mp3.net/">Convert2MP3</a> is one of the largest stream-rippers on the Internet. Thus far, its legal battle in Germany has mostly remained under the radar, but today it becomes clear that it has far-reaching consequences.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Music group IFPI just announced that in a combined effort with the German industry group BVMI, it has reached a settlement with the stream-ripping site. The settlement requires the site to shut down immediately and hand over its domain name to IFPI.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The settlement agreement further requires the operator to pay financial compensation but the actual amount is not mentioned.</p>
<p>The agreement comes after a German court issued a preliminary injunction against Convert2MP3. The court concluded that the site circumvented technological protection measures, using software it owned or produced.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/507ba04c.convert2mp3.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/convert2mp3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-174007"/><figcaption>Convert2MP3</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>IFPI&#8217;s Chief Executive Frances Moore is pleased with the outcome and hopes that it will motivate other stream-rippers to follow suit.</p>
<p>“Stream ripping is a threat to the entire music ecosystem. Sites such as Convert2MP3 show complete disregard for the rights of artists and record companies and take money away from those creating and investing in music.</p>
<p>“The successful outcome if this case sends a clear signal to other stream ripping sites that they should stop their copyright infringing activities or face legal action,” Moore adds.</p>
<p>Not everyone agrees that these type of sites are by definition copyright-infringing. In a letter to the US Trade Representative, digital rights group EFF previously stressed that there are plenty of legal use cases as well.</p>
<p>&#8220;[M]any audio extractions qualify as non-infringing fair uses under copyright. Providing a service that is capable of extracting audio tracks for these lawful purposes is itself lawful, even if some users infringe,” EFF <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mp3-stream-rippers-are-not-illegal-sites-eff-tells-us-government-171021/">wrote</a>.</p>
<p>That said, the music industry is determined to keep challenging these sites. There is an ongoing court case against <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/major-labels-sue-more-youtube-ripper-sites-180806/">FLVTO.biz and 2conv.com</a> in the US, and in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/in-world-first-danish-court-rules-stream-ripping-site-illegal-180710/">Denmark</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/aussie-music-industry-wins-first-ever-stream-ripping-site-blocks-190516/">Australia</a> stream-rippers including Convert2MP3 are blocked by court order.</p>
<p>The latter blockades are less useful now that Convert2MP3 has agreed to shut down. The domain currently displays a message from the music industry groups and the site&#8217;s Facebook and Twitter profiles have been removed.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/0a28a975.convert2mp3mes.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/convert2mp3mes.png" alt="" class="wp-image-174014"/></figure></div>
<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=93ZJhgNsM-Q:lSNuUw2pd6g:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=93ZJhgNsM-Q:lSNuUw2pd6g:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=93ZJhgNsM-Q:lSNuUw2pd6g:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/93ZJhgNsM-Q" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173903
title: Rightsholders Want to Completely Delist ‘Pirate’ Domains From Search Results
uri: Rightsholders-Want-to-Completely-Delist-Pirate-Domains-From-Sear
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/eKGp16d3rV0/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="media/1cf98cf0.destroy-delete-remove.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/destroy-delete-remove.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-141816" width="244" height="177"/></figure></div>



<p>The anti-piracy wars are fought on many fronts, from plugging leaks to issuing millions of takedown notices to both sites and search engines.</p>



<p>Despite no deliberate role in piracy, the latter are often described as facilitators of piracy who could do more, by making pirate sites less visible in search results, for example.</p>



<p>While companies like Google have taken such steps both voluntarily (<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/search-engines-and-rightsholders-sign-landmark-anti-piracy-deal-170220/">UK</a>) and in response to legal requirements (Australia <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australian-parliament-passes-tough-new-anti-piracy-law-181128/">1</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-de-indexes-832-pirate-sites-from-australia-search-results-190513/">2</a>), rightsholders would like more. In Russia, where new anti-piracy legislation is currently being debated, there&#8217;s an opportunity to set the standard.</p>



<p>Last year, several rightsholders and Internet platforms <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/landmark-anti-piracy-database-agreement-signed-in-moscow-181101/">signed</a> a memorandum of understanding which set out a basic framework for cooperation moving forward. The terms of that agreement are now the subject of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/russia-holds-talks-to-enshrine-landmark-anti-piracy-agreement-into-law-190308/">negotiations</a> before being turned into law sometime in the next few months.</p>



<p>During a closed-door meeting this week, held at telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor and reported by a <a href="https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4004856">Kommersant</a> source, rightsholders set out new tough demands. In order to limit traffic being sent to pirate sites by search engines, they want companies like Yandex (and ultimately Google) to completely delist &#8216;pirate&#8217; domains from search results.</p>



<p>Under the current terms of the memorandum, signatory companies delist search results (typically URLs) when they appear in a centralized database populated with links provided by content companies and their anti-piracy partners. The new proposals demand that sites considered as repeat infringers should disappear altogether.</p>



