# articles

feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167194
title: Three Manga Pirates Sentenced to Prison in Japan
uri: Three-Manga-Pirates-Sentenced-to-Prison-in-Japan
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/bj81mrLjWUQ/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/05028357.anime-pirate.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/anime-pirate.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-31311"/></figure></div>



<p>With the support of the Japanese government, content creators in Japan are attempting to crack down on the unauthorized reproduction and sharing of copyrighted content.</p>



<p>Due to their effect on local markets, those who offer copyrighted manga and anime works appear to be a priority.</p>



<p>The latest to fall foul of the authorities are three men said to be the operators of once-popular site &#8216;Haruka Yume no Ato&#8217;, a platform that indexed links to manga content without permission from rights holders.</p>



<p>The initial legal action against the site was <a href="https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-10-31/japanese-police-arrest-9-tied-to-haruka-yume-no-ato-manga-linking-site/.123421">documented in 2017</a> when police arrested nine suspects under suspicion of violating the Copyright Act. According to Anime News Network, at the time it was one of the largest so-called &#8216;leech sites&#8217; (platforms that index content hosted elsewhere) in Japan.</p>



<p>Now, after more than a year, three operators of the site have been sentenced for their crimes<g class="gr_ gr_7 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="7" data-gr-id="7">.</g></p>



<p>The Osaka District Court handed down prison sentences of three years and six months for the &#8220;mastermind&#8221;, three years for the server operator, and two years and four months for another key player.</p>



<p>According to a <a href="media/338a08d8.20190117_harukayumenoato.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.kodansha.co.jp/upload/pr.kodansha.co.jp/files/pdf/2019/20190117_harukayumenoato.pdf">statement</a> from local publisher Kodansha, which worked on the case with other publishers including Kadokawa and Square Enix, the men are former student graduates in their 20s.</p>



<p>&#8220;It is seriously <g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling" id="3" data-gr-id="3">meaningful</g> that all three of the principal offenders have been sentenced to imprisonment,&#8221; the company added.</p>



<p>The Association of Copyright for Computer Software (ACCS) also <a href="http://www2.accsjp.or.jp/criminal/2018/1221.php">welcomed</a> the sentencing, noting that the three men had conspired with &#8220;multiple upload actors&#8221; to keep content flowing.</p>



<p>&#8220;These heavy prison sentences sound <g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="3" data-gr-id="3">alarm</g> bells for similar cases and we, along with our member companies, will continue to take decisive action against malicious acts of copyright infringement in the future,&#8221; the group said.</p>



<p>&#8220;We will promote activities towards the realization of a society where copyright is respected through dissemination of information and raising awareness of proper use.&#8221;</p>



<p> </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167268
title: MPAA and RIAA Want Site Blocking in New US-UK Trade Deal
uri: MPAA-and-RIAA-Want-Site-Blocking-in-New-US-UK-Trade-Deal
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/hx2izK9uJbU/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-143825" src="media/f6cbbbd7.deniedblocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/deniedblocked.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="199">US music and movie industry companies helped to get pirate sites blocked in countries <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpa-reveals-scale-of-worldwide-pirate-site-blocking-180410/">all around the globe</a>.</p>
<p>On their home turf, however, pirate sites remain freely accessible.</p>
<p>After the SOPA protests, the blocking issue became&nbsp;a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/sopa-ghosts-hinder-u-s-pirate-site-blocking-efforts-171008/">no-go issue</a> in the US. Blocking efforts continued elsewhere though, including in the UK, where hundreds of pirate domains have been blocked.</p>
<p>Slowly but steadily, copyright holders now appear ready to reintroduce the idea of site blocking. Recent filings from Hollywood&#8217;s MPAA and the music industry&#8217;s RIAA believe that a new US-UK trade agreement is a good opportunity to do so.</p>
<p>The trade deal is required if the UK leaves the EU. To gauge what various stakeholders would like to see in a new agreement, the US Trade Representative (USTR) <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/16/2018-24987/request-for-comments-on-negotiating-objectives-for-a-us-united-kingdom-trade-agreement">requested</a> comments from the public.</p>
<p>Responding to this request the RIAA provides a list of priorities for the negotiations. This includes known talking points such as increasing liability for online platforms, but site-blocking also get a prominent mention.</p>
<p>In the UK copyright holders can request site-blocking injunctions fairly easily, and the RIAA would like to see the same in the US.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Website blocking is a highly-effective form of copyright enforcement in the UK, and in numerous other jurisdictions around the world to combat infringing websites, and is a critical tool in ensuring legitimate trade in digital products and services,&#8221; the RIAA writes.</span></p>
<p>The music group adds that blocking has proven to be very effective in reducing traffic to the affected sites.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Website blocking has been successful in the United Kingdom with 63 music sites being ordered to be blocked following music right holders’ initiatives. On average this produces a reduction in the use of those sites by UK users by approximately 75 percent.&#8221;</span></p>
<p>The RIAA further highlights the more recent “live” or “dynamic” blocking orders. These are currently targeting pirated football and boxing streams as they are broadcasted, and are limited to the duration of a season or event.</p>
<p>The music group is not alone in this request. The&nbsp;<span class="fontstyle0">Digital Creators Working Group, which includes the Association of American Publishers, News Media Alliance, as well as the RIAA and MPAA, highlighted it as well.</span></p>
<p>In a separate submission to the USTR, the organizations list &#8220;<span class="fontstyle0">website blocking, including “dynamic” blocking as provided in UK law,&#8221; as one of the priorities for&nbsp;</span>a new trade deal.</p>
<p>The MPAA itself also sent in a list of priorities. In a carefully worded statement, which doesn&#8217;t mention the word &#8220;blocking,&#8221; it points out that the UK is ahead of the US in many regards when it comes to anti-piracy enforcement.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;With regard to online enforcement, a U.S.-UK agreement should include disciplines that can effectively address online piracy. </span><span class="fontstyle0">In many ways, the UK has more nimbly and effectively responded to digital piracy than the U.S.,&#8221; MPAA notes.</span></p>
<p>The MPAA would like to pick the best elements from US and UK policy and combine them into an even more effective agreement.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;To promote a modernized IP trade framework, MPAA recommends moving to high-level language that reflects the fundamental principles on which the DMCA is based and which identifies key elements of the UK system, including no fault injunctive relief orders, as satisfying the standard.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Such an approach would be fully consistent with U.S. law and preserve the high levels of protection in the UK’s enforcement framework,&#8221; the MPAA adds.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>While blocking isn&#8217;t mentioned specifically, the &#8220;<span class="fontstyle0">no fault injunctive relief orders&#8221; the Hollywood group refers to are generally used against ISPs to compel these companies to block pirate sites.</span></p>
<p>The submissions clearly show that major rightsholder groups are no longer avoiding the blocking issue in the US. This already became apparent a few weeks ago, when music industry outfits brought it up in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/music-industry-asks-us-govt-to-reconsider-website-blocking-181127/">comments</a> sent to the&nbsp;Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>RIAA&#8217;s full submission is available here (<a href="media/4bf76680.RIAA_USUK_USTR_2018_WrittenComments_fin.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/RIAA_USUK_USTR_2018_WrittenComments_fin.pdf">pdf</a>). MPAA&#8217;s response can be found here (<a href="media/cbfe0a88.MPAA_filing_on_US-UK_final.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/MPAA_filing_on_US-UK_final.pdf">pdf</a>) and the&nbsp; <span class="fontstyle0">Digital Creators Working Group&#8217;s submission is here (<a href="media/effd5562.DCWG_USUK_USTR_2018_WrittenComments_fin.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/DCWG_USUK_USTR_2018_WrittenComments_fin.pdf">pdf</a>).</span></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=167354
title: Netflix Becomes a Member of the MPAA
uri: Netflix-Becomes-a-Member-of-the-MPAA
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/e-Cdre1mLaM/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/6eb7591b.netflixlogonew.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/netflixlogonew.png" alt="" class="wp-image-145677"/></figure></div>



<p>The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has been protecting the interests of Hollywood since its formation in 1922.</p>



<p>It generates most of its revenue from contributions by the six major Hollywood studios &#8211; Disney, Paramount, Sony, Twentieth Century  Fox, Universal, and Warner Bros.</p>



<p>But now, in a historic move, a significant new member has joined the movie and TV show trade association. </p>



<p>&#8220;On behalf of the MPAA and its member companies, I am delighted to welcome Netflix as a partner,&#8221; MPAA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin said in a statement.</p>



<p>&#8220;All of our members are committed to pushing the film and television industry forward, in both how we tell stories and how we reach audiences. Adding Netflix will allow us to even more effectively advocate for the global community of creative storytellers, and I look forward to seeing what we can all achieve together.&#8221;</p>



<p>The addition of Netflix to the MPAA fold doesn&#8217;t come as a complete surprise.</p>



<p>As <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-considers-a-makeover-as-it-faces-shrinking-budget-181109/">reported</a> in 2018, the MPAA faces a shrinking budget following Disney&#8217;s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Despite reporting revenues of $57m (including studio contributions of almost $50m) in its latest public filings, that figure <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-revenue-drops-20-as-movie-studios-cut-back-180527/">was down</a> from $73 million in the previous year.</p>



<p>Disney previously promised to pay Fox&#8217;s MPAA contributions for a year after the finalization of the deal but that still had the potential to leave the MPAA down one-sixth in membership dues. Presuming that the streaming service will pay an equal share, Netflix&#8217;s membership of the trade group should go a long way to filling the Fox-shaped hole in its budget.</p>



<p>The addition of Netflix to the MPAA is groundbreaking on a few fronts. </p>



<p>Perhaps most significantly, Netflix isn&#8217;t a Hollywood studio, so its membership breaks with almost a century of tradition. And, of course, this is the first time that a dedicated streaming service has become so closely aligned with the interests of the 97-year-old organization.</p>



<p>&#8220;Joining the Motion Picture Association further exemplifies our commitment to ensuring the vibrancy of these creative industries and the many talented people who work in them all over the world,” said&nbsp;Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer.</p>



<p>&#8220;We look forward to supporting the association team and their important efforts.&#8221;</p>



<p>While Netflix settles in as the MPAA&#8217;s newest member, the streaming service is no stranger to working with the major Hollywood studios in respect of content protection.</p>



<p>In 2017, Netflix was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/inside-the-mpaa-netflix-amazon-global-anti-piracy-alliance-170918/">revealed</a> as one of the founding members of the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment&nbsp; (ACE), a global anti-piracy group featuring the studios of the MPAA and dozens of other companies. As a key member, Netflix was granted full voting rights on ACE business, including the approval of initiatives and public policy, anti-piracy strategy, budget-related matters, plus approval of legal action.</p>



<p>If the MPAA is looking to expand further still, it&#8217;s possible that Amazon could yet join the fold. Not only is Amazon a founding member of ACE, but the company was also touted as a potential new MPAA member during 2018<g class="gr_ gr_203 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="203" data-gr-id="203">.</g></p>



<p>Amazon, however, is still a member of the <a href="https://internetassociation.org/our-members/">Internet Association</a>, a pro-tech group organization that Netflix parted company with recently, just in advance of joining the MPAA.</p>



<p></p>



<p> </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167352
title: YouTube Ripper Wins Dismissal of Record Labels’ US Piracy Lawsuit
uri: YouTube-Ripper-Wins-Dismissal-of-Record-Labels-US-Piracy-Lawsuit
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/BhnnX4AMRZQ/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-117196" src="media/34e023fb.sadyoutube.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/sadyoutube.jpg" alt="" width="275" height="196">YouTube rippers&nbsp;are seen as the largest piracy threat to the music industry, and record labels are doing their best to shut them down.</p>
<p>In 2017, YouTube-MP3, the world&#8217;s largest ripping site at the time, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-mp3-settles-with-riaa-site-will-shut-down-170904/">shut down</a> after being sued, and several other <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/youtube-download-sites-throw-in-the-towel-under-legal-pressure-180614/">folded in response</a> to increased legal uncertainty.</p>
<p>Not all stream-ripping sites throw in the towel without a fight though. <a href="https://www.flvto.biz/">FLVTO.biz</a> and <a href="https://2conv.com/">2conv.com</a>, owned by Russian developer Tofig Kurbanov, remained online despite <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/major-labels-sue-more-youtube-ripper-sites-180806/">being sued by several record</a> labels last August.</p>
<p>Where other site owners often prefer to remain in the shadows, Kurbanov filed a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-ripper-slams-record-labels-over-absurdity-and-amnesia-181027/">motion to dismiss the case</a>. According to the defense, the court has no jurisdiction over the matter. Only a small fraction of the visitors come from the US, and the site is managed entirely from Russia, it argued.</p>
<p>The RIAA labels, including Universal, Warner Bros, and Sony, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/operator-of-youtube-rippers-should-stand-trial-in-the-us-major-labels-say-181019/">clearly disagreed</a>. In response, they argued that the operator of FLVTO.biz and 2conv.com downplays the connections to the US and Virginia. Therefore, he should stand trial there.</p>
<p>Yesterday, US District Court Judge Claude M. Hilton ruled on the matter. In a 14-page opinion, he clearly sides with the operator of the YouTube rippers. Kurbanov doesn&#8217;t have to stand trial in the US so the case was dismissed.</p>
<p>The ruling is merely about jurisdiction and doesn&#8217;t make an assessment of the alleged copyright infringements. The court carefully reviewed how the site operates and found no evidence that they&nbsp;purposefully targeted either Virginia or the United States.</p>
<p>The sites are available in the US and have plenty of visitors there, but that by itself is not enough.</p>
<p>&#8220;Even if the Websites’ servers knew exactly where the users were located, any interaction would still be in the unilateral control of the users as they initiate the contacts,&#8221; Judge Hilton&#8217;s opinion reads.</p>
<p><center><strong>2conv.com</strong></center></p>
<p><center><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-162962" src="media/233500bc.2conv.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/2conv.png" alt="" width="599" height="246"></center></p>
<p>There could be personal jurisdiction if there&#8217;s a &#8220;commercial contract&#8221; involved. However, that&#8217;s not the case here. The site generates revenue from users through advertisements, but that&#8217;s not seen as a basis for a commercial contract, the court concludes.</p>
<p>&#8220;As the Websites are semi-interactive, the interactions with the users are non-commercial, and there were no other acts by the Defendant that would demonstrate purposeful targeting, the Court finds that Defendant did not purposefully avail himself of the benefits and protections of either Virginia or the United States.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Court finds that exercise of personal jurisdiction over Defendant would be unconstitutional as a violation of due process&#8230;&#8221; Judge Hilton&#8217;s opinion adds, before dismissing the case.</p>
<p>In addition, the opinion stresses that without personal jurisdiction the record labels don&#8217;t have the option to refile the case in California or elsewhere in the US.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The ruling</strong></p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-167361 aligncenter" src="media/8cae1773.dismissed.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dismissed.png" alt="" width="595" height="403"></p>
<p><a href="http://bostonlawgroup.com/val-gurvits/">Val Gurvits</a>, one of the attorneys who represented the site operator, is thrilled with the outcome. He believes this will also be beneficial to other foreign sites that offer similar functionality.</p>
<p>&#8220;This decision goes a long way towards curbing the copyright owners’ misuse of the US legal system to bully foreign website operators,&#8221; Gurvits informs TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>In many copyright-related cases, foreign defendants decide not to appear at all, but this case shows that fighting back can pay off.</p>
<p>&#8220;All too often plaintiffs file actions in US courts against foreign defendants that have no connections with the US – and all too often foreign defendants are subjected to default judgments for failure to appear in a US court,&#8221; Gurvits says.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are happy we were able to save our client from having to defend this action in a US court thousands of miles away from where the relevant business activities take place,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>The major record labels have yet to comment on the outcome. TorrentFreak reached out to the RIAA for a response, but we haven&#8217;t heard back thus far.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of the memorandum opinion supporting the dismissal is available here (<a href="media/90c92108.ripperdismiss.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ripperdismiss.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=167305
title: Sweden’s Supreme Court Slashes Damages Against Pirate Site Operators
uri: Sweden-s-Supreme-Court-Slashes-Damages-Against-Pirate-Site-Operators
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/cKG__btzuOA/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/38c76fe8.smallclaimsfinepenaltycourt.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/smallclaimsfinepenaltycourt.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-148048"/></figure></div>



<p>After capturing an audience of millions of visitors since its launch in 2013, January 2015 saw the surprise shutdown of Sweden-based streaming site Dreamfilm.</p>



<p>One of its administrators was detained by the authorities so, in response, the extremely successful site decided to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrent-sites-shut-down-after-swedish-police-arrest-five-150213/">call it quits</a>. </p>



<p>As the case against the site rolled on, four men &#8211; aged in their 20s and 30s &#8211; eventually had their day in court. While they admitted being involved in the site, none admitted any wrongdoing.</p>



<p>In 2017, however, the Linköping District Court found them all guilty of copyright infringement offenses and&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/four-men-jailed-running-pirate-movie-sites-170510/">sentenced</a>&nbsp;them to between six to 10 months in jail. They were also ordered to pay a fine of SEK 1,000,0000 (US$110,850) to plaintiffs including the Swedish Film Industry, Nordisk Film, and Walt Disney.</p>



<p>As soon became clear, neither side was happy with the result. The defense felt the sentences were too harsh and, of course, the prosecution felt they were too lenient. The case then went to appeal.</p>



<p>Early 2018, the Court of Appeal handed down its decision. Importantly, it was decided there would be no terms of imprisonment to be served due to the previous good character of the defendants.</p>



<p>However, it more than quadrupled the damages from SEK 1,000,000 to SEK 4,250,000 (US$471,112).  This damages award, the Court of Appeal ruled, was the amount a hypothetical license to distribute a single sample movie would have cost, had the defendants obtained permission.</p>



<p>Last year it was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/supreme-court-to-rule-whether-pirate-streaming-damages-are-fair-180903/">reported</a> that two of the defendants would take their case to the Supreme Court with a request to determine whether the level of damages could be considered sensible and fair. The Court has now delivered its verdict and <g class="gr_ gr_217 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="217" data-gr-id="217">it&#8217;s</g> good news for the former site operators.</p>



<p>In a summary published this week, the Supreme Court notes that copyright holders are entitled to compensation when people exploit their content. The cost of doing so is usually based on the going rate when someone requests permission beforehand. </p>



<p>However, in the case of pirate sites, there is no going rate, since such platforms don&#8217;t ask permission to exploit and would probably be declined, even if they did. As a result, the Court has the task of determining a fair rate of compensation.</p>



<p>&#8220;The Supreme Court has come to the conclusion that it is conceivable to point out that a license agreement could have been met between a rightsholder and someone who wanted to use the work in the way that has also happened in the present case,&#8221; the Court writes.</p>



<p>&#8220;As can be seen from the judgment, however, it may be associated with such difficulties that the fictitious license fee cannot be used as the basis for the compensation that the court must determine. The court may then make an estimate of the reasonable remuneration for the use of the work, taking into account the investigation that the parties have submitted to the court.&#8221;</p>



<p>In the end, the Supreme Court decided that it could not use the method offered by the Swedish Film Industry to determine &#8220;reasonable remuneration&#8221; for the one sample movie dealt with in detail during the case. It, therefore, decided to massively slash the SEK 4,250,000 (US$471,112) award to just SEK 400,000 (US$44,340).</p>



<p>Local anti-piracy group Rights Alliance did not welcome the news.<br><br>&#8220;This is a very significant claim and only applies to one of the total 950 films in the case.&nbsp;In fact, however, the judgment is wrong because it means that it is cheaper to illegally steal <g class="gr_ gr_61 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="61" data-gr-id="61">a copyright</g> than to try to negotiate legally,&#8221; says Henrik Pontén of Rights Alliance. </p>



<p>&#8220;However, it is in line with Swedish law development in the area where one focuses on what the perpetrator could think of paying for his theft.&nbsp;If Sweden is to be a country where the creation of creative works pays off, we must give the victims more importance in these decisions.&#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=167265
title: Hollywood Studios Agree to Settle Piracy Lawsuit With Dragon Box
uri: Hollywood-Studios-Agree-to-Settle-Piracy-Lawsuit-With-Dragon-Box
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/bMaGdICdrAY/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-154859" src="media/8d62c520.dragonbox1-e1524745608776.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dragonbox1-e1524745608776.png" alt="" width="256" height="167"></p>
<p>Last year, several major Hollywood studios, Amazon, and Netflix filed a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-amazon-and-hollywood-sue-kodi-powered-dragon-box-over-piracy-180111/">lawsuit against</a> Dragon Media Inc, branding it a supplier of pirate streaming devices.</p>
<p>Under the flag of anti-piracy group <a href="https://www.alliance4creativity.com/">ACE</a>, the companies accused Dragon of using the Kodi media player in combination with pirate addons. As such, the company facilitates mass copyright infringement, it was argued.</p>
<p>Dragon Box swiftly responded to the allegations by halting its sales. The company later decided to change its business model, moving from a Kodi-addon platform&nbsp;to a subscription-based service&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dragon-box-changes-business-model-following-hollywood-lawsuit-180921/">called BlendTV</a>.</p>
<p>The box vendor maintained that this was perfectly legal, but the copyright holders clearly disagreed. This prompted Dragon Box to halt its sales again.</p>
<p>That wasn&#8217;t the end though. Last month the boxes returned with yet another service called “My TV Hub.” According to the Hollywood studios, this service is not legitimate either. Growing tired of this &#8220;whack-a-mole&#8221; they asked the court to intervene.</p>
<p>The ACE members requested a preliminary injunction to halt the infringing activity. It appears, however, that this is no longer required. A few days ago, Dragon Box&#8217;s&nbsp;attorney informed the court that they&#8217;ve agreed to settle the matter.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants respectfully notify the Court that the parties have agreed in principle to settle the above-entitled case,&#8221; attorney&nbsp;Matthew J. Faust writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;At this time, the parties are in the process of preparing a settlement agreement and intend to file the documents related to the final disposition of the case within the next few days,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>The court responded to the filing by vacating all other hearings and deadlines that were on the docket. However, given the history of this case, it&#8217;s probably wise to wait until all paperwork is filed before marking it as resolved.</p>
<p>At the time of writing the Dragon Box website <a href="https://www.thedragonbox.com/">remains online</a>. The boxes themselves are no longer listed for sale, but the site does link to a &#8220;Blend TV&#8221; subscription which prospective users can buy.</p>
<p>A spokesperson for ACE informed us that they would release more information on the matter in the near future. We will update this article when that arrives.</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=167349
title: Game Developer Uses DMCA Notice to ‘Free’ Its Game from Steam Publisher
uri: Game-Developer-Uses-DMCA-Notice-to-Free-Its-Game-from-Steam-Publ
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/q9H-rCy18D4/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-167405" src="media/e8beadab.eximius.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/eximius.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="135">Generally speaking, DMCA notices are sent by rightsholders to prevent third-parties from sharing their work without permission.</p>
<p>These are often pirated copies of movies, music, or games. However, a takedown notice game developer&nbsp;Ammobox Studios sent to Steam recently is far from typical.</p>
<p>The company asked the game platform to remove their own game &#8220;<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/505740/Eximius_Seize_the_Frontline/">Eximius: Seize the Frontline</a>&#8221; after it ran into trouble with its publisher. According to the game developer, the publishing partner,&nbsp;TheGameWallStudios, went dark and stopped making payments.</p>
<p>&#8220;Long story short, we had to file a DMCA against our very own game on Steam to wrest it off the Publisher. The DMCA has just kicked in resulting in the game being taken off the Steam Store Page,&#8221;&nbsp;Ammobox&nbsp;<a href="https://steamcommunity.com/games/505740/announcements/detail/1699446873491336874">explained</a>.</p>
<p>Both companies had a publishing agreement, but this was breached according to Ammobox, which notes that no payments were made for the sales of their game on Steam.</p>
<p>Without a publishing agreement, the publisher would indeed violate the DMCA, transforming the previously legal copy on Steam into a pirate version. While this isn&#8217;t a typical takedown notice, it certainly had the desired effect.</p>
<p>The game was removed from the store for over a week. While it was no longer for sale, people who previously bought it could still pay it. Then, after nearly two weeks, the developers regained control of their own game, with help from Steam.</p>
<p>&#8220;The fraudulent publisher&nbsp;Thegamewall&nbsp;has been removed as publisher in our Steam store page. We would like to thank&nbsp;Steam&nbsp;for assisting us during this terrible ordeal,&#8221; Ammobox&nbsp;announced this week.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Back in store</strong></p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-167410 aligncenter" src="media/c34e1e50.eximiback.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/eximiback.png" alt="" width="604" height="277"></p>
<p>The game developer is pleased with the outcome but the dispute with the publisher is not over yet. There are still payments pending and legal action may follow, the company says.</p>
<p>&#8220;We will be working on the possibility of further legal proceeding to recover the money that was and is still currently being withhold for no reason given.</p>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not over yet until we recover all our stolen money. We won&#8217;t go down easy. We will fight the unjust,&#8221;&nbsp;Ammobox&nbsp;adds.</p>
</div>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to the publisher to hear their side of the story but at the time of&nbsp;publication, we hadn&#8217;t heard 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=167386
title: ‘Operation Pirate’ Targets ‘iNCOMiNG’ Release Group
uri: Operation-Pirate-Targets-iNCOMiNG-Release-Group
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/_jPlYnvHem4/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/64398450.gdf-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/gdf-logo.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-122821"/></figure></div>



<p>Preventing or at least reducing the flood of pirated copies of movies and TV shows online remains a priority for entertainment industry companies everywhere.</p>



<p>In the current environment, most public activity is aimed at distributors, such as torrent and streaming platforms. However, hitting those who supply content from higher up the chain is a long-standing but lesser-publicized strategy.</p>



<p>News coming in from Italy indicates that the authorities there have been looking closely at players who they consider to be particularly big fish.  <br></p>



<p>The Guardia di Finanza of Pesaro, a department under Italy&#8217;s Minister of Economy, reports a long and complex investigation to target the individuals behind a release group they name as &#8216;FREE / iNCOMiNG&#8217;.</p>



<p>Operating between 2010 to 2016, the group is identified as &#8220;one of the main groups operating on the Italian and international scenes.&#8221; According to the GdF, &#8216;FREE / iNCOMiNG&#8217; collaborated with foreign groups to which it supplied copies of movies recorded in Italian cinemas, reportedly accounting for 66% of copies of such movies made available online.</p>



<p>The investigation sought to link camcorded copies of movies with players in the group, an effort that was carried out by the Public Prosecutor of Pesaro in coordination with investigators at the Federation for the Protection of Audiovisual and Multimedia Content (FAPAV).</p>



<p>This led to the identification of four suspects with house searches subsequently executed in four regions of Italy (Marche, Piedmont, Lombardy <g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="3" data-gr-id="3">and</g> Puglia) and the seizure of equipment including PCs, smartphones, and media containing an estimated 800,000 files.</p>



<p>&#8220;The subsequent analysis of what was seized allowed us to discover that the group members, after the acquisition of the successful films and the major television series broadcast on pay-per-view channels, took care of the assembly and coding for upload on powerful servers,&#8221; the investigators reveal.</p>



<p>&#8220;The modified files were advertised on websites that, upon payment, facilitated illegal downloading.&nbsp;The group in question also established significant contacts and collaborations with other foreign release groups, thus succeeding in diversifying the sources of income connected to the illicit copies.&#8221; </p>



<p>Anti-piracy group FAPAV welcomed the results of the investigation, particularly in respect <g class="gr_ gr_10 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="10" data-gr-id="10">of</g> the disruption to the supply of movies illegally recorded in theaters.</p>



<p>&#8220;According to our estimates, as far as the first cinematographic releases are concerned, in nine cases out of ten the audio and video source of the pirated files is represented by the unauthorized recordings that take place by &#8216;release groups&#8217; in cinemas,&#8221; said Federico Bagnoli Rossi, General Secretary FAPAV.</p>



<p>&#8220;Camcording is, therefore, the primary source of piracy, a phenomenon that should not be underestimated considering the huge damage it causes the entire sector. Such recordings, in fact, are usually realized in the very first days following the release of films in theaters or when the works are in their initial phase of exploitation.&#8221;</p>



<p>The cases of the four men, whose identities have not been revealed, are said to have been handed to the authorities for action under relevant laws. At least as far as public piracy release databases reveal, iNCOMiNG ceased releases under that specific name around 16 months ago.</p>



<p><br><br></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=167456
title: Record Labels and Rightscorp Destroyed Vital Piracy Evidence, ISP Says
uri: Record-Labels-and-Rightscorp-Destroyed-Vital-Piracy-Evidence-ISP-Says
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/jRaIiWgw43Y/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-134962" src="media/6c3d07de.evidence-1-e1486632827918.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/evidence-1-e1486632827918.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="156"></p>
<p>Regular Internet providers are being put under increasing pressure for not doing enough to curb copyright infringement.</p>
<p>Music rights company BMG got the ball rolling a few years ago <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">when it won</a> its piracy liability lawsuit against Cox.</p>
<p>Following this defeat, several major record labels including&nbsp;Capitol Records, Warner Bros, and Sony Music <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-sues-isp-grande-communications-for-failing-to-disconnect-pirates-170422/">filed a lawsuit</a> in a Texas District Court. With help from the RIAA, they sued ISP Grande Communications for allegedly turning a blind eye to its pirating subscribers.</p>
<p>According to the labels, the Internet provider knew that some of its subscribers were frequently distributing copyrighted material, and accused the company of failing to take any meaningful action in response.</p>
<p>The case is now heading to trial, where the ISP <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isp-wants-trial-to-decide-if-it-failed-to-terminate-repeat-infringers-190113/">might not have a safe harbor defense</a>. However, if it&#8217;s up to Grande, the record labels should start the trial without their most important evidence; the &#8220;infringement notices&#8221; of Rightscorp.</p>
<p>Anti-piracy outfit Rightscorp has a database of close to a billion copyright infringements. While the company&#8217;s original business model of automated settlements <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rightscorp-bleeds-another-million-borrows-200k-from-customer-bmg-170819/">hasn&#8217;t been very lucrative</a>, the notices are gladly used by copyright holders in court.</p>
<p>They were the basis of the BMG v.s Cox lawsuit and in the record labels&#8217; case against Grande they are also front and center.</p>
<p>According to Grande, however, this evidence is unusable. Its attorneys have previously branded it as inaccurate but this month they added an even more damaging claim. The ISP accuses the labels and Rightscorp of destroying vital evidence.</p>
<p>While the notices are all intact, much of the underlying information has been removed. The ISP argues that this makes it impossible to determine precisely how Rightscorp&#8217;s system functioned and what information about&nbsp;<span class="fontstyle0">Grande’s subscribers was collected in each case.</span></p>
<p>Grande&#8217;s attorneys presented their findings to the Texas federal court. They submitted a motion for evidentiary sanctions based on the reported &#8220;spoliation&#8221; of evidence.</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiffs and Rightscorp have destroyed all of the evidence necessary to determine how the Rightscorp system operated at any given time relevant to this lawsuit,&#8221; Grande&#8217;s motion reads.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;</span><span class="fontstyle0">Recent depositions establish that Rightscorp, the RIAA, Plaintiffs, and their retained experts are all incapable of providing a cogent and detailed explanation of how the Rightscorp system actually functioned at any point during the relevant time period.&#8221;</span></p>
<p>The missing information includes communications with torrent trackers,<br>
data that show if customers were actively sharing certain files, and data that was used to match downloads to copyrighted works. In addition, Rightscorp is also accused of deleting nearly all records from its call-center.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">The ISP is convinced that it&#8217;s severely disadvantaged by the destruction of evidence. They risk more than a billion dollars in theoretical damages based on notices of which most of the underlying data is gone.</span></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Plaintiffs intend to rely heavily on Rightscorp’s notices to prove their infringement case. Yet, the destruction of the evidence underlying those notices seriously compromises Grande’s ability to independently evaluate the accuracy of the process, notices and downloads,&#8221; the company writes.</span></p>
<p>Interestingly, this is not the first time that Rightscorp is <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/destroyed-piracy-tracking-code-should-end-lawsuit-cox-says-151110/">accused of spoiling evidence</a>. In the Cox case, the anti-piracy outfit was found to have destroyed source code, which resulted in a monetary sanction.</p>
<p>Grande highlights this history and adds that the current issues are even more significant.</p>
<p>As such, Grande sees no other option than to sanction the record labels. They don&#8217;t want any monetary punishments. Instead, they request that the court excludes all Rightscorp evidence from trial, which will make it much harder for the labels to make their case.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Given Plaintiffs’ and Rightscorp’s destruction of virtually all evidence underlying Rightscorp’s allegations, the only just remedy is the exclusion of the Rightscorp evidence.&nbsp;</span><span class="fontstyle0">Because Rightscorp destroyed all of the related and underlying evidence, the Rightscorp notices and downloads have effectively been &#8216;spoiled&#8217;,&#8221; they conclude.</span></p>
<p>The record labels have yet to respond to the allegations, after which the court will rule on the matter.</p>
<p><em>&#8230;</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of Grande Communications&#8217; motion for evidentiary sanctions is <a href="media/9bf43e3e.rightsspoild.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/rightsspoild.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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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167420
title: RARBG Adds .EXE Files to Torrents, But No Need to Panic
uri: RARBG-Adds-EXE-Files-to-Torrents-But-No-Need-to-Panic
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/6JLGluUlooI/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/bca70266.rarbg.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/rarbg.png" alt="" class="wp-image-164064"/></figure></div>



