# articles

feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157203
title: EU Parliament Committee Adopts Piracy ‘Upload Filter’ Proposal
uri: EU-Parliament-Committee-Adopts-Piracy-Upload-Filter-Proposal
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/HoPiIjpQDvU/
content:
<p><img src="media/4838a439.upload.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/upload.png" alt="" width="240" height="164" class="alignright size-full wp-image-114664">Through a series of new proposals, the European Commission is working hard to modernize EU copyright law. </p>
<p>These plans have not been without controversy. In particular, Article 13 of the proposed Copyright Directive has been widely criticized as it would pressure online services to monitor and filter uploaded content.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/judgment-day-nears-for-eus-piracy-filters-180604/">article states</a> that online services are liable for any uploaded content unless they take “effective and proportionate” action to prevent copyright infringements, as identified by copyright holders. </p>
<p>That also includes preventing allegedly infringing files from being reuploaded, which implies some form of hash filtering and continuous monitoring of all user uploads. </p>
<p>Today, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliament (JURI) voted on the issue. With a 15 to 10 majority, the Article 13 proposal of Rapporteur Voss was adopted. This means that the plans move ahead in their current form, despite massive public outcry.</p>
<p>Over the past year, we have repeatedly covered the widespread opposition. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mandatory-piracy-filters-may-violate-eu-law-scholars-warn-161203/">Legal scholars</a>, <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/03/eu-internet-advocates-launch-campaign-stop-eus-dangerous-copyright-filtering">digital activists</a>, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mandatory-piracy-filters-could-breach-human-rights-eu-members-170906/">politicians</a>, all worried that the upload restrictions would violate the rights of regular Internet users.</p>
<p>In recent weeks, the wave of protests swelled. More prominent figures <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/06/internet-luminaries-ring-alarm-eu-copyright-filtering-proposal">sounded the alarm bell</a>, including Internet pioneer Vint Cerf, World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee, the Internet Archive&#8217;s Brewster Kahle, and Jimmy Wales from Wikipedia.</p>
<p>The campaign was picked up by the public as well. Roughly 320,000 people have signed petitions urging lawmakers to reject the plans and over the last week more than 50,000 tweets went up mentioning the #SaveYourInternet hashtag. </p>
<p>In addition to Article 13, there was also considerable pushback against Article 11, which is regularly referred to as the “link tax.” This proposal was accepted as well, with a 13 to 12 majority.</p>
<p>Now that the proposal has passed the Committee the plans will move to plenary before progressing towards the final vote on copyright reform next spring. </p>
<p>It also means that they are now much harder to stop or change. That has been done before, such as with ACTA, but achieving that type of momentum will be a tough challenge.</p>
<p>Pirate Party MEP Julia Reda, who suggested alternatives to the controversial proposals, is disappointed with the outcome. However, she&#8217;s not giving up yet. </p>
<p>&#8220;These measures will break the internet. People will run into trouble doing everyday things like discussing the news and expressing themselves online. Locking down our freedom to participate to serve the special interests of large media companies is unacceptable,&#8221; Reda says.</p>
<p>&#8220;I will challenge this outcome and request a vote in the European Parliament next month. We can still overturn this result and preserve the free internet.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157333
title: SET TV Tells Netflix, Amazon & Hollywood That it’s “No Longer Available”
uri: SET-TV-Tells-Netflix-Amazon-Hollywood-That-it-s-No-Longer-Avai
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/evww7bQ_7I0/
content:
<p><img src="media/12fdf7b4.settv.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/settv.jpg" width="277" height="181" class="alignright size-large">Back in April, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), an anti-piracy partnership forged between Hollywood studios, Netflix, Amazon, and more than two dozen other companies, sued Florida-based Set Broadcast, LLC.</p>
<p>The entertainment industry companies accused Set Broadcast of running SET TV, an unauthorized IPTV service offering otherwise subscription TV channels and media without appropriate licensing.</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 <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-amazon-and-hollywood-sue-set-tv-over-iptv-piracy-180422/">complaint</a> reads.</p>
<p>Despite the legal pressure, SET TV had remained online but that all changed last week when it suddenly disappeared. In response to customer complaints, SET TV implied that technical issues might be to blame and it would eventually return.</p>
<p>However, a filing with a California District court this week reveals that the SET TV ride appears to be over.</p>
<p>&#8220;Setvnow is no longer available. It is no longer marketed and subscriptions are no longer sold,&#8221; lawyers for Set Broadcast, LLC reveal in their filing.</p>
<p>What follows is a point-by-point addressing of each issue raised in the ACE complaint, with three features catching the eye: acceptance that they offered a content service, claims that they lack knowledge and information on a large number of points, plus repeated use of the word &#8216;deny&#8217; whenever infringement is mentioned.</p>
<p>Set TV begins by admitting that it sold subscriptions to its service and acknowledging that marketing material detailed in the ACE lawsuit looks familiar. It also concedes that it encouraged users to download and install the Setvnow software on various devices. The company also agrees that it sold a hardware box that was, at least in part, designed to work with the Setvnow service.</p>
<p>However, in response to claims of marketing efforts informing “customers who want more of a cable box experience” that for just $89, they can “simply turn it on and watch TV” without having to do anything more than “PLUG AND PLAY,&#8221; the defendants claim to lack knowledge or information.</p>
<p>From here, at least as far as a technical rebuttal to ACE claims go, the responses are relatively blunt and often repetitive to read.</p>
<p>First up, ACE claimed that defendants sold illegal access to their copyright works, but that&#8217;s something Set Broadcast flatly denies.</p>
<p>ACE also noted that while the service provided &#8220;hallmarks of using authorized streaming services&#8221; such as a friendly interface, customers only paid money to Set Broadcast, not the copyright owners. Set Broadcast says it has no knowledge of how customers perceived the service but admits to not paying any money to ACE &#8220;for the Setvnow service.&#8221;</p>
<p>To the next dozen points, Set Broadcast claims to have &#8220;no knowledge or information&#8221;, mostly in response to basic statements of fact such as who the plaintiffs are and where their offices are located.</p>
<p>In response to the claim that defendant Jason Labossiere is the owner and operator of Set Broadcast, LLC, Set Broadcast issues a flat denial but offers no additional information. Further details concerning Nelson Johnson, a manager at Set Broadcast, are also picked over, with questions raised over his employment status and place of residence.</p>
<p>From here, Set Broadcast addresses a number of statements made by ACE members regarding who the plaintiffs are, what they do, and what content they own. On each count, Set Broadcast claims to have no knowledge or information, which makes for fairly bland and unconvincing reading.</p>
<p>That being said, Set Broadcast doesn&#8217;t shy away from responding on a number of crucial issues. The company acknowledges that promotional material produced by the plaintiffs, showing that the SET TV service offered 500 channels and &#8220;thousands&#8221; of &#8220;on demand&#8221; options for $20, is theirs.</p>
<p>It also admits to selling subscriptions and concedes that the SET TV software facilitated streaming of &#8220;captured content&#8221;, including live content, and delivered it to Setvnow users. The company also admits to using third-party sources for on-demand content.</p>
<p>But despite admitting to many of ACE&#8217;s claims over the marketing and provision of the service, whenever the plaintiffs used the word &#8220;infringing&#8221; to describe the nature of the content delivered to users, Set Broadcast has a one-word response.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants’ customers use Setvnow for intended and unquestionably infringing purposes, most notably to obtain immediate, unrestricted, and unauthorized access to unauthorized streams of Plaintiffs’ Copyrighted Works,&#8221; ACE wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;Deny,&#8221; came the response.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants promote the use of Setvnow for overwhelmingly, if not exclusively, infringing purposes, and that is how their customers use Setvnow,&#8221; ACE added.</p>
<p>&#8220;Deny,&#8221; Set Broadcast repeats.</p>
<p>With a distinct pattern emerging, there&#8217;s no need to detail the one-word response to each of ACE&#8217;s allegations including that the defendants willfully and intentionally induced and contributed to the infringement of their rights and that ACE members are entitled to damages and Defendants’ profits in amounts to be proven at trial.</p>
<p>The claim that ACE members are entitled to attorneys&#8217; fees plus preliminary and permanent injunctions are also given the same two-syllable treatment. However, at the end of the filing, Set Broadcast springs into life, detailing three affirmative defenses against all of ACE&#8217;s charges.</p>
<p>First up, Set Broadcast claims that ACE failed to mitigate damages. Second, the company states that &#8220;Plaintiffs’ claims are barred to the extent Plaintiffs have forfeited or abandoned copyright or failed to comply with necessary formalities.&#8221; Finally, Set Broadcast suggests it could be an &#8220;innocent infringer&#8221;.</p>
<p>&#8220;Damages are limited under <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/504">17 U.S.C. § 504(c)(2)</a> because Defendants &#8216;were not aware and had no reason to believe that [their] acts constituted an infringement of copyright&#8217;,&#8221; Set concludes.</p>
<p>Since SET TV is now apparently a thing of the past, it will be interesting to see how this case develops. While Set Broadcast flatly denies any infringement of ACE members&#8217; rights, it doesn&#8217;t deny that it&#8217;s been running a pay service which facilitates the delivery of third-party content to its customers.</p>
<p>The big questions now are whether the case will ever head to a full trial and if the defenses cited by SET TV provide more than a sliver of hope for the company.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A copy of Set Broadcast&#8217;s response to ACE&#8217;s <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-amazon-and-hollywood-sue-set-tv-over-iptv-piracy-180422/">complaint</a> is available here (<a href="media/55758c9e.setanswer.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/setanswer.pdf">pdf</a>)</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157443
title: Nintendo Switch Piracy is “Unstoppable” – Until People Go Online
uri: Nintendo-Switch-Piracy-is-Unstoppable-Until-People-Go-Online
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AGTnoPDE4Jo/
content:
<p><img src="media/39af11fc.nintendo-switch.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/nintendo-switch.jpg" width="231" height="186" class="alignright size-large">For as long as games consoles have existed, security to prevent people from playing pirated games has been under attack.</p>
<p>In the early days, the existence of a hardware cartridge was initially enough to prevent clones, but with ever more determined hackers on the job, few protections have survived the tests of time.</p>
<p>More recently, however, the mighty Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have proven exponentially more difficult to crack. Locked down hardware and continuously updated firmware pose unprecedented challenges to today&#8217;s hackers, with few making the progress they did in years gone by. Last December, however, some exciting news appeared on the horizon.</p>
<p>Hacking veterans Team-Xecutor revealed that they&#8217;d developed a kernel hack for the Nintendo Switch. That led to further revelations in January that they&#8217;d developed a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/modding-legends-team-xecuter-announce-future-proof-nintendo-switch-hack-180104/">hardware solution</a> that exploits a fundamental flaw in the Switch system, one that Nintendo would be unable to stop.</p>
<p>“This solution will work on ANY Nintendo Switch console regardless of the currently installed firmware, and will be completely future proof,” the team <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/modding-legends-team-xecuter-announce-future-proof-nintendo-switch-hack-180104/">explained</a>.</p>
<p>With the prospect of &#8220;unstoppable&#8221; mass piracy just around the corner, a new buzz appeared around the Switch platform. Whenever consoles get cracked their popularity tends to increase, but for those thinking of jumping aboard the platform for a new swashbuckling adventure, there are some interesting caveats to consider.</p>
<p>In a detailed posting to Reddit titled &#8216;How Application Authorization works on the Nintendo Switch&#8217;, hacker SciresM single-handedly pours enormous buckets of cold water on the prospect of rampant Switch piracy &#8211; at least in the way that some consumers are envisioning it.</p>
<p>&#8220;After doing some research earlier today into how the Switch gains authorization to play a given game online, I learned that Nintendo has implemented some very strong anti-piracy measures in this regard &#8212; they can actually perfectly detect whether a digital copy of a game has been legitimately purchased,&#8221; SciresM explains.</p>
<p>Although highly technical in practice, the manner in which this verification takes place can be explained in simple terms.</p>
<p>When people attempt to go online with a game, their Switch first checks whether it can connect to the Internet by checking ctest.cdn.nintendo.net. Once that is established in the positive, the console checks whether it can get a device authorization token from Nintendo which allows it to go online.</p>
<p>If Nintendo issues a token the console can sign in, once it has authorized the Nintendo account being signed into. The console can then obtain an application authorization token for the specific title being played and the fun can begin. However, if Nintendo doesn&#8217;t like what it sees (such as pirate activity), it can prevent a console from going online, a disaster for those hoping to play with friends.</p>
<p>The way Nintendo detects such activity is explained in ScriesM&#8217;s <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/SwitchHacks/comments/8rxg26/psa_strong_antipiracy_measures_implemented_by/">technical overview</a> but the basis of its protection centers on a unique encrypted client certificate found in the TrustZone, &#8220;an isolated security-focused CPU core&#8221; which is burned into every Switch console at the factory.</p>
<p>&#8220;Note that unlike the 3DS, this means that Nintendo can tell what console makes a given request. This means Nintendo can block misbehaving user&#8217;s certificates, leaving them permanently unable to use any of Nintendo&#8217;s network,&#8221; ScriesM notes.</p>
<p>Because all requests to Nintendo require a client certificate, Nintendo can associate blocked accounts with a console. But the Japanese gaming company has another trick up its sleeve.</p>
<p>&#8220;Your console obtains an application authorization token for the specific [game] title being played. This is the really interesting component &#8212; and it&#8217;s where Nintendo&#8217;s strongest security measure lies,&#8221; ScriesM reveals.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the gamecard case, Nintendo can detect whether or not the user connecting has data from a Nintendo-authorized gamecard for the correct title. This solves the 3DS-era issue of gamecard header data being shared between games. Sharing of certificates should be fairly detectable, for Nintendo.&#8221;</p>
<p>When it comes to digital games, Nintendo has an even stronger hand. An encrypted ticket inside the title holds essential information such as the console&#8217;s unique device ID and the Nintendo account used to purchase it and log in. When combined, Nintendo has all the details it needs to determine if the user is playing by the book.</p>
<p>&#8220;Users who pirate games definitionally cannot have well-signed tickets for their consoles, and thus cannot connect online without getting an immediate ban &#8212; this is exactly how I would have implemented authorization for digital games, if I were them,&#8221; ScriesM concludes.</p>
<p>The bottom line here is that people pirating games on Switch will have their consoles banned, a massive deal-breaker for many. While there will be some who will be satisfied with offline play, being banished to the single-player wilderness is effectively a punishment in today&#8217;s connected world and is unlikely to regain the popularity it once enjoyed.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=156575
title: Cloudflare Settles Dangerous Piracy Liability Lawsuit
uri: Cloudflare-Settles-Dangerous-Piracy-Liability-Lawsuit
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/9US4t4Ct4Lc/
content:
<p><img src="media/ac6a767e.cloudflarelogo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cloudflarelogo.png" alt="" width="260" height="135" class="alignright size-full wp-image-137767">As one of the leading CDN and DDoS protection services, Cloudflare is used by millions of websites across the globe. This includes many pirate sites.</p>
<p>In recent years many copyright holders have complained about Cloudflare&#8217;s involvement with these platforms, and in 2016 adult entertainment publisher ALS Scan took it a step further by <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflare-faces-lawsuit-for-assisting-pirate-sites-160823/">dragging the company to court</a>.</p>
<p>ALS accused Cloudflare of various types of copyright infringement, noting that several of its customers used the company&#8217;s servers to distribute pirated content to the public. </p>
<p>During the legal battle that followed, the CDN provider managed to have several counts dismissed. However, the accusation of contributory copyright infringement <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflares-cache-can-substantially-assist-copyright-infringers-court-rules-180314/">remained</a>.</p>
<p>Earlier this year California District Court Judge George Wu ruled that Cloudflare can substantially assist copyright infringements by hosting cached copies of files. Whether Cloudflare did this and could be held liable was something to be decided at trial.</p>
<p>However, according to a recent filing, there will be no trial. This week both parties filed a joint stipulation asking the court to dismiss all claims against Cloudflare. </p>
<p>&#8220;ALS Scan, Inc. and Cloudflare, Inc. hereby stipulate to dismissal without prejudice of the claims and action against Cloudflare, Inc., with each side bearing its own attorney’s fees, costs, and expenses,&#8221; they write.</p>
<p>ALS Scan and Cloudflare have signed a settlement agreement behind closed doors. The terms of the deal have not been made public, but each party will attorney’s fees, costs, and other expenses.</p>
<p>While the court retains jurisdiction over the matter in case any settlement disputes arise, the lawsuit is essentially over. </p>
<p>Whether Cloudflare agreed to pay a settlement fee is unknown, but the agreement takes away a lot of uncertainty for the CDN provider.  </p>
<p>If they had gone to trial, where the controversial &#8220;Daily Stormer&#8221; issue <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflare-fails-to-exclude-daily-stormer-evidence-from-piracy-trial-180504/">could be used as evidence</a>, the company&#8217;s fate would be in the hands of a jury. A negative decision there could have severely impacted its future.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak requested a comment from a Cloudflare spokesperson and ALS Scan&#8217;s attorneys on the matter, but neither has responded at the time of publication.  </p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A copy of Cloudflare and ALS Scan&#8217;s stipulation of dismissal can be found <a href="media/ca6509eb.alsdismiss.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/alsdismiss.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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157499
title: TVAddons Founder “Resigns” to Ensure Kodi Addon Platform’s Longevity
uri: TVAddons-Founder-Resigns-to-Ensure-Kodi-Addon-Platform-s-Longe
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/LqdMr-ER6GY/
content:
<p><a href="media/a1ff1533.tvaddonsnew.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddonsnew.png"><img src="media/b1019d68.tvaddonsnew.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddonsnew.png" alt="" width="277" height="119" class="alignright size-full wp-image-145066"></a>Right now, life isn&#8217;t particularly pleasant for the founder of TVAddons.</p>
<p>As previously documented, Adam Lackman is being sued by an army of Canadian telecoms giants including Bell Canada, Bell ExpressVu, Bell Media, Videotron, Groupe TVA, Rogers Communications and Rogers Media.</p>
<p>With mixed results in court thus far, last week saw bailiffs for the plaintiffs <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-telco-bailiffs-enter-operators-home-over-unpaid-attorneys-fees-180614/">revisit Lackman&#8217;s home</a>, hoping to secure property to pay off CAD$50,000 in costs run up by the telco&#8217;s attorneys. </p>
<p>In the end, however, the bailiffs only earmarked a laptop and two &#8220;near worthless” prints. The goods will be sold at auction come July 31 unless Lackman can come up with the cash amount, which has now swelled to CAD$57,500.</p>
<p>With this latest aggressive act ringing in his ears, it appears that TVAddons have been considering what can be done to safeguard the future of the site. Lackman, perhaps understandably, is now seen as a potential Achilles&#8217; Heel, something which has prompted a fresh announcement about his future.</p>
<p>&#8220;Under immense pressure, our team and I have decided that it would be best if I resigned from an administrative role in order to protect the longevity of our platform,&#8221; he informs TF.</p>
<p>&#8220;I will continue to remain onboard in a marketing position, also doing general community outreach like I always have.&#8221;</p>
<p>More information is available in a TVAddons <a href="https://www.tvaddons.co/founder-resigns-admin/">post</a> on the topic, which also details the rather unusual method used to select his successor.</p>
<p>&#8220;In selecting the individual to replace Adam in his former role as administrator, an automated script was used to randomly select his replacement from amongst our most trusted senior staff,&#8221; the report reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;At the time of selection, the automated script also delivered relevant passwords which the new administrator then changed so that only he would know them. Only the staff member selected knows that he is our new platform administrator.&#8221;</p>
<p>While unusual in its reported execution, it doesn&#8217;t take a genius to work out that given the ongoing assault on TVAddons, this latest move is designed to take the pressure off Lackman. We asked him if not being the operator of the site would be helpful moving forward.</p>
<p>&#8220;When we relaunched last August, it was decided amongst our team members that I would not be the owner of the new domain. The new owner was selected in a similar fashion to how the new admin was selected. I can&#8217;t say who the owner is, and actually I don&#8217;t know his identity anyway,&#8221; Lackman explained.</p>
<p>&#8220;I have therefore not been the owner of the new site since it was launched. And since we launched it without any of the assets of the previous website, we see it as an entirely new entity.&#8221;</p>
<p>Given the circumstances surrounding the resignation and the subsequent and unusual appointment of a successor, TF further asked whether the move would be viewed as credible by the telcos and their operatives. Lackman said he didn&#8217;t know but pointed out that since he&#8217;d been honest over ownership details in the past, that could stand him in good stead for the future.</p>
<p>&#8220;Considering I gave them the domains last year pursuant to their court order, even though they were owned overseas by a corporation in the first place, it should show them that I respect the law and the courts and would not take action to circumvent their authority,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;However, I am also not sure it matters whether the plaintiffs believe it or not, as they have demonstrated a willingness to create their own narrative in order to suit their own agenda anyway.&#8221;</p>
<p>In a final note, the TVAddons team says that their new administrator is likely to &#8220;surface publicly&#8221; in a few weeks&#8217; time, something which could be followed shortly after by some upgrades to the site.</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> Lackman informs TF that after speaking with his lawyers, they will be blocking the seizure of his laptop which falls under the <a href="https://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/en/your-money-and-your-possessions/seizure/unseizable-property-and-income/">seizure exemption</a> of &#8220;work instruments needed for the exercise of your profession.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The bailiff would have known that the laptop was exempt, but put it down for seizure for the purpose of causing me additional grief in having to take legal measures to ensure that it is not seized,&#8221; he says. </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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157027
title: ISP: Piracy “Extortion Letters” Benefit ‘Greedy’ Companies, Not Poor Artists
uri: ISP-Piracy-Extortion-Letters-Benefit-Greedy-Companies-No
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/vRobw2VP4es/
content:
<p><img src="media/0439e552.bahnhof.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bahnhof.png" alt="" width="222" height="150" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128056">In recent years file-sharers around the world have been threatened with lawsuits, if they don’t pay a significant settlement fee.</p>
<p>These so-called &#8220;copyright trolling&#8221; efforts have been a common occurrence in countries such as Germany and the United States, and in recent years they <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/attention-swedish-pirate-bay-users-copyright-trolls-have-arrived-160902/">have conquered Sweden</a> as well. </p>
<p>Where Internet providers remain on the sidelines in most countries, Swedish ISP Bahnhof has shown to be a fierce opponent of the copyright enforcement efforts. The company uses all possible means to protect its subscribers, both in an outside of court. </p>
<p>In an article <a href="https://www.bahnhof.se/press/press-releases/2018/06/13/bahnhof-avslojar-utpressningsbrev-gor-rika-filmbolag-annu-rikare">published</a> a few days ago, Bahnhof Communicator Carolina Lindahl takes a closer look at the legal basis underlying the threatening letters. </p>
<p>Lindahl notes that the Swedish Government sees a need for strict copyright infringement penalties while keeping the barriers for creators to go to court low because they often have limited resources. </p>
<p>&#8220;In copyright litigation [&#8230;], it is often the author himself who is a party, and usually the author has limited financial resources,&#8221; the Government&#8217;s code for Penalties for Certain Serious IP violations reads.</p>
<p>However, according to Bahnhof, this is far removed from reality. Lindahl sifted through the legal paperwork related to copyright infringement cases filed at the Criminal Court, to see which companies are behind them. </p>
<p>The research uncovered 76 cases, the majority of which formed the basis for the tens of thousands of piracy settlement letters that were sent out. Only five of these cases were filed by the creator of the work, Lindahl notes.</p>
<p>In other instances, the creators were represented by intermediaries or licensees, such as Copyright Management Services and Crystalis Entertainment.</p>
<p>While these companies may have the legal right to pursue these cases, they are not the original creators of the films they sue over. </p>
<p>&#8220;The government&#8217;s claim &#8211; that it is often the author himself who is a party &#8211; does not seem to be correct at all,&#8221; Lindahl writes. </p>
<p>In addition, the ISP rejects the notion that copyright holders have &#8220;limited financial resources.&#8221; Using public sources, Lindahl shows that several of the companies involved have millions of dollars in revenues.</p>
<p>So, instead of protecting individual creators with limited means, the ISP says that the Government&#8217;s policy allows major companies to &#8220;extort&#8221; money from individuals, including those with limited financial resources.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our legislation rests on assumptions that are badly rooted in reality,&#8221; Lindahl writes, noting that government policy only makes rich film companies richer.</p>
<p>&#8220;The result is an extortion operation that is profitable for already profitable media companies and costly for young people, retirees, and other individuals on the margin, without the capability to tackle sudden costs of thousands of kronor.</p>
<p>&#8220;The lone and economically limited authors are in fact groups of authors with great wealth. Without pure greed, they probably don&#8217;t need to send out extortion letters,&#8221; the article adds. </p>
<p>Lindahl tells TF that she does see a few options to deal with the issue at hand. </p>
<p>Sweden could follow the example of its neighbor Denmark, for example, where <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isps-win-landmark-case-protect-privacy-alleged-pirates-180508/">copyright trolling is &#8216;outlawed.&#8217;</a> Alternatively, courts could call the IP-monitoring evidence into question, which isn&#8217;t always as solid as it seems.</p>
<p>That said, she&#8217;s not very hopeful that anything will change soon.</p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t trust our government or authorities to do anything about this. I&#8217;m sure they enjoy things just as they are,&#8221; Lindahl notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Either because they are stupid and really believe they&#8217;re helping the poor, because they have private engagements with copyright organizations, or because they like to chase and punish pirates every way they can. Or all of the above.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157201
title: Roku Under Pressure To Solve its Piracy Problem
uri: Roku-Under-Pressure-To-Solve-its-Piracy-Problem
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/uy50N0Q4LHM/
content:
<p><img src="media/57993d9e.roku-e1502784984505.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/roku-e1502784984505.png" width="277" height="241" class="alignright size-large">Until the turn of the decade, obtaining online pirate content was almost exclusively achieved by individuals with desktop and laptop computers. With the rise of streaming, set-top devices are now the major entry point.</p>
<p>With Kodi-enabled Android devices grabbing much of the attention (and criticism), other platforms have also been feeling the heat.</p>
<p>Despite offering plenty of legitimate content such as HBO Go, Hulu, and Netflix and playing no active role in the provision of unlicensed media, Roku is one of those enduring a bumpy ride.</p>
<p>Last year following a complaint from Cablevision, the Superior Court of Justice of the City of Mexico <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/roku-sales-banned-in-mexico-over-piracy-concerns-170619/">handed down a ban</a>, prohibiting stores like Amazon from importing and selling Roku devices due to third parties offering unlicensed content via the platform.</p>
<p>It didn&#8217;t take long for Roku to react. Last August the company began <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/roku-gets-tough-on-pirate-channels-warns-users-170815/">displaying warnings</a> to users who added channels to their device that weren&#8217;t obtained via the official Roku store. Then just a month later, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/roku-building-anti-piracy-team/">it was revealed</a> that Roku was assembling its own anti-piracy team.</p>
<p>In the background the legal wheels turned, with Roku trying everything in its power to have the Mexico ban overturned. As of today <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/controversial-roku-piracy-ban-stays-in-place-in-mexico-180323/">the ban remains</a> with no clear end in sight but that doesn&#8217;t mean that Roku has been standing still.</p>
<p>It appears that on May 23, a group of Mexican journalists was welcomed to Roku&#8217;s Silicon Valley headquarters. Just days later, Roku CEO Anthony Wood and Marketing Director Matthew Anderson visited Mexico City. While these events were no doubt designed to build bridges, Mexico’s Telecommunications Law Institute (IDET) painted the efforts in a rather different light.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/tecnologia/Problema-de-pirateria-no-se-resuelve-al-prohibir-Roku-20180617-0007.html">El Economista</a>, IDET said the moves were designed to exert pressure on the judiciary and to sway public opinion in favor of Roku.</p>
<p>&#8220;[Roku&#8217;s] intention is to influence the judges who are reviewing this case, which formally has not begun,&#8221; said IDET member Gonzalo Rojón.</p>
<p>&#8220;We feel they are doing that because they want to influence the judges, but the truth is that intellectual property rights are still not respected and the truth is that this is a very strong problem for Mexico.&#8221;</p>
<p>In a response, Roku denied this interpretation, stating that their aim is to introduce Mexico to its business and to demonstrate the measures it takes to counter copyright-infringing content.</p>
<p>&#8220;On May 23, we invited a group of Mexican journalists to the Roku headquarters in Silicon Valley to introduce them to the company and our history in the streaming market and also to explain the strong anti-piracy measures we have implemented in Mexico and around the world,&#8221; Marketing Director Matthew Anderson explained.</p>
<p>&#8220;Right now, we feel it is very important to help journalists and the public understand more about Roku and our history, that we are a reliable company, particularly for the leading content generation companies in the world that distribute their content on the platform. We want to explain the anti-piracy measures we are taking.&#8221;</p>
<p>While both IDET and Roku agree that piracy is a problem, there is a difference of opinion on where the bounds of responsibility lie. IDET holds Roku to blame when unlicensed content appears via its service but Roku insists that piracy is an Internet-wide issue that has spread to platforms everywhere.</p>
<p>IDET has been extremely vocal on the topic and has published three press releases on the subject of Roku during the last couple of weeks. They say that Roku needs to do more, holding up competitors such as Apple TV and Google Chromecast as examples of set-top devices that tackle piracy well.</p>
<p>&#8220;Roku seeks to become the most economical, simple and accessible device in the streaming market. Its competitors in this segment are Apple TV and the giant Google that have similar devices which, however, do not face legal conflicts similar to those of Roku,&#8221; IDET writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is a cheap and accessible technology but it allows the streaming of stolen signals directly to the television screen. [Roku&#8217;s] Matthew Anderson, who comes from the legitimate content generation industry, assures that Roku strives to bring to the market a &#8216;legal&#8217; means of downloading content. But with a presence in 23 countries, more than 45,000 associated channels, and more than 21 million accounts, Roku &#8211; unlike Apple TV and Google &#8211; is still vulnerable.&#8221;</p>
<p>There is no dispute that Roku wants to reduce piracy and IDET agrees that Roku in no way advertises or encourages any means to infringe and it is third-parties abusing Roku that are to blame. However, Roku and IDET seem to have a difference of opinion as to how this should be tackled.</p>
<p>For its part, Roku says that once it&#8217;s advised that infringing content is being made available via its platform, it takes steps to eliminate it. It&#8217;s a system employed by Internet platforms all over the world and recognized as being at the core of the DMCA, for example.</p>
<p>IDET, however, wants Roku to be more proactive. It says that once the content has been made available via Roku the damage has already been done and it appears that unlike some of its competitors, Roku has not found a solution to that problem.</p>
<p>&#8220;Why can Apple or Google prevent this situation? Because their devices eliminate the possibility of distributing stolen material in advance. It&#8217;s just a technology issue. It is not understood why an important streaming platform, such as Roku, has not been able to turn this problem around,&#8221; IDET says.</p>
<p>With the import and sales ban stubbornly in place, IDET says that no one wants Roku devices off the market. They&#8217;re good for competition and provide consumers with more options. However, Roku will have to do more if it wants to do business in Mexico, a solution that IDET insists is merely a technical step away.</p>
<p>&#8220;No one is against selling Roku devices in the market. On the contrary, the promotion of competition is applauded and the consumers of audiovisual content have more and better and better options to decide,&#8221; IDET writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;What is unfortunate is that this high caliber competitor can not resolve the intrusion of piracy on his device. In the end it is just a matter of technology to invest in an appropriate software. Hopefully it will be resolved soon.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/forty-percent-of-all-mexican-roku-users-are-pirates-180332/">Reports</a> that 40% of all Roku users in Mexico are pirates certainly don&#8217;t help the company&#8217;s case (Roku contests the figure) but by <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/roku-bans-popular-social-iptv-linking-service-ccloud-tv-180409/">banning services</a> such as the popular cCloud, the company shows good intent that may eventually pave the way for the ban to be lifted in Mexico.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157341
title: Netflix Seeks to Boost its Global Anti-Piracy Team
uri: Netflix-Seeks-to-Boost-its-Global-Anti-Piracy-Team
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/R-jBt_abfKw/
content:
<p><a href="media/6eb7591b.netflixlogonew.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/netflixlogonew.png"><img src="media/e12f98ba.netflixlogonew.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/netflixlogonew.png" alt="" width="267" height="152" class="alignright size-full wp-image-145677"></a>For many years, Netflix relied on content supplied by other companies to satisfy its growing userbase. Now, however, that reliance is beginning to take a back seat to productions of its own.</p>
<p>Back in February, Netflix CFO David Wells said that his company was set to spend more than $8 billion on content in 2018, a figure that contributes to the 700 original TV shows and 80 movies it will offer globally this year. There can be little doubt, Netflix is now a powerful creator and commissioner of content in its own right.</p>
<p>This shift in strategy raises some interesting points, not least concerning the company&#8217;s attitude toward piracy. While the MPAA has spat venom over the issue for decades, Netflix has appeared somewhat more relaxed. Quietly, however, Netflix understands that scraping every possible dollar from consumers while restricting the availability of pirated content is something it must sink resources into.</p>
<p>Back in 2017, we <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-gets-serious-about-its-anti-piracy-efforts-170324/">revealed</a> the existence of Netflix&#8217;s Global Copyright Protection Group when the company advertised for a Global Copyright Protection Counsel. Since then the company has recruited more individuals to the cause and this week advertised for another new recruit.</p>
