# articles

feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128487
title: Watching Pirate Streams Isn’t Illegal, EU Commission Argues
uri: Watching-Pirate-Streams-Isn-t-Illegal-EU-Commission-Argues
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/zRgbtSAcDDA/
content:
<p><img src="media/468f0769.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg" alt="streamingkey" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-125426">Online streaming continues to gain in popularity, both from authorized and pirate sources.</p>
<p>Unlike traditional forms of downloading, however, in many countries the legality of viewing unauthorized streams remains unclear.</p>
<p>In the European Union this may change in the near future. This week the European Court of Justice held a hearing during which it reviewed several questions related to pirate streaming.</p>
<p>The questions were raised <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dutch-court-wont-ban-pirate-streaming-boxes-yet-151204/">in a case</a> between Dutch anti-piracy group BREIN and the Filmspeler.nl store, which sells “piracy configured” media players. While these devices don’t &#8216;host&#8217; any infringing content, they ship with add-ons that make it very easy to watch infringing content.</p>
<p>The Dutch District Court previously <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/is-streaming-pirated-movies-illegal-eu-court-to-decide-151012/">referred</a> the case to the EU Court of Justice, where several questions were discussed in a hearing this week. In addition to BREIN and Filmspeler, the European commission and Spain weighed in on the issue as well.</p>
<p>The first main question that the Court will try to answer is rather specific. It asks whether selling pre-programmed media-players with links to pirate sources, through add-ons for example, are permitted. </p>
<p>Not surprisingly, Filmspeler.nl believes that it should be allowed. They argued that there is no communication to the public or a crucial intervention from their side, since these pirate add-ons are already publicly available. </p>
<p>The European Commission doesn&#8217;t classify selling pre-loaded boxes as infringing either, and notes that rightholders have other options to go after intermediaries, such as blocking requests.</p>
<p><a href="http://stichtingbrein.nl/">BREIN</a>, which covered the hearing <a href="http://stichtingbrein.nl/nieuws.php?id=415">in detail</a>, countered this argument noting that Filmspeler willingly provides access to illegal content for profit. Spain sided with BREIN and argued that willingly including pirate plugins should not be allowed. </p>
<p>The second question is more crucial for the general public as it asks whether it is illegal for consumers to stream pirated content from websites or services. </p>
<p>“Is it lawful under EU law to temporarily reproduce content through streaming if the content originates from a third-party website where it’s made available without permission?” </p>
<p>Spain argued that streaming pirated content should not be allowed in any way. BREIN agreed with this position and argued that streaming should be on par with unauthorized downloading, which is illegal under EU case law.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the European Commission doesn&#8217;t believe that consumers who watch pirate streams are infringing. From the user&#8217;s perspective they equate streaming to watching, which is legitimate.</p>
<p>Based on the hearing the Advocate General will issue a recommendation later this year, which will be followed by a final verdict from the EU Court of Justice somewhere early 2017. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128457
title: A Closer Look at the RIAA Lawsuit Against YouTube-MP3
uri: A-Closer-Look-at-the-RIAA-Lawsuit-Against-YouTube-MP3
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/5Jv7bSs3Fks/
content:
<p><img src="media/72389cbc.sadyoutube.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/sadyoutube.jpg" width="275" height="196" alt="" class="alignright size-large">A couple of weeks ago, the IFPI announced that the problem of stream-ripping has become so serious that in volume terms it has overtaken downloading from ‘pirate’ sites. For what is essentially a YouTube-powered phenomenon, that was quite a claim.</p>
<p>When the labels publish this kind of information, they usually have an end game in mind. So, thinking ahead, we contacted Philip Matesanz, the usually responsive operator of YouTube-MP3, the world&#8217;s largest ripping site. We asked if the labels had been in contact with him. We received no response and the alarm bells began ringing.</p>
<p>This week, all became clear. UMG Recordings, Capitol Records, Warner Bros, Sony Music, Arista Records, Atlantic Records and several others, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-mp3-ripping-site-sued-by-ifpi-riaa-and-bpi-160926/">sued Matesanz and his company PMD Technologie</a>, claiming that his ripping of tracks from YouTube infringed their rights. Today we take a closer look at their lawsuit.</p>
<p><strong>Jurisdiction</strong></p>
<p>Those familiar with YouTube-MP3 will recall that the site is based in Germany and therefore operates under local law. However, the labels have chosen to sue Matesanz and his company in the United States under US law.</p>
<p>They state that their claims arise under federal copyright law and that is appropriate since YouTube-MP3 is &#8220;dedicated exclusively to capturing, converting, and copying audio content that is maintained on a U.S.-based website, YouTube.com.&#8221;</p>
<p>The labels say that after ripping the content from YouTube, YouTube-MP3 then distributes that content to users in the United States, noting that the site has more users from the US than any other country.</p>
<p>It is worth noting that unlike the Kim Dotcom/Megaupload case, there appears to be no criminal action against YouTube-MP3, only civil litigation.</p>
<p><strong>The allegations against YouTube-MP3</strong></p>
<p>The labels claim that YouTube-MP3 was designed and exists for one reason &#8211; to profit from the unauthorized reproduction of their copyrighted music. In carrying this out, the labels say that YouTube-MP3 breaches copyright law in a number of ways.</p>
<p><em><strong>Direct Copyright Infringement</strong></em>: The labels allege that after ripping content from YouTube, YouTube-MP3 stores the resulting MP3s on its servers in order to service subsequent users more efficiently. This, they say, amounts to the site carrying an illegal library of their content and distributing it in the United States.</p>
<p><em><strong>Contributory Copyright Infringement</strong></em>: With the allegations of direct infringement in mind, the labels say that YouTube-MP3 has &#8220;actual and constructive knowledge&#8221; that its users are also committing infringement when they rip content and have it delivered to their machines. Therefore, YouTube-MP3 is liable for user infringements too and at $150,000 per shot, that could get insanely expensive.</p>
<p><em><strong>Vicarious Copyright Infringement</strong></em>: &#8220;Defendants have the right and ability to supervise and control the infringing activities that occur through the use of YTMP3, and at all relevant times have derived a direct financial benefit from the infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrights. Defendants are therefore vicariously liable for the infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted sound recordings,&#8221; the lawsuit reads.</p>
<p><em><strong>Inducement of Copyright Infringement</strong></em>: Simply put, the labels claim that by providing the ripping and downloading service, YouTube-MP3 encouraged, promoted and assisted the direct infringements of its users. As a result, the site is liable for their actions.</p>
<p><em><strong>Circumvention of Technological Measures</strong></em>: The labels say that YouTube has technical measures in place to prevent users from downloading music from the site. These are bypassed by YouTube-MP3 in breach of copyright law.</p>
<p>&#8220;YTMP3 service circumvents technological measures that YouTube has implemented to effectively control access to and prevent copying of works protected under the Copyright Act, in violation of <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/1201">17 U.S.C. § 1201(a)</a>. More specifically, Defendants’ service descrambles a scrambled work, decrypts an encrypted work, or otherwise avoids, bypasses, removes, deactivates, or impairs a technological measure without the authority of Plaintiffs or YouTube.&#8221;</p>
<p>While not as much as the $150,000 in statutory damages available for each instance of willful infringement, circumvention can get expensive too. In this respect, the labels are looking for $2,500 for each act of circumvention and with a reported 60 million visitors each month, there are countless millions of those.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>There can be little doubt that given the importance the labels are now placing on stream-ripping, this case against YouTube-MP3 will be vigorously pursued to its conclusion. Whether it will progress to a full trial will remain to be seen but one has to think that barring an extraordinarily spirited Kim Dotcom-style defense, this one is unlikely to end well for YouTube-MP3.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128492
title: uTorrent’s New Altruistic Mode Baffles Enthusiastic File-Sharers
uri: uTorrent-s-New-Altruistic-Mode-Baffles-Enthusiastic-File-Sharers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/PO-2QhdlrYM/
content:
<p><img src="media/bcff148e.utorrent-logo-new.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/utorrent-logo-new.jpg" width="222" height="148" alt="" class="alignright size-large">In general terms, torrent clients haven&#8217;t undergone much development in the past several years. They essentially do what they did a decade ago, albeit with a number of additional bells and whistles.</p>
<p>So, this week, when BitTorrent Inc <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/utorrent-altruistic-mode-ensures-you-give-more-than-you-take-160928">announced a new feature</a> for its uTorrent and BitTorrent clients, it was time to sit up and take notice. Especially since the news was delivered by none other than the inventor of BitTorrent, Bram Cohen.</p>
<p>The announcement centered around Altruistic Mode, an option buried away in the clients&#8217; preferences that ensures that the downloader who enables it always maintains a share ratio of 2:1. In other words, if they download 1GB, their upload will be perfectly synced to have uploaded 2GB when that point is reached.</p>
<p>For those who take the time to read it, <a href="http://blog.bittorrent.com/2016/09/27/utorrent-altruistic-mode/">Cohen&#8217;s explanation</a> of how it works is crystal clear. However, despite the good intentions, we can&#8217;t find a single person who thinks it&#8217;s a good idea.</p>
<p>&#8220;What is the point of this &#8216;innovation&#8217;?&#8221; one reader asked TorrentFreak. &#8220;If I want to share 2:1 I just seed for that long. I&#8217;m always seeding 6:1 or more anyway so i&#8217;ll never use it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Another offered a settings solution.</p>
<p>&#8220;About the &#8216;Altruistic Mode&#8217; in µTorrent: Right-click the torrent you want seeded to a 2:1 ratio > Properties > Seeding Goal: Override Default Settings: 200 (%) > OK. Takes less than 10 seconds,&#8221; he wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;What might have been useful is an overall setting &#8216;Seed every torrent to nnn%&#8217; in Options > Preferences > Bandwidth, a setting that could be overridden in the Properties of a particular torrent for a different ratio.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, as Cohen explains in his piece, seeding for longer isn&#8217;t <em>always</em> the answer to achieving a perfect 2:1 ratio. That being said, people simply can&#8217;t see why they need the feature, with others pointing out how it could even be self-defeating</p>
<p>&#8220;Ironically, for this &#8216;mode&#8217; to work it requires leeches. Seems like a bad idea to me,&#8221; <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/utorrent-altruistic-mode-ensures-you-give-more-than-you-take-160928/#comment-2922669808">says</a> TF reader Salem Lowe.</p>
<p>&#8220;If everyone successfully seeded 2:1, wouldn&#8217;t everyone would need to download [the torrent] twice?&#8221; <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/utorrent-altruistic-mode-ensures-you-give-more-than-you-take-160928/#comment-2922975491">questioned</a> Zoflo.</p>
<p>&#8220;Correct,&#8221; Gentox <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/utorrent-altruistic-mode-ensures-you-give-more-than-you-take-160928/#comment-2923212406">replied</a>.</p>
<p>Of course, this situation would only arise if everyone in a swarm had the feature switched on, which given the reception so far seems ridiculously unlikely, particularly given Cohen&#8217;s warning that those with the feature enabled may find that their torrents never complete.</p>
<p>And here&#8217;s the problem. The only torrent users that are likely to want to be as altruistic as this feature envisions are those that seed heavily anyway. However, it seems that this mode only encourages people to sit in a torrent while being restricted by what they can upload, potentially without even having the whole file.</p>
<p>Without the whole file, true seeding can&#8217;t take place and to the hardcore sharer, that&#8217;s a bizarre concept. It&#8217;s also why Altruistic Mode probably won&#8217;t be a success, particularly when torrent etiquette can already achieve the end goals &#8211; plenty of well-seeded content. </p>
<p>&#8220;The only thing [the mode] will produce are a bunch of smug people bragging about how they are altruistic seeders,&#8221; <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/utorrent-altruistic-mode-ensures-you-give-more-than-you-take-160928/#comment-2922829877">says</a> TF reader Nighter3D.</p>
<p>&#8220;Just download the file as fast as possible and then keep seeding for as long as possible. You will still get a good ratio and because you got the entire file you reduce the risk of it becoming incomplete-able for others.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128360
title: Google Piracy Takedown Requests Double in a Year, Set New Record
uri: Google-Piracy-Takedown-Requests-Double-in-a-Year-Set-New-Record
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/elN7WeY5xaw/
content:
<p><img src="media/3c5b1a66.googlepiratebay.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/googlepiratebay.png" alt="googlepiratebay" width="267" height="257" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128445">In recent years copyright holders have bombarded Google with DMCA takedown notices, targeting links to pirated content.</p>
<p>These requests have increased dramatically over the years, breaking record after record. </p>
<p>Five years ago the search engine received &#8216;only&#8217; ten million takedown notices during the entire year, but today it processes the same amount in less than three days.</p>
<p>Data gathered by TorrentFreak from Google’s <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/?hl=en">Transparency Report</a> reveals a new weekly record of 24,119,797 reported pirate links, which is more than twice the number received by Google last year.</p>
<p>The graph below nicely illustrates the continued increase, showing the number of weekly requests over the most recent years.</p>
<p>At the current rate, Google will process more than a billion links in 2016, which would be a hundredfold increase in just five years, with no slowdown in sight.</p>
<p><center><strong>Reported &#8216;pirate&#8217; links</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/ec879c8f.googletakedown24.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/googletakedown24.png" alt="googletakedown24" width="629" height="214" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-128443"></center></p>
<p>Considering our frequent reporting about various <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tag/dmca/">takedown related mistakes</a>, it&#8217;s worth looking at how many of these reported links actually disappear from search results.</p>
<p>New data made public earlier this month showed that the majority of the links, 91 percent, are ultimately removed. Two percent of the reported URLs are rejected, with the remainder being duplicate or incomplete links. </p>
<p>While rightsholders have increased their takedown efforts over the years, the major entertainment industry groups are not happy with the current state of Google&#8217;s takedown process at all.</p>
<p>One of the main complaints has been that content which Google de-lists often reappears under new URLs.</p>
<p>“Every day we have to send new notices to take down the very same links to illegal content we took down the day before. It’s like ‘Groundhog Day’ for takedowns,” RIAA CEO Cary Sherman said previously.</p>