<p>After more than ten years in the game, RARBG is one of the most popular and resilient torrent sites on the Internet today.</p>



<p>The site took <g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="3" data-gr-id="3">fourth</g> spot in our <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2019/">2019 list of most popular torrent sites</a>, a position that has been earned through regular high-quality releases of everything from movies and TV shows through to music, games and adult content.</p>



<p>During the past few days, however, the site took a somewhat unusual step that has had some users scratching their heads. A quick look inside some new video torrents released by the site reveals not only the content <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="4" data-gr-id="4">itself,</g> but also an initially mysterious file called &#8216; RARBG_DO_NOT_MIRROR.exe&#8217;.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/1dade9a9.rarbg-exe-ss.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/rarbg-exe-ss.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167440" width="600"/><figcaption>The presence of an .exe file often raises alarm bells</figcaption></figure>



<p>As a general rule, when video torrents contain an .exe file there is a need for caution. These executables can contain anything and in some cases may be malicious, such as a virus or malware. As a result, experienced torrent users never click them but the same can&#8217;t be said about novices.</p>



<p>In this instance, however, there is nothing for regular users to be worried about. Renaming the file to give it a .txt extension reveals that this is just a text file that displays the following information:</p>



<p><em>&#8220;This is not <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="4" data-gr-id="4">an .exe</g> file. This is just a placeholder to prevent mirroring over other public sites.&#8221; </em></p>



<p>So if it&#8217;s just a text file, why would RARBG include it in their torrents? The explanation, it turns out, is pretty straightforward and not directed at users at all.</p>



<p>While the site makes thousands of releases every week, these are easily mirrored on other platforms. Since .exe files are viewed with suspicion by tools used to automate the crawling of the site (most sites don&#8217;t allow .exe files to be uploaded in video categories), their inclusion means less diffusion of RARBG torrents to other platforms.</p>



<p>&#8220;[The .exe file] is included in torrent files to stop distribution to other public sites,&#8221; RARBG confirms in a new addition to its <a href="https://rarbg.to/faq.php">FAQ</a>.</p>



<p>Interestingly, the &#8220;.exe&#8221; experiment is also having a positive effect on the health of torrents tracked by RARBG. According to the site&#8217;s operator, the inclusion of the .exe file in torrents &#8220;reduces the average hit&amp;run [people who grab a torrent and then fail to seed] by 35% !&#8221;</p>



<p>As mentioned earlier, there is nothing malicious with the .exe file as far as users are concerned and, as the site points out, people can easily &#8216;untick&#8217; the file in their torrent client and it won&#8217;t even be downloaded.</p>



<p>That being said, their presence won&#8217;t be welcomed by people looking to mirror RARBG torrents elsewhere. Since the traffic to such platforms could be negatively affected following the rejection of torrents containing an .exe, the job of their operators becomes much more difficult.</p>



<p>Finally, it&#8217;s worth reiterating that real .exe files in any torrent &#8211; or indeed anywhere on the Internet &#8211; should always be approached with caution.</p>



<p>Running these kinds of files without due diligence can be a risky proposition so the default actions should always be to run up-to-date anti-virus/anti-malware software and/or ignore and delete unexpected content, just to be on the safe side.</p>



<p><br></p>



<p> </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167379
title: Waterworld ‘Fan-Edit’ Gets Official Blu-ray Release, a Decade After Pirate Bay Premiere
uri: Waterworld-Fan-Edit-Gets-Official-Blu-ray-Release-a-Decade-Afte
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/HCWhISGGqmk/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-167452" src="media/d677b847.waterwoc-e1548332802535.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/waterwoc-e1548332802535.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="240">While it&#8217;s not one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the recent decades, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterworld">Waterworld</a> has reached cult status among a subgroup of film fans.</p>
<p>The post-apocalyptic film, featuring Kevin Costner in a lead role, first premiered in 1995. Since then, it&#8217;s been shown on TV repeatedly and released on various other media including VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray.</p>
<p>The latest Blu-ray version, created <a href="https://arrowfilms.com/product-detail/waterworld-blu-ray/FCD1837">by Arrow Films</a>, was actually sent out just this week. Despite Waterworld being more than two decades old, many fans were eager to get their hands on the copy.</p>
<p>The release includes three Waterworld cuts which were newly restored from the original material. That by itself would be enough to get proper fans excited, but it&#8217;s the inclusion of the infamous &#8220;Ulysses Cut&#8221; that was most anticipated.</p>
<p>Waterworld is known for its many different versions, but this one never officially aired anywhere. It was created by a fan who, together with others, set out to make the longest uncensored edit of Waterworld possible.</p>
<p>The origin of this fan-edit, well&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theunheardnerd.com/filmandtv/chapter-two-waterworld-the-ulysses-cut/">documented</a>&nbsp;by the Unheard Nerd,&nbsp; started in 2005.</p>
<p>At the time, a user of the Original Trilogy forum asked if anyone had access to the 40 minutes of Waterworld material that appeared in an ABC broadcast. This generated a long thread where users shared and compared different versions of the film.</p>
<p>In 2006, a user named &#8220;Mcfly89,&#8221; showed his interest in the project.</p>
<p>&#8220;This project sounds great! Is this from a VHS or better? Could anyone post some screenshots? I can&#8217;t wait to see this on myspleen or another torrent site,&#8221; he wrote.</p>
<p>Mcfly89 later took the lead and after crowdsourcing copies of different broadcasts,&nbsp;he set out to combine these into a long uncensored edit of Waterworld.</p>
<p>The project progressed slowly and by November 2007 the name &#8220;Ulysses was first mentioned.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>&#8220;Ulysses&#8221;</strong></p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-167450 aligncenter" src="media/cde18096.ulysses.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ulysses.png" alt="" width="612" height="357"></p>
<p>This title refers to the unnamed mariner played by Kevin Costner. He&#8217;s given this name toward the end of the film in a scene that was taken out of the theatrical version.</p>
<p>With a name for the project, Mcfly89 continued his work. Helped by other members, who also assisted with an appropriate&nbsp;DVD-cover, the fan-made DVD was ready by the summer of 2008.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Ulysses Cut cover</strong></p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-167447 aligncenter" src="media/8dc122f1.waterwcover-e1548332664482.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/waterwcover-e1548332664482.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="385"></p>
<p>Despite a temporary outage on The Pirate Bay, Mcfly89 managed to upload a torrent for the &#8220;Ulysses&#8221; cut to the site on July 28th, exactly thirteen years after the original&nbsp;premiere.</p>
<p>Today, ten years on, it&#8217;s still available on TPB, albeit with no seeders on the official torrent. In the description, Mcfly89 explains the project while thanking the many others who contributed.</p>
<p>&#8220;Waterworld: The Ulysses Cut is a fan-made preservation of the extended cut of Waterworld which has been aired on television but never released on home video,&#8221; it reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;Waterworld is a film notoriously re-cut by the studio after locking the director out of the editing room, and this preservation is an attempt to show some 40 minutes worth of material that was exised.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Ulysses Cut on TPB</strong></p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-167449 aligncenter" src="media/ebfdfb09.watertpb.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/watertpb.png" alt="" width="601" height="450" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/watertpb.png 601w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/watertpb-200x150.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px"></p>
<p>Many Waterworld fans welcomed the &#8220;Ulysses&#8221; release and it&nbsp;was even <a href="https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Waterworld-The-Ulysses-Cut-Revised-Edition/id/11339">extended</a> by &#8216;Zaaacharias&#8217; a few years later. It&#8217;s not clear whether the original makers were happy with it. Film fans generally see&nbsp;<a href="https://arrowfilms.com/product-detail/waterworld-blu-ray/FCD1837">fan-edits</a> as important preservation projects, but copyright holders have gone after such releases as well.</p>
<p>Fast forward another decade and now the Ulysses cut has been released legitimately on a Blu-Ray disc put together by Arrow Films. The movie company used the name of the cut, but it was obviously reconstructed from original footage, not the broadcasts that were used in the fan-edit.</p>
<p>We reached out to Arrow Films to ask what its motivation was and whether it consulted Mcfly89, but the company didn&#8217;t respond. We had no luck tracking down Mcfly89 either, who is not mentioned in any of the official Blu-ray release details.</p>
<p>&#8220;High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the extended European Ulysses cut, which include previously censored shots and dialogue,&#8221; is how Arrow Films describes the version.</p>
<p>Waterworld fans surely haven&#8217;t forgotten about the cut&#8217;s origins.&nbsp;Mcfly89 is mentioned in several reviews, including this on Amazon, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R2PT94KMUT55MD/ref=cm_cr_othr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&amp;ASIN=B07HPZWG4H">from &#8220;Lego Trooper&#8221;</a> who&#8217;s eager to know more about how this official release came about.</p>
<p>&#8220;On this lovely 3 disc edition is finally the Ulysses cut which was fan made from a number of different recordings from different cuts of the film shown on TV. The fan in question &#8216;Mcfly89&#8217; surely deserves a shout out for his efforts.</p>
<p>&#8220;It would probably be an interesting read or feature to know how between Universal, Arrow and Mcfly89 The Ulysses Cut has eventually arrived as a 1080p edition,&#8221; Lego Trooper adds.</p>
<p>The story is quite remarkable already but we believe that Arrow Films missed a major opportunity here. But perhaps the full story will come out one day, in another decade or so.</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=167309
title: Copyright Trolling in Sweden Grows Massively Putting US Efforts in the Shade
uri: Copyright-Trolling-in-Sweden-Grows-Massively-Putting-US-Efforts-in-the
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/csZ7zvnLYYE/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/67ffec03.trollsign.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/trollsign.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-108977"/></figure></div>



<p>With millions of Internet users sharing copyrighted content every day, some entertainment companies have embarked on campaigns to shakedown alleged infringers with settlement demands.</p>



<p>The process is broadly the same wherever it takes place in the world, with anti-piracy outfits sitting in BitTorrent swarms and logging the IP addresses of connections alleged to have downloaded and/or shared content without permission. This evidence is then presented to local courts which invariably order ISPs to hand over the personal details of alleged infringers.</p>



<p>Despite The Pirate Bay being founded in Sweden where it amassed millions of followers, the country was not an early target for so-called copyright trolls. However, emboldened companies now see the Scandinavian country as a place to hit hard.</p>



<p>ISP <a href="https://www.bahnhof.se/press/press-releases/2019/01/23/utpressningsaret-2018-antal-drabbade-tio-ganger-fler-i-sverige-an-i-usa">Bahnhof</a> is the world&#8217;s most outspoken service providers when it comes criticism of copyright trolls and a new report by the company reveals that Sweden is now being systematically targeted.</p>



<p>Covering 2016, 2017, and 2018, the study of applications to Swedish courts (now exclusively the Patent and Market Court) reveals a shocking growth. </p>



<p>In 2016, copyright trolls obtained the personal details of individuals behind 5,673 IP addresses but by 2017, that had escalated almost fivefold to 25,850 IP addresses. In 2018, the figure skyrocketed to 52,341 IP addresses, more than double the previous year.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/f73bacf0.bahnhof-2016-17-18-stats.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/bahnhof-2016-17-18-stats.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-167319" width="600"/><figcaption>Bahnhof: Copyright troll cases exploding in Sweden<br><br></figcaption></figure>



<p>To compile this data, Bahnhof obtained copies of all disclosure applications and subsequent court decisions from the Patent and Market Court. Unlike the current position in the US, each application can cover huge numbers of IP addresses.</p>



<p>In 2016, there were 13 applications for personal data, i.e the names <g class="gr_ gr_110 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="110" data-gr-id="110">and</g> addresses of alleged infringers. In 2017, that figure had grown to 27 but in 2018 there were 72, a clear sign that copyright trolls now view Sweden as a favorable country to conduct their business.</p>



<p>This is underlined when more closely comparing the trolling activity in Sweden with that of the United States.</p>



<p>As detailed in an earlier TorrentFreak <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-online-piracy-lawsuits-hit-a-record-high-last-year-190104/">report</a>, more than 3,300 new cases were filed against alleged BitTorrent users in the US during 2018, with most targeting a single user per case. The United States has a population of more than 328 million while Sweden has &#8216;just&#8217; 10 million.</p>



<p>In the US, most of this activity can be attributed to two adult industry companies – Malibu Media and Strike 3 Holdings. In Sweden there are various rightsholders with three law firms carrying out the threats &#8211; Njord Law (32 cases), Ramberg Advokater (28), and Engström &amp; Hellman Advokatbyrå (2).</p>



<p>Interestingly, the trolls and their associated law firms in Sweden appear to favor four Internet service providers when making their applications.</p>



<p>Statistically, customers of telecoms giant Telia are the most likely to receive a settlement demand, with the court ordering the ISP to reveal the identities of subscribers behind 37,035 IP addresses in 2018.</p>



<p>Customers of Com Hem fall in second place with 7,889 IP addresses, with Telenor closely following with 6,762. Rätt Internet Kapacitet <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_tiny gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="4" data-gr-id="4">i</g> Sverige was placed in fourth with orders to disclose the identities of subscribers behind 571 IP addresses.</p>



<p>Perhaps most notably, the court ordered Bahnhof to reveal the identities of exactly zero subscribers in 2018, but this is no accident<g class="gr_ gr_9 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="9" data-gr-id="9">.</g></p>



<p>Bahnhof refuses to log the activities of its subscribers which means that when the trolls come calling, there is no useful information to hand over. Bahnhof CEO Jon Karlung says this is the model other ISPs in Sweden should also be operating.</p>



<p>&#8220;The solution is simple. DONT STORE DATA about your customers! If you do not store any data, there is nothing to hand out,&#8221; he informs TorrentFreak.</p>



<p>&#8220;I have read the fine prints from the bigger telcos &#8211; and they all say that they store data basically forever. They argue that this is because they need it for support issues. Well? Really, for years?</p>



<p>&#8220;No, it is often mentioned that they store data for &#8216;Enhancing the customer experience&#8217;. I assume that most people don&#8217;t think that blackmail by copyright trolls is a nice &#8216;enhancement&#8217;. Bahnhof does not store data. We have handed out in zero cases,&#8221; he adds.</p>



<p>While statistics like those collected by Bahnhof and TF make for interesting reading, the personal stories of those affected by aggressive tactics of copyright trolls often go unreported. Karlung says he has personally spoken to many people targeted for cash settlements.</p>



<p>&#8220;Some of them are elderly people saying that they have no knowledge at all about a specific movie. They seem genuine enough but since there have been no tests in court, it&#8217;s hard to say,&#8221; he says.</p>



<p>&#8220;But a gut feeling is that this is an imperfect trolling machine that points out innocent people. They ask me for advice and well, I say that it&#8217;s hard to give. But often the best strategy is not to respond at all to the trolls. Another piece of advice, of course, is not to choose an ISP or telco that stores data.&#8221;</p>



<p>The number of people who choose to settle following a threat is impossible to report <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="4" data-gr-id="4">accurately,</g> since many who do so also agree not to speak about their agreements in public. In the UK it was previously estimated that somewhere between 10% and 20% pay up but Karlung believes that the number could be higher in Sweden.</p>



<p>&#8220;Swedes tends to be trusting of the legal system. This is now being exploited by the trolls. They basically use blackmail as a modus operandi and there is no way the individual can protect themselves. Therefore I believe the payments <g class="gr_ gr_11 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="11" data-gr-id="11">are</g> much higher here,&#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=167324
title: Replacing DVDs With Online Screeners Won’t Stop Pirates
uri: Replacing-DVDs-With-Online-Screeners-Won-t-Stop-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/7N2Mn8Riw_M/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-22131" src="media/7cffd0f4.oscartorrents.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/oscartorrents.png" alt="" width="185" height="198">Last week the news broke that the Emmys will <a href="https://www.emmys.com/news/press-releases/dvd-190118">make the switch</a> from physical DVD-screeners to online streaming screeners in 2020.</p>
<p>This transition comes with a lot of benefits. For one, it&#8217;s much cheaper for companies to put movies on an online screening&nbsp;platform than to manufacture and ship hundreds of thousands of DVDs.</p>
<p>Another advantage, according to some industry insiders, is that it&#8217;s easier to keep online screeners out of the hands of pirates.</p>
<p>In recent years there haven&#8217;t been many TV-screener leaks. However, if DVD screeners are eventually phased out by other awards shows, such as the Oscars, could that be the end of the screener season madness among pirates?</p>
<p>That&#8217;s highly doubtful. While it&#8217;s certainly true that online copies can&#8217;t get lost in the mail, there are other vulnerabilities. A login and password are easily shared and, once in, pirates can usually find a way to rip of capture a movie of TV-show. That&#8217;s what they&#8217;re good at, after all.</p>
<p>This is corroborated by pirate release group EVO. Short for EVOLUTiON, EVO has been around for years. The group has standing when it comes to screeners. Just a few weeks ago <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/first-pirated-dvd-screeners-leak-online-181229/">it leaked</a> &#8220;Ralph Breaks The Internet,&#8221; one of the first DVD screeners this year.</p>
<p>According to EVO, online screeners are not necessarily more secure and the opposite may be true in some cases. The group mentions that it had access to a digital screener account last year which provided surprisingly little protection.</p>
<p>&#8220;We had access to digital screeners and they are indeed easy to leak. The DRM on it is a joke. We had an account last year with three screeners on it and they were pretty much MP4 ready to encode,&#8221; the EVO team informs TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>The group adds that online screeners have already leaked in the past, mentioning last year&#8217;s release of &#8220;Call Me By Your Name&#8221; as an example.</p>
<p>The Academy Awards have experimented with online streaming, but there is no sign of a switch yet.&nbsp; The release group noticed, however, that DVD screener security has been increased. At least, for the disc they worked on.</p>
<p>&#8220;From what I&#8217;ve seen, doing Ralph, the DVD protection on it was increased, since it was a nightmare to crack,&#8221; EVO&#8217;s team member tells us.</p>
<p>The group believes that the current security measures around DVD screeners releases work fairly well. After all, there haven&#8217;t been too many DVD screener leaks this year. It further notes that the quality of screeners is intentionally kept low to decrease their value, in case they leak.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Legitimate screeners (for the SAG awards)</strong></p>
<p><center><br>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async="" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p></center></p>
<p>Whether online or physical screeners are more secure ultimately depends on the type of protection measures that are implemented for each.</p>
<p>A highly secure DVD with watermarks is more secure than an online stream that&#8217;s only protected with a login, and a highly secure online streaming platform is more secure than an unprotected DVD. But none of these are 100% leak-resistant.</p>
<p>The safest conclusion is that piracy will likely remain a problem, no matter what the distribution platform is.</p>
<p>To get more perspectives we reached out to a variety of movie industry insiders, including those who offer secure online screening platforms. Unfortunately, none of them answered, suggesting that it&#8217;s a sensitive issue.</p>
<p>Based on previous coverage on the matter, we found that the movie industry hasn&#8217;t made its mind up on the security issue either.</p>
<p>Anthony Anderson, director of film security for Universal Pictures, previously <a href="https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/hateful-eight-screener-leaked-digital-1201667403/">told</a> Variety that digital screeners will present new threats, which could make them less secure.</p>
<p>“Before, if you shipped a DVD to the home, you had to steal it from the doorstep. Now you can sit at home and attack the site, which presents a host of issues,”&nbsp;Anderson said.</p>
<p>The&nbsp;Television Academy&#8217;s decision to make Emmy screeners streaming only doesn&#8217;t come as a surprise though. In recent years many insiders have called for a transition and the major studios, including <a href="https://support.wbfyc.com/home">Warner Bros.</a>, have online &#8220;FYC&#8221; platforms in place already.</p>
<p>As far as we know, security concerns are not the main driver behind the switch. Variety&#8217;s coverage shows&nbsp;that streaming is simply seen as&nbsp;<a href="https://variety.com/2019/tv/awards/emmy-award-screeners-television-academy-analysis-1203112174/">more practical, modern, and much cheaper</a>&nbsp;by many. The downside is that not everyone likes streaming and that it&#8217;s harder to make titles stand out.</p>
<p>As for EVO, they don&#8217;t believe that the Academy Awards will follow the Emmys&#8217; example anytime soon.&nbsp; That said, the group prefers not to get involved with these type of releases too often, as it&#8217;s a security threat for them as well.</p>
<p>&#8220;Usually, we choose to stay out of the DVDSCR because it&#8217;s something that draws to much&nbsp;heat, and the studios are not happy about it. Every year people who actually leak them are arrested. No matter how good you are to erase the watermarks. There is always a trace,&#8221; EVO notes.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s true for both DVD and online screeners&#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=167523
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 01/21/19
uri: 2019-01-28-Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-01-21-19
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/5ypyehrUZyk/
content:
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-167528 alignright" src="media/fc95f429.bohem.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bohem.png" alt="" width="300" height="175"></p>
<p>This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Bohemian Rhapsody is the most downloaded movie.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-on-bittorrent-01-21-19/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(10)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/">Bohemian Rhapsody</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP0VHJYFOAU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517451/">A Star is Born</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517451/">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_efYhYU2A">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">Aquaman</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmqJJqFX_CU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709692/">The Grinch</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709692/">6.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf6D-i8YpHg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1846589/">Hunter Killer</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1846589/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAhcDHRZOak">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5177088/">The Girl in The Spider&#8217;s Web</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5177088/">6.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKMSP9OKspQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4701182/">Bumblebee</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4701182/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcwmDAYt22k">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213641/">First Man</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213641/">7.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSoRx87OO6k&amp;t=43s">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270797/">Venom</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270797/">7.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLCn88bfW1o&amp;t=3s">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218572/">Widows</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218572/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN2yBBSRC78">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=167537
title: Russia Sees Huge Increase in Pirate Sites & Blocking Could Be to Blame
uri: Russia-Sees-Huge-Increase-in-Pirate-Sites-Blocking-Could-Be-to-Blame
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AaKQ9Ehzrqk/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/1b97a33a.deniedblocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/deniedblocked.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-143825"/></figure></div>



<p>Russia has firmly established itself as one of the leading countries utilizing site-blocking to counter content considered unfavorable by the state or corporate interests.</p>



<p>Many tens of thousands of platforms are blocked for many reasons, from the promotion of terrorism to copyright infringement. Every week new sites are added to the country&#8217;s national blacklist which local ISPs are required to frequently check in order to prevent their subscribers from accessing forbidden platforms.</p>



<p>Given that blocking is supposed to reduce piracy, new research from Russian anti-piracy company <a href="https://www.webkontrol.com/">WebKontrol</a> throws up a few interesting angles on this online war.</p>



<p>For example, the company says that in 2017, the number of torrent sites offering content to the Russian market sat at around 1,300. However, last year &#8211; in the face of overwhelming blocking measures &#8211; that number grew to  <a href="https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3860784">around 2,000</a>. </p>



<p>In 2018, torrent sites accounted for just over a fifth of the &#8216;pirate&#8217; market (streaming platforms dominate with more than 70%) but due to multiple links to the same content appearing on most platforms, torrent links accounted for around 40% of the available links to pirated material.</p>



<p>Further underlining the importance of torrents, despite a smaller share of the market, the company reports that in 87% of cases, the first public copies of premiere titles appeared on torrent sites first, before spreading out to other platforms such as streaming and hosting sites.</p>



<p>&#8220;According to WebKontrol’s, data, out of various website types, the number of streaming resources had increased by 2% &#8211; from 69% to 71% [2017 v 2018] &#8211; which placed the streaming websites in the leading position,&#8221; the company told TF.</p>



<p>&#8220;The share of torrent-trackers has also increased by 3% &#8211; from 19% to 22%. At the same time, the analysts have noted that the number of link sites and cyberlockers went down from 5% to 3%, and from 6% to 3% respectively.&#8221;  </p>



<p>In 2017, the number of pirate sites offering content to Russian audiences dropped by 10% but in 2018, WebKontrol detected a 43% increase, amounting to an additional 9,500 sites. But despite this bad news, overall piracy appears to have dipped slightly, with the huge increase in sites put down to site owners&#8217; responses to Russia&#8217;s aggressive blocking system.</p>



<p>&#8220;The overall traffic of pirate sites is decreasing notwithstanding the fact that the number of such sites is growing rapidly. Presumably, the main reason for this is the newly created mirror sites,&#8221; WebKontrol CEO Olga Valigourskaia informs TorrentFreak.</p>



<p>&#8220;Administrators of the pirate resources tend to create mirror sites as quickly as possible after their original domains are blocked. Rights holders, on the other hand, instantly block these mirrors using an administrative procedure, so there is no chance for these sites to gain any significant traffic. Some pirates simply stop creating new mirrors after a few blocking procedures.&#8221;</p>



<p>Meanwhile, Russia is further investing in site-blocking with the introduction of a new system. Telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor reports that to date, 660 large telecoms operators have switched to a new mechanism which allows sites to be blocked more efficiently.</p>



<p>&#8220;The new mechanism allows service providers to receive data from the Unified Registry [national blacklist] for only updated or changed entries instead of downloading the entire data set,&#8221; Roscomnadzor reports.</p>



<p>&#8220;Earlier tests have shown that the time taken by operators to reduce access to prohibited resources is reduced from 30–40 minutes to 4–6 minutes.&#8221;</p>



<p>Adoption of the new system is not mandatory but given the importance of site-blocking to the Russian government, ISPs are being encouraged to make use of it in order to &#8220;increase the effectiveness of measures taken to limit access to illegal resources.&#8221;</p>



<p></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167538
title: Tolerating Piracy Can Benefit Consumers, Creators and Retailers, Research Finds
uri: Tolerating-Piracy-Can-Benefit-Consumers-Creators-and-Retailers-Resea
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/iBPVWjMTk48/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-135510" src="media/a585da8e.piratemusiccasset.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/piratemusiccasset.png" alt="" width="234" height="152">Over the past decade, various entertainment industry groups have lobbied hard for tougher anti-piracy measures.</p>
<p>The harder it is for people to download something through unofficial channels, the more revenue will flow to the creators, the argument goes.</p>
<p>However, a new study by Indiana University researcher Antino Kim conducted together with colleagues from the University of Texas-Dallas and the University of Washington, suggests that this is not always the case.</p>
<p>The findings from their economic impact model are published in the latest edition of the MIS Quarterly Journal, in <a href="https://misq.org/the-invisible-hand-of-piracy-an-economic-analysis-of-the-information-goods-supply-chain.html">an article</a> titled  &#8220;<em>The &#8216;Invisible Hand&#8217; of Piracy: An Economic Analysis of the Information-Goods Supply Chain</em>.&#8221;</p>
<p>According to their analysis, piracy limits the pricing power of both the creator and the retailer. This reduces the impact of <a href="https://www.careeranna.com/articles/double-marginalization/">double marginalization</a>, which occurs when creators and retailers both add significantly to the price of a product.</p>
<p>Because piracy is seen as a form of &#8220;shadow competition&#8221; the price of a product, such as an HBO cable subscription, is pushed closer to the economic optimum. At that optimal price point, everyone is better off, including the broader economy.</p>
<p>&#8220;When information goods are sold to consumers via a retailer, in certain situations, a moderate level of piracy seems to have a surprisingly positive impact on the profits of the manufacturer and the retailer while, at the same time, enhancing consumer welfare,&#8221; Kim and his co-authors write.</p>
<p>&#8220;Such a win-win-win situation is not only good for the supply chain but is also beneficial for the overall economy,&#8221; they add.</p>
<p>The researchers mention Game of Thrones piracy as an example. The TV-show is widely known to be the most pirated series in history but HBO is not going to extremes to stop the public from sharing these episodes, which may be a good thing.</p>
<p>Following the logic of the paper, the threat of piracy keeps the price of HBO cable subscriptions down. Neither HBO (creator) nor the cable and satellite TV operators (retailer) are overcharging, despite their relative monopolies. This means a better price point and more legitimate consumers.</p>
<p>The authors of the article note that creators and retailers don&#8217;t have to encourage piracy all of a sudden. However, turning a blind eye to it may be in their own best interests in some cases.</p>
<p>&#8220;The implication is simply that, situated in a real-world context, our manufacturer and retailer should recognize that a certain level of piracy or its threat might actually be beneficial and should, therefore, exercise some moderation in their anti-piracy efforts,&#8221; the researchers write.</p>
<p>&#8220;This could manifest itself in them tolerating piracy to a certain level, perhaps by turning a blind eye to it. Such a strategy would indeed be consistent with how others have described HBO&#8217;s attitude toward piracy of its products,&#8221; they add.</p>
<p>The findings are based on an economic model which is limited to retailer sold information goods. Piracy doesn&#8217;t always have a positive effect but this research shows that it can help keep market prices balanced, which is an intriguing conclusion.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">It highlights a positive aspect of piracy that has been overlooked before are certainly something for companies and governments to be aware of then they consider future anti-piracy measures.</span></p>
<p>&#8212;</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=167575
title: Bell Asked Canadian Government to Ban Certain VPNs
uri: Bell-Asked-Canadian-Government-to-Ban-Certain-VPNs
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/xyTxbaFGk1o/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-60888" src="media/c89c2205.canada.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/canada.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="165">Last year a coalition&nbsp;of Canadian ISPs and movie industry companies called for a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/new-anti-piracy-coalition-calls-for-canadian-website-blocking-180130/">Canadian site-blocking regime</a>.&nbsp;This plan triggered&nbsp;a fair amount of pushback.</p>
<p>Law professor <a href="http://www.michaelgeist.ca/">Michael Geist</a> was among the most vocal opponents.&nbsp;He warned of potential overblocking and feared that VPN services could <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/canadian-pirate-site-blocks-could-spread-to-vpns-professor-warns-180219/">become the next target</a>.</p>
<p>“Once the list of piracy sites (whatever the standard) is addressed, it is very likely that the Bell coalition will turn its attention to other sites and services such as virtual private networks (VPNs),&#8221; Geist wrote.</p>
<p>The site-blocking scheme was eventually rejected by the Canadian telecoms regulator CRTC. However, it turns out that professor Geist&#8217;s warning wasn&#8217;t as far-fetched as some claimed.</p>
<p>Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE), which is both a media company and one of the largest ISPs, did indeed ask Government to take action against certain VPN services. This wasn&#8217;t done as part of the site blocking plans but in Bell&#8217;s recommendations on the NAFTA negotiations in 2017.</p>
<p>This submission wasn&#8217;t made public at the time. However, the <a href="https://thewirereport.ca/2019/01/23/bell-asked-govt-to-ban-some-vpns-documents/">Wire Report</a>&nbsp;(paywall) obtained a copy through an Access to Information request, which reveals that Bell requested a ban of some VPN services.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Canadian cultural industry has long been significantly harmed by the use of virtual-private-network (VPN) services, which facilitate the circumvention of technological protection measures put in place to respect copyright ownership in other jurisdictions such as Canada,&#8221; the submission read.</p>
<p>The language appears to be focused on VPNs which are used to bypass geo-blocking efforts. For example, when Canadians use a VPN to access the US version of Netflix, which may have a larger content library.</p>
<p>This harms Canada both economically and culturally, Bell warned the government. The company, therefore, hoped that these VPNs would be outlawed under the NAFTA trade deal.</p>
<p>&#8220;Canada should seek rules in NAFTA that require each party to explicitly make it unlawful to offer a VPN service used for the purpose of circumventing copyright,&#8221; the submission clarified.</p>
<p>Among other things, this would&nbsp;confirm that it&#8217;s&nbsp; &#8220;a violation of copyright if a service effectively makes content widely available in territories in which it does not own the copyright due to an ineffective or insufficiently robust geo-gating system.&#8221;</p>
<p>The recommendation&nbsp;didn&#8217;t make it into the new trade deal between&nbsp;United States, Mexico and Canada Agreement (USMCA). However, it clearly shows that VPNs are seen as a problem by rightsholders&nbsp;and that a ban on these type of services is considered.</p>
<p>Interestingly, this isn&#8217;t the first time the issue has been brought to the attention of the Canadian Government. In 2015,&nbsp;officials from the Department of Canadian Heritage mentioned &nbsp;“copyright infringement using VPNs” as one of the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/canadian-govt-eyes-vpn-pirates-netflix-thieves-and-isp-blocking-151210/">emerging issues</a>.</p>
<p>For now, there is no sign that problematic VPNs will be outlawed anytime soon. But, since Bell and others <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bell-and-rogers-ask-government-to-simplify-site-blocking-and-criminalize-streaming-181018/">continue to push for site blocking</a>, it wouldn&#8217;t be a big surprise if &#8216;infringing&#8217; VPNs remain on the radar as well.</p>
<p>Bell is still hoping to get site-blocking implemented in Canada. The company has called for this as part of the ongoing copyright review and the broadcast and telecom review. Considering this recent push, professor Geist <a href="http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2019/01/bell-urged-canadian-government-to-ban-some-vpn-services-in-nafta-submission/">warns</a> that a possible VPN ban is still something to be wary of.</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=167585
title: Stream-Ripping Site Acted Illegally, German Court Rules
uri: Stream-Ripping-Site-Acted-Illegally-German-Court-Rules
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/-mZyQZer8kk/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/3bdfeafa.piratemusiccasset.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/piratemusiccasset.png" alt="" class="wp-image-135510"/></figure></div>