<p>Netflix&#8217;s new Copyright and Content Protection Coordinator will work with the Global Copyright &#038; Content Protection Group to protect Netflix Originals, the TV shows and movies for which Netflix owns the rights.</p>
<p>&#8220;The ideal candidate will have carried out a similar role at another company and can hit the ground running,&#8221; the listing for the position reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;He or she should have experience of anti-piracy initiatives and be very well versed in managing an effective notice and take down program and experience of working with YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Google, Bing, VK, Daily Motion and other well known platforms.&#8221;</p>
<p>Although Netflix&#8217;s business model is somewhat different to that of more traditional studios, the company faces the same problems with pirate links appearing online. To that end, the successful applicant will be expected to disrupt this availability as much as possible, particularly through the management of the company&#8217;s DMCA notice sending systems.</p>
<p>The company&#8217;s new coordinator will be expected to carry out daily scanning of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Periscope, Google Search, Bing, VK, DailyMotion and other platforms used for piracy. Fingerprinting technologies on YouTube (ContentID) and Facebook (Rights Manager) will also need to be monitored, with attention paid to content that&#8217;s uploaded in a way that circumvents those recognition systems.</p>
<p>Of course, these legitimate platforms are just the tip of a very large iceberg. It seems likely that Netflix content is more likely to be found illegally on torrent and streaming platforms so these will need to be tackled too, with Netflix advising that the candidate will gather data on &#8220;pirate streaming sites, cyberlockers and usenet platforms.&#8221;</p>
<p>While Netflix is now a true competitor to the mainstream Hollywood studios and companies like Amazon, they all have to deal with piracy in roughly the same way. These synergies were formalized last June <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/global-entertainment-giants-form-massive-anti-piracy-coalition-170613/">with the debut</a> of the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, a coalition of 30 companies dedicated to presenting a united front against piracy.</p>
<p>As a founding member of ACE, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/inside-the-mpaa-netflix-amazon-global-anti-piracy-alliance-170918/">Netflix contributes $5m per year</a> to the alliance. This expensive relationship needs to be nurtured so the new coordinator will have responsibilities there too, working with other ACE members to tackle the piracy threat.</p>
<p>The full listing can be found <a href="https://jobs.netflix.com/jobs/867116">here</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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157432
title: PeerTube: A ‘Censorship’ Resistent YouTube Alternative
uri: PeerTube-A-Censorship-Resistent-YouTube-Alternative
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/roq0diakatg/
content:
<p><img src="media/d62c1cac.peertu.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/peertu.png" alt="" width="234" height="128" class="alignright size-full wp-image-157423">On Tuesday <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtubes-piracy-filter-blocks-mit-courses-blender-videos-and-more-180618/">we reported</a> that several YouTube channels had all their videos blocked worldwide. This included those belonging to MIT OpenCourseWare,&#8217; the &#8216;Blender Foundation,&#8217; and many others. </p>
<p>The error message that was displayed typically appears for copyright reasons. However, in this case, the problem was more complicated, related to a new <a href="https://www.blender.org/media-exposure/youtube-blocks-blender-videos-worldwide/">license agreement</a>, among other things.  </p>
<p>While some prominent channels have now been restored, others still face similar issues. The people at Human Beatbox, for example, tell us that they are experiencing the same problem, which at the time of writing is still not fixed.</p>
<p>YouTube simply informed them that its a &#8220;technical issue&#8221; which the engineers are trying to resolve. Meanwhile, all videos of theirs and many other channels have been inaccessible for nearly a week&#8230; </p>
<p>Whatever the problem is, it&#8217;s clearly a &#8216;mistake&#8217; of epic proportions. </p>
<p>While YouTube probably has no intention to &#8216;censor&#8217; these channels, it shows what can go wrong if creators put their faith in the hands of a single service. A service they have no control over at all, which removes your content, erroneously or not. </p>
<p>Luckily there are some alternatives that put creators in control again. <a href="https://joinpeertube.org/en/">PeerTube</a> is one of these options. </p>
<p>When the Blender Foundation had all its videos blocked by YouTube earlier this week, a decision was taken to give this alternative a try. In a matter of hours, Blender had a fully operational streaming site, one which they had complete control over. </p>
<p>This prompted TF to take a closer look at PeerTube and what it has to offer.</p>
<p><center><strong>Blender testing PeerTube</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/cf2c5bde.blenderpeertube.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blenderpeertube.png" alt="" width="600" height="447" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-157495" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/blenderpeertube.png 600w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/blenderpeertube-200x150.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></center></p>
<p>Put simply, PeerTube allows anyone to set up their own video streaming site. This can run independently, but it can also be linked, or federated, with other PeerTube instances to create a broader reach. All with P2P steaming support.</p>
<p>The first version of PeerTube launched last year. It&#8217;s operated by the small French company Framasoft, and thus far it hasn&#8217;t really broken through in English-speaking countries. The Blender Foundation&#8217;s problems, while very unfortunate, may change that.</p>
<p>&#8220;Blender&#8217;s example illustrates our main goal: autonomy, independence from external platforms. When you centralize videos and attention, you gain power over the users. Our approach goes the other way,&#8221; Framasoft&#8217;s Pouhiou tells TF.</p>
<p>PeerTube comes with built-in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tag/webtorrent/">WebTorrent</a> support. This means that viewers also contribute their bandwidth, which can come in handy if a video goes viral.</p>
<p>To &#8216;federate&#8217; with other PeerTube instances, the software uses the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ActivityPub">ActivityPub</a> protocol, which is also used by the popular social networking software <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastodon_(software)">Mastodon</a>. This helps to grow the video library if needed, but it&#8217;s entirely optional.</p>
<p>&#8220;Federation allows diversity in the governances: each PeerTube Instance Hoster can determine their own set of rules, their settings, their moderation policy, etcetera,&#8221; Pouhiou says.</p>
<p><center><strong>Embedding a PeerTube video</strong><br></br></center><center><iframe width="600" height="338" src="https://framatube.org/videos/embed/217eefeb-883d-45be-b7fc-a788ad8507d3" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>The idea behind PeerTube is to let creators regain control over their content. This helps to avoid censorship in the broadest sense of the word, and also &#8220;problems&#8221; that block videos for days on end.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s this spirit that also drives the developers to make the software entirely free and open. </p>
<p>&#8220;To us, it is really about taking back the web into our own hands. We have a joke about the &#8216;Power to the people&#8217; song of John Lennon: PeerTube is kind of &#8216;Software to the people&#8217;,&#8221; Pouhiou tells us.</p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s why PeerTube has to be Free-Libre software: not even we should be able to &#8216;close&#8217; the code, it would give us way too much power, which we don&#8217;t want.&#8221;</p>
<p>Of course, there are plenty of downsides to alternatives like PeerTube. For one, in terms of costs, they are not free to operate. Even though WebTorrent can limit the bandwidth bill to a degree, it requires hosting and some technical skills. </p>
<p>Monetizing PeerTube videos will also require more work. You can&#8217;t just click a button and magically start earning money. And then there&#8217;s the issue of reaching a wide audience, which may be harder for creators who are &#8216;locked&#8217; into external services. </p>
<p>That said, for outfits such as Blender and MIT OpenSourceWare which are non-profit and have their own sites which people know how to find, it makes a lot of sense. </p>
<p>At the least, everyone who relies on external platforms might want to stop and think for a minute if they really want to put all their eggs in someone else&#8217;s basket. </p>
<p>More information on PeerTube can be found on the <a href="https://joinpeertube.org/en/">official site</a>. The company recently launched a <a href="https://www.kisskissbankbank.com/en/projects/peertube-a-free-and-federated-video-platform">crowdfunding campaign</a> to ensure continued development, which has raised over €20,000 at the time of writing.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157305
title: ETTV Launches Official Proxy to Fight ISP Blocking
uri: ETTV-Launches-Official-Proxy-to-Fight-ISP-Blocking
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/qkUDafOoF9w/
content:
<p><img src="media/6deda9af.ettvlo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ettvlo.png" alt="" width="225" height="126" class="alignright size-full wp-image-148211">For several years, ETTV has been a household name in the torrent community. </p>
<p>The group, which distributes pirated TV-shows, originated at ExtraTorrent but when the site closed it <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/extratorrent-uploader-groups-launch-their-own-torrent-site-171031/">built its own home</a>. </p>
<p>Together with several like-minded uploaders, including ETHD, they launched ETTV.tv last fall. While the groups still distribute their work on other mainstream torrent indexes, the site&#8217;s traffic has been growing steadily. </p>
<p>That doesn&#8217;t mean that it&#8217;s been a smooth ride though. Like many other sites that offer pirated content, ETTV has been subject to various blocking efforts. Some ISPs in India are blocking the site, for example, and this week Australian providers were <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/foxtel-pirate-site-blocking-application-could-be-granted-in-record-time-180618/">ordered to do the same</a>.</p>
<p>To counter these efforts ETTV.tv has now launched its own proxy portal at <a href="https://www.ettvproxies.com/">ETTVproxies.com</a>. The site currently lists one operational &#8216;<a href="https://ettv.online/">alternative</a>,&#8217; but a site representative tells TF that other domains will follow. </p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to launch more. This is just the beginning for us,&#8221; ETTV informs TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>&#8220;The goal here is to bypass these blocks they are trying to do. It&#8217;s not hard to evade their blocks at all, but for those that can&#8217;t be bothered ..we will have a bunch of domains which they can find us on.&#8221; </p>
<p>Generally speaking, ETTV is not overly concerned about the blocking efforts. While they are a nuisance, determined users have several options to circumvent them, even without a proxy site.</p>
<p>&#8220;We think the website blockades are useless. Some people are going to evade them using VPNs, some people using public DNS services such as Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8), and others are using Tor.&#8221;</p>
<p>ETTV is also planning to launch its own Tor version of the site, to make it more resilient. Also, it will keep its proxies out of popular search engines, hoping to stay under the radar as much as possible.</p>
<p>As we highlighted in the past, ETTV, ETHD, and similar groups don&#8217;t rip or encode any releases themselves. They&#8217;re pretty much <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/ettv-how-an-upload-bot-became-a-pirate-hero-171210/">automated scripts</a> that take scene releases, and put these out in public.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s a broad audience for this content as their torrents are downloaded millions of times every week. This has also inspired some copycats to take away some of their traffic. But, ETTV is not too worried about those.</p>
<p>&#8220;They do not provide original content, and they will never gain popularity especially since people know who we are and where to find us, so they will eventually shut down,&#8221; ETTV tells us. </p>
<p>The biggest threat are the copyright holders, perhaps. Many torrent sites have come and gone over the past decade and a half, and several operators have paid a high price for stepping into this business. </p>
<p>Again, ETTV doesn&#8217;t seem to be too bothered about the ever-looming crackdown. </p>
<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s see how much progress they will make by 2028. Last 15 years was a complete failure for them. The only people that got something out of this are the lawyers. Everybody else lost. Some more, some less,&#8221; ETTV 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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157413
title: Censorship Machines are ‘Destroying The Internet’ As We Speak?
uri: Censorship-Machines-are-Destroying-The-Internet-As-We-Speak
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Zmj-AbBifaM/
content:
<p><img src="media/6a6cbd1f.rip.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rip.jpg" alt="" width="277" height="205" class="alignright size-full wp-image-157480">Online censorship has always been a hot topic and with the EU&#8217;s proposed &#8220;upload filters&#8221; <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-parliament-committee-votes-in-favor-of-piracy-upload-filter-proposal-180620/">hitting the headlines</a>, it&#8217;s at the top of the agenda once again. </p>
<p>The fear of losing the ability to share &#8216;memes&#8217; plays well on social media. Similarly, many journalists happily use &#8216;censorship&#8217; in their headlines as, apparently, the fate of the Internet is at stake. </p>
<p>A common theme is that, if the plans are implemented, powerful corporations may soon decide whether you can share something online &#8211; fair use or not. While to a degree this fear is warranted, it&#8217;s also nothing new.</p>
<p>The &#8216;censorship machines&#8217; are already up and running as we speak. </p>
<p>YouTube, to give an example, regularly takes down videos for dubious reasons. Some are pulled manually after rightsholders file complaints, while many more are targeted by YouTube&#8217;s automated piracy filters.  </p>
<p>It&#8217;s not clear how many &#8216;memes&#8217; are killed in the process, but what many people describe as the &#8216;censorship&#8217; that will &#8216;destroy the Internet,&#8217; is already fully operational on the largest video sharing platform of all. </p>
<p>But the problem goes even further. Aside from copyright issues, YouTube also demonetizes certain accounts because their content isn&#8217;t advertiser-friendly. There is still free speech, to a certain degree, but not all speech can be monetized. </p>
<p>Mind you, this policy is not forced by the EU. It&#8217;s regular business practice on the same platform where people are currently sharing their EU censorship warnings. Let that sink in for a minute&#8230;</p>
<p><center><strong>Meme killers</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/d4defcb8.destroy.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/destroy.png" alt="" width="600" height="386" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-157473"></center></p>
<p>These issues are not limited to YouTube of course. Many other sites have automated filters or approve questionable takedowns.</p>
<p>This week, for example, Twitter removed a video of a <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mums-innocent-home-video-son-12743584">cheering kid</a>, because the World Cup was playing on a TV in the background. Also, accounts &#8211; including <a href="https://www.recode.net/2015/10/12/11619512/twitter-suspends-accounts-of-well-known-sports-publishers-for">prominent ones</a> &#8211; are frequently suspended for alleged copyright infringements which <em>may</em> be fair use.</p>
<p>Similarly, Facebook is known to police its network for possibly infringing content. Like YouTube and others, they use automated filters to spot possibly infringing content, which it takes down before asking questions.</p>
<p>Given the above, there is some irony to the fact that sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are the main venues used by people protesting the EU&#8217;s looming censorship machines.</p>
<p>Yes, the EU plans will force smaller companies to spend money on anti-piracy measures, above and beyond what they do now. They will potentially increase liability and uncertainty for startups too. That&#8217;s a legitimate concern. But censorship machines are nothing new.</p>
<p>If we use the same rhetoric seen in various &#8220;upload filter&#8221; protests, the Internet is already being &#8216;destroyed&#8217; by the Twitters, Facebooks, and YouTubes of this world.</p>
<p>In the current climate, many large platforms will resort to filtering tools or other measures to stop copyright infringements. Their aim is to protect rightsholders, which is understandable, but unfortunately, that can also lead to collateral damage. </p>
<p>The good news is that YouTube, or Facebook, or Twitter, are not <em>the Internet</em>. The Internet will be totally fine. If history has shown us anything, it&#8217;s that clever people will come up with new ways to defeat censorship attempts.</p>
<p>While it may sound alien to many, there are alternatives for all these platforms &#8211; alternatives that people can host and control themselves. Not to pirate, but to ensure that people can share their legal work without having to worry about overzealous censorship machines. </p>
<p>The real question is, perhaps, if the broader public will ever be ready for these kinds of tools. </p>
<p>Twenty years ago the Internet was a place where a lot of people built stuff, but today it&#8217;s mostly a place to consume. There are still plenty of creators and contributors, but these mostly rely on large platforms over which they have no control themselves. </p>
<p>These platforms are convenient, have a broad audience, and even allow some people to make a living. However, they also have power and control over what people are allowed to do and share, memes included. And many (ab)use that power, whether the EU tells them to or not.</p>
<p>Instead of resorting to Twitter activism and YouTube outrage people can also take matters into their own hands, of course, but that would require some work&#8230;</p>
<p>Perhaps someone can start a campaign for that?</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157376
title: ‘Live’ TV Piracy Watermarking Defeated by Devices Sold on eBay
uri: Live-TV-Piracy-Watermarking-Defeated-by-Devices-Sold-on-eBay
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/JXpbPO6ljX0/
content:
<p><a href="media/613000f7.watermark.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/watermark.jpg"><img src="media/c2ec1720.watermark.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/watermark.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="233" class="alignright size-full wp-image-75440"></a>Anyone familiar with the annual leak of awards season movies onto the Internet will recognize the watermarks used to identify the purpose of a copy.</p>
<p>The &#8220;For Your Consideration&#8221; watermarks are perhaps the most widely recognized additions to DVD screeners, notifying the viewer that the copy was originally provided for the scrutiny of Oscars and similar voters.</p>
<p>Other watermarks, with &#8220;Property of Studio XYZ here&#8221; splashed across the screen, serve a similar purpose.</p>
<p>While these watermarks are designed to ensure that any leaks result in heavily defaced &#8216;pirate&#8217; copies, other less visible watermarks can be used by studios to track a leak back to its original source, including back to a single person. These provide a deterrent but in the event a copy is diverted or stolen, they do nothing to stop a leak that has already happened.</p>
<p>In the case of pirate streams of live events, such as TV and sports programs made available online via websites and illicit IPTV services, watermarks have the ability to help anti-piracy efforts much closer to real-time.</p>
<p>Since pirate streams are often captured from consumer decoders, a watermark denoting which subscriber account is being used can be embedded into the video. Once the mark is identified and matched with a customer device, the stream can be cut off at its source by the broadcaster.</p>
<p><center><b>Watermark hashcodes during the Mayweather v McGregor fight</b><a href="media/9a71160a.Fight2a.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Fight2a.jpg"><img src="media/b8025865.Fight2a.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight2a.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143691" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight2a.jpg 800w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight2a-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"></a></center></p>
<p>While it is possible to remove these codes, doing so isn&#8217;t always straightforward. Systems can place the watermark in any place at any time, meaning that some always slip through the net. However, others are more easily dealt with, as a report from security company Irdeto reveals.</p>
<p>&#8220;So-called &#8216;HashCode removal tools&#8217; work in near real-time to strip away any kind of visual marks from a video feed. This ranges from unique fingerprints right down to the broadcaster’s on-screen logo that’s so familiar on many channels, both helping pirates to cover their tracks,&#8221; the company explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;These tools are so smart, they take a sample of the surrounding pixels and re-use them to replace the visual marks, so the viewer of the pirate stream barely notices any disturbance in the picture.&#8221;</p>
<p>Irdeto says that its work with TV companies has revealed an uptick in the use of such tools in recent months. That&#8217;s partially down to how readily available they are.</p>
<p>&#8220;Research by Irdeto’s anti-piracy team found HashCode removal tools openly on sale via popular selling platforms like eBay and Alibaba for less than US$2,000,&#8221; the company reveals.</p>
<p><center><strong>Remove watermarks automatically</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/27946634.hash-remove.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/hash-remove.png"><img src="media/7021b1bf.hash-remove.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hash-remove.png" alt="" width="600" height="308" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-157399"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;These devices fall into a legal grey-area. They don’t actively ENABLE piracy, but they do help pirates to mask their identity. This means the sellers don’t even need to be shy about describing exactly what their products can achieve,&#8221; Irdeto <a href="https://blog.irdeto.com/2018/06/20/the-2000-threat-to-pay-tv/">notes</a>.</p>
<p>Indeed, some companies are happy to publish demonstrations on YouTube showing their systems in action, complete with before-and-after videos supplemented by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTQpZVbWdcQ">behind the scenes</a> action.</p>
<p><center><strong>Live watermark removal in action</strong><br></br></center><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YYXzvUzBBRY" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>While these devices have their uses, Irdeto says they cannot tackle the most sophisticated watermarking systems that use covert methods.</p>
<p>&#8220;A unique User ID is still inserted into the stream and persists through different screen-capture and transformation techniques, but because the pirates can’t see the watermarks, they have a hard time obscuring them,&#8221; Irdeto <a href="https://blog.irdeto.com/2017/07/20/2-sides-of-forensic-watermarking/">explains</a>.</p>
<p>While both overt and covert watermarking has its uses, to date they haven&#8217;t managed to prevent the major IPTV &#8216;wholesalers&#8217; from putting together packages consisting of thousands of pirated TV channels from most major broadcasters worldwide.</p>
<p>With these consistently available for just a few dollars, euros, or pounds per month, the cat and mouse game will continue.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157570
title: ‘Pirate’ TV Boxes Used By Quarter of Hong Kong Consumers
uri: Pirate-TV-Boxes-Used-By-Quarter-of-Hong-Kong-Consumers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/zd9sPa2KfQg/
content:
<p><a href="media/6ba5f758.Android-Box.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Android-Box.png"><img src="media/b57c5448.Android-Box.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Android-Box.png" alt="" width="250" height="165" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143296"></a>2017 saw the birth of two major anti-piracy coalitions with some common members and similar goals.</p>
<p>The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) was formed by 30 major players including Disney, HBO, and NBCUniversal. Several of the same media giants are also involved in the Coalition Against Piracy (CAP).</p>
<p>CAP coordinates anti-piracy efforts in Asia and is backed by CASBAA, Disney, Fox, HBO Asia, NBCUniversal, Premier League, Turner Asia-Pacific, A&#038;E Networks, Astro, BBC Worldwide, National Basketball Association, TV5MONDE, Viacom International, and others.</p>
<p>From the outset, CAP has had the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/new-coalition-against-piracy-will-crack-down-on-pirate-streaming-boxes-171017/">stated aim</a> of tackling the pirate set-top box market. CAP General Manager Neil described their prevalence as &#8220;staggering&#8221; and a new report published this morning appears to back that up.</p>
<p>The newly released survey, commissioned by CAP and carried out by YouGov, reveals that one in four Hong Kong consumers own a set-top box that can be used to stream pirated TV and movies content.</p>
<p>&#8220;TV boxes BossTV (9%), Ubox (7%), EVPad (6%), Lingcod (5%), and Magic Box (4%), which come pre-loaded with applications allowing ‘plug-and-play’ access to pirated content, are among the most popular ISDs amongst Hong Kong consumers,&#8221; the study reveals.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s claimed that these devices, which often contain piracy-enabled Kodi setups, dedicated Android apps, and players configured to receive pirate IPTV services, are taking chunks out legitimate content distributors&#8217; userbases. The survey offers some evidence to that end and the numbers are significant.</p>
<p>Of the quarter of all consumers who own a piracy-enabled set-top box, almost half (49%) told the survey that they had canceled all or some of their subscriptions to legal pay-TV services as a result.</p>
<p>Slightly more than one in four (26%) claimed to have canceled their subscription to a local premium provider as a direct consequence of owning a pirate box, with 21% saying the same for their international subscriptions. Almost a fifth (19%) claimed to have canceled a part of their traditional cable TV bundle after acquiring a device, </p>
<p>In common with other players in the anti-piracy space, the Coalition Against Piracy has a two-pronged strategy when it comes to presenting this information to the public. In addition to highlighting the damage these devices can do to the suppliers of entertainment, CAP warns customers of the negative issues they face as users.</p>
<p>“The damage that content theft does to the creative industries is without dispute. However, the damage done to consumers themselves, because of the nexus between content piracy and malware, is only beginning to be recognized,&#8221; CAP Managing Director Neil Gane says.</p>
<p>&#8220;The piracy ecosystem is a hotbed for malware, whether purchasing ISDs from Sham Shui Po’s Golden Arcade [a popular electronics &#8216;hotspot&#8217; in Hong Kong] or downloading content from infamous torrent sites.</p>
<p>&#8220;Unfortunately the appetite for free or paying cheap subscription rates for stolen content, blinkers some consumers from the real risks of malicious malware infection such as spyware,&#8221; Gane adds.</p>
<p>While it is certainly possible to download content that contains malware from torrent sites, people who use set-top boxes to stream content rarely do so from torrent sites. Streaming platforms and file-locker sites are the number one source for video and malware almost never transfers to devices in this manner.</p>
<p>The effort to associate malware with set-top boxes running Kodi is nothing new but the claims are not without challenge. A <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rampant-kodi-malware-its-time-to-either-put-up-or-shut-up-190610/">report</a> published by TorrentFreak earlier this month revealed that several major anti-virus vendors are entirely unaware of any such threat.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s not to say there aren&#8217;t issues with malicious software, of course. People buying ready-configured Android boxes, for example, could have almost anything inserted into their devices pre-sale, so it really is a matter of &#8216;buyer beware.&#8217;</p>
<p>Overall, however, there can be little doubt that these devices are having an impact on legitimate distribution models particularly considering their popularity with younger people. The study found that the boxes are particularly popular with high-income 25-34-year-olds, which is a desirable and valuable market for distributors.</p>
<p>“The illicit streaming device (ISD) ecosystem is impacting all businesses involved in the production and distribution of legitimate content,” says Louis Boswell, CEO of Casbaa.</p>
<p>“ISD piracy is also organized crime, pure and simple, with crime syndicates making substantial illicit revenues from the provision of illegally re-transmitted TV channels and the sale of such ISDs.”</p>
<p>In addition to public information campaigns, CASBAA welcomes enforcement action against those involved in the growing industry.</p>
<p>In May, Hong Kong customs arrested seven men and one woman while <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hong-kong-customs-arrest-pirate-streaming-device-vendors-180529/">seizing more than 350 pirate devices</a>.  Last October, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/ace-and-cap-shut-down-aussie-pirate-iptv-operation-171128/">ACE and CAP teamed up</a> to shut down an illicit IPTV provider in Australia. </p>
<p>While these operations are touted as successes, it will take a remarkable effort to stem the tide of this piracy juggernaut which has now spread to every major country on the planet.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157574
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 06/25/18
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-06-25-18
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/4zCw3EKGPiA/
content:
<p><img src="media/3706bfaf.rampage.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rampage.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="187" class="alignright size-full wp-image-157577">This week we have five newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Rampage is the most downloaded movie.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-bittorrent-06-18-18/">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/tt2231461/">Rampage</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2231461/">6.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coOKvrsmQiI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/">Ready Player One</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSp1dM2Vj48&#038;t=2s">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6513656/">Escape Plan 2: Hades</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6513656/">3.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q7vVt-MeXk">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1365519/">Tomb Raider</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1365519/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOEHpkZCc1Y">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2557478/">Pacific Rim: Uprising</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2557478/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BAhwgjMvnM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531344/">Blockers</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531344/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfFcaV5O7SU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/">Avengers: Infinity War</a> (HDCam)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/">9.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwievZ1Tx-8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881806/">Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom</a> (HDTC/CAM)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881806/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FJD7jZqZEk">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6772950/">Truth or Dare</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6772950/">4.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgnk3MLw9TM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/">Black Panther</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/">7.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDjIWPwcPU">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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157547
title: The Pirate Bay’s Downtime Troubles Continue
uri: The-Pirate-Bay-s-Downtime-Troubles-Continue
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/II46p4ZV3BY/
content:
<p><img src="media/7b21649b.tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg" alt="" width="256" height="219" class="alignright size-full wp-image-142141">About a week ago we reported that The Pirate Bay&#8217;s upload functionality was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bays-frozen-in-time-no-new-uploads-161019/">broken</a>. </p>
<p>While this problem was eventually solved after a few days, the regular domain became unusable soon after. </p>
<p>Today, more than five days later, the problem persists. For most people, the site currently displays a CloudFlare error message across the entire site, with the CDN provider mentioning that a &#8220;bad gateway&#8221; is causing the issue.</p>
<p>No further details are available to us and there is no known ETA for the site&#8217;s full return. However, judging from past experience, it&#8217;s likely some technical issue that needs fixing.</p>
<p><center><strong>TPB 502 Cloudflare error</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/f4db1b65.tpb5021.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tpb5021.png" alt="" width="600" height="407" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-156996"></center></p>
<p>The Pirate Bay has had quite a few stints of downtime in recent months, and by now it&#8217;s becoming a regular occurrence. While more than five days is a new record, aside from the 2014 &#8216;<a href="http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-what-raid-police-never-got-our-servers-150921/">raid</a>,&#8217; there&#8217;s no news to report.</p>
<p>The moderators in the official forums don&#8217;t appear to have any information on the ongoing issues either. They do point out, however, that the site is not down completely. </p>
<p>TPB is still available via <a href="http://uj3wazyk5u4hnvtk.onion/recent">its .onion address</a> on the Tor network, accessible using the popular Tor Browser, for example. The site’s Tor traffic goes through a separate server and works just fine.</p>
<p>The Pirate Bay team has a <a href="https://pirates-forum.org/misc.php?page=tpbstatus">status page</a> in the forums where people can check to see if an outage is affecting everyone or not. This also shows that the Tor version of the site is working fine. At least, at the time of writing.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157491
title: FIFA Fails to Remove Pirate Streaming Sites From Google Search
uri: FIFA-Fails-to-Remove-Pirate-Streaming-Sites-From-Google-Search
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/-FPqLsYAiBU/
content:
<p><img src="media/0374acbc.fifa2018.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fifa2018.jpg" alt="" width="256" height="211" class="alignright size-full wp-image-157594">With hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world, the FIFA World Cup in Russia is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. </p>
<p>During these weeks, fans are most concerned with the performance of their favorite teams. For FIFA and all other stakeholders, however, the World Cup is also a battle against piracy. </p>
<p>While most people watch the matches through licensed broadcasters, there is a large group of people who resort to unauthorized sources. These so-called “pirate” streams are available via hundreds of sites or apps, generating millions of views during popular sporting events.</p>
<p>Other fans are using VPNs and proxies to bypass geo-blockades to tune into legal broadcasts. By changing their virtual location to one where the World Cup is freely accessible, they can watch without paying. </p>
<p>These types of &#8216;piracy&#8217; are a thorn in the side of rightsholders, who are doing their best to take appropriate countermeasures. Sony Entertainment Network, for example, sent out <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/sony-sends-preemptive-fifa-world-cup-copyright-warnings-180609/">preemptive takedown notices</a> to streaming sites a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>More recently we spotted a <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/16694795">takedown notice</a> which NetResult sent to Google, on behalf of FIFA, targeting various allegedly infringing sites. </p>
<p>The list includes several known offenders, such as zorrostream.net and thefirstrow.eu, and asks Google to remove these sites from search results. In addition, it also targets several URLs which &#8216;advise&#8217; users how they can access World Cup streams through a VPN, which some use to bypass geo-blockades.</p>
<p>For example, the takedown notice lists URLs from ExpressVPN and BestVPN, which explain how users can access FIFA World Cup matches from various locations.</p>
<p>&#8220;The listed URLs are all either linking directly to embedded live streams of unauthorized live football content (2018 FIFA World Cup), or advising users how to access unauthorized live streams not available in their territory,&#8221; the notice reads.</p>
<p><center><strong>From the takedown notice</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/d5263584.fifapirate.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fifapirate.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="439" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-157601"></center></p>
<p>Interestingly, Google decided not to remove any of the reported URLs. The search engine has given no explanation, but it&#8217;s possible that the notice in question is seen as too general. In many cases, it points to the homepages of sites, without identifying a specific copyright infringement. </p>
<p>Whether it&#8217;s illegal to advise users how they can use a VPN to access World Cup streams is also up for debate. </p>
<p>Finally, it appears that not all of the URLs identified in FIFA&#8217;s takedown notice are actually infringing. The list also includes a page from the Canadian sports service Sportsnet.ca, which is owned by Rogers Media.</p>
<p>FIFA&#8217;s notice also targets the American sports streaming service FuboTV, which is partly funded by investors such as  AMC Networks, 21st Century Fox, and Sky.</p>
<p>Considering the latter, it might be wise that Google didn&#8217;t blindly honor the request.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to NetResult&#8217;s parent company MarkMonitor for more information on FIFA&#8217;s takedown efforts, but the company informed us that it couldn&#8217;t comment on individual brands or companies.</p>
<p>FIFA and other rightsholders, meanwhile, continue to fight World Cup piracy globally and on several fronts. In addition to VPN tips and traditional streaming sites, they&#8217;re also up against alleged pirate TV services such as <a href="http://www.arabnews.com/node/1326331/media">BeoutQ</a>, and <a href="https://advanced-television.com/2018/06/25/world-cup-piracy-spreads-to-ghana/">Fly TV from Ghana</a>. </p>
<p>Game on.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157646