<p>To counter this, rightsholders would like Google to ensure that content &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bpi-hits-200-million-google-takedowns-calls-for-notice-and-stay-down-160324/">stays down</a>&#8221; while blocking the most notorious pirate sites from search results entirely. </p>
<p>Google, however, believes that this will lead to all sorts of problems and maintains that the current system is working as the DMCA was intended. </p>
<p>The search engine did implement various other initiatives to counter piracy, including the downranking of pirate sites and promoting legal options in search results, which it recently detailed in its updated &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-punishing-pirate-sites-in-search-results-works-160713/">How Google Fights Piracy</a>&#8221; report.</p>
<p>For now the impasse continues and whether it will ever be broken is highly doubtful.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128378
title: “If KickassTorrents is a Criminal Operation, Google Should Start Worrying”
uri: If-KickassTorrents-is-a-Criminal-Operation-Google-Should-Start-Wor
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/-AkV-vvz7aM/
content:
<p><img src="media/75141223.kickasstorrents_500x500-300x300.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x500-300x300.png" alt="kickasstorrents_500x500" width="222" height="222" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-96995" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x500-300x300.png 300w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x500-150x150.png 150w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 222px) 100vw, 222px">In July, Polish law enforcement officers arrested Artem Vaulin, the alleged owner of KickassTorrents, who’s been held in a local prison ever since.</p>
<p>The 30-year-old Ukrainian was arrested on behalf of U.S. authorities who officially requested his extradition two weeks ago. According to a grand jury indictment, Artem and two co-conspirators were the brains behind the popular torrent search engine.</p>
<p>To find out more about progress in the case we reached out to Val Gurvits, who is part of the U.S. defense team. Gurvits currently resides in Poland, as does Artem&#8217;s wife and 4-year old son. Gurvits informs us that the arrest was recently extended. and he informed us that the arrest was recently extended.</p>
<p>&#8220;The arrest has been extended to November 19. Artem is planning on challenging extradition through his Polish counsel. The hearing should be sometime in late October,&#8221; Gurvits says.</p>
<p>During the November hearing the defense team plans to fight the extradition by arguing that running a torrent search engine is not a criminal offense in Poland or Ukraine.</p>
<p>&#8220;The primary basis for challenging extradition is that the acts of which Artem is accused do not constitute a crime in Poland where he is detained, nor in the Ukraine where he lives and works.&#8221; </p>
<p>Artem&#8217;s counsel goes even further and notes that operating a search engine such as KickassTorrents isn&#8217;t a crime in the United States either. If it is, then other search engines might be in trouble as well, Google included.</p>
<p>&#8220;In fact, in my opinion operating an index search engine cannot constitute a crime in the United States because secondary infringement is not criminalized under US law. If KickassTorrents is a criminal operation, then Google should start worrying,&#8221; Gurvits says. </p>
<p>The Google analogy isn&#8217;t new when it comes to copyright infringement lawsuits. Previously the now defunct isoHunt.com argued the same in their civil case against several Hollywood studios, but that didn&#8217;t prevent it from losing.</p>
<p>Over the past several weeks the U.S. KickassTorrents defense team has put a lot of effort into setting up a meeting with Artem, something they still haven&#8217;t been able to do. As <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/alleged-kickasstorrents-owner-u-s-counsel-160916/">highlighted earlier</a>, the alleged KickassTorrents owner is only allowed to work with his Polish lawyers for now.</p>
<p>Gurvits and the U.S. defense team hope that this will change soon. In the interests of justice, but also to allow Artem to prepare properly for his fight against the U.S. extradition request.</p>
<p>&#8220;In my opinion, given that Artem is accused of committing a crime in the United States under US law, denying him access to US counsel is a blatant violation of his human rights,&#8221; Gurvits notes.</p>
<p>With the KickassTorrents case, the U.S. now has two major copyright extradition cases on its hands. The other one, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcoms-extradition-appeal-concludes-160928/">against Kim Dotcom</a> and his Megaupload colleagues, is still pending after nearly five years. </p>
<p>Ira Rothken acts as the lead counsel in both cases, which to a large degree center around the same question. Can the defendants be extradited for copyright infringement charges? </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128566
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 10/02/16
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-10-02-16
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/G04I_lJWlFk/
content:
<p><img src="media/66e9d570.mechanic-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mechanic-1.jpg" alt="mechanic" width="300" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128570">This week we have five newcomers in our chart. </p>
<p>Mechanic: Resurrection is the most downloaded movie.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the weekly movie download chart.</p>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Ranking</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>(<a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-092616/">last week</a>)</strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">torrentfreak.com</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mechanic_resurrection">Mechanic: Resurrection</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3522806/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-P3f_wDXvs">trailer</a></td>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_trek_beyond">Star Trek Beyond</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2660888/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_trek_beyond">trailer</a></td>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ghostbusters_2016">Ghostbusters</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1289401/">5.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ugHP-yZXw">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_civil_war">Captain America: Civil War</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3498820/">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrVegVI0Us">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_infiltrator">The Infiltrator</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1355631/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7_M4hjXW1I">trailer</a></td>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/it_2016">I.T.</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2679552/">5.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfnDTvbtDUI">trailer</a></td>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ice_age_collision_course">Ice Age: Collision Course</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3416828/">5.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohq6NmKMja8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_apocalypse">X-Men: Apocalypse</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3385516/">7.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jer8XjMrUB4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_magnificent_seven_2016">The Magnificent Seven</a> (HD-TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2404435/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-RBA0xoaWU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alice_in_wonderland_through_the_looking_glass">The Legend of Tarzan</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2567026/">6.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3IWwnNe5mc">trailer</a></td>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128579
title: Cox Wants Music Group to Pay for False Copyright Claims.
uri: Cox-Wants-Music-Group-to-Pay-for-False-Copyright-Claims
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/XcMMqNTOQto/
content:
<p><img src="media/472c3690.coxcomms.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/coxcomms.jpg" alt="coxcomms" width="222" height="174" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128587">Last December a Virginia federal <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">jury ruled</a> that Internet provider Cox Communications was responsible for the copyright infringements of its subscribers.</p>
<p>The ISP was found guilty of willful contributory copyright infringement and ordered to pay music publisher BMG Rights Management $25 million in damages.</p>
<p>The verdict was a massive victory for the music company and a disaster for Cox, who quickly appealed. </p>
<p>What has been largely overseen, however, is that BMG was not the only music outfit that sued the Internet provider in this case. The initial complaint also listed <a href="http://roundhillmusic.com/">Round Hill Music</a> as a second plaintiff. </p>
<p>Interestingly, Round Hill&#8217;s claims were dismissed a few weeks before the final verdict came in. Based on evidence highlighted by Cox, the court concluded that the music outfit didn&#8217;t own the copyrights for the songs it was suing over, so it had no standing in the case.</p>
<p><center><strong>No copyright, last year&#8217;s order</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/213ecb93.lastyearsorder.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lastyearsorder.png" alt="lastyearsorder" width="589" height="137" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-128598"></center></p>
<p>While Cox was pleased with the ruling, it wasn&#8217;t happy with the hundreds of hours its legal team spent countering the false copyright claims. For this reason, it now hopes to be compensated for the tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs. </p>
<p>In a motion for attorney&#8217;s fees and costs (<a href="media/9ca0b7fb.coxfeesmemo.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/coxfeesmemo.pdf">pdf</a>) filed at Virginia federal court late last week, Cox Communications writes that Round Hill had a losing case to begin with.</p>
<p>&#8220;Round Hill’s case against Cox was unreasonable from start to finish: it brought claims of copyright infringement without owning any copyrights, and it continued to pursue those claims aggressively even after Cox exposed the obvious defect on this threshold issue.&#8221; </p>
<p>Only exclusive rightsholders are entitled to file a copyright infringement. According to Cox, Round Hill Music intentionally tried to hide their shortcomings, hoping to win millions in damages. </p>
<p>However, their plan failed and now the ISP is the one asking the court for compensation.</p>
<p>&#8220;Round Hill’s repeated obfuscation of the facts, and the continued and aggressive pursuit of those claims after their falsehood was apparent, warrant an award to Cox of the fees Cox incurred defending against those claims,&#8221; Cox writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Cox invested considerable time and effort in discovery pinning down Round Hill’s elusive and false ownership claims,&#8221; they add.</p>
<p>When awarding legal fees and costs, an important aspect courts have to review is the &#8220;degree of success&#8221; of the prevailing defendant. In this lawsuit there should be little doubt about the outcome.</p>
<p>&#8220;Cox prevailed completely over Round Hill. The Court’s ruling on Round Hill’s ownership disposed of all of its claims against Cox: the Court found that &#8216;Round Hill Music LP cannot proceed in this action and its claims for infringement against Cox are dismissed&#8217;,&#8221; the ISP writes. </p>
<p>After adding up over 300 hours of attorney and paralegal work, Cox requests an award of $71,835 as well as an additional $35,000 for hours spent on the current motion and future replies.</p>
<p>If the court agrees, that means Cox finally has something small to celebrate in this case. However, at the same time there&#8217;s also more trouble looming on the horizon.</p>
<p>Cox is not the only party in the case to submit a motion for attorney&#8217;s fees and costs. BMG did exactly the same and their tab is significantly higher, totalling more than $13 million, which is quite a scary prospect. </p>
<p>During the coming weeks the court will review both requests, as well as the various opposition and reply brief that will undoubtedly be filed. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128564
title: Microsoft Bing Debuts New DMCA Notice Dashboard
uri: Microsoft-Bing-Debuts-New-DMCA-Notice-Dashboard
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/01NU4-XsNn4/
content:
<p><a href="media/d86553c5.bing-logo1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bing-logo1.jpg"><img src="media/d86553c5.bing-logo1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bing-logo1.jpg" alt="bing-logo1" width="248" height="127" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128590"></a>There appears to be no end in sight to the apparently monumental job of removing infringing content from the Internet. If both pirates and copyright holders are to be believed, the task is pointless, since removed content quickly reappears after takedown.</p>
<p>Still, that doesn&#8217;t stop people trying. As reported over the weekend, Google is currently processing a record-breaking <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-piracy-takedown-requests-double-year-161002/">24 million links</a> to &#8220;pirate&#8221; pages per week, more than double the amount it received around the same time last year.</p>
<p>A large proportion of these links are submitted in bulk by major entertainment industry groups who have access to special tools provided by Google. Smaller operations still get access to takedowns, but some have a more <a href="https://support.google.com/legal/troubleshooter/1114905?hl=en#ts=1115655">laborious process</a> to follow.</p>
<p>But for those wanting to have content removed from the Bing search engine, Microsoft is now providing a new system that can be utilized by copyright holders both big and small.</p>
<p>&#8220;Lack of communication is a leading cause of divorce. Communication is vital, and sharing the status of a copyright infringement notice is no exception. Which is why Bing just made this easier,&#8221; the company announced.</p>
<p>&#8220;A new online dashboard provides insight into the status of a copyright removal request, as well as providing overall historical submission statistics. This dashboard is now available for users who submit DMCA notices via our online form or API.&#8221;</p>
<p><center><a href="media/46426433.bing1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bing1.png"><img src="media/46426433.bing1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bing1.png" alt="bing1" width="650" height="466" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-128577"></a></center></p>
<p>In a sign that even the most humble of Internet users may today find their work being infringed online, Bing&#8217;s DMCA monitoring dashboard is not restricted to large entertainment industry groups. Anyone with access to a basic Microsoft email account can gain access, after filing a complaint with the company.</p>
<p>That can be done in several ways &#8211; email, an <a href="https://www.bing.com/webmaster/tools/contentremovalform">online form</a>, or via an API (trusted bulk submitters only).</p>
<p>&#8220;Email is the least efficient and prone to error such as missing or incomplete information. When submitters leverage the online form or the API, they decrease the chance of rejection due to incomplete or incorrect information,&#8221; Bing Program Manager Chad Foster <a href="https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/September-2016/Bing-Enhances-the-Copyright-Infringement-Claims-Pr">explains</a>.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/e09c4f00.bing2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bing2.png"><img src="media/e09c4f00.bing2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bing2.png" alt="bing2" width="650" height="499" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-128578"></a></center></p>
<p>Once submitted, complaints are given a unique reference number which then appears in the dashboard alongside other submissions and historical statistics. </p>
<p>&#8220;The dashboard’s top table shows submission statistics for all notices received by a Copyright Owner or their authorized agent. A submission is accepted if it contains all of the information required by the DMCA,&#8221; Bing says.</p>