<p>Anyone old enough to have enjoyed music before the dawn of the Internet will probably have recorded music from the radio.</p>



<p>Armed with C60 or more capacious C90 cassettes, it was a tradition in many countries to press play and record when the local chart shows were airing, thus capturing the pop hits of the day.</p>



<p>The resulting recordings were deliberately peppered with DJ chatter to reduce their quality but for many, this was the first step in enjoying music on repeat and on demand, without buying original vinyl.</p>



<p>These days music platforms are much more advanced but a service offered over the past few years by Germany-based ZeeZee presented a new take on these old traditions.</p>



<p>Users of ZeeZee.de were able to make requests to the service to provide music tracks for download. However, instead of licensing tracks like Spotify might, for example, the service scanned online radio stations while &#8216;listening&#8217; out for the tracks to be played. At this <g class="gr_ gr_6 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="6" data-gr-id="6">point</g> ZeeZee would record them before offering the user the opportunity to download.</p>



<p>This activity attracted the negative attentions of record labels in Germany, Universal Music in particular. As far back as 2014, the music giant discovered that the album Mit den Gezeiten by local band <g class="gr_ gr_5 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="5" data-gr-id="5">Santiano</g> (which had been a number one hit) was being offered for download by ZeeZee.</p>



<p>Refusing to cease-and-desist out of court, in November 2014 the label filed for an injunction and damages at the Regional Court of Hamburg. During December 2016, the Court found in favor of the plaintiff and ZeeZee was ordered to stop its activities.</p>



<p>The case went to appeal but the outcome remained the same. In a ruling handed down by the Appeal Court of Hamburg earlier this month, ZeeZee was found to have acted illegally and to have no defense under Germany&#8217;s private copying exception.</p>



<p>The Court found that while users had requested the tracks, it was ZeeZee that fetched and reproduced them, later making them available for download. The infringing copies, therefore, had to be attributed to ZeeZee, not the end users of its service, in line with the limits on private copying highlighted in a <a href="http://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-265/16">2017 ruling</a> by the Court of Justice of the European Union.</p>



<p>The decision was welcomed by local music industry group, BVMI.</p>



<p>&#8220;Another clear signal from a German court: Anyone wishing to derive personal gain from another’s content by hiding behind the private copy rule must be prepared to be unmasked and suffer the legal consequences,&#8221; said René Houareau, Managing Director Legal &amp; Political Affairs at the BVMI.</p>



<p>&#8220;A business model which does so is not in line with current laws. As the court states, &#8216;tapping&#8217; internet radio stations in order to provide customers with an apparently free-of-charge copy from an unknown source, is specifically not covered by the private copying exception.&#8221;</p>



<p>On November 22, 2018, the Higher Regional Court of Munich <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-rules-musicmonster-stream-ripping-service-illegal-181126/">reached the same conclusion</a> in a case against stream-ripping service MusicMonster.fm, which also recorded tracks played on online radio stations to provide content to its customers.</p>



<p>The case, brought by Sony Music, also ended with a declaration that the service cannot rely on the private copying exception so is both unlicensed and illegal.</p>



<p>In Germany, exceptions for private copying attempt to balance the freedom to copy content with the right of rightsholders to get paid. While levies cover copies made at home for personal use, it&#8217;s now clear that sites like ZeeZee and MusicMonster need to obtain licenses to operate legally. </p>



<p></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167600
title: Dragon Box Has to Pay ACE 14.5 Million in Piracy Damages
uri: Dragon-Box-Has-to-Pay-ACE-14-5-Million-in-Piracy-Damages
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/_kvIhWZXje0/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-167602" src="media/a4649779.dragon.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dragon.png" alt="" width="288" height="241">Vendors of pirate streaming boxes have become a prime target for anti-piracy groups in recent years.&nbsp;</p>
<p>One of the key players in this area is the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (<a href="https://www.alliance4creativity.com/">ACE</a>), the anti-piracy partnership between Hollywood studios, Netflix, Amazon, and more than two dozen other companies.</p>
<p>Last October, the organization filed a lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-amazon-and-hollywood-sue-kodi-powered-dragon-box-over-piracy-180111/">against Dragon Media Inc</a>, a seller of Kodi-powered set-top boxes that stream a variety of popular media. The company&#8217;s owner,&nbsp;Paul Christoforo, and reseller&nbsp;Jeff Williams were listed as defendants as well.</p>
<p>Following the lawsuit Dragon Box temporarily stopped its sales. The company later decided to change its business model, moving from a Kodi-addon platform&nbsp;subscription-based services. First, it moved to &#8220;BlendTV&#8221; and a few months later to &#8220;My TV Hub.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, none of these were legal options either, according to ACE. A few weeks ago the rightsholders asked the court to intervene but, before it could, the parties agreed on <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-studios-agree-to-settle-piracy-lawsuit-with-dragon-box/">a settlement</a>, as reported here last week.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Initially,&nbsp;no details about the nature of the settlement were released, but a proposed order that was just submitted in the California federal court shows that the defendants agreed to a rather significant damages award.</p>
<p>&#8220;Judgment shall be entered against Defendants and in favor of Plaintiffs on Plaintiffs’ claims of copyright infringement, and damages shall be awarded to Plaintiffs in the amount of US $14,500,000,&#8221; it reads.</p>
<p></p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/15c91abc.dragonprop.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/dragonprop.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167606"/><figcaption>From the proposed judgment</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>In addition to paying damages, the defendants are permanently prohibited from infringing the copyrights of ACE members. This includes operating and offering the Dragon Box for sale, as well as offering BlendTV, My TV Hub, or similar subscriptions.&nbsp;</p>
<p>ACE spokesperson Richard VanOrnum welcomes the consent judgment, characterizing&nbsp;it as an important victory.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“Today’s legal victory is another significant and positive step in reducing online piracy and supporting creators around the world. ACE is pleased the agreement will ensure the immediate shutdown of the illegal Dragon Box system.</p>
<p>&#8220;The theft of creative content is a pervasive threat to the dynamic legal marketplace for movie and television content, and ACE will continue its global efforts to advance creativity,”&nbsp;VanOrnum adds.</p>
<p>Whether the defendants will be able to pay the $14.5 million has yet to be seen. It will, however, act as a stark warning to other box vendors. At the time of writing, the official&nbsp;<a href="http://thegreatest.bioreigns.com/">Dragon Box website redirects</a> to a website selling CBD oil and related products.</p>
<p>This is the second major streaming box settlement for ACE. Last year it made a similar deal with TickBox TV, which agreed to cease&nbsp;its activities and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/ace-scores-legal-victory-and-wins-25m-piracy-damages-from-tickbox-180911/">pay $25 million</a> in damages.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of the proposed consent judgment and permanent injunction is available <a href="media/35b65e53.58-1-Proposed-Order.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/58-1-Proposed-Order.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=167633
title: YouTube Strikes Now Being Used as Scammers’ Extortion Tool
uri: YouTube-Strikes-Now-Being-Used-as-Scammers-Extortion-Tool
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/fRmLOFJkAmo/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/b9f3b5ba.sadyoutube.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/sadyoutube.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-117196"/></figure></div>



<p>Every week, millions of YouTubers upload content for pleasure and indeed profit, hoping to reach a wide audience with their topics of choice.</p>



<p>On occasion, these users run into trouble by using content to which they don&#8217;t own the copyrights, such as a music track or similar.</p>



<p>While these complaints can often be dealt with quickly and relatively amicably using YouTube&#8217;s Content ID system, allegedly-infringing users can also get a so-called &#8216;strike&#8217; against their account. Get three of these and a carefully maintained channel, with countless hours of work behind it, can be rendered dead by YouTube.</p>



<p>As reported on many occasions, this system is open to all kinds of abuse but a situation highlighted by a YouTuber called &#8216;ObbyRaidz&#8217; takes things to a horrible new level.</p>



<p>The YouTuber, who concentrates on Minecraft-related videos, reports that he&#8217;s received two bogus strikes on his account. While this is nothing new, it appears the strikes were deliberately malicious with longer-term plan to extort money from him.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/2b286440.image.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167639" width="418" height="423"/><figcaption>The two bogus strikes filed against the ObbyRaidz YouTube channel</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>&#8220;I have been <g class="gr_ gr_7 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="7" data-gr-id="7"><g class="gr_ gr_9 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="9" data-gr-id="9">striked</g></g> twice and basically extorted,&#8221; ObbyRaidz revealed this morning. &#8220;If I don&#8217;t pay this dude he&#8217;s going to strike a third one of my videos down.&#8221;</p>



<p>The alleged scammer <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="4" data-gr-id="4">contact</g>ed ObbyRaidz, who lives in Texas, via <a href="https://twitter.com/ObbyRaidz">Twitter</a>. He or she warned the YouTuber that unless he paid a sum via PayPal or bitcoin,  another complaint and therefore a third strike would be added to his account.</p>



<p>&#8220;Hi Obby, We <g class="gr_ gr_16 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="16" data-gr-id="16">striked</g> you,&#8221; the message from &#8216;<a href="https://twitter.com/Vengeful_Flame?lang=en-gb">VengefulFlame</a>&#8216; begins.</p>



<p>&#8220;Our request is $150 PayPal or $75 <g class="gr_ gr_6 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="6" data-gr-id="6">btc</g> (Bitcoin). You may send the money via goods/services if you do not think we will cancel or hold up our end of the deal<g class="gr_ gr_19 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="19" data-gr-id="19">.</g></p>



<p>&#8220;Once we receive our payment, we will cancel both strikes on your channel. Again &#8211; you are free to charge back if we don&#8217;t but we assure you we will.&#8221;</p>



<p>The YouTuber was then granted &#8220;a very short amount of time&#8221; to make his decision whether to pay the amount or potentially lose his channel.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="media/e07ea60c.dmca-extortion.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/dmca-extortion.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167646" width="300" height="617"/><figcaption><a href="https://twitter.com/ObbyRaidz/status/1090292973408083968">Flat-out extortion</a></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>While people should be protected from this kind of abuse, both from a copyright perspective and the crime of extortion, ObbyRaidz says he&#8217;s had zero luck in getting assistance from YouTube.</p>



<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s very unfortunate and YouTube has not done very much for me. I can&#8217;t get in contact with them. One of the appeals got denied,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0i-sLESXqo">explains</a>.</p>



<p>Like many YouTubers, ObbyRaidz says he&#8217;s worked &#8220;really hard&#8221; on his channel but with no help from YouTube, he&#8217;s scared he&#8217;s going to lose his entire channel due to these bogus complaints.</p>



<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not fun and i&#8217;m gonna be really sad to see if my channel gets terminated. Then I have to go through the process of getting in contact with YouTube and stuff. YouTube is very broken and I want to see if they can fix their system so this doesn&#8217;t happen to other content creators,&#8221; he says.</p>



<p>While ObbyRaidz has a pretty small reach at the moment with 5.2K subscribers, this attempt to extort him will likely backfire &#8211; in his favor.</p>



<p>Once the story begins to circulate, it&#8217;s more than likely YouTube will review <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXfOKy0XLz2aQb3ziWDABaA">his account</a> and put it back in good standing. And, if it hasn&#8217;t been done already, a criminal process should be initiated to deal with what is clearly an attempt at extortion.</p>



<p>While false strikes are a clear abuse of process, extortion is an extremely serious crime and should be treated as such. Meanwhile, ObbyRaidz should enjoy a nice boost in subscribers from the exposure, so the future won&#8217;t be totally miserable.</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=167630
title: Record Labels Appeal Legal Defeat Against Stream-Rippers
uri: Record-Labels-Appeal-Legal-Defeat-Against-Stream-Rippers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/GQGhky4K33A/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-167641" src="media/ca1a4a3f.flvto-2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/flvto-2.png" alt="" width="277" height="175">Over the years we have covered dozens of piracy-related lawsuits, mostly from United States courts.</p>
<p>In many of these cases, defendants are foreign sites or services which don’t put up much of a fight.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s not true for the copyright infringement lawsuit a group of major record labels, backed by the RIAA,&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/major-labels-sue-more-youtube-ripper-sites-180806/">brought against</a>&nbsp;Tofig Kurbanov last year.</p>
<p>The Russian operator of YouTube rippers FLVTO.biz and 2conv.com fought back with a motion to dismiss. This request was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-ripper-wins-dismissal-of-record-labels-us-piracy-lawsuit-190123/">granted last week</a>. Judge Claude Hilton ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction over these types of sites if they are operated from abroad.</p>
<p>“As the Websites are semi-interactive, the interactions with the users are non-commercial, and there were no other acts by the Defendant that would demonstrate purposeful targeting, the Court finds that Defendant did not purposefully avail himself of the benefits and protections of either Virginia or the United States,&#8221; the Judge wrote.</p>
<p>The legal win is a modern-day David vs. Goliath story. The record labels, good for billions&nbsp;of dollars in annual revenue, were defeated by the Russian operator of the two stream-ripping sites.&nbsp;</p>
<p>However, this battle isn&#8217;t over just yet. In his memorandum opinion, Judge Milton stressed that the labels are not allowed to refile their case in another district court. They can appeal the dismissal though, which is exactly what they&#8217;ve just done.</p>
<p>In a filing submitted yesterday, the record labels announce that they are appealing the ruling to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Via this route, they hope to overturn the dismissal.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/c708963e.appealri.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/appealri.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167636"/><figcaption>Yesterday&#8217;s filing</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>“The court got it wrong,&#8221; RIAA spokesperson Cara Duckworth <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8495599/riaa-appeals-dismissal-major-label-case-against-russian-stream-ripper">commented</a> to Billboard.</p>
<p>&#8220;Its decision represents a big step backward in the protection of American culture and the creators that fuel it. We look forward to laying out our arguments in the weeks ahead,” she added.</p>
<p>During the appeal, the court will consider the arguments from both sides once more.&nbsp;</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">The owner of the sites,&nbsp;Tofig Kurbanov, has hired a&nbsp;team of legal experts from and will continue to fight back.&nbsp;</span><span class="fontstyle0">Kurbanov himself has never been to the United States and his sites don&#8217;t purposefully target&nbsp;either Virginia or the US.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://bostonlawgroup.com/val-gurvits/">Val Gurvits</a>, one of the attorneys who represented the site operator, informs TorrentFreak that the defense already expected the RIAA labels to appeal.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;We’re not at all surprised by the RIAA decision to appeal – this opinion really struck a blow at their strategy of suing people in places where they’ve never even visited, assuming that they’ll get a quick default judgment before the court ever realizes that there wasn’t any jurisdiction to begin with.&#8221;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The attorney doesn&#8217;t believe that the record labels are going to succeed.&nbsp;The District Court made a thoughtful and well-reasoned decision and it’s going to be hard for them to overturn on appeal, he says.</p>
<p>If the fact that .com and .biz domains are administered by companies located in Virginia is enough to establish jurisdiction, as the labels argued,&nbsp; then millions of foreign companies could be easily sued in Virginia, without any further presence&nbsp;there.</p>
<p>&#8220;At the end of the day, our client is an individual who lives in Russia, who has never been to the United States, and who had no substantive connection to the United States,&#8221; Gurwitz says.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;If he could be subject to personal jurisdiction here, then there’s no reason that an American citizen couldn’t be subject to jurisdiction in China or Russia for typing out lines of code in his living room in Boston.&nbsp; That would be a dangerous path to travel – the District Court wisely declined to go down that path and we think the 4thCircuit will similarly decline,&#8221; he adds.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The record labels, assisted by the RIAA, hoped to resolve the matter quickly but it didn&#8217;t turn out that way. For now, it&#8217;s clear that the stream-rippers and their&nbsp;operator have won the first battle.&nbsp;</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">During the month to come it will become clear whether the dismissal will stand&nbsp;or not. If the record labels lose the appeal as well, they could also choose to file a lawsuit in Russia.&nbsp;</span></p><p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167678
title: Court Orders 1337x, LimeTorrents, and More Blocked in Spain
uri: Court-Orders-1337x-LimeTorrents-and-More-Blocked-in-Spain
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/51rW7BeyoCc/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/15b35c7c.1337xlogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/1337xlogo.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-129735"/></figure></div>



<p>As far as anti-piracy strategies go, website blocking is considered by entertainment industry players to be one of the most effective.</p>



<p>Following action by the movie, TV shows, music, sports and publishing industries, thousands of websites are blocked by ISPs in many countries, usually following copyright lawsuits against the providers themselves.</p>



<p>In Spain, following action by local music industry players including anti-piracy group <a href="https://www.agedi.es/">AGEDI</a>, even <g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="3" data-gr-id="3">more</g> sites can now be added to the growing list. Following a decision handed down by Barcelona Commercial Court No. 1, a total of seven torrent-based platforms will have to be blocked by local ISPs.</p>



<p>Perhaps the most recognizable of the group is 1337x.to, the world&#8217;s second most-visited torrent site according to TF&#8217;s recently published <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2019/">Top 10 Torrent Sites</a> data. The site is blocked in many countries due to its popularity but against the odds, continues to grow.</p>



<p>Next up is LimeTorrents.cc, which ranked as the 7th most popular torrent site in our report. In common with 1337x, the site is subject to ISP blocking in several regions.</p>



<p>Two additional popular torrent indexers &#8211; Torlock.com and Torrentfunk.com &#8211; are also included in the group, along with ExtraTorrent.cd, a site that shares the name of the now-defunct giant ExtraTorrent but has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/no-extratorrent-has-not-been-resurected-170524/">no connection to the original</a>.</p>



<p>Completing the list are Masquetorrent.com (which appears to be down), and Isohunt.to, which used to be a torrent indexing site but now redirects to  <a href="https://tpb.wiki/">TPB.wiki</a>, a fairly comprehensive proxy and mirror site portal designed for unblocking blocked sites.</p>



<p>The decision by the Barcelona court means that major ISPs including Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, and others will soon have to begin blocking the sites. However, if ISPs use the same techniques as they did following previous court orders, a simple <a href="https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using">change of DNS</a> will be enough for users to circumvent the blockade.</p>



<p>Local music industry group Promusicae (Productores de Música de España) welcomed the decision of the Barcelona Court, with president Antonio Guisasola noting that it contributes to &#8220;the end of the era of impunity&#8221; for pirates.</p>



<p>&#8220;We have suffered for many years at the hands of those who believed that music was a product that could be plundered and distributed without the slightest scruple,&#8221; Guisasola says.</p>



<p>&#8220;In the end, the efforts of creators and producers do not fall on deaf ears.&nbsp;Beyond the harsh generalized economic crisis, the music industry has suffered a bloody time that destroyed tens of thousands of jobs and put at serious risk the very development of our cultural fabric<g class="gr_ gr_10 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="10" data-gr-id="10">.</g></p>



<p>&#8220;The decisive changes implemented to favor new and more accessible modes of consumption require the backing of administrative and judicial authorities to rid themselves of the unfair competition of fraudulent businesses and resolutions such as this show that we are all moving in the right direction,&#8221; Guisasola concludes.</p>



<p>The music industry is not alone in its site-blocking efforts in Spain. Last year, Hollywood <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-orders-spanish-isps-to-block-pirate-sites-for-hollywood-180216/">flexed its muscles</a> to tackle sites offering movie and TV content illegally.</p>



<p>   </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167672
title: University Buys 14.4 Petabyte Bandwidth to Boost ‘Anonymous’ Torrent Client
uri: University-Buys-14-4-Petabyte-Bandwidth-to-Boost-Anonymous-Torre
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/I_qzh_u4Xqc/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-167687" src="media/1b89bcf4.triblersm.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/triblersm.png" alt="" width="300" height="198">The <a href="http://www.tribler.org/">Tribler</a> client has been around for well over a decade and during that time it’s developed into the only truly decentralized BitTorrent client out there.</p>
<p>Even if all torrent sites were shut down today, Tribler users would still be able to <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/tribler-makes-bittorrent-impossible-to-shut-down-120208/">find and add</a> new content.</p>
<p>The well-funded project is managed by dozens of academic researchers, which is a guarantee for continued development. One of the challenges in recent years has been to make torrenting via Tribler anonymous.</p>
<p>The Tribler team addressed this problem by adding a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-anonymous-and-impossible-to-shut-down-141218/">built-in Tor network</a> to the client, routing all data through a series of peers. In essence, Tribler users then become their own Tor network helping each other to hide their IP-addresses through encrypted proxies.</p>
<p>This works reasonably well but has some downsides.  A Tor-like network tends to be slower as files are shared through multiple connections. In addition, it relies on &#8220;exit nodes&#8221; whose IP-addresses remain visible to the outside world.</p>
<p>The latest Triber release, published today, aims to address these challenges in ways we&#8217;ve never seen before.</p>
<p>Professor Johan Pouwelse, leader and founder of the Tribler project, informs us that his lab at Delft University of Technology has bought 14.4 petabytes of Internet bandwidth. This bandwidth, provided by Leaseweb, will be used to scale-up the Tor-like privacy protection.</p>
<p>To pay for the bandwidth they sold a three-digit number of its Bitcoin stash. The University took an interest in Bitcoin in its early days and started mining years ago, and this money is now used for Tribler&#8217;s development.</p>
<p>While it&#8217;s certainly interesting to see that Bitcoin mining funded the bandwidth purchase, what Tribler is doing with it is even more important.</p>
<p>Tribler was the first torrent client to treat <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tribler-invented-paid-torrent-seeding-over-a-decade-ago-181013/">bandwidth as a currency</a>. It added <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/researchers-use-a-blockchain-to-boost-anonymous-torrent-sharing-180129/">a blockchain</a> which keeps track of people&#8217;s sharing habits and with the latest release users can now &#8220;mine&#8221; credits. The ultimate goal is to have a stable economy with users trading in bandwidth to ensure fast and anonymous downloads.</p>
<p>To kickstart this economy, Tribler will deploy &#8220;token robots&#8221; that can manage the bandwidth and operate exit points. This means that it&#8217;s easier for individual users to become anonymous.</p>
<p>&#8220;We create swarms of intelligent bots to manage bandwidth. These bots do as they are programmed, they can make smart decisions. We believe robots can&#8217;t be as easily corrupted as humans or forced to act against their own will,&#8221; Pouwelse says.</p>
<p>&#8220;They can autonomously buy servers using Bitcoin, self-replicate, operate a Tor-like exit node, and sell Tribler bandwidth coins to survive another month,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>More than 26 researchers worked on &#8220;<a href="https://github.com/Tribler/Dollynator">terminator bots</a>,&#8221; as they are called,  and Pouwelse says that they are among the most autonomous and smart software bots out there.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/8a5a8836.triblerpres.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/triblerpres.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-167744"/><figcaption>&#8220;Terminator bots&#8221; presentation at the Second Annual Delft Blockchain Lab Symposium </figcaption></figure></div>


<p>By default, users are not operating as an exit-node in the pseudo-anonymity network. This can be changed in the settings, but people who choose to be an exit-node should be aware of the consequences.</p>
<p>Over the past several years, millions of euros have been spent on Tribler and related research. Professor Pouwelse and his team will continue this work during the coming years. They see themselves as a unique project without commercial interests.</p>
<p>There are others working on similar decentralization goals, combining BitTorrent with the blockchain. However, professor Pouwelse is not a fan of these initiatives.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are seeing Bittorrent bundling malware and promoting a spammy ICO offering. It is sad to see rot inside our great community. We are the only non-profit team advancing decentralization from the tested foundation of BitTorrent,&#8221; Pouwelse says.</p>
<p>Today the researchers released <a href="https://www.tribler.org/">Triber V7.2</a> and those who are interested can take it for a spin.</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=167730
title: Pirate IPTV Device Seller Fined Following Sky Investigation
uri: Pirate-IPTV-Device-Seller-Fined-Following-Sky-Investigation
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/2Lasv6bYc_E/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/2dae909e.skylogo.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/skylogo.png" alt="" class="wp-image-124729" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/skylogo.png 222w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/skylogo-220x129.png 220w" sizes="(max-width: 222px) 100vw, 222px"></figure></div>



<p>Since Sky is the leading subscription TV provider in the UK, avoiding its charges is high on the agenda for many people.</p>



<p>The initial question is whether to learn how to program set-top devices online, or whether to pay one of hundreds or even thousands of sellers dotted around the country.</p>



<p>These people, often motivated by the lure of a few hundred pounds profit per year, will supply pre-programmed devices. Others, that are sometimes a bit <g class="gr_ gr_5 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="5" data-gr-id="5">more savvy</g>, will often throw in a pirate IPTV subscription for <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="4" data-gr-id="4">a higher</g> quality and hopefully more reliable service.</p>



<p>While most of these sellers act with impunity, that wasn&#8217;t the case for Ryan Jackson of Rhayader, Wales.</p>



<p>Following an investigation by local Trading Standards and Sky TV, the father-of-two admitted four offenses under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, three relating to selling devices configured to circumvent technological measures and one for breach of copyright for financial gain.</p>



<p>According to a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-47058296">BBC Wales</a> report, Jackson was spotted selling devices on his Facebook page when Powys County Council and Sky were looking for infringers on social media and eBay.</p>



<p>Like many in this line of business, Jackson was offering piracy-configured Amazon devices, granting free access to Sky content. However, he was also selling subscription access to unlicensed IPTV services.</p>



<p>Sky reportedly made a test purchase and received a so-called &#8220;fully loaded&#8221; stick for £105. According to the prosecution, between January 2016 and August 2018, Jackson received around £18,183 into his PayPal account from similar transactions.</p>



<p>While PayPal is convenient, it also carries detailed records which can be very useful during these types of investigations. Local publication <a href="http://www.brecon-radnor.co.uk/article.cfm?id=110352">Brecon-Radnor</a> reports that Jackson&#8217;s PayPal account revealed the sale of IPTV packages to 84 customers.</p>



<p>According to Sky, this translated to £576 per user if packages had been bought officially, amounting to a total of £48,384 in lost revenue for the broadcaster<g class="gr_ gr_154 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="154" data-gr-id="154">.</g></p>



<p>According to Powys County Council, however, Jackson only made between £10 and £30 profit per customer, meaning that his total net earnings were between £840 and £2,500 in total.</p>



<p>At the end of the hearing, Jackson was fined £1,340 and ordered to pay £4,070 in costs plus a £34 surcharge.</p>



<p>&#8220;It was not an intelligent thing to do,&#8221; the magistrate told Jackson. &#8220;You are paying much more than you made.&#8221; </p>



<p>  <br></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=167795
title: Movie Piracy ‘Alternative’ UltraViolet is Shutting Down
uri: Movie-Piracy-Alternative-UltraViolet-is-Shutting-Down
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/srgAYcYw3JM/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-167796" src="media/eb942b46.uv.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/uv.png" alt="" width="293" height="98">When&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UltraViolet_(system)">UltraViolet</a>&nbsp;was first launched eight years ago, it was portrayed&nbsp;as a convenient alternative to piracy.</p>
<p>The cloud-based service, backed by major Hollywood studios, allows users to store digital copies of purchased films and TV-shows, which they can then easily access on various platforms and devices.</p>
<p>In the years that followed UltraViolet amassed over 30 million users, but in recent times things went downhill. The number of supported retailers slowly started to drop and this week parent organization DECE threw in the towel, Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/ultraviolet-shutting-down-1203123898/">reports</a>.</p>
<p>According to the official <a href="https://www.myuv.com/faq">announcement</a>, the planned closure on&nbsp;July 31 was triggered by &#8220;market factors&#8221; including the rise of new platforms.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the years since UltraViolet’s launch, we’ve seen the emergence of services that provide expanded options for content collection and management independent of UltraViolet. &nbsp;This and other market factors have led to the decision to discontinue UltraViolet,&#8221; the statement reads.</p>
<p>While it&#8217;s not uncommon for services to go out of business when technology and markets progress, with digital content it&#8217;s often a sensitive issue. Especially for a platform that was once seen as a modern piracy alternative.</p>
<p>Those millions of UltraViolet users now realize that &#8216;cloud&#8217; ownership is not the same as a physical Bru-ray or a DRM free download. The movies they own in their digital lockers will soon be locked up for good.</p>
<p>With this in mind, it&#8217;s interesting to revisit some comments industry insiders made about the service&nbsp;<a href="http://ibiblio.org/nmediac/summer2015/ultraviolet.html">in the past</a>.</p>
<p>Former DECE CEO&nbsp;Mark&nbsp;Teitell,&nbsp;for example,&nbsp;said that UltraViolet&nbsp;fulfills “a real belief among consumers that if they own [content], they should be able to watch it. No fear of losing things you buy, with the additional value that cloud storage eliminates problems if discs are lost, broken or scratched.&#8221;</p>
<p>Or what about Thomas&nbsp;Gewecke, former president of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, who previously described UltraViolet as &#8220;a new service for giving consumers a new relationship with ownership.&#8221;</p>
<p>This new relationship with ownership certainly has a new meaning now. After July 31, users can no longer access&nbsp;their movies&nbsp;on the UltraViolet service.</p>
<p>The good news is that in &#8216;most&#8217; cases, users can still redeem their UltraViolet codes through the retailers which are still operating. This includes VUDU, Kaleidescape, and Sony Pictures.</p>
<p>&#8220;In most cases, we anticipate very little impact,&#8221; DECE notes. &#8220;While there could be some disruption, we do not anticipate this on a broad scale and are working diligently to minimize and avoid such instances.&#8221;</p>
<p>In all fairness, the digital ownership caveats are in no way limited to UltraViolet. Any digital media platform&nbsp;can ultimately go out of business. Or just as bad, depending on the rights, a movie could simply disappear from your library, <a href="https://apple.slashdot.org/story/18/09/12/1717239/apple-can-delete-purchased-movies-from-your-library-without-telling-you">including iTunes</a>.</p>
<p>There is simply no guaranteed perpetual right of digital ownership for movie customers. But at least there are no scratched DVDs either.</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=167752
title: BitTorrent Token Sold Out Quickly, But Who’s Buying?
uri: BitTorrent-Token-Sold-Out-Quickly-But-Who-s-Buying
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/rZ5eqtlJn88/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-156117" src="media/63ae51b5.bittorrent.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bittorrent.png" alt="" width="263" height="126">When there are any major newsworthy developments in the file-sharing world, our &#8216;tips&#8217; mailbox usually fills up pretty quickly.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s particularly true for topics many people care about.</p>
<p>This week there was a pretty historic event in the file-sharing ecosystem. To our surprise, however, several days have gone by and we have yet to receive the first tip in our inbox.</p>
<p>We&#8217;re referring to the token sale of BitTorrent&#8217;s new BTT token. In just a few minutes the company,&nbsp;which struggled&nbsp;financially for years, raised <a href="https://www.binance.com/en/blog/296665704096014336/Binance-Launchpad-BitTorrent-Token-Sale-Results">$7 million</a> from investors. A pretty impressive result to say the least.</p>
<p>Clearly, there is a massive interest in BTT. The token is part of BitTorrent and Tron&#8217;s plan to add &#8220;paid&#8221; sharing to their torrent clients through&nbsp;a new and open standard called &#8220;BitTorrent Speed.&#8221;</p>
<p>Later this year BitTorrent and uTorrent users will be able to earn tokens by seeding or spend them to speed up downloads.&nbsp; With well over 100 million users, the potential market is huge.</p>
<p>That said, it&#8217;s unlikely that much of the $60 million that was raised came from actual users. As with many cryptocurrency related project, most investors are ultimately in it to make a profit from trading.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/c47861f0.bttsoldout.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/bttsoldout.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-167812" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/bttsoldout.jpg 600w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/bttsoldout-220x130.jpg 220w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption>Sold out</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Those who search social media for BitTorrent-related mentions are now immersed in trading-related stats and graphs, with specialized news sites analyzing BTT&#8217;s &#8216;movements&#8217; from day to day, something we&#8217;re not particularly interested in.</p>
<p>Instead, we decided to take a look at a place where the potential BTT users reside &#8211; in the BitTorrent and <a href="https://forum.utorrent.com/">uTorrent forums</a>, for example. Interestingly, there is not even a single mention of the new token, Tron, or the &#8220;BitTorrent Speed&#8221; project in general.</p>
<p>BitTorrent used to announce and discuss new uTorrent plans in their forums, but that&#8217;s not the case anymore.</p>
<p>This doesn&#8217;t mean that there&#8217;s no interest all, but it looks like most of the outreach&nbsp;is targeted at crypto&nbsp;investors instead of uTorrent and BitTorrent users. Perhaps that will change later, but it certainly seems odd.</p>
<p>After all, these uTorrent users are the ones who are expected to actually use BTT as &#8220;currency.&#8221;</p>
<p>Aside from this observation, we don&#8217;t want to speculate too much. BitTorrent Speed has been praised and criticized&nbsp;but, for now, we will follow the developments from the sidelines.</p>
<p>That said, we&#8217;re very interested in seeing how &#8220;BitTorrent Speed&#8221; will be received once it&#8217;s live. There is little doubt that there will be plenty of torrent users who want to be &#8220;paid&#8221; to seed, but how many will pay to speed up their downloads remains a question.</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=167675
title: Deezer Tries to Remove ‘Pirate’ Downloading Tool, But Under What Law?
uri: Deezer-Tries-to-Remove-Pirate-Downloading-Tool-But-Under-What-L
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/o0kRy2shTJI/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/74330bf5.deezerlogo.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/deezerlogo.png" alt="" class="wp-image-149074"/></figure></div>



<p>While Spotify grabs most of the headlines when it comes to premium streaming services, French firm Deezer is a smaller but serious competitor in the space.</p>



<p>With tens of millions of tracks on offer for a reasonable monthly subscription, Deezer has in excess of 12 million users, the majority of whom pay for a premium account. What Deezer also has is an interesting loophole.</p>



<p>Using third-party tools, users are able to download songs from the service and archive them on their own machines, something which has proven attractive to large numbers of subscribers but completely unpalatable to Deezer.</p>



<p>Over the past couple of years, Deezer has been <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/deezer-tries-to-shut-down-hacked-pirate-versions-171223/">fighting</a> a somewhat losing battle against the creators of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/deezer-piles-pressure-on-pirates-deezloader-reborn-throws-in-the-towel-180315/">various tools</a> including several connected with the Deezloader, Deezloader Reborn, and Deezloader Remix apps.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="media/25766d19.NeOg9YU-e1548939237666.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/NeOg9YU-e1548939237666.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167716"/><figcaption>Deezloader Remix</figcaption></figure>



<p>Previously the company has filed what loosely appear to be DMCA-style complaints with platforms including Github and Gitlab, complaining that these third-party tools infringe their rights. Just this week, Deezer targeted the Deezloader Remix <a href="https://notabug.org/RemixDevs/DeezloaderRemix">repo on NotABug</a>, demanding that the site take the software down. <em>(Excerpt from notice below)</em></p>



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code>Amongst other things, security is set so as to prohibit any other use than those stipulated in our Terms and Conditions (http://www.deezer.com/legal/cgu). Is prohibited notably the unauthorised download of music tracks.