title: Kim Dotcom Files Complaint With Human Rights Tribunal Over “Lost Data”
uri: Kim-Dotcom-Files-Complaint-With-Human-Rights-Tribunal-Over-Lost-Dat
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/c-RWi_23btw/
content:
<p><a href="media/57d13949.dotcom-laptop.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/dotcom-laptop.jpg"><img src="media/5b2669f1.dotcom-laptop.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dotcom-laptop.jpg" alt="" width="233" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-76556"></a>It&#8217;s been more than six years since New Zealand and United States authorities collaborated to take down Megaupload. While the site itself is long gone, founder Kim Dotcom is putting up a determined fight.</p>
<p>At every twist and turn of his epic legal battle, Dotcom has challenged the efforts of authorities in multiple jurisdictions. The New Zealand courts, in particular, have seen sustained action.</p>
<p>From the beginning, Dotcom has aimed to extract as much information about his case as possible. From the seized data that was present on Megaupload&#8217;s servers to the information held by New Zealand authorities, Dotcom has chased down every bit, byte, letter, and document. At almost every turn, he&#8217;s met resistance.</p>
<p>In a series of tweets this morning, Dotcom has revealed a surprising turn of events in response to an order compelling authorities to provide him with data. New Zealand police have informed Dotcom&#8217;s lawyers that they haven&#8217;t complied with Human Rights Tribunal <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dotcom-wins-privacy-breach-case-against-new-zealand-government-180326/">judgment</a> because the information requested was generated before December 2013 and is no longer in the new IT system.</p>
<p><center><strong>4.5 years later&#8230;..it&#8217;s all gone</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/9f66bb8c.Dgko-RGUcAAu8GT-e1529997656401.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Dgko-RGUcAAu8GT-e1529997656401.jpg"><img src="media/9f66bb8c.Dgko-RGUcAAu8GT-e1529997656401.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Dgko-RGUcAAu8GT-e1529997656401.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-157650"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;According to the new Attorney General David Parker (Labour Govt) he can’t comply with a judgment to provide me with information I’m entitled to because he doesn’t have access to the data of the previous Attorney General. What an utterly embarrassing mockery of New Zealand law,&#8221; Dotcom <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/1011386683177046016">explains</a>.</p>
<p>Information provided by Dotcom shows that the current Attorney-General David Parker has provided information held during his administration. However, the majority of the data requested by Dotcom&#8217;s team related to the term covered by his predecessor Chris Finlayson.</p>
<p>Citing <a href="https://dpmc.govt.nz/our-business-units/cabinet-office/supporting-work-cabinet/cabinet-manual/8-official-information-10">several paragraphs</a> of the New Zealand government&#8217;s Cabinet Manual relating to <em>&#8216;Convention on access to Cabinet records of a previous administration&#8217;</em>, Parker says he does not have access to information held under Finlayson&#8217;s watch. Dotcom&#8217;s lawyers immediately complained.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is an artificially narrow interpretation of the Tribunal&#8217;s order and the relevant rules and defeat the purpose of the order,&#8221; they wrote in a submission filed with the Human Rights Tribunal this morning, which also seeks an order for the government to comply with the Tribunal&#8217;s earlier judgment by July 31.</p>
<p>With that done, Dotcom turned his attention to a group of people he previously hoped would develop into allies but have yet to do so.</p>
<p>When the 2012 raid on Megaupload and Dotcom took place, it was under a National Party government. When they lost power to Labour in 2017, Dotcom appeared to adopt a more gentle tone, perhaps hoping that the new government would take the opportunity to declare his case a National Party mistake and one best forgotten.</p>
<p>Since it seems clear that isn&#8217;t going to happen, Dotcom&#8217;s tone is now changing for the worse.</p>
<p>&#8220;Let it be known. The new Labour government is continuing the unlawful persecution of my family while breaching every law and judgment in the land to prevent me from getting access to information that the New Zealand Supreme Court ruled I should have,&#8221; he <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/1011387765345300481">warned</a> this morning.</p>
<p>&#8220;The gloves are coming off!&#8221; </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157733
title: Roku Claims Success in ‘War’ Against Piracy
uri: Roku-Claims-Success-in-War-Against-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/YiyWt9G3_VI/
content:
<p><img src="media/2d29bd11.roku-e1502784984505.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/roku-e1502784984505.png" alt="" width="277" height="241" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143176">In recent years it has become much easier to stream movies, TV-shows and other media over the Internet.</p>
<p>Legal services such as Netflix and HBO are flourishing, but there’s also a darker side to this streaming epidemic.</p>
<p>Millions of people are streaming from unauthorized sources, often paired with perfectly legal streaming platforms and devices. This issue has become particularly problematic for <a href="https://www.roku.com/">Roku</a>, which sells easy-to-use media players.</p>
<p>The company&#8217;s media players were <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/roku-sales-banned-in-mexico-over-piracy-concerns-170619/">banned from sale</a> in Mexico last year, where the company has over a million users. </p>
<p>This ruling turned piracy into one of the company&#8217;s main priorities and it didn&#8217;t take for Roku to take action. It soon started building its <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/roku-building-anti-piracy-team/">in-house anti-piracy team</a> and several pirate channels were banned from the platform, replaced by <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/roku-shows-fbi-warning-to-pirate-channel-users-171009/">FBI warnings</a>. </p>
<p>Today, roughly a year after Roku&#8217;s piracy woes hit the mainstream news, the company has released fresh details that show how effective its anti-piracy measures have been. </p>
<p>According to data collected directly from Roku&#8217;s platform this month, approximately 99.5% of all &#8220;streaming hours&#8221; come from channels with no links to &#8216;pirate organizations.&#8217;</p>
<p>In other words, the vast majority of the time spent streaming content on Roku is not related to piracy.</p>
<p>In Mexico, approximately 92% of streaming hours come from &#8216;legitimate&#8217; channels, but Roku is confident that this number will align with the global average as time progresses. </p>
<p>While the new data show that piracy is relatively minimal, Roku doesn&#8217;t explain how this compares to a year ago. The company suggests, however, that there is a clear downward trend.</p>
<p>Previously, figures <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/forty-percent-of-all-mexican-roku-users-are-pirates-180332/">published</a> by a Mexican market research firm estimated that forty percent of all Roku owners in the country use the device to access pirated content. However, that report didn&#8217;t look at the time spent viewing various channels. </p>
<p>The positive progress was achieved through a combination of enforcement efforts, Roku says. </p>
<p>The company says it tracked down more than 400 pirate organizations and removed all associated channels, for example. In addition, Roku also took action against thousands of social media pages that were used to promote allegedly infringing Roku channels. </p>
<p>These efforts have not been without controversy. They caused some <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/roku-displays-fbi-anti-piracy-warning-to-legitimate-youtube-netflix-users-180516/">backlash</a> when legitimate YouTube and Netflix channels were accidentally replaced by FBI warnings, and recent bans of <a href="https://forums.roku.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&#038;t=116237&#038;p=594020&#038;sid=d80a487601930e21c7ff427fcb626c08">M3U playlist</a> players are also called into question.</p>
<p>Roku, however, is not planning to ease up. Developers will now have to get certified before they can publish any channels and the company says it&#8217;s using automated technology to detect potential infringing content. </p>
<p>&#8220;Piracy hurts our business and the industry. We continue to devote considerable resources to fighting piracy by continuously improving our software, tools and detection methods to remove pirates from our platform,” Gary Ellison, Roku&#8217;s VP of trust engineering says. </p>
<p>“The data we are releasing today shows the effectiveness of our anti-piracy efforts. It is a top priority to ensure that our platform is closed for pirates and good for consumers.”</p>
<p>The data focuses on Mexico for a reason. Over the past several months, Roku has discussed its piracy efforts with Mexican government bodies and trade organizations and hopes its progress will eventually mean devices being welcomed back to local stores.</p>
<p>“Mexico can benefit greatly from legitimate TV streaming and should not let piracy stand in its way,” Matthew Anderson, Roku&#8217;s chief marketing officer says, commenting on the data. </p>
<p>“It’s time for all major leaders in the TV industry to work together to end piracy while giving consumers the wide choice of TV content they deserve,” he adds.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157770
title: YouTube’s Head of Music: We’re Not Discussing the Value Gap
uri: YouTube-s-Head-of-Music-We-re-Not-Discussing-the-Value-Gap
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/mL2mP0q6kTY/
content:
<p><a href="media/6c444aa6.youtubehappy.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/youtubehappy.png"><img src="media/0052363b.youtubehappy.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/youtubehappy.png" alt="" width="230" height="158" class="alignright size-full wp-image-130150"></a>Music piracy was traditionally viewed as an easy to identify problem, one that takes place on illegal sites or via largely uncontrollable peer-to-peer networks. In recent years, however, the lines have been blurred.</p>
<p>Sites like YouTube allow anyone to upload potentially infringing content which is then made available to the public. Under the safe harbor provisions of US and EU law, this remains legal &#8211; provided YouTube takes content down when told to do so. It complies constantly but there&#8217;s always more to do.</p>
<p>This means that in addition to being one of the greatest legal platforms ever created, YouTube is also a goldmine of unlicensed content, something unacceptable to the music industry.</p>
<p>They argue that the existence of this pirate material devalues the licensed content on the platform. As a result, YouTube maintains a favorable bargaining position with the labels and the best licensing deal in the industry.</p>
<p>The difference between YouTube&#8217;s rates and those the industry would actually like is now known as the &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/huge-rightsholder-coalition-calls-on-new-eu-presidency-to-remove-safe-harbors-180131/">Value Gap</a>&#8221; and it&#8217;s become one of the hottest topics in recent years.</p>
<p> In fact, it is so controversial that new copyright legislation, currently weaving its way through the corridors of power in the EU Parliament, is specifically designed to address it.</p>
<p>If passed, Article 13 will require platforms like YouTube to pre-filter uploads to detect potential infringement. Indeed, the legislation may as well have been named the YouTube Act, since it&#8217;s the platform that provoked this entire debate and whole Value Gap dispute.</p>
<p>With that in mind, it&#8217;s of interest to consider the words of YouTube&#8217;s global head of music Lyor Cohen this week.</p>
<p>In an interview with <a href="http://www.musicweek.com/digital/read/everybody-s-going-to-get-more-money-lyor-cohen-s-youtube-music-pledge-to-the-biz/072969">MusicWeek</a>, Cohen pledges that his company&#8217;s new music service, YouTube Music, will not only match the rates the industry achieves from Apple Music and Spotify, but the company&#8217;s ad-supported free tier viewers will soon be delivering more cash to the labels too.</p>
<p>“Of course [rights holders are] going to get more money,” he told Music Week.</p>
<p>“The problem with the industry is, they’ve always compared advertising to subscription. I’m hoping that there will now be more sophistication in understanding, but in terms of subscription, we’ll be providing the same sort of economics that the other services do.”</p>
<p>If YouTube lives up to its pledge, a level playing field will not only be welcomed by the music industry but also YouTube competitors such as Spotify, who currently offer a free tier on less favorable terms. </p>
<p>While there&#8217;s still plenty of room for YouTube to maneuver, peace breaking out with the labels may be coming a little too late for those deeply concerned about the implications of Article 13.</p>
<p>YouTube&#8217;s business model and its reluctance to pay full market rate for music is what started the whole Article 13 movement in the first place and with the Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliament (JURI) <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-parliament-committee-votes-in-favor-of-piracy-upload-filter-proposal-180620/">adopting the proposals last week</a>, time is running out to have them overturned.</p>
<p>But while the Internet melts down with Doomsday scenarios of aggressive filtering and irreparable damage caused by censorship, YouTube&#8217;s global head of music is as cool as can be. It&#8217;s like the whole Value Gap thing never happened.</p>
<p>“I do know, from every single senior executive, that we’re not discussing the value gap,” Cohen told MusicWeek.</p>
<p>“We’re discussing how to maximize our funnel and how to grow the business, how to be better partners with them. It’s nice.”</p>
<p>Behind the scenes, however, the labels and their associates are going flat out to ensure that Article 13 passes, whether YouTube decides to &#8220;play fair&#8221; or not. Their language suggests that force is the best negotiating tactic with the distribution giant.</p>
<p>Yesterday, UK Music CEO Michael Dugher led a delegation to the EU Parliament in support of Article 13. He was joined by deputy Labour leader Tom Watson and representatives from the BPI, PRS, and Music Publishers Association, who urged MEPs to support the changes.</p>
<p>“The UK music industry is totally united on this issue. The contribution of music to the UK economy is nearly £4.5 billion. Music outperforms in every part of the economy bar one – and that’s average earnings, which are less in our sector than in the rest of the economy,&#8221; Dugher <a href="http://www.musicweek.com/talent/read/the-industry-is-totally-united-on-this-issue-uk-music-leads-copyright-delegation-to-brussels/072965">said</a>.  </p>
<p>“It’s time for Google’s YouTube to stop ripping off the creators and investors behind our world-beating music.”</p>
<p>While they might not be discussing it with YouTube, the aggression and passion over the Value Gap have hardly disappeared into the night.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157794
title: PUBG Drops Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against Fortnite
uri: PUBG-Drops-Copyright-Infringement-Lawsuit-Against-Fortnite
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/lS4jtuL9uD8/
content:
<p><img src="media/2cf4a60c.pubg2.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pubg2.jpg" alt="" width="299" height="185" class="alignright size-full wp-image-156291">The <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pubg-sues-fortnite-over-copyright-infringement-180529/">legal battle</a> between PUBG and Epic Games, two gaming heavyweights, has come to an end. </p>
<p>Earlier this week PUBG sent a letter of withdrawal to Epic Games’ attorneys, announcing its decision. Not much later the South Korean lawsuit was closed, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-27/pubg-drops-lawsuit-against-creators-of-gaming-phenom-fortnite">reports</a>.</p>
<p>The Korean game developer filed the lawsuit in January alleging that Epic copied “Fortnite” elements from “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” (PUBG). This followed earlier complaints where PUBG accused Fortnite of being very similar to its own game.</p>
<p>Whether the companies have agreed on a settlement to resolve this dispute is unknown, but PUBG and its law firm confirmed that the case is over.</p>
<p>Both Fortnite and PUBG have been very successful over the past year, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars. In addition to the aforementioned case, this also triggered several other copyright infringement lawsuits. </p>
<p>In the United States, PUBG recently filed a separate copyright infringement <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pubg-files-copyright-lawsuit-to-shut-down-competition-180405/">lawsuit</a> against the developer of the mobile games &#8220;Rules of Survival&#8221; and &#8220;Knives Out,&#8221; accusing these of copying specific elements from PUBG. This case is still ongoing.</p>
<p>For its part, Epic Games has filed a series of copyright infringement lawsuits <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/epic-settles-with-copyright-infringing-fortnight-cheater-pubg-cheaters-arrested-180502/">against alleged cheaters</a>. The primary goal of these cases is to stop the cheaters, not to recoup any losses. </p>
<p>While the future of Fortnite was never in any immediate danger due to the PUBG lawsuit, avid fans will probably sleep a little bit better knowing that the matter is resolved.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157615
title: Kodi Embraces DRM to Invite Content Publishers
uri: Kodi-Embraces-DRM-to-Invite-Content-Publishers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/jn71qXJk5GI/
content:
<p><img src="media/8aa05985.kodi-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kodi-1.png" alt="" width="222" height="222" class="alignright size-full wp-image-144339">While <a href="https://kodi.tv/">Kodi</a> is a neutral media player, the name often shows up in piracy related headlines. </p>
<p>This is the result of dozens of unofficial addons, which can turn the software into a piracy tool, something the Kodi team can do little about. </p>
<p>In fact, the media player developers prefer to see their software used for legitimate purposes. While that&#8217;s already the case, they hope to expand their reach by offering support for DRM. </p>
<p>The Kodi team already announced that it was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-wants-to-beat-piracy-with-legal-content-and-drm-170409/">working on DRM support</a> last year and with the &#8220;<a href="https://kodi.tv/article/kodi-v18-leia-alpha-2">Kodi v18 Leia</a>&#8221; release it&#8217;s now reality. This means that publishers can develop official addons which are capable of playing encrypted content. </p>
<p>Martijn Kaijser, Project lead of the XBMC Foundation from which the Kodi team operates, stresses that without DRM, mainstream adoption from publishers is not an option.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the past, we have talked to publishers and in almost all cases the first question was if we supported DRM. If not, that was the end of the talk. Others did have interest if we were going to add it and would come back to us if we would,&#8221; Kaijser says.</p>
<p>Mainstream adoption is a slow process though. Thus far there are no &#8220;official&#8221; addons using the DRM capabilities. However, the Kodi team hopes that these will come soon.</p>
<p>&#8220;Up till now, there is no official work or interest that I know of from providers. Our current motto is &#8216;if you implement it they will come&#8217; so let&#8217;s hope this will indeed open doors,&#8221; Kaijser notes.</p>
<p>This doesn&#8217;t mean, however, that the DRM functionality is not being utilized. The Kodi team believes that several addons in their repository have it implemented already, including the <a href="https://kodi.tv/addon/plugins-video-add-ons/eurosport-player">Eurosport Player</a> and the <a href="https://kodi.tv/addon/plugins-video-add-ons/youtube">YouTube plugin</a>.</p>
<p>The unofficial Netflix and Amazon addons, which are available elsewhere on the web, are confirmed to use the DRM functionality, according to Kaijser.</p>
<p>It has to be noted that DRM might not work perfectly everywhere, as the requirements can differ per platform and service. So there might be some restrictions.</p>
<p>&#8220;The first one we had working was Android because it has the system implemented in the Android API and has full 4K support depending on the license in place on the hardware. For Linux, we act as if we are a browser and then you are limited to what a browser can play,&#8221; Kaijser says. </p>
<p>That brings us to the main downside of DRM. For the end user, it is not always the most convenient option. However, in this case, it&#8217;s a choice between not having mainstream content available at all, or with limitations. </p>
<p>Let&#8217;s hope that users don&#8217;t get too frustrated by any of the possible DRM issues, as that may tempt them to look for alternatives. </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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157829
title: Team Xecutor ‘Piracy’ Code Has DRM, Can Brick Your Nintendo Switch
uri: Team-Xecutor-Piracy-Code-Has-DRM-Can-Brick-Your-Nintendo-Switch
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/-cS8fu9Zc4A/
content:
<p><img src="media/39af11fc.nintendo-switch.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/nintendo-switch.jpg" width="231" height="186" class="alignright size-large">Late last year, hacking veterans Team Xecutor (TX) revealed that they’d developed an exciting kernel hack for the Nintendo Switch.</p>
<p>In January, the group announced an <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/modding-legends-team-xecuter-announce-future-proof-nintendo-switch-hack-180104/">unstoppable solutio</a>n, one that exploits a fundamental flaw in the Switch system.</p>
<p>That led up to the release of &#8216;<a href="https://team-xecuter.com/sx-pro-is-now-rolling-off-our-production-line/">SX Pro</a>&#8216;, a device dongle and tool for booting TX&#8217;s custom firmware (<a href="https://sx.xecuter.com/">SX OS</a>) on Nintendo&#8217;s latest hardware.</p>
<p>Unlike the pirated games the system is able to run, TX solutions cost money. On <a href="http://www.max-console.com/flashcard-for-nintendo-switch/33-exclusive-team-xecuter-switch-sx-flashcard-SX_Pro.html">Max-Console</a>, SX Pro is listed at £42.40 and SX OS at £18.80. However, it appears that TX has already considered that some pirates might try to&#8230;gasp&#8230;.crack its software.</p>
<p>The discovered was made by UK-based security researcher Mike Heskin who took to Twitter with the news.</p>
<p><center></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">PSA: SX OS contains brick code. How do I know this? Take a guess&#8230; :/</p>
<p>Anyway, the concept is the same that was used by Gateway for the 3DS: your eMMC will be locked with a specific password. Sadly, in my case, the password was generated from random garbage on the stack. :(</p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Heskin (@hexkyz) <a href="https://twitter.com/hexkyz/status/1010994458316271616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>The news that TX&#8217;s code can brick a Switch was met with concern, especially when Heskin revealed that the anti-cracking countermeasure could potentially affect people who are using SX OS normally.</p>
<p>&#8220;The code can indeed trigger with normal usage, but the odds are so low that is very unlikely that anyone will be affected by this (unless you&#8217;re messing with voltage or time sensitive stuff). These were direct observations from reverse engineering and testing their code,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/hexkyz/status/1011038983592148992">wrote</a>.</p>
<p>While TX haven&#8217;t denied the presence of the anti-cracking code, they have issued a denial that it could be triggered under normal usage. In an email response published on the forums of <a href="https://gbatemp.net">GBATemp</a>, TX said that there hadn&#8217;t been a single problem reported by 100,000 users.</p>
<p><center><strong>Team Xecutor refuting the claims</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/3190e3f2.tx-brick.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tx-brick.png"><img src="media/370bf65d.tx-brick.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tx-brick.png" alt="" width="600" height="562" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-157835"></a></center></p>
<p>With TX offering reassurances, Heskin has now <a href="https://twitter.com/hexkyz/status/1011338622983761921">confirmed</a> that the &#8216;bricking&#8217; process is technically possible to undo and was &#8220;quite painless&#8221; with the right knowledge. But with an additional revelation, the controversy over TX&#8217;s solution is set to continue.</p>
<p>In response to Heskin gently questioning why parts of the SX OS code &#8220;<a href="https://twitter.com/hexkyz/status/1012149398929735681">look so familiar</a>&#8221; to him, a response from one observer suggests that not all of it is original.</p>
<p><center><strong></strong><br></br></center><center></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">So &quot;SX OS&quot; = stolen Atmosphère and HBL code, with bonus console bricking malware and &quot;DRM&quot;. How ironic and unfortunate this is&#8230;</p>
<p>This is unacceptable and undefendable. I really hope people wake up and realize how awful GW/TX really are, and stop giving these bastards attention.</p>
<p>&mdash; fincs (@fincsdev) <a href="https://twitter.com/fincsdev/status/1012153374089842689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>This latest controversy over Switch modding comes in the wake of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/nintendo-switch-piracy-is-unstoppable-until-people-go-online-180621/">news</a> that Nintendo is able to identify consoles that are running pirated games, if users dare to venture online with them.</p>
<p><em>More info on the SX Pro &#8216;bricking&#8217; claims from Mike Heskin <a href="http://hexkyz.blogspot.com/2018/06/chill-shills.html">here</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157788
title: This Year’s ‘Anti-Piracy Award’ Goes to Spanish Police
uri: This-Year-s-Anti-Piracy-Award-Goes-to-Spanish-Police
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/YY4rTK__GpY/
content:
<p><img src="media/f26de7b6.pirate-clash-fight.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-clash-fight.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="188" class="alignright size-full wp-image-118800" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-clash-fight.jpg 250w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-clash-fight-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px">Every year, the entertainment industries celebrate their stars in various award ceremonies. </p>
<p>From the Oscars, through the Grammys, to the Emmys, there&#8217;s no shortage of spotlights for the finest performers. </p>
<p>This week the Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (<a href="http://www.aapa.eu">AAPA</a>) launched an award of its own, to praise those who protect the entertainment industries. </p>
<p>The group, which counts prominent media players such as BT, Canal+, Fox Networks, La Liga, Premier League and Sky among its members, issued its first Anti-Piracy Award.</p>
<p>The award ceremony took place at Europol&#8217;s <a href="http://www.brandenforcement.co.uk/events/2nd-europol-intellectual-property-crime-conference/">Intellectual Property Crime conference</a> in Budapest, Hungary. The anti-piracy division of the Spanish police came out as the big winner. </p>
<p>Police Nacional&#8217;s &#8216;Grupo de Antipirateria&#8217; is led by inspector Marlene Álvarez Vicente, who personally received the award from the hands of AAPA&#8217;s Vice President Mark Mulready.</p>
<p>Together with AAPA member Irdeto, the Spanish Police played a key role in several successful operations. This includes the shutdown <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/spanish-police-shut-down-isps-iptv-piracy-business-170210/">of an ISP in Malaga</a> which offered unlicensed IPTV subscriptions, as well as &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/large-iptv-piracy-ring-shut-down-by-spanish-police-and-europol-170407/">Operation Casper</a>,&#8221; through which a large IPTV piracy ring was dismantled.</p>
<p>&#8220;Irdeto has been working with Marlene and her team on cases such as Operation Casper and Y-Internet and I can testify personally to the commitment, dedication and skills demonstrated by her and the team,&#8221; Mulready says.</p>
<p><center><strong>Mark Mulready and Inspector Marlene Álvarez Vicente <em>(Photo AAPA pr)</em></strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/8938b076.Mulready-Vicente.jpeg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Mulready-Vicente.jpeg" alt="" width="538" height="397" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-157837"></center> </p>
<p>The runners-up for the Anti-Piracy award were a team from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, a branch of the Irish Police, and Bogdan Ciinaru of Europol’s IPC3 unit. </p>
<p>The AAPA is mostly concerned with audiovisual piracy so the new award has its limitations. The winners all directly protected the interests of several of the group&#8217;s members, which made them prime contenders.</p>
<p>“The work done by our three award recipients in fighting audiovisual piracy is of enormous value to the industry. It sends a clear signal that piracy will not be tolerated and law enforcement has the resources, skills and expertise to investigate this crime and bring the perpetrators to justice,&#8221; Mulready says.</p>
<p>&#8220;We hope that these awards will help encourage others to take up the fight against audiovisual piracy and we are ready to support those efforts,&#8221; he adds.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157780
title: Irish Pirate Site Blocklist Expands to Over 250 Domains
uri: Irish-Pirate-Site-Blocklist-Expands-to-Over-250-Domains
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/f3eKi5dl8Nc/
content:
<p><img src="media/52c7134a.irelandflag.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/irelandflag.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="153" class="alignright size-full wp-image-137406">Like many other countries throughout Europe, Ireland is no stranger when it comes to pirate site blocking efforts.</p>
<p>The Pirate Bay was first targeted in 2009, as part of a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/eircom-agrees-to-block-pirate-bay-access-090820/">voluntary agreement</a> between copyright holders and local ISP Eircom. A few years later the High Court <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/high-court-gives-irish-isps-30-days-to-block-the-pirate-bay-130612/">ordered</a> other major Internet providers to follow suit. </p>
<p>Next, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) set their eyes on other targets. </p>
<p>On behalf of several major Hollywood studios, the group obtained blocking orders against the most used torrent and streaming sites, including 1337x.io, EZTV.ag, Bmovies.is, 123movieshub.to, Putlocker.io, RARBG.to, and YTS.am.</p>
<p>This most recent order, issued <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-wins-isp-blockade-against-popular-pirate-sites-in-ireland-180116/">earlier this year</a>, triggered the usual response. Many users who have their favorite sites blocked, tried to find alternatives, such as the various proxy and mirror sites that are available. </p>
<p>This works well, but it&#8217;s usually not a permanent solution. A few weeks ago Irish ISPs expanded their blocklist covering several of the most used proxy sites for Rarbg, 1337x, and others. Again, users were confronted with a blocking notification, such as the one below from  Virgin Media.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/4ccc66e5.sorry.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/sorry.png" alt="" width="452" height="93" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-157782"></center></p>
<p>It is not uncommon for blocking injunctions to allow copyright holders to update the targeted domains. For example, when new domains or proxies appear. And indeed, this is what&#8217;s happening here, according to the MPA. </p>
<p>&#8220;In accordance with the orders issued by the Dublin High Court, the blocklist is regularly updated, including for alternative domains and proxies,&#8221; an MPA Europe spokesperson informed TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>The latest update was processed quietly earlier this month, which led to frustration among avid torrenters, many of whom had just settled with an alternative. It&#8217;s something they have to get used to though.</p>
<p>While the MPA can&#8217;t share the full list of blocked sites, it informed us that over 250 domains are on the most recent version of the blocklist. More domains will be added when needed.</p>
<p>This strategy may be effective, to a degree, but determined pirates who look hard enough can usually find a workaround, such as a new proxy, VPN, Tor, or other options. </p>
<p>The MPA knows all too well that site blocking is not a silver bullet. Still, the Hollywood-funded group believes that it&#8217;s effective enough to stop a significant number of people. Or perhaps frustrating pirates alone might already be worth it?</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157915
title: ‘Pirate’ Cyberlocker Sites Vulnerable to Takedown, Study Finds
uri: Pirate-Cyberlocker-Sites-Vulnerable-to-Takedown-Study-Finds
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AZZl48DgEIM/
content:
<p><a href="media/096bd33d.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg"><img src="media/468f0769.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-125426"></a>While BitTorrent indexing sites dominated the landscape until just a few years ago, streaming is now the most visible form of online video piracy.</p>
<p>Through networks of hosting platforms and indexing sites, pirate streaming is now available to any Internet user, as long as he or she can operate a web browser. It&#8217;s a far cry from the complex file-sharing world of yesterday.</p>
<p>This shift prompted researchers at Queen Mary University of London to examine this relatively new &#8216;pirate&#8217; ecosystem. Titled &#8216;<em>Movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Exploring Illegal Streaming Cyberlockers</em>&#8216;, their study finds a &#8220;remarkably centralized system with just a few networks, countries and cyberlockers underpinning most provisioning.&#8221;</p>
<p>Co-author Dr Gareth Tyson informs TF that after previously looking at technologies like BitTorrent, the team decided to take a closer look at the role cyberlockers are playing in the distribution of copyright media.</p>
<p>&#8220;At first, we weren&#8217;t really sure about how they were being used. So we decided to dig into things a little bit and found that there were hundreds of them, but lacking the types of search functionality of YouTube,&#8221; Dr Tyson explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;This piqued our interest and we decided to dig a bit deeper, which led us to the indexing sites. I suppose the short answer is that it seemed a pretty interesting ecosystem that nobody had looked at before, so we got curious.&#8221;</p>
<p>While simple on the surface, the cyberlocker ecosystem isn&#8217;t entirely straightforward. Most hosting sites don&#8217;t allow users to search directly, which means visitors are often redirected from indexing platforms that are more specific about the content that&#8217;s available.</p>
<p>&#8220;This has created an interesting ecosystem where cyberlockers depend on third party (crowd-sourced) indexing websites that create a searchable directory of direct links (URLs) to the videos. These two types of website operate hand-in-hand with a symbiotic relationship, collectively underpinning a global network of online piracy,&#8221; the researchers write.</p>
<p>Given the scale of the ecosystem, examining everything would prove impossible. Instead, the researchers homed in on three indexing sites &#8211; Putlocker.is, Watchseries.gs and Vodly.cr &#8211; which were found via Google and selected for their regular appearances in search results.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/856ad912.cyber-res1.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cyber-res1.png"><img src="media/bf49f723.cyber-res1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cyber-res1.png" alt="" width="600" height="142" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-157916"></a></center></p>
<p>Also under the spotlight where 33 cyberlockers including Movshare, NowVideo, and Openload, whose content was accessed via the indexing sites. </p>
<p>&#8220;We started off by scraping the indexing sites because it seemed that they were the main &#8216;entry point&#8217; to the cyberlockers,&#8221; Dr Tyson informs TF.</p>
<p>&#8220;This was because many of the cyberlockers had fake front pages (i.e. they didn&#8217;t show their real content &#8211; presumably to hide all the copyright stuff) and they lacked search features to find it. Hence, it was pretty much impossible to access the copyright infringing content by visiting the cyberlocker alone.&#8221;</p>
<p>Between January and September 2017, monthly crawls collected information from the indexers and scraped related data from the cyberlockers, including file availability and where the videos were hosted. This revealed some interesting data indicating a potential weakness for the cyberlockers when defending against enforcement attempts.</p>
<p>&#8220;A key finding is the apparent centralization of these portals, with a small<br>
set of dependencies vulnerable to attack from copyright enforcers. For example, we observe that 58% of all videos are located within just two hosting providers [M247 and Cogent/LeaseWeb], despite being spread across 15 cyberlockers,&#8221; the researchers reveal.</p>
<p>&#8220;M247 is based in Romania, which (as a country) hosts the largest share of streaming servers, containing 42% of the total streaming links witnessed. Similarly Cogent/Leaseweb are based in the Netherlands which hosts 23% of streaming links.&#8221; </p>
<p>The team cites previous research which found that a lack of copyright enforcement coupled with high capacity Internet infrastructure may drive sites to use these territories. However, putting all eggs in one basket could be a risky strategy, if the tides begin to turn. </p>
<p>&#8220;A sudden increase in copyright regulation within these countries may see a shift in this behavior and, again, we argue that this dependency on individual countries poses a resilience challenge for the cyberlockers,&#8221; they note.</p>
<p>Also of interest are the researchers&#8217; findings that the same sets of pirates could be behind multiple websites, with DaClips, GorillaVid and Movpod put forward as candidates.</p>
<p>&#8220;These three cyberlockers alone host 15% of observed content. Again, this suggests a distribution model that is far less resilient than its decentralized P2P counterparts,&#8221; they add.</p>
<p>Digging deeper, the researchers say at least one-fifth of the cyberlocker domains in the study are actually operated by just two organizations/individuals, something which confirms a &#8220;remarkable dependency on just a small number of stakeholders.&#8221;</p>
<p>Also under the researchers&#8217; spotlight was the number of takedown notices issued against the domains in the study. Using LumenDatabase, 21.8m allegedly infringing URLs were identified across 49,829 individual complaints sent by 304 organisations.</p>
<p>To see how the cyberlockers react to copyright complaints, six were chosen for their mixture of behaviors. Openload.co, Estream.to and Streamin.to are said to have reacted &#8220;positively&#8221; to copyright complaints with 75% of videos being deleted within a month of reports being registered on Lumen. Vidzi.tv and TheVideo.me earned a poor report, with less than 30% of videos deleted within the same period.</p>
<p>Finally, the researchers reveal some interesting findings in respect of where infringing content is hosted and how that relates to takedowns.</p>
<p>&#8220;We observe that the videos that are <em>not</em> deleted from openload.co, estream.to,<br>
vidzi.tv are all hosted in Romania on M247. That said, it would be unwise to draw conclusions here, as Romania hosts both the cyberlocker that ignores the most complaints and the cyberlocker that acts upon most complaints,&#8221; they write.</p>
<p>&#8220;Overall, the country hosting content that least frequently respects complaints is<br>