<p>While correctly formatted notices are accepted, Bing says that it doesn&#8217;t necessarily follow that all URLs are automatically removed. The search provider offers no further detail but it&#8217;s likely the company assesses takedown requests in a similar manner to Google.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/40bce7b1.bing3.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bing3.png"><img src="media/40bce7b1.bing3.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bing3.png" alt="bing3" width="650" height="204" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-128580"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;Bing wants to ensure that copyright owners send valid DMCA notices and that those notices are acted upon promptly. The online form and API help accomplish this. Having insight into the status of these notices helps copyright owners stay better informed and, in turn, promotes the use of such tools to help Bing respond in an expeditious manner,&#8221; Bing concludes.</p>
<p>While Bing is making it easier for anyone to submit and monitor DMCA complaints to its search feature, the company is still way behind when it comes to offering the kind of transparency Google provides.</p>
<p>Bing&#8217;s <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/about/csr/transparencyhub/crrr/">Transparency Report</a> is a pretty basic affair that simply details the number of requests and URLs processed, those accepted, those rejected, and a final percentage.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/e21c1970.bing-stats.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bing-stats.png"><img src="media/e21c1970.bing-stats.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bing-stats.png" alt="bing-stats" width="650" height="105" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-128589"></a></center></p>
<p>Overall, Bing rejects less than 0.6% of takedown requests, which is less than the 2.2% currently rejected by Google. That being said, Google processes significantly more requests from a much broader range of copyright holders.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128600
title: BREIN Unmasks Overseas Pirates Without a Court Order
uri: BREIN-Unmasks-Overseas-Pirates-Without-a-Court-Order
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/5hpYizbvCk4/
content:
<p><a href="media/f6115661.blank-face.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blank-face.jpg"><img src="media/f6115661.blank-face.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blank-face.jpg" alt="blank-face" width="250" height="268" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128664"></a>One of the main problems faced by anti-piracy outfits is identifying their adversaries. Pirates of all kinds value anonymity and many go to great lengths to protect it.</p>
<p>When it comes finding out the personal details of a pirate, whether that&#8217;s the user of a regular consumer-level ISP or the operator of a large torrent or linking site, the usual method is via court order.</p>
<p>Such orders are obtained in a variety of ways, but it usually involves presenting evidence and having a judge compel a provider to hand over whatever details it has on file. This happens in at least hundreds of cases every year.</p>
<p>Of current interest is a report from anti-piracy outfit BREIN. The Dutch-based operation says it&#8217;s investigating three as-yet-unnamed linking sites that have been distributing large quantities of popular movies and TV shows hosted on a cyberlocker.</p>
<p>BREIN has been trying to uncover the identities of the people behind the sites since this makes it much easier to ramp up the pressure. Indeed, once their names are known, some site operators have a tendency to throw in the towel.</p>
<p>The first stage of this process was fairly straightforward since the pirates were using servers belonging to a local hosting provider. This gave BREIN a nice start to its investigation and it&#8217;s all thanks to case law established more than a decade ago.</p>
<p>In 2003, stamp dealer and lawyer Augustinus Pessers was wrongfully accused of fraud by an individual posting on a website operated by Internet service provider Lycos. Pessers began legal action, demanding that the allegations be taken down. He also wanted to force Lycos to hand over the name and address of the poster making the allegations.</p>
<p>After two years of litigation and against a defense mounted by Lycos, in November 2005 the Dutch Supreme Court <a href="http://www.twobirds.com/en/news/articles/2006/dutch-isp-lycos">ruled</a> that Lycos must hand over the personal details of the user to Pessers. The stamp dealer had won and outfits such as BREIN received a welcome boost.</p>
<p>Armed with this case law, BREIN found that the servers used by the pirate sites in their current investigation were Dutch-based, at hosting company <a href="https://serverius.net/">Serverius</a>. Under the Pessers ruling the company would have to comply with a disclosure request. However, those servers were actually operated by another company based overseas.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.3nt.com">3NT Solutions</a> is a UK-based hosting provider <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/OC363382/officers">owned</a> by companies in Belize and Panama. According to BREIN, 3NT handed over the personal details of the pirate sites it was hosting at Serverius, without a court order.</p>
<p>&#8220;These details consist of name, address, e-mail address and payment details. 3NT also ceased its hosting services to the illegal sites at issue,&#8221; BREIN says.</p>
<p>Normally when anti-piracy companies want to find out the identities of an ISP&#8217;s customers in the UK, they obtain a court order known as a Norwich Pharmacal Order. In this case, BREIN says that wasn&#8217;t needed, since 3NT had servers in the Netherlands.</p>
<p>&#8220;Both Serverius as well as 3NT have a legal responsibility to assist in curtailing piracy. Simply being based &#8211; or registered &#8211; in another country than where the servers are, does not mean one can escape that responsibility,&#8221; BREIN chief Tim Kuik informs TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>Kuik says that both Serverius and 3NT were &#8220;reluctant to abide by their responsibilities&#8221; but they also know that BREIN would sue them if they didn&#8217;t comply and would likely lose the case and end up losing money.</p>
<p>&#8220;Under Dutch case law &#8211; based on EU rules &#8211; intermediaries are obliged to provide identifying details voluntarily upon request in case of infringement and damage, and the interests of the injured party prevails,&#8221; Kuik adds.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the Netherlands, it is a regular occurrence for BREIN that identifying details are provided by intermediaries voluntarily upon request. Court cases are exceptional,&#8221; he concludes. </p>
<p>BREIN say that more and more companies outside the Netherlands, include Google recently, have been following these disclosure rules.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Kuik and his colleagues say that with personal details in hand they will continue their quest against the operators of the pirate sites in question, and the cyberlocker they were using.</p>
<p>3NT did not immediately respond to TorrentFreak&#8217;s requests for comment.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128653
title: Steal This Show S02E03: The Cyberpunk Hustle
uri: Steal-This-Show-S02E03-The-Cyberpunk-Hustle
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/kJ6OXoZ-qJY/
content:
<p><img src="media/d01749d9.stslogo180.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/stslogo180.png" alt="stslogo180" width="180" height="180" class="alignright size-full wp-image-113928">Jim Munroe is a Canadian science fiction author, film director and games designer. He publishes his work independently under the imprint <a href="http://nomediakings.org/" target="_blank">No Media Kings</a>.</p>
<p>Join us as we discuss why an ex-Sony exec loves piracy and if that marks the end of the cool pirate.</p>
<p>In addition we talk about why Millennials won&#8217;t pay for content or watch adverts, and how to make them love creators; and how your operating system can be used to operate YOU &#8211; and not just by stopping you from pirating.</p>
<p>Finally Jim discusses his new interactive fiction creation software <a href="https://texturewriter.com/">Texture</a> (try it! it&#8217;s free!), and his virtual reality sci-fi series <a href="http://haphead.com/">Haphead</a>, offering some great tips for creators looking to keep their heads in our dirty, digital world. </p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><a href="https://stealthisshow.com">Steal This Show</a> aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing copyright and file-sharing news. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary and analysis. </p>
<p>The guests for our news discussions will vary and we&#8217;ll aim to introduce voices from different backgrounds and persuasions. In addition to news, STS will also produce features interviewing some of the great innovators and minds. </p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Jamie King</p>
<p><strong>Guest:</strong> Jim Munroe </p>
<p><center><iframe width="100%" height="180px" src="//stealthisshow.com/?lpe-frame=1&#038;lpe-season=2&#038;lpe-episode=03" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></p>
<p><strong>Produced </strong> <em>by </em>Jamie King<br>
<strong>Edited &#038; Mixed</strong> <em>by</em> Riley Byrne<br>
<strong>Original Music</strong> <em>by</em> David Triana<br>
<strong>Web Production</strong> <em>by</em> Siraje Amarniss</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128382
title: Judge: Vague IP-Address Evidence is Not Enough to Expose BitTorrent ‘Pirates’
uri: 2016-10-04-
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/SM4DYHq0KoY/
content:
<p><img src="media/4efb5d75.ipaddress-ip-address.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ipaddress-ip-address.png" alt="ipaddress-ip-address" width="250" height="158" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128649">While relatively underreported, many U.S. district courts are still swamped with lawsuits against alleged film pirates.</p>
<p>The copyright holders who initiate these cases generally rely on an IP address as evidence. This information is collected from BitTorrent swarms and linked to a geographical location using geolocation tools.</p>
<p>With this information in hand, they then ask the courts to grant a subpoena, forcing Internet providers to hand over the personal details of the associated account holder.</p>
<p>In most cases, courts sign off on these subpoenas quite easily, but in a recent case California Magistrate Judge Mitchell Dembin decided to ask for further clarification and additional evidence. </p>
<p>The case in question was filed by Criminal Productions, the makers of the 2016 movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3014866/">Criminal</a>, who are linked to the well-known pirate chasers Nu Image and Millennium Films.</p>
<p>The movie makers filed a complaint against a &#8220;John Doe&#8221; and list an IP-address that, according to a geolocation lookup, is linked to a location in San Diego County.</p>
<p>Magistrate Judge Mitchell Dembin, however, is not ready to issue a subpoena based on that information alone. Specifically, he notes that the complaint lacks details on when the geolocation effort was performed. </p>
<p>If the copyright holder looked up the IP-address information after the infringements the location and ISP info may not be accurate at all, as the assignment may have changed.   </p>
<p>&#8220;It is most likely that the subscriber is a residential user and the IP address assigned by the ISP is &#8216;dynamic&#8217;.  Consequently, it matters when the geolocation was performed,&#8221; Judge Dembin writes (<a href="media/642b3702.ipdenied1.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ipdenied1.pdf">pdf</a>).</p>
<p>&#8220;If performed in temporal proximity to the offending downloads, the geolocation may be probative of the physical location of the subscriber. If not, less so, potentially to the point of irrelevance,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>This clarification is indeed important but has never been made before in court, as far as we know. </p>
<p>In the original request, Criminal Productions only writes that the geolocation data was obtained prior to filing the lawsuit, but it&#8217;s not clear whether that was at the time of the infringements, which took place several months ago.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is not good enough. As much as four months may have passed between the alleged infringement and the geolocation,&#8221; Judge Dembin writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiff must provide the date that geolocation occurred and, if performed closer to the filing date, must provide further support and argument regarding the probative value of the geolocation.&#8221; </p>
<p>Based on the missing information the motion for discovery was denied, meaning that Criminal Productions didn&#8217;t get the subpoena they were after. </p>
<p>A few days after this denial the filmmakers submitted an amended request providing additional information. However, it was still unclear when the geolocation information was actually obtained, so the Judge denied it again yesterday (<a href="media/642b3702.ipdenied1.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ipdenied1.pdf">pdf</a>).  </p>
<p><center><strong>Denied again</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/788dd002.deniedagain.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/deniedagain.jpg" alt="deniedagain" width="555" height="189" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-128650"></center></p>
<p>The issue raised in this case is interesting from an accuracy standpoint. Copyright holders in these cases always link an IP-address to a location and ISP, if only to show that the case was filed in the right district. However, they usually don&#8217;t say when this geolocation data was obtained. </p>
<p>ISPs do of course keep a log of the IP-address assignment changes. However, the right jurisdiction has to be established before a subpoena is issued.</p>
<p>Judge Dembin therefore suggests that rightsholders should get the information at the time of the infringement, which may be easier said than done. Geolocation databases are far from perfect and most are not updated instantly. </p>
<p>This is something the residents of a Kansas farm know all too well, as their house is the default location of <a href="http://fusion.net/story/287592/internet-mapping-glitch-kansas-farm/">600 million IP-addresses</a>, which causes them quite a bit of trouble.</p>
<p>Just last month EFF released a <a href="media/ec2f3d21.2016.09.20_final_formatted_ip_address_white_paper.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.eff.org/files/2016/09/22/2016.09.20_final_formatted_ip_address_white_paper.pdf">whitepaper</a> urging courts to take caution when processing IP-address information. Whether Judge Dembin has read this is unknown, but his actions are definitely in line with the paper&#8217;s findings. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128719
title: Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie Leaks Online Before UK/US Theatrical Release
uri: Louis-Theroux-s-My-Scientology-Movie-Leaks-Online-Before-UK-US-Theat
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/jQk-zorVBGg/
content:
<p><a href="media/8a7a8a39.scientology-small.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/scientology-small.jpg"><img src="media/8a7a8a39.scientology-small.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/scientology-small.jpg" alt="scientology-small" width="230" height="305" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128724"></a>Born in Singapore to an American father and English mother, Louis Theroux has grown to become one of the UK&#8217;s most-loved documentary makers.</p>
<p>Last weekend Theroux fans were treated to a follow-up to the filmmaker&#8217;s interview with Jimmy Savile, the now-notorious entertainer and sex offender who brought scandal upon the BBC. However, that was a mere hors d&#8217;oeuvre to the UK premiere this Friday of Theroux&#8217;s biggest creation yet.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Scientology_Movie">My Scientology Movie</a> is Theroux&#8217;s long-awaited big-screen debut, with a documentary that investigates and ultimately pokes fun at the famous church of the same name.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/film/my_scientology_movie">Funded by the BBC </a>, My Scientology Movie had its initial airing at the London Film Festival in October 2015 but fans of the documentary maker have been treated only to trailers ever since. This morning, however, all that changed.</p>
<p>Just a few hours ago, Theroux&#8217;s latest offering appeared online and began spreading across torrent and file-hosting sites alike. TF is informed that the release first appeared on a fairly well-known private tracker. However, we were unable to confirm that before publication so have omitted its name from this report.</p>
<p>According to numerous sources, the theatrical release has a duration of 99 mins and this &#8216;pirate&#8217; copy lives up to that billing, indicating that this indeed the full movie intended for release later this week.</p>
<p><Center><br>