The following link makes available an application which uses illegal methods to bypass Deezer's security measures to unlawfully download its music catalogue, in total violation of our rights and those of our music licensors (phonographic producers, performing artists, songwriters and composers):

https://notabug.org/RemixDevs/DeezloaderRemix

I therefore ask that you immediately take down the application made available via the URL above.</code></pre>



<p>Similar notices were previously sent to Github and Gitlab who immediately disabled access to tools with the same functionality under the DMCA. However, NotaBug doesn&#8217;t appear so willing to take the project down without additional clarification.</p>



<p>After receiving the takedown notice from Deezer, NotABug admin Hein-Pieter van Braam-Stewart wrote to the developer of Deezloader Remix in an attempt to discover which laws the software might breach.</p>



<p>&#8220;I have received [an email] from Deezer, it would be helpful if someone from the project could respond to me on the details of the program,&#8221; he wrote on the Deezloader Remix repo.</p>



<p>&#8220;A cursory look at the sources reveals no Deezer owned materials nor any way in which the application defeats any type of encryption or any such things.</p>



<p>&#8220;I have responded with a request on what laws Deezer believes this repository breaks but it would be helpful if someone could give me a little background on the application.&#8221;</p>



<p>That Deezer should write such a lengthy and detailed <a href="https://notabug.org/RemixDevs/DeezloaderRemix/issues/156">takedown notice</a> to the site without citing any specific legislation is quite interesting in itself but by not citing the DMCA, for example, there doesn&#8217;t appear to be any official process to follow in case the developer wants to object.</p>



<p>That being said, he does have some thoughts of his own.</p>



<p>&#8220;This project uses a publicly available API from Deezer to get Tracks information and create a download link to their official servers,&#8221; he wrote in response.</p>



<p>&#8220;The tracks on their servers are encrypted by &#8216;extremely <g class="gr_ gr_7 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="7" data-gr-id="7">high level</g> encryption&#8217; that has been cracked many years ago and they don&#8217;t bother fixing.</p>



<p>&#8220;The only thing that could be seen as copyrighted material in this project could be the encryption key, as no tracks and no Deezer Code is directly inside this project,&#8221; he added.</p>



<p>It seems unlikely that an encryption key in itself could be copyrighted since it&#8217;s not the classic definition of <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="4" data-gr-id="4">a creative</g> work. However, circumventing Deezer&#8217;s DRM (which protects access to copyrighted content) opens up a different can of worms on the circumvention of technological measures front. </p>



<p>TorrentFreak contacted NotABug to find out whether Deezer had elaborated on which legislation the streaming service feels should apply to Deezloader Remix but at the time of writing, we were yet to hear back. A request to Deezer&#8217;s international PR department also went unanswered.</p>



<p>What doesn&#8217;t seem to be in doubt is that using Deezer&#8217;s API for downloading tracks to a user&#8217;s machine is against Deezer&#8217;s Terms of Service. Any developer using the company&#8217;s API must agree not to do certain things, including;</p>



<ul><li>[N]ot use the Services in any way or on any website that is associated or promotes in whatever manner the illegal or unauthorized use, streaming, download, or sharing of music and associated elements content, including but not limited to the Content provided by DEEZER</li><li>[B]ypass, by any means, these measures, for the purpose of downloading the Content, or more broadly using the Content in violation of the present Terms.</li></ul>



<p>In this respect, the developer of Deezloader Remix does indeed appear to be in breach of Deezer&#8217;s Terms of Service but it remains unclear why the company hasn&#8217;t taken steps to prevent his software from grabbing music from its service. After all, the takedown notice itself claims they are able to do this.</p>



<p>While sending a takedown notice might be considerably easier than a technical fix, it seems fairly clear that the loophole being exploited today is the same one that&#8217;s been exploited on Deezer for years.</p>



<p>Maybe there&#8217;s some reason why it cannot be patched but until then, additional vague and apparently ineffective notices seem to be the only solution to the persistent &#8216;Deezer downloading&#8217; problem.</p>



<p>All that being said, Deezloader Remix will soon be put into retirement. The developer says he&#8217;s had enough of maintaining the project so there will be no more updates, a decision that was reportedly taken before the complaint from Deezer was received, not in response to 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=167748
title: Reddit ‘Shadowbans’ Posts With Openload URLs
uri: Reddit-Shadowbans-Posts-With-Openload-URLs
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FKQit7AzKv8/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-162114" src="media/1df934b9.openload.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/openload.png" alt="" width="250" height="141"><a href="https://openload.co/">Openload</a>&nbsp;is the largest file-hosting site on the Internet, generating <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-openload-generates-more-traffic-than-hulu-or-hbo-go-181002/">more traffic</a> than&nbsp;popular sites such as Hulu or HBO Go.</p>
<p>While the site has plenty of legal uses it is also a thorn in the side of many copyright holders, due to the frequent appearance&nbsp;of pirated content.</p>
<p>This pirate stigma recently resulted in a&nbsp;mention on the US Government&#8217;s list<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-govt-brands-torrent-streaming-cyberlocker-sites-as-notorious-markets-180115/"> of “Notorious Markets&#8221;.&nbsp;</a></p>
<p>In addition, it appears that the popular social discussion&nbsp;platform Reddit has taken action as well. The site is actively shadowbanning posts that include Openload links.</p>
<p>In practice, this means that the users who submit a post&nbsp;can see it just fine, but for other Reddit users the post&#8217;s content is effectively removed. Here&#8217;s how it looks for the submitter.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/2ac961a0.shadowb.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/shadowb.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167766"/><figcaption>Looks normal right?</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>For other users, however, the post in question looks like this, with all the text removed.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/be684214.bannedr.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/bannedr.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167767"/><figcaption>Removed for other users</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>We were alerted about this shadowbanning practice by a user who questioned why Openload uses so many different domains. That question was posted in the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/">piracy subreddit</a>, but it wasn&#8217;t linking to any infringing content directly.&nbsp;</p>
<p>TorrentFreak spoke to /r/piracy subreddit moderator &#8216;dysgraphical,&#8217; who notes that there is no way to reverse the action. Sometimes filtered links can be manually approved, but with the Openload URLs,&nbsp;that&#8217;s not an option.</p>
<p>&#8220;Reddit gives no explanation for how their filter works. This proves difficult for some users who often post collections of links in their threads,&#8221;&nbsp;dysgraphical&nbsp;tells us.</p>
<p>&#8220;Openload isn&#8217;t the only URL blacklisted by Reddit&#8217;s sitewide filter. There&#8217;s mobilism.org and a few other more; however some of them are &#8216;soft-filtered&#8217; and can be manually approved,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>The shadowbanning practice&nbsp;isn&#8217;t limited to the /r/piracy subreddit either. We tested it in another subreddit with the same results. Links in a description are &#8220;removed&#8221; from public view. Posts linking directly to Openload.co are not showing up in a subreddit or search, but these URLs remain intact.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>When searching Reddit for link posts to Openload.co the latest result is from <a href="https://www.reddit.com/search?q=site%3Aopenload.co&amp;sort=new">four months ago</a>.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak contacted Reddit to find out more about the shadowbanning and why Openload was added to the list. At the time of writing, we have yet to hear back.&nbsp;</p>
<p>It&#8217;s likely that Reddit took these steps to prevent spam or perhaps to limit the number of copyright complaints. While that&#8217;s up to the site&#8217;s management to decide, it would be helpful if they&nbsp;were more transparent about it.&nbsp;</p>
<p></p><p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167762
title: Pirate-Powered CDNs Operate Innovative Illicit Streaming Model
uri: Pirate-Powered-CDNs-Operate-Innovative-Illicit-Streaming-Model
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ekXt_BZyfMk/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/af2289f0.pirate-cloud.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-cloud.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-58771"/></figure></div>



<p>While torrent sites are still important sources of unofficial content for hundreds of millions of users worldwide, streaming sites are undoubtedly eating into their market share.</p>



<p>Streaming platforms, easily accessible on the web and often sporting a Netflix-style interface, are enjoyed by expert pirates and the less savvy alike.</p>



<p>With a point-click-watch approach, streaming sites offer simplicity and convenience, features that regular torrent sites do not usually offer. As a result, a report shared with TorrentFreak by Moscow-based cyber-security company <a href="https://www.group-ib.com/">Group-IB</a> indicates that 80% of pirated movies in Russia are now streamed, a figure that increases to 90% for TV shows.</p>



<p>Perhaps of more interest, however, is the supply chain and business model in place to get this content to the end-user while making a profit on the way.</p>



<p>In a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/russia-sees-huge-increase-in-pirate-sites-blocking-could-be-to-blame/">report</a> published earlier this week, it was revealed that in 87% of cases the first public copies of premiere titles appeared on torrent sites first, before spreading out to other platforms. While this underlines the continuing importance of torrent sites, Group-IB informs TF that &#8220;large monopolists&#8221; are now supplying content to thousands of websites via dedicated &#8216;pirate&#8217; Content Delivery Networks (CDN).</p>



<p>&#8220;Much of the pirate underground has adopted advanced technologies of content distribution—pirate CDNs (Content Distribution Networks). CDNs store hundreds of thousands of files containing films and TV series,&#8221; the company reveals.</p>



<p>Group-IB says it has identified 15 &#8216;pirate&#8217; CDN providers in this business while describing four as &#8220;major undertakings&#8221;. One CDN, for example, contains around 300,000 files sitting on more than five petabytes of server space.</p>



<p>While the storing of pirate content on servers is long-established, Group-IB says that these suppliers go an important step further by not only supplying video &#8216;wholesale&#8217;, but also additional services to help people set up their own professional pirate sites.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/ce11d91b.pirate-network.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-network.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167768"/><figcaption>The &#8216;pirate&#8217; streaming supply &amp; consumption model <em>(credit: Group-IB)</em></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Running this kind of CDN is an expensive proposition. Group-IB estimates that the 300,000 file CDN mentioned above costs around $100,000 per month to maintain. This, however, is recouped via the content and services offered to pirate streaming site operators.</p>



<p>&#8220;Illegal videos are monetized via built-in CDN players. CDN platforms pay the pirate website owners on a CPM (cost per mille or thousand impressions) model. The CDNs are sponsored by bookies and online casinos, whose ads get &#8216;built-into&#8217; the CDN players,&#8221; says Dmitry <g class="gr_ gr_142 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="142" data-gr-id="142">Tyunkin</g>, Deputy Director Anti-Piracy at Group-IB.</p>



<p>&#8220;The CDN operators then become a kind of &#8216;wholesalers&#8217; of pirated content that gets quickly and easily &#8216;fed&#8217; to an almost unlimited number of pirate public-facing websites, such as movies and TV shows streaming portals. </p>



<p>&#8220;Some of these technical CDN providers also offer web modules that autofill sites with film posters and descriptions, and in some cases even supply unique reviews.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="media/e56da6ed.cdn-example.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cdn-example.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167764"/><figcaption>A sample site utilizing &#8216;pirate&#8217; CDN content and players</figcaption></figure>



<p>Group-IB provided TF with details of a CDN named &#8216;Moonwalk&#8217;, which reportedly began operating in 2013. The company says it carries around 33,490 movies and TV shows via a maximum bandwidth of 400 Gb/s, paying out $0.60 per 1,000 views.</p>



<p>Given the size of these kinds of operations, we asked Group-IB whether they are a target for local law enforcement. The company said that while most developers are Russian-speaking, their infrastructure is now hosted outside the country.</p>



<p>&#8220;It’s not easy to take any legal actions against CDN providers for copyright owners in <g class="gr_ gr_12 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="12" data-gr-id="12">Russia,</g> since CDN is a network of servers, which in most cases now are located outside of Russia,&#8221; <g class="gr_ gr_54 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="54" data-gr-id="54">Tyunkin</g>&nbsp;says.</p>



<p>&#8220;Most of them <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation replaceWithoutSep" id="4" data-gr-id="4">in fact</g> are located in Europe, and in the Netherlands in particular, close to so-called Internet backbones, the principal data routes between large computer networks and core routers on the Internet, for faster content distribution.&#8221; </p>



<p>Another interesting aspect of these pirate CDNs and the sites they service is that they appear to be undermining site-blocking efforts in the country.</p>



<p>While thousands of pirate domains are blocked in Russia under <g class="gr_ gr_5 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="5" data-gr-id="5">instruction</g> of the Moscow City Court, the availability of CDNs behind the scenes means that any domain or site targeted for blocking can simply move on, with a minimum of disruption and with its content source intact.</p>



<p>&#8220;Nobody considers their domain or platform to be invaluable anymore, and the possibility of them being blocked is no real threat,&#8221; the company says.</p>



<p>&#8220;Pirates register dozens of domain names, content on these websites is filled automatically, and if the website is blocked, its search ratings are &#8216;transferred&#8217; to a new website. This allows pirates to retain top positions in search engine results even if the original resource is blocked, which is not prohibited by the law.&#8221; </p>



<p>The end result is that while the number of blocked sites is increasing, there is also a trend of users who previously visited larger sites being spread over a larger number of smaller platforms. The <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/landmark-anti-piracy-database-agreement-signed-in-moscow-181101/">anti-piracy memorandum</a> signed last November by content and tech companies is having an effect, Group-IB says, but it&#8217;s &#8220;too early to talk about a complete victory.&#8221;</p>



<p>&#8220;Pirates know how to adapt to changing markets and are receiving support in the form of active sponsors among clandestine casinos and bookies. Not to mention creating a pirated website and moving content to it from a CDN provider is becoming increasingly easier and cheaper,&#8221; the company concludes.</p>



<p> </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167535
title: Pirate Bay ‘Promotion’ Increases Post-Release Box Office Revenue, Study Shows
uri: Pirate-Bay-Promotion-Increases-Post-Release-Box-Office-Revenue
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/_6UFncf6T7s/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-116122" src="media/932e6d7d.thepirate-e1470829181981.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/thepirate-e1470829181981.jpg" alt="" width="220" height="206">Late 2014 The Pirate Bay went offline after Swedish police <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/swedish-police-raid-the-pirate-bay-site-offline-141209/">raided</a> a datacenter near Stockholm.</p>
<p>The downtime lasted over a month and many users feared that it was the end for the notorious site.</p>
<p><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-what-raid-police-never-got-our-servers-150921/">It wasn&#8217;t.</a> The Pirate Bay came back and continued on its merry way.</p>
<p>While many people have since forgotten about the incident, marketing professors from business schools at the <span class="fontstyle0">University of Houston</span> and <span class="fontstyle0">Western University used the downtime to research its effects on box office revenue. </span></p>
<p>Hollywood&#8217;s general logic is that piracy hurts box office revenues. However, there is also some evidence of positive effects through word-of-mouth promotion. Using the Pirate Bay downtime as a natural experiment, the researchers tried to find out if that&#8217;s indeed the case.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is natural to focus on the downsides of piracy for movie makers &#8212; and these can be significant &#8212; but many will be interested to note that piracy can have an upside,&#8221; Professor Shijie Lu informs TF.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">Through their research, Lu and his co-authors Xin Wang and Neil Bendle, investigated the effect of this &#8220;buzz&#8221; in detail. They published their findings in a <a href="https://ssrn.com/abstract=3308905">paper titled</a> &#8220;</span><span class="fontstyle0">Does Piracy Create Online Word-of-Mouth? An Empirical Analysis in Movie Industry.&#8221;</span></p>
<p>Movies shared on The Pirate Bay are the main focus. The researchers use the Pirate Bay downtime following the 2014 raid to measure its impact on word-of-mouth promotion and box office revenues.</p>
<p>Based on a sample of hundreds of movie torrents and data from <span class="fontstyle0">most popular movie review sites, Lu and his colleagues estimated this effect. Their results are rather intriguing. </span></p>
<p>First off, the findings clearly show a negative effect of pre-release piracy on box office sales. This result is consistent with previous studies and an increase in &#8220;buzz&#8221; doesn’t do enough to offset the negative effect ..</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;The impact of pre-release piracy is found to be negative regardless of piracy type. The total box office revenue is reduced by 11% due to the existence of piracy appearing before the movie release,&#8221; the researchers write.</span></p>
<p>This changes when the researchers look at post-release piracy. That is, piracy which occurs after a film has premiered at the box office. In this case, there&#8217;s a positive effect on box office revenue through an increase in word-of-mouth promotion (WOM).</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;We find that the volume of online WOM mediates the impact of piracy on the box office. Based on counterfactual simulations, the WOM-effect from post-release piracy on the box office increases revenue by about 3.0%,&#8221; they write. </span></p>
<p>In other words, when The Pirate Bay went down, box office revenue dropped as well. This effect is significant and not linked to seasonal changes, as it wasn&#8217;t there in previous years.</p>
<p>The positive effect is strongest during the beginning of a movie&#8217;s release and differs per genre.  A<span class="fontstyle0">ction movies, comedies</span>, and thrillers, benefit more from a positive piracy &#8220;buzz&#8221; than dramas, for example.</p>
<p>While the findings suggest that The Pirate Bay does help to generate buzz and bring in more revenue, the overall effect isn&#8217;t positive. The negative pre-release piracy impact is higher than the positive post-release effect, after all.</p>
<p>&#8220;Pre-release piracy can have a substantial negative effect, in our data this overwhelms the positive effect we look at. That is, the overall effect of piracy is still negative,&#8221; Lu tells us.</p>
<p>That said, there is an interesting lesson to be learned.  Based on this study, copyright enforcement should be mainly targeted on early leaks. If these are dealt with, the main problem is &#8216;gone.&#8217;</p>
<p>&#8220;Our findings suggest approaches to target scarce anti-piracy resources, such as focusing on tackling damaging pre-release piracy,&#8221; the researchers write.</p>
<p>These results offer yet another piece of the piracy puzzle. It&#8217;s worth noting that the number of torrents was used as a piracy indicator in this study, which isn&#8217;t perfect. Follow-up studies with more granular data and actual download estimates may provide further insight.</p>
<p>&#8212;</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=167836
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 02/04/19
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-02-04-19
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/VVZJOzPg8ZU/
content:
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-167528 alignright" src="media/fc95f429.bohem.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bohem.png" alt="" width="300" height="175"></p>
<p>This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Bohemian Rhapsody is the most downloaded movie.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-on-bittorrent-01-28-19/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/">Bohemian Rhapsody</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP0VHJYFOAU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709692/">The Grinch</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709692/">6.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf6D-i8YpHg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571234/">Mortal Engines</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709692/">6.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf6D-i8YpHg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517451/">A Star is Born</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517451/">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_efYhYU2A">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">Aquaman</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmqJJqFX_CU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1846589/">Hunter Killer</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1846589/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAhcDHRZOak">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4701182/">Bumblebee</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4701182/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcwmDAYt22k">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7043012/">Velvet Buzzsaw</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7043012/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdAR-lK43YU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270797/">Venom</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270797/">7.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLCn88bfW1o&amp;t=3s">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(10)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218572/">Widows</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218572/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN2yBBSRC78">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=167850
title: Ukraine Cyberpolice Shut Down Dozens of Pirate Sites
uri: Ukraine-Cyberpolice-Shut-Down-Dozens-of-Pirate-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/DLScpKWKelU/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/096bd33d.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-125426"/></figure></div>



<p>For many years, Ukraine has been criticized for its lack of action against pirate sites and infringement in general.</p>



<p>The country has a thriving local piracy scene but big platforms with international significance have occasionally found themselves hosted in the region, something which has provoked complaints from copyright holders, many from the United States.</p>



<p>Authorities have occasionally been seen to take action against &#8216;pirate&#8217; platforms but the past few months have seen an uptick in enforcement.</p>



<p>In a fresh announcement from the Ukraine government, it is revealed that a man from Kiev has been targeted as the suspected mastermind behind 56 pirate sites.</p>



<p>Employees of the Kiev Department of Cyberpolicies worked with the National Police and the Prosecutor General&#8217;s Office of Ukraine to close the streaming platforms down, along with the servers that contained the pirated content.</p>



<p>According to the authorities, the 35-year-old founded and administered dozens of streaming platforms including  kinogo2019.com, kinobudka.net, onlineseriali.net <g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="3" data-gr-id="3">and</g> lostkino.net. </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/ebd4bfa2.ukraine-police-e1549277661744.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ukraine-police-e1549277661744.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-167858"/><figcaption>Police inspecting seized hardware <em>(Credit: Ukraine government)</em></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>None of the listed domains appear to have brought in significant traffic in their own right but the accumulation of visitors over dozens of domains appears to have attracted the attention of the authorities<g class="gr_ gr_12 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="12" data-gr-id="12">.</g></p>



<p>As of now, however, the shuttered sites all display a warning from Ukrainian cyberpolice, stating that the domains have been blocked due to copyright infringement offenses.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/ad7132d0.ukraine-blocked-e1549277511176.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ukraine-blocked-e1549277511176.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-167856"/><figcaption>Message from Cyberpolice of Ukraine on targeted domains</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>&#8220;In Kiev, law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches.&nbsp;Removed laptops, hard disks, telephones <g class="gr_ gr_5 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="5" data-gr-id="5">and</g> bank cards, which accounted for funds obtained from advertising on websites.&nbsp;In addition, three system blocks were removed, in which 210 virtual machines were deployed,&#8221; Ukraine&#8217;s cyberpolice said in a statement.</p>



<p>The crackdown on this latest batch of sites comes on the heels of similar enforcement action in January.</p>



<p>Following a complaint from the Ukrainian Anti-Piracy Association about sites that were illegally distributing movies and TV shows, police officers from the western city of Khmelnytskyi began criminal proceedings under <a href="http://www.intellect.ua/eng/copyright/law/code/criminalcode/176">Article 176</a> of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which covers copyright and related rights.</p>



<p>According to information provided by local cyberpolice, a 34-year-old man is suspected of operating a number of pirate streaming platforms including <g class="gr_ gr_19 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="19" data-gr-id="19">kinot</g>.me, krutor.org, kinogo-onlaine.net, rumedia.ws, and gogfilm.me.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/09a2f25a.ukraine-search-jan-e1549278907239.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ukraine-search-jan-e1549278907239.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-167864"/><figcaption>Image from the January action <em>(Credit: Ukraine government)</em><br><br></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Further action in January saw police target a 25-year-old man in the Rivne region, alleged to be the operator of HD-Mix.org. Police carried out searches and seized equipment and the site is currently down. All suspects in each case face a possible six years in prison.</p>



<p>In November 2018, authorities <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cyberpolice-raid-pirate-site-for-infringing-universals-copyrights-181117/">raided the home</a> of the alleged operator of a pirate streaming portal suspected of infringing the rights of Universal City Studios and many other entertainment companies. The 24-year-old was suspected of being behind another 10 pirate sites.</p>



<p>Earlier this year the United States Trade Representative (USTR) kept Ukraine on its&nbsp;<a href="media/865dd9ff.2018-Special-301.pdf" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/2018-Special-301.pdf">Priority Watch List</a><em>(pdf)</em>, accusing government agencies of using pirated software and a “failure to implement an effective means to combat the&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-calls-out-dozens-of-countries-on-yearly-piracy-watchlist-180430/">widespread online infringement</a>&nbsp;of copyright in Ukraine.” </p>



<p>While there is no mention of the Watch List in connection with this series of raids, the action will no doubt become a reference point as Ukraine attempts to improve relations with the United States.</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=167843
title: U.S. Govt Seeks Public Comments on Pirate Site Blocking and ISP Liability
uri: U-S-Govt-Seeks-Public-Comments-on-Pirate-Site-Blocking-and-ISP-Liabil
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/C2Iq1kWzOfs/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-135510" src="media/a585da8e.piratemusiccasset.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/piratemusiccasset.png" alt="" width="234" height="152">In 2016, the U.S. Government launched a public consultation to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the DMCA’s Safe Harbor provisions.</p>
<p>In response, the Copyright Office received <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/50000-people-protest-dmca-abuse-crash-government-server-160401/">a lot of input</a>, including more than 92,000 comments. Various rightsholders weighed in, as expected, and so did technology companies, law scholars and civil rights groups.</p>
<p>After a review of the initial comments, the U.S. Copyright Office found that that there was little agreement on how to move forward.</p>
<p>The MPAA, RIAA, and other industry groups called for extensive revisions including a ‘<a href="http://www.takedownstaydown.org/">notice-and-stay-down</a>‘ policy, for example. But, many service providers objected&nbsp;to this and said that the current system is capable of dealing with infringing content.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.copyright.gov/">Copyright Office</a> reviewed the various positions, but more than two years have passed and nothing has changed. At least, not in terms of US policy changes. In the courts and other countries, things are moving forward quickly.&nbsp;</p>
<p>To review these changes and developments, the Copyright Office has announced a new public roundtable on possible changes to the DMCA&#8217;s safe harbor provisions. This is scheduled to take place in April and stakeholders and the public at large are being asked <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=COLC_FRDOC_0001-0082">to chime in</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;The Office is now announcing that it will convene an additional roundtable to enable interested members of the public to address relevant domestic and foreign developments that have occurred since the close of the written comment period on February 6, 2017,&#8221; the Copyright Office writes.</p>
<p>The roundtable will have two sessions. The first will deal with US case law developments since the last meetings. This will include the BMG vs. Cox case, which touched on the appropriateness on repeat infringer policies of Internet providers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This &#8220;repeat infringer&#8221; issue cause quite a bit of uproar in the ISP community and several providers have tightened their policies in response. Those that fail to terminate persistent pirates, may be held liable.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The second session will focus on foreign developments and how these relate to the&nbsp;effectiveness or ineffectiveness of Internet service provider liability. This includes the EU copyright reform proposals, such as Article 13.</p>
<p>&#8220;Since 2017, several other countries also have addressed issues of copyright infringement and online service provider liability. For example, in Europe, work towards a possible new Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market has been underway since 2016,&#8221; the Copyright Office writes.</p>
<p>The European Article 13 proposal, often referred to as the &#8220;upload filter&#8221; plan, creates new obligations for online service providers. This is closely related to ISP liability, and therefore relevant to the US Government&#8217;s DMCA review as well.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Another sensitive but important topic is website blocking. While pirate site blocking was already commonplace in many countries at the time of the first roundtables, recent <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australian-parliament-passes-tough-new-anti-piracy-law-181128/">developments in Australia</a> have brought it into the realm of ISP liability.</p>
<p>&#8220;[T]he Australian Parliament recently passed an amendment to its copyright law that provides copyright owners with additional tools to enforce their rights regarding infringing content online, including injunctions to block domain names,&#8221; the Copyright office writes.</p>
<p>The amendment in question allows copyright holders to apply for injunctions that will not only target infringing ‘online locations’ but also their&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australia-targets-google-with-tough-new-anti-piracy-law-181018/">appearances in searches</a>. This means that Google and other search engines can be required to remove entire domains from their search results.</p>
<p>The US Copyright Office would like to hear from US stakeholders and the public with their thoughts on these developments. Specifically, if they are relevant to the ongoing DMCA review.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;The Office is aware that such proposals have generated widespread debate, with stakeholders expressing a variety of views concerning the potential implications for copyright owners, online service providers, and members of the public.</p>
<p>&#8220;At the roundtable, participants are invited to identify and discuss recent law and policy developments in other countries that bear on issues related to the effectiveness, ineffectiveness, and/or other impacts on online service provider liability.&#8221;</p>
<p>Needless to say, the roundtable and the public comments will undoubtedly result in a wide range of opposing views again.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not a secret that rightsholders would like to see site blocking and increased ISP liability in the US. However, these measures tend to trigger quite a bit of opposition from digital rights activists and the broader public,</p>
<p></p>


<p></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167853
title: Malaysia Blocks 246 Sites to Tackle Pirate Set-Top Box Epidemic
uri: Malaysia-Blocks-246-Sites-to-Tackle-Pirate-Set-Top-Box-Epidemic
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/e0KWv0j8jCE/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/096bd33d.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-125426"/></figure></div>



<p>Since their mainstream debut two decades ago, pirate websites have never been particularly inaccessible to the tech-savvy.</p>



<p>Today, however, streaming pirate movies and TV shows is simplicity itself, particularly when accessed through specially-configured hardware devices such as Android-style set-top boxes. Anyone comfortable with a smartphone interface is now educated enough to gain access to a mountain of infringing content.</p>