the Netherlands, where only 6% of requests are acted upon. Hence, the diversity seen within individual countries suggests that the decision to act upon a complaint is largely driven by the individual cyberlockers.&#8221;</p>
<p>Aware that research of this type can often have links to rightsholders, TF asked the team at Queen Mary University of London if their <a href="https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/36524">research</a> had in any way been funded or shared with content industry groups.</p>
<p>&#8220;No, the research was performed independently,&#8221; Tyson confirmed. &#8220;The research was not funded by any movie studios and the university received no external funding for this particular stream of research.&#8221; </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157911
title: Google Downranks 65,000 Pirate Sites in Search Results
uri: Google-Downranks-65-000-Pirate-Sites-in-Search-Results
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/10826F3dWe4/
content:
<p><img src="media/f8e73451.googlefightspiracy.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/googlefightspiracy.png" alt="" width="250" height="172" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124812">The entertainment industries have repeatedly accused Google of not doing enough to limit piracy while demanding tougher action.</p>
<p>Ideally, groups including the MPAA and RIAA want search engines to remove clearly infringing websites from their search results entirely, especially if courts have previously found them to be acting illegally.</p>
<p>While Google <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-opposes-whole-site-removal-of-pirate-domains-151021/">doesn&#8217;t want to</a> remove whole sites, the critique did prompt the company to make changes. </p>
<p>For example, in 2014 it <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/google-will-downrank-pirate-sites-starting-next-week-141018/">updated its core algorithms</a> aimed at lowering the visibility of “pirate” sites. Using the number of accurate DMCA requests as an indicator, these sites are demoted in search results for certain key phrases.</p>
<p>“Sites with high numbers of removal notices may appear lower in search results. This ranking change helps users find legitimate, quality sources of content more easily,” Google explained.</p>
<p>While the effects were felt immediately, it&#8217;s been unclear how many sites were affected by the algorithmic change. This week, the search engine is filling in some of these blanks. </p>
<p>In a comment to Australian media, Google states that it has demoted 65,000 sites in search results, a list that&#8217;s still growing every week. In total, the company received DMCA takedown requests for over 1.8 million domain names, so a little under 4% of these are downranked.</p>
<p>The result of the measures is that people are less likely to see a pirate site when they type &#8220;watch movie X&#8221; or &#8220;download song Y.&#8221; This means that these sites see a drop in visitors from Google and a quite significant one too.</p>
<p>&#8220;Demotion results in sites losing around 90 percent of their visitors from Google Search,&#8221; a Google spokesperson <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/empty-desks-everywhere-film-industry-reeling-from-online-piracy-20180627-p4zo37.html">told The Age</a>.</p>
<p>Indeed, soon after the demotion signal was implemented, pirate sites were <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/googles-new-downranking-hits-pirate-sites-hard-141023/">hit hard</a>. However, pirates wouldn&#8217;t be pirates if they didn&#8217;t respond with their own countermeasures. </p>
<p>In recent years, many infringing sites have hopped from domain to domain, in part <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-anti-piracy-agreement-will-target-domain-hopping-share-search-data-170307/">to circumvent</a> the downranking efforts. In addition, Google&#8217;s measures also created an opportunity for smaller, less reputable, sites to catch search traffic that would otherwise go to the main players.</p>
<p>Overall, however, it&#8217;s probably safe to argue that Google&#8217;s demotion efforts lowered the search engine&#8217;s referrals to pirate sites. </p>
<p>That said, demands to do more won&#8217;t subside. In Australia, Village Roadshow co-chief Graham Burke has been especially vocal. He has accused Google of profiting from piracy-related traffic and wants the search engine to permanently <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-should-begin-delisting-pirate-sites-aussie-rightsholders-say-180322/">remove infringing sites</a> from search results.</p>
<p>Blaming piracy for declining revenues, Burke noted this week that there are “empty desks everywhere &#8230; we can’t compete with stolen goods being sold for free.” And he is <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/empty-desks-everywhere-film-industry-reeling-from-online-piracy-20180627-p4zo37.html">not alone</a>. </p>
<p>Google sees things differently of course. The company has repeatedly highlighted that it has taken several measures to address the piracy concerns, while noting that the entertainment industries have a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-piracy-availability-pricing-problem-140310/">responsibility of their own</a> as well. </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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157824
title: Ukraine Cyberpolice Shut Down Pirate Streaming Site
uri: Ukraine-Cyberpolice-Shut-Down-Pirate-Streaming-Site
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/wG3jkOLVB4w/
content:
<p><a href="media/096bd33d.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg"><img src="media/468f0769.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-125426"></a>While torrent sites were once the next big thing, streaming is now at the height of fashion.</p>
<p>A shocking number of platforms now offer instant access to massive movie and TV shows libraries, something the authorities seem powerless to do much about. Over in Ukraine, authorities say they have made a start.</p>
<p>For the past nine years <a href="http://onlainfilm.co/">Onlainfilm</a> has been serving up movies to the masses but this week all that came to an end when local cyberpolice shut the operation down.</p>
<p>Government and police investigators report that after detecting &#8220;members of a criminal group&#8221; behind the site, police carried out five raids in the city of Khmelnytskyi located in the west of Ukraine.</p>
<p><center><strong>One of the searched locations</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/b6d205fd.Onlaine1-e1530181210920.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Onlaine1-e1530181210920.jpg"><img src="media/b6d205fd.Onlaine1-e1530181210920.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Onlaine1-e1530181210920.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="397" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-157868"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;Online movie theater &#8216;Onlainfilm&#8217; was among the five most-visited sites in several countries,&#8221; police said in a statement.</p>
<p>&#8220;Every day, the site was visited by half a million Internet users, and the number of video views exceeded two million. The total amount of videos posted on the site exceeded 50 TB.&#8221;</p>
<p>While police haven&#8217;t yet announced how many people were arrested, the image below reveals that hardware, money, and other items were seized during their searches.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/af9a2d4a.Onlaine2-e1530181459813.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Onlaine2-e1530181459813.jpg"><img src="media/af9a2d4a.Onlaine2-e1530181459813.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Onlaine2-e1530181459813.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="390" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-157869"></a></center></p>
<p>Like many other sites of a similar nature, Onlainfilm took precautions to reduce the chances of detection. Police say that its operators used a reverse proxy server which enabled it to relay visitors&#8217; requests to other servers hidden elsewhere.</p>
<p>In such cases, prosecutors and copyright holders tend to lead up front with claims of millions in lost revenues caused by sites such as Onlainfilm. However, authorities say those figures won&#8217;t be released until &#8220;the necessary investigative actions&#8221; have been carried out.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/f5c47419.Onlaine3-e1530182562568.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Onlaine3-e1530182562568.jpg"><img src="media/f5c47419.Onlaine3-e1530182562568.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Onlaine3-e1530182562568.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="386" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-157871"></a></center></p>
<p>Ukraine&#8217;s reputation for low levels of intellectual property crime protection has placed the country firmly in the crosshairs of the United States Trade Representative. </p>
<p>The country is <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-calls-out-dozens-of-countries-on-yearly-piracy-watchlist-180430/">currently</a> on the Priority Watch List with the USTR recently reporting that Ukraine had failed to &#8220;implement an effective means to combat the widespread online infringement of copyright&#8221; in the country.</p>
<p>Although Ukraine was featured quite heavily for other reasons, Onlainfilm was not listed in the USTR&#8217;s <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-govt-brands-torrent-streaming-cyberlocker-sites-as-notorious-markets-180115/">2017 list</a> of Notorious Markets.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157669
title: NYC.com ‘Secretly’ Hosts a Pirate Torrent Site
uri: NYC-com-Secretly-Hosts-a-Pirate-Torrent-Site
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/3E1Qyv5o2v4/
content:
<p><img src="media/d9b824f1.nyc.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/nyc.png" alt="" width="213" height="100" class="alignright size-full wp-image-157864">Pirates are an inventive bunch and they can get quite creative when it comes to hosting. </p>
<p>But, finding a copy of the popular torrent site 1337x on a prominent domain such as NYC.com doesn&#8217;t happen very often. </p>
<p>This is exactly what we stumbled upon this week. The site, which helps people to find the latest hotel and entertainment deals in New York, has been operational since 1996. For some reason, however, it recently expanded into the torrent business. </p>
<p>The &#8216;secret&#8217; torrent site is hosted on the site&#8217;s subdomain &#8220;cdn.nyc.com.&#8221; It&#8217;s unlikely that this is intentional, the more logical explanation would be that an old content delivery network (CDN) domain entry has been breached somehow. </p>
<p>The result is that the NYC.com domain now hosts thousands of pages linking to infringing content. This is not something most legitimate companies would like to happen. </p>
<p><center><strong>NYC.com torrents?</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/2f83b118.nyctorrent.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/nyctorrent.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="595" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-157865"></center></p>
<p>From what we can see the entire cdn.nyc.com subdomain is now being used as a torrent site. The NYC site itself still uses a CDN as well, but this is now served from static.nyc.com. </p>
<p>While the &#8216;breach&#8217; has escaped the attention of the people who manage the site, it hasn&#8217;t gone unnoticed to various copyright holders. </p>
<p>Companies including Netflix, Lionsgate, Columbia Pictures, and Sony Pictures Television have all sent takedown request to Google, asking the search engine to <a href="https://transparencyreport.google.com/copyright/domains/nyc.com">remove NYC.com URLs</a>.</p>
<p>The first takedown notices started coming in early June. Since then, more than 1,000 URLs have been reported. Whether any of these companies reached out to NYC.com directly is unknown.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak alerted the site&#8217;s owners to the issue but at the time of publication, we have yet to hear back. </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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=156372
title: ‘Well Respected’ People Send DMCA Notices to Hide Their Mishaps
uri: Well-Respected-People-Send-DMCA-Notices-to-Hide-Their-Mishaps
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/N8_uVGygAE0/
content:
<p><img src="media/0bf08826.face-palm.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/face-palm.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="133" class="alignright size-full wp-image-61200">Most of us like well-respected people. They&#8217;ve usually worked hard to get where they are and have found some way to give back to society. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, even these people might have made a mistake or two in the past. And if those end up on the Internet, they&#8217;re hard to erase. </p>
<p>That doesn&#8217;t mean that you can&#8217;t try of course&#8230; </p>
<p>Recently, we stumbled upon a series of DMCA takedown requests which kindly request Google to remove various inconvenient links. While copyright has little to do with it, this route is worth a shot, they likely thought. </p>
<p>The senders have a lot in common. They all note that they&#8217;re &#8220;well-respected&#8221; in the society that they come from and accuse several websites of using their &#8220;image and name&#8221; to attract attention.</p>
<p>They were also all convicted of fraud, but that&#8217;s probably a coincidence.</p>
<p>Take radio talk-show host Warren Ballentine, for example, who describes himself as an artist and motivational speaker. While we would like to link to his Wikipedia page for some background, we&#8217;re hesitant to do so, as that&#8217;s one of the allegedly offending websites.</p>
<p>&#8220;I am a well respected person in the society that I come from, the US, and other parts of the world where I am known as an artist and motivational speaker,&#8221; Ballentine <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/16577100">wrote to Google</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;However, recently, there are a number of websites that utilize my image and name to attract traction for people go through their content. I want Google to remove such sites from the search. Thanks.&#8221;</p>
<p>Unfortunately for Ballentine, Google decided not to honor his request. Perhaps because the content he linked to in the DMCA notice is not infringing on any copyrights? </p>
<p>This means that the various <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-radio-host-fraud-sentencing-met-20150707-story.html">news reports</a> and the Department of Justice&#8217;s <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/illinois-lawyer-and-internet-radio-talk-show-host-convicted-97-million-mortgage-fraud">press release</a> on his conviction for engaging in two mortgage fraud schemes remain online.</p>
<p>Oh, and the aforementioned <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Ballentine">Wikipedia entry</a> remains unscathed too. And the same applies to various unrelated links to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/warren-ballantyne-a360062b/">other</a> Warren Ballentines, which were inadvertently included in the takedown requests.</p>
<p>But perhaps the true reason for the notices is to cover up the past? It <a href="https://transparencyreport.google.com/copyright/domains/justice.gov">wouldn&#8217;t be the first time</a> that someone tried that, and this failed attempt appears to be part of a series, as we hinted at earlier.</p>
<p>Over the past few weeks, there have been several similarly worded takedown requests from well-respected people who have been convicted of fraud. Such as this one, from tax fraud convict <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/16577041">Monica Morgan</a>, and several others from pension fraud convict <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/16539466">Chauncey Mayfield</a>, which <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180502/18304039765/another-convicted-fraudster-attempts-to-manage-his-reputation-with-bogus-dmca-takedown-notices.shtml">haven&#8217;t gone unnoticed</a>.</p>
<p>According to the information provided to Google, these people submitted the requests themselves. However, since the language is nearly identical, it appears to be a coordinated action.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s clear that the DMCA takedown requests all target mentions of their mishaps, as well as other unrelated links that rank well for their name. While this urge may be understandable, copyright law is not any help in this case. </p>
<p>In fact, abusing DMCA notices usually backfires, whether someone&#8217;s well-respected or not.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157793
title: Piracy: If the Internet Isn’t Broken, Should We Fix it Until it is?
uri: Piracy-If-the-Internet-Isn-t-Broken-Should-We-Fix-it-Until-it-is
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/EhFT1TLhtjM/
content:
<p><a href="media/9ab02319.tools-864983_1280-e1530262800746.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tools-864983_1280-e1530262800746.jpg"><img src="media/9ab02319.tools-864983_1280-e1530262800746.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tools-864983_1280-e1530262800746.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" class="alignright size-full wp-image-157945"></a>Back in the 80s, I fancied myself as a half-decent 8-bit coder but of course, there was always someone who did it outrageously better. Like my idols in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64_demos">C64 demo scene</a>, for example, whom I eventually rubbed shoulders with.</p>
<p>They made computers do things they weren&#8217;t supposed to, like displaying graphics in places the machine didn&#8217;t natively allow or playing music on the heads of disc drives. The aim, at least in part, was to push software and hardware to breaking point. What they didn&#8217;t need, however, was help from self-professed experts.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for them, my <em>clearly</em> superior teenage coding knowledge (and access to their machines) allowed me to quietly &#8216;improve&#8217; some of their work in progress, &#8216;fixing&#8217; it here and there without needing to ask permission or mention what I&#8217;d done. </p>
<p>Luckily for the shape of my face, nothing broke down immediately and development on the &#8216;improved&#8217; software <em>mostly</em> continued as if nothing had happened. And then people began swearing. A lot. I&#8217;m still sorry for that.</p>
<p>I imagine the cursing that went on back then, in the wake of my efforts to &#8216;fix&#8217; problems that were none of my business, was similar to that <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/06/internet-luminaries-ring-alarm-eu-copyright-filtering-proposal">recently uttered</a> by Internet pioneer Vint Cerf and the inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, in response to the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-parliament-committee-votes-in-favor-of-piracy-upload-filter-proposal-180620/">Article 13 controversy</a>.</p>
<p>These men, who were there at the very beginning, also had a vision for their creations that didn&#8217;t involve smart-asses interfering with their work. Just like my unwanted efforts to &#8216;improve&#8217; perfectly good <a href="https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Parallax_Scrolling">parallax scrolling</a>, web-blocking and content filtering are added complications that don&#8217;t easily fit with the original vision for an open web.</p>
<p>No one wants complications. Most people &#8211; the vast majority of people &#8211; go on, <em>99% of people</em> &#8211; do not want web-blocking, they don&#8217;t want filtering, and they don&#8217;t want expanded liabilities for intermediaries. But they&#8217;re mainly not being obtuse or pro-piracy, it&#8217;s just that their Internet (like a certain group&#8217;s scrolling) doesn&#8217;t need fixing because it&#8217;s <em>just fine as it is</em>.</p>
<p>Of course, this call for the status quo is easily countered by the pro-blocking and pro-filtering movement who claim that the measures they want implementing <em>globally</em> have shown to work thus far, without any serious collateral damage. On this basis alone, why should anyone object to more of the same?</p>
<p>Well, why shouldn&#8217;t they?</p>
<p>None of these restrictions improve Internet users&#8217; lives and there&#8217;s a dramatically reduced chance that the &#8220;Internet will break&#8221; if it&#8217;s left alone. So why not leave it? It&#8217;s not as if the public is being offered an incentive to welcome restrictions with open arms &#8211; price reductions on movies and music alongside a promise to increase quality if restrictions are put in place perhaps? Hardly.</p>
<p>The point is this: it&#8217;s easy to frame this argument as one between those in favor of protecting copyright and those who want to pirate everything. In truth, it&#8217;s actually more fundamental. This is a clash between people who believe the Internet shouldn&#8217;t be tampered with &#8211; period &#8211; and those who believe that, because they&#8217;re potentially losing money, they should be allowed to tinker under <em>everyone&#8217;s</em> hood.</p>
<p>People should, of course, be allowed to protect their rights but not at <em>any</em> cost. In the same way the Internet has grown and developed beyond all expectations, we should expect that the movement to block, filter, delete, divert and otherwise meddle in the net&#8217;s inner workings will grow too, probably in ways we&#8217;d never envisioned 10 years ago.</p>
<p>That being said, it&#8217;s unlikely that any single filtering, blocking or liability-increasing effort will &#8220;break the Internet&#8221; and even a couple combined won&#8217;t herald the online apocalypse. After all, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/censorship-machines-are-destroying-the-internet-as-we-speak-180624/">censorship machines are attacking</a> as we speak, and most of us are still online with decent amounts of freedom.</p>
<p>But in the same way that the famous <a href="https://thebulletin.org/timeline">Doomsday Clock</a> ticks and tocks inexorably towards midnight, it&#8217;s not one event under consideration here, but the interplay between many.</p>
<p>A restriction or web-block here, a content filter or a long-forgotten scrolling adjustment there. None of it really matters until that moment when history catches up with us and we wished we&#8217;d have been more careful over who was given control.</p>
<p>Should we really be letting people who don&#8217;t know what they&#8217;re doing mess around with something so important, even when they&#8217;re doing it for reasons they genuinely believe in?</p>
<p>If something really is <em>properly broken</em>, then perhaps we should consider sensible ways to fix it. However, when all the fixes become the very reason everything breaks down, we will have clearly gotten our priorities wrong and it will be too late. The big question is how long we&#8217;ll have to wait to find out.</p>
<p>Will it be &#8216;never&#8217; as we&#8217;re reliably informed by the entertainment industries or &#8216;sooner or later&#8217; as the technologists suggest? The truth is, none of us really knows. The Internet experts don&#8217;t know there will be a meltdown next decade and copyright holders can&#8217;t promise that everything will be just fine in 20 years&#8217; time.</p>
<p>What we can say, however, is that our beloved Internet has served us pretty well up to now and despite much complaining and the existence of piracy, most people are doing very well out of it. No matter what happens it&#8217;s unlikely to break completely but there is a chance, at some point in the future, it will find itself being suffocated into submission.</p>
<p>So, the simple challenge for us today is to find ways to protect rightsholders without affecting the vision for the open Internet. Answers on a postcard, please.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157986
title: Dutch Pirate Bay Blocking Case Gets a Do-Over
uri: Dutch-Pirate-Bay-Blocking-Case-Gets-a-Do-Over
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Fjq64xscdUY/
content:
<p><img src="media/932e6d7d.thepirate-e1470829181981.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/thepirate-e1470829181981.jpg" alt="" width="220" height="206" class="alignright size-full wp-image-116122">The Pirate Bay is arguably the most widely blocked website on the Internet. ISPs from all over the world have been ordered by courts to prevent users from accessing the torrent site. </p>
<p>In most countries courts have decided relatively quickly, but not in the Netherlands, where there&#8217;s still no final decision after eight years.</p>
<p>A Dutch court first issued an order to block The Pirate Bay in 2012, but this decision was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isps-no-longer-have-to-block-the-pirate-bay-dutch-court-rules-140128/">overturned</a> two years later. Anti-piracy group BREIN then took the matter to the Supreme Court, which subsequently referred the case to the EU Court of Justice, seeking further clarification.</p>
<p>After a careful review of the case, the EU Court of Justice <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-facilitates-piracy-and-can-be-blocked-top-eu-court-rules-170614/">decided last year</a> that The Pirate Bay can indeed be blocked. </p>
<p>The top EU court ruled that although The Pirate Bay&#8217;s operators don’t share anything themselves, they knowingly provide users with a platform to share copyright-infringing links. This can be seen as “an act of communication” under the EU Copyright Directive.</p>
<p>This put the case back with the Dutch Supreme court for a final say. At least, that appeared to be the case.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court, however, decided that the case should get a do-over. In a <a href="https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI:NL:HR:2018:1046&#038;showbutton=true">decision</a> released late last week, it sent the case back to the Court of Amsterdam, which must now take a fresh look at the matter. </p>
<p>This decision follows the advice Advocate General Van Peursem issued earlier this year.</p>
<p>Since the Dutch case began there have been several blocking related decisions in Europe which clarified when such measures are warranted. This means that the case will start over from scratch, but with this new context and the EU court orders as further clarification.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, it means that the rights of copyright holders will be carefully weighed against those of the ISPs and the public in general.</p>
<p>For now, however, The Pirate Bay remains blocked in the Netherlands as the result of an interim injunction BREIN obtained last year. This blockade will be lifted if the Internet providers win the new case, but based on current jurisprudence in Europe, that might not be easy.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157993
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 07/02/18
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-07-02-18
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/oBV09vz59r0/
content:
<p><img src="media/3706bfaf.rampage.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rampage.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="187" class="alignright size-full wp-image-157577">This week we have one newcomer in our chart.</p>
<p>Rampage is the most downloaded movie.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-bittorrent-06-18-18/">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/tt2231461/">Rampage</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2231461/">6.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coOKvrsmQiI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/">Ready Player One</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSp1dM2Vj48&#038;t=2s">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531344/">Blockers</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531344/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfFcaV5O7SU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6513656/">Escape Plan 2: Hades</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6513656/">3.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q7vVt-MeXk">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6644200/">A Quiet Place</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6644200/">7.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR7cc5t7tv8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/">Avengers: Infinity War</a> (HDCam)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/">9.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwievZ1Tx-8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1365519/">Tomb Raider</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1365519/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOEHpkZCc1Y">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6772950/">Truth or Dare</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6772950/">4.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgnk3MLw9TM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2557478/">Pacific Rim: Uprising</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2557478/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BAhwgjMvnM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881806/">Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom</a> (HDTC/CAM)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881806/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FJD7jZqZEk">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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157978
title: Uganda to Block VPNs After People Begin Avoiding New Social Media Tax
uri: Uganda-to-Block-VPNs-After-People-Begin-Avoiding-New-Social-Media-Tax
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/f5hd_NKylho/
content:
<p><a href="media/d579eec9.dollar-money.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/dollar-money.jpg"><img src="media/2efdb268.dollar-money.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dollar-money.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="135" class="alignright size-full wp-image-38877"></a>They say that death and taxes are the only two certain things in life. We all expire eventually and in most civilized countries it&#8217;s almost impossible to avoid levies on everything from goods and services to essential fuels.</p>
<p>As Internet users we also pay taxes on our ISP bills but what if the government stepped in and taxed certain online activities as well? Starting yesterday, that&#8217;s now the reality in Uganda after the authorities introduced a controversial tax on people using dozens of Internet services including Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, and Instagram.</p>
<p>Passed in May by the Ugandan parliament, the legislation requires local Internet service providers to block a wide range of social media and telecoms platforms until subscribers pay a flat fee of 200 shillings (US$0.051) per day. While just shy of US$19 per year might not initially sound like much, per capita income stands at US$600 and millions of Ugandans survive on less than a dollar per day</p>
<p><center><strong>Starting July 1, all taxed <em>(<a href="https://twitter.com/inahamya/status/1012352443731075072/photo/1">credit</a>)</em></strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/a1c5feb5.ott-uganda-e1530520936393.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ott-uganda-e1530520936393.png"><img src="media/a1c5feb5.ott-uganda-e1530520936393.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ott-uganda-e1530520936393.png" alt="" width="600" height="403" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158000"></a></center></p>
<p>In a joint statement, ISPs MTN, Airtel, and Africell informed their customers that the services listed above would be blocked until payment is made. Payment must be made in advance via mobile phones, with a small discount available if customers pay a month up front.</p>
<p>&#8220;Access will be granted for a calendar day until 12:00 AM for the day, i.e until midnight if the customer has paid for one day,&#8221; the <a href="media/68a2e9c9.uganda-tax.png" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/uganda-tax.png">notice</a> reads.</p>
<p>While this kind of taxation appears unique, people&#8217;s desire to avoid taxes is universal. In this case, that is easily achieved by using a VPN, since they&#8217;re able to circumvent ISP restrictions placed on the sites listed above. As a result, VPNs are now suddenly at the height of fashion in Uganda, with searches reaching an all-time high on Google.</p>
<p><center><strong>Tax on social media? Google has help for that</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/41183725.uganda-vpn-e1530521801657.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/uganda-vpn-e1530521801657.png"><img src="media/41183725.uganda-vpn-e1530521801657.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/uganda-vpn-e1530521801657.png" alt="" width="600" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158003"></a></center></p>
<p>But with Ugandans restoring their online freedom in droves, the government isn&#8217;t happy at the prospect of losing its revenue. Within hours of the news that VPNs were gaining in popularity, the government stepped in to do something about it.</p>
<p>In a statement, Uganda Communications Commission Executive Director, Godfrey Mutabazi said that Internet service providers would be ordered to block VPNs to prevent citizens from avoiding the social media tax.</p>
<p>Mutabazi told <a href="https://dispatch.ug/2018/07/01/telecom-companies-will-block-vpns-says-mutabazi/">Dispatch</a> that ISPs are already taking action to prevent VPNs from being accessible but since there are so many, it won&#8217;t be possible to block them all.</p>
<p>In the meantime, the government is trying to portray VPNs as more expensive to use than the tax. In a post on Facebook this morning, Mutabazi promoted the tax as the sensible economic option.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you think it is cheaper to use VPN than paying Shs 200/day, I think it is very unwise to think that because the data consumption under VPN is very high, I think you’re aware of that,&#8221; his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ugandagovernment/posts/1466072406831467">post</a> reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have technology that will block the VPN services so that no one dodges the taxes. Different VPN systems continue to come with more advanced features to circumvent government crackdowns but governments around the world have continued to block them.&#8221;</p>
<p>While that may be the case, it appears that many Ugandans are <a href="https://twitter.com/kyedza/status/1013297604338307072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1013297604338307072&#038;ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fobserver.ug%2Fnews%2Fheadlines%2F58064-ugandans-again-run-to-vpn-as-social-media-tax-starts-to-bite.html">outraged</a> at the prospect of yet another tax and see VPN use as a protest, despite any additional cost. Opposition figures have already called for a boycott with support coming in from all corners of society. The government appears unmoved, however.</p>
<p>&#8220;If we tax essentials like water, why not social media?&#8221; said Frank Tumwebaze, Minister of Information Technology and Communications. &#8220;This tax will improve connectivity. It is all about connectivity.”</p>
<p>Citizens trying to access Facebook, Instagram and Twitter this morning may have a tendency to disagree.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=157913
title: Pirate Bay is Mining Cryptocurrency Again But Forum Staff Aren’t Worried
uri: Pirate-Bay-is-Mining-Cryptocurrency-Again-But-Forum-Staff-Aren-t-Wor
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/da6I0cqv5a4/
content:
<p><a href="media/3151e70f.tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg"><img src="media/7b21649b.tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg" alt="" width="256" height="219" class="alignright size-full wp-image-142141"></a>With pirate sites finding themselves squeezed by initiatives designed to deprive them of advertising cash, many have turned to more creative ways of generating revenue.</p>
<p>Last September, users of The Pirate Bay <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-website-runs-a-cryptocurrency-miner-170916/">complained</a> that their CPU usage increased dramatically when they browsed certain Pirate Bay pages. It was later revealed that the site had implemented a Monero cryptocurrency miner provided by Coinhive.</p>
<p>The development generated negative publicity which nudged the site&#8217;s operators to issue a statement.</p>
<p>“As you may have noticed we are testing a Monero javascript miner. This is only a test. We really want to get rid of all the ads. But we also need enough money to keep the site running,&#8221; they said.</p>
<p>Just a month later and after a short break, the miner was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-is-mining-cryptocurrency-again-no-opt-out-171011/">back again</a>, to the disappointment of users. While many people objected to the mining overall, most seemed disappointed that they weren&#8217;t given the chance to opt out.</p>
<p>In the months that followed it was unclear whether TPB would abandon its mining efforts but developments in recent weeks have answered that question.</p>
<p>An initial <a href="https://pirates-forum.org/Thread-TPB-Is-again-mining-crypto-currency-in-background">report</a> from an uploader, that TPB had added a miner to the upload page, was soon followed up with general complaints of a miner being implemented on other parts of the site.</p>
<p><center><strong>Coin mining, once again</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/9c99e3aa.coin-mine-e1530535919647.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/coin-mine-e1530535919647.png"><img src="media/9c99e3aa.coin-mine-e1530535919647.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/coin-mine-e1530535919647.png" alt="" width="600" height="226" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158017"></a></center></p>
<p>As the image shows, mining is throttled to 0.9 (in the past rates between 0.6 and 0.8 were used), but with reports of hot CPUs on record, it&#8217;s clear that people would prefer to have the option not to &#8216;donate&#8217; their cycles.</p>
<p>Previously, TPB supermoderator Sid expressed disappointment at the existence of the miner and after the latest revelations he&#8217;s on record again and sounding rather less patient. The solution, he says, is to enable a good adblocker and spend as little time on the site as possible.</p>
<p>&#8220;All you require from TPB is a magnet link. Open the site. Find a torrent. Click the magnet link. Close the site. End of miner,&#8221; <a href="https://pirates-forum.org/Thread-TPB-Is-again-mining-crypto-currency-in-background?pid=234526#pid234526">he writes</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you are ever on TPB for more than 5 minutes or so you&#8217;re doing it wrong. And if you&#8217;re ever on TPB without an ad blocker you&#8217;re doing it doubly wrong.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="media/aa53f475.tpb-block-e1530537414225.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tpb-block-e1530537414225.png"><img src="media/aa53f475.tpb-block-e1530537414225.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tpb-block-e1530537414225.png" alt="" width="220" height="264" class="alignright size-full wp-image-158021"></a>While some ad-blockers can do the trick, dedicated coin mining blockers are available in the Chrome store, for example, which makes the process very easy indeed.</p>
<p>Knowledgeable users are also able to use such addons to whitelist sites they want to support.</p>
<p>The option to block TPB&#8217;s mining efforts was previously mentioned by the site&#8217;s operators in a <a href="https://thepiratebay.org/blog/242">blog post</a> but novice users are unlikely to understand what&#8217;s happening to their machines, let alone do anything about it.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158031
title: Article 13 Lobbying Efforts Clash Before Crucial Copyright Filters Vote
uri: Article-13-Lobbying-Efforts-Clash-Before-Crucial-Copyright-Filters-Vot
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/gkupoN4NMUY/
content:
<p><a href="media/6542fb40.eu-copyright.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/eu-copyright.jpg"><img src="media/19bd259d.eu-copyright.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/eu-copyright.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-136985"></a>Due to unlicensed copyrighted content being made available on YouTube and similar platforms, millions of citizens around the world are able to consume the same at rates close to free.</p>