<p>Alexei Byrdin, General Director of the Internet Video Association, said that his group had identified a number of measures taken by pirate sites to limit the effectiveness of current measures. This means a more aggressive approach is needed.</p>



<p>&#8220;Our response is a draft rule on the removal of the entire domain of a site that systematically violates copyrights [from search results],” he told Kommersant.</p>



<p>While not all sites that receive multiple complaints will be affected (social networks and video hosting platforms would be excluded, for example), Internet companies are said to be opposed to the proposals. Among them Yandex, Russia&#8217;s largest search engine.</p>



<p>&#8220;It is necessary that any measures that entail inaccessibility to users of entire sites are based on a court decision. We are sure that such a solution will be found,&#8221; the company&#8217;s press office commented.</p>



<p>Channel One, the National Media Group, Gazprom-Media, the Internet Video Association, the Association of Film and Television Producers, Yandex, Rambler Group, Mail.Ru Group, vKontakte, and RuTube, are all signatories of the current memorandum. </p>



<p>The framework is set to expire on September 1, 2019, but could be extended if consensus isn&#8217;t reached by that date. However, aside from the deletion of entire domains from search results, it&#8217;s reported that the parties are largely in agreement, meaning that Russia is on course to expand its anti-piracy laws significantly, once again. </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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=eKGp16d3rV0:8GPYfDUiwG0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=eKGp16d3rV0:8GPYfDUiwG0:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=eKGp16d3rV0:8GPYfDUiwG0:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/eKGp16d3rV0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


feed_id: https://torrentfreak.com/?p=173812
title: RIAA Targets Large Polish File-Hosting Site Chomikuj
uri: RIAA-Targets-Large-Polish-File-Hosting-Site-Chomikuj
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/fNbGcZsvbr4/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/M-iVNUxV3qDqQMPupLrciPdoPR5Xt6qS-AFwmd16ydccnsUz0cnoyL8rgIBVi_uS3pY=s180" alt="Image result for Chomikuj" width="235" height="235"/></figure></div>



<p>In English-speaking countries, file-hosting sites such as the defunct Megaupload and its successor MEGA need little introduction.</p>



<p>These platforms allow(ed) users to upload files into a digital storage locker, to be shared with others as they so choose.</p>



<p>In Poland, <a href="https://chomikuj.pl/">Chomikuj</a> is a similar household name. Translated roughly as &#8220;hamster&#8221;, the platform has been around since 2006 and is very popular. It&#8217;s currently receiving around 17 million visits per month, placing it just outside the top 50 most-popular sites in the country.</p>



<p>Like many platforms operating in the same niche, Chomikuj has to deal with users uploading content to which they don&#8217;t own the rights. It&#8217;s unclear how much infringing content is present on the platform but <a href="https://transparencyreport.google.com/copyright/explore?hl=en&amp;copyright_data_exploration=q:;ce:domain;size:10&amp;lu=copyright_data_exploration">according</a> to Google&#8217;s Transparency Report, with close to 27 million URLs targeted only four domains in the world are listed with more complaints against them.</p>



<p>After issuing takedowns for more than 7.7 million URLs, the BPI is the most active sender. In second place is the RIAA, having sent in excess of 4.2 million, which may be why the music industry group has gone to court in the United States to find out more about the platform.</p>



<p>In common with several other actions in recent weeks, the RIAA filed for a subpoena at a Columbia federal court ordering Cloudflare to hand over whatever personal information it holds on the operators of Chomikuj.</p>



<p>Citing the DMCA (<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/512">17 U.S.C § 512(h)</a>), the RIAA stated its case by declaring that it needs the information to protect its members&#8217; copyrights.</p>



<p>&#8220;The purpose for which this subpoena is sought is to obtain the identities of the individuals assigned to these websites who have reproduced and have offered for distribution our members’ copyrighted sound recordings without their authorization.</p>



<p>“This information will only be used for the purposes of protecting the rights granted to our members, the sound recording copyright owner, under Title II of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act,” the RIAA told the Court.</p>



<p>The music group then listed three musical works &#8211; Karma Kameleon by Culture Club, Chains of Love by Erasure, and Edge of Heaven by Wham! &#8211; stating that these titles had not been authorized for use on Chomikuj.</p>



<p>As was the case in several previous applications, the Court clerk was happy to sign off on the request and a letter was sent to Cloudflare demanding IP and email addresses and all other identifying information. What happens next remains unclear.</p>



<p><em>The letter to Cloudflare can be found </em><a href="media/ade6881f.riaa-dmca-subpoena-cloudflare-chomikuj.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/riaa-dmca-subpoena-cloudflare-chomikuj.pdf"><em>here</em></a><em> (pdf)</em></p>



<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>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=fNbGcZsvbr4:NCITMcBTVoA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?a=fNbGcZsvbr4:NCITMcBTVoA:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Torrentfreak?i=fNbGcZsvbr4:NCITMcBTVoA:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~4/fNbGcZsvbr4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>