<p>As a result, these devices are now considered a major threat to entertainment industry companies all over the world and over in Asia, the situation is no different. In response to what is already an epidemic, authorities in Malaysia are now taking action to curtail the use of these devices.</p>



<p>To date, the Malaysian Communica­tions and Multimedia Commission (<a href="https://www.mcmc.gov.my/">MCMC</a>) and Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry have teamed up to block 246 sites utilized by piracy-configured set-top boxes to stream movies and TV shows to the masses. </p>



<p>&#8220;Based on the details and complaints from the rights’ owners which were made to the ministry, MCMC facilitated the shutdown,” MCMC Network Security and Enforcement Sector chief officer Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin told <a href="https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/02/04/crackdown-on-unauthorised-sites-mcmc-in-drive-to-end-illegal-content-streaming-through-android-boxes/">The Star</a>. </p>



<p>While the names and details of the sites have not yet been made public, given their number it&#8217;s likely they are regularly accessible websites that are &#8216;scraped&#8217; by software applications present on the Android devices. This is likely to become a game of cat-and-mouse as the sites switch domains and scrapers continue to adapt.</p>



<p>&#8220;We are working closely with the ministry and only through their complaints and the details provided to us, such as their domain and URLs, World Wide Web page addre­ss, on the illegal streaming sites, can we act to block the access,” Yasin added.</p>



<p>In parallel with regular blocking, Malaysian authorities are reportedly employing a secondary tactic to prevent the spread of Android-based devices that are illegal under laws other than copyright.</p>



<p>Under local law, all such devices must comply with standards laid down by the government, with the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (<a href="http://www.sirim.my/">SIRIM</a>) responsible for product <a href="http://www.sirim-qas.com.my/about-us/our-quality-policy">quality assurance</a> and subsequent certification.</p>



<p>Importers and distributors are required to submit samples of their devices to SIRIM which carries out tests to ensure they meet the standards set out by MCMC. If they do, they receive SIRIM accreditation. They do not, they are considered illegal.</p>



<p>Punishments for breaching such regulations are reported to be RM100,000 (which at current rates is around US$24,500), and/or six months in prison. </p>



<p>&#8220;We know who [these people] are and will act against them soon to discourage and stop these illegal boxes, which promote the illegal content streaming, which breaches copyright and intellectual property laws,&#8221; Yasin added.</p>



<p>Less than an hour away south by plane, Singapore is also <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/singapore-prepares-ban-on-piracy-configured-media-devices-software-190118/">taking steps</a> to deal with the pirate set-top box phenomenon.</p>



<p>New legal proposals to be tabled this year will aim to prevent manufacturers, importers, distributors <g class="gr_ gr_291 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="291" data-gr-id="291">and</g> retailers from knowingly selling devices that are set up to access content from infringing sources.</p>



<p>There will also be an effort to prevent suppliers from providing assistance or instruction to customers on how to modify legally-supplied devices to perform infringing acts. If the law is adopted, it will also become an offense to customize a device provided by a user so that it can obtain infringing content.</p>



<p>  </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=167892
title: Steal This Show S04E11: ‘Software Will Eat The World’
uri: Steal-This-Show-S04E11-Software-Will-Eat-The-World
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/BKzjXe-fqaM/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-113928" src="media/d01749d9.stslogo180.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/stslogo180.png" alt="" width="180" height="180">This is part one of a two-part interview with <a href="https://about.me/rabble">@Rabble </a> &#8212; activist, technologist, co-founder of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Media_Center">Indymedia</a>, and one of the originators of Twitter.</p>
<p>We discuss the origins of Twitter in the protest organisation tool <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TXTMob">TxtMob</a>; Evan&#8217;s work developing Indymedia and the early days of tech&#8217;s interaction with activism; how social media is continuing to mutate politics, for better and worse; how the sorting algorithms developed by Big Social are becoming indelibly embedded in our world &#8212; and finally Evan introduces the subject of part two: Silicon Valley&#8217;s hidden mission to restructure the world&#8217;s institutions via software.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><a href="https://stealthisshow.com">Steal This Show</a> aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing crypto, privacy, copyright and file-sharing developments. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary, and analysis.</p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Jamie King</p>
<p><strong>Guest: </strong><a href="https://twitter.com/rabble/">Rabble</a></p>
<p><center><iframe src="//stealthisshow.com/?lpe-frame=1&amp;lpe-season=4&amp;lpe-episode=11" width="100%" height="180px" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></p>
<p><strong><sup><em>If you enjoy this episode, consider becoming a patron and getting involved with the show. <a href="https://patreon.com/user?u=4275705">Check out Steal This Show&#8217;s Patreon campaign</a>: support us and get all kinds of fantastic benefits!</em></sup></strong></p>
<p><strong>Produced </strong> <em>by </em>Jamie King<br>
<strong>Edited &amp; Mixed</strong> <em>by</em> Lucas Marston<br>
<strong>Original Music</strong> <em>by</em> David Triana<br>
<strong>Web Production</strong> <em>by</em> Eric Barch</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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=167901
title: Kenyan Govt. Protests as National Anthem Hit With YouTube Copyright Complaint
uri: Kenyan-Govt-Protests-as-National-Anthem-Hit-With-YouTube-Copyright-Co
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/-k6KQvjPf0I/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/b9f3b5ba.sadyoutube.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/sadyoutube.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-117196"/></figure></div>



<p>With millions of new videos uploaded every week, YouTube is the world&#8217;s most popular platform for user-uploaded content.</p>



<p>While the majority of uploaded works cause no issue, copyright holders regularly file strikes or claims against uploaders, complaining that they&#8217;ve used their content without permission.</p>



<p>As reported on many occasions, this can sometimes prove controversial and today the Kenyan government waded into a dispute after a rendition of the country&#8217;s national anthem was subjected to takedown demand.</p>



<p>The video was uploaded by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG7uFJVZsxQRwDssom9Pavw">2nacheki</a>, which claims to be the largest YouTube channel from Africa. It featured their take on the &#8216;Top 10 Best National Anthems in Africa&#8217;, with the Kenyan anthem coming out in the number one position.</p>



<p>Unfortunately, however, the channel soon received <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJH2ww9I_r8&amp;feature=youtu.be">notification</a> from YouTube that their video had infringed upon the rights of UK-based music company De Wolfe Music, a claim that was made via content monetization company AdRev Publishing.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/069325c3.kenya-youtube.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kenya-youtube.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167910"/></figure></div>



<p>Needless to say, the channel was pretty shocked to see this claim on their account. Not only does the Kenyan government consider the piece (titled &#8216;Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu&#8217; (&#8216;O God, of all Creation&#8217;)) to be its property, but it was written by the Kenyan Anthem Commission in 1963 to serve as the state anthem after independence from Great Britain, where De Wolfe is based.</p>



<p>Only adding to the complications is that since the anthem is more than 50 years old, it has officially fallen into the public domain. This has caused the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice to issue a joint press release denouncing the action against a piece of its heritage.</p>



<p>&#8220;The National Anthem is over 50 years and has thus fallen into public domain. However, given the place of National Anthem in any country and the provisions of the National Flags, Emblems and Names Act (Cap 99 laws of Kenya) there is additional protection of the anthem against misuse and improper use,&#8221; the statement reads.</p>



<p>&#8220;Under that Act, the use of the National Anthem, emblems, names and other similar symbols is restricted and its use shall be subject to written permission by the minister in charge of interior.&#8221;</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/fe2238c3.kenya-govt-youtube.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kenya-govt-youtube.png" alt="" class="wp-image-167911"/><figcaption>Kenyan government is not impressed</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Further muddying the waters is that variant of the anthem <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNi9s3vNJ88">uploaded to YouTube by De Wolfe</a> is not the same version as the <a href="https://youtu.be/lFNE8MXNaKs?t=339">one playing in the video it has attempted to take down</a>, with the former completely devoid of the lyrics usually associated with the song. </p>



<p>It&#8217;s unprecedented for a national government to get so closely involved in a YouTube copyright dispute so it seems probable that the claim against the video will be resolved relatively quickly.</p>



<p>However, that a third-party company can so easily claim content of others as their own is a problem that will take a while to fix, unless there is a more vigorous response when dealing with controversial takedown attempts.</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=167257
title: BREIN Explains Why It’s Not going After ‘Casual’ Pirates
uri: BREIN-Explains-Why-It-s-Not-going-After-Casual-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/mhCkBr-Mit0/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-135510" src="media/a585da8e.piratemusiccasset.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/piratemusiccasset.png" alt="" width="234" height="152">When it comes to civil anti-piracy enforcement, BREIN is without a doubt one of the best-known players in the industry.</p>
<p>Backed by Hollywood and other content industries, the group has been active for more than two decades in the Netherlands.</p>
<p>Aside from shutting down sites and going after sellers of pirate streaming boxes, BREIN is also planning to go after BitTorrent users.&nbsp;By using in-house software that <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/brein-threatens-pirates-with-high-fines-warns-vpn-users-160314/">automatically gathers IP-addresses of seeders</a>, hundreds if not thousands of copyright infringers can be easily pinpointed.</p>
<p>At first sight, this practice&nbsp;is very similar to the &#8220;copyright trolling&#8221; efforts that are common around the world. However, the Dutch anti-piracy group is taking a more reserved approach.</p>
<p>Instead of going after the IP-addresses of anyone who&#8217;s connected to a torrent swarm, BREIN is mostly interested in structural seeders who upload content for a longer period of time. In other words, the group wants to target those who frequently offer pirated content.</p>
<p>This decision was <a href="https://tweakers.net/nieuws/148690/brein-scenario-waarin-ook-illegale-downloaders-aangepakt-worden-is-denkbaar.html">brought&nbsp;up</a> by BREIN director Tim Kuik in the&nbsp;Dutch <a href="https://www.metnerdsomtafel.nl/podcast/s04e10-tim-kuik.html">podcast</a> &#8220;Met Nerds om Tafel&#8221; recently.&nbsp; There, he explained that his organization represents a wide variety of rightsholders and not all of them support the idea of going after casual downloaders.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our enforcement efforts apply to all these copyright holders. Therefore, they all have to agree on how this takes place. At the moment there is no consensus within that group on how to deal with individual end-users,&#8221; Kuik says.</p>
<p>BREIN&#8217;s director believes that focusing on structural uploaders is the best approach in the case anyway.</p>
<p>&#8220;Personally, I have always had my doubts about going after individual downloaders. I believe you have to focus on the supply side,&#8221; he notes.</p>
<p>In theory, it&#8217;s possible for rightsholders to go after casual downloaders but that&#8217;s not something BREIN can do collectively. They work with funds that come from various parties who all have to agree on an approach.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to Kuik to clarify who the main targets are. Kuik says that pirate sites and services are the prime focus and that the planned mass settlement effort will focus on the most prolific uploaders in this ecosystem.</p>
<p>&#8220;We focus on early and large uploaders that function as a source of unauthorized content and we will expand that to frequent and prolonged uploaders that function as a lubricant keeping unauthorized content available over time,&#8221; Kuik tells us.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hit &amp; run end users are at the end of the chain. We think they can best be approached with measures that raise their awareness, such as blocking access to illegal sites with referral to a landing page that explains why,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>Sending informative alert emails to users whose IP-addresses are linked to sharing pirated material is also an option. However, that&#8217;s something ISPs will have to cooperate with.</p>
<p>Enforcement may eventually shift to downloaders if there&#8217;s a situation where it&#8217;s impossible to go after the suppliers, Kuik notes. Then it makes sense to target downloaders as well.</p>
<p>This could also apply to torrent users. Kuik tells us that if other enforcement measures, such as site blocking or going after a hosting company, fail structurally the demand side could get more into the spotlight.</p>
<p>For now, however, uploaders are the targeted only. When BREIN plans start its campaign is yet unknown.&nbsp; That said, Dutch torrent users have more to fear than BREIN alone.</p>
<p>Movie distributor Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) also&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dutch-film-distributor-wins-right-to-chase-pirates-store-data-for-5-years-171208/">received permission</a>&nbsp;from the Data Protection Authority to monitor and track BitTorrent pirates. They are expected to target downloaders as well.</p>
<p>In the podcast, Kuik also provided some further insight and commentary on piracy in general. The issue of availability also came up. In particular, the fact that Game of Thrones is only available through a single telecom provider in the Netherlands, Ziggo.</p>
<p>This means that some people can&#8217;t access it legally, even if they wanted to. Kuik agreed that this is &#8220;strange,&#8221; but also noted that it&#8217;s one of the exceptions.</p>
<p>&#8220;That’s a particularly strange situation, in my opinion, but that’s something that should be taken up with Ziggo,&#8221; he says.</p>
<p>For BREIN&#8217;s director, it was never a preconceived plan to become a public copyright enforcement figure. After his law&nbsp;study,&nbsp;he took a summer job at a joint venture between the movie studios Paramount and Universal. This is where it all started.</p>
<p>&#8220;That’s when &#8216;E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial&#8217;&nbsp; premiered in theaters, which was heavily pirated on videotapes. This also happened with other movies but E.T. made a lot of money and Steven Spielberg was extremely concerned. In a meeting, he burst into tears about it. Something had to be done,&#8221; Kuik says.</p>
<p>As a young legal expert, Kuik was called in to help. That would eventually turn him into a leading figure in the copyright enforcement world who helped to found dozens&nbsp;of local anti-piracy outfits around the world.</p>
<p>This work is appreciated by many rightsholders, but it also results in quite a few hateful comments from people who disagree with BREIN&#8217;s efforts. That doesn&#8217;t really bother Kuik much through.</p>
<p>&#8220;My fans are at the copyright holders. If you don’t have any enemies then you never stood up for something,&#8221; Kuik 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=167923
title: The Walking Dead Mid-Season Opener Already Airing on Pirate Sites
uri: The-Walking-Dead-Mid-Season-Opener-Already-Airing-on-Pirate-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/maZT25Z1kIw/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/dc62f8c4.walkingdead.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/walkingdead.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78036"/></figure></div>



<p>The Walking Dead is one of the most talked about and popular TV shows of recent times. </p>



<p>The blood-and-guts zombie-fest is followed by millions of dedicated fans, who clamor to watch each new episode as soon as they air.</p>



<p>The AMC show was renewed January 2018 for an impressive ninth season, which got underway early October last year. On November 28, 2018, episode eight (&#8216;Evolution&#8217;) marked the mid-season break, with episode nine (&#8216;Adaption&#8217;) set to air on TV this coming Sunday.</p>



<p>AMC, however, dangled the carrot by offering S09E09 a week early to subscribers of its $4.99 per month AMC Premiere service. With no ads and on demand, it&#8217;s likely the offer will have tempted some Walking Dead fans to part with their cash. For everyone else, there are pirate sites.</p>



<p>Visitors to torrent and streaming sites can now easily find &#8216;Adaption&#8217; available to download or stream. The source for most copies is cited as WEBRIP, which means that they most probably originate from AMC&#8217;s service.</p>



<p>While traffic to streaming sites for specific titles is not easy to measure, the main torrents for the latest episode of the hit show are proving to be very popular with downloaders, as they have for pretty much every episode since the show started. As it happens, last year the show reached somewhat of a peak on the pirate high seas. </p>



<p>In TorrentFreak&#8217;s 2018 annual list of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-walking-dead-most-torrented-tv-show-of-2018/">most-torrented TV shows</a>, The Walking Dead took the top spot, with The Flash and The Big Bang Theory taking second and third places respectively.</p>



<p>However, instead of going bananas over the revelation, AMC took to Twitter to celebrate the event, even though they chose to link to another publication reporting on our stats instead. Awww&#8230;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Always nice to be number one <a href="https://t.co/kDaXNURGJl">https://t.co/kDaXNURGJl</a></p>&mdash; The Walking Dead (@TheWalkingDead) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWalkingDead/status/1080203433766842368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div><figcaption>We forgive you, AMC ;)</figcaption></figure>



<p>Whether this leak of &#8216;Adaption&#8217; will have an impact on viewing figures, either positively or negatively, will remain to be seen but AMC will have definitely figured piracy into the equation<g class="gr_ gr_164 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="164" data-gr-id="164">.</g></p>



<p><g class="gr_ gr_164 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="164" data-gr-id="164">The</g> company is clearly well aware of its popularity among the pirating masses so it was always a matter of when the episode leaked, not if.</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=167939
title: Article 13 Moves Forward With French-German Deal
uri: Article-13-Moves-Forward-With-French-German-Deal
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/K_G0rOcIj_g/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-136985" src="media/19bd259d.eu-copyright.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/eu-copyright.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167">After years of discussions,&nbsp;the EU’s copyright reform plans are in the final stages.</p>
<p>Last month there was a temporary hiccup when negotiations were <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-negotiations-canceled-as-article-13-opposition-rises/">canceled</a> after member states failed to agree on various crucial elements.</p>
<p>However,&nbsp;that was never expected to be the end of it. And indeed, following a deal between Germany and France this week, things are moving forward once again.</p>
<p>Both countries previously disagreed on the scope of Article 13. This article&nbsp;requires service providers to license content from copyright holders or, if that&#8217;s not an option, to make sure that infringing material isn&#8217;t re-uploaded to their servers.</p>
<p>France and Germany agreed on these basics, but not on which services should be bound by it. France argued that commercial companies of any size should be covered, while Germany preferred to exclude small services with less than €20 million in&nbsp;annual turnover.</p>
<p>This week the countries came together to reach a compromise. The <a href="media/59220563.Mandate-Romania-February-8.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Mandate-Romania-February-8.pdf">new deal</a>, made available via Politico, excludes companies if they fit within a set of three clear boundaries.</p>
<p>If a service is publicly available for less than three years, with fewer than 5 million monthly unique visitors, and an annual turnover of less than&nbsp;€10 million, it is excluded.</p>
<p>Companies that are excluded will still have to do their&nbsp;best to obtain licenses from rightsholders. However, they will not be forced to prevent infringing content from being re-uploaded.</p>
<p>While the compromise protects smaller startups,&nbsp;Pirate Party MEP Julia Reda warns that it&#8217;s actually worse than some of the earlier proposals. The new obligations would also apply to older forums, including those of Ars Technica and Heise.de, <a href="https://juliareda.eu/2019/02/article-13-worse/">she warns</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;Countless apps and sites that do not meet all these criteria would need to install upload filters, burdening their users and operators, even when copyright infringement is not at all currently a problem for them,&#8221; Reda notes.</p>
<p>The Pirate Party MEP calls on the public to share these concerns with their representatives, making it clear to them that Article 13 puts the future of the Internet at stake.</p>
<p>EU copyright rapporteur Axel Voss, who&#8217;s one of the driving forces behind the plans, clearly disagrees. He believes that Article 13 and other proposals are needed to make sure that copyright holders get the money&nbsp;they deserve.</p>
<p>In an op-ed in Parliament Magazine,&nbsp;Voss argues that Internet services are using their ‘safe harbor’ protections to escape liability and profit handsomely from distributing copyrighted material, while rightsholders don’t get proper compensation.</p>
<p>&#8220;This cannot continue to apply. The platforms do much more than simply providing the infrastructure, which is why they can make the profits that they do,&#8221;<a href="https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/articles/opinion/protecting-europe%E2%80%99s-creative-sector-against-threat-technology"> Voss writes</a>.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the EU&#8217;s copyright rapporteur goes on to stress that,&nbsp;even though European companies are directly affected by Article 13, US-based services are the real target here.</p>
<p>“Do we want to protect the creative sector in Europe, or do we want to leave it defenseless against the large US platforms? What is the value of our Europe’s creative industry to us?” the op-ed reads.</p>
<p>With the new deal between France and Germany in hand, the Council will try to agree on a unified negotiation position for the final trilogue negotiation. If an agreement is reached there, the EU Parliament will vote on it a few weeks later.</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=167929
title: GTA V Cheat Maker Has to Pay $150,000 in Copyright Damages
uri: GTA-V-Cheat-Maker-Has-to-Pay-150-000-in-Copyright-Damages
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/KwLVfQyu52c/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-162562" src="media/fbb6f139.gtanew.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/gtanew.jpg" alt="" width="277" height="238"></p>
<p>Over the past two years, there&#8217;s been a wave of copyright infringement lawsuits against alleged cheaters or cheat makers.</p>
<p>Take-Two Interactive Software, the company behind ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ (GTA V), is one of the major players involved. The company has filed several lawsuits in the US and abroad, targeting alleged cheaters.</p>
<p>Last August the company filed a case against Florida resident Jhonny Perez, accusing him of copyright infringement by creating and distributing a cheating tool. The software, known as “Elusive,” could be used to cheat and&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer">grief</a>, interfering with the gameplay of others.</p>
<p>The &#8220;Elusive&#8221; cheat&nbsp;was previously sold online&nbsp;at prices ranging from $10 to $30, depending on the package. Before filing the lawsuit, Take-Two attempted to find out exactly how much money was made in the process, but Perez failed to hand over detailed financial records.</p>
<p>Initially, the game company was open to negotiating a settlement but, due to the lack of response, it saw no other option than to take the cheat maker to court. Perez, however, did not respond to the complaint which prompted Take-Two to file for a default judgment.</p>
<p>According to the company, it’s clear that the cheat maker is guilty of both direct and contributory copyright infringement. As such, it asked the New York federal court for the maximum statutory damages amount of $150,000, plus $69,686 in attorney’s fees.</p>
<p>Take-Two argued that these damages are warranted because the cheating activity resulted in severe losses. According to an estimate provided by the company, the harm is at least $500,000. In addition, the maximum in damages should also act as a deterrent against other cheat developers.</p>
<p>This week the court ordered on the motion for default judgment, siding with the game company.</p>
<p>&#8220;Take-Two has been irreparably harmed by Mr. Perez’s infringing conduct and will continue to be harmed unless enjoined,&#8221; US District Court Judge Kevin Castel writes in his order.</p>
<p>&#8220;Mr. Perez’s Elusive program creates new features and elements in Grand Theft Auto which can be used to harm legitimate players, causing Take-Two to lose control over its carefully balanced plan for how its video game is designed to be played,&#8221; he writes.</p>
<p>In addition, the Judge notes that the cheat discouraged users from future purchases and gameplay and that the unlimited currency cheat undermined Take-Two’s pricing and sales of legitimate virtual currency.</p>
<p>The Court, therefore, finds the cheat maker&nbsp;guilty of both willful direct and willful contributory copyright infringement, as well as breaching Take-Two&#8217;s user agreement.</p>
<p>Judge Castel ordered Perez to may the maximum statutory damages of $150,000 and an additional $66,868 in attorney&#8217;s fees. To our knowledge, this is the highest damages amount that has ever been awarded in a game cheating case.</p>
<p>In addition to the monetary damages, the Court also issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the cheat maker from continuing infringing activities moving forward.</p>
<p>Elusive hasn&#8217;t been available for sale since last year. It was taken offline after Perez was contacted by Take-Two.</p>
<p>“After discussions with Take-Two Interactive, we are immediately ceasing all maintenance, development, and distribution of our cheat menu services,” a public announcement read at the time.</p>
<p>At the time, the cheat maker informed its users that it would donate the proceeds to a charity which Take-Two could pick. However, the default judgment makes it clear that this money should go directly to the game company instead.</p>
<p>&#8230;</p>
<p>A copy of the order granting Take-Two&#8217;s default judgment against Mr. Perez is <a href="media/4943fce7.gtaperezdefault.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/gtaperezdefault.pdf">available here (pdf)</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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=167994
title: Indian Government Approves Prison Sentences For ‘Cam’ Pirates
uri: Indian-Government-Approves-Prison-Sentences-For-Cam-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/_Q3smSPfu80/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/6c6e1427.filmmakermoviedirector-e1513852940830.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/filmmakermoviedirector-e1513852940830.png" alt="" class="wp-image-148951"/></figure></div>



<p>While India has a thriving movie market that is loved both at home and overseas, it also has serious problems with piracy.</p>



<p>With around 1,000 films produced every year, most major titles are quickly pirated and distributed on the black market, whether on physical media (for around $1 per copy) or for free via the Internet.</p>



<p>One of the key problems is the swift availability of Indian movies on pirate sites, often within hours of their theatrical debut. Aside from the so-called screener copies that sometimes leak out, around 90% of &#8216;pirate&#8217; releases can be tracked to unauthorized in-theater recordings, usually via camcorders or cellphones.</p>



<p>To target this unlicensed copying, earlier this year the Indian government <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/india-proposes-prison-sentences-for-cam-piracy-190109/">proposed</a> amendments to the <a href="https://www.mib.gov.in/acts/cinematograph-act-1952-and-rules">Cinematograph Act</a> to deter people from undermining the local movie industry. On the table were three-year jail sentences for pirates and/or a maximum fine of&nbsp;Rs.10 Lakhs (US$14,000), with the aim of plugging a <a href="https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/indian-films-gross-2-billion-piracy-makes-35-more-48603">claimed</a> $US2.7 billion hole in the market.</p>



<p>As it transpires, things move quickly in India. In an announcement Wednesday by Sitanshu Kar, Principal Spokesperson for the Government of India, it was revealed that the amendments to the 1952 Act have been passed by the Union Cabinet.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">To tackle Film Piracy &amp; Copyright infringement,<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cabinet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cabinet</a> approves amendment to the Cinematograph Act, 1952; Penal Provisions for unauthorized camcording and duplication of films <a href="https://t.co/WAb8mmJs6S">pic.twitter.com/WAb8mmJs6S</a></p>&mdash; Sitanshu Kar (@DG_PIB) <a href="https://twitter.com/DG_PIB/status/1093169877760774144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>As detailed above, no one will be able to legally make audio or video recordings of a movie (or part thereof) without first obtaining permission from copyright holders.</p>



<p>Also outlawed is the use or attempted use of a device (likely a cellphone or similar) to record or transmit any part of a movie, something which immediately rules out any type of live streaming or transfer.</p>



<p>As detailed in the January 2019 proposals, punishments will indeed go ahead on the basis of a potential three-year jail sentence and/or a maximum fine of Rs.10 Lakhs (US$14,000) for infringers.</p>



<p>While the new punishments will likely act as a deterrent to some, they are unlikely to tame India&#8217;s big online boogeyman.</p>



<p>Despite massive court-ordered blocking by dozens of ISPs against a long list of its domains, torrent site TamilRockers looks set to continue business as usual, both with its high-profile cam-sourced leaks and regular taunting of the authorities.</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=167965
title: AnimeYT and Other Anime Pirate Sites Fold Facing Legal Pressure
uri: AnimeYT-and-Other-Anime-Pirate-Sites-Fold-Facing-Legal-Pressure
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/SJi0tUKWdPo/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-168010" src="media/c66bc1ae.animeyt.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/animeyt.png" alt="" width="275" height="138"></p>
<p>Dedicated anime pirate sites are popular around the globe, but in&nbsp;Latin America they are huge.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.animeyt.tv/">AnimeYT</a>&nbsp;has been one of the main players in the area. With millions&nbsp;of regular visitors, it was the <a href="media/e6061758.animeytrank.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/animeytrank.png">top pirate site</a> in countries including Argentina Chile, Peru, and Mexico.</p>
<p>The site is among the top 50 most-visited websites on the entire Internet in these countries, beating traditional streaming and torrent sites by a landslide.</p>
<p>The massive reach of these sites is a thorn in the side of copyright holders, which are increasingly taking action in response. Over the past weeks, several Brazilian anime sites folded after legal threats and this weekend&nbsp;AnimeYT&nbsp;shut down as well.</p>
<p>In a goodbye message,&nbsp;AnimeYT&#8217;s operator &#8220;TioYT&#8221; mentions the situation&nbsp;in Brazil as the reason for the decision. He doesn&#8217;t point a finger at a specific legal threat and chooses to end with a personal message instead.</p>
<p>&#8220;I spent many years translating animes, arguing with fans, watching anime girls on this page. So much that when I look back at my life, I think that at least a quarter of my memories are linked to this site, to this community,&#8221; the operator writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Remember that behind the dude you call &#8216;TioYT&#8217; there&#8217;s a common and ordinary guy who has his own problems, his family, who has other responsibilities and who is more than anything very grateful for all the love and the support they everyone has shown to the&nbsp;website in general,&#8217; he adds.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/c873eadf.animeytdown.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/animeytdown.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-168019"/><figcaption>Farewell AnimeYT</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The shutdown has created a lot of uproar on social media and many of the site&#8217;s former users are taking out their anger on the legitimate anime streaming platform Crunchyroll, which is seen as the driving force behind many of the recent shutdowns.</p>
<p>Crunchyroll has reportedly gone after several Brazilian anime sites but, thus far, we haven&#8217;t seen any official confirmation that it approached AnimeYT directly. It could also be that there are other rightsholders involved.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/5736a9e3.animebattle.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/animebattle.png" alt="" class="wp-image-168020"/><figcaption>The anime battle (<a href="https://twitter.com/haslaisfeed/status/1092052984354217985">@haslaisfeed</a>)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Another popular anime site that shut down last week is <a href="http://animemovil.com/">AnimeMovil</a>. This site currently redirects to Crunchyroll. The site reportedly took this decision after the Japanese studio Toei Animation <a href="https://larepublica.pe/cine-series/1406214-reportan-caida-paginas-piratas-anime-usuarios-increible-reaccion-animeyt-animemovil-ver-anime-online-animeid-animeflv">went after it</a> for publishing a copy of&nbsp;&nbsp;Dragon Ball Super Broly, shortly&nbsp;after it premiered.</p>
<p>The shutdowns have resulted in a surge of new traffic flowing to AnimeFLV, another popular anime site in Latin&nbsp;America. In addition, inventive users have also started to upload Dragon Ball episodes to <a href="https://www.fayerwayer.com/2019/02/anime-ilegal-porno/">porn sites</a>, hoping that they&#8217;re safe there.</p>
<p>While AnimeYT and AnimeMovil&nbsp;could certainly be classified as pirate&nbsp;sites, many people relied&nbsp;on them to get the latest anime shows quickly.&nbsp;</p>
<p>That anime is more than a simple pastime&nbsp;for kids was made clear last year when&nbsp;local Mexican authorities planned to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/local-governments-mexico-might-pirate-dragon-ball-180316/">premiere</a> the 130th episode of Dragon Ball Super in football stadiums and other public places, even though they had no license to do so.</p>
<p>Although several massive anime sites have now fallen, it&#8217;s expected that others will fill this gap, as is usually the case. That doesn&#8217;t mean, however, that AnimeYT&nbsp;and the others aren&#8217;t missed dearly; a quick search on social media makes that quite clear.</p>


<center><figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">En memoria de anime YT&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/ZPh7uG8yWl">pic.twitter.com/ZPh7uG8yWl</a></p>&mdash; ?M?????? O????? (@MomentoDeOtakus) <a href="https://twitter.com/MomentoDeOtakus/status/1091915700317368321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div><figcaption>In memoriam&#8230;</figcaption></figure></center>
<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=168047
title: UK ISPs Sent a Million Piracy Alert Emails
uri: UK-ISPs-Sent-a-Million-Piracy-Alert-Emails
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/TyMcDx12ssw/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-154673" src="media/579e4e24.ukflagwallblocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ukflagwallblocked.jpg" alt="" width="277" height="177">Five years ago, copyright industry groups and Internet providers <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-and-copyright-holders-praise-new-piracy-warning-system-140719/">teamed up</a> to fight online piracy in the UK.</p>
<p>Backed by the Government, they launched several educational campaigns under the &#8220;<a href="https://www.getitrightfromagenuinesite.org/">Get it Right</a>&#8221; banner.</p>
<p>Under the program, ISPs send out <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-piracy-warnings-coming-month-heres-works-170111/">piracy warnings</a> to subscribers whose accounts are used to share copyright-infringing material. This campaign started two years ago and has been ongoing since.</p>
<p>While the piracy alerts received plenty of news coverage early on, there haven&#8217;t been any official updates since. While we and <a href="https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2018/04/nobody-wants-to-talk-about-uk-isp-internet-piracy-alert-emails.html">other journalists</a> have requested information on the scope and effectiveness of the campaign, the parties involved have remained quiet.</p>
<p>The silence was broken this week when Ian Moss, Director of Public Affairs at music group <a href="https://www.bpi.co.uk/">BPI</a>, spoke at an anti-piracy <a href="https://hadopi.fr/en/node/4593">conference</a> in France which was live-streamed to the public. In his presentation, Moss discussed some preliminary results on the effectiveness of the UK alerts.</p>
<p>According to Moss, ISPs have sent out roughly&nbsp;a million piracy alerts since the campaign launched. This translates to half a million emails per year, which is a rather significant number.</p>
<p>Users who receive these piracy alerts are sent to a <a href="https://get-it-right.org/abouttheeducationalemails.html">dedicated portal</a>&nbsp;where they can read more information on how to prevent further alerts in the future. These emails and portal&nbsp;do their job, Moss said, noting that less than 1% of the recipients call for further information.</p>
<p>The BPI also showed some early evidence which suggests that people who received the alerts are less likely to pirate. However, Moss stressed that these are preliminary findings which come with some caveats.</p>
<p>The slide that was shown to the audience suggests that the &#8220;Get it Right&#8221; campaign, in general, led to a 26% reduction in piracy, compared to a control group of people who weren&#8217;t exposed to the campaign.</p>