<p>This, of course, is a situation that&#8217;s completely unacceptable to the content industries, the record labels in particular. While sites like YouTube compensate them for views of authorized content, the existence of unlicensed content uploaded by users means that the Google-owned video giant gains an unfair negotiating position, or so the claims go.</p>
<p>Soon, however, the labels hope that the free content ride will be over. In an attempt to plug the so-called &#8220;Value Gap&#8221;, they have lobbied strongly for new legislation (Article 13) that would see user-uploaded content platforms compelled to install filters to detect infringing content before it&#8217;s even made available to the public.</p>
<p>Two weeks ago, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliament (JURI) voted on Article 13. With a 15 to 10 majority, the proposal of Rapporteur Voss <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-parliament-committee-votes-in-favor-of-piracy-upload-filter-proposal-180620/">was adopted</a>. This means that the plans move ahead in their current form, despite massive and persistent public outcry.</p>
<p>This Thursday, a plenary vote on the JURI mandate will take place, so it&#8217;s no surprise that both sides of the debate are rallying to ensure that their voices are heard. In recent days, more than 80 creative sector groups and companies called on MEPs to support their position, that &#8220;<a href="http://impalamusic.org/content/creative-sector-call-uphold-mandate-copyright">playing fair</a>&#8221; is the only way forward.</p>
<p><center><strong>Billions and billions at stake&#8230;</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/36db834b.port-Mandate-Call-from-Cultural-Creative-S...-e1530603517509.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Copyright-Directive-Support-Mandate-Call-from-Cultural-Creative-S...-e1530603517509.jpg"><img src="media/36db834b.port-Mandate-Call-from-Cultural-Creative-S...-e1530603517509.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Copyright-Directive-Support-Mandate-Call-from-Cultural-Creative-S...-e1530603517509.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158043"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;We represent 4.5% of EU GDP and 12 million European jobs. We are the heart and soul of Europe’s plurality and rich identities. On July 5 we ask for you to back the mandate adopted by JURI on 20 June which is the result of long and intense negotiations,&#8221; they wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is a cynical campaign from tech companies flooding the inboxes of MEPs with scaremongering that the copyright directive would be the end of the internet. Please note that this is the 20th anniversary of their first claim that copyright provisions would break the internet. This has never happened. We need an Internet that is fair and sustainable for all.&#8221;</p>
<p>The signatories to the appeal represent countless multi-billion dollar companies whose interests will no doubt cause MEPs to sit up and listen. However, opponents of Article 13 are not sitting idly and hoping for the best. In an open letter published this week by <a href="http://copybuzz.com/copyright/over-145-organisations-oppose-juri-committee-negotiation-mandate/">Copybuzz</a>, more than 145 organizations hit back, warning MEPs that Article 13 represents a serious threat to online freedom.</p>
<p>Supported by groups including EFF, Creative Commons, COMMUNIA Association, Public Knowledge and Wikimedia, the letter highlights objections that the proposed legislation threatens innovation by making it more difficult for startups to go about their business without fear of litigation.</p>
<p>&#8220;We represent startups which generate 9.5% of total European GDP and 2.5% of the labour market. We are the innovators that have chosen to embrace the future digital enables rather than grasp at the past. We are the believers of healthy competition, where barriers to entry should not be raised by poorly thought through regulation, to the detriment of millions of European innovators,&#8221; they write.</p>
<p>&#8220;We represent human rights and digital rights who defend the core values of what has made the European Union’s democratic model thrive. We believe that our fundamental rights are priceless and we advocate for strong safeguards when fundamental rights are at risk, as in this case.</p>
<p>&#8220;By defending a democratic and open internet, we defend the same internet that allows human rights defenders to expose actions from oppressive governments and monopolies, while allowing a wide range of business models to enjoy their fundamental freedom to conduct a business.&#8221;</p>
<p>The groups warn that Article 13 poses a threat to education and access to information and will seriously damage the capacity to improve software via hubs that develop connected products.</p>
<p>&#8220;Because of all of the above, we urge you to vote for a public debate on the Directive and, therefore, against the negotiating mandate,&#8221; they conclude.</p>
<p>With the vote just two days away the pressure is likely to continue, with both sides digging in. At this stage there&#8217;s only one thing they can agree on &#8211; that the imposition of upload filters will change everything.</p>
<p>Who that will positively and negatively affect will be for history to decide.</p>
<p><em>The full letter can be found here <em>(<a href="media/de7d18e8.yright-Open-Letter-on-EP-Plenary-Vote-on-Negotiation-Mandate.pdf" data-original-source="http://copybuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Copyright-Open-Letter-on-EP-Plenary-Vote-on-Negotiation-Mandate.pdf">pdf</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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158090
title: Sony Blunders By Uploading Full Movie to YouTube Instead of Trailer
uri: Sony-Blunders-By-Uploading-Full-Movie-to-YouTube-Instead-of-Trailer
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/PQw1uPtMuvI/
content:
<p><a href="media/729747e2.facepalm.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/facepalm.jpg"><img src="media/50fb18c6.facepalm.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/facepalm.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="158" class="alignright size-full wp-image-127813"></a>YouTube is without doubt one of the best places to watch video online. The site is packed with unique content, much of it produced by members of the public, but it&#8217;s also populated with plenty of commercial material.</p>
<p>YouTube&#8217;s interface obviously lends itself particularly well to the promotion of video content itself, such as movies and TV shows. To this end companies regularly upload teasers and other promotional material, including clips and trailers for upcoming films. Sony Pictures makes use of this feature but today managed to get it all wrong.</p>
<p>Sometime in the past few hours, somebody at Sony attempted to upload the &#8216;official red band trailer&#8217; for its upcoming movie <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/khali_the_killer/">Khali the Killer</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;After deciding to retire, an East L.A. hit man decides to take one last job to help support his ailing grandmother&#8217;s end of life care. But everything falls apart, when he develops empathy for the targets of his hit, and he&#8217;s forced to make the toughest decision of his life,&#8221; the movie&#8217;s promo blurb reads.</p>
<p><center><strong>The trailer, just 1h 29m long&#8230;.wait&#8230;.</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/a95a623b.khali2-e1530627740857.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/khali2-e1530627740857.png"><img src="media/a95a623b.khali2-e1530627740857.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/khali2-e1530627740857.png" alt="" width="600" height="518" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158093"></a></center></p>
<p>We&#8217;ve picked a screenshot that doesn&#8217;t ruin the plot but as it clearly shows, this is no ordinary trailer. Weighing in at nearly 90 minutes it&#8217;s particularly long. In fact, it&#8217;s the entire movie &#8211; we checked.</p>
<p>When we started writing this article the movie had around 8,000 views. Just a few paragraphs later that had swelled to almost 11,000. However, while news may be traveling quickly, those numbers probably won&#8217;t reach epic levels anytime soon. </p>
<p>The movie has been out in other regions for some time already and if the 3.8 average <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4498760/">reviews on iMDb</a> are anything to go by, it&#8217;s a bit of a stinker.</p>
<p>As usual, the comments on YouTube are absolutely brutal. The section includes gems such as &#8220;Trailer gave the whole plot away. Pass,&#8221; &#8220;It&#8217;s just the trailer the whole movie will be 4 hours,&#8221; and the rather blunt &#8220;﻿Someone&#8217;s getting the sack﻿.&#8221;</p>
<p>There are, however, quite a few that suggest that the movie might benefit from the exposure, with a conspiracy theory thrown in here and there for good measure.</p>
<p>&#8220;Fact that they haven&#8217;t taken this down after 6 hours+. I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s really &#8216;accidental&#8217; but rather a smart marketing stunt. Internet is buzzing over a movie which otherwise wouldn&#8217;t have gotten this much attention on forums/social-media,&#8221; a YouTube user wrote.</p>
<p>﻿Time will tell whether that&#8217;s really the case but if it&#8217;s not, Sony has a problem on its hands.</p>
<p>YouTube videos are easily downloaded and TF has seen reports of several users doing just that. If these copies leak onto torrent sites, the genie will be properly out of the bottle. However, given the YouTube video is capped at 720p, there might be demand for a better quality version later on. Or maybe not.</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> Aaaaaaand, <a href="https://youtu.be/MB7GYzBLumY">it&#8217;s gone&#8230;..</a></p>
<p><center><a href="media/89e44ccb.khail-gone-e1530628630943.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/khail-gone-e1530628630943.png"><img src="media/89e44ccb.khail-gone-e1530628630943.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/khail-gone-e1530628630943.png" alt="" width="600" height="397" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158094"></a></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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158056
title: Filmmakers Settle Piracy Lawsuit With Dragon Box
uri: Filmmakers-Settle-Piracy-Lawsuit-With-Dragon-Box
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/gy9fUHtc9sE/
content:
<p><img src="media/8d62c520.dragonbox1-e1524745608776.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dragonbox1-e1524745608776.png" alt="" width="256" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-154859">Streaming set-top boxes have been selling like hot cakes over the past several years. </p>
<p>While these devices can be used to consume content legally, the entertainment industry also sees them as a potential threat. </p>
<p>For many copyright holders, the threat is viewed as a top enforcement priority, one that has already led to several arrests and lawsuits. <a href="http://www.thedragonbox.com/">Dragon Box</a> is one of the devices that got into legal trouble recently.</p>
<p>Dragon Media and two of its resellers in Hawaii were added <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-piracy-lawuit-morphs-into-attack-on-dragon-box-and-resellers-180428/">to a lawsuit</a> by the rightsholders of the films “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3522806/">Mechanic: Resurrection</a>” (ME2) and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4694544/">Once Upon a Time in Venice</a>.” This case started out as a &#8216;classic&#8217; BitTorrent piracy case but switched focus to the streaming box.</p>
<p>The complaint describes how the Dragon Box can be used to access copyrighted material, including the works of ME2 and Venice. The defendants were well aware of this, it argues, adding that the defendants promoted the box with terms hinting at infringing uses.</p>
<p>“Simply put, Dragon Box is intentionally inducing infringement. Plaintiffs respectfully request that the Court enter a preliminary injunction that requires the Dragon Box Defendants to halt their flagrantly illegal conduct immediately,” ME2 and Venice stated.</p>
<p>Dragon Box and its owner Paul Christoforo, as well as the resellers Naino Bettencourt and Jason Barnhart, who run “The Dragon Box Hawaii” and “JB Dragon Box-Hawaii Kai” respectively, all stood accused of contributory copyright infringement.</p>
<p>While copyright infringement cases can drag on for years, this lawsuit was resolved rather swiftly. </p>
<p>Yesterday, ME2 and Venice dismissed their claims against Dragon Media and its owner Paul Christoforo. The dismissal follows a settlement agreement by the parties involved, the terms of which have not been publicly released.</p>
<p>The two resellers also resolved their dispute with the filmmakers. Both Naino Bettencourt and Jason Barnhart reached a settlement and signed a consent judgment. The latter includes an injunction, preventing both from infringing any of ME2 and Venice&#8217;s works going forward. </p>
<p>Since the settlement agreements have not been published, we don&#8217;t know whether any compensation was paid. The injunction issued against defendant Barnhart does suggest, however, that the Dragon Boxes he sells will be &#8216;modified.&#8217;</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendant is ORDERED to refrain from directly or indirectly selling any of said streaming devices made by Defendant Dragon Media, Inc. including but not limited to the Dragon Box DB4 and the Dragon Box DB5 until notified by Plaintiffs&#8217; counsel that a software modification has been performed to said streaming devices.&#8221;</p>
<p>While this matter is now resolved, the trouble for Dragon Box is not over yet. After all, this isn’t the first lawsuit the company and its owner have been dragged into this year. </p>
<p>The company was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-amazon-and-hollywood-sue-kodi-powered-dragon-box-over-piracy-180111/">previously sued</a> by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), which represents several Hollywood studios, Netflix, and Amazon. That case is still ongoing.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>The stipulation for dismissal against Dragon Media and Paul Christoforo is available here (<a href="media/edf4ff11.culp.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/culp.pdf">pdf</a>). And here are the consent judgments of Naino Bettencourt (<a href="media/2aff8c58.consent.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/consent.pdf">pdf</a>) and Jason Barnhart (<a href="media/d42fb2b6.consent1.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/consent1.pdf">pdf</a>).</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158034
title: Eminem Rightsholders Want National Party to Pay More for Infringing Track
uri: Eminem-Rightsholders-Want-National-Party-to-Pay-More-for-Infringing-Tr
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/NBpaavEvbo8/
content:
<p><img src="media/4774df94.lose-yourself.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lose-yourself.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="175" class="alignright size-full wp-image-146294">While Kim Dotcom remains embroiled in the largest copyright battle New Zealand has ever seen, the country&#8217;s National Party is facing &#8216;infringement&#8217; problems of its own. </p>
<p>In 2014 Eminem&#8217;s publisher took the National Party <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kiwi-prime-ministers-party-sued-for-pirating-eminem-track-140916/">to court</a> over alleged copyright infringement of the rapper&#8217;s track Lose Yourself in an election campaign video. </p>
<p>At the time, the party was led by then Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key, who&#8217;s seen as Dotcom&#8217;s nemesis. In common with the Megaupload case, the dispute between the National Party and Eminem&#8217;s publishers is still dragging on. </p>
<p>The National Party didn&#8217;t simply use the song without paying for it. They actually sought professional advice before starting the campaign and licensed a track called <em>Eminem Esque</em>, which is the one they used in the ad.</p>
<p>The party hoped to avoid more expensive licensing fees by using the knock-off song, but the High Court previously ruled that the similarities between Lose Yourself and Eminem Esque are so significant that it breached copyright. </p>
<p>Last fall the Court ordered the National Party to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/lose-yourself-national-party-guilty-of-eminem-copyright-infringement-171025/">pay $600,000</a> for the copyright infringement, a number neither side is happy with.</p>
<p>During a hearing at the Court of Appeal in Wellington today, Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated, both copyright holders to the Eminem track, requested an increase in the damages amount. </p>
<p>Stuff <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/105127171/national-party-appeals-against-600000-damages-for-using-eminem-ripoff-music">reports</a> that, according to their lawyer Garry Williams, the compensation should be proper and fair. Since the track was used in a political campaign, the National Party should pay more, he argues.</p>
<p>The rightsholders&#8217; lawyer further noted that they previously denied the use of the track on a different political campaign, noting that a possible refusal to grant the license should increase the damages award.</p>
<p>While the Court increased the damages amount for political use, there was no concrete evidence the licenses for this type of use are higher.</p>
<p>For its part, the National Party argues that the $600,000 damages award should be lowered. While it was happy to license the knock-off song &#8216;Eminem Esque&#8217; for $5,000, this doesn&#8217;t mean it would have paid hundreds of thousands to license it.</p>
<p>In addition, the party sought advice from a licensing expert before using the track. If the damages stand, it will try to pass on liability to those involved in arranging the licensing deal.</p>
<p>The Court of Appeal will release its verdict at a later date. Eminem himself is not a party to the lawsuit.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>For those who are wondering if the music used in the National Party&#8217;s ad campaign is indeed similar to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYQQPAOz7Y">original Eminem track</a>, a copy is available below.</em></p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/470bdH73TUY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158125
title: Overall UK Piracy Figures Static But Music & TV Piracy Both Up
uri: Overall-UK-Piracy-Figures-Static-But-Music-TV-Piracy-Both-Up
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/zwhSLOSopko/
content:
<p><a href="media/a7e273b1.ukflagwallblocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ukflagwallblocked.jpg"><img src="media/579e4e24.ukflagwallblocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ukflagwallblocked.jpg" alt="" width="277" height="177" class="alignright size-full wp-image-154673"></a>For the past several years, the UK government has published <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hardcore-uk-pirates-dwindle-but-illegal-streaming-poses-new-threat-170707/">findings</a> from its Online Copyright Infringement (OCI) tracker, which measures the level of online copyright infringement carried out by people 12 years or older.</p>
<p>This morning the UK Intellectual Property Office published the eighth wave of research.</p>
<p><strong>Infringement levels</strong></p>
<p>The study found that 15% of UK Internet users aged 12+ (around 6.5 million people) consumed at least one item of online content illegally in the three month period to March 2018.</p>
<p>In common with previous years, the main content areas covered were music, film, TV, software, eBooks and video games. An additional category of &#8216;sports content&#8217; was added this time around, something which increased overall infringement by 0.9%.</p>
<p>First up, good news for the movie industry, with infringement levels among movie consumers down from 21% in 2017 to 19% in 2018.  Software enjoyed an even more impressive drop, from 26% last year to 20% in 2018. But for other sectors, the news isn&#8217;t so good.</p>
<p>Music, for example, is up one point in 2018 to 19%. TV shows increased by the same margin to 23%. Ebooks increased from 11% last year to 13% in 2018 with only videogames remaining static at 16%. New entrant &#8216;sports content&#8217; got its first reading, pegged at 21%</p>
<p><a href="media/366d6fbb.IPO1-e1530699943458.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/IPO1-e1530699943458.png"><img src="media/366d6fbb.IPO1-e1530699943458.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/IPO1-e1530699943458.png" alt="" width="600" height="252" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158126"></a></p>
<p>There was also a reported decline in the use of BitTorrent by infringers (from 11% of infringers in 2017 to 7% this year), while the use of Kodi remained relatively unchanged at around 12% of infringers.</p>
<p><strong>Who are the infringers?</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;Looking at infringers of any of the six key content types, those who downloaded or streamed/accessed content illegally were skewed towards those aged under 35 (making up 66% of all infringers). It was also slightly skewed towards men (58%),&#8221; the IPO reports.</p>
<p>In terms of movement, there is again good news and bad news.</p>
<p>In the younger age category spanning 12 to 15-year-olds, infringement was down from 25% in 2017 to 22% in 2018. Among 16 to 24-year-olds, there was also a decline, from 27% to 25%. However, letting the side down were those in the older group, whose infringing increased from 9% in 2017 to 12% in 2018.</p>
<p><strong>Reasons for infringement and deterrance</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;Reasons for infringing remained largely similar to those given in 2017. ‘Convenience’ (41%) drops slightly and is overtaken once again by ‘it is free’ (44%),&#8221; the IPO reports.</p>
<p>&#8220;‘It means I can try something before I buy it’ and ‘because I can’ see a further significant decline to 15% and 13% respectively.&#8221;</p>
<p>The top reasons cited by respondents for not infringing in future were &#8220;if legal services were cheaper&#8221; (22%) and, somewhat surprisingly, &#8220;if it was clearer what is legal and what isn&#8217;t&#8221; (21%). These were followed up with better legal availability of content (18%) and more timely delivery (16%).</p>
<p>Supporting similar conclusions in research elsewhere, the study found increasing use of premium legal services among infringers and non-infringers alike.</p>
<p>65% of those who consumed any of the six content types during the three-month sampling period paid for at least some of it, up from 60% in 2017. Contributing to that figure is the proportion of infringers who also use Netflix, for example, which increased from 29% in 2017 to 33% in 2018.</p>
<p>In common with previous years, only a small number of people declared that piracy is the only option for them. These &#8216;hardcore pirates&#8217; made up just one in ten of infringers.</p>
<p><strong>Overall digital content consumption</strong></p>
<p>When looking at all types of content consumption the survey found no significant shift, with 58% of respondents claiming to have done so in the sampling period, down slightly on 2017 levels.</p>
<p>&#8220;Despite no changes in the overall consumption level within the ‘past three months’, differences across content types can be seen,&#8221; the IPO notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Looking at the proportion of individuals consuming within our categories the streaming of films continues to rise significantly (from 26% to 28% in 2018). TV programmes, on the other hand saw a significant decrease in both downloading and streaming, leading to an overall decline in consumption.&#8221;</p>
<p>Also of interest is the shift towards premium services and how that has affected those available for free.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although usage of premium services like Netflix and Now TV have increased significantly, free services like BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub and All 4 have all declined, leading to a net reduction. YouTube continues to see increased usage overall with over half now using the service,&#8221; the report notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;The proportion of people who only consume free content continues to fall as more services move to premium models. This is an indication that people are chasing the best content and are willing to pay for ease of access to it.&#8221;</p>
<p>When looking at spending per consumer, the figures are largely the same, with £74 in 2018, down £1 on 2017&#8217;s level. This, the IPO concludes, could be down to the decline in physical content purchases and flat-rate subscription service use.</p>
<p>The report&#8217;s findings were cautiously welcomed by Sam Gyimah, Minister for IP.</p>
<p>&#8220;The variety of legitimate services now available to consumers is extraordinary and our world-leading creative industries have made great strides in meeting the demands of viewers and fans, so there really is no excuse for the ongoing use of illegal services,&#8221; Gyimah said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Today’s findings are a positive step forward in stamping out online copyright infringement, but we cannot afford to be complacent. We are committed to tackling piracy and helping this vibrant sector go from strength to strength through our Creative Industries Sector Deal, a major part of our modern Industrial Strategy.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>The survey, funded by the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and undertaken by Kantar Media, can be found <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-copyright-infringement-tracker-survey-8th-wave">here</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=153776
title: US Online Piracy Lawsuits Break Record Numbers
uri: US-Online-Piracy-Lawsuits-Break-Record-Numbers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/3u7_toy7rLA/
content:
<p><img src="media/17a592c8.trollsign.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/trollsign.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-108977">While the major entertainment conglomerates are mainly focusing on streaming piracy, the US courts are still overloaded with BitTorrent related lawsuits.</p>
<p>In Europe, there is a fair amount of pushback against these so-called &#8220;copyright trolling&#8221; efforts, even <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isp-piracy-extortion-letters-benefit-greedy-companies-not-poor-artists-180622/">from Internet providers</a>.</p>
<p>In the United States, however, they barely make the news anymore yet the number of lawsuits is steeply on the rise.</p>
<p>Data collected by TorrentFreak from court records all over the country shows that in the first half of the year, more than 1,700 separate lawsuits were filed. The majority of these cases list a single &#8216;John Doe&#8217; defendant.</p>
<p>This number is a significant jump compared to last year. According to <a href="https://lexmachina.com/lex-machina-q4-litigation-update/">Lex Machina</a>, there were 1,019 file-sharing cases filed in the United States in 2017, which has already been exceeded during the first six months of 2018.</p>
<p>In fact, the last quarter appears to have set a new record, with 1,011 new cases between April and June. This exceeds the previous record of 902 new cases, which dates back to the first quarter of 2015.</p>
<p>While the numbers are rising rapidly, these lawsuits are still driven by a few players, mainly from the adult industry. In fact, nearly all of the cases were filed by just two companies, Malibu Media and Strike 3 Holdings.</p>
<p>Malibu Media (X-Art) has been an <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/adult-movie-outfit-is-most-litigious-copyright-plaintiff-in-u-s-150812/">established player</a> in the area for a few years. It&#8217;s among the most active filers again this year, with 681 cases in the first six months. </p>
<p>There is, however,  a new contender for the crown. Strike 3 Holdings, which distributes its adult videos via the Blacked, Tushy, and Vixen websites, has filed 976 cases during the same period.</p>
<p>While Strike 3 Holdings is a relative newcomer, its cases follow a similar pattern. There are also clear links to Malibu Media, as one of the company’s former lawyers, Emilie Kennedy, now works as in-house counsel at Strike 3.</p>
<p><center><strong>A few cases from Strike 3 Holdings</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/3b243dc5.casesfiled.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/casesfiled.png" alt="" width="576" height="333" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-158114"></center></p>
<p>The only non-adult copyright holder that filed cases against alleged BitTorrent pirates was Bodyguard Productions. The company filed a few dozen cases against downloaders of The Hitman’s Bodyguard. These cases typically include a list of multiple &#8216;John Doe&#8217; defendants.</p>
<p>This means that the typical file-sharing lawsuits in the US are dominated by two adult entertainment companies, who together have filed more than half of all copyright lawsuits in the country this year. That&#8217;s including the non-filesharing cases.</p>
<p>The drastic rise in new lawsuits was already <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-online-piracy-lawsuits-skyrocket-in-the-new-year-180211/">noticeable</a> earlier this year. While it&#8217;s a significant change, the outcome of these lawsuits doesn&#8217;t change.</p>
<p>The ultimate goal still appears to be to identify the account holder of the suspected IP-address and settle the case out of court for a few hundred or thousands dollars. And judging from the influx of cases this year, this scheme is still rather lucrative.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158150
title: Kim Dotcom Loses Extradition Appeal, Will Take Case to Supreme Court
uri: Kim-Dotcom-Loses-Extradition-Appeal-Will-Take-Case-to-Supreme-Court
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/wM8phGDHLxc/
content:
<p><a href="media/a2a853ec.kim-court.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kim-court.jpg"><img src="media/2724d109.kim-court.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kim-court.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="172" class="alignright size-full wp-image-111200"></a>Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has suffered a major setback in his long-running battle with United States authorities over defunct file-sharing site Megaupload.</p>
<p>In a decision handed down this morning, New Zealand’s Court of Appeal ruled that he and three former colleagues &#8211; Matthias Ortmann, Bram van der Kolk and Finn Batato &#8211; are eligible for extradition to the United States to face a raft of charges including copyright infringement, money laundering, and racketeering.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are satisfied that New Zealand law permits extradition for copyright infringement in the circumstances of this case. That is so although we have held, contrary to previous authority, that double criminality is required in extradition between New Zealand and the United States. The appellants are accused of conduct that, if proved, would establish extradition offences in New Zealand law,&#8221; the ruling reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;Parliament has made a policy decision to protect copyright owners, conferring upon them the exclusive right to copy their works. A criminal offence is committed by anyone who knowingly possesses an infringing digital copy of a protected work in the course of business with a view to committing any act, such as online dissemination, that infringes the copyright.&#8221;</p>
<p>Megaupload was raided and shut down in 2012 following a joint operation between New Zealand and United States authorities. For the past six years, Dotcom has fought every detail of his case. With today&#8217;s ruling, the extradition process itself has already been analyzed and ruled upon by three different courts.</p>
<p>In a statement issued by Dotcom this morning, the entrepreneur expressed disappointment but again insisted that the fight is far from over.</p>
<p>&#8220;In its written judgment, the Court has decided not to record or engage with, our primary and strong submissions on why there was no criminal copyright infringement. At the hearing it did. This is obviously extremely disappointing,&#8221; he wrote.</p>
<p>Previously, the High Court agreed with the defense that Dotcom could not be extradited to the U.S. on copyright infringement offenses alone, as communication of copyrighted content to the public is not a criminal offense in New Zealand. However, in a ruling handed down last year, the judge framed the matter as fraud, an extraditable offense.</p>
<p>&#8220;If the Court of Appeal did accept we were right, as the High Court did, then the Court would need to find that the United States&#8217; case to extradite me fails. Our submissions on why that must follow are very strong and rely on international authority,&#8221; Dotcom said this morning.</p>
<p>The Megaupload founder has long insisted that a negative decision in his case would have wider implications than simply his extradition to the United States. He says that the Court&#8217;s ruling exposes local ISPs to criminal liability for the misuse of their services by users, something that was never intended under local law. But he warns that the battle will not end here.</p>
<p>&#8220;As people know, I am prepared to fight to get justice, whether it is for me or others. I will appeal to the Supreme Court. Just yesterday, the United States accepted that right exists,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;My legal team are confident that the Supreme Court will hear the appeal given there are such significant legal issues at stake. Many important cases in New Zealand are not won in the Court of Appeal, or in the Courts below, but are won when they reach the Supreme Court. My case will be one of those.&#8221;</p>
<p>Dotcom lawyer Ira Rothken took to Twitter to echo the words of his client.</p>
<p><center></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We are disappointed with today’s Judgment by the NZ Court of Appeal in the <a href="https://twitter.com/KimDotcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KimDotcom</a> case. We have now been to three courts each with a different legal analysis &#8211; one of which thought that there was no copyright infringement at all. We will seek review with the NZ Supreme Court.</p>
<p>&mdash; Ira Rothken (@rothken) <a href="https://twitter.com/rothken/status/1014648362706952192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>The decision handed down today does not attempt to determine the guilt of Dotcom and his co-defendants, simply that there is a &#8220;prima facie case to support the allegations that the appellants conspired to, and did, breach copyright wilfully and on a massive scale for commercial gain&#8221;.</p>
<p>If extradited to the United States, the quartet faces charges including copyright infringement, racketeering, and money laundering, which carry jail terms of up to 20 years.</p>
<p>The full decision can be found here <em>(<a href="media/34484781.Dotcom-Extradition-Decision.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Dotcom-Extradition-Decision.pdf">pdf</a>)</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158109
title: EU Parliament Sends ‘Upload Filters’ Back to the Drawing Board
uri: EU-Parliament-Sends-Upload-Filters-Back-to-the-Drawing-Board
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/oWNJlxFjp6s/
content:
<p><img src="media/19bd259d.eu-copyright.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/eu-copyright.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-136985">When the European Commission <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-proposes-mandatory-piracy-filters-for-online-services-160914/">announced</a> its plans to modernize EU copyright law two years ago, the public barely paid attention. This changed significantly in recent months. </p>
<p>Hundreds of thousands of people spoke out against Article 13, which imposes <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/judgment-day-nears-for-eus-piracy-filters-180604/">new restrictions</a> on online service providers. At the same time, many people in creative industries stressed the importance of the plans. </p>
<p>After the Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliament (JURI) <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-parliament-committee-votes-in-favor-of-piracy-upload-filter-proposal-180620/">adopted the proposals</a> last month the campaigns continued, targeting today&#8217;s plenary vote in the European Parliament. </p>
<p>Opponents pressed their representatives to open up the proposal for debate, so significant changes can be made. Supporters, for their part, urged Members of Parliament to keep things the way they are now.</p>
<p>This afternoon the plenary voted in opposition of the mandate, with 278 votes in favor and 318 against. </p>
<p><center><strong>The result</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/69bde4b6.plenaryvote.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/plenaryvote.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="397" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-158187"> </center></p>
<p>This means that the proposals, which were agreed on in the JURI committee, will be debated and voted on in Parliament next September where changes can be made to the current text.</p>
<p>&#8220;Great success: Your protests have worked! The European Parliament has sent the copyright law back to the drawing board,&#8221;  Pirate Party MEP Julia Reda <a href="https://twitter.com/Senficon/status/1014814460488413185">commented</a> on the outcome.</p>
<p>&#8220;Rather than proceeding directly to negotiations with the Council, the law will be re-opened for amendments and scheduled for a vote in the September plenary session,&#8221; she added.</p>
<p>It is worth noting that, while Article 13 is widely referred to as the &#8220;upload filter&#8221; plan, the word filter doesn&#8217;t appear anywhere in the full text of <a href="http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-8672-2018-INIT/en/pdf">the proposal</a>. </p>
<p>In short, the relevant text states that online services are liable for any uploaded content unless they take “effective and proportionate” action to prevent copyright infringements, identified by copyright holders. That also includes preventing these files from being reuploaded.</p>
<p>The latter implies some form of hash filtering and continuous monitoring of all user uploads. Several companies, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and YouTube already have these types of filters, but many others don’t.</p>
<p>Now that the plenary has voted against the mandate, the proposal and possible alternatives will be discussed in the European Parliament this coming September.</p>
<p>In addition to Article 13, there was also considerable pushback against Article 11, which is regularly referred to as the “link tax.” This article will be debated in Parliament.  </p>
<p>Today&#8217;s vote follows aggressive lobbying efforts from both sides. While the door to changes has been opened, copyright reform plans to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/article-13-lobbying-efforts-clash-before-crucial-copyright-filters-vote-180703/">bridge the &#8216;value gap&#8217;</a> are still on the table, so we can expect more campaigning during the weeks to come.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158178
title: Steal This Show S04E01: Building Botnets For Fun & Profit
uri: Steal-This-Show-S04E01-Building-Botnets-For-Fun-Profit
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/qnSpI4hmcAg/
content:
<p><img src="media/d01749d9.stslogo180.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/stslogo180.png" alt="stslogo180" width="180" height="180" class="alignright size-full wp-image-113928">In this episode we meet Abhishta, one of the authors of the paper &#8216;<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.10848">The Business Model Of A Botnet&#8217;</a>, from the University of Twente in The Netherlands.  </p>
<p>This fascinating research was widely discussed on release, at least partly due to its insights into the astonishing sums of money botnet operators are making &#8212; and how they&#8217;re doing it. </p>
<p>We sit down with Abhishta to discuss how Botnets are created, and the multiple ways they can be used to make profit for their operators; attacks on critical internet infrastructure like <a href="https://dyn.com/dns/">Dyn</a>; and the surprising actors behind some big DDOS attacks on banks in the Netherlands. </p>