<h5>Louis gets a grilling</h5>
<p><a href="media/1fd4dd56.scien1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/scien1.png"><img src="media/1fd4dd56.scien1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/scien1.png" alt="scien1" width="600" height="334" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-128726"></a></center></p>
<p>Also noteworthy is the quality of the release. Often leaked &#8216;cam&#8217; versions appear online in the days after a commercial release but this is an almost perfect copy, something that will be of concern to the movie&#8217;s funders at the BBC.</p>
<p>The big question now is where the copy originated from. Sometimes so-called DVD screeners provide the kind of quality we&#8217;re looking at here but in this case, the people behind the release indicate that the movie was captured from a &#8216;WEB Rip&#8217; source, i.e some kind of streaming system available over the web.</p>
<p>Rather than &#8216;pirate&#8217; in nature, these sources are often official. <a href="http://www.osn.com">OSN</a> in the Middle East, for example, sometimes offers movies before their official release in the West. The same can be said of various South Korean services, hence the Korean subtitles that are visible on many early, good quality movie releases.</p>
<p><center><br>
<h5>The police get involved</h5>
<p><a href="media/9a71080e.scien2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/scien2.png"><img src="media/9a71080e.scien2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/scien2.png" alt="scien2" width="600" height="333" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-128742"></a></center></p>
<p>Since the leak is so fresh (and also since much of the United States is still asleep) downloads of My Scientology Movie are currently fairly modest. That is likely to change as the day progresses and the news spreads.</p>
<p>Update: The movie had a theatrical release in the Netherlands earlier this year but is yet to premiere in the UK or US.</p>
<p>Update2: Two separate sources indicate the movie has been ripped from iTunes.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128714
title: U.S. Judge: Advertiser Is Not Liable for Pirate Sites
uri: U-S-Judge-Advertiser-Is-Not-Liable-for-Pirate-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/5qF1roG8_K8/
content:
<p><img src="media/324d28da.juictads.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/juictads.jpg" alt="juictads" width="275" height="146" class="alignright size-full wp-image-127594">Increasingly, copyright holders have been urging third party services to cut their ties with pirate sites.</p>
<p>Hosting providers, search engines, ISPs, domain name registrars and advertisers should all do more to counter online piracy, the argument goes. </p>
<p>This summer adult entertainment publisher ALS Scan took the matter beyond the asking stage. </p>
<p>The company <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflare-faces-lawsuit-for-assisting-pirate-sites-160823/">filed a complaint</a> at a California federal court, targeting CloudFlare and the advertising network JuicyAds over image copyright infringement carried out by their users.</p>
<p>The case could set an important precedent for the entire advertising industry. However, according to a tentative ruling (<a href="media/71bdb365.tentative-dismissed.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tentative-dismissed.pdf">pdf</a>) issued by District Court Judge George Wu this week, they have little to worry about for now. </p>
<p>After reviewing the first amended complaint (FAC), he concludes that there is no evidence that JuicyAds is liable for contributory copyright infringement. The complaint lists no evidence showing that JuicyAds&#8217; parent company Tiger intentionally encouraged infringing acts, as the defense had argued. </p>
<p>&#8220;The Court would agree that the FAC fails to plausibly allege a link between Tiger’s advertising brokerage services and the infringing conduct of the Publishers,&#8221; Judge Wu writes, citing a similar case between <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_10,_Inc._v._Visa_International_Service_Ass%27n">Perfect 10 and Visa</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is entirely unclear from the FAC how serving an advertisement on a website encourages infringement, other than by enabling the website to profit from those advertisements, a theory the Ninth Circuit expressly rejected in Visa.&#8221;</p>
<p>The inducement aspect of contributory infringement fails as well. Based on the current complaint there is no evidence that JuicyAds actively promoted or encouraged any infringing acts. </p>
<p>&#8220;Here, the FAC does not allege that JuicyAds provides its advertising brokerage service for the purpose of promoting copyright infringement, or that it has directly encouraged Publishers to display infringing content on their websites.&#8221; </p>
<p>On the issue of vicarious copyright infringement the Judge also sided with the defense. The adult entertainment publisher failed to show that Juicyads can control the websites of their clients or that it has a direct financial interest in the infringing activity.</p>
<p>Judge Wu again cites the Visa case where it was held that the defendant did not have the ability to remove pirate websites from the Internet or block the distribution of infringing images on third party sites.</p>
<p>Finally, the remaining claims of unfair competition and contributory trademark infringement proved to be insufficient too, awarding a clear win to Juicyads. </p>
<p>The present ruling is only tentative. This means that ALS Scan still has the opportunity to argue against it during a scheduled hearing. If they don&#8217;t, the ruling becomes final. </p>
<p>For now, however, JuicyAds&#8217; legal team is quite pleased with the decision.</p>
<p>“The defense team views this decision as a victory for both JuicyAds and for the online advertising industry,&#8221; JuicyAds&#8217; lawyer Lawrence Walters told <a href="http://www.xbiz.com/news/212871">Xbiz</a> in a comment.</p>
<p>&#8220;Unchecked efforts to hold distant online service providers responsible for indirect copyright infringement has the potential to stifle innovation,” he adds.</p>
<p>CDN provider CloudFlare has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflare-we-cant-stop-pirate-sites-160927/">also submitted a motion to dismiss</a> the complaint. This is still under review and Judge Wu is expected to issue a ruling during the weeks to come.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128772
title: Chrome and Firefox Brand The Pirate Bay As a “Phishing” Site…..Again
uri: Chrome-and-Firefox-Brand-The-Pirate-Bay-As-a-Phishing-Site-A
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/5g81xtrPAHU/
content:
<p><img src="media/932e6d7d.thepirate-e1470829181981.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/thepirate-e1470829181981.jpg" alt="thepirate" width="220" height="206" class="alignright size-full wp-image-116122">Millions of Pirate Bay users are currently unable to access the torrent detail pages on the site without receiving a stark warning.</p>
<p>Over the past few hours Chrome and Firefox have started to block access to ThePirateBay.org due to reported security issues.</p>
<p>The homepage and various categories can be reached without problems, but when visitors navigate to a download page they are presented with an ominous red warning banner.</p>
<p>“Deceptive site ahead: Attackers on Thepiratebay.org may trick you into doing something dangerous like installing software or revealing your personal information,” it reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;Google Safe Browsing recently detected phishing on thepiratebay.org. Phishing sites pretend to be other websites to trick you,&#8221; the Chrome warning adds.</p>
<p><center><strong>Chrome&#8217;s latest Pirate Bay warning</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/f98fe4cb.piratebayphishing.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/piratebayphishing.png" alt="piratebayphishing" width="526" height="519" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-128777"></center></p>
<p>Firefox is showing a similar error message, as do all applications and services that use Google&#8217;s safe browsing database, which currently lists TPB as &#8220;<a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/safebrowsing/diagnostic/#url=thepiratebay.org">partially dangerous</a>.&#8221; </p>
<p>According to  Google the notorious torrent site is linked to a phishing effort, where malicious actors try to steal the personal information of visitors.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s likely that the security error is caused by a malicious third-party advertisement. The TPB team informs TorrentFreak that they are aware of the issue, which they hope will be resolved soon. </p>
<p>This is not the first time that The Pirate Bay has been flagged by Google&#8217;s safe browsing filter. The same happened just a month ago, when the site was accused of spreading &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/chrome-and-firefox-block-pirate-bay-over-harmful-programs-160915/">harmful programs</a>.&#8221; That warning eventually disappeared after a few days.</p>
<p>By now, most Chrome and Firefox users should be familiar with these intermittent warning notices. Those who are in a gutsy mood can simply &#8220;ignore the warning&#8221; or take steps (<a href="https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/99020?hl=en">Chrome</a>, <a href="https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-does-phishing-and-malware-protection-work#w_how-do-i-use-the-phishing-and-malware-protection-features">FF</a>) to bypass the blocks permanently. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128869
title: Russian Anti-Piracy Chief Arrested in ‘Fraud’ Investigation
uri: Russian-Anti-Piracy-Chief-Arrested-in-Fraud-Investigation
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/b5fxA0JikC4/
content:
<p><img src="media/db7b975c.copyright-branded.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/copyright-branded.jpg" alt="copyright-branded" width="250" height="164" class="alignright size-full wp-image-56211">One of Russia&#8217;s most prominent anti-piracy fighters has found himself at the center of a criminal fraud investigation.</p>
<p>Maxim Ryabyko, Director General of Association for the Protection of Copyright on the Internet (<a href="http://azapi.ru/">AZAPO</a>), was reportedly arrested in Moscow earlier this week, together with a friend. </p>
<p>According to local news reports, the pair were carrying out a money handoff after offering to help drop a criminal investigation against a local Internet entrepreneur in return for <a href="http://www.cnews.ru/news/top/2016-10-07_politsiya_zaderzhala_glavnogo_bortsa_s_internetbibliotekoj">50 million rubles</a> ($800,000).</p>
<p>Russia&#8217;s Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed the arrests but didn&#8217;t mention any names. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said that two men were arrested in a cafe in the center of Moscow on Thursday, suspected of fraud. Both have since been released on bail.</p>
<p>A source in the Government, however, confirmed to the TASS news agency that AZAPO&#8217;s General Director was one of the arrested men.</p>
<p>While details are scarce, there are reports suggesting that the case is related to the prominent pirate book library Lib.rus.ec. Last week AZAPO announced that the site was being investigated in both Russia and Ecuador, while the operators are on the run. </p>
<p>AZAPO&#8217;s <a href="http://azapi.ru/news/onenews/179">announcement</a> specifically highlighted the possible involvement of the Russian service iMobilco, which reportedly charged for access to infringing books obtained through Lib.rus.ec, without compensating copyright holders.</p>
<p>In a separate article, AZAPO reprinted a news report from <a href="https://www.gazeta.ru/business/2016/09/27/10217207.shtml#page2">Gazeta</a> which reported that Russian authorities carried out a search at the Moscow home of iMobilco&#8217;s founder, Nikolai Belousov.</p>
<p>Belousov is reportedly the person who was being offered a &#8220;deal&#8221; in exchange for 50 million rubles. </p>
<p>iMobilco&#8217;s founder told the news site <a href="http://www.vedomosti.ru/technology/articles/2016/10/06/659924-zaderzhan-assotsiatsii">Vedomosti</a> that he is aware of Ryabyko&#8217;s arrest. He says that he was being extorted after AZAPO accused him of profiting from copyright infringements linked to Lib.rus.ec. </p>
<p>AZAPO&#8217;s General Director, meanwhile, denies all allegations including the arrest itself, which he says he first heard about in the media.</p>
<p>In recent months the anti-piracy group has been in the news <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/?s=azapo">several times</a>, most notably for its efforts to block the prominent torrent site RuTracker, and limit copyright infringements on sites such as VKontakte.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128832
title: MPAA Says Portugal’s Pirate Site-Blocking System is World Leader
uri: MPAA-Says-Portugal-s-Pirate-Site-Blocking-System-is-World-Leader
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/N1Y3QBJNOT0/
content:
<p><img src="media/114a07a1.stopstop.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/stopstop.jpg" width="180" height="120" alt="" class="alignright size-large">The concept of whole-site blocking has been on the entertainment industries&#8217; agenda for a decade now, after Russia&#8217;s AllofMP3 and then The Pirate Bay were blocked in Denmark. Since then, momentum has been building.</p>
<p>Blocking is now underway in multiple countries around the world, especially in Europe where the practice is widespread. The music and movie industries say blocking is effective but they also know that pushing blockades through the courts can be expensive and controversial.</p>
<p>In Portugal, however, things are much more streamlined. Thanks to an <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/rapid-pirate-site-blocking-mechanism-introduced-by-portugal-150731/">agreement</a> forged between rightsholders, ISPs and the government in 2015, it is now a formality to have sites blocked in the country. If the parties agree that a site is operating illegally it can be blocked, all without stepping into a courtroom.</p>
<p>No surprise then that copyright holders have been taking full advantage of the system. After blocking The Pirate Bay, KickassTorrents, ExtraTorrent, Isohunt, RARBG, and dozens of others in October 2015, another 40 sites were added the month after. By April 2016 at least <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/portugal-blocks-330-pirate-sites-in-just-six-months-160430/">330 sites</a> had been blocked and every month the same process repeats. </p>
<p>The smoothness of the non-adversarial system appears to have impressed the MPAA. According to a <a href="http://tek.sapo.pt/noticias/internet/artigo/mpaa_avaliou_o_combate_a_pirataria_em_portugal_e_deu_o_seu_ok-49138odi.html">SapoTek</a> report, the Hollywood group has been presenting the Portuguese model to the Spanish Senate and is now planning to do the same before the French Senate.</p>
<p>FEVIP, the Portuguese Association of Audiovisual Works Defense, said in a statement that an MPAA-sponsored study between September 2015 and February 2016 found that out of 250 unauthorized sites, 22 had already been voluntarily blocked by the program.</p>
<p>Paulo Santos, executive director of FEVIP, said that Portugal&#8217;s program is now receiving international recognition for its streamlined processes. Noting a &#8220;special efficiency&#8221; in relation to results versus costs of litigation, Santos said that the program has resulted in a decrease in visits to pirate sites of &#8220;at least 60%&#8221;.</p>
<p>FEVIP say that the reductions are similar to those achieved by blocking in the UK, where the group claims pirate sites typically lose 75% of their local users within three months of a blockade being put in place.</p>
<p>To date, hundreds of sites and thousands of URLs have been blocked in both countries, yet piracy somehow persists. Clearly, a 60% or even 75% reduction in traffic to domains is not translating to a similar drop in piracy rates or indeed, increases in sales.</p>
<p>However, it seems likely that the MPAA and others will continue their blocking efforts regardless. Voluntary solutions are clearly in favor, since they receive less judicial scrutiny after implementation and cost far less to run on an ongoing basis. Spain and France next? Only time will tell.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128768
title: Court Asks How it Can Ban Illegal Pokemon Go Downloads
uri: Court-Asks-How-it-Can-Ban-Illegal-Pokemon-Go-Downloads
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/KKIQ2o7_trI/
content:
<p><img src="media/afb4ebbf.poke.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/poke.jpg" width="250" height="203" alt="" class="alignright size-large">Last summer saw the launch of the latest Nintendo craze, with the augmented reality Pokémon Go game taking the world by storm.</p>