<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="media/7f1ac302.bpigetitright.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/bpigetitright.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-168078"/><figcaption>A slide from the BPI presentation </figcaption></figure>


<p>Since these data go back to 2015, they refer to the broader educational campaign as well, as the email alerts <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-piracy-warnings-coming-month-heres-works-170111/">didn&#8217;t start until 2017</a>. Based on the slide, piracy rates among the &#8216;exposed&#8217; group dropped from 57% to 42% in three years.</p>
<p>While these data aren&#8217;t ready for official publication yet, the early preview suggests that the broader &#8220;Get it Right&#8221; campaign, which also includes educational videos and social media outreach, have a positive effect.</p>
<p>BPI&#8217;s&nbsp;Director of Public Affairs noted that about one in four members of the public has seen their messaging by now, which is a pretty significant number. According to the music group, official data and other figures will follow later.</p>
<p>With a fresh <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-govt-backs-anti-piracy-campaign-with-2-million-in-funding-181210/">£2 million in funding</a> from the UK Government, the campaign is guaranteed to continue until 2021. By then, we hope that the responsible parties will also release their findings through the official channels.</p>
<p>Effective or not, the alert emails are definitely not a silver bullet since they only address BitTorrent piracy. While that was the main threat years ago, the music and movie industries are more concerned about stream-ripping and pirate boxes nowadays.</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=168089
title: Music Industry Asks EU to Scrap Article 13
uri: Music-Industry-Asks-EU-to-Scrap-Article-13
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/u5-RLoDK3zk/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/6542fb40.eu-copyright.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/eu-copyright.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-136985"/></figure></div>



<p>The road to implementing the EU&#8217;s proposed Article 13 started off relatively smoothly for the entertainment industries but during the past couple of months, serious cracks have begun to emerge.</p>



<p>In fact, the proposed legislation, which was designed to prevent large Internet platforms (such as YouTube) from exploiting the so-called Value Gap, has descended into unexpected chaos.</p>



<p>With large Internet platforms faced with the prospect of deploying filters to scoop up infringing content, there was outrage among huge numbers of YouTubers, who felt their livelihoods might be at stake. But somehow, in the midst of this dissent, YouTube began lobbying <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/article-13-youtube-ceo-is-now-lobbying-for-upload-filters-181115/">in favor of filtering.</a></p>



<p>With the battle lines becoming even more blurred, rightsholders began complaining about the shifting details of the proposals as they moved through the negotiation process, apparently in YouTube&#8217;s favor.</p>



<p>In December 2018, the Motion Picture Association, the International Union of Cinemas, the Premier League, and La Liga, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/major-rightsholders-are-not-happy-with-article-13-either-181206/">announced</a> that they were concerned about proposals for liability shields for large Internet services, which would gain power in the market, not lose it as planned.</p>



<p>Soon after, major entertainment organizations including IFPI <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rightsholders-say-latest-article-13-text-wont-close-the-value-gap-181214/">complained</a> that if Article 13 passed in its current form, they would be worse off than they were before. Things were very clearly not going to plan and were about to get worse.</p>



<p>Last month, the MPA and other rightsholders called for a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rightsholders-call-for-suspension-of-article-13-190116/">suspension</a> of Article 13 just as the EU Parliament and Council were about to agree on the final text.  Those negotiations were eventually <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-negotiations-canceled-as-article-13-opposition-rises/">canceled</a> after the Member States failed to agree on a final negotiating position. </p>



<p>Earlier this week, there appeared to be light at the end of the tunnel, with Article 13 proposals <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/article-13-moves-forward-with-new-french-german-deal-190206/">moving forward</a> after France and Germany reached a deal on which services should be bound by the terms of Article 13.</p>



<p>Now, however, all external support for Article 13 appears to lie in tatters.</p>



<p>In an open letter, organizations including IFPI, IMPALA, Premier League, La Liga, and others in broadcasting and media, have effectively asked the EU to scrap Article 13 completely.</p>



<p>Noting that the original aim of Article 13 was to create &#8220;a level playing field in the online Digital Single Market&#8221;, the groups state that as it stands, the proposed legislation will not strengthen the positions of European rightsholders.</p>



<p>&#8220;Despite our constant commitment in the last two years to finding a viable solution, and <g class="gr_ gr_13 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Grammar multiReplace" id="13" data-gr-id="13">having</g> proposed many positive alternatives, the text – as currently drafted and on the table – no longer meets these objectives, not only in respect of any one <g class="gr_ gr_14 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="14" data-gr-id="14">article,</g> but as a whole,&#8221; they write.</p>



<p>&#8220;As <g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="3" data-gr-id="3">rightsholders</g> we are not able to support it or the impact it will have on the European creative sector.&#8221;</p>



<p>While thanking parties for trying to reach a &#8220;good compromise&#8221; during the negotiations of recent months, the organizations state that the text contains elements which &#8220;fundamentally go against copyright principles enshrined in EU and international copyright law.&#8221;</p>



<p>&#8220;Far from leveling the playing field, the proposed approach would cause serious harm by not only failing to meet its <g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="3" data-gr-id="3">objectives,</g> but actually risking leaving European producers, distributors and creators worse off,&#8221; they state, winding up for the following bombshell.</p>



<p>&#8220;Regrettably, under these <g class="gr_ gr_7 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="7" data-gr-id="7">conditions</g> we would rather have no Directive at all than a bad Directive. We <g class="gr_ gr_9 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation replaceWithoutSep" id="9" data-gr-id="9">therefore</g> call on negotiators to not proceed on the basis of the latest proposals from the Council,&#8221; they conclude.</p>



<p>In other words, the global music industry (and others, less affected by the Value Gap) have effectively called for Article 13 to be canceled.</p>



<p>What happens next is anyone&#8217;s guess but Julia Reda, MEP for the Pirate Party, is cautioning that the EU probably won&#8217;t back away.</p>



<p>&#8220;The EU_Commission will never do the politically responsible thing and withdraw #Article13,&#8221; she <a href="https://twitter.com/Senficon/status/1093544696163549190">wrote</a> on Twitter.</p>



<p>&#8220;It is time for checks and balances to kick in. Council has to refuse the backroom deal by Macron &amp; Merkel.&#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=168145
title: Dutch ISP Does Not Have to Expose Alleged Pirates, Court Rules
uri: Dutch-ISP-Does-Not-Have-to-Expose-Alleged-Pirates-Court-Rules
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/imffWoh6O1Y/
content:
<p><img class="alignright  wp-image-143720" src="media/a1b3b674.hitmansbo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hitmansbo.jpg" alt="" width="244" height="244">It is no secret that copyright holders are monitoring unauthorized BitTorrent downloads around the world.</p>
<p>In most cases, this results in harmless takedown notices but increasingly, these warnings are triggering&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/more-than-35000-pirates-targeted-in-swedish-lawsuits-this-year-180911/">settlement demands</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/new-automated-dmca-notices-hit-movie-pirates-300-fines-170311/">automated fines</a>.</p>
<p>Movie distributor Dutch Filmworks is <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dutch-film-distributor-to-target-bittorrent-users-for-cash-fines-170802/">planning similar action</a> in the Netherlands.&nbsp; The company initially hoped to send the first settlement demands more than a year ago, but this plan was stalled.</p>
<p>Without voluntary cooperation from ISPs, the movie company had to get a court order to request the personal details of account holders whose IP-addresses were caught pirating. It turns out that this is not going to happen, at least not yet.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI:NL:RBMNE:2019:423">decision published</a> today, the Central Netherlands Court denied the request from Dutch Filmworks, following an objection from local Internet provider Ziggo.</p>
<p>The movie company requested the personal details connected to 377 IP-addresses which allegedly shared a copy of‘ &#8216;The Hitman’s Bodyguard,&#8217; a title that has come up in so-called&nbsp;&#8220;copyright trolling&#8221; cases <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hitmans-bodyguard-pirates-get-automated-300-fine-171007/">in the US as well</a>.</p>
<p>In its conclusion, the Court states that is it indeed against the law to upload or download movies without permission. As such, Dutch Filmworks is entitled to damages. And to request damages, it does indeed require&nbsp;the personal details of account holders.</p>
<p>However, the Court adds that, in this case, Ziggo is not required to share any personal information. The verdict notes that it&#8217;s&nbsp;unclear how the movie company plans to approach the account holders, and whether it sees these people as the offending downloaders.</p>
<p>According to the Court, an account holder who&#8217;s linked to an IP-address is not necessarily&nbsp;the downloader. This is an argument we&#8217;ve seen in many foreign cases as well.</p>
<p>On top of that, it is unclear whether the proposed settlements, which are expected to be around €150 per infringement, do indeed match up with the actual damages the movie company suffered. That number may be a &#8216;fine&#8217; to some extent, which shouldn&#8217;t be part of a settlement.</p>
<p>&#8220;The amount that [Dutch Filmworks] DFW now wishes to receive, presumably € 150, &#8211; is, however, in no way substantiated and it is not excluded that in the amount of damage to be requested by DFW also elements of a fine,&#8221; the verdict reads.</p>
<p>All in all, the Court sides with Ziggo. The ISP doesn&#8217;t have to expose its users and Dutch Filmworks is ordered to pay the costs for the court proceedings.</p>
<p>A spokesperson for Ziggo <a href="https://www.nu.nl/internet/5732016/rechter-staat-eerste-nederlandse-downloadboete-in-de-weg.html?redirect=1">told</a> the Dutch news site Nu.nl that the company is &#8220;satisfied&#8221; with the result. Dutch Filmworks refrained from commenting at this time and will&nbsp;issue a statement next week.</p>
<p>Considering the time and resources that have gone into the data collection, as well as the fact that local anti-piracy group BREIN plans to go after <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/brein-explains-why-its-not-going-after-casual-pirates-190205/">frequent BitTorrent uploaders</a>, this is probably not the last we&#8217;ve heard of 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=167942
title: Major Pirate Video Advertiser Allegedly Unmasked Following Court Blunder
uri: Major-Pirate-Video-Advertiser-Allegedly-Unmasked-Following-Court-Blund
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/PRs79fBAfgc/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/1c7edcb8.dice.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/dice.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-124795"/></figure></div>



<p>Last September, international cyber-security firm Group-IB revealed that almost all movies released in 2018 had been leaked online.</p>



<p>While that isn&#8217;t particularly surprising, the company went on to highlight the activities of an organized group of &#8220;camcording&#8221; pirates in Russia.</p>



<p>&#8220;This group is financed by online-casinos, which support online-pirates as well. Online-casinos integrate their ads in the pirated copies and TV-shows in the form of logos, captioning or even as audio tracks,&#8221; Andrey <g class="gr_ gr_19 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="19" data-gr-id="19">Busargin</g>, Director of Brand Protection at Group-IB, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/piracy-is-booming-in-russia-with-help-from-online-casinos-180923/">told</a> TorrentFreak.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/00a92391.azino.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/azino.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Pirated &#8216;Destination Wedding&#8217; featuring Azino777 watermark</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>According to Group-IB, the major player utilizing this tactic is Azino777. The gambling service is unlicensed and therefore illegal in Russia. Under orders from the court, it is currently blocked by local ISPs along with hundreds of its own mirror sites. Nevertheless, the business is doing everything it can to recruit new customers.</p>



<p>In 2018, Azino777 was reported to be one of Russia&#8217;s top advertisers, outspending leading search engines Yandex and Google, and even Coca Cola and Pepsi. Now, however, a crisis could be looming following a blunder by a court in neighboring Ukraine.</p>



<p>Online casinos are illegal in Ukraine, so the authorities there have been taking a keen interest in Azino777. Following a criminal investigation by local police, it&#8217;s reported that the casino&#8217;s alleged offices in Kiev were raided in June 2018 and equipment seized.</p>



<p>This week, Russian news outlet <a href="https://thebell.io/azino777/">The Bell</a> discovered that a court in Kiev had failed to redact the name of 33-year-old Russian IT expert Albert Valiakhmetov from documents relating to that operation. The publication&#8217;s investigation, which references Ukraine court documents, indicates that the Russian is the suspected creator of Azino777.</p>



<p>While Azino777 is still operational, it&#8217;s clear that the heat is being turned up on the operation, both in Russia and Ukraine, which could have a potential impact on the piracy landscape in both countries.</p>



<p>Last week, TorrentFreak <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-powered-cdns-operate-innovative-illicit-streaming-model-190203/">reported</a> on data provided by <a href="https://www.group-ib.com/">Group-IB</a>, which indicated that streaming piracy in Russia is dominated by professionals operating &#8216;pirate&#8217; CDNs ( Content Distribution Networks) that not only supply movies and TV shows, but also additional services that make it easy to <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="4" data-gr-id="4">setup</g> and maintain a pirate site. According to Group-IB, Azino777 is deeply involved.</p>



<p>&#8220;Azino777 has become an integral part of the existing ecosystem of pirated content in Russia. Azino777 closely cooperates with key pirated resources, placing advertising on such pirate CDNs as Moonwalk (the largest in Russia) and <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="4" data-gr-id="4">HDGO</g> (second most popular),&#8221; says Dmitry <g class="gr_ gr_19 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="19" data-gr-id="19">Tyunkin</g>, Deputy Director Anti-Piracy at Group-IB.</p>



<p>&#8220;In the case of Moonwalk, most often pre-roll and mid-roll ads are bought<br>(excluding ad inserts in the body of the video). In the case of <g class="gr_ gr_5 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="5" data-gr-id="5">HDGO</g>, a unique precedent was achieved; the advertising network was built into the player. This meant that, apart from the classic pre-roll/mid-roll ads, all new content uploaded into the player is marked with a watermark and advertising within the video file itself.&#8221;</p>



<p>The amount of advertising in each title depends on the popularity of the release. <g class="gr_ gr_5 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="5" data-gr-id="5">Tyunkin</g> says that the number of ads can vary between one and four, and can even include audio ads that are dubbed at the request of Azino777. Given the number of releases, the scale is impressive.</p>



<p>According to Group-IB data, in 2018 a total of 218 movies appeared in &#8216;cam&#8217; format, with more than 90% of them containing advertising. TV shows posted with exclusive voiceovers exceeded 540 titles. Overall, the company believes that Azino777 is responsible for around 1,415 movie releases and 1,835 TV shows.</p>



<p>Group-IB says it can&#8217;t put a value on the revenues generated by these activities but says that the advertising format (via pirated content) is effective. The content spreads naturally and advertising on pirate sites is cheap &#8211; four to five times less than on equivalents in the US or EU &#8211; and the number of sites is huge.</p>



<p>&#8220;The estimated number of existing portals that are indirectly (through advertising networks and pirate CDNs such as <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="4" data-gr-id="4">HDGO</g>) or directly linked to this casino is approximately 6,100 portals,&#8221; <g class="gr_ gr_27 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="27" data-gr-id="27">Tyunkin</g>&nbsp;says. </p>



<p>Interestingly, Azino777 isn&#8217;t the only &#8211; or indeed first &#8211; company to embark on this kind of mass marketing. Group-IB says that JoyCasino was the first to experiment with the pirate model, with 1XBet trying the same in India and English speaking countries.</p>



<p>In short, there are takers around to fill the niche, even if Azino777 somehow falls.</p>



<p> </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=168108
title: Tech Giants Warn US Govt. Against Onerous Copyright Laws
uri: Tech-Giants-Warn-US-Govt-Against-Onerous-Copyright-Laws
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/49Ze2jObz4Y/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-56211" src="media/db7b975c.copyright-branded.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/copyright-branded.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="164">In order to counter the ever-present threat of Internet piracy, countries all around the world are tightening their copyright laws.</p>
<p>These new regulations aim to help copyright holders, often by creating new obligations and restrictions for Internet service providers that host or link to infringing material.</p>
<p>Many Silicon Valley companies are not happy with these developments. This week the Computer &amp; Communications Industry Association (<a href="http://www.ccianet.org/about/members/">CCIA</a>), which includes Amazon, Cloudflare, Facebook, and Google as members, sent a stark warning to the US Government.</p>
<p>The submission, sent to the US Trade Representative (<a href="https://ustr.gov/">USTR</a>) as input for the 2019 Special 301 Report, highlights several &#8220;onerous&#8221; copyright laws and regulations.</p>
<p>&#8220;Foreign countries are increasingly prone to imposing onerous intellectual property-related regulations, aimed at U.S. Internet companies. These countries are pursuing legislation that disadvantages American Internet platforms, and online and cloud services,&#8221; CCIA writes.</p>
<p>The tech companies support a strong intellectual property system but note that this should reflect the needs of all participants, including those in the distribution supply chains.</p>
<p>This is not what CCIA is experiencing at the moment. The European Union and individual countries including Australia, Greece, Italy, and Ukraine, are creating new rules that hurt the operations of US companies abroad. In particular when it comes to liability for copyright infringement.</p>
<p>&#8220;U.S. firms operating as online intermediaries face an increasingly hostile environment in a variety of international markets. This impedes U.S. Internet companies from expanding services abroad,&#8221; CCIA writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;These adverse conditions manifest through court decisions and new copyright regulations that depart from global norms on intermediary responsibility,&#8221; the group adds.</p>
<p>In some cases, it is very clear that these new regulations are created to target US companies. The tech companies cite the op-ed the EU&#8217;s copyright rapporteur Axel Voss wrote earlier this week, where <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/article-13-moves-forward-with-new-french-german-deal-190206/">he framed Article 13</a> as a defense against &#8220;large US platforms.&#8221;</p>
<p>CCIA counters this and states that Article 13 &#8220;disrupts settled law,&#8221; making Internet platforms &#8220;directly liable for the actions of Internet users,&#8221; and requiring &#8220;unworkable filtering mandates&#8221; as well as automated “notice-and-stay-down” procedures.</p>
<p>&#8220;If adopted, the Directive would dramatically weaken these longstanding liability protections and exclude many modern service providers from its protections,&#8221; CCIA warns.</p>
<p>Article 13 is just one of a growing number of regulatory threats the CCIA views as detrimental to its members.</p>
<p>It also cautions against a&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australian-parliament-passes-tough-new-anti-piracy-law-181128/">new Australian law</a>, which makes it possible to order search engines to block sites that are generally seen as facilitating piracy. This may lead to overblocking, the group warns.</p>
<p>In Ukraine, a revised article of the local copyright law now imposes 24 and 48-hour “shot clocks” for Internet services. If they don&#8217;t remove reported copyright infringements within that timeframe, they can be held liable. This can be particularly problematic for small services with limited resources.</p>
<p>&#8220;This deadline may be feasible at times for some larger platforms who can devote entire departments to takedown compliance, but will effectively deny market access to smaller firms and startups, and is inconsistent with the &#8216;expeditious&#8217; standard under U.S. copyright law,&#8221; CCIA writes.</p>
<p>The group&#8217;s submission for the USTR&#8217;s 2019 Special 301 Report provides a detailed overview of these and other liability threats around the world, as well as other issues, including ancillary copyright protections.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, the USTR points out shortcomings in foreign copyright protections in their annual list, but the tech companies urge the US Government not to ignore the flip side of the coin.</p>
<p>&#8220;USTR should recognize the concerns of U.S. Internet services who not only hold intellectual property and value its protection, but also rely on innovation-enabling provisions that reflect the digital age,&#8221; CCIA concludes.</p>
<p><em>—</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of the CCIA submission for USTR&#8217;s 2019 Special 301 Report is <a href="media/e6cc694e.CCIA_2019-Special-301_Review_Comment-2.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/CCIA_2019-Special-301_Review_Comment-2.pdf">available&nbsp;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=168063
title: Nearly 4,000 Pirate Sites Are Blocked by ISPs Around The World
uri: Nearly-4-000-Pirate-Sites-Are-Blocked-by-ISPs-Around-The-World
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/yVQRkC9KrqE/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-147564" src="media/a70e19c9.pageblocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pageblocked.jpg" alt="" width="275" height="207" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/pageblocked.jpg 275w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/pageblocked-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px"></p>
<p>ISP blocking has become a prime measure for the entertainment industries to target pirate sites on the Internet.</p>
<p>In recent years sites have been blocked throughout Europe, Asia, Latin&nbsp;America, and even Down Under.</p>
<p>The first blocking order was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/danish-isp-forced-to-censor-the-internet/">issued by a Danish court</a> in 2006 against the music download store AllOfMP3 and, after two years, local ISPs were also the first <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-blocked-by-isp-080204/">to block The Pirate Bay</a>.</p>
<p>These efforts were later followed by similar orders in the UK, Belgium and other European countries, with the rest of the world following behind. During an anti-piracy conference in France this week, Hollywood&#8217;s Motion Picture Association (MPA) provided an overview&nbsp;of the progress thus far.</p>
<p>Okke Delfos Visser, head of MPA&#8217;s legal department in the EMEA region, informed the audience that pirate sites are now blocked in 31 countries around the globe. As the map below shows, the list is dominated by&nbsp;European countries.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/50e835a6.globalblockmap.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/globalblockmap.png" alt="" class="wp-image-168094"/><figcaption>Global blocking efforts (image:MPA)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Together, Internet providers in these countries block a total of 3,966 websites and 8,150 &#8216;actual&#8217; domain names.</p>
<p>The map above&nbsp;also reveals some blocking &#8216;holes.&#8217; Africa, for example, is still completely blank. Similarly, the United States and Canada remain block-free as well, although there are calls to change this moving forward.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Western Europe is the best-covered area. However, the MPA&#8217;s presentation revealed that there are significant differences in the scope of the&nbsp;blockades there.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Portugal and Italy appear to be most thorough, with 944 and 855 blocked websites respectively. The Netherlands and&nbsp;Lithuania, meanwhile, are stuck on one site, as shown below.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/a2032405.eublockmap.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/eublockmap.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-168097"/><figcaption>EU blocks (image:MPA)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Not all pirate site blockades take place through the courts. In Italy, Russia, and Portugal, for example, there are administrative procedures in place through which sites are blocked. Roughly 42% of the global blocking proceedings take place through administrative procedures, and civil (53%) and criminal court cases (5%) make up the rest.</p>
<p>What&#8217;s clear though, is that site blocking is becoming more and more prevalent. During the first ten years there were less than 1,000 sites blocked, but over the past three years, more than 3,000 new sites were added to the global total.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/d509d901.websitesblockedperyear.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/websitesblockedperyear.png" alt="" class="wp-image-168102" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/websitesblockedperyear.png 600w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/websitesblockedperyear-220x130.png 220w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption>Blocked per year (image:MPA)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The burning question is whether these efforts actually help to decrease piracy rates. It is no secret that dedicated pirates have plenty of options to circumvent them, but the MPA points out that, on the whole, site blocking works.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In his presentation,&nbsp;Visser cited several studies and polls that back this up. While it&#8217;s no silver bullet, site blocking leads to fewer visits to the targeted sites, it decreases overall piracy rates, and drives some casual pirates to legal options instead.</p>
<p>The presentation and figures will undoubtedly be used to expand site blocking efforts even further. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bell-and-rogers-ask-government-to-simplify-site-blocking-and-criminalize-streaming-181018/">Canada</a> and the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-and-riaa-want-site-blocking-in-new-us-uk-trade-deal-190122/">United States</a> appear to be the most high profile targets. But, history has shown that it&#8217;s a rather sensitive issue there, so it&#8217;s likely to meet some fierce&nbsp;resistance.</p>
<p></p><p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=168036
title: TVAddons Hit With Trademark Complaint By Cricket Australia
uri: TVAddons-Hit-With-Trademark-Complaint-By-Cricket-Australia
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/J-FsHzxOZEk/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/a1ff1533.tvaddonsnew.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddonsnew.png" alt="" class="wp-image-145066"/></figure></div>



<p>TVAddons is perhaps the best well known Kodi add-on resource around today. </p>



<p>Over the past couple of years, however, the site has battled lawsuits in both Canada and the United States, something that has proven a huge drain on both the site and founder Adam Lackman.</p>



<p>Given the nature of some Kodi add-ons, it&#8217;s no surprise that they are regularly linked with copyright infringement. However, a takedown notice received this week by TVAddons doesn&#8217;t mention the word &#8216;copyright&#8217; once.</p>



<p>Sent to TVAddons by anti-piracy outfit <a href="http://www.copyrightintegrity.com/">Copyright Integrity</a>, the notice begins by stating the company is acting on behalf of Cricket Australia (CA), the governing body for cricket in Australia. Copyright Integrity&#8217;s <a href="http://www.copyrightintegrity.com/clients.html">client page</a> confirms the connection with CA and other cricket organizations around the world.</p>



<p>The complaint targets a now-deleted page on TVAddons listing details of the Cricket Australia Kodi Addon, an add-on that scraped Cricket Australia&#8217;s free-to-air cricket streams and made them available within Kodi for convenience, but without permission from CA.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/07bb4c38.tvaddons.ca_.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddons.ca_.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-168052" width="600"/><figcaption>The now-deleted page on TVAddons<br></figcaption></figure>



<p>The complaint, however, doesn&#8217;t mention the add-on at all, even in passing. Instead it majors on the unlicensed use of Cricket Australia&#8217;s trademarks and logos.</p>



<p>&#8220;[P]lease note that any unlicensed commercial use and exploitation of the names ‘CA’, ‘Cricket Australia’, or any combination thereof; or CA’s proprietary trademarks, logos or images <g class="gr_ gr_75 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="75" data-gr-id="75">constitutes</g> an infringement of CA’s intellectual property rights,&#8221; the complaint reads.</p>



<p>&#8220;Further, any unlicensed commercial utilization of CA&#8217;s names, proprietary<br>logos/trademarks or images is in violation of the exclusive rights granted to CA&#8217;s licensees, sponsors and partners. No entity is permitted to commercialize any of CA’s names, trademarks, logos or images in a manner that suggests an association between a third party and such of CA’s intellectual property rights.&#8221;</p>



<p>While the use of the CA logo is clear to see, the complaint then goes off on an odd tangent, claiming that TVAddons should not only remove the page within 48 hours (the site actually deleted it within five) but also stop listing &#8220;unlicensed Cricket Australia merchandise&#8221; on TVAddons and &#8220;remove and disable access to all existing listings and classified advertisements which pertain to the sale and distribution of unlicensed CA merchandise.&#8221;</p>



<p>While TVAddons quickly complied, it remains unclear whether Cricket Australia actually has a problem with the add-on itself, which is not even hosted on TVAddons but on Github. In any event, the end result is the deletion of the page and disappointment from TVAddons, who believe that users should have access to content in the most convenient manner.</p>



<p>&#8220;Preventing users from viewing free and publicly accessible content through their own choice of medium signals an unfortunate trend for the state of individual rights and freedoms,&#8221; a TVAddons representative told TF.</p>



<p>&#8220;The Electronic Frontier Foundation&#8217;s Privacy Badger reports that watching a video on cricket.com.au exposes a user to over 26 different trackers ranging from Facebook to Google, Gigya to Roy Morgan. A total of 27 cookies are downloaded to the user&#8217;s computer without consent<g class="gr_ gr_17 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="17" data-gr-id="17">.</g></p>



<p>&#8220;Users should have the right to view publicly accessible content without having &#8216;legal&#8217; malware downloaded to their computer, streaming through Kodi was one of many available options. We hope that the move towards decentralized technologies will put control back into the hands of the people who matter the most, away from privacy violating corporations.&#8221;</p>



<p>While Cricket Australia was never specifically mentioned as the cause, development of the (unofficial) Cricket Australia Kodi Add-On was actually shelved in April 2018 by developer Aussie Add-Ons following complaints from rightsholders.</p>



<p>&#8220;It’s with our greatest displeasure to announce that Aussie Add-ons will no longer be operating,&#8221; the shutdown notice read.</p>



<p>&#8220;After being contacted by some content providers about copyright violations, we believe it’s best that we stop supporting all of our add-ons. Our aim was to support those users wanting to use free and Open Source software to enjoy Australian free-to-air content on their Kodi installations, which I think we managed to do.</p>



<p>&#8220;<g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="3" data-gr-id="3">Unfortunately</g> it seems we have crossed a line, and therefore we must comply and remove all of our add-ons and code.&#8221;</p>



<p>TorrentFreak reached out to Copyright Integrity for more information but at the time of publication we were 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=168161
title: Article 13 Negotiations Move Ahead, Artists Slam Labels For Disrespecting Them
uri: Article-13-Negotiations-Move-Ahead-Artists-Slam-Labels-For-Disrespect
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/B3GbxaW7Jic/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/6542fb40.eu-copyright.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/eu-copyright.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-136985"/></figure></div>



<p>As the saga over the EU&#8217;s controversial Article 13 continues, new fronts of agreement and countering disapproval are appearing all the time.</p>



<p>As <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/article-13-moves-forward-with-new-french-german-deal-190206/">reported</a> last week, a deal agreed between Germany and France emerged as a potential way forward for the legislation.</p>



<p>The skeleton of the agreement requires Internet platforms to license content from copyright holders. If that is not possible, they should ensure that infringing content is taken down and not re-uploaded to their services.</p>



<p>Previously, the size and nature of the platforms to be affected remained unclear, but the deal laid down clarified that platforms over three years old with more than five million visitors, with a turnover of more than 10 million euros would be subject to the legislation.</p>



<p>Those under these thresholds would be excluded but still required to obtain content licenses. Re-upload prevention would not be required, however.</p>



<p>On Friday and despite opposition from Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovakia, the governments of the EU agreed that they will move forward on the basis of this France &#8211; Germany deal.</p>



<p>Pirate MEP Julia Reda <a href="https://juliareda.eu/2019/02/council-worst-article-13/">described</a> the deal as &#8220;the worst version of Article 13 yet&#8221;, sentiments that appear to be broadly shared by the very people who have pushed hardest for the legislation &#8211; major music labels, broadcasters, and other content owners.</p>



<p>Also on Friday, IFPI and several other major organizations called for Article 13 to be <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/music-industry-asks-eu-to-scrap-article-13/">scrapped entirely</a>, an indication that <em>almost</em> no-one wants what Article 13 has become &#8211; despite the EU now pushing ahead.</p>



<p>That being said, another new front appears to have opened in what is becoming an increasingly confused confrontation.</p>



<p>All along, labels, content owners, broadcasters and distributors have claimed that Article 13 is desperately needed to protect artists and <g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_hide gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Grammar multiReplace replaceWithoutSep replaceWithoutSep" id="3" data-gr-id="3">other creative talent</g> from piracy of their content. One might presume, therefore, that artists would be singing along with them in objection of Article 13, but that is simply not the case.</p>



<p>In an open letter, the UK Council of Music Makers &#8211; comprising the British Academy of Songwriters , Composers &amp; Authors (BASCA), Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), Music Managers Forum (MMF), Music Producers Guild (MPG) and the Musicians’ Union (MU)  – are now calling on the EU to go ahead with Article 13, against the wishes of the labels.</p>



<p>&#8220;We are the voice of UK songwriters, music producers, performing artists, musicians <g class="gr_ gr_6 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="6" data-gr-id="6">and</g> music managers. We speak on behalf of thousands of makers of the music this ‘industry’ represents. We speak with one voice with all the creator-led <g class="gr_ gr_7 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="7" data-gr-id="7">organisations</g> across Europe and around the world in supporting the Copyright Directive,&#8221; their letter begins.</p>



<p>&#8220;While the current text could be improved and still includes some problematic provisions, it is a compromise. At every step of this <g class="gr_ gr_5 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="5" data-gr-id="5">process</g> the creative community has sought compromise and been open to dialogue.&#8221;</p>



<p>While labels, publishers, and distributors now want Article 13 scrapped, it is seen as a savior by the above groups, enabling them to get &#8220;fair remuneration in the online environment.&#8221;</p>