<p>Abhishta fills us in on so-called &#8216;<a href="https://www.incapsula.com/ddos/booters-stressers-ddosers.html">stresser</a>&#8216; botnet operations like <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/tag/lizard-stresser/">Lizard Stresser</a>, a kind of rent-a-botnet model, and we consider the surprising accessibility of mother of all attacks: a DDOS against the internet itself &#8212; and how it could be used to net billions of dollars.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><a href="https://stealthisshow.com">Steal This Show</a> aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing copyright and file-sharing news. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary, and analysis. </p>
<p>The guests for our news discussions will vary, and we&#8217;ll aim to introduce voices from different backgrounds and persuasions. In addition to news, STS will also produce features interviewing some of the great innovators and minds. </p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Jamie King</p>
<p><strong>Guest:</strong> <a href="https://people.utwente.nl/s.abhishta?tab=about-me">Abhishta</a></p>
<p><center><iframe width="100%" height="180px" src="//stealthisshow.com/?lpe-frame=1&#038;lpe-season=4&#038;lpe-episode=01" 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 &#038; 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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158014
title: Court: Usenet Provider Can Be Held Liable for Pirating Users
uri: Court-Usenet-Provider-Can-Be-Held-Liable-for-Pirating-Users
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/LYl80_1_-Qw/
content:
<p><img src="media/339a2b57.usenext.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/usenext.png" alt="" width="203" height="92" class="alignright size-full wp-image-158208" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/usenext.png 203w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/usenext-200x92.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px">Many seasoned file-sharers, who&#8217;ve been around for a while, will recognize UseNeXT as a familiar brand. </p>
<p>The Usenet provider advertised its services on popular platforms in the past, including many torrent sites. These promotional efforts also drew the interest of rightsholders, but not in a good way.</p>
<p>In Germany, the local music rights group GEMA, which represents roughly 72,000 artists, took UseNeXT&#8217;s parent company Aviteo to court. The first request for an injunction dates back to December 2006, almost twelve years ago but, despite several judgments, the battle is not over yet.</p>
<p>GEMA does, however, get to celebrate another victory this week.</p>
<p>The Regional Court of Hamburg recently ruled that the service provider can be held liable if its business model promotes the upload and distribution of copyrighted content.</p>
<p>According to the court, Aviteo Ltd is liable for the copyright infringements committed by its users in this case, which means that it must pay damages to GEMA.</p>
<p>&#8220;The judgment is a groundbreaking success for all authors&#8221;, GEMA&#8217;s legal advisor Dr. Tobias Holzmüller <a href="https://www.presseportal.de/pm/35830/3985964
">comments</a> on the news. </p>
<p>&#8220;Online services like UseNeXT are primarily responsible and cannot hide behind legal privileges. The judges of the Hamburg Court have set an important precedent for claims for Internet piracy related damages.&#8221;</p>
<p>Traditionally speaking Usenet is a content-neutral system. However, providers such as UseNeXT offer specialized software that can make it easier for users to find specific content. If the software promotes infringement, a service can get in trouble. </p>
<p>According to GEMA, it is clear that UseNeXT went too far in this case. </p>
<p>&#8220;All in all, the offer is clearly geared to the download of works protected by copyright. This makes the services so lucrative for their operators,&#8221; the music rights group notes. </p>
<p>&#8220;The judges of the Hamburg Court clearly stated in their verdict that services whose business model is based on the illegal downloads of protected works owe rightsholders.&#8221;</p>
<p>Tarnkappe <a href="https://tarnkappe.info/gema-gewinnt-vor-lg-hamburg-gegen-usenext/">reports</a> that while the verdict is another setback for the Usenet provider, it can still be appealed and is not final. The scale of the damages amount has yet to be established as well. </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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158066
title: Latest Denuvo Anti-Piracy Protection Falls, Cracker ‘Voksi’ On Fire
uri: Latest-Denuvo-Anti-Piracy-Protection-Falls-Cracker-Voksi-On-Fir
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Odkyl0_q98E/
content:
<p><a href="media/05d838b7.denuvo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/denuvo.jpg"><img src="media/fe5f698e.denuvo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/denuvo.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="109" class="alignright size-full wp-image-116067"></a>After <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/assassins-creed-origin-drm-hammers-gamers-cpus-171030/">protecting</a> Assassins Creed Origin for the previous several months, earlier this year version 4.9 of the infamous Denuvo anti-tamper system was defeated by Italian cracking group CPY.</p>
<p>While all cracks of the tough and continuously developing Denuvo system are welcomed by pirate consumers, this one was particularly sweet, having also defeated Ubisoft’s decision to use VMProtect technology on top. Soon after, Bulgarian cracker Voksi, who previously defeated version 4, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/voksi-releases-detailed-denuvo-cracking-video-tutorial-180210/">released a video</a> showing how things were done.</p>
<p>Unlike CPY, Voksi is a rather more high-profile individual. While his true identity is known only to those closest to him, he has become somewhat of a folk hero on various cracking-focused forums, engaging in conversation with fans and discussing the latest developments.</p>
<p>This week, Voksi announced the passing of yet another milestone, one that&#8217;s bound to disappoint the people at Denuvo. After sinking endless hours into what he openly admits is a personal grudge against the company&#8217;s technology, Voksi revealed that its latest v4.9++ protection had fallen.</p>
<p>Speaking with TorrentFreak, Voksi says that after tackling previous versions, a little while back he began dissecting the newer 4.7/4.8 builds (not official Denuvo versions but a numbering system used by the cracking scene). </p>
<p>&#8220;Man, it seemed impossible back then. The obfuscation was insane, I had no idea what to do. So, over the next two months, with little breaks from time to time, I was analyzing exactly how [Denuvo] does those hardware checks,&#8221; he notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Then I tried my tricks for 4.7 on 4.8, but something wasn&#8217;t quite right. It was way more obfusticated and had some strange patterns and I couldn&#8217;t figure out why it was like that. Soon enough though in June things started to change.&#8221;</p>
<p>Voksi says that he tackled several games with test cracks, with variants working on older and newer CPU generations for most people. He then came up with a new theory but needed a game to test it on.</p>
<p>&#8220;So I downloaded Puyo Puyo Tetris. I thought &#8216;it&#8217;s small game, it&#8217;d be easier to analyze&#8217;, but oh no no,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;The game executable is 128MB big, of which just 5-6MB is the real game code. The rest of it is Denuvo. It&#8217;s the most bloated Denuvo I&#8217;ve ever seen.&#8221;</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Voksi got to work and built a crack and implemented patches (including his new code) based on the new theory. Twelve hours later there was something to celebrate, with a crack working for the vast majority (around 99%) of users. But that wouldn&#8217;t be the end of it, he promised.</p>
<p>True to his word, this week Voksi announced that he&#8217;d defeated the Denuvo protection on Injustice 2, something that was met with <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackWatch/comments/8uo16j/puyopuyotetrisvoksi/">jubilation</a> on Reddit&#8217;s /r/crackwatch sub. He informs TF that his new techniques delivered the goods once again.</p>
<p>&#8220;I cracked it the same way I cracked Puyo Puyo Tetris. I don&#8217;t want to get too technical, because I don&#8217;t want to give away my techniques, but I can say it&#8217;s not an easy task,&#8221; he says.</p>
<p>&#8220;I cracked Injustice 2 in 10 hours. The game has custom protection on top of Denuvo and some nice anti-debug features.&#8221;</p>
<p>What comes next for 21-year-old Voksi remains to be seen but given his determination, other games are probably being worked on right how. He says that several other titles use 4.9 or 4.9++ protection so it&#8217;s possible he&#8217;ll have more surprises in the days and weeks to come.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the end, it might take some more testing and test cracks, but I&#8217;m very happy to announce that I won&#8217;t stop until we are Denuvo Cancer Free from all games,&#8221; he 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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158205
title: Dish Sues New York Stores For Selling Pirate Streaming Boxes
uri: Dish-Sues-New-York-Stores-For-Selling-Pirate-Streaming-Boxes
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/hsog7dQlhTo/
content:
<p><img src="media/e2c24b4a.shavatv.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/shavatv.png" alt="" width="248" height="112" class="alignright size-full wp-image-158229">American satellite and broadcast provider Dish Network is continuing its legal battles against alleged pirate streaming services. </p>
<p>The company previously filed a lawsuit against the people behind TVAddons and the ZemTV Kodi addon, but it&#8217;s fighting on more fronts too. </p>
<p>The largest success thus far was its case against &#8220;Shava TV,&#8221; which was filed back in 2015. Last year this resulted in a $25,650,000 judgment in favor of Dish, but that didn&#8217;t mean that the problems were over. </p>
<p>Shava TV reportedly continued its business and despite a contempt order against the operators, as well as several domain seizures, the boxes are still widely available. Not just on the Internet, but also in bricks-and-mortar stores.</p>
<p>This prompted Dish to file a new lawsuit at a federal court in New York this week. This time, the company is targeting several dealers located in New York, as well as a distributor. </p>
<p>The complaint lists the New York stores &#8220;<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/101990892182889954621/photos/@40.7471617,-73.891349,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1">ABC Wireless NYC</a>,&#8221; and “ Family Phone” and accuses these of selling infringing Shava TV boxes. Goyal Group is accused of selling and distributing the boxes to various dealers.</p>
<p>&#8220;DISH sues for contributory copyright infringement because Defendants knew that Shava TV set-top boxes and service plans were providing access to television channels exclusively licensed to DISH and materially contributed to direct copyright infringement by Shava and persons purchasing Shava TV set-top boxes and services from Defendants,&#8221; the filing reads.</p>
<p>According to Dish, the defendants continued to sell and promote Shava TV despite multiple demands to cease the activity. This, despite the fact that a contempt order issued in the original Shava TV case specifically forbids them from doing so.</p>
<p>The <a href="media/f1a13e87.contempt.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/contempt.pdf">contempt order</a>, issued in February by US District Court Judge Thomas Ellis, enjoined several US dealers of Shava TV from engaging in infringing activities.</p>
<p><center><strong>Dish notified the defendants</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/72d939c6.dishnotified.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dishnotified.png" alt="" width="566" height="192" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-158236"></center></p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants actually know that the retransmission of the Protected Channels on the Shava TV service infringes DISH’s copyrights. Defendants disregarded DISH’s written demands [&#8230;] and the Contempt Order, and are continuing to distribute, sell, and promote Shava TV set-top boxes and services,&#8221; the complaint reads. </p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants did not acknowledge or respond to any of these written demands or the court orders, nor did they take any action to comply.&#8221;</p>
<p>The broadcast provider argues that the stores and the distributor are liable for contributory copyright infringement. Dish asks the court to issue an injunction to stop the infringing activity and requests statutory damages to compensate its losses.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A copy of Dish Network&#8217;s complaint against Goyal Group, Family Phone, ABC 1 NYC and ABC Wireless is available <a href="media/8f8d3c09.shavatv.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/shavatv.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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158091
title: Pirates Are Increasingly ‘Going Legal’ in France
uri: Pirates-Are-Increasingly-Going-Legal-in-France
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/G4Lydq9k6r0/
content:
<p><img src="media/43240eea.franceflag.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/franceflag.png" alt="" width="277" height="182" class="alignright size-full wp-image-131983">France has been fighting on the anti-piracy enforcement frontline for more than a decade now.</p>
<p>The country was the first to introduce a graduated response system, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/tag/hadopi/">Hadopi</a>, where Internet subscribers risked losing their Internet connections if they were caught sharing torrents repeatedly.</p>
<p>Today this approach is no longer as effective as it once was. The bulk of all online piracy has moved from P2P downloading to streaming, which isn&#8217;t traceable by anti-piracy watchdogs. </p>
<p>For this reason, the French Government is now considering to institute a national streaming site blacklist. Interestingly, however, it appears that even without such measures, online piracy is on the decline. </p>
<p>A new report published by consultancy firm EY <a href="https://www.ey.com/fr/fr/newsroom/news-releases/communique-de-presse-ey-piratage-de-contenus-audiovisuels-en-france">reveals</a> that the number of French pirates has dropped by 8%, from 11.6 million in 2016, to 10.6 million last year. The remaining pirates also downloaded and streamed less infringing content than the year before, with consumption dipping 4%. </p>
<p>Piracy predominantly affects the movie industry, with 94% admitting to downloading or streaming films. While that&#8217;s bad news for Hollywood, the report is not all doom and gloom. </p>
<p>In fact, it appears that pirates are increasingly &#8220;going legal.&#8221; This doesn&#8217;t mean that they have quit their copyright infringing habits completely, but they are more likely to pay for access too. </p>
<p>In the span of a year, the number of pirates without a video on demand subscription dropped by nearly 30%. The result is that more than half of all pirates also pay for a legal movie streaming service now. </p>
<p>EY further signals a significant drop in TV show piracy, which it links to the increasing popularity of paid streaming services. </p>
<p>“We see a significant drop in the pirating of series which is not without a link to the boom in SVoD platforms,” <a href="https://www.screendaily.com/news/film-and-tv-piracy-fell-in-france-in-2017-but-still-cost-country-12bn-says-study/5130583.article">ScreenDaly</a> quotes from the report. </p>
<p>Netflix is clearly leading the charge here. The streaming service saw a significant increase in pirate consumers last year.</p>
<p>“Netflix has managed to reel in pirate consumers who weren’t signed up with a legal service before. In 2017, there were 20% more pirate consumers paying for a Netflix subscription than the year before,” EY&#8217;s report states. </p>
<p>This suggests that the main goal of movie studios and other content providers is to make sure that their work is widely available on legal streaming platforms. Ideally, without any delays and at a reasonable price. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s not all roses, of course. The more than 10 million pirates that remain reportedly cause around 1.18 billion euros in losses, which translates to more than 100 euros per pirate. </p>
<p>That&#8217;s still quite a few extra Netflix subscriptions to go&#8230;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158144
title: Fake Kim Dotcom Twitter Accounts Still Scamming Cryptocurrency
uri: Fake-Kim-Dotcom-Twitter-Accounts-Still-Scamming-Cryptocurrency
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/qd9FYrOaFlw/
content:
<p><a href="media/9cdf1bfd.kimtwitterproof.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kimtwitterproof.jpg"><img src="media/17d2fe5a.kimtwitterproof-298x300.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kimtwitterproof-298x300.jpg" alt="" width="230" height="230" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-54926" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kimtwitterproof-150x150.jpg 150w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/kimtwitterproof.jpg 475w" sizes="(max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px"></a>For the past several years, Twitter has been the platform most used by Kim Dotcom to get his messages out to the public. </p>
<p>Whenever there&#8217;s been a development in his long-running case, Twitter is usually the first place to find up-to-date information.</p>
<p>With his larger-than-life persona, Kim has developed a huge following. He currently has more than 732,000 followers on his <a href="https://twitter.com/KimDotcom">official account</a>, something that hasn&#8217;t gone unnoticed by those looking to generate profit from his significant profile.</p>
<p>Kim&#8217;s tweets are regularly piggybacked by criminals seeking to trick the public into handing over cash. Exploiting a weakness in the way Twitter displays tweets and replies, they&#8217;re able to use fake accounts that look like his in order to promote their agenda.</p>
<p><center><strong>It begins with the real Kim but goes somewhere dark</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/6fdaaff8.kimscam-2.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kimscam-2.png"><img src="media/856082a3.kimscam-2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kimscam-2.png" alt="" width="598" height="1281" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158161"></a></center></p>
<p>As the image above shows, a genuine Tweet by Kim to his followers is followed by others which claim to be him giving away cryptocurrency. Upon closer inspection, however, it&#8217;s clear that while the names and images match, the underlying Twitter usernames are quite different. </p>
<p>This particular scam leads to a <a href="https://kimdotcomblog2.tumblr.com/">Tumblr blog</a> which has Kim&#8217;s name in the URL. For added credibility, it also adds a &#8216;Medium&#8217; logo at the top and a faked &#8220;13.2K&#8221; claps at the bottom. In the middle, the offer is made clear.</p>
<p>&#8220;It has been an exciting past year. Thanks to your support, I am giving away 10,000 Ethereum!&#8221; the fake Kim Dotcom writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;To identify your address, please send .5-10 ETH to the payment address and I will immediately send you 5-100 ETH back to the address you sent it from. If you are late, your ETH will be instantly returned.</p>
<p>&#8220;I know it has been a rough past few months for Cryptocurrency hodlers, but maybe this gift will cheer you up!&#8221;</p>
<p>Needless to say, the offer of free cryptocurrency is completely fake, with the scam designed to part Kim Dotcom fans from their money. For added effect, the blog post has plenty of comments (all fake of course) which falsely claim that ETH has been sent to &#8220;Kim&#8217;s account&#8221; and he has been kind enough to send plenty back for free.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/aea6c9e3.kim-fake-eth-e1530776462642.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kim-fake-eth-e1530776462642.png"><img src="media/aea6c9e3.kim-fake-eth-e1530776462642.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kim-fake-eth-e1530776462642.png" alt="" width="600" height="568" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158163"></a></center></p>
<p>With some fake users claiming to have received as much as 55 ETH from Kim (1 ETH is currently around $460.00) the temptation must be high to get involved. Rest (un)assured, there&#8217;s only one person getting rich from this scam.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, several groups have jumped aboard the gravy train. As can be seen from the image below, scammers are jumping on Kim&#8217;s recent tweets to promote their criminal activity in the hope that people hand over their hard-earned cash.</p>
<p><center><strong>Same scam, different presentation</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/93067871.kimscam-1.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kimscam-1.png"><img src="media/6b389acc.kimscam-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kimscam-1.png" alt="" width="600" height="1282" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158164"></a></center></p>
<p>These attempted scams aren&#8217;t new and have been going on for some time now. However, on the back of the news this week that Kim&#8217;s latest effort to avoid extradition to the United States <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-loses-extradition-appeal-will-take-case-to-supreme-court-180705/">has failed</a>, the scammers are jumping onto Kim&#8217;s posts and exposing thousands more visitors to fraud on a larger scale.</p>
<p>Thankfully, there&#8217;s some advice from the genuine Kim Dotcom on how to easily avoid online criminals exploiting his name.</p>
<p>&#8220;Unfortunately there are many fake Kim Dotcom accounts on Twitter offering free gifts and free crypto. Don’t fall for those scams. The only real Kim Dotcom account on Twitter is the one with the blue verification tick next to my name,&#8221; he previously <a href="https://twitter.com/kimdotcom/status/981225753688784896?lang=en-gb">explained</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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158115
title: Surprise! Pirate Sites Are Affected By Market Forces Too
uri: Surprise-Pirate-Sites-Are-Affected-By-Market-Forces-Too
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/x-xh1hvL7Og/
content:
<p><a href="media/5e1b7320.cash1.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cash1.jpg"><img src="media/c9e6482e.cash1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cash1.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="121" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24443"></a>Many moons ago, people started file-sharing sites for the simple purpose of sharing files with friends and other like-minded people. By volume, it was relatively rare for commercial interests to come first.</p>
<p>While a considerable number of smaller platforms will still fiercely protest their non-profit status if challenged, in 2018 there can be little doubt that generating revenue is the motivation behind the majority of public sites. The prevalence of ads and affiliate schemes is a testament to that.</p>
<p>Of course, sites don&#8217;t always start out this way. Many private torrent trackers, for example, were created with the intention of providing free, no-strings content for all. Some still achieve that today but the rising costs of running a site (including servers for hosting, proxying, seeding etc) can&#8217;t be ignored, not least since the rich benefactors of yesterday have mostly moved on.</p>
<p>To this end, most sites these days generate money in a number of visible ways, from ever-present ads and product affiliate schemes to &#8216;donation&#8217; models that are little more than disguised subscriptions. Others accept donations in the traditional sense, with a begging bowl handed round each time a server bill is due.</p>
<p>But what happens when the ends no longer meet? The users of two formerly &#8216;free&#8217; sites have been finding out recently. In a pair of monster discussion threads on Reddit (<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/8v2hw8/notorious_anime_streaming_site_kissanime_starts/">1</a>,<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/KissAnime/comments/8uycz1/admin_is_banning_users_who_are_blocking_ads/">2</a>), users of pirate anime site &#8216;Kissanime&#8217; complain that they&#8217;ve been completely banned from the video platform.</p>
<p>Their unforgivable crime? Ad-blocking.</p>
<p>Users say that all they did was visit the site with Adblock Plus or uBlock Origin enabled in their browser and the next thing they were given a ban. We jumped aboard and found ourselves greeted by the notice creating all the fuss.</p>
<p><center><strong>No ad-blocking allowed&#8230;</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/3f2ebe80.kissanime1-e1530695282936.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kissanime1-e1530695282936.png"><img src="media/3f2ebe80.kissanime1-e1530695282936.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kissanime1-e1530695282936.png" alt="" width="600" height="239" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158120"></a></center></p>
<p>It&#8217;s not as if users weren&#8217;t warned though. A notice published on the site&#8217;s main page informs members that running any kind of browser addon could mean ejection from video platform.</p>
<p>&#8220;Using any extensions/plugins on KissAnime could lead to errors/suspension,&#8221; it reads.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, plenty of people appear to have ignored the advice and have suffered the consequences as a result. For their part, the operators of the site seem completely unrepentant.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is no way to lift the ban at the moment, if you got banned, please disable those adblockers on kissanime, never turn it on kissanime again and wait. Or you could use other anime sites,&#8221; an admin announced on Discord.</p>
<p>The situation is an interesting one. Like most pirate sites, KissAnime has costs that have to be met by those visiting the site. Short of asking for a &#8220;donation&#8221;, these costs are currently met by advertising revenue. However, many users don&#8217;t want to be bombarded by advertising so they block the ads.</p>
<p>This means that all adblocking users become freeloaders and therefore a drain on the site. As far as the site&#8217;s health goes, there&#8217;s literally no point in them being there so they&#8217;re best removed from the community. It&#8217;s an ironic situation best appreciated by the anime producers themselves who are also trying to make a living.</p>
<p>That being said, not all people block ads out of malice towards the site. Some users <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/KissAnime/comments/8uycz1/admin_is_banning_users_who_are_blocking_ads/e1jaska/">complain</a> about porn ads corrupting their experience, so in response they block them all. Being selective is too laborious, they say.</p>
<p>For the site, a solution could be to remove the surprise porn ads. However, a source who asked to stay anonymous told TF that these sometimes offensive ads can be quite lucrative, hence the desire for them to stay visible.</p>
<p>But while one site decides to kick all of its adblocking users out for being a drain on resources, another has taken an even more radical approach to its making available of other people&#8217;s content.</p>
<p>FreeTutorials.us is a site that offers premium tutorials and other learning materials without permission from copyright holders. As its name suggests, it originally offered content for free.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, FreeTutorials.us <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/udemy-targets-pirate-site-giving-away-its-paid-courses-for-free-180129/">made the headlines</a> after being targeted in the courts by online learning platform Udemy, which took exception to its content appearing on the site for nothing.</p>
<p>In a subsequent interview with TF, the pirate site&#8217;s operator explained the motivation behind FreeTutorials (FTU) and affiliated site FreeCoursesOnline (FCO).</p>
<p>“We have been through that phase of life when we didn’t have enough money to buy books and get tuition or even apply for a good course that we always wanted to have, so FTU &#038; FCO are just our vision to provide Free Education For Everyone,&#8221; he explained.</p>
<p>While having the ability to learn for free is appreciated by millions the world over, for users of FreeTutorials the dream is now over. Last month and with little fanfare, free download buttons were replaced with something else entirely.</p>
<p><center><strong>Subscribe for free stuff</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/a5f7322a.freetutorials1-e1530697084579.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/freetutorials1-e1530697084579.png"><img src="media/a5f7322a.freetutorials1-e1530697084579.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/freetutorials1-e1530697084579.png" alt="" width="600" height="133" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158122"></a></center></p>
<p>There&#8217;s little doubt that the prices being charged are much lower than those officially available, something which probably prompted FreeTutorials to change its tagline to the current &#8216;Affordable Education For Everyone&#8217;.</p>
<p>On this basis alone they&#8217;re likely to retain visitors. Indeed, a look at their traffic stats for the past few weeks suggests that visitor numbers have remained stable. If this translates to sales, no one should expect &#8216;free tutorials&#8217; to return. Like free content, few people are turning down &#8216;free&#8217; money.</p>
<p>FreeTutorials&#8217; email addresses bounce so we can&#8217;t ask them why they shifted over to the pay model. However, one doesn&#8217;t have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce that in one way or another, a desire to make money is at the root of the change. Whether that&#8217;s simply to pay for hosting costs or to help cover living expenses is unknown and probably irrelevant.</p>
<p>The important thing is that whether it&#8217;s an enforced advertising model, donations, or a flat-out desire to charge money, pirate sites face similar commercial difficulties to those experienced by their legal counterparts. Everything costs money and needs to be paid for, and if the books don&#8217;t balance, that&#8217;s the end of the show.</p>
<p>Despite their differences, perhaps they&#8217;re quite similar after 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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158067
title: Movie Companies Drag Phone Store into Piracy ‘Recommendation’ Lawsuit
uri: Movie-Companies-Drag-Phone-Store-into-Piracy-Recommendation-Laws
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/CSRTDTpJBNs/
content:
<p><img src="media/b4938f45.victra.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/victra.png" alt="" width="209" height="89" class="alignright size-full wp-image-158166">The makers of the films &#8216;Mechanic: Resurrection&#8217; and &#8216;A Family Man&#8217; are not new to filing copyright infringement lawsuits. </p>
<p>They previously went after alleged BitTorrent pirates, ordering them to pay significant settlement fees or face legal repercussions. This so-called &#8220;copyright troll&#8221; approach worked well, but in Hawaii, they have expanded their reach. </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/phone-store-employee-sued-for-promoting-pirate-app-showbox-180523/">complaint filed </a>in May at the US District Court of Hawaii, ME2 Productions and Headhunter accused local resident Taylor Wolf, who works at the <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/photo/114841115963002322672/6561636778463769506">Verizon-branded</a> phone store Victra, of promoting Showbox and its infringing uses to a customer.</p>
<p>Showbox is a movie and TV-show streaming application that’s particularly popular among mobile Android users. The app is capable of streaming torrents and works on a wide variety of devices. The app can be used to pirate too, and that&#8217;s what the employee allegedly promoted. </p>
<p>This approach was already unique by itself, but in an amended complaint filed this week, the filmmakers go a step further. </p>
<p>Allegedly, other Victra employees encouraged Wolf to promote the Showbox app to drive up sales. This prompted the movie companies to add AKA Wireless and ABC Phones, which do business as Victra in Hawaii, according to the complaint.</p>
<p>&#8220;Upon information and belief, other employees of VICTRA informed First Defendant Wolf of Show Box and encouraged her to distribute and promote Show Box to customers in order to drive sales of telecommunication equipment, thus giving financial benefit to Second and Third Defendants,&#8221; the complaint reads.</p>
<p>This means that, in addition to suing the employee for contributory copyright infringement, the Victra store itself is also bing held vicariously liable for alleged copyright infringement.  </p>
<p>&#8220;The Second and Third Defendants are vicariously liable for the contributory copyright infringement of First Defendant Wolf, as First Defendant Wolf was acting within the scope of her employment when she committed the wrongful conduct..,&#8221; the complaint reads.</p>
<p>The Victra defendants had the right and the power to directly control the activities of the employee and received a direct financial benefit from the infringing activities, the filmmakers allege. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s quite an unusual approach, to say the least. </p>
<p>While the complaint didn&#8217;t mention how Wolf was identified, it&#8217;s likely the filmmakers first went after the customer in a traditional BitTorrent lawsuit, who then informed them about the Showbox recommendation.</p>
<p>After the movie studios found out that other employees were involved, the phone store was added to the lawsuit as well. That, conveniently, increases the chance for the movie studios to recoup their damages&#8230;</p>
<p><em>&#8212;<br>
A copy of the amended complaint is available <a href="media/455884ca.victracomplaint.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/victracomplaint.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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158287
title: Two Men Sentenced to Jail For Selling ‘Ooberstick’ Kodi Devices
uri: Two-Men-Sentenced-to-Jail-For-Selling-Ooberstick-Kodi-Devices
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/zVZNSmw18QU/
content:
<p><img src="media/7a229c62.ooberstick.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/ooberstick.jpg" width="237" height="147" class="alignright size-large">With the rise of programmable set-top boxes, companies have sprung up all over the UK to fulfil demand, with millions of devices now in the hands of the public.</p>
<p>Directed by Norfolk man Glenn Burrows, Ooberstick Ltd was incorporated in February 2016 and was set up to sell relatively expensive devices containing a custom build of Kodi and various addons. TF was previously informed these boxes were shipped out only partly configured, with customers required to complete the final install themselves.</p>
<p>A second company, Oober Media Ltd, was incorporated by Burrows during October 2016. Together with Oobersticks, the businesses amassed thousands of customers.</p>
<p>However, on Tuesday 13 December 2016, Burrows and business associate Darren Wicks of Wiltshire were arrested. A source who requested anonymity told TF that around six officers and a Sky representative were present during the 7:20am raid. </p>
<p>Both men were released on police bail with Burrows informing TF that he believed his business was legal.</p>
<p>“I was running a successful business which was both VAT registered in the U.K. and with Worldpay as my payment merchant. For me to get both of those, those parties have to be sure that what I was doing was legal,” he <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-arrest-man-for-selling-pirate-kodi-devices-161221/">said</a>.</p>
<p>Several months later, however, the position changed. On September 7, 2017, at Norwich Crown Court, Burrows pleaded guilty to intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offense, along with a money laundering offense. On May 17, 2018, at the same court, Darren Wicks pleaded guilty to intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offense.</p>
<p>Last Friday, both appeared before Norwich Crown Court for sentencing.</p>
<p><a href="media/1553c26e.glennburrows-e1531122352294.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/glennburrows-e1531122352294.png"><img src="media/1553c26e.glennburrows-e1531122352294.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/glennburrows-e1531122352294.png" alt="" width="230" height="143" class="alignright size-full wp-image-158301"></a>33-year-old Burrows (right) was sentenced to 22 months in prison on two counts to run concurrently.</p>
<p>He was also made subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order which prevents him from selling products online for five years. He&#8217;s now required to notify police of his online usernames and identities.</p>
<p>Wicks, 45, of Chippenham in Wiltshire, was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years. He must also carry out 250 hours of unpaid work.</p>
<p>&#8220;I hope these sentences send a clear message that the use of illicit streaming devices to watch content without the copyright owner&#8217;s permission is illegal,&#8221; says Detective Sergeant Samantha Shevlin of the Norfolk and Suffolk Police Cyber Crime Unit.</p>
<p>&#8220;The sale of these boxes has a huge effect on the content owners, broadcasters and the wider public who will end up paying the price for others&#8217; dishonesty. The message really is that simple &#8211; devices like this or using one at home to watch content you normally would pay for is breaking the law.”</p>
<p>A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing for Burrows will take place in due course. In the meantime, both of his companies have been resigned to history, with Ooberstick Ltd having been dissolved during January 2018 and Oober Media Ltd shut down in March 2018. Neither company ever filed any accounts.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JkJZX_Lyvgc" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158203
title: Court Orders PayPal to Restrain Pirate Site Funds
uri: Court-Orders-PayPal-to-Restrain-Pirate-Site-Funds
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/X0WVnCmuCPY/
content:
<p><img src="media/c579e316.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="210" class="alignright size-full wp-image-86520"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABS-CBN_(TV_network)">ABS-CBN</a>, the largest media and entertainment company in the Philippines, is continuing its legal campaign against pirate sites in the US.</p>
<p>The company has singled out dozens of streaming sites that offer access to ‘Pinoy’ content without permission, both in the US and abroad.</p>
<p>The company has already won several cases with damages ranging from a few hundred thousand to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-operator-slapped-10-million-damages-141030/">millions of dollars</a>. However, the associated injunctions in these cases are perhaps even more significant. </p>
<p>We previously covered how ABS-CBN managed to get court orders to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-domain-seizures-are-easy-in-the-united-states-150521/">seize domain names</a>, without the defendants getting actively involved. In another case, it expanded on this strategy by also going after <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/media-giant-can-keep-seized-ad-revenue-from-pirate-sites-180109/">advertising revenue</a>. </p>
<p>This is also the case in a recent lawsuit, where a Florida federal court signed a temporary restraining order targeting more than two dozen sites. However, ABS-CBN takes it up another notch, going after the bank accounts of the sites involved. </p>
<p>Last week Chief United States District Judge Kevin Michael Moore signed a temporary restraining order directed at 33 pirate sites. The targets are predominantly niche streaming sites specializing in Pinoy content, such as pinoy.live and pinoybay.se.</p>
<p>While these sites serve a relatively small audience, the restraining order has broad implications. </p>
<p>It orders domain registrars and registries to make the sites unavailable, for example. In addition, advertising networks are compelled to stop doing business with the sites and freeze any outstanding funds.</p>
<p>Finally, and that&#8217;s new, the restraining order also targets payment processors. The court specifically mentions PayPal, but the order applies to other payment processors, banks, escrow services, and/or money transmitters as well. </p>