<p>While most countries don&#8217;t have a problem with Nintendo&#8217;s popular offering, others have reacted negatively after players turned up in culturally sensitive areas. </p>
<p>Similar issues are now causing problems in India, despite the game not being available there. But of course, that hasn&#8217;t stopped determined pirates from getting copies.</p>
<p>Over the past several months, countless people in India have been downloading illicit copies of Pokémon Go from the Internet. In the West, this has already <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/nintendo-cracks-pokemon-go-piracy-160714/">caused copyright issues</a>, but India&#8217;s are somewhat unique.</p>
<p>Public-Interest Litigation (PIL) is quite literally litigation for the protection of the public interest. One such PIL was filed last month in the Gujarat High Court against the developers of Pokémon Go. The petitioner claimed that the game hurt the religious feelings of citizens after it placed eggs in places of worship.</p>
<p>&#8220;To find eggs in temples of Hindus and Jains is blasphemous, and therefore my client has sought a ban on the game from the country,&#8221;  petitioner Alay Anil Dave&#8217;s lawyer <a href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/pokemon-go-eggs-hurting-religious-sentiments-pil-filed-1455569">told</a> the Court.</p>
<p>A second PIL filed with the Court by Sanjay Chaudhari claims that the game endangers public safety.</p>
<p>San Francisco-based developer Niantic Inc. and central and state governments are respondents in the somewhat unusual cases and all were issued with notices by the Court last week. Of course, the PILs aren&#8217;t copyright-related but the same problems persist &#8211; how can Indians be stopped from pirating and then playing the game?</p>
<p>That&#8217;s the question now being <a href="http://nr.news-republic.com/Web/ArticleWeb.aspx?regionid=15&#038;articleid=74515098">asked</a> by the Gujarat High Court, which has filed a request with the state government asking for ideas on what steps can be taken to stop the game from being downloaded from the Internet.</p>
<p>&#8220;The division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi asked the government how the downloading of the game could be stopped, after it was told that legally the game was still not available in India, yet people were downloading its pirated copy,&#8221; the report notes.</p>
<p>Only time will tell what solutions the state government will come up with. However, India has developed quite a reputation for broad-brush actions to stop citizens downloading illicit content from the Internet.</p>
<p>So-called ‘John Doe’ orders have regularly restricted access to sites including <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/india-orders-piracy-blackout-of-vimeo-pirate-bay-and-more-150508/">The Pirate Bay, ExtraTorrent</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/minister-asks-indian-isps-to-permanently-block-hundreds-of-pirate-sites-151029/">hundreds of other domains</a>, so a similar response could be under consideration.</p>
<p>That being said, trying to stop downloads of an app that typically weighs in at just 60MB will be an entirely different matter.</p>
<p>There are many thousands of sites that can and do host the game, including entirely legitimate affairs such as Dropbox. Stopping the distribution of Pokémon Go in India won&#8217;t be just difficult, it will be entirely unachievable by any anti-piracy technique, or any number of techniques working in tandem.</p>
<p>Perhaps the only way of making a dent in this problem will be getting the developer on board to restrict where Pokémon appear. That would certainly make more sense than going down the blocking route and all the collateral damage that would cause.</p>
<p>We&#8217;ll know more about the blocking plans next week, which could provide an indication of just how far India&#8217;s courts are prepared to go when it comes to blocking illicit content online.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128844
title: Pirate Kodi Add-Ons Gain Massive Popularity
uri: Pirate-Kodi-Add-Ons-Gain-Massive-Popularity
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/jWe17myTqd4/
content:
<p><img src="media/dd424df6.tvaddons.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddons.png" alt="tvaddons" width="232" height="95" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128846">Slowly but steadily piracy has moved away from downloads to streaming. According to recent estimates, streaming services are already more popular than torrent sites, a trend that seems hard to stop. </p>
<p>One factor that plays a major role in this shift is ease of use. Aside from having movie and TV-shows instantly available, it&#8217;s also easier to stream content on a regular TV, through <a href="https://kodi.tv/">Kodi</a> powered applications or set-top boxes for example. While Kodi itself is a neutral platform, there are lots of add-ons available that turn in into a pirate&#8217;s heaven. </p>
<p><a href="http://tvaddons.ag">TVAddons</a> is of the largest repositories of these plugins. The site, which also distributes FreeTelly, a custom pre-loaded version of Kodi for the PC and Mac, is the go-to destination for those who want to upgrade their Kodi experience.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak spoke to TVAddons&#8217; Eleazar, who informs us that the recent growth in popularity hasn&#8217;t gone unnoticed. </p>
<p>While the site doesn&#8217;t keep any in-depth statistics for privacy reasons, they do know how many active Kodi users access their add-ons because of the update requests they receive. These numbers show a sharp increase. </p>
<p>December <a href="https://www.tvaddons.ag/usage-stats-dec2015/">last year</a>, TVAddons received 2.8 million unique calls to their update server per day, and over 13 million for the entire month. Today, these numbers have doubled to a rough average of 5.6 million per day and 24.7 million a month.</p>
<p>This means that every 24 hours more than five million Kodi-boxes with their add-ons are online, checking for updates. </p>
<p><center><strong>TVAddons update traffic</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/b7f3e66b.tvaddongraph.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddongraph.png" alt="tvaddongraph" width="606" height="291" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-128848"></center></p>
<p>According to Eleazar, the convenience of Kodi is one of the main drivers for this growth. Compared to many torrent and streaming sites, the clean interface is a breath of fresh air.</p>
<p>&#8220;It makes the streaming process far simpler and more enjoyable than visiting sketchy ad-ridden sites, or using torrent-based services like Popcorn Time that end up resulting in hundreds of thousands of people receiving legal fines,&#8221; Eleazar says.</p>
<p>&#8220;Anyone who uses Kodi on a regular basis considers it a life changer, bringing more entertainment to their home than they ever thought possible,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>Of course, pirates are not the only ones who&#8217;ve been watching the rise of Kodi&#8217;s pirate add-ons. The entertainment industry and law enforcement are keeping a close eye on the situation as well. </p>
<p>Several sellers of pre-loaded Kodi boxes have been raided, with some <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/man-likely-to-sacrifice-himself-testing-streaming-piracy-limits-160925/">risking serious prison time</a>. And just last week the UK Intellectual Property Office described pirate boxes as a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-ip-crime-report-2016-reveals-iptvkodi-piracy-as-growing-threat-160929/">growing threat</a>.</p>
<p>The makers of Kodi are <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-announces-legal-action-to-smash-piracy-links-160215/">not happy</a> with these developments. They clearly want to distance themselves from anything piracy related, blaming the add-on makers and distributors. TVAddons, however, doesn&#8217;t believe that it&#8217;s breaking the law.</p>
<p>&#8220;Technically we&#8217;re not doing anything wrong, we don&#8217;t encourage users to distribute pirated content like torrent apps do, nor do we have anything to do with the content whatsoever.&#8221; </p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re just providing code that &#8216;can&#8217; be used to scrape websites, the content of those sites has nothing to do with us,&#8221; Eleazar adds.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, TVAddons has taken various preventive measures to ensure the continuation of its operation, such as regularly moving their servers. In addition, they have several policies in place to <a href="https://forums.tvaddons.ag/announcements/27524-privacy-protection-practice-developers.html">preserve the privacy</a> of add-on developers and users.</p>
<p>TVAddons also make it clear that they are strongly against the sale of preloaded hardware devices and paid services. They feel it &#8220;dumbs&#8221; down the community and causes users to feel that they owe them something, since they paid for it.</p>
<p>Thus far TVAddons hasn&#8217;t seen any public complaints from the industry that target their service. So, instead of focusing on the negative, they&#8217;re putting their efforts into improving what they have to offer &#8211; more convenient streaming tools and better add-ons.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128802
title: Russia Mulls Downloading Fines if Site Blocking Fails
uri: Russia-Mulls-Downloading-Fines-if-Site-Blocking-Fails
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/vOT2QMJYfnk/
content:
<p><a href="media/c9e6482e.cash1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cash1.jpg"><img src="media/c9e6482e.cash1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cash1.jpg" alt="cash" width="200" height="121" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24443"></a>Well over a decade ago when peer-to-peer file-sharing was in its relative infancy, the RIAA thought it could stop piracy by punishing end users with &#8216;fines&#8217; and lawsuits.</p>
<p>What followed was a punishing campaign that alienated consumers and ultimately failed to achieve its goals. Only subsequent widespread access to legitimate content proved to be effective in bringing piracy rates down.</p>
<p>But despite improved availability, piracy is alive and well, which means that groups all over the world continue to look for solutions to the problem. More innovation would be nice but Russian authorities appear to be looking into the past.</p>
<p>According to sources cited by Russian news publication <a href="https://rns.online">RNS</a>, the government is considering introducing a system of fines for Internet users who download copyrighted content without permission.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is expected that evidence of a download of an illegal movie, for example, will be shown by providing an IP address, then the offender will be sent the penalty fine,&#8221; a source familiar with the inter-agency consultations told the publication.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s understood that if &#8216;pirate&#8217; site-blocking fails, authorities favor the kind of system that German Internet users are already subjected to, with fines up to 1000 euros per logged offense.</p>
<p>&#8220;If the initiative with blocking sites that publish illegal content does not work, will be discussing the German model,&#8221; the source said.</p>
<p>What isn&#8217;t known at this stage is who will be issuing the &#8216;fines&#8217; or who will benefit from the revenue they create. What is clear, however, is that introducing this kind of system won&#8217;t be straightforward.</p>
<p>&#8220;There are two ways [to reduce piracy] &#8211; to block websites and penalize the user,&#8221; the source said. &#8220;The second option is effective, but we need to understand the social consequences.&#8221;</p>
<p>Reached for comment, Russia&#8217;s Ministry of Culture confirmed knowledge of the proposals but said that no formal consultations on how such a system might operate have yet been conducted.</p>
<p>The Ministry of Communications also admitted knowledge of the discussions but a spokesman urged caution.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not sure that it would be straightforward to implement [a system of fines] in Russia, but it is always the responsibility&#8230;of the person who posted the pirated content, and the one who deliberately consumes pirated content,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;The responsibility, in principle, should be [with these people]. How to implement a system in the Russian reality&#8230;that for sure requires a cautious and incremental process.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128692
title: Web2Web: Serverless Websites Powered by Torrents & Bitcoin
uri: Web2Web-Serverless-Websites-Powered-by-Torrents-Bitcoin
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/NN4VMPcTHRg/
content:
<p><img src="media/882257f0.servers-no.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/servers-no.jpg" alt="servers-no" width="275" height="214" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-128811">While most people still associate torrents with desktop clients, the browser-based WebTorrent equivalent is quickly gaining popularity. </p>
<p>Simply put, <a href="https://webtorrent.io/">WebTorrent</a> is a torrent client for the web. Instead of using standalone applications it allows people to share files directly from their browser, without having to configure or install anything.</p>
<p>This allows people to stream videos directly from regular browsers such as Chrome and Firefox, similar to what they would do on YouTube. </p>
<p>The technology, created by Stanford University graduate Feross Aboukhadijeh, already piqued the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/webtorrent-brings-bittorrent-to-the-web-impresses-netflix-151213/">interest of Netflix</a> and also resulted in various innovative implementations. </p>
<p>Most recently, Czech developer Michal Spicka created a the <a href="https://elendirx.github.io/web2web/">Web2Web project</a>, which allows people to share entire websites using WebTorrent technology. This makes these sites virtually impossible to take down. </p>
<p>Michal tells TorrentFreak that he is fascinated by modern technology and wanted to develop a resilient, serverless and anonymous platform for people to share something online.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the past we’ve seen powerful interest groups shut down legitimate websites. I wondered if I could come up with something that can’t be taken down that easily and also protects the site operator’s identity,&#8221; Michal says.</p>
<p>For most websites the servers and domain names are the most vulnerable aspects. Both can be easily seized and are far from anonymous. With Web2Web, however, people can run a website without any of the above.</p>
<p>&#8220;To run a Web2Web website neither the server nor the domain is required. All you need is a bootstrap page that loads your website from the torrent network and displays it in the browser,&#8221; Michal tells us. </p>
<p>While there are similar alternatives available, such as Zeronet, the beauty of Web2Web is that it <a href="https://elendirx.github.io/web2web/">works in any modern browser</a>. This means that there&#8217;s no need to install separate software.</p>
<p>The bootstrap page that serves all content is a simple HTML file that can be mirrored anywhere online or downloaded to a local computer. With help from Bitcoin the &#8216;operator&#8217; can update the file, after which people will see the new version.</p>
<p>&#8220;If the website operator wants to publish new content on his previously created website, he creates a torrent of the new content first and then inserts the torrent infohash into a bitcoin transaction sent from his bitcoin address,&#8221; Michal says. </p>
<p>&#8220;The website is constantly watching that address for new transactions, extracts the infohash, downloads the new content from the torrent swarm, and updates itself accordingly,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>For Michal the project is mostly just an interesting experiment. The main goal was to show that it&#8217;s possible to make working websites without any central server involved, using WebTorrent and bitcoin.</p>
<p>He has no clear vision on how people will use it, but stresses and he&#8217;s not promoting or encouraging illegal uses in any way.</p>
<p>&#8220;I’m strongly against using it for anything illegal. On the other hand, I can’t prevent people from doing that. The moment will come when this project gets abused and only then we will see if it’s really that resilient,&#8221; he notes.</p>
<p>In the meantime, this perfectly <a href="https://elendirx.github.io/web2web/">legal demo</a> gives people and idea of what&#8217;s possible. More info on how to create distributed pages is <a href="https://elendirx.github.io/web2web-gateway/#/">available here</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128805
title: Now You Can Torrent (and Explore) The Galaxy… in Your Browser!