<p>That their partners at the labels and publishers don&#8217;t want it now is clearly baffling to them and they air their displeasure in no uncertain terms. In fact, the open-letter tearing into the labels is scathingly unprecedented.</p>



<p>&#8220;It is hugely disappointing to see the music labels and publishers disregard the interests of their creators and artists in this way. They are trying to overturn years of collaborative work at the 11th hour by killing the Copyright Directive. Like YouTube, they have lobbied negotiators hard without consulting or informing the creative community. Heavy-handed tactics of heavyweight businesses,&#8221; they write.</p>



<p>&#8220;The labels and publishers have shown an unsettling disrespect for the talent that they have the privilege of representing, raising serious questions about their suitability to be the custodians of copyright<g class="gr_ gr_21 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="21" data-gr-id="21">.</g></p>



<p>&#8220;We have worked in tandem with UK Music and colleagues across the industry to find compromise and solutions that enable legislation to pass. This Directive will affect future generations of creators and performers whose interests need protecting beyond the interests of current models,&#8221; they add.</p>



<p>That the music industry now appears to be at war with itself over Article 13 is just another twist in what has become an extremely unorthodox process. Nevertheless, matters will press ahead.</p>



<p>&#8220;The deal in Council paves the way for a final round of negotiations with the Parliament over the course of [this] week, before the entire European Parliament and the Council vote on the final agreement,&#8221; <a href="https://juliareda.eu/2019/02/council-worst-article-13/">says</a> Julia Reda MEP as she calls on everyone to reject Article 13.</p>



<p>As unlikely at it seems (and even just for a moment), a pirate is in loose agreement with the record labels over Article 13, with artists in disagreement with all. Strange times indeed.</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=168174
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 02/11/19
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-02-11-19
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/VaPpcx76JnU/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-168180" src="media/ad741ebc.robinhood.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/robinhood.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="179" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/robinhood.jpg 300w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/robinhood-220x130.jpg 220w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px">This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Robin Hood is the most downloaded movie.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-on-bittorrent-02-04-19/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4532826/">Robin Hood</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4532826/">5.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwPn9ZnbCo0">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571234/">Mortal Engines</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709692/">6.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf6D-i8YpHg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/">Bohemian Rhapsody</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP0VHJYFOAU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4530422/">Overlord</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4530422/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USPd0vX2sdc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709692/">The Grinch</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709692/">6.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf6D-i8YpHg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(back)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">A Star Is Born</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmqJJqFX_CU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">Aquaman</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmqJJqFX_CU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270797/">Venom</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270797/">7.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLCn88bfW1o&amp;t=3s">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4701182/">Bumblebee</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4701182/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcwmDAYt22k">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(10)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218572/">Widows</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218572/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN2yBBSRC78">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=168169
title: Major US Sports Leagues Identify Foreign Pirate Streaming Threats
uri: Major-US-Sports-Leagues-Identify-Foreign-Pirate-Streaming-Threats
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/19-7dopjTfY/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-168172" src="media/b96c8ba8.nfl.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/nfl.jpg" alt="" width="289" height="177">When online piracy first hit the masses with Napster, Limewire, and later torrent sites, it wasn&#8217;t really a concern for sports leagues.</p>
<p>Most sports fans want to see their favorite players or teams live, not a day later when they already know the result.</p>
<p>Over the past years, live-streaming piracy has caught up with traditional media piracy. Pretty much every significant sports event can now be seen for free, through streaming websites or dedicated pirate set-top boxes.</p>
<p>This means that sports leagues have also taken an interest in anti-piracy enforcement. This became apparent once again last week when the Sports Coalition, which represents&nbsp;<span class="fontstyle0">MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, and others,&nbsp; sent an overview of piracy threats to the US Trade Representative (<a href="https://ustr.gov/">USTR</a>).</span></p>
<p>The submission is part of the annual Special 301 Review, where the USTR uses input from various stakeholders to make a list of countries that could do more to protect the copyright industry. According to the Sports Coalition, live-streaming is one of the threats that should be highlighted.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Sports organizations, including Sports Coalition members, are heavily affected by live sports telecast piracy, including the unauthorized live retransmission of sports telecasts over the Internet,&#8221; the submission reads.</span></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">Live streaming piracy is a persistent problem, according to the sports leagues, but also a global one. It involves &#8220;bad actors&#8221; in a wide variety of countries, they note.</span></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Pirate services and those complicit with them (such as content distribution networks and hosting services) are believed to be located in many nations including the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.</span>&#8221;</p>
<p>The six mentioned countries are the worst offenders, the Sports Coalition writes, urging the US Government to take appropriate action in response. The Netherlands and Saudi Arabia deserve priority, they say, due to the prevalence or&nbsp;severity of the piracy problem in these countries.</p>
<p>The sports leagues identify several &#8220;infringing services&#8221; in the Netherlands, which contribute to the streaming piracy problem.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">These include sportshd.me, strikezone.co, wiz1.net, vip7stream.pw, livebar.ow, 9stream.pw, ucasterplayer.com, Quasi Networks, Severius Holding, Leaseweb, Server Hosting Pty, and SNEL, which either pirated or provided services contributing to the piracy of a material number of Sports Coalition game and event telecasts.</span></p>
<p>This overview includes dedicated streaming sites and services, but also general purpose hosting providers. Leaseweb is an example of the latter. While the company may indeed have bad apples among its clients, it has many legitimate customers as well.</p>
<p>We see the same pattern with other countries, where both dedicated streaming platforms as well as hosting companies are mentioned among the infringing services.</p>
<p>Saudi Arabia is an outlier in this regard. The Sports Coalition mentions that the country deserves a priority mention because of B<span class="fontstyle0">eoutQ. This service operates as a commercial venture offering &#8220;pirate &#8220;sports broadcasts through dedicated boxes.</span></p>
<p>&#8220;During 2018, an Infringing Service, beoutQ, operating either in whole or in part in Saudi Arabia pirated Sports Coalition game and event telecasts via unauthorized IPTV streaming devices and the beoutQ.se website,&#8221; the Sports Coalition writes.</p>
<p>B<span class="fontstyle0">eoutQ is a <a href="https://beoutq.tv/">thorn in the side</a> of many other rightsholders as well. It launched in 2017 and for more than a year, various parties have tried to stop the infringing activity.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>The service is also mentioned in several other USTR submissions, including the one from Sky, which links it to&nbsp;<span class="fontstyle0">ArabSat and the Saudi Arabian government.</span></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;[T]he speed of proliferation of the illegal beoutQ service is particularly alarming, as is the evidence suggesting that the Riyadh based satellite operator, ArabSat, whose main shareholder is the Saudi Arabian government, provides satellite services to enable beoutQ’s distribution,&#8221; Sky writes.</span></p>
<p>Given the sheer volume of mentions, live-streaming piracy will likely end up in USTR&#8217;s <span class="fontstyle0">2019 Special 301 Review, which is expected to be released in a few weeks.</span></p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0"><em>A copy of the Sports Coalition&#8217;s submission for USTR&#8217;s 2019 Special 301 Review is available <a href="media/3d3a53ad.Sports_Coalition_2019_Special_301_Review_Comment.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Sports_Coalition_2019_Special_301_Review_Comment.pdf">here (pdf)</a> and Sky&#8217;s version can be found <a href="media/2bbf9f5a.Sky_Limited_2019_Special_301_Review_Comment.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Sky_Limited_2019_Special_301_Review_Comment.pdf">here (pdf)</a>.</em><br>
</span></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=168219
title: Project Brand Integrity Aims to Purge Ads From Pirate Sites
uri: Project-Brand-Integrity-Aims-to-Purge-Ads-From-Pirate-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/VWddBawYD8M/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="media/9b2ec8b9.no-image-1440x564-2.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/no-image-1440x564-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-168227" width="286" height="178"/></figure></div>



<p>With the majority of public-facing pirate sites generating money from advertising, the past several years have seen the launch of numerous initiatives to drain them of their revenue.</p>



<p>This so-called &#8220;follow-the-money&#8221; approach has proven popular in several regions, with the initial aim of protecting the brand image of major advertisers, who generally prefer not to have their logos placed alongside masses of pirated media. </p>



<p>Back in 2015, a US-based program was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-and-godaddy-sign-anti-piracy-pledge-160616/">launched</a> by the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), a partnership founded by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s), Association of National Advertisers, and Interactive Advertising Bureau.</p>



<p>One of TAG&#8217;s key aims is to clean up the advertising ecosystem to make it more difficult for pirate sites to operate. Since then, a number of very high-profile companies have become partners.</p>



<p>As of today, companies including Google, Facebook, Disney, Warner, NBC Universal, and Charter Communications count themselves as members of TAG&#8217;s &#8216;<a href="https://www.tagtoday.net/aboutus/#leadership-council">Leadership Council</a>&#8216;, &#8220;the operational decision-making body&#8221; for the organization. </p>



<p>In January 2019, TAG&#8217;s latest report (produced alongside <a href="https://creativefuture.org/follow-the-money-update/">CreativeFuture</a>) claimed significant successes, including reducing ad impressions on pirate sites from 20 billion in 2016 to &#8216;just&#8217; two billion in 2018, a 90% hit overall.</p>



<p>&#8220;In 2016-17, 60+ brands or agencies were each contributing large volumes of ads on pirate sites. Some premium brands placed between 5 and 25 million impressions per month. In 2018, no premium advertisers could be identified at high volumes on pirate sites,&#8221; the report notes.</p>



<p>With these claimed successes in hand, TAG is now crossing the Atlantic in the hope of emulating its United States achievements with assistance from digital advertisers in Europe.</p>



<p>This morning the group announced the launch of Project Brand Integrity, a partnership with brand protection company <a href="https://www.white-bullet.com/">White Bullet</a>. The latter will monitor pirate sites for advertising and then report back to TAG, who will share the information with advertisers and agencies &#8220;so that they can take remedial action.&#8221;</p>



<p>&#8220;If you are a brand advertiser, the skull-and-crossbones isn’t just a pirate movie trope. It accurately reflects the toxic danger of associating your brand with stolen content and criminal activities on pirate sites,” <g class="gr_ gr_39 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="39" data-gr-id="39">sa</g>ys&nbsp;Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG.</p>



<p>&#8220;Project Brand Integrity will serve as an early warning system for advertisers and their agencies, so we can alert them when their ads have run near stolen content and help them implement effective safeguards to prevent it from happening again.&#8221;</p>



<p>The involvement of <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="4" data-gr-id="4">White</g> Bullet is interesting given that the company has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-claim-64-drop-in-mainstream-advertising-on-200-pirate-sites-170303/">worked closely</a> with the UK&#8217;s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU). The latter operates the Infringing Website List (IWL), a database of sites presented by various industries as piracy-focused and verified as such by PIPCU.</p>



<p>TAG is keen to see both Europol and PIPCU get involved with its new EU-focused project, a move welcomed by the latter.</p>



<p>&#8220;We are always pleased to see the introduction of initiatives such as Project Brand Integrity that uphold similar values to our own. PIPCU is at the forefront of combatting digital piracy,” says Detective Constable Steve Salway of PIPCU.</p>



<p>&#8220;Our Operation Creative sees City of London Police officers disrupt criminal activity online by working with content owners and internet service providers. As a <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="4" data-gr-id="4">result</g> we have seen over 1,800 illegal websites cease to operate, protecting UK consumers along with the preservation of the UK creative industry.&#8221;</p>



<p>While TAG is promoted as an initiative, it&#8217;s worth pointing out that it&#8217;s a commercial operation and becoming involved is a fairly costly exercise.</p>



<p>Basic TAG membership for an advertiser who wishes to be included in the registry of trusted partners costs a minimum of $10,000, rising to $20,000 if companies want access to TAG&#8217;s Data Center IP address and mobile app lists. The latter is produced with assistance from the MPAA and RIAA and currently contains more than 12,000 &#8216;pirate&#8217; apps <em>(<a href="media/30ea956a.TAG_WhitePaper_AntiPiracy_Final.pdf" data-original-source="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2848641/TAG_WhitePaper_AntiPiracy_Final.pdf">pdf</a>)</em>.</p>



<p>The cost of joining TAG increases to $65,000 if an advertiser is accepted for the &#8216;Thought Leadership&#8217; package <em>(<a href="https://www.tagtoday.net/hubfs/2018%20TAG%20Memberships/TAG%20for%20Advertisers%202018.pdf?hsLang=en-us">pdf</a>)</em> but ad agencies and &#8216;ad tech&#8217; companies are expected to pay even more. While the basic package starts at $10,000, the top rate is $75,000 <em>(<a href="https://www.tagtoday.net/hubfs/2018%20TAG%20Memberships/TAG%20for%20Agencies%202018.pdf?hsLang=en-us">pdf</a>)</em>, so it&#8217;s certainly a considerable investment for those requiring the full service.</p>



<p>The big question is whether the initiative will actually have a negative effect on the existence of pirate sites. A 2017 study commissioned by TAG and carried out by Ernst &amp; Young claimed that anti-piracy steps taken by the advertising industry had reduced ad revenue to pirate sites by between 48 and 61%. Today, however, there is clearly no shortage of platforms to access content for free.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s beyond doubt that top tier advertisers are certainly less prevalent on torrent and streaming sites than they were a few years ago, in part due to TAG&#8217;s scheme and others like it. However, most sites appear to have learned to live with the lower-tier <g class="gr_ gr_337 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="337" data-gr-id="337">ad options</g> available to them today and are continuing on that basis.</p>



<p>Only time will tell how long that will continue and whether increasing TAG pressure will push any over the edge.</p>



<p> </p>



<p> </p>



<p></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=168235
title: China Aks The Public to Help Crack Down on Movie Piracy
uri: China-Aks-The-Public-to-Help-Crack-Down-on-Movie-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/LvZXfWr234w/
content:
<p><img class="alignright  wp-image-168240" src="media/f5ee5fbe.wantering.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/wantering.png" alt="" width="285" height="145">With more than a billion citizens, China is seen as both a great opportunity and a great threat to the entertainment industries, Holywood included.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While China has traditionally been very reluctant to show &#8216;western&#8217; movies, it has opened up in recent years much to the delight of the American movie studios.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The problem, however, is that both physical and online movie piracy is rampant. Hollywood and the US Government have signaled this in the past, and with a booming local movie industry, China is now committed&nbsp;to taking action as well.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Last week was the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, which is generally a busy time at the box office. However, it&#8217;s also high time for pirates, which spurred the National Copyright Administration&nbsp; (<a href="http://en.ncac.gov.cn/">NCAC</a>) into action.</p>
<p><span class="surl-text">&#8220;In</span>&nbsp;recent days, after the joint action of multiple departments and rightsholders, the piracy of Spring Festival movies has been curbed. We will refer the serious infringements and piracy cases to the public security department to take criminal measures,&#8221; NCAC announced on the local social media site <a href="https://m.weibo.cn/detail/4338203609430775">Weibo</a></p>
<p>The Copyright Administration called on the public to help and report instances of piracy&nbsp;through direct messages on Weibo, WeChat, and email.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;Please provide infringement clues and clean up the online copyright environment. Let&#8217;s work together,&#8221; the Government outfit wrote.</p>
<p>Piracy is a growing&nbsp;concern among Chinese filmmakers, especially now that the local movie industry is booming. One of the widely pirated movies is the sci-fi blockbuster &#8220;<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7605074/">The Wandering Earth.</a>&#8221; The film premiered during the Spring Festival and broke records by grossing&nbsp;over 2 billion yuan (US$300 million).</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/e345c3b5.wanteringearth.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/wanteringearth.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-168239"/><figcaption>Photo: YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8LAwozrXPo">trailer</a></figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The makers&nbsp;are obviously happy with this achievement. Over the past few days, however, they were preoccupied with taking down links to pirated copies. Gong Ge’er, who heads the movie&#8217;s anti-piracy unit, says that they complained to the Government as well, the South China Morning Post <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2185703/chinese-sci-fi-blockbuster-wandering-earth-battles-horde">reports</a>.</p>
<p>“In recent days, the staff of&nbsp;<em>The Wandering Earth</em>&nbsp;have not had time to celebrate the box office success, but have devoted almost all their energy to complaining to authorities about piracy and blocking pirated copies,” Gong told the&nbsp;Beijing Youth Daily.</p>
<p>Compared to last year there was a significant drop in moviegoers during the Spring Festival. This is partly due to online. In addition, leaked copies of&nbsp;The Wandering Earth and other blockbusters were also sold online, starting at one yuan per copy.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/c3a3b848.wandersell.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/wandersell.png" alt="" class="wp-image-168243" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/wandersell.png 460w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/wandersell-200x150.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px"><figcaption>For sale</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>While piracy is certainly not a new phenomenon in China, it&#8217;s interesting to see that the authorities are calling on the public to help. And according to a recent update from&nbsp;the Copyright Administration, this has paid off.</p>
<p>&#8220;All the infringement and piracy reports received through Weibo, WeChat, email, and other channels will be sorted out and handed over to the relevant copyright law enforcement agencies.&nbsp;We hope that the majority of users continue to provide relevant clues,&#8221; NCAC wrote.</p>
<p>This will sound like music to the ears of the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), a trade group that also represents Hollywood&#8217;s interest. Just last week it informed the U.S. Government that China must step up its game to better protect the interests of copyright holders, listing some examples of problematic sites.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;Traditional website piracy remains a major issue in China, causing significant damage to rights holders. Notorious piracy sites that disrupt the music and audiovisual marketplaces include&nbsp;zimuzu.tv, dytt8.net,&nbsp;666c.com,&nbsp;sacdr.net, yymp3.com, musicool.cn,&nbsp;dy2018.com, xh127.com, b9good.com, dygang.com, loldytt.com, piaohua.com, bttt99.com, 80s.tw, meijutt.com, ygdy8.com, dysfz.vip, panduoduo.net, btbtdy.net, and lbldy.com,&#8221; IIPA wrote.</p>
<p>Perhaps IIPA can address their concerns to the Chinese authorities directly as well, via&nbsp;Weibo, WeChat, or email.</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=168059
title: Google Begins Removing Banned Sites From Search Results in Russia
uri: Google-Begins-Removing-Banned-Sites-From-Search-Results-in-Russia
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/vm7jxMzdacs/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/560a9ef5.searchman.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/searchman.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-135409"/></figure></div>



<p>Authorities in Russia maintain a huge database of banned sites, from platforms that promote terrorism to those that engage in unlicensed gambling and copyright infringement.</p>



<p>ISPs are required to prevent their users from accessing these sites by interfacing their systems with the so-called FGIS (Unified Register of Prohibited Information) database. More recently, however, legislation was tweaked so that search engines must also prevent banned sites from appearing in their search results.</p>



<p>Late 2018, this caused problems for Google. While local providers including Yandex and Mail.ru connected to the blacklist as required, Google did not. This prompted local telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor into action.</p>



<p>In the first instance, the telecoms watchdog contacted Google with a demand that it should immediately connect to the FGIS blacklist. But, despite a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-meets-russian-govt-body-to-discuss-ongoing-piracy-issues-181116/">meeting</a> with the authorities, Google still refused to comply, something which placed the company in breach of federal law.</p>



<p>As a result, Google was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-gets-a-slap-on-the-wrist-for-site-blocking-failures-181211/">hit with a fine</a> of 500,000 rubles (US$7,595), the lowest amount that can be handed down under existing laws.</p>



<p>Ever <g class="gr_ gr_4 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="4" data-gr-id="4">since,</g> Roscomnadzor has been encouraging Google to connect to the FGIS but the US-based company has declined. However, it now appears that Google is effectively carrying out the search result delistings the Russians have requested, even though the mechanics appear slightly different.</p>



<p>According to an <a href="https://www.interfax.ru/russia/649569">Interfax</a> source, Google has received a list containing 120,000 &#8216;banned&#8217; URLs and has been removing them from its search results. Thus far, Google is reported to have deleted around 73% of the illegal content present in the FGIS database from its results using this method.</p>



<p>While checking all of the links is certainly beyond the scope of this article, TorrentFreak checked the results for RuTracker, Russia&#8217;s most popular torrent site and one that is permanently blocked in the country.</p>



<p>Last year, RuTracker.org and .net featured prominently in Google.ru&#8217;s results but when searched for using a Russian IP address, they are no longer present.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="media/2534b5d9.rutracker-google1.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/rutracker-google1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-168256" width="600"/><figcaption>Search for RuTracker (using Google.ru and local IP address)</figcaption></figure>



<p>Interestingly, when searching for RuTracker.org using Google.ru but via a foreign (non-Russian IP address), the results are what one might expect, with RuTracker.org and RuTracker.net as the top results. Nevertheless, Roscomnadzor seem happy with Google&#8217;s efforts.</p>



<p>&#8220;Constructive dialogue and cooperation have been established between Roscomnadzor and Google. At the moment, we are satisfied with the results of this cooperation,&#8221; Roscomnadzor spokesperson Vadim Ampelonsky told Interfax. </p>



<p>The cooperation appears to have calmed relations between Google and Roscomnadzor on the issue of filtering. Less than a month ago, the telecoms watchdog threatened to fine Google again for non-compliance, warning that Google itself could find itself blocked in Russia.</p>



<p>That threat seems to have been headed off, at least for now.</p>



<p> </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=168271
title: EU Reaches Deal on Article 13 and Other Copyright Reform Plans
uri: EU-Reaches-Deal-on-Article-13-and-Other-Copyright-Reform-Plans
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/uVTQZdastD0/
content:
<p><img class="alignright  wp-image-136985" src="media/19bd259d.eu-copyright.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/eu-copyright.jpg" alt="" width="224" height="150">Last September the European Parliament&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-parliament-adopts-controversial-upload-filter-proposal-180912/">backed&nbsp;</a>the controversial Article 13 plans, which are part of the EU’s broader copyright reform plans.</p>
<p>This was followed by several rounds of trilogue&nbsp;negotiations, during which the final text would be drawn up. This process was completed today.</p>
<p>The European Parliament and Council have finally agreed on a final text of the EU copyright reforms. This includes Article 13, which was highly debated and criticized&nbsp;over the past several months.</p>
<p>Despite the protests and objections, which also came from rightsholders in recent weeks, lawmakers didn&#8217;t slow down.</p>
<p>The final version of Article 13 is based on the compromise deal <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/article-13-moves-forward-with-new-french-german-deal-190206/">France and Germany struck</a> last week.</p>
<p>In short, it requires for-profit Internet platforms to license content from copyright holders. If that is not possible, they should ensure that infringing content is taken down and not re-uploaded to their services.</p>
<p>This will essentially mandate &#8220;upload filters,&#8221; opponents have warned, but that wasn&#8217;t much of a stumbling block during the negotiations. The main point of contention was which services should adhere to the new rules.</p>
<p>Last September&#8217;s version of Article 13 excluded small businesses, but that&#8217;s no longer the case.</p>
<p>If a service is publicly available for less than three years, with fewer than five million unique visitors per month, and an annual turnover of less than&nbsp;€10 million, only then it is excluded.</p>
<p>This means that only small startups will not be bound by the new rules. These companies will still have to do their&nbsp;best to obtain licenses from rightsholders. However, they will not be forced to prevent infringing content from being re-uploaded.</p>
<p>According to&nbsp;Pirate Party MEP <a href="https://juliareda.eu/">Julia Reda</a>, who has been highly critical of the plans, the current version of Article 13 is even worse than before.</p>
<p>&#8220;This deal is a threat to small publishers, authors and internet users alike and risks putting the internet as we know it solely in the hands of the tech and media giants,&#8221; Reda comments.</p>
<p>&#8220;Even the most sophisticated upload filters routinely block perfectly legal content. Requiring platforms to use upload filters would not just lead to more frequent blocking of legal uploads, it would also make life difficult for smaller platforms that cannot afford filtering software,&#8221; she adds.</p>
<p>Today&#8217;s deal follows months of protests, mostly from people who fear that upload filters will decrease freedom of speech. This includes&nbsp;<a href="https://saveyourinternet.eu/">#SaveYourInternet</a>, as well as a widely&nbsp;shared <a href="https://www.change.org/p/european-parliament-stop-the-censorship-machinery-save-the-internet">petition</a> that was signed by more than 4.7 million people.</p>
<p>Various major copyright industry&nbsp;groups also <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/music-industry-asks-eu-to-scrap-article-13/">voiced concerns</a>, but not about filters. They feared that a watered down version of Article&nbsp;13 would do more harm than good so suggested that it might be better to scrap it entirely.</p>
<p><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/article-13-negotiations-move-ahead-artists-slam-labels-for-disrespecting-them-190211/">Not all artists</a> appreciated this stance, but it might very well have been a negotiating tactic.</p>
<p>EU copyright rapporteur Axel Voss, who’s one of the driving forces behind the plans, nonetheless found plenty of support in the creative community. He repeatedly argued that Article 13 and other proposals are needed to make sure that copyright holders get the money&nbsp;they deserve.</p>
<p>The deal that was just reached doesn&#8217;t come as a complete surprise and it&#8217;s not the end of the road just yet. The European Parliament still has the final vote, which is expected to take place in March or April, before the EU elections.</p>
<p>Julia Reda and other opponents hope that a final push can convince the various representatives to reject Article 13 and well as Article 11, which is known for the &#8216;link tax.&#8217;</p>
<p>&#8220;Today&#8217;s news is a backwards step for freedom of expression online, but it&#8217;s not the end of the road, we can still fight against damaging upload filters and a link tax. We need to send a clear message that we want to protect authors&#8217; rights as well as users and small publishers,&#8221; Reda notes.</p>
<p>Those who support the proposals will continue their&nbsp;campaigns as well, so expect to see more new about it leading up to the final vote.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><em>Breaking news, more updates may follow.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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=168296
title: Downloading Any Pirate Content To Be Made Illegal in Japan
uri: Downloading-Any-Pirate-Content-To-Be-Made-Illegal-in-Japan
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AJZQQ1O74d0/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/c8299d44.japan.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/japan.png" alt="" class="wp-image-57939"/></figure></div>



<p>Downloading music and movies in Japan is prohibited under the country&#8217;s Copyright Act, meaning that anyone who does so is liable to prosecution or civil suits.</p>



<p>Unusually, however, current legislation doesn&#8217;t offer the same levels of protection for creators of other creative works, such as still images (including ever-popular <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manga">manga</a> publications), software, and games. This disparity has prompted complaints from rightsholders who have been pressurizing the government to close the gap. </p>



<p>Last year it was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/japan-planning-up-to-two-years-in-prison-for-manga-pirates-190105/">reported</a> that an advisory panel for the <a href="http://www.bunka.go.jp/english/policy/copyright/index.html">Cultural Affairs&nbsp;Agency</a>&nbsp;was considering the possibility of rendering the downloading of a broader range of content as a criminal offense, roughly in line with <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/anti-downloading-law-hits-japan-up-to-2-years-in-prison-from-today-121001/">laws passed in 2012</a> outlawing various forms of file-sharing. This week, those plans took a significant step forward.</p>



<p>According to local <a href="https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASM2D6F8NM2DUCVL03V.html">sources</a>, a government panel adopted the new policy on Wednesday, recommending to the Cultural Affairs Agency that current anti-downloading legislation should be expanded to cover all copyrighted content. The Agency is now expected to submit a bill to amend the Copyright Act.</p>



<p>What remains unclear are the punishments to be handed down and under what circumstances<g class="gr_ gr_189 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="189" data-gr-id="189">.</g></p>



<p>The original recommendation of up to two years in prison and fines of two million yen (US$18,052) appears to be still on the table but a <a href="http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190213/p2g/00m/0dm/088000c">Mainichi</a> report states that might only apply to those committing serious offenses, such as repeatedly downloading pirate content<g class="gr_ gr_195 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="195" data-gr-id="195">.</g></p>



<p>Additionally, these sentences would only be handed down in the event that victims of infringement file criminal complaints. However, the threshold for a criminal complaint is unclear and could cause issues for the legal system if there are large numbers of referrals.</p>



<p>Also of interest is that the government appears ready to tackle the issue of &#8216;pirate&#8217; indexing sites, known locally as &#8220;leech sites&#8221;. </p>



<p>In September 2018, an advisory panel <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/japan-government-presents-pirate-website-blocking-proposals-180918/">recommended</a>&nbsp;that these sites should be outlawed. Carrying no infringing content themselves, these services provide hyperlinks to content hosted elsewhere and currently sit in a legal gray area.</p>



<p>There are an estimated 200 &#8216;leech&#8217; sites in Japan and both the government and rightsholders wish to close the legal loophole that currently protects them. The aim is to criminalize those who knowingly link to content when they should “reasonably be expected” to know that the content is infringing. </p>



<p> </p>



<p></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=168353
title: South Korea Expands Site Blocking Efforts with SNI Eavesdropping
uri: South-Korea-Expands-Site-Blocking-Efforts-with-SNI-Eavesdropping
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/tgAl5hLD-5c/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-168385" src="media/2c6f2a0d.korea-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/korea-1.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="165">When it comes to pirate site blocking, South Korea is one of the most active countries in the Asia-Pacific region.&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to recent data from the Motion Picture Association, the country has blocked 456 sites to prevent the public from accessing pirated material.</p>
<p>These blocking orders are sanctioned&nbsp;by the&nbsp;Korean Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), which also oversees other blocking efforts, including those targeted at porn or illegal gambling sites.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While the ISP blockades work well for regular HTTP sites, they are fairly easy to bypass on HTTPS connections, something most sites offer today. For this reason, the Korean authorities are now stepping up their blocking game.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This week the Government announced that it will start eavesdropping on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_Name_Indication">SNI fields</a>, which identify the hostname of the target server. This allows ISPs to see which HTTPS sites users are trying to access, so these can be blocked if they&#8217;re on the Korean blocklist.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The new measures will apply to&nbsp;895 foreign websites that are linked to porn, gambling or copyright infringement.</p>
<p>&#8220;The SNI blocking is a method of checking and blocking the target server in the SNI field. It is not related to communication interception and data packet interception,&#8221; the Government writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;In particular, the new method plans to block illegal sites related&nbsp;to child pornography, video piracy,&nbsp;and illegal gambling,&#8221; the translated <a href="https://kcc.go.kr/user.do?mode=view&amp;page=A05030000&amp;dc=K05030000&amp;boardId=1113&amp;cp=1&amp;boardSeq=46820">press release</a> adds.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The new blocking measures were already announced early<a href="https://www.mcst.go.kr/kor/s_notice/press/pressView.jsp?pMenuCD=0302000000&amp;pSeq=16672&amp;pTypeDept=&amp;pSearchType=&amp;pSearchWord=&amp;pCurrentPage=1&amp;pCommPage=1"> last year</a> as a new tool to deal with pirate sites, and are expected to take effect on February 22. From then on, users who access a blocked HTTPS site will be redirected to the following warning page.&nbsp;</p>
<p></p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/000b263b.koreawarning.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/koreawarning.png" alt="" class="wp-image-168384"/><figcaption>The warning page</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The new blocking policy is meeting quite a bit of <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/korea/comments/aq1v41/welcome_to_the_republic_of_censorship/">resistance</a>&nbsp;locally. A petition that was launched earlier this week has been signed by over 180,000 people already and this number is growing rapidly.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www1.president.go.kr/petitions/522031">The petition</a> warns that this type of censorship is limiting freedom of expression. At the same time, however, it notes that people will find ways to bypass the blockades.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;We will continue to bypass and evade Internet censorship. The new https blocking can also be bypassed through VPN programs or by activating ESNI. Do you really think limiting this way is effective?&#8221; it reads.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Indeed, SNI eavesdropping and blocking is useless when people use a VPN. In addition, more modern browsers and companies such as Cloudflare increasingly support encrypted SNI (ESNI). This prevents ISPs from snooping on SNI handshakes.</p>
<p>The nightly build of Firefox added <a href="https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2018/10/18/encrypted-sni-comes-to-firefox-nightly/">support for ESNI</a> last October, for example. As Bleepingcomputer <a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/south-korea-is-censoring-the-internet-by-snooping-on-sni-traffic/">notes</a>, this is a more pressing issue now for South Koreans, which is exemplified by a recent message on Firefox&#8217;s <a href="https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1494901#c3">bug tracker</a>.</p>
<p>While it is no surprise that many South Koreans are not happy with the changes, at least their Government and ISPs are transparent about the matter. In Europe and elsewhere, HTTPS blocking is also fairly common, but it&#8217;s not always clear what measures are used.&nbsp;</p><p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=168411
title: EU Commission Portrays “Article 13” Opponents as a Misled and Misinformed Mob
uri: EU-Commission-Portrays-Article-13-Opponents-as-a-Misled-and-Misi
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Srf0Sksc9vQ/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/6542fb40.eu-copyright.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/eu-copyright.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-136985"/></figure></div>