<p>The court orders these companies to &#8220;&#8230;immediately identify and restrain all funds, as opposed to ongoing account activity, in the advertising or PayPal accounts related to Defendants, and their associated payment accounts and e-mail addresses&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p><center><strong>From the TRO</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/f9557a1b.orderpaypal.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/orderpaypal.png" alt="" width="587" height="406" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-158332"></center></p>
<p>The advertising companies, including Google&#8217;s Adsense, and the other companies such as PayPal also have to provide a detailed overview of the funds they hold for each of the respective sites.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the PayPal addresses were discovered through data provided by Cloudflare in response to a subpoena. The details of the relevant order are, unfortunately, being kept under seal. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s clear, however, that the media giant is using all the legal tools at its disposal to target these pirate sites. </p>
<p>The <a href="media/788a9aa4.ABS-CBN_Corporation_et_al_v_angprobinsyano1com.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ABS-CBN_Corporation_et_al_v_angprobinsyano1com.pdf">restraining order (pdf)</a> will remain in effect until the court rules on ABS-CBN&#8217;s motion for a preliminary injunction. Based on previous cases it&#8217;s likely that the measures will remain in effect. </p>
<p>At the time of writing, most of the targeted sites are still available, either on their original domain names or through a backup location.</p>
<p><center><strong>Some of the sites.</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/ec429909.targetdomains.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/targetdomains.png" alt="" width="598" height="398" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-158334"> </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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158294
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 07/09/18
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-07-09-18
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/3i1AsINJ9R0/
content:
<p><img src="media/3706bfaf.rampage.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rampage.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="187" class="alignright size-full wp-image-157577">This week we have three newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Rampage is the most downloaded movie.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-bittorrent-07-02-18/">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/tt2231461/">Rampage</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2231461/">6.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coOKvrsmQiI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/">Ready Player One</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSp1dM2Vj48&#038;t=2s">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6513656/">Escape Plan 2: Hades</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6513656/">3.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q7vVt-MeXk">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531344/">Blockers</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531344/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfFcaV5O7SU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6452574/">Sanju</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6452574/">8.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J76wN0TPI4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/">Avengers: Infinity War</a> (HDCam)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/">9.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwievZ1Tx-8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6644200/">A Quiet Place</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6644200/">7.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR7cc5t7tv8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5095030/">Ant-Man and the Wasp</a> (Cam)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5095030/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR7cc5t7tv8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0859635">Super Troopers 2</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0859635">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUkn-enk2RU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1365519/">Tomb Raider</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1365519/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOEHpkZCc1Y">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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158268
title: In World First, Danish Court Rules Stream-Ripping Site Illegal
uri: In-World-First-Danish-Court-Rules-Stream-Ripping-Site-Illegal
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/YWFeiFdpbNM/
content:
<p><a href="media/4c086293.background-3503420_1280-e1531207921189.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/background-3503420_1280-e1531207921189.jpg"><img src="media/4c086293.background-3503420_1280-e1531207921189.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/background-3503420_1280-e1531207921189.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-158359"></a>While millions of users still obtain pirate music from peer-to-peer platforms such as BitTorrent, in recent years a new challenge has appeared on the horizon.</p>
<p>Sites like YouTube, which offer millions of copies of almost every song imaginable, are now an unwitting player in the piracy ecosystem. Every day, countless people use special tools to extract music from video tracks before storing them on their local machines.</p>
<p>This so-called &#8216;stream-ripping&#8217; phenomenon is now cited as being one of the greatest piracy threats to the record labels but thus far, no single action has been able to stem the tide.</p>
<p>Over in Denmark, however, there has been a breakthrough of sorts following action by local anti-piracy outfit RightsAlliance taken on behalf of IFPI, collecting society <a href="https://www.koda.dk/eng">KODA</a>, the <a href="https://www.artisten.dk/">Danish Artist Union</a>, and the <a href="https://www.dmf.dk/om/english/">Danish Musicians Association</a>.</p>
<p>The action targeted <a href="http://convert2mp3.net/">Convert2MP3</a>, a site that allows users to download audio and video from platforms including YouTube. The recording industry groups wanted the stream-ripping platform blocked by Internet service providers in Denmark but first, they needed it to be declared illegal in the country. That decision came last week from a court in Frederiksberg.</p>
<p>&#8220;The result of the case is historic, as it is the first time worldwide that a stream-ripping service has been ordered to be blocked,&#8221; Rights Alliance said in a statement.</p>
<p>&#8220;It also proves that the activities of Rights Alliance are compliant with developments on the Internet, where illegal services constantly find new ways to exploit rights illegally. The case thus illustrates the importance of the technology-neutral approach in the Alliance&#8217;s blocking work.&#8221;</p>
<p>Rights Alliance Director Maria Fredenslund says that the ruling creates clarity for users, who until now may have considered that sites like Convert2MP3, which are used alongside digital platforms such as YouTube or Spotify&#8217;s free tier, operate legally.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is clear that you can quickly be cheated to believe that free music means that you have the right to do what you want,&#8221; Fredenslund says.</p>
<p>&#8220;The problem is that stream ripping services do not license the music from the rightholders, which therefore lose their business base. Therefore, we are very pleased that we now have confirmation that stream ripping is therefore illegal.&#8221; </p>
<p>Convert2MP3, which claims on its website to be based in Germany, did not respond to TorrentFreak&#8217;s request for comment. However, the decision against it has the potential to have wider implications across the region.</p>
<p>Back in 2016, YouTube-MP3, the world&#8217;s largest YouTube-ripping site (also based in Germany), was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-mp3-ripping-site-sued-by-ifpi-riaa-and-bpi-160926/">sued</a> in the United States by IFPI, RIAA, and BPI. However, that ended in a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-mp3-settles-with-riaa-site-will-shut-down-170904/">settlement agreement</a> rather than a full trial, so the case was never decided on the merits.</p>
<p>The decision of the Danish court against Convert2MP3 is likely to be referenced in future blocking cases around Europe, where stream-ripping is seen as a major threat to the recording industries and more serious than traditional peer-to-peer piracy.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158300
title: Swedish Court Sentences ‘Pirate’ IPTV Operators to Prison
uri: Swedish-Court-Sentences-Pirate-IPTV-Operators-to-Prison
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/O0es4hmwFF8/
content:
<p><img src="media/8a86db31.iptv.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/iptv.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="155" class="alignright size-full wp-image-135034">A decade ago online piracy was mostly a habit of downloaders. While online streaming did exist, watching pirate broadcasts live over the Internet was a rather cumbersome niche activity. </p>
<p>Nowadays, that&#8217;s no longer the case. Live streaming pirate broadcasts, especially of sports content, is more popular than ever. And with dedicated set-top boxes, it&#8217;s pretty easy too. </p>
<p>This has triggered a new wave of enforcement actions, one of which came to its conclusion in Sweden a few days ago. In a landmark ruling, the Stockholm Patent and Market court found three operators of the IPTV service Advanced TV Network (ATN) <a href="https://www.ncprotection.com/index.php/2018/07/03/landmark-ruling-by-swedish-court/">guilty of copyright infringement</a> and misuse of decoding information. </p>
<p>ATN&#8217;s owner Hamid al-Hamid, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. The owner&#8217;s son and another accomplice both received one-year prison sentences. In addition, they were ordered to pay over 209 million Swedish kroner ($24m) in damages to rightsholders, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sweden-copyright/arabic-internet-tv-firm-fined-24-million-for-sports-rights-piracy-idUSKBN1JU2CI">reports</a>.</p>
<p>The case was filed by the Qatari company beIN Sports and the Albanian TV group Digitalb, who accused ATN of rebroadcasting its channels without permission. With help from the local anti-piracy outfit Nordic Content Protection, it filed a complaint against the IPTV operator two years ago.</p>
<p>This lead to a police raid at ATN&#8217;s office in Malmo office in 2016, where roughly 20 police cars appeared at the premises. Three people were arrested and servers were seized, which caused the IPTV channels of tens of thousands of customers to go dark. </p>
<p>While the verdict makes it clear that ATN broke the law, the company wasn&#8217;t operating as a typical pirate site. In fact, up until the raid it had been a rather successful business.</p>
<p>Founded in 2008, ATN was a fast-growing business which had 25 employees and over 70,000 paying customers at its height. </p>
<p>The company&#8217;s ATN box listed more than a thousand channels which allowed customers to view foreign content without satellite dishes. It was targeted at Arabian customers in Sweden, but also attracted people from abroad. </p>
<p>ATN was properly incorporated, paid taxes, and filed annual reports. This revealed that the company generated nearly 60 million Swedish kroner ($7m) in 2013, with a healthy profit margin. </p>
<p>While business was booming, it quickly came to an end when the company was raided and dragged to court. ATN eventually had to close its doors for good and in September 2016 <a href="https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/skane/atn-i-konkurs">SVT</a> reported that the IPTV service had gone bankrupt. Two years later the three were sentenced.</p>
<p>“We are delighted that the Swedish courts have taken a strong stance against the industrial piracy perpetrated by ATN,&#8221; Anders Braf, CEO of Nordic Content Protection says, commenting on the outcome. </p>
<p>&#8220;The prison sentences and record fines handed down in this case send a clear message to broadcast pirates – the industry is taking action and we will use the full extent of the law to see offenders brought to justice.”</p>
<p>This is shared by Cameron Andrews, Senior Legal Counsel at beIN, who described the verdict as a significant victory in the fight against illegal TV pirates.</p>
<p>“TV pirates like ATN package hundreds, and often thousands of pirated television channels from around the world, and then make big money by selling subscriptions,&#8221; Andrews says.</p>
<p>&#8220;These businesses are parasites, making huge profits off the back of stolen content. The damages and prison sentences ordered by the Swedish court reflect the serious harm that piracy on this scale causes.&#8221; </p>
<p>While this is a clear victory for the copyright holders, the case is not over yet. At least two of the defendants, including ATN owner Hamid al-Hamid, intend to file an appeal.</p>
<p>Defense lawyer Jonas Nilsson previously stated that his client denied the criminal charges. In addition, a family member of ATN&#8217;s owner <a href="https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/skane/atn-tv-boxarna-fungerar-igen-inom-tio-dagar">said</a> that most of the channels were legally broadcasted.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the ATN brand is not gone. While the Swedish company is bankrupt, the foreign-operated <a href="https://atnnetwork.com/">ATN Networks</a> is around, listing Hamid al-Hamid <a href="https://www.pr.com/press-release/744454">as its CEO</a>. There&#8217;s also still an ATN <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Atnnetworktv/photos/pcb.1670735582950487/1670734879617224/?type=3&#038;theater">shop</a> in Malmo.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A copy of the court order is <a href="media/da0636c6.StockholmsBein.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/StockholmsBein.pdf">available here (Swedish 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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158396
title: ‘Pirate’ Kodi Boxes Breach Copyright But Seller Threatens to “Wipe Floor” With Sky
uri: Pirate-Kodi-Boxes-Breach-Copyright-But-Seller-Threatens-to-Wi
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/amRvlp3z3dw/
content:
<p><a href="media/b356fd08.kodi.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kodi.jpg"><img src="media/86968eca.kodi.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kodi.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" class="alignright size-full wp-image-106816"></a>In 2017, Sky TV launched legal action in New Zealand against two companies – Hamilton-based My Box and Christchurch company FibreTV NZ.</p>
<p>Both companies sold Kodi-based devices that were configured to receive copyrighted content, including that for which Sky TV holds the rights.</p>
<p>Last November, the Christchurch District Court handed down an interim injunction against  FibreTV based on the terms sought by Sky TV.  The broadcaster was also awarded costs.</p>
<p>&#8220;The distributors pay nothing to the creators of the movies, TV and sports content, and simply cream off their fee, often in the hundreds of dollars,&#8221; said Sky spokesperson Kirsty Way.</p>
<p>&#8220;The court will liaise with Sky and Fibre TV lawyers to allocate a fixture for the summary judgment application in 2018.&#8221;</p>
<p>There are two key points in the case against Fibre TV. </p>
<p>Firstly, whether the company&#8217;s marketing claims surrounding its devices&#8217; capabilities and legal status were misleading and deceptive, and secondly, whether the provision of addons that provide access to infringing content amounts to &#8220;authorization&#8221; under the Copyright Act 1994.</p>
<p>In an announcement this morning, Sky TV claimed victory against Fibre TV. The company said that the Christchurch District Court had determined that the company&#8217;s marketing had indeed been misleading. (An <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/5m1lrj/door_knockers_trying_to_sell_fibretv/">example</a> of how the company operated was reported on Reddit last year.)</p>
<p>Fibre TV advertised itself as having &#8220;all of the content with none of the fees,&#8221; something which Judge MacAskill found to be in breach of the Fair Trading Act. The Judge further ruled that the sale of these &#8220;pre-loaded&#8221; devices to the public amounted to copyright infringement.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is great to have this matter clarified, as we were concerned that New Zealanders were buying these boxes under the false impression that they were legitimate &#8211; it simply wasn&#8217;t true,&#8221; says Sky TV General Counsel Sophie Moloney.</p>
<p>&#8220;Piracy is an ongoing problem for everyone in the content and creative sectors. Recent research shows that almost a third of New Zealanders are pirating, some as regularly as weekly, with one in ten saying it&#8217;s the way they &#8216;normally&#8217; access content.&#8221;</p>
<p>According to Sky, around 100,000 Kiwis regularly use Kodi software to access TV, movies and sport without paying for that content. Some, the company says, have been duped into believing that is legal by companies including Fibre TV.</p>
<p>&#8220;[W]e just want to highlight to New Zealanders that &#8216;Kodi boxes&#8217; like the Fibre TV ones breach copyright and do not have a legitimate place in our market,&#8221; Sky concludes.</p>
<p>The Court will now decide what happens to Fibre TV and their devices but in the meantime, the company seems in no mood to play it calm.</p>
<p>A representative told Stuff that it was not aware of Judge MacAskill&#8217;s ruling and the company was still waiting on a court date. When that arrives, the spokesperson predicted that Sky would not prevail.</p>
<p>&#8220;We intend to wipe the floor with Sky TV,&#8221; the company said.</p>
<p>Back in April, My Box NZ, another company being sued by Sky for selling piracy-configured Kodi devices, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/under-fire-kodi-box-company-sold-to-chinese-investor-for-us8-82m-180426/">announced</a> that it had been sold to a Chinese investor.</p>
<p>The High Court is yet to rule in the MyBox matter, but it&#8217;s Sky&#8217;s position that since its action is against both My Box NZ and founder Krish Reddy, the case will continue.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158351
title: Warner Bros Presses Library to Rename ‘Harry Potter Festival’
uri: Warner-Bros-Presses-Library-to-Rename-Harry-Potter-Festival
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/JsqmWSqbBcg/
content:
<p><img src="media/30e5dd86.hpfestival.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hpfestival.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="248" class="alignright size-full wp-image-158371">Harry Potter is without a doubt one of the biggest entertainment brands in the world. </p>
<p>As a result, the various copyright holders are very protective of their asset, sometimes to the extreme.</p>
<p>For example, publisher Pottermore previously <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/harry-potter-publisher-goes-on-a-bizarre-anti-piracy-rampage-160414/">tried to censor</a> J.K. Rowling&#8217;s Wikipedia page, as well as several unrelated entries. While this may have been a mistake, other enforcement actions clearly arent. </p>
<p>When an underground restaurant tried to host a Halloween party with a Harry Potter theme a few years ago, Warner Bros. lawyers <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/warner-says-harry-potter-dinner-infringes-copyright-091026/">came knocking</a>. Trying to avoid trouble, the owner quickly changed the name of the event to the &#8216;Generic Wizard night.&#8217;</p>
<p>That Warner Bros. is protective of its Harry Potter rights also became clear in Denmark this week after a local festival was forced to change its name.</p>
<p>For more than a decade a local library in Odense has organized a Harry Potter festival, with great success. The non-profit event transformed from a small gathering of wizard enthusiasts to a festival with thousands of visitors. </p>
<p>While the library is proud of this achievement, Warner Bros. was growing more and more concerned.</p>
<p>Initially, the movie studio condoned the use of Harry Potter&#8217;s name, but this year that stopped being the case. Warner Bros. lawyers informed the festival that it could no longer use names and images related to the Harry Potter movies.</p>
<p>&#8220;Over the years, we have been in continuous dialogue with Warner Bros. Studios, which administer all rights regarding the Harry Potter universe,&#8221; says Kent Skov Andreasen, Head of Odense&#8217;s Libraries and Citizens&#8217; Service.</p>
<p>&#8220;The dialogue has been positive and we respect the fact that the company now estimates that the festival has reached a size and spread which means that they ask us to change the name moving forward.&#8221; </p>
<p>The name change has quite a few implications. For example, the festival&#8217;s original domain name <a href="http://harrypotterfestival.dk">harrypotterfestival.dk</a>, can no longer be used, and even the event&#8217;s Facebook page has been <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HarryPotterFestival/">pulled offline</a>. </p>
<p>As for the new name? The Library has picked &#8220;Magical Days in Odense&#8221; as the provisionary working title, but that might change going forward. The organizers don&#8217;t want to worry about copyright disputes, they just want to give children and their families a great time.</p>
<p>&#8220;We can continue but must call it something else. Whether it will be magical days or &#8216;the festival whose name cannot be mentioned&#8217;. We do not want to stop,&#8221; Søren Dahl Mortensen, project manager and librarian <a href="https://www.bt.dk/danmark/odenseansk-harry-potter-festival-maa-stoppe-efter-navneforbud">tells BT</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;There are many children who are sitting and wearing suits at home and really preparing themselves,&#8221; Mortensen adds.</p>
<p>While many of the festival visitors might not appreciate the name change, it is no surprise that Warner Bros. is protecting its brand. One non-profit festival is probably not a problem, but others may follow, which may ultimately compete with the studio&#8217;s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_in_amusement_parks">commercial ventures</a>. </p>
<p>More information about the upcoming <strike>Harry Potter</strike> Magical Days festival is available at the new non-infringing <a href="http://fb.me/magiskedageodense">Facebook page</a>, or at the new <a href="https://magiskedageodense.dk/">Potter-less domain name</a>. </p>
<p><center><strong>No Potter</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/9575cfd8.magifest.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/magifest.png" alt="" width="637" height="438" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-158384"></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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158375
title: Usenet Users Have Privacy Rights, But Pirates Can’t be Anonymous
uri: Usenet-Users-Have-Privacy-Rights-But-Pirates-Can-t-be-Anonymous
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/R-b0r4ZkHGo/
content:
<p><img src="media/0a6858fb.piratkeyb-e1476968827887.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/piratkeyb-e1476968827887.png" alt="" width="222" height="157" class="alignright size-full wp-image-108110">Dutch anti-piracy group BREIN has targeted pirates of all shapes and sizes over the past several years.</p>
<p>It’s also one of the few groups to systematically track copyright infringers on Usenet, which still has millions of frequent users.</p>
<p><a href="https://stichtingbrein.nl/">BREIN</a> sets its aim on prolific uploaders and other large-scale copyright infringers. After identifying its targets, it asks providers to reveal the personal details connected to the account.</p>
<p>Not all providers are eager to hand over this information. </p>
<p>This is also true for Newsconnection. The Usenet provider was previously ordered by a Dutch court to hand over the IP-addresses, payment information, name and email addresses of three of its users. However, the company appealed the verdict. </p>
<p>Newsconnection argued that, among other things, it doesn&#8217;t have direct access to the users&#8217; IP-addresses because it&#8217;s merely a reseller The company added that the relevant jurisprudence in this area doesn&#8217;t apply in this case, since the company operates as an intermediary. </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI:NL:GHSHE:2018:2824">verdict</a> issued this week, the Court of Appeal rejected these arguments. The Court stressed that it&#8217;s not impossible for the Usenet provider to get access to the information BREIN demands. </p>
<p>For example, Newsconnection can request IP-addresses of suspected pirates from its hosting provider. If a hosting provider refuses to hand over this information, then the Usenet provider can find another hosting partner that&#8217;s more cooperative.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the Court also states that, even though it&#8217;s a reseller, the Usenet provider must hand over the personal details it has on file for the alleged pirates BREIN identifies. This includes the user&#8217;s name and email address.</p>
<p>There is also some good news for Newsconnection and its users. BREIN requested the Usenet provider to organize its administration in such a way that it can identify users more easily while keeping more detailed personal information. The Court of Appeal argued that this goes too far as it might potentially violate the privacy of innocent customers.</p>
<p>The Court made it clear that Usenet users have a right to privacy. However, those who are suspected of copyright infringement can&#8217;t be anonymous. Tweakers <a href="https://tweakers.net/nieuws/140781/usenetprovider-hoeft-geen-uitgebreide-klantdata-te-bewaren-voor-stichting-brein.html">highlights</a> that the court specifically notes that BREIN&#8217;s rights to protect creators prevail over the anonymity of Usenet users.</p>
<p>During the appeal, BREIN suggested several steps Newsconnection should take to verify the accuracy of user data. The Court argued that it&#8217;s not up to BREIN to decide what steps the provider should take, but agreed that Newsconnection must take measures to ensure that the personal information provided by its users is verified. </p>
<p>&#8220;The intermediary must take measures to verify customer identity. BREIN cannot dictate what such measures are, the intermediary must decide that itself,&#8221; BREIN director Tim Kuik informs TorrentFreak. </p>
<p>&#8220;Also, the intermediary cannot hide behind dependency on a third party that is unwilling to cooperate. They must secure cooperation contractually or find another business partner,&#8221; Kuik adds.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to Newsconnection for a comment on the ruling but at the time of publication, we have yet to hear back.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158479
title: YouTube Launches “Copyright Match” Tool to Protect Initial Uploaders
uri: YouTube-Launches-Copyright-Match-Tool-to-Protect-Initial-Uploade
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/yf7-im6QniI/
content:
<p><a href="media/6c444aa6.youtubehappy.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/youtubehappy.png"><img src="media/0052363b.youtubehappy.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/youtubehappy.png" alt="" width="230" height="158" class="alignright size-full wp-image-130150"></a>Millions of YouTube channel operators use the platform to distribute their own creations, from their latest musical compositions, to tutorials, reviews, or news segments.</p>
<p>While most remain unique, many of the most popular creators are plagued by people who rip their content from the site before re-uploading it to their own YouTube channel. It&#8217;s a quick way of grabbing thousands of views with minimal effort while denying creators clicks that would otherwise generate them revenue.</p>
<p>With the vast majority of YouTube content available free to all, there are few excuses for this kind of behavior and for many of the larger channels, it&#8217;s become a real thorn in the side. Now, however, YouTube says it&#8217;s releasing its new &#8216;Copyright Match&#8217; tool to mitigate the problem.</p>
<p>&#8220;We know how frustrating it is when your content is uploaded to other channels without your permission and how time consuming it can be to manually search for these re-uploads,&#8221; says Fabio Magagna, Product Manager for the Copyright Match tool.</p>
<p>&#8220;We currently provide a number of ways for copyright owners to protect their work, but we’ve heard from creators that we should do more and we agree.&#8221;</p>
<p>Copyright Match, which uses similar technology to YouTube&#8217;s Content ID system, is designed to detect re-uploads of content to other channels. Once a user uploads a video, YouTube will scan subsequent uploads to see if they are the same or &#8220;very similar&#8221; to the original.</p>
<p>If a match is found, the original uploader will receive a notification in his or her YouTube panel which will give them several options.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/d00b33be.YouTube_Copycat_infographic_final-e1531382030897.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/YouTube_Copycat_infographic_final-e1531382030897.png"><img src="media/d00b33be.YouTube_Copycat_infographic_final-e1531382030897.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/YouTube_Copycat_infographic_final-e1531382030897.png" alt="" width="600" height="333" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158481"></a></center></p>
<p>The first option for a user with a &#8216;match&#8217; notification is to do nothing, something that may come in handy for someone who simply wants to spread a message as far and wide as possible.</p>
<p>The second possibility is to get in touch with the secondary uploader. This could lead to a productive discussion (such as a gentle request to remove the video, perhaps) or, quite possibly, something a little more aggressive.</p>
<p>Finally, users can simply ask that YouTube takes the video down, an option that comes with options of its own.</p>
<p>&#8220;When you request removal you can do so with or without a 7-day delay to allow the uploader to correct the issue themselves. Takedown requests will be reviewed to make sure they comply with YouTube’s copyright policies,&#8221; Magagna explains.</p>
<p>While YouTube will carry out its own checks, the company advises users to review each incidence of &#8216;<a href="https://youtube-creators.googleblog.com/2018/07/helping-creators-protect-their-content.html">Copyright Match</a>&#8216; to ensure that they do indeed own the rights to the matched content and that the copy infringes on their rights.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s important to note that in some cases, a match might not necessarily mean that an infringement has taken place.</p>
<p>&#8220;You should not file a copyright takedown request for content that you do not own exclusively, such as public domain content. You should also consider whether the matched content could be considered fair use or could be subject to some other exceptions to copyright and hence not require permission for reuse,&#8221; YouTube notes.</p>
<p>Magagna, who is also heavily involved with YouTube&#8217;s Content ID system, says that the Copyright Match tool will begin rolling out in the coming days to protect channels with substantial numbers of subscribers. Longer term, however, it should become available to all.</p>
<p>&#8220;Next week, we’ll start rolling this tool out to creators with more than 100k subscribers. As this is a powerful feature, we will monitor usage closely and will continue to expand over the coming months with the long-term goal of making it available to every creator in the YouTube Partner program,&#8221; Magagna 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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158434
title: Russia Adopts Draft to Prohibit ‘Piracy-Enabling’ Software
uri: Russia-Adopts-Draft-to-Prohibit-Piracy-Enabling-Software
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/H4V2RHEJqDg/
content:
<p><a href="media/1b97a33a.deniedblocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/deniedblocked.jpg"><img src="media/f6cbbbd7.deniedblocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/deniedblocked.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="199" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143825"></a>At the turn of the century, most online piracy was carried out using software applications. With their inbuilt search features, tools such as KaZaA and eDonkey were all the rage.</p>
<p>With the advent of BitTorrent, however, a dual approach was required. While the file transfers themselves still took place in torrent clients, the .torrent files (which contain instructions on where to obtain content) had to be downloaded from indexing sites such as The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>These days that same system is still used by millions but pure web-based streaming platforms are also extremely popular. Alongside, there&#8217;s also a huge selection of software applications, many of them designed for mobile devices, that either utilize existing web resources or have their own infrastructure to supply content.</p>
<p>Thus far, tackling these tools hasn&#8217;t proven easy. Kodi-based tools, Popcorn Time, Terrarium TV,  Showbox and many other platforms are still going great guns, despite several efforts to bring them down. Over in Russia, however, the authorities believe that new legislation will bring about the desired result.</p>
<p>This week the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, adopted in the first reading a draft law that will give authorities power to prohibit access to software applications through which pirated content is being distributed.</p>
<p>The draft is an amendment to anti-piracy legislation which currently refers to potentially infringing sites as &#8220;information resources&#8221;. The draft introduces the term &#8220;software application&#8221; which could refer to desktop software but is mainly directed at apps running on mobile devices including phones, tablets or set-top box variants.</p>
<p>The current draft envisions rightsholders filing complaints with telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor when copyright-infringing content is being made available through a particular piece of software. It&#8217;s then for Roscomnadzor to identify the owner of the software application and instruct him to remove the content in question. If that fails to take place, local ISPs will be ordered to render the software inaccessible.</p>
<p>While blocking regular websites isn&#8217;t particularly difficult, software applications present a much more challenging scenario, not least since they can be downloaded from thousands of websites and can change hands in seconds. They also tend to rely on several underlying systems, each with their own ranges of IP addresses that may, or may not, be exclusively used for illegal purposes.</p>
<p>All this means that the government is gearing up for what is likely to be a complex battle to block pirate applications. Only adding to the problems is the existence of applications that can be used to share copyrighted content but aren&#8217;t necessarily designed for that purpose. How these will be tackled will remain to be seen.</p>
<p>Ultimately the authorities understand how difficult and resource intensive this will be. Already there are calls for existing budgets to be boosted to accommodate the plans but currently, the draft contains no such guarantees.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158544
title: Anti-Piracy Group BREIN Plans to Target ‘Frequent’ Seeders
uri: Anti-Piracy-Group-BREIN-Plans-to-Target-Frequent-Seeders
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/bPt2_7EtznE/
content:
<p><img src="media/59d6682b.download-keyboard.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/download-keyboard.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="138" class="alignright size-full wp-image-73383">For many years, the Netherlands has been a relatively safe haven for online pirates.</p>
<p>Downloading movies without permission was not punishable by law, as long as it was for personal use. This changed in 2014 when the European Court of Justice spoke out against the tolerant stance.</p>
<p>In response, the Dutch Government quickly outlawed unauthorized downloading. However, breaking the habits of a large section of the population remains a challenge to date.</p>
<p>While local anti-piracy group BREIN has been very active in its enforcement actions, these only affect a small group of people. To expand its reach, the group previously <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/brein-threatens-pirates-with-high-fines-warns-vpn-users-160314/">obtained permission</a> from the Dutch Data Protection Authority to track and store the personal data of alleged BitTorrent pirates. </p>
<p>By using in-house software that automatically gathers IP-addresses of seeders, hundreds if not thousands of copyright infringers can be easily pinpointed.</p>
<p>Two years have passed since BREIN first announced this strategy, but thus far it has resulted in little action. According to BREIN director Tim Kuik, the plans were delayed until the EU&#8217;s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect.</p>
<p>However, the plans to go after pirates are still on. The group plans to target both initial uploaders as well as frequent seeders.</p>
<p>&#8220;The approach of the first and large uploader works well, but there is a larger group of users of file-sharing platforms that serve as a source,&#8221; Kuik tells <a href="https://tweakers.net/nieuws/140401/stichting-brein-breidt-aanpak-uit-naar-frequente-illegale-seeders.html">Tweakers</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;Because they make frequent use of it and remain active as a seeder, we believe that they play an essential role in maintaining the system.&#8221; </p>
<p>Kuik does not want to reveal details on how the system operates. As a result, it is not clear, for example, when exactly a BitTorrent user is considered to be a &#8216;frequent seeder.&#8217; </p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t want move ahead of things, but the system will take random samples within a certain period of time. When you rise to the top, you fall within the enforcement model,&#8221; Kuik notes.</p>
<p>The above suggests that BREIN is mostly interested in structural seeders who upload content for a longer period of time. That said, Dutch torrent users have more to fear than BREIN alone. </p>
<p>Movie distributor Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) also <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dutch-film-distributor-wins-right-to-chase-pirates-store-data-for-5-years-171208/">received permission</a> from the Data Protection Authority to monitor and track BitTorrent pirates. They are, perhaps, less likely to be reserved.   </p>
<p>When we reached out to the movie distributor a few weeks ago, the company indicated that it would release more news on its plans soon. Thus far, however, no start date has been announced. The same is true for BREIN. </p>
<p>While tracking IP-addresses of BitTorrent users is easy, contacting them might still prove to be a challenge. The rightsholders will require cooperation from the ISPs, or a court order to receive the personal details of the alleged infringers, to make their plan work. </p>
<p>And even then, they have to cross their fingers and hope that BitTorrent pirates don&#8217;t <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dutch-continue-to-curb-illegal-downloading-but-what-about-streaming-180222/">run to streaming services</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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158515
title: Mom’s Defense of “Cheating” Fortnite Kid Fails
uri: Mom-s-Defense-of-Cheating-Fortnite-Kid-Fails
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/h-avkuxQI-A/
content:
<p><img src="media/56a4e275.battlefortnite.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/battlefortnite.jpg" alt="" width="267" height="212" class="alignright size-full wp-image-145747">Last year Epic Games decided to take several Fortnite cheaters to court, accusing them of copyright infringement.</p>
<p>Several of these lawsuits have been settled but there is one that proved to be somewhat of a challenge. </p>
<p>One of the alleged cheaters turned out to be a minor, who&#8217;s now referred to by his initials C.R. in the Carolina District Court. The game publisher wasn&#8217;t aware of this when it filed the lawsuit, but the kid&#8217;s mother let the company know, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mom-defends-14-year-old-fortnite-cheater-in-court-171125/">loud and clear</a>.</p>