uri: Now-You-Can-Torrent-(and-Explore)-The-Galaxy-in-Your-Browser
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/UhjEjhEpcxg/
content:
<p><img src="media/c67b1b1e.torrentgalaxy.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/torrentgalaxy.jpg" alt="torrentgalaxy" width="277" height="198" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128859">For most people, torrents are associated with downloading the latest Hollywood blockbusters or Linux distros, but it does much more than that. </p>
<p><a href="https://webtorrent.io/">WebTorrent</a> in particular has opened the door to a variety of innovative uses, as it allows users to share data via torrents in a regular browser. </p>
<p>This still works well for video, but amateur astronomer and creative coder Charlie Hoey had bigger plans. Using new data released by the European Space Agency&#8217;s <a href="http://sci.esa.int/gaia/">Gaia satellite</a>, he created a 3D map of the galaxy with an accurate positioning of more than two million stars. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://charliehoey.com/threejs-demos/gaia_dr1.html">starmap</a> is presented on a single page where people can drag, zoom and pinch through the galaxy, exploring stars thousands of light-years away.</p>
<p>&#8220;To my knowledge, this is the first realtime 3D simulation of the data from the Gaia project, though other WebGL visualizers for astronomical data have come before,&#8221; Hoey tells TorrentFreak. </p>
<p><center><strong>Every white pixel is a star</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/eab3dadb.earthorbit.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/earthorbit.jpg" alt="earthorbit" width="600" height="314" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-128862"></center></p>
<p>The map <a href="http://charliehoey.com/threejs-demos/gaia_dr1.html">features 2,026,094</a> stars that are all located in their correct 3D position. This is much more than the 100k star visualizer Google made based on data from Gaia&#8217;s predecessor mission Hipparcos.</p>
<p>In addition, the new starmap is WebVR enabled which opens up a lot of new interactive possibilities. Making the galaxy less abstract is one of the powers of the visualisation, according to Hoey. </p>
<p>&#8220;For me, seeing the positions of stars in 3D makes them feel less like abstractions and more like real, tangible places in space. It also makes earth feel small and far away and insignificant, which in 2016 is a warm, calming sensation,&#8221; he says. </p>
<p>Gaia&#8217;s dataset is far from complete and many more gigabytes of data are likely to be released in the future. This is where the WebTorrent aspect comes in. </p>
<p>After a lot of work, Hoey was able to trim down the database to the bare essentials, which is still 24 megabytes. This wouldn&#8217;t be a problem to show to just one person, but when hundreds or thousands flock to the site all at once, it may be hard to handle. </p>
<p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t want to be on the hook to pay for a CDN if it got popular, but I also didn&#8217;t want people to have a bad experience if there were bursts of visitors. WebTorrent was kind of a perfect fit,&#8221; Hoey tells us.</p>
<p><center><strong>Downloading the stars, missing data still loading</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/4d3a49e8.downloadingstars-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/downloadingstars-1.jpg" alt="downloadingstars" width="600" height="314" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-128865"></center></p>
<p>With WebTorrent, traffic isn&#8217;t a problem as everyone who accesses the page automatically shares the data with other visitors. This even works in most popular mobile browsers. </p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s been shockingly reliable, I&#8217;ll definitely be using it again for other projects,&#8221; Hoey notes. </p>
<p>&#8220;I could see a point where you don&#8217;t really have to worry about CDNs anymore in some situations. As long as you host a permanent seed or two, you can let the torrent autoscale and distribute your hosting for you. This was my first experiment with it, and amazingly it appears to actually just work.&#8221;</p>
<p>Talking about future projects. To make the starmap even more immersive, Hoey is developing a VR experience called <a href="http://uptherevr.com/">Up There</a>. This will allow people to explore a room-sized simulation of some of the data, and interact with and learn about any of the stars within it.</p>
<p>WebTorrent creator Feross Aboukhadijeh is really happy to see people using his tool in such diverse ways and hopes more and more developers will follow.</p>
<p>&#8220;This was the vision for WebTorrent from the very beginning, to make torrents really easy and lightweight to work with, so developers can use them in really interesting new ways in the browser. Really excited by these novel uses of WebTorrent,&#8221; Aboukhadijeh says.</p>
<p>&#8220;In my humble opinion, this is how we make P2P technology win. It&#8217;s gotta be just as easy to use as a centralized solution, but provide extra benefits, like bandwidth savings and speed improvements. And it has to work with today&#8217;s web browsers.&#8221;</p>
<p>The 3D simulation can be seen in its <a href="http://charliehoey.com/threejs-demos/gaia_dr1.html">full glory here</a>, and those who are interested in how it was created should read the <a href="https://medium.com/@flimshaw/torrenting-the-galaxy-extracting-2-million-3d-stars-from-180gb-of-csvs-457ff70c0f93#.awdv2bkpi">extensive article</a> Hoey published on Medium.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128795
title: Bram Cohen Says New uTorrent Mode is For Private Trackers
uri: Bram-Cohen-Says-New-uTorrent-Mode-is-For-Private-Trackers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/nUgpRF4X5FY/
content:
<p><img src="media/bcff148e.utorrent-logo-new.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/utorrent-logo-new.jpg" width="222" height="148" alt="" class="alignright size-large">Last week, BitTorrent Inc. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/utorrent-altruistic-mode-ensures-you-give-more-than-you-take-160928">announced</a> a new feature for its uTorrent and BitTorrent clients.</p>
<p>Altruistic Mode is an option buried away in the clients’ preferences that ensures that the downloader who enables it always maintains a share ratio of 2:1. In other words, if they download 1GB their upload will always be 2GB.</p>
<p>As subsequently <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/utorrents-new-altruistic-mode-baffles-enthusiastic-file-sharers-161002/">highlighted</a>, many enthusiastic file-sharers simply didn&#8217;t &#8216;get&#8217; the point of the new feature. </p>
<p>By definition, keen file-sharers always try to seed more than they take, so often their ratios are higher than 2:1 already. Equally, those who don&#8217;t care about sharing wouldn&#8217;t bother enabling the new mode.</p>
<p>However, Altruistic Mode itself was developed and subsequently announced by Bram Cohen, the man who invented BitTorrent itself, so it must be useful &#8211; right? In discussions with TF, he certainly seems to think so.</p>
<p>&#8220;The reason for not just continuing to upload until the ratio hits 2:1 is that it won&#8217;t always get there. Sometimes a torrent is so overseeded that downloading a complete file guarantees you&#8217;ll get less upload than download, even if you keep seeding until the end of time,&#8221; Cohen explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;Almost all the people who are commenting on the public forums are torrent obsessives who already have put in the time and effort and gotten the permissions to get very high seeding ratios. Altruistic Mode is not for them.&#8221;</p>
<p>Great! So who is the mode designed for then? </p>
<p>&#8220;There are some sites with ratio enforcement which make it essentially impossible to get a positive ratio once you&#8217;re in arrears without Altruistic Mode,&#8221; Cohen explains.</p>
<p>In other words, the new mode is designed for people trying to maintain a decent ratio on private trackers, where site membership itself could hinge on being a good sharer.</p>
<p>Depending on site rules, any user can activate the mode and jump on any torrent, safe in the knowledge that their ratio will never get any worse and will only improve, which is perfect for building up a sharing buffer.</p>
<p>Cohen also took the time to address those who raised concerns over what would happen if too many people used Altruistic Mode. If everyone tries to upload twice as much as they download, the system breaks down, they argued.</p>
<p>&#8220;Of course it&#8217;s impossible for everybody to have a positive ratio. The people who run seedboxes, or who have super fast net connections, or special permissions to download early, can make it practically impossible for people who don&#8217;t have those things to upload more than they download,&#8221; he explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;Altruistic Mode is for those other people. Altruistic Mode is there so people who find themselves in an impossible ratio situation can simply start a whole bunch of things in Altruistic Mode and have a good chance of getting a favorable upload ratio.&#8221;</p>
<p>With that cleared up from Cohen himself, we&#8217;ll leave Altruistic Mode to do its magic. However, BitTorrent&#8217;s inventor may not be done with its development just yet.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the future I&#8217;m thinking of making a feature which downloads eventually but starts out in Altruistic Mode, so that people whose goal is to download the whole file eventually can help others stream it in real-time right from the beginning,&#8221; he concludes.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128978
title: Pirate Bay Uploader Admits Copyright Infringement & Fraud
uri: Pirate-Bay-Uploader-Admits-Copyright-Infringement-Fraud
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/yOdFoqQodSU/
content:
<p><img src="media/31176dbb.cityoflondonpolice.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cityoflondonpolice.jpg" alt="cityoflondonpolice" width="200" height="82" class="alignright size-full wp-image-71397">Following a joint investigation with licensing outfit PRS for Music, last September officers from PIPCU and Merseyside police <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-arrest-prolific-pirate-bay-uploader-150903/">raided</a> an address in Everton, Liverpool.</p>
<p>Their target was a then 38-year-old man believed to be involved in the unlawful distribution of music online. It was claimed that in addition to uploading packs of the UK’s Top 40 Singles to various torrent sites each week, the man also ran his own website offering a capella versions.</p>
<p>Last month, the man at the center of the case appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court for a preliminary hearing. Now 39-year-old Wayne Evans spoke only to confirm his personal details.</p>
<p>On Friday, Evans appeared again, this time at Liverpool Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing an article infringing copyright and one of possessing or controlling an article for use in fraud.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/police-raid-fails-to-dent-uk-top-40-music-piracy-150907/">revealed</a> by TF last year, Evans ran DeeJayPortal, a site specializing in a capella tracks and other DJ resources.</p>
<p><Center><br>
<h5>DeeJayPortal</h5>
<p><img src="media/61bbe47a.scouse-deejay.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/scouse-deejay.jpg" width="650" height="468" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large"></center></p>
<p>However, what is still not being mentioned, even by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, is that Evans was better known under another name.</p>
<p>For years, Evans referred to himself across various projects as OldSkoolScouse. Indeed, DeeJayPortal was originally launched under that name. But it was Evans&#8217; presence on The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents that will be perhaps most remembered online.</p>
<p>Each week under his OldSkoolScouse accounts, Evans uploaded a pack of the UK&#8217;s current Top 40 Singles. The more than 200 torrents he uploaded to KickassTorrents alone were extremely popular with fans.</p>
<p><Center><img src="media/afbb2d60.scouse-kickass.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/scouse-kickass.jpg" width="650" height="323" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large"></center></p>
<p>According to various online profiles created by Evans over the years, the 39-year-old has a keen and long-standing interest in music.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve Been Dj&#8217;ing for about 20 years, started out doing the mobile discos, partys [sic], weddings that kinda thing for the first couple of years, then moved on into the clubs, and basically found my calling, been doing it ever since,&#8221; he wrote on a dating site three years ago.</p>
<p>Both DeeJayPortal.co.uk and OldSkoolScouse.co.uk currently display the familiar banner of PIPCU, both having been seized by the specialist copyright enforcement unit.</p>
<p>&#8220;This significant result highlights the issue of digital piracy and its profound effect on the music industry and individual artists whose work is being infringed,&#8221; says Detective Constable Steven Kettle, who was in charge of the case.</p>
<p>&#8220;Evans distributed Top 40 chart music and ‘a cappella’ music on a large scale causing significant losses to the industry and he now awaits sentencing.  This investigation demonstrates PIPCUs commitment in tackling the complex issue of online piracy and the importance of working with our industry partners which includes PRS in achieving the strongest and most successful outcomes.&#8221;</p>
<p>Evans was granted unconditional bail and will return to court for sentencing November 11, 2016.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128922
title: Pirate Site Operators Are Like Heroin Dealers, Movie Boss Says
uri: Pirate-Site-Operators-Are-Like-Heroin-Dealers-Movie-Boss-Says
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/A1PCCYvdfNQ/
content:
<p><a href="media/fd473730.shadow.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/shadow.jpg"><img src="media/fd473730.shadow.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/shadow.jpg" alt="shadow" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128967"></a>Graham Burke can be accused of many things but moderating his words is certainly not one of them.</p>
<p>The outspoken co-chief of media company Village Roadshow has been front and center of many of Australia&#8217;s movie piracy battles and has authored some of their most controversial comments.</p>
<p>Speaking at the 71st <a href="http://www.movieconvention.com.au/">Australian International Movie Convention</a> today, Burke continued the trend. He launched a fresh attack on Internet piracy, accusing pirate site operators of terrible crimes and site users of undermining the livelihoods of creators. </p>
<p>“Nothing is more important or urgent, as every day that passes tens of thousands of our movies are stolen and it is a devastating contagious plague,” a copy of Burke&#8217;s speech obtained by The Australian <em>(<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/village-roadshow-boss-graham-burke-to-launch-piracy-war/news-story/59820cf9d9db3a25e0e0618026752806">subscription</a>)</em> reads.</p>
<p>According to the Village Roadshow chief, the main problem is the sites that facilitate this &#8220;theft&#8221;, which are not only extremely dangerous places to visit but are run by equally dangerous people.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are sending our kids to very dangerous online neighborhoods — the pirates are not good guys,&#8221; Burke said.</p>
<p>&#8220;These aren&#8217;t roguish, basement-dwelling computer geeks — these are the same type of people that sell heroin.&#8221;</p>
<p>Describing pirate site operators as often having connections to &#8220;organised, international crime syndicates&#8221;, Burke <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-10/movie-piracy-12-17yos-illegally-download-films-doubles-australia/7918808">warned</a> that they only care about revenue, making &#8220;tens of millions blitzing our kids with [high-risk] advertising.&#8221;</p>
<p>Interestingly, Burke said that nearly three-quarters of people acknowledge that piracy is theft but noted that many downloaders are unaware that what they are doing is &#8220;wrong&#8221; because government inaction means that &#8220;dangerous&#8221; pirate sites are still open for business.</p>
<p>&#8220;In our research we repeatedly come across people who have not been told [piracy is wrong and is theft], and assume from continued practice, that it is socially and legally acceptable, and that it does no harm or that their individual activity won&#8217;t make any difference,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;People wouldn&#8217;t go into a 7-Eleven and swipe a Mars bar. People are fundamentally honest and fundamentally decent.&#8221;</p>