<p>This Wednesday the European Parliament and European Council <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-reaches-deal-on-article-13-and-other-copyright-reform-plans-190213/">agreed on the final text</a> of the EU Copyright Directive.</p>



<p>That, of course, includes the hugely controversial Article 13, which critics insist will lead to upload filtering, censorship, plus all kinds of unintended consequences that could change the shape of the Internet forever.</p>



<p>Urgent claims have been made on both sides, including that the music industry could be brought to its knees if Article 13 doesn&#8217;t pass, and the Internet will break if the worst fears of the legislation come true. In the end and as predicted by many, it appears that the EU Commission sided with those claiming the former.</p>



<p>A bigger surprise came from the EU Commission itself when it waded in Thursday with a stinging <a href="https://medium.com/@EuropeanCommission/the-copyright-directive-how-the-mob-was-told-to-save-the-dragon-and-slay-the-knight-b35876008f16">article </a>of its own, one which implies that the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/activists-to-deliver-4-million-anti-article-13-signatures-to-eu-parliament-181211/">millions who objected</a> against Article 13 were misled and therefore misinformed. It was also a surprise to see the Commission itself suggest that &#8220;paid-for campaigns&#8221; were at least partly to blame.</p>



<p>It has to be stressed that the Commission piece seems intentionally loose at times, perhaps to avoid direct accusations towards any particular company. However, when it begins by stating that searches for the &#8216;EU Copyright Directive&#8217; on YouTube <g class="gr_ gr_8 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="8" data-gr-id="8">renders</g> results that are mostly &#8220;passionately against it&#8221;, the tone is well and truly set.</p>



<p>Pointing out headlines such as <em>‘Today Europe lost the Internet’, ‘How the new copyright laws will destroy the internet’, </em>and<em> ‘Censorship machines’,</em> the Commission says that the campaign against Article 13 is being driven by &#8220;catchy slogans&#8221;, not the truth. It even manages to squeeze in what appears to be a reference to the UK&#8217;s decision to leave the EU.</p>



<p>&#8220;Of course, we know from recent elections and referendums that simple memorable slogans — however untrue or unobtainable — can go a long way to winning over hearts, minds <g class="gr_ gr_5 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="5" data-gr-id="5">and</g> voters. And so it was, that the wholly inaccurate phrases ‘link taxes’ and ‘censorship machines’ started to be part of the campaign against the proposed Copyright Directive,&#8221; the Commission writes.</p>



<p>What follows is a familiar outline of why the Commission feels that Article 13 is needed, arguing that big tech companies such as Google/YouTube and Facebook shouldn&#8217;t be allowed to make money by placing ads against infringing content on their platforms. It then steps in to discredit the &#8216;meme ban&#8217;.</p>



<p>&#8220;<g class="gr_ gr_12 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="12" data-gr-id="12">Oh</g> and by the way,&#8221; the Commission continues. &#8220;No matter what some people (and paid-for campaigns) may tell you, you will never be prevented from having a laugh online. WE ARE NOT BANNING MEMES. On the contrary, there will be a guarantee that platforms respect your right to self-expression. That includes pastiche, critique <g class="gr_ gr_44 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="44" data-gr-id="44">and</g> parody.&#8221;</p>



<p>Then, however, things begin to get a little more gritty.</p>



<p>The Commission says that despite having overwhelming dominance online, the &#8220;largest search and video platforms&#8221; (fill in the blanks yourself) are &#8220;afraid of regulation&#8221;. Furthermore, these companies have skewed the campaign against Article 13 in their favor by &#8220;creating&#8221; (subtle sarcasm there, perhaps) &#8220;grassroots campaigns&#8221; to make it look and sound as if the EU is acting against &#8220;the will of the people.&#8221;</p>



<p>That, the Commission says, is nonsense, because &#8220;unlike Google and Facebook, the EU is answerable to the public and to democratically elected politicians.&#8221; </p>



<p>The underlying tone from the EU Commission is that meddling by tech giants led to members of the public being misled, stirred up, and forced into opposition over Article 13, but not based on the true facts.</p>



<p>&#8220;So next time, when you get a sponsored message on your timeline, which says something like ‘the EU will kill the world wide web as we know it’, stop, pause and consider for a moment. Ask yourself: Cui Bono? Who really benefits from this message or this wider negative campaign?&#8221; the Commission adds.</p>



<p>These comments are probably a little insulting to the people who have followed this from the beginning and have formed their own opinions based on solid research and facts as written in EU documentation. However, the EU Commission seems to believe that the majority have simply acted like sheep, herded up by US tech giants.</p>



<p>&#8220;Do Google, Facebook or others really need to pay to persuade? Are we in a world where ordinary people side with the fire breathing dragon against the knight with a blue and yellow shield?&#8221; it asks.</p>



<p>Some supporters of Article 13 are already celebrating the EU Commission&#8217;s piece as validation of their theories that this wasn&#8217;t a fair fight, that tech companies did indeed unfairly meddle in the process that led up to Wednesday&#8217;s agreement.</p>



<p>The problem, however, is that this isn&#8217;t over yet, and the suggestion that people who opposed Article 13 are poorly informed may only serve to pour yet more fuel on the fire by infuriating everyone, informed or otherwise.</p>



<p>Whether one agrees or disagrees with the Commission&#8217;s assertions, it might have been prudent to keep these opinions behind closed doors, at least until this is all over. The timing doesn&#8217;t seem great but pretty much nothing about this entire campaign has been.</p>



<p> </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=168440
title: Vox Targets The Verge Critic With Dubious YouTube Takedown
uri: Vox-Targets-The-Verge-Critic-With-Dubious-YouTube-Takedown
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/5GRhvFZ_SCo/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-168442" src="media/92b4cf0b.verge.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/verge.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="159"><a href="https://www.theverge.com/">The Verge</a> is typically known as a news operation that&#8217;s fairly critical of copyright abuse.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The site has repeatedly highlighted <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/1/10887120/youtube-complaint-takedown-copyright-community">problems</a> with YouTube&#8217;s Content-ID and copyright takedown system.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Just this week it reported how YouTube is being used for <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/11/18220032/youtube-copystrike-blackmail-three-strikes-copyright-violation">extortion scams</a>, an issue that we covered <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-strikes-now-being-used-as-scammers-extortion-tool/">last month</a>.&nbsp;The site also&nbsp;covered the Article 13 plans in the EU, with a headline <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/19/17480344/eu-european-union-parliament-copyright-article-13-upload-filter">stating</a> that it threatens the Internet as we knew it.</p>
<p>Given the above, it&#8217;s surprising that a video from The Verge is now at the center of the latest YouTube copyright takedown mess.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The trouble started earlier this week when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCftcLVz-jtPXoH3cWUUDwYw">YouTuber&nbsp;Kyle</a> was informed by YouTube that one of his&nbsp;videos was <a href="https://twitter.com/bitwitkyle/status/1095578571244879872">removed</a>&nbsp;following a takedown request from Vox Media, the parent company of The Verge.</p>
<p>Kyle allegedly infringed the copyrights of The Verge&#8217;s &#8220;PC Build Video,&#8221; which was published last year. The video in question has been widely <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LERCwH3F474">criticized</a>&nbsp;as the &#8220;how to&#8221; made&nbsp;several crucial mistakes, according to experts.</p>
<p>The accompanying The Verge article <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/13/17828092/gaming-pc-build-custom-how-to-asus-intel-geforce-cost">remains online today</a>, with corrections, but the video in question was pulled from YouTube. However, the numerous reaction videos, in which YouTubers responded to the mistakes, are still up.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This included Kyle&#8217;s response video, which is typically covered by fair use. But, apparently, Vox saw reason to take it down. Not by some automatic Content-ID claim though. No, this was an actual takedown notice, which is typically done manually and results in a &#8216;strike&#8217; on the channel.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/1016df13.vergetakedown.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/vergetakedown.png" alt="" class="wp-image-168444"/><figcaption>The notice Kyle received</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The precise reason for the takedown is unclear but many people believe that Vox was trying to bury the negative responses. If that&#8217;s the case, it would be a typical example of takedown abuse, something The Verge may want to look into.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If burying the criticism&nbsp;was the goal this certainly backfired, since what we have now is a&nbsp;typical example of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect">Streisand Effect</a>. All of a sudden, hundreds of thousands of eyeballs are being drawn to the not-so-accurate how-to video, generating even more negative responses.&nbsp;</p>
<div id="owner-container" class="style-scope ytd-video-owner-renderer"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvWWf-LYjaujE50iYai8WgQ">Paul&#8217;s Hardware</a> has a good <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56fZ_OC8HkY">overview</a> of the original video, the response, and the early aftermath, and many others have jumped on the story since.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>The good news is that all the public outcry has paid off, for Kyle at least. He filed a counter-notice and the video was swiftly restored. According to Kyle, YouTube sent the<a href="https://twitter.com/bitwitkyle/status/1095941396039516160"> following message</a> to The Verge.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>&#8220;Hi The Verge, We are very concerned that your copyright notification may not be valid for some or all of the videos identified in your notification.&#8221;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div class="style-scope ytd-video-owner-renderer">TorrentFreak reached out to Vox Media for a response but thus far we haven&#8217;t heard back. In the meantime, here&#8217;s the now-uncensored video in all its glory.</div>
<div class="style-scope ytd-video-owner-renderer">
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div class="badge badge-style-type-verified style-scope ytd-badge-supported-renderer" style="text-align: center;"><strong>The now uncensored video&nbsp;</strong></div>
</div>
<p></p>
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<p></p><p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-keep-anonymous-2018/">VPN reviews, </a><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-discount-coupon-offer-torguard-nordvpn-expressvpn-pia/">discounts, offers and coupons</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=168427
title: ACE Sues Cord-Cutting Service “Omniverse” For Copyright Infringement
uri: ACE-Sues-Cord-Cutting-Service-Omniverse-For-Copyright-Infringeme
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FqJreM9q-Hs/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-168431" src="media/0737ec4f.omniverse.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/omniverse.png" alt="" width="248" height="98">Streaming set-top boxes and IPTV services have been selling like hot cakes over the past several years.</p>
<p>While some of these offer&nbsp;access legally, that&#8217;s certainly not always the case. The unauthorized services&nbsp;are a thorn in the side of mainstream entertainment industry companies, which are trying hard to address the problem.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (<a href="https://www.alliance4creativity.com/">ACE</a>) has been particularly active&nbsp;on this front. The anti-piracy partnership between Hollywood studios, Netflix, Amazon, and more than two dozen other companies, has filed lawsuits against several services already, and this week they add a big one to the list.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In a complaint filed at a Federal Court in California, ACE accuses the US-based company &#8216;Omniverse One World Television&#8217; and its owner Jason DeMeo of copyright infringement.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.omniversetv.com/">Omniverse</a> doesn&#8217;t offer any streaming boxes but sells live-streaming services to third-party distributors, such as Dragon&nbsp;Box, HDHomerun, Flixon TV, and SkyStream TV, which in turn offer live TV streaming packages to customers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants operate at a higher level in the supply chain of infringing&nbsp;<span class="fontstyle0">content—recruiting numerous downstream services like Dragon Box into the illicit market and providing them with access to unauthorized streams of copyrighted content.</span></p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Defendants function as a &#8216;hub&#8217; of sorts, with the enlisted downstream<br>services as the &#8216;spokes.&#8217; Omniverse’s offering is illegal, it is growing, and it<br>undermines the legitimate market for licensed services,&#8221; the complaint adds.</span></p>
<p>According to the official website, Omniverse includes more than 70<span class="color_11">&nbsp;top US TV channels and&nbsp;</span><span class="color_11">8 premium channels.&nbsp;</span><span class="color_11">However, ACE and its members allege that some of the channels are offered without proper licenses. As such, they are illegal.</span></p>
<p>“Omniverse’s&nbsp;illegal services, and the downstream &#8216;Powered by Omniverse’ entities, undermine the legitimate market for legal and licensed services, a harm that has grown as Omniverse&nbsp;has expanded,&#8221; ACE spokesperson&nbsp;&nbsp; Richard VanOrnum informs TorrentFreak.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/74961791.omniversefuller.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/omniversefuller.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-168430"/><figcaption>Omniverse</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Omniverse&#8217;s owner Jason DeMeo previously insisted that his company had acquired the rights to stream some channels in the US. However, in an <a href="https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/are-all-of-these-new-live-tv-streaming-services-for-cord-cutting-legal-we-take-a-look/">interview</a> with Cord Cutters News, he was not willing to share any details on the underlying contract.</p>
<p>The complaint clearly disputes this, stressing that Omniverse and all <span class="fontstyle0">“Powered by Omniverse&#8221;</span> services are operating illegally.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;Plaintiffs have </span><span class="fontstyle2">not </span><span class="fontstyle0">granted licenses that permit Defendant DeMeo or<br>Omniverse to stream the Copyrighted Works or sublicense streams to whatever counterparty they wish,&#8221; ACE writes.</span></p>
<p>According to ACE, the public has plenty of options to watch movies and TV-shows through official channels, with 140 legal online services for film and TV content is the US alone. </p>
<p>The movie, TV show, and distribution alliance is now asking the California court for an injunction to shut down the infringing service and impound all hardware. In addition, they’re requesting statutory damages which can go up to several million dollars.</p>
<p>MPAA&#8217;s VP of Communications, Kaelan Hollon, informs TorrentFreak that lawsuits like this one are needed to protect the livelihoods of millions of people who depend upon a healthy film and television industry.</p>
<p>“I’ve seen firsthand how creators are economically harmed by piracy enterprises, which is why today’s ACE litigation – and the MPAA’s work helping make it happen – is another strong step forward protecting the rights of artists,&#8221; Hollon says.</p>
<p>We also reached out to Omniverse for a comment on the allegations but at the time of writing, we have yet to hear back. The Omniverse website, meanwhile, remains online.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</em></p>
<p><em>A copy of the ACE complaint against Omniverse is available <a href="media/1a8070cc.1-Complaint.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/1-Complaint.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=168262
title: Filmmakers Want Phone Ban and Special Court to Tackle Indian ‘Cam’ Piracy
uri: Filmmakers-Want-Phone-Ban-and-Special-Court-to-Tackle-Indian-Cam
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/kziyoSwlkxU/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-142135" src="media/86342ead.theater-movie-cinema.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/theater-movie-cinema.png" alt="" width="275" height="164" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/theater-movie-cinema.png 275w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/theater-movie-cinema-220x130.png 220w" sizes="(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px">With Bollywood, India has a thriving movie industry that&#8217;s known all around the world.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the country also has one of the highest piracy rates, which is seen as a major threat by industry insiders.</p>
<p>Following pressure from U.S. movie companies, India&#8217;s government recently <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/indian-government-approves-prison-sentences-for-cam-pirates-190207/">agreed</a> to update its&nbsp;Cinematograph Act to outlaw&nbsp;&#8216;cam&#8217; piracy.&nbsp;Anyone recording or transmitting movies in a movie theater without permission now faces a three-year prison sentence.</p>
<p>This change was welcomed&nbsp;by film industry insiders around the world. The Film Federation of&nbsp;India (FFI) is also happy, but the group notes that more may be required to effectively deter pirates.</p>
<p>Supran Sen,&nbsp;Secretary General of the Film Federation <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/film-federation-of-india-on-film-piracy-no-mobile-phones-in-cinema-halls-special-court-needed-1454716-2019-02-13">told</a> IANS that enforcement authorities haven&#8217;t been very helpful in the past. Therefore, they would like to see a special court where these &#8216;cam&#8217; piracy cases can be&nbsp;handled.</p>
<p>&#8220;We want the government to tackle the problem of piracy by creating special courts where our pleas can be considered seriously. Many a times when we approached police with complaints about issues like piracy, they ignored us,&#8221; Sen said.</p>
<p>FFI&#8217;s Vice-President Ramesh Tekwani affirms the call for a special court and adds that mobile phones should be banned from movie theaters as well.</p>
<p>&#8221;[The] announcement is fine but people should be stopped from recording films by asking them to deposit their phones before entering theaters,&#8221; Tekwani said.</p>
<p>&#8221;One single phone can shoot the entire film. People also know different ways to record the film,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>It is not uncommon for movie theaters to implement strict anti-piracy measures and the movie industry could mandate a phone ban of its&nbsp;own, if they can convince theaters to do so.</p>
<p>While that will certainly burden the public at large, the Film Federation believes that it&#8217;s essential to get a grip on piracy.</p>
<p>The question is, however, how &#8216;urgent&#8217; this matter is at the moment. According to new data released by the&nbsp;<span class="fontstyle0">International Intellectual Property Alliance, India-sourced &#8216;cam&#8217; piracy has dropped drastically in recent years.</span></p>
<p>Last year there were only two films that leaked from India, a significant drop compared to a year earlier. At the same time, unauthorized movie audio recordings decreased as well.</p>
<p><span class="fontstyle0">&#8220;In 2018, there were two camcorded videos sourced to Indian theaters, down from ten in 2017. There were 23 illicit audio recordings sourced to Indian theaters last year, down from 36 in 2017,&#8221; IIPA notes.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>With thousands of cinema screens and more than two billion tickets sold per year, these numbers are relatively low for the world&#8217;s leading film market.</p>
<p>That said,&nbsp;IIPA relies on data from the MPAA, and it&#8217;s unclear whether Bollywood films&nbsp;are counted as well. A quick search suggests that more than two Indian movies were cammed last year.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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=168266
title: Pirate Site Slammed for Meddling with DRM-Free Games, Circumvention Ensues
uri: Pirate-Site-Slammed-for-Meddling-with-DRM-Free-Games-Circumvention-En
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/-aX4h-Tu1aA/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/729747e2.facepalm.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/facepalm.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-127813"/></figure></div>



<p>When piracy groups or sites release games online, consumers (despite paying nothing for the pleasure) expect certain standards.</p>



<p>On a base <g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="3" data-gr-id="3">level</g> the game must work as advertised, any DRM should be removed, and no one should add any unwanted extras &#8211; particularly not malware, spyware, or forced advertising.</p>



<p>In the vast majority of cases, pirate releases tend to conform to these standards but a popular pirate site called IGG-Games (Ranked the 1,500th most popular site in the world by SimilarWeb) has been widely accused of not playing by the accepted rules for quite some time now.</p>



<p>According to those familiar with the site&#8217;s releases, IGG-Games regularly includes some in-game extras of its own, to ensure that it gets the recognition for distributing (in many cases, re-distributing) pirated games.</p>



<p>In fact, if users try to remove any of the files placed in releases that contain or facilitate the displaying of advertising for the site, the pirated games break and will not run.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="media/78806b22.igg-drm1.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/igg-drm1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-168286"/><figcaption>Removing credits for piracy breaks IGG-Games&#8217; releases (Via <a href="https://old.reddit.com/user/PM__YOUR__BALLS">Reddit user</a>)<br></figcaption></figure>



<p>While this type of practice is frowned upon in pirate circles, IGG-Games seems to have hit the negative publicity jackpot by adding the above &#8216;system&#8217; (which many are <a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/CrackWatch/comments/afdl66/once_again_with_the_pirated_release_of_the/">describing</a> as a type of DRM) to what <g class="gr_ gr_13 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="13" data-gr-id="13">are</g> ordinarily DRM-free games.</p>



<p>One example involves the relatively low budget title The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED] which is distributed via <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/963450/The_Eternal_Castle_REMASTERED/">Steam</a> and has been pretty well received by gamers. It isn&#8217;t protected as standard but the addition of custom code means that removing advertising placed in the release by IGG-Games actually stops the game from running.</p>



<p>People have been complaining of this and similar issues on IGG-Games itself for some time but reports suggest that those who get too vocal are finding themselves banned from the platform. However, a team member admitted this week that the code had been put there on purpose to ensure advertising for the site isn&#8217;t removed from &#8216;their&#8217; pirate releases.</p>



<p>&#8220;The games that have that dynamic library [DLL], are those that were acquired with administration resources, it starts when the game is executed and verifies the existence of the text files of Igg,&#8221; the moderator wrote.</p>



<p>While some are describing this mechanism as DRM, that&#8217;s probably a step too far since the titles can still be easily copied as they stand. However, most pirates do not like releases being meddled with. Any code should be functional in a positive way and if any extras are included, they should enhance the experience, not detract from it. Messing with a DRM-free game is never accepted behavior.</p>



<p>There&#8217;s also a niggling belief among some pirates that when release groups or sites are prepared to go to this extent to protect &#8216;their&#8217; content, other nefarious code might also be present in their releases. IGG-Games has been shown to put their own advertising, watermarks and logos in-game, as the site itself admits.</p>



<p>&#8220;We used the money to buy these games, so we added watermarks to restrict other sites to grab it and upload to their site. But we only add the watermark to the Menu or the Loading of the game, so it does not affect your game experience at all,&#8221; IGG-Games notes.</p>



<p>Despite claims to the contrary, we haven&#8217;t seen any solid evidence that IGG-Games releases contain any malware. That being said, the point of all the advertising is to drive traffic to the IGG-Games site, which is &#8216;interesting&#8217; to visit without a decent ad-blocker, to say the least.</p>



<p>In the meantime, however, pirates are fighting back against IGG-Games&#8217; &#8216;DRM&#8217;. Two threads published on Reddit this week (<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/apxh0e/how_to_break_igggamess_drm/">here</a> and <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/aq4ypi/i_made_a_little_app_thatll_clean_up_igggamess_drm/">here</a>) detail techniques and software to remove the unwanted code, both of which have been met with enthusiasm by those who enjoy &#8216;clean&#8217; 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=167148
title: When Building a Torrent Site, Streaming Service, or App, Intent is Almost Everything
uri: When-Building-a-Torrent-Site-Streaming-Service-or-App-Intent-is-Al
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/qpTSsDX0Vuk/
content:
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="media/1e966c9f.piracydown.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/piracydown.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73866"/></figure></div>



<p>Several weeks ago, former BitTorrent Inc. executive Simon Morris published a series of articles on Medium, discussing his time at the company and thoughts for the future.</p>



<p>By any standard, his <a href="https://medium.com/@simonhmorris/why-bittorrent-mattered-bittorrent-lessons-for-crypto-1-of-4-fa3c6fcef488">articles</a> are absolutely first class and a must-read for anyone interested in the resilience of the BitTorrent protocol, decentralization, and how &#8216;breaking rules&#8217; can create both winners and losers.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://medium.com/@simonhmorris/intent-complexity-and-the-governance-paradox-bittorrent-lessons-for-crypto-3-of-4-1d14ac390f3f">third piece</a> in the series raises an extremely important issue &#8211; that of initial intent when creating disruptive platforms or technologies.</p>



<p>Perhaps most notably and despite his technology facilitating the sharing and downloading of billions of dollars worth of content, BitTorrent protocol inventor Bram Cohen was never sued for his work. Cohen set out to solve the problem of transferring big files in an efficient way, there was never any talk of piracy. </p>



<p>The same can be said of BitTorrent Inc., which despite controlling uTorrent, the world&#8217;s most recognizable file-sharing client, has never been taken to court for its activities. Considering the scale of infringement that&#8217;s now accidentally associated with the work of Cohen and his now-former company, it&#8217;s notable &#8211; but not that surprising &#8211; that the lawyers have stayed away.</p>



<p>That didn&#8217;t happen by chance. Neither Cohen or his former company <em>have ever advocated the use of their technologies for infringing purposes.</em></p>



<p>This valuable lesson, of not promoting a tool or service for illegal uses, should never be underestimated. <g class="gr_ gr_6 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="6" data-gr-id="6">Intent</g>, as mentioned earlier, is <em>almost</em> everything. No matter if a product passes the test of having &#8220;substantial non-infringing uses&#8221;, incriminating statements made by its creator (even before a project even gets off the ground) can come back to haunt &#8211; indefinitely.</p>



<p>Regularly, on various online discussion platforms, technically gifted individuals report that they are about to launch a new torrent site, streaming service, app, or similarly functional platform. Invariably they explain their project&#8217;s progress thus far (sometimes with links to Github) and then seek opinions on what users might find useful in a finished product.</p>



<p>However, more often than not, they also shoot themselves in the foot by talking about piracy-related matters. While it&#8217;s undoubtedly useful to consider how the law might view such a platform in the future, very often the conversations step over the line, with the effect of forever associating the finished product with copyright infringement.</p>



<p>Admittedly, the odds of site/service/app operators getting sued are <em>relatively</em> small, given <g class="gr_ gr_3 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="3" data-gr-id="3">the large</g> number of sites out there that continue to operate both blatantly and with impunity versus the number of lawsuits filed.</p>



<p>However, given the importance of intent, especially that which is made public in discussions when a project is getting off the ground, the chances of any subsequent prosecution being successful increases exponentially.</p>



<p>Given that people launching such sites and services must be pretty familiar with the hostile legal environment surrounding these platforms, it seems entirely counter-intuitive to state from the outset that the intent is to infringe, or at least assist others in their infringing activity. But herein lies the problem.</p>



<p>As Morris suggests, those who set out to break rules (disrupting big business or even governments with cryptocurrency, to take his example) essentially have two choices.</p>



<p>They can either do so without displaying &#8216;evil&#8217; intent while throwing plenty of positive reinforcement into the mix (promotion of legal activity). Or they can do so anonymously, so a potentially incriminating past doesn&#8217;t catch up with them later.</p>



<p>While anonymity is an option for those intending to create piracy-focused platforms, it isn&#8217;t a simple position to maintain long-term, especially for those whose aim is to generate and ultimately enjoy revenue<g class="gr_ gr_82 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="82" data-gr-id="82">.</g></p>



<p>Also, not promoting a &#8216;pirate&#8217; service for piracy purposes means that the intended audience won&#8217;t easily flock aboard to make the site or service a <g class="gr_ gr_5 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="5" data-gr-id="5">success,</g> since there are so many competitors obviously doing so already.</p>



<p>So, while the headline of this piece states that &#8216;intent&#8217; is almost everything, in today&#8217;s environment it could be argued that for prospective &#8216;pirate&#8217; site operators, anonymity is even more important.</p>



<p>A third option, which is generally underrated, is obscurity &#8211; but that&#8217;s way too boring for those seeking notoriety on the high seas.    </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=167908
title: Torrent Sites Ban Popular Uploader ‘CracksNow’ for Sharing Ransomware
uri: Torrent-Sites-Ban-Popular-Uploader-CracksNow-for-Sharing-Ransomw
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/0Wnu1nEJVCw/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-168363" src="media/07a19181.riskwarndanger.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/riskwarndanger.jpg" alt="" width="289" height="229">The entertainment industries regularly warn the public at large that pirate sites are riddled with malware and viruses, posing a threat to&nbsp;unwitting visitors.</p>
<p>While these comments are partly made out of self-interest, they&#8217;re not entirely overblown. There are indeed plenty of scammers who upload nasty content that is added to, or disguised as, popular files.</p>
<p>This is nothing new and generally speaking, these files are easy to spot and swiftly removed from&nbsp;well-moderated sites. However, in a recent case, this wasn&#8217;t&nbsp;as apparent, since it involved a well-known uploader that had a &#8220;trusted&#8217; status on some sites.</p>
<p>The uploader in&nbsp;question is Cracksnow, who shared tens of thousands of cracked software titles in recent years. A&nbsp;dedicated group of followers watched these torrents and &#8220;Cracksnow&#8221; was previously listed as one of the most searched for terms on torrent sites.</p>
<p>In recent months, however, numerous reports claimed that these popular releases contained malware, or even ransomware, which can do serious harm to one&#8217;s computer.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Below is an example of a now-removed torrent on <a href="https://1337x.to/">1337x.to&nbsp;</a>which reportedly included a copy of the GandCrab ransomware.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/6b723fab.ranson1337.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ranson1337.png" alt="" class="wp-image-168375"/><figcaption>Ransom?</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>A few of these reports are nothing out of the ordinary. Anti-virus vendors sometimes flag cracks as malicious, without good reason, for example. Also, &#8220;rival&#8221; uploaders may try to discredit the competition with fake malware reports.</p>
<p>However, in the case of CracksNow, the complaints were plentiful, persistent, and not without consequence.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, the popular torrent site 1337x took action and banned the account. This is quite unusual since it was a &#8220;trusted&#8221; uploader, but a senior staffer informs TorrentFreak that the reports were warranted.</p>
<div>&#8220;He was banned by myself because I found&nbsp;<span class="il">ransomware</span>&nbsp;in his uploads,&#8221; the 1337x admin, who prefers not to be named, tells us.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>&#8220;I also checked the same uploads from him on a couple other torrent sites and got the same results. I immediately alerted their staff about it so they could investigate and take appropriate action, which they did,&#8221; the admin adds.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/d786d050.gandcrabransom-1.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/gandcrabransom-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-168372"/><figcaption>GandCrab 5.1, found by the admin</figcaption></figure></div>


<div>
<div>Indeed, several other torrent sites, including TorrentGalaxy,&nbsp; have&nbsp;<a href="https://torrentgalaxy.org/profile/cracksnow">banned</a> the CracksNow account as well. A Pirate Bay admin also confirmed that the uploader was purged from their site months ago, but no reason was specified.&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Every day moderators on torrent sites have to review a lot of reported torrents. These are all checked carefully and in many cases, there&#8217;s nothing malicious going on. That said, malware infested torrents are found on a daily basis.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>The&nbsp;1337x admin informs us that they have a system in place to ensure that things don&#8217;t get out of hand. This includes an approval process for uploaders. However, this obviously isn&#8217;t perfect.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>&#8220;It is a daily battle to sort the scumbags from the legit uploaders and staff work very hard but it&#8217;s not foolproof. What I will say is staff are very quick to adapt to all the new ways people try to beat our systems,&#8221; the admin says.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>In the case of CracksNow, the moderators didn&#8217;t see it coming. That said, the account is banned now and the team believes that all malicious torrents have been deleted.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>&#8220;I must admit that it is rare for a trusted uploader of this caliber to go rogue. It&#8217;s normally new guys that have the infected files,&#8221; the 1337x admin notes.</div>
</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div>&#8220;CracksNow was a trusted uploader and had been warned in the past but only for misdemeanors.&nbsp; To the best of our knowledge, the remaining torrents are&nbsp;<span class="il">ransomware</span>&nbsp;free but his account is due for removal.&#8221;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>


<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="media/05e8c092.bannedcracksnow.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/bannedcracksnow.png" alt="" class="wp-image-168378"/><figcaption>Banned!</figcaption></figure></div>


<div>Indeed, while many recent torrents have been deleted, the CracksNow account and many older torrents remain available. This is because the site has some built-in protections which makes it hard to delete accounts with this many torrents.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>The moderation team doesn&#8217;t believe these older torrent are malicious but it&#8217;s working on a full removal of the account. This will take some time though.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>While CracksNow is no longer welcome at several torrent sites, the uploader still has his own home at CracksNow.com. Plenty of new uploads still appear there regularly.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>TorrentFreak reached out to the uploader to hear the other side of the story, but after a few days, we have yet to get a response.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div><p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2018-180107/">torrent sites</a> and more. We also have <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/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=168517
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 02/18/19
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-02-18-19
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FRkT72b_eh8/
content:
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-168521" src="media/2b43e239.creed2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/creed2.png" alt="" width="300" height="203">This week we have four newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Creed II is the most downloaded movie.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the articles of the recent weekly movie download charts.</p>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-movies-of-the-week-on-bittorrent-02-11-19/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6343314/">Creed II</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6343314/">7.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovFpFtZ2Tvk">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4123430/">Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4123430/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bYBOVWLNIs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5848272/">Ralph Breaks the Internet</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5848272/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T73h5bmD8Dc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4532826/">Robin Hood</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4532826/">5.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwPn9ZnbCo0">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571234/">Mortal Engines</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709692/">6.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf6D-i8YpHg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/">Bohemian Rhapsody</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/">8.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP0VHJYFOAU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4530422/">Overlord</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4530422/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USPd0vX2sdc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5083738/">The Favourite</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5083738/">7.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYb-wkehT1g">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">A Star Is Born</a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmqJJqFX_CU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">Aquaman</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477834/">7.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmqJJqFX_CU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</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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