<p>“This company is in the process of attempting to sue a 14-year-old child,” the mother informed the Court last fall.</p>
<p>Among other defenses, the mother highlighted that the EULA, which the game publisher relies heavily upon in the complaint, isn’t legally binding. The EULA states that minors require permission from a parent or legal guardian, which was not the case here.</p>
<p>“Please note parental consent was not issued to [my son] to play this free game produced by Epic Games, INC,” the mother wrote in her letter.</p>
<p>After this letter, things went quiet. Epic managed to locate and serve the defendant with <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/epic-games-uses-private-investigators-to-locate-cheaters-180218/">help from a private investigator</a>, but no official response to the complaint was filed. This eventually prompted Epic to request an entry of default. </p>
<p>However, the court wouldn&#8217;t allow Epic to win this battle without a fight. Instead, it ruled that the mother&#8217;s letter should be seen as a motion to dismiss the case, to see if there were grounds to rule in her son&#8217;s favor.</p>
<p>This compelled Epic Games to respond to the mother&#8217;s letter in court. According to the game developer, most of the mother’s arguments failed to state a claim and were therefore irrelevant.</p>
<p>The only remaining issue was the lack of parental consent when C.R. agreed to the EULA and the Terms. However, in its response Epic Games pointed to jurisprudence, arguing that minors can&#8217;t void contractual obligations while keeping the benefits of the same contract.</p>
<p>This week US District Court Judge Malcolm Howard ruled on whether the case should be dismissed or not. </p>
<p>According to the rules, a court has to view a motion to dismiss in the light most favorable to the accuser, which is Epic Games. After a careful review of the mother&#8217;s letter, Judge Howard concludes that it&#8217;s not enough to drop the lawsuit. </p>
<p>&#8220;As detailed in plaintiff&#8217;s response memorandum, defendant has not shown that the complaint fails to allege sufficient facts to state a claim for relief that is plausible on its face,&#8221; </p>
<p>&#8220;[T]herefore, in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, plaintiff has stated a plausible claim, and the motion to dismiss must be denied.&#8221;</p>
<p>The accused cheater now has two weeks to file a formal response to the complaint. If that doesn&#8217;t happen, Epic Games is likely to ask for a default judgment. </p>
<p>Based on previous cases, the game publisher is not likely to demand a high damages claim. Instead, its main goal appears to be to stop the cheaters&#8217; infringing activities, and prevent others from doing the same. </p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A copy of US District Court Judge Malcolm Howard order on the motion to dismiss is available here.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158453
title: Anti-Piracy Portal Blocked Due to Alleged Phishing & Malware
uri: Anti-Piracy-Portal-Blocked-Due-to-Alleged-Phishing-Malware
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/zKRQxx9DEKs/
content:
<p><a href="media/3a0aa598.getitrightlogo.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightlogo.png"><img src="media/28f506b0.getitrightlogo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightlogo.png" alt="" width="225" height="237" class="alignright size-full wp-image-134206"></a>After years of negotiations, last year UK ISPs began <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-piracy-warnings-coming-month-heres-works-170111/">sending out piracy warning</a>s to subscribers whose accounts are used to share copyright-infringing material.</p>
<p>The warning notices, sent out by ISPs including BT, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Sky, politely inform account holders that their connections have been monitored sharing movies, music, TV shows and other content.</p>
<p>The notices are purely educational and no further threats are attached, a welcome approach to what can often be a difficult situation for both entertainment groups and the public.</p>
<p>This week, however, a reader sent us a warning he&#8217;d received from Virgin Media (redacted and truncated version below) which ended up piquing our interest.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/cef4bfd4.getitrightwarning.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightwarning.png"><img src="media/914baff7.getitrightwarning.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightwarning.png" alt="" width="600" height="565" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158454"></a></center></p>
<p>The notice itself is pretty standard and advises the recipient to visit the Get it Right From a Genuine Site educational portal for more information. The recipient tried to do just that, following the hyperlink in the email. Unfortunately, things didn&#8217;t go to plan.</p>
<p>As seen from the image below, AVG immediately threw up a warning, advising the user to stay away from the site due to suspected malware.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/d8b82f81.getitrightavg-e1531387941335.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightavg-e1531387941335.png"><img src="media/d8b82f81.getitrightavg-e1531387941335.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightavg-e1531387941335.png" alt="" width="600" height="373" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158486"></a></center></p>
<p>Using a machine protected with Avast anti-virus, TorrentFreak followed the same procedure by clicking the hyperlink in the anti-piracy notice email and attempting to reach the GetitRight campaign site. We had broadly the same level of success.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/f71494fa.getitrightmalware1-e1531330284150.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightmalware1-e1531330284150.png"><img src="media/f71494fa.getitrightmalware1-e1531330284150.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightmalware1-e1531330284150.png" alt="" width="600" height="629" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158455"></a></center></p>
<p>Strangely, none of this came as a surprise to us because this isn&#8217;t the first time that there&#8217;s been a malware warning on the Get it Right domain.</p>
<p>Back in April, TorrentFreak discovered that the Get it Right site was being flagged as dangerous by several anti-piracy vendors. However, rather than expose people to a potentially dangerous situation (or cause unnecessary alarm), we took the decision to report the problems to an organization connected to Creative Content UK, the campaign behind the Get it Right site.</p>
<p>At the time we were told it was probably just a technical glitch and we were told it was being looked at. But now, several months later, things don&#8217;t seem to be any better and with letter recipients now experiencing the same problems, the issue is now known to the public.</p>
<p>The image below is from VirusTotal, which presents results from many anti-virus vendors. While most results are clear, it displays several serious warnings at the top of the list in addition to the issues we know exist with both AVG and Avast.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/5df4534f.getitrightmalwaretotal-e1531330944731.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightmalwaretotal-e1531330944731.png"><img src="media/5df4534f.getitrightmalwaretotal-e1531330944731.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightmalwaretotal-e1531330944731.png" alt="" width="600" height="505" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158456"></a></center></p>
<p>Precisely what the problem is here we don&#8217;t know. Visiting both http and https variants of the site produce malware warnings and there are even problems when trying to access the domain from third-party services.</p>
<p>For example, on the left-hand side of the <a href="https://twitter.com/GetItRight/">Get it Right campaign&#8217;s Twitter account</a>, one can find the usual information, including a summary of what the project is all about, where it&#8217;s located, and details of its website.</p>
<p>However, when clicking the link to access the campaign&#8217;s URL, Twitter steps in and prevents visitors from going any further.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/68c2ece4.getitrightmalware2-e1531331262409.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightmalware2-e1531331262409.png"><img src="media/68c2ece4.getitrightmalware2-e1531331262409.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/getitrightmalware2-e1531331262409.png" alt="" width="600" height="432" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158457"></a></center></p>
<p>Twitter&#8217;s warnings, that the site could &#8220;steal your password or other personal information&#8221; or install &#8220;malicious software programs on your computer&#8221;, hardly inspires confidence in those seeking advice about how not to pirate in the future. Somewhat ironically, it&#8217;s the kind of warning pirates are often told to expect on pirate sites. </p>
<p>As noted earlier, TF previously reported a security problem with the site several months ago but since such a long time has passed with no apparent action, mentioning it more openly will hopefully spring the campaign&#8217;s security people into clearing up the confusion.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158386
title: Rightscorp Prompted The RIAA to Sue Internet Provider
uri: Rightscorp-Prompted-The-RIAA-to-Sue-Internet-Provider
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/7w41pM-iuyw/
content:
<p><img src="media/588e6a11.rightscorplogo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rightscorplogo.png" alt="" width="250" height="147" class="alignright size-full wp-image-158414" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rightscorplogo.png 250w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/rightscorplogo-220x130.png 220w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px">Two years ago, several major record labels <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isp-books-partial-victory-against-riaa-in-piracy-lawsuit-180405/">filed a lawsuit</a> against Internet provider Grande Communications.</p>
<p>The labels argued that the ISP&#8217;s subscribers engaged in more than a million BitTorrent-based infringements, yet it took &#8220;no meaningful action to discourage this continuing theft.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the RIAA is not a party to the case, on paper at least, the music group&#8217;s lawyers are closely involved in the matter. From the earliest stage, it provided the labels with legal assistance.</p>
<p>That said, filing a lawsuit against the Internet provider was not the RIAA&#8217;s idea originally. It was brought to their attention by none other than the piracy-settlement outfit <a href="https://www.rightscorp.com/">Rightscorp</a>. </p>
<p>In fact, the RIAA wasn&#8217;t even aware of any of the copyright infringement allegations before Rightscorp alerted the group. </p>
<p>This was revealed by the RIAA itself in a recent court filing, where the music group objects to handing over information regarding certain communications it had with Rightscorp.</p>
<p>&#8220;RIAA first learned of Defendants’ misconduct when Rightscorp approached RIAA in January 2016 regarding potential litigation arising from evidence of copyright infringement by Grande’s subscribers,&#8221; the RIAA writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;RIAA, on Plaintiffs’ behalf, retained Rightscorp as a litigation consultant with respect to Grande’s subscribers’ online infringement of Plaintiffs’ works, and that engagement resulted in the filing of this lawsuit.&#8221; </p>
<p>Rightscorp&#8217;s consulting in anticipation of the lawsuit wasn&#8217;t cheap. We previously revealed that the RIAA paid <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-riaa-is-now-copyright-troll-rightscorps-biggest-customer-170424/">over $300,000</a> to the company in 2016, which represented approximately 44% of its total revenue for that year.</p>
<p>At the time it wasn&#8217;t clear what this money was for. However, the RIAA&#8217;s new filing shows that Rightcorp helped the music group and its members to carve out their legal strategy.</p>
<p>&#8220;RIAA’s considerations that led to the engagement of Rightscorp and the filing of this lawsuit were legal strategy; and RIAA’s communications with Plaintiffs and Rightscorp involved counsel and were for the purpose of rendering legal advice about, and in anticipation of, potential litigation against Defendants.&#8221; </p>
<p>These details are made public now because the ISP has also taken an interest in the collaboration. As part of the ongoing discovery process in the case, Grande has requested testimony on the communications between Rightscorp, the RIAA, and the labels. </p>
<p>The RIAA, however, believes that these and other requests go too far. </p>
<p>For one, the music group argues that its communications with Rightscorp are protected under the &#8220;common interest privilege,&#8221; which can cover communications between parties with a common legal interest. </p>
<p>In addition, it argues that the communications among the RIAA, the labels, and Rightscorp are protected work. This can prohibit the discovery of material prepared, by or for an attorney, in preparation of litigation.</p>
<p>The RIAA also objects to several other testimony requests, including information regarding its business with anti-piracy outfit MarkMonitor, and the technical functionality of Rightscorp’s online infringement detection system. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s now up to the court to decide how much information the RIAA must disclose. However, we already know a bit more about how the lawsuit got started, which makes it clear that Rightscorp, which also provides crucial evidence for the lawsuit, was not just a bystander. </p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A copy of RIAA&#8217;s motion for a protective order is available <a href="media/e91eaff6.riaalimit.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/riaalimit.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/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158421
title: Suffocating Financial Power Means Mismatches in Copyright Cases
uri: Suffocating-Financial-Power-Means-Mismatches-in-Copyright-Cases
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/feA1LhICJ90/
content:
<p><a href="media/5e1b7320.cash1.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cash1.jpg"><img src="media/c9e6482e.cash1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cash1.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="121" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24443"></a>Entrepreneurs on the Internet face risks that are in many ways the same as those operating in the physical realm. All have to find a suitable market while combining hard work, skill, and elements of luck to create a sustainable and profitable business model.</p>
<p>While there are plenty of opportunities out there to do things that other people have already done, the online world presents a whole raft of new possibilities to build projects in areas where few &#8211; if any &#8211; have trod before.</p>
<p>Take for instance Megaupload, the file-hosting site created by Kim Dotcom, which initially tried to solve the problem of sending files that were too big to email. Or TVAddons, the portal created by Canadian Adam Lackman, that set out to become the world&#8217;s leading repository of third-party Kodi media player addons.</p>
<p>Both businesses thrived for many years, working within <em>what they believed</em> to be the parameters of the law.</p>
<p>In Megaupload&#8217;s case, taking down content when asked to do so and working with copyright holders to ensure a smooth relationship. In TVAddons case, never hosting or linking to copyrighted content at all and never responding to copyright complaints &#8211; because none were ever received.</p>
<p>Now, however, both companies are resigned to history. Megaupload was shut down in 2012 and TVAddons (in its original form) was shuttered in 2017. While the force used against both has been documented in detail (few need to be reminded of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMas0tWc0sg">helicopters and armed police</a> in Dotcom&#8217;s case or the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-returns-ugly-war-canadian-telcos-kodi-addons-170801/">specialist warrant</a> used against Lackman) both have faced an onslaught of legal action.</p>
<p>Last week, Dotcom revealed that in the 2,375 days since the raid and after reporting for bail 670 times and appearing in court for 165 days, he has spent <a href="https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/1014465921946083328">$40 million on legal fees</a>.</p>
<p>Quite clearly Kim Dotcom is no ordinary person. Conjuring up $40m in legal fees is an astonishing feat, not least since the man was supposedly near destitute just a few short years ago.</p>
<p>But despite spending dangerously close to six whole months in court and more money than most of us could hope to see in several lifetimes, Dotcom is no closer to finding out whether his Megaupload operation was legal or not. Most proceedings thus far have dealt with how his case was (often wrongly) handled in New Zealand and whether or not he should be extradited to the United States.</p>
<p>Letting that sink in, the legality of Megaupload and the actions of its operators is yet to be determined on the merits, yet Dotcom has already spent $40m defending his corner. Whether you support the man or not, whether you believe Megaupload was brilliant innovation or the epitome of infringement, the numbers are staggering and are as far away from a reasonable fight as one can imagine.</p>
<p>Granted, someone with fewer abilities and resources than Dotcom would have been shipped off to the U.S. years ago where the case would&#8217;ve been decided much more cheaply. However, that would&#8217;ve been done under a system that tends to listen to arguments more closely when they&#8217;re made by defendants with huge financial resources.</p>
<p>That status certainly isn&#8217;t a good fit for TVAddons founder Adam Lackman who, unlike Dotcom, doesn&#8217;t appear to have the ability to conjure up millions of dollars to pay his lawyers.</p>
<p>On numerous occasions over the past 12 months, Lackman has turned to users of the now reborn TVAddons to ask for their financial support to help fight his case against the largest telecoms companies in Canada. He&#8217;s currently <a href="https://www.tvaddons.co/save-tv-addons/">asking for their help again</a> to raise CAD$55,000+ that must be paid to the plaintiffs in his case after he contested a search warrant.</p>
<p>Bailiffs have already <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-telco-bailiffs-enter-operators-home-over-unpaid-attorneys-fees-180614/">been to Lackman&#8217;s home</a> trying to recover the cash (or goods) but left when they could find little of value. TVAddons now say that they&#8217;re in a precarious position.</p>
<p>&#8220;It seems that the companies suing us (Bell, Rogers, Videotron, TVA) are trying to use this debt to force our founder into bankruptcy and therefore force him to settle with them, even though he did nothing wrong. This way they can avoid the issue being heard in court,&#8221; the site explains.</p>
<p>The last sentence in this statement raises a point that is regularly made in David vs Goliath-type copyright cases. The big companies who bring these cases are regularly accused of not wanting to have cases heard on the merits. </p>
<p>Their critics claim that if they can string things out long enough, defendants like Lackman &#8211; or indeed Kim Dotcom &#8211; will eventually fold under the pressure.</p>
<p>While that doesn&#8217;t seem to be on the cards in the Megaupload case, Lackman seems to be dangerously close to the edge. Just like Dotcom, there&#8217;s no shortage of people who would be happy to see him go under but that wouldn&#8217;t just be bad for him.</p>
<p>Whether they beat Lackman before or during trial, the plaintiffs in the TVAddons case want to create the impression that by &#8220;merely hosting, distributing and promoting Kodi add-ons, the TVAddons administrator is liable for inducing or authorizing copyright infringements later committed using those add-ons.&#8221;</p>
<p>That <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eff-warns-against-abusive-lawsuits-targeting-kodi-add-on-repository-171002/">analysis</a> is from the EFF, who note that a victory would &#8220;create new uncertainty and risk for distributors of any software that could be used to engage in copyright infringement.&#8221;</p>
<p>But while a decisive win for the telecoms companies on these grounds would be considered a success, a clear and early capitulation by Lackman would give the public the impression they would&#8217;ve won anyway.</p>
<p>Both outcomes would serve the purpose of deterring people from making a business on the back of their content &#8211; no matter how remotely nor how many third-parties are involved. It&#8217;s not hard to see why this is the end goal.</p>
<p>Lackman informs TF that so far he has spent over CAD$80,000 on legal bills, but &#8220;owes significantly more than that&#8221; to his own lawyers. That&#8217;s on top of the CAD$55,000+ he currently owes the plaintiffs plus anything he may spend at trial, if it even gets there.</p>
<p>In comparison, Kim Dotcom&#8217;s $40m is monopoly money to most of us, but whichever scenario one takes, the suffocating financial power faced by defendants in these case means inevitable mismatches.</p>
<p>Whether one thinks of these disrupters as heroes or calculating crooks is a matter of opinion (and there&#8217;s no shortage of people on both sides of that fence), but it&#8217;s likely that many will agree with the notion that getting a fair trial, on the merits of what has been accused, should be the target society aims for.</p>
<p>The current system doesn&#8217;t seem to allow for that.</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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158069
title: ‘Copyright’s True Purpose Is Dead, It Never Existed’
uri: Copyright-s-True-Purpose-Is-Dead-It-Never-Existed
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Te8giGREy9M/
content:
<p><img src="media/db7b975c.copyright-branded.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/copyright-branded.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="164" class="alignright size-full wp-image-56211">We’re all familiar with the statement that piracy is “killing” the music industry.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s one of the main arguments used to argue in favor of stronger copyright enforcement and legislation. </p>
<p>The underlying idea is that strong copyright protection ensures that artists get paid. More money then opens the door to more artistic creations. But is that really the case?</p>
<p><a href="http://law.tamu.edu/faculty-staff/find-people/faculty-profiles/glynn-s-lunney-jr">Glynn Lunney Jr</a>, law professor at Texas A&#038;M University, has his doubts. </p>
<p>When the first wave of widespread online piracy hit in the late nineties, copyright holders called for stronger protections. This eventually resulted in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, commonly known under the acronym DMCA, which was passed nearly twenty years ago.</p>
<p>At the time, Professor Lunney declared that this would be the death of copyright. The DMCA would mainly serve the interests of large monopolies, not the independent creators, he envisioned. This would kill the true purpose of copyright, which is the progress of arts and science, as defined by the constitution.</p>
<p>In a new <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3198147">follow-up essay</a>, Lunney looks back at his earlier predictions, with fresh evidence. As is turns out, he was wrong. The DMCA did little to stop the piracy epidemic. But while music industry revenues tanked, there was still plenty of creative output.</p>
<p>The professor doesn&#8217;t retract his early criticism of the DMCA, but he now sees that copyright never really served to promote the public interest.</p>
<p>In an ideal world, more money should lead to more creative output, but according to data presented Lunney&#8217;s new essay, the reality is quite different. Instead, it suggests that more money leads to less creative output. </p>
<p>Relying on music sales data dating back to the fifties, adjusted for inflation, and comparing that to a database of most-streamed tracks on Spotify in 2014, the professor reveals an interesting trend. There is no greater preference for music created in the high revenue periods, on the contrary in fact.</p>
<p>This is backed up by other data presented in Lunney&#8217;s book <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/law/intellectual-property/copyrights-excess-money-and-music-us-recording-industry?format=PB">Copyright&#8217;s Excess</a>, which also fails to find evidence that more money means better music. </p>
<p>&#8220;There is no evidence that more money meant more or better music. To the contrary, when I found a statistically significant correlation, I found that more money meant fewer and lower quality hit songs,&#8221; the professor writes.</p>
<p>The question is, of course, why?</p>
<p>According to the professor, it&#8217;s simple. Overpaid artists don&#8217;t work harder; they work less.</p>
<p>&#8220;These misdirected and excess incentives ensure that our most popular artists are vastly overpaid. By providing these excess incentives, copyright encourages our superstar artists to work less,&#8221; Lunney writes. </p>
<p>This suggests that more money for the music industry means less music. Which is the opposite of the true purpose of copyright; to facilitate the progress of arts and science.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a controversial thought that relies on quite a few assumptions. For example, looking beyond the big stars, more money can also mean that more artists get paid properly, so they can make a decent living and dedicate more time to their music.</p>
<p>Also, even in the lower revenue periods, when music piracy is at its height, the top artists still make millions. </p>
<p>The professor, however, is convinced by the data he sees. Adding to the above, he shows that during high revenue periods the top artists made fewer albums, while they produced more albums and hits during tough times.</p>
<p>&#8220;As a result, when revenues were high for the recording industry, as they were in the 1990s, our top artists produced fewer studio albums and fewer Hot 100 hits in the first ten years of their career,&#8221; Lunney writes. </p>
<p>&#8220;In contrast, when revenues were low, both in the 1960s before the sound recording copyright and in the post-file sharing 2000s, our top artists produced more studio albums and more Hot 100 hits.&#8221; </p>
<p>Among other things, the data show that the most prolific artists in the study, the Beatles and Taylor Swift, had their first Hot 100 hits in 1964 and 2006, respectively. Both were low revenue years.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a thought-provoking essay which undoubtedly will be countered by music industry insiders. That said, it does highlight that there&#8217;s not always a positive linear link between music industry revenue and creative output. </p>
<p>&#8220;For the United States recording industry over the last fifty years, more money has not meant more and better music. It has meant less. The notion that copyright can serve the public interest by increasing revenue for copyright owners has, at least for the recording industry, proven false,&#8221; Lunney notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Copyright is dead. The DMCA did not, however, kill it. Copyright, in the sense of a law intended to promote the public interest, never existed at all. It was only ever a dream,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>And the DMCA? </p>
<p>Ironically, major copyright groups are increasingly complaining that the &#8216;outdated&#8217; law is not fit to tackle the ongoing piracy problem. Instead, they see the DMCA&#8217;s safe harbor as a major roadblock which allows services such as YouTube to &#8220;profit from piracy.&#8221;</p>
<p>The same YouTube, however, is used by tens of thousands of artists to create content and get their work out to the public. It&#8217;s proven to be a breeding ground for creative talent, some of which have grown out to become today&#8217;s biggest stars. Even those who started as &#8216;pirates&#8217;&#8230;</p>
<p>Copyright, as we know it today, is not dead, but it sure is complicated. </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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158577
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 07/16/18
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-07-16-18
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/jqp8RsSbuJw/
content:
<p><img src="media/3706bfaf.rampage.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rampage.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="187" class="alignright size-full wp-image-157577">This week we have three newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Rampage is the most downloaded movie again.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-bittorrent-07-09-18/">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/tt2231461/">Rampage</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2231461/">6.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coOKvrsmQiI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/">Ready Player One</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSp1dM2Vj48&#038;t=2s">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1563742/">Overboard</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1563742/">5.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLAJ0ooorDU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6513656/">Escape Plan 2: Hades</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6513656/">3.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q7vVt-MeXk">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5246700/">How It Ends</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5246700/">8.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJyyJ7lexnM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6644200/">A Quiet Place</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6644200/">7.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR7cc5t7tv8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6054874/">Furious</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6054874/">6.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dq-7HU1gGQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6452574/">Sanju</a> </td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6452574/">8.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J76wN0TPI4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/">Avengers: Infinity War</a> (HDCam)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/">9.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwievZ1Tx-8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531344/">Blockers</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531344/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfFcaV5O7SU">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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158583
title: Man Jailed For Five Years+ For Selling Streaming Piracy Devices
uri: Man-Jailed-For-Five-Years-For-Selling-Streaming-Piracy-Devices
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Ao0UrG61HTM/
content:
<p><a href="media/c6d79219.iptv.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/iptv.jpg"><img src="media/8a86db31.iptv.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/iptv.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="155" class="alignright size-full wp-image-135034"></a>Streaming pirate content directly to living rooms around the world has become huge business over the past few years, with many hundreds of operations selling various services to the public.</p>
<p>While the majority appears to do so with impunity, a growing number of UK providers are finding that their businesses attract the attention of rightsholders who are keen to send a message that they won’t be tolerated.</p>
<p>The latest case involves John Haggerty and wife Mary Josephine Gilfillan, who together ran Evolution Trading Company Limited, a business venture registered at their former home address.</p>
<p>Incorporated in December 2013 for the stated purpose of &#8220;wholesale of coffee, tea, cocoa and spices&#8221;, Evolution was used in connection with Haggerty&#8217;s business of selling Kodi-based set-top boxes, some of which were loaded with an illicit IPTV service.</p>
<p>&#8220;Stop paying for sky high satellite or cable bills. Never buy or rent another DVD again! With Stream Box you can view any movie from the very latest blockbuster to your all time favorites,&#8221; some of Haggerty&#8217;s original marketing reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;Watch any box set or TV Series ever made or ever will be made! Watch tons of sports and hundreds of other TV  channels from all over the world ALL FOR FREE. </p>
<p>&#8220;We consider Stream Box the future of TV viewing, with Stream box connected to your broadband  Internet and your HD TV you can stream any film or TV show ever  shown – all totally free.&#8221;</p>
<p>Following an investigation by the Federation Against Copyright Theft, searches were carried out at various premises connected with Haggerty. Like many of these kinds of cases, it&#8217;s taken a very long time to come to court, but now it has, it&#8217;s ended badly for the pair.</p>
<p>According to prosecutors, the business ran from March 2013 to July 2015, during which time at least £764,000 was generated from the sale of set-top boxes, carried out from a shop and online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon.</p>
<p>The court heard the devices would be sold for between £75 and £100 to the public and £400 to pubs, although searches reveal them changing hands for as little as £52. The IPTV service provided with some of the boxes, Infusum.tv, was created by Haggerty and sold for £15 per month. The marketing image below shows that football fans were a major target.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/d91b6656.infusum-e1531727386659.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/infusum-e1531727386659.png"><img src="media/d91b6656.infusum-e1531727386659.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/infusum-e1531727386659.png" alt="" width="600" height="599" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-158587"></a></center></p>
<p>According to prosecutors, the operation meant that broadcasters including Sky and BT Sport faced potential losses of £4m per year while using the devices in pubs exposed licensees to the risk of prosecution.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/blyth-pirate-streaming-haggerty-jailed-14911174">Chronicle Live</a> reports that Haggerty had several passports in different names, and set up a company in Nevis to hide the true purpose of his business. Along with his wife, he also supplied the UK Immigration Service with false documents to sponsor an Egyptian national who was put in charge of the streaming service.</p>
<p>All things considered, 57-year-old Haggerty was jailed for five years and three months for conspiracy to defraud. His wife, 54, who the court accepted had played a minor role, was handed a two-year sentence suspended for two years and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.</p>
<p>“This was a very sophisticated fraud perpetrated primarily by you, John Haggerty,&#8221; said Judge Simon Batiste. </p>
<p>“You sold 8,000 set top boxes and started services including streaming services, you created an application to enable other devices to access the stream you created. In particular devices permitted users to view all Premier League matches and films, some of which hadn’t even been released in the cinema.&#8221;</p>
<p>The sentencing of the pair was welcomed by Premier League director of legal services, Kevin Plumb.</p>
<p>“This case demonstrates how seriously the courts are dealing with criminals involved in the supply of illicit streaming devices and services that provide illegal access to Premier League football and other popular content,” Plumb said.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=158320
title: Court Sanctions TVAddons Owner For Failing to Disclose Evidence
uri: Court-Sanctions-TVAddons-Owner-For-Failing-to-Disclose-Evidence
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/cDbkhNOLMQY/
content:
<p><img src="media/b2863a48.tvaddons-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddons-1.png" alt="" width="270" height="117" class="alignright size-full wp-image-137958">Last year, American satellite and broadcast provider Dish Network targeted two well-known players in the third-party Kodi add-on ecosystem.</p>
<p>In a complaint filed in a federal court in Texas, add-on ZemTV and the TVAddons library <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dish-network-sues-zemtv-and-tv-addons-for-copyright-infringement-170605/">were accused of copyright infringement</a>. As a result, both are facing up to $150,000 in damages for each offense.</p>
<p>While ZemTV&#8217;s developer has chosen <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-addon-developer-gives-up-piracy-defense-due-to-lack-of-funds-180521/">not to put up a fight</a>, TVAddons&#8217; Adam Lackman has retained counsel and will defend himself in court. Both parties are currently in the discovery phase, gathering evidence, but this hasn&#8217;t been a smooth process.</p>
<p>A few days ago Dish informed the Court that Lackman had failed to provide crucial evidence. Among other things, TVAddons&#8217; owner hasn&#8217;t shared a detailed accounting of the revenue and profits he made through TVAddons.ag and Offshoregit.com.</p>
<p>After the lawyers on both sides couldn&#8217;t come to an agreement, Dish asked the Court for an order compelling TVAddons&#8217; owner to disclose this information. </p>
<p>Texas District Court Judge Vanessa Gilmore agrees that the financial information should be handed over. In an order signed last Friday, she compels Lackman to disclose the requested financial information, including the banks and cryptocurrency exchanges he used. </p>
<p>&#8220;Within five days of this Order, Adam Lackman must produce: All documents identifying his revenues, costs, and gross profits relating to Tvaddons.ag or Offshoregit.com from February 17, 2015 through June 4, 2017,&#8221; the order reads.</p>
<p><center><strong>TVAddons order</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/c897234e.tvaorder.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tvaorder.png" alt="" width="504" height="251" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-158588"></center></p>
<p>Lackman previously refused to hand over information related to donations, as these can&#8217;t be directly linked to any alleged copyright infringements. These and other disputes were summarized in an email that was submitted <a href="media/c59ae5ff.discodispute.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/discodispute.pdf">as evidence last week</a>. </p>
<p>This document already lists the names of several bank accounts as well as Lackman&#8217;s taxable income, ranging from $10,534 to over $133,000 over the past three years, but Dish requests more detailed information on several issues.  </p>
<p>In addition, the Court ordered TVAddons&#8217; owner to share all documents he has on ZemTV and several other allegedly infringing addons. These include ARY Digital, B4U Movies, B4U Music, Dunya TV, Express Entertainment, Geo TV, Hum TV, Movies OK, Times Now, and Zoom.</p>
<p>For failing to provide the requested evidence in a timely manner Lackman is sanctioned. Within five days, he must pay Dish $2,835.00 to cover the legal expenses that arose from the discovery dispute.</p>
<p>Making matters worse for the defense team, Judge Gilmore also reprimands TVAddons&#8217; attorney for disrupting Court proceedings during a telephone conference, stating that he prematurely hung up the phone.</p>
<p>This was revealed in a separate order, which was issued following the conference on Friday.</p>
<p>&#8220;After the Court inquired why Lackman had failed to provide the discoverable documents, defense counsel for Lackman, Jason E. Sweet, falsely stated to the Court: &#8216;If you are going to yell at me, this conversation is over. I don’t care if you are a judge,&#8217; and hung up the phone prior to the conclusion of the teleconference,&#8221; the order reads.</p>
<p>According to Judge Gilmore, these comments were aimed &#8220;to lessen the authority and dignity of the Court.&#8221; During a scheduled hearing in September, the attorney has the opportunity to explain why he shouldn&#8217;t be held in direct contempt of court.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>The order compelling TVAddons&#8217; Adam Lackman to product evidence is <a href="media/05d90d33.ordercompel.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ordercompel.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>
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