<p>But with site-blocking and making more content legally available only part of the solution, the Village Roadshow chief says his company has decided that taking action against the public is now required. Repeat infringers, Burke says, will now be subjected to legal action.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are planning to pursue our legal rights to protect our copyright by suing repeat infringers — not for a king&#8217;s ransom but akin to the penalty for parking a car in a loading zone,&#8221; ABC reports.</p>
<p>&#8220;If the price of an act of thievery is set at say AUS$300 (US$228), we believe most people will think twice.&#8221;</p>
<p>While it&#8217;s too early to estimate exactly how many Aussie pirates might be caught up in the dragnet, it&#8217;s fair to say the numbers could be considerable. Mad Max: Fury Road, a Village Roadshow produced movie, is said to have been illegally downloaded 3.5 million times. Australia has a population of around 23.5 million.</p>
<p>However, the age group of people said to be carrying out much of the pirating presents a problem. Burke says that piracy among adults has dropped in the past year due to the availability of services such as Netflix. However, the growing threat appears to come from a much younger age group.</p>
<p>&#8220;There has been some decline in piracy amongst Australian adults in the last year and part of this is due to new streaming services &#8230; which demonstrates that when product is legally available, this is a critical factor,&#8221; Burke said.</p>
<p>&#8220;However, before we get too comfortable by this decline in total piracy, the emphasis on movies is worse and illegal online activity of 12 to 17-year-old Australians has almost doubled since last year — with a whopping 31 per cent pirating movies.&#8221;</p>
<p>And there lies the dilemma. While Burke thinks that fines might be the answer to further reducing piracy among the adult population, he&#8217;s going to have a crisis on his hands if he starts targeting his big problem group &#8211; children. Kids can be sued in Australia but that sounds like a horrible proposition that will only undermine the campaign&#8217;s goals.</p>
<p>Whoever his company &#8216;fines&#8217; or goes on to sue, Burke says the money accrued will go back into education campaigns to further reduce piracy. It&#8217;s a model previously <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/student-hit-with-fine-in-riaa-case-090731/">employed by the RIAA</a>, who eventually abandoned the strategy.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128924
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 10/10/16
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-10-10-16
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/1nef5kaF1D4/
content:
<p><img src="media/c848fcbc.suicidesquad.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/suicidesquad.jpg" alt="suicidesquad" width="300" height="161" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128928">This week we have three newcomers in our chart. </p>
<p>Mechanic: Resurrection is the most downloaded movie.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the weekly movie download chart.</p>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Ranking</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>(<a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-100316/">last week</a>)</strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">torrentfreak.com</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/suicide-squad-torrent-downloads/">Suicide Squad</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386697/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmRih_VtVAs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/star-trek-beyond-torrent-downloads/">Star Trek Beyond</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2660888/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_trek_beyond">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mechanic-resurrection-torrent-downloads/">Mechanic: Resurrection</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3522806/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-P3f_wDXvs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/independence-day-resurgence-torrent-downloads/">Independence Day: Resurgence</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1628841/">5.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCe_JshWOZ0">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_infiltrator">The Infiltrator</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1355631/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7_M4hjXW1I">trailer</a></td>
<tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_civil_war">Captain America: Civil War</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3498820/">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrVegVI0Us">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ghostbusters_2016">Ghostbusters</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1289401/">5.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ugHP-yZXw">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_magnificent_seven_2016">The Magnificent Seven</a> (HD-TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2404435/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-RBA0xoaWU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lights-out-torrent-downloads/">Lights Out</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4786282/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct8kBEWmG_s">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ice_age_collision_course">Ice Age: Collision Course</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3416828/">5.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohq6NmKMja8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128900
title: MPAA Reports Pirate Sites and Hosting Providers to U.S. Government
uri: MPAA-Reports-Pirate-Sites-and-Hosting-Providers-to-U-S-Government
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/t8T2ifV5pSs/
content:
<p><a href="media/3b0329c8.mpaa-logo.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/mpaa-logo.png"><img src="media/fdb36aee.mpaa-logo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mpaa-logo.png" alt="mpaa-logo" width="259" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-89856"></a>Responding to a request from the Office of the US Trade Representative (<a href="http://www.ustr.gov/">USTR</a>), the MPAA has sent in its annual list of notorious markets.</p>
<p>In its latest submission the Hollywood group targets a wide variety of &#8220;rogue&#8221; sites and services which they claim are promoting the illegal distribution of movies and TV-shows, with declining incomes and lost jobs in the movie industry as a result.</p>
<p>&#8220;The criminals who profit from the most notorious markets throughout the world threaten the very heart of our industry and in so doing they threaten the livelihoods of the people who give it life,&#8221; the MPAA writes. </p>
<p>What&#8217;s new this year is that the MPAA calls out several hosting providers. These companies refuse to take pirate sites offline following complaints, even when the MPAA views them as blatantly violating the law.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hosting companies provide the essential infrastructure required to operate a website,&#8221; MPAA writes. &#8220;Given the central role of hosting providers in the online ecosystem, it is very concerning that many refuse to take action upon being notified.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Hollywood group specifically mentions <a href="https://privatelayer.com/">Private Layer</a>, <a href="https://www.altushost.com/">Altushost</a> and Netbrella, which are linked to various countries including the Netherlands, Panama, Sweden and Switzerland.</p>
<p>CDN provider CloudFlare is also named. As a US-based company it can&#8217;t be included in the list. However, MPAA explains that it is often used as an anonymization tool by sites and services that are mentioned in the report.</p>
<p>&#8220;An example of a CDN frequently exploited by notorious markets to avoid detection and enforcement is Cloudflare. CloudFlare is a CDN that also provides reverse proxy functionality. Reverse proxy functionality hides the real IP address of a web server.&#8221;</p>
<p>Stressing the importance of third-party services, the MPAA notes that domain name registrars can also be seen as possible “notorious markets.” As an example, the report mentions the Indian Public Domain Registry (PDR) which has repeatedly refused to take action against pirate sites.</p>
<p>At the heart of the MPAA&#8217;s report are as always the pirate sites themselves. This year they list 23 sites in separate categories, each with a suspected location, as defined by the movie industry group. </p>
<h4>Torrent Sites</h4>
<p>According to the MPAA, BitTorrent remains the most popular source of P2P piracy, despite the shutdowns of large sites such as KAT, Torrentz and YTS. </p>
<p>The Pirate Bay has traditionally been one of the main targets. Based on data from Alexa and SimilarWeb, the MPAA says that TPB has about 47 million unique visitors per month.</p>
<p>The MPAA writes that the site was hit by various enforcement actions in recent years. They also mistakenly suggest that the site is no longer the number one pirate site, but add that it gained traction after KAT and Torrentz were taken down.</p>
<p>&#8220;While it has never returned to its number one position, it has had a significant comeback after kat.cr and torrentz.eu went offline in 2016,&#8221; the MPAA writes.</p>
<p>ExtraTorrent is another prime target. The site offers millions of torrents and is affiliated with the Trust.Zone VPN, which they advertise on their site.</p>
<p>&#8220;Extratorrent.cc claims astonishing piracy statistics: offering almost three million free files with sharing optimized through over 64 million seeders and more than 39 million leechers. </p>
<p>&#8220;The homepage currently displays a message warning users to use a VPN when downloading torrents. Extratorrent.cc is affiliated with Trust.Zone,&#8221; MPAA adds.</p>
<p>The full list of reported torrent sites is as follows:</p>
<p><em>-1337x.to (Switzerland)<br>
-Extratorrent.cc (Latvia)<br>
-Rarbg.to (Bosnia and Herzegovina)<br>
-Rutracker.org (Russia)<br>
-ThePirateBay.org (Unknown)</em></p>
<h4>Direct Download and Streaming Cyberlockers</h4>
<p>The second category of pirate sites reported by the MPAA are cyberlockers. The movie industry group points out that these sites generate millions of dollars in revenue, citing a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/report-brands-dotcoms-mega-a-piracy-haven-140918/">report</a> from Netnames. </p>
<p>The &#8220;Movshare Group,&#8221; which allegedly operates Nowvideo.sx, Movshare.net, Novamov.com, Videoweed.es, Nowdownload.ch, Divxstage.to and several other pirate sites is a particularly large threat, they say.</p>
<p>As in previous submissions VKontakte, Russia&#8217;s equivalent of Facebook, is also listed as a notorious market. </p>
<p><em>-Allmyvideos.net (Netherlands)<br>
-Nowvideo.sx and the “Movshare Group” (several locations)<br>
-Openload.co (Netherlands)<br>
-Rapidgator.net (Russia)<br>
-Uploaded.net (Netherlands/Switzerland)<br>
-VK.com (Russia)</em></p>
<h4>Linking Websites</h4>
<p>Finally, there are various linking websites, many of which focus on a foreign audience. These sites don&#8217;t host the infringing material, but only link to it. The full list of linking sites is as follows.</p>
<p><em>123movies.to (Unknown)<br>
-Filmesonlinegratis.net (Brazil/Portugal)<br>
-Kinogo.club (Netherlands)<br>
-Movie4k.to (Russia)<br>
-Newmovie-hd.com (Thailand)<br>
-Pelis24.com (Spain/Mexico/Argentina/Venezuela/Peru/Chile)<br>
-Primewire.ag (Switzerland)<br>
-Projectfreetv.at (Romania)<br>
-Putlocker.is (Switzerland/Vietnam)<br>
-Repelis.tv (Mexico/Argentina/Spain/Peru/Venezuela)<br>
-Watchseries.ac (France)</em></p>
<p>In its closing comments the Hollywood industry group calls on USTR and the U.S. government at large to help combat these threats, either directly or by encouraging foreign nations to take action.</p>
<p>&#8220;We strongly support efforts by the U.S. government to work with trading partners to protect and enforce intellectual property rights and, in so doing, protect U.S. jobs,&#8221; the MPAA concludes.</p>
<p><em>MPAA&#8217;s full submission is <a href="media/015b1bd9.MPAA-USTR-2016.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/MPAA-USTR-2016.pdf">available here</a>.</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128990
title: BREIN Tracks Down YouTube Pirate, Warns Others
uri: BREIN-Tracks-Down-YouTube-Pirate-Warns-Others
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FTNW3HWNpaw/
content:
<p><img src="media/34e023fb.sadyoutube.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/sadyoutube.jpg" alt="sadyoutube" width="275" height="196" class="alignright size-full wp-image-117196">In the present day and age piracy is perhaps more scattered than it&#8217;s ever been. </p>
<p>Torrent sites, streaming services, cyberlockers, mobile apps, linking sites and many more are all labeled as infringing sources. </p>
<p>But, the piracy problem is not restricted to &#8216;shady&#8217; sites and services alone. On many &#8216;legal&#8217; platforms there&#8217;s a wide availability of copyright infringing material as well, YouTube included.</p>
<p>Despite the availability of fingerprinting technology in YouTube&#8217;s controversial Content-ID system, it&#8217;s very easy to find full copies of popular films on the site, as <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-shows-megaupload-how-its-done-with-christmas-pirate-movies-121225/">we&#8217;ve illustrated</a> in the past.</p>
<p>This is also what an observant Dutch copyright holder discovered a few days ago. However, instead of merely issuing a takedown notice, the rightsholder contacted local anti-piracy outfit BREIN.</p>
<p>BREIN, which has a track record of going after pirate uploaders of all shapes and sizes, took immediate action. The group managed to trace the person behind the &#8216;anonymous&#8217; YouTube account, who had promised viewers that he&#8217;d upload a new movie every week.</p>
<p>&#8220;BREIN managed to identify the anonymous uploader and forced him to cease his infringing activities,&#8221; the <a href="http://stichtingbrein.nl/nieuws.php?id=419">group writes</a>, adding that YouTube uploaders may have to pay for their infringing activities. </p>
<p>&#8220;On YouTube, illegal uploaders should also be aware that they could face a cease and desist order with a penalty clause for future infringements, and a settlement amount for those committed in the past.&#8221;</p>
<p>In this case the infringer, who is described as a &#8220;young man&#8221;, was let off without having to pay any damages but BREIN adds that repeat infringers may not be as lucky.</p>
<p>&#8220;In this particular case we have settled without payment of compensation from the uploader, that will be different in case of repeat infringement,&#8221; BREIN director Tim Kuik informs TorrentFreak. </p>
<p>Although the anti-piracy group didn&#8217;t need YouTube to hand over the personal details of the uploader, BREIN says it can take the necessary legal action to do so if needed. Previously, they did the same with an <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-must-expose-ebook-pirate-court-rules-151006/">eBook pirate</a> who used Google Play. </p>
<p>This is not the first time that BREIN has targeted an individual uploader. Earlier this year it also focused on <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-kickasstorrents-uploader-stung-for-e7500-160505/">Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents</a> uploaders, a prolific <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/brein-settles-with-prolific-usenet-uploader-for-e15000-160804/">Usenet uploader</a>, and a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/brein-tracks-down-facebook-music-pirate-settles-for-e7000-160818/">Facebook music pirate</a>. These were all ordered to pay thousands of euros in damages. </p>
<p>While we don&#8217;t know the exact circumstances it&#8217;s possible that the YouTube uploader was a minor, which may explain the lack of a monetary settlement. For BREIN, however, the larger goal is to let pirates know that they are vulnerable, also on YouTube.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129015
title: Court Rejects Massive Torrent Damages Claim, Admin Avoids Jail
uri: Court-Rejects-Massive-Torrent-Damages-Claim-Admin-Avoids-Jail
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/6JmlKOtTvKQ/
content:
<p><img src="media/14cc0b6b.swepiracy.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/swepiracy.jpg" width="180" height="50" alt="" class="alignright size-large">Founded a decade ago in 2006, SwePiracy grew to become one of the most famous private torrent sites on the Swedish scene. As such, it became a target for anti-piracy outfits.</p>
<p>In February 2012 following an investigation by anti-piracy group Antipiratbyrån (now Rights Alliance), police in Sweden and the Netherlands took coordinated action to shut down the site.</p>
<p>Earlier this year its now 25-year-old operator appeared in court to answer charges relating to the unlawful distribution of a sample 27 movies between March 2011 and February 2012. The prosecution demanded several years in prison and nearly $3 million (25k kronor) in damages. </p>
<p>During the trial last month, SwePiracy defense lawyer Per E. Samuelsson, who also represents Julian Assange and previously took part in The Pirate Bay trial, said the claims against his client were <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrent-site-founder-faces-outrageous-damages-claim-lawyer-says-160917/">the most unreasonable</a> he’d seen in his 35 years as a lawyer.</p>
<p>After deliberating for three weeks, the Norrköping District Court handed down its decision today. SwePiracy&#8217;s former operator was found guilty of copyright infringement but it appears the prosecution&#8217;s demands for extremely harsh punishment were largely dismissed.</p>
<p>The torrent site operator avoided a lengthy jail sentence and was sentenced to probation and 100 hours community service instead. The prosecution&#8217;s claim for damages was dramatically reduced from millions to &#8216;just&#8217; $148,000, payable to movie outfit Nordisk Film. On top, the state confiscated $45,600 said to have been generated by SwePiracy.</p>
<p>While the sentence certainly could&#8217;ve been worse, it appears that the 25-year-old will still mount an appeal.</p>
<p>&#8220;I have been in contact with my client and we will appeal both the conviction and the issue of damages. He thinks that the court went high with the damages,&#8221; Per E. Samuelsson <a href="http://www.idg.se/2.1085/1.667296/asa-nisse-dom-swepiracy">told</a> IDG.</p>
<p>And it appears the prosecution aren&#8217;t happy with the outcome either. Henrik Pontén from Rights Alliance says that Nordisk Film may also appeal since the District Court failed to apply principles previously applied in the trial of The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>The parties have until November 1 to file an appeal.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129025
title: New Anti-Piracy Unit Takes Over UK Anti-Camming Operations
uri: New-Anti-Piracy-Unit-Takes-Over-UK-Anti-Camming-Operations
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/sXm8riJpwUM/
content:
<p><a href="media/bfbc3855.cammer1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cammer1.jpg"><img src="media/bfbc3855.cammer1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cammer1.jpg" alt="cammer1" width="210" height="122" class="alignright size-full wp-image-65828"></a>According to the movie industry the most damaging form of piracy involves the distribution of films that are not yet released or are enjoying their first-run in theaters.</p>
<p>The claim makes some sense. Due to the business model employed by the studios, titles still in cinemas are usually not available for consumption elsewhere, meaning that it&#8217;s impossible to compete for that business.</p>
<p>As a result, much time and effort is expended trying to stop people recording (&#8216;camming&#8217;) movies in theaters. In the United States it&#8217;s an extremely serious offense punishable by jail time, and over in the UK those who record and then upload to the Internet can receive the same treatment.</p>
<p>The job of catching these people has usually fallen to two UK bodies &#8211; The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and the Film Distributors&#8217; Association (FDA). In the past, the FDA fully sponsored a dedicated FACT investigator with duties that included staff training and building relationships with the police. Now, however, things are on the move.</p>
<p>The FDA says it has launched a new anti-piracy unit. Titled the <a href="http://launchingfilms.com/filmcontentprotectionagency/">Film Content Protection Agency</a>, it will take over the work previously carried out by FACT. According to Screen Daily, several of FACT&#8217;s theatrical experts will be rolled into the new unit.</p>
<p>Back in May, it was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-withdraws-funding-for-uk-anti-piracy-group-fact-160524/">announced</a> that Hollywood will withdraw its funding for FACT, ending a 30-year relationship and depriving the anti-piracy group of 50% of its budget. Now it appears that the Motion Picture Association has thrown its support behind the FDA&#8217;s new unit instead.</p>
<p>“Cinema security is a key priority for the industry and the MPA welcomes this important step by FDA,” <a href="http://www.screendaily.com/news/uks-fda-launches-new-cinema-anti-piracy-unit-fcpa/5110141.article">said</a> Stan McCoy, MPA president and managing director for EMEA.</p>
<p>“We will work closely with the new unit to analyze threats and offer practical support as it fulfils its UK-wide remit on behalf of film distributors and other partners.”</p>
<p>According to the UK&#8217;s Companies House, the Film Content Protection Agency was formed as a limited company <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10275798/filing-history">during the summer</a>, registered to the FDA&#8217;s Kingly Street address in London.</p>
<p>At the time of incorporation, the FCPA had a single director, 85-year-old <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/search?q=barbara+kahan">Barbara Kahan</a>, who remained in the role for a whole day and then resigned. Kahan is rather active for an octagenarian. According to the government, she&#8217;s held posts in more than <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/ZYOJZ3451qdjfJ3C1dHK08bcm44/appointments">18,000 companies</a>.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s possible that Kahan set up the new anti-piracy company and then resigned, but that left FCPA without any directors or people with significant control. What&#8217;s also problematic is the state of the new website set up to promote the new anti-piracy group.</p>
<p>Currently it&#8217;s completely non-functional, having gone down sometime in the past couple of days. However, when the site was up it was providing information on the unit and detailing its goals. While most of the claims seemed fairly accurate, one particular section caught our eye.</p>
<p>Titled &#8220;It&#8217;s the Law&#8221;, the section stated that &#8220;The penalty for online copyright theft is up to a maximum of 10 years&#8217; imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine – in line with the theft of physical goods.&#8221;</p>
<p><center><br>
<h5>Search snapshot of the currently-down site</h5>
<p><a href="media/9d4dcba3.fcpa-law.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fcpa-law.jpg"><img src="media/9d4dcba3.fcpa-law.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fcpa-law.jpg" alt="fcpa-law" width="650" height="136" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129038"></a></center></p>
<p>While all anti-piracy outfits hope this will indeed become true in the months to come, the above statement is certainly not accurate under current UK law.</p>
<p>Ignoring the deliberate replacement of &#8216;infringement&#8217; with &#8216;theft&#8217; (which is not helpful when advising the public about legal matters), the current maximum prison sentence in the UK for online infringement is two years. </p>
<p>Amendments to boost punishments are indeed underway as part of the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-bill-introduces-10-year-prison-sentence-for-online-pirates-160706/">Digital Economy Bill</a> but they <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/10-years-in-prison-for-online-pirates-a-step-closer-in-the-uk-160914/">still in progress</a> in the House of Commons and are many stages away from being written into law.</p>
<p>Only time will tell how the new anti-piracy unit will manifest itself but it seems likely that it will maintain the same pressure applied for years by FACT, but under a new banner.</p>
<p>FDA President Lord Puttnam welcomed the creation of the new unit.</p>
<p>“I’m delighted this new unit is up and running,&#8221; said FDA President Lord Puttnam.</p>
<p>&#8220;It’s an important addition to the distributors’ armoury in safeguarding theatrical releases and enabling UK audiences to enjoy films to their maximum effect in legitimate formats.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129097
title: Insanely Popular YouTuber KSI Goes F****ing Ballistic at Movie Pirates
uri: Insanely-Popular-YouTuber-KSI-Goes-F-ing-Ballistic-at-Movie-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/SjKeSfqTr60/
content:
<p><a href="media/4bef5250.ksi-4.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-4.jpg"><img src="media/4bef5250.ksi-4.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-4.jpg" alt="ksi-4" width="240" height="193" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129109"></a>If YouTube stars are the world&#8217;s next big celebrities, Olajide &#8220;JJ&#8221; Olatunji, Jr. plays in the big league.</p>
<p>Also known as KSI, the UK-based YouTubing, videogaming, rapper-come-comedian has amassed a  staggering 14.76m subscribers. For perspective, giant music channel Vevo has two million less.</p>
<p>KSI is currently running the 22nd most-subscribed YouTube channel on the planet and with more than three billion views, he&#8217;s a truly influencial global player.</p>
<p>All this fame has opened up plenty of opportunities for the millionaire 23-year-old. In addition to launching a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzpg8qbSJIE">rap career</a>, KSI has just starred in a movie with fellow YouTuber <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/dicasp">Caspar Lee</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://laidinamericamovie.com/">Laid in America</a> is the story of two guys attempting to do what the title suggests and for those interested in assessing their success, the movie has just come out on Blu-ray. However, it&#8217;s also available on torrent sites and KSI is far from impressed.</p>
<p>In a seven-minute video addressed to fans of both kinds (those who pay and those who do not), the YouTube megastar goes completely off the deep end. For his fans his bad language and crazy antics aren&#8217;t anything new but as anti-piracy rants go, this one is pretty epic.</p>
<p>&#8220;Stop pirating the fucking movie. For fuck&#8217;s sake man!&#8221; he begins. &#8220;I get it, I get it why people pirate. If there&#8217;s no physical way of getting what you want then yeah, I get it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Highlighting a free music track called &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg7v22-S12A">For The Summer</a>&#8221; that he previously released with Randolph, KSI says that it&#8217;s OK for people to consume that how they like. Torrenting his movie, on the other hand, is completely unacceptable.</p>
<p>&#8220;[Since it has a price tag], evidently this shit is not for free,&#8221; KSI says. &#8220;Trust me, there isn&#8217;t a shortage of places where you can go to get this fucking thing. So why the fuck are you watching it without paying for it? You stealing mother-fucking piece of shit.&#8221;</p>
<p>KSI then goes on to question whether people are pirating his movie because they don&#8217;t like him, specifically since he&#8217;s a &#8220;black guy doing alright for himself.&#8221; With almost 15 million subscribers, that hardly seems likely.</p>
<p>But while his delivery may be unorthodox, KSI&#8217;s anti-piracy message is pretty standard. In fact, his message is SO familiar it could&#8217;ve been penned by the PR department of any major Hollywood studio.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not the only one that made this movie. There were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that made this movie. It&#8217;s not just me you&#8217;re fucking over, you&#8217;re fucking over so many people,&#8221; he explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re fucking over the producer, director, actors, people who did the music, the cameramen, the lighting crew, the set crew. Seriously, it&#8217;s fucking ridiculous. Laid in America is going to be the most illegally downloaded movie of last month and this month as well, what the fuck?&#8221;</p>
<p>While that claim isn&#8217;t true, the thought that KSI&#8217;s Hollywood-style rant might be industry-sponsored in some way is a pretty tantalizing one as it would reach an audience the studios couldn&#8217;t easily reach by other means. Whether it would work is another matter, however.</p>
<p>But for what it&#8217;s worth, KSI says he doesn&#8217;t care about the money being lost through downloads, he only wants to get enough sales so he can make Laid in America 2. With that in mind, this kind of tweet only provokes him further.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/a5882edc.doctur.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/doctur.jpg" alt="doctur" width="576" height="610" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129124"></center></p>
<p>Faced with torrent taunts, KSI turns his rant up to 11, threatening violence against pirates, calling them unrepeatable words, and promising to use them as a toilet. He says he simply can&#8217;t grasp the idea that after giving all of his videos away for free, the one time he asks people to pay, they won&#8217;t. Welcome to the Internet.</p>
<p>KSI is quite a character and while he comes over as wild, he certainly knows what he&#8217;s doing. No doubt he&#8217;s angry (or maybe his distributor Universal Studios is angry) that people are pirating his movie but he also knows his rants about the topic are making him money while attracting even more attention. </p>
<p>Thus far, the video embedded below has almost 1.9 million views but KSI&#8217;s change of tone halfway through suggests he really does care about his stuff getting pirated. Maybe that&#8217;s part of the show too, but it&#8217;s fairly convincing. (Warning:NSFW x2)</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bYmm_QrF618" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>Finally, as any YouTube visitor knows, the comments on the site can be absolutely vicious and those under KSI&#8217;s video are no different. There are hundreds informing the YouTube star that his movie is going to get pirated anyway but there are also some pointing out that KSI has no right to ask other people not to pirate.</p>
<p>Apparently, some time ago, KSI was found out to be using a pirated version of Sony Vegas to create his YouTube videos. His &#8216;fans&#8217; aren&#8217;t letting him forget that but in true rebellious fashion, KSI isn&#8217;t letting it bother him either.</p>
<p>Armed with an image depicting himself as a pirate, KSI fired right back.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/3d5656da.ksi-2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-2.png"><img src="media/3d5656da.ksi-2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-2.png" alt="ksi-2" width="650" height="652" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129101"></a></center></p>
<p>Touché&#8230;&#8230;.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129031
title: RIAA Seize Domain Name of The ‘Wrong’ MP3Skull Website
uri: RIAA-Seize-Domain-Name-of-The-Wrong-MP3Skull-Website
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/UEafU120yGs/
content:
<p><img src="media/6f6c293d.mp3skullnew.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mp3skullnew.jpg" alt="mp3skullnew" width="270" height="75" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129035">Representing various major record labels, the RIAA filed a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/major-record-labels-sue-mp3skull-150420/">lawsuit</a> against MP3Skull April last year.</p>
<p>With millions of visitors per month the MP3 download site had been one of the prime sources of pirated music for a long time. This frustrated many music industry insiders who claimed millions in losses.</p>
<p>Earlier this year a Florida federal court sided with the RIAA awarding the labels more than <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-wins-22-million-piracy-lawsuit-against-mp3skull-160225/">$22 million</a> in damages. In addition, it issued a permanent injunction which allowed the RIAA to take over the site’s domain names.</p>
<p>Despite the million dollar verdict MP3Skull continued to operate for several months, using a variety of new domain names, which were subsequently targeted by the RIAA&#8217;s legal team. </p>
<p>The latest domain name it used was MP3Skull.vg. Initially, this served the original MP3 download portal, but late last month something changed. </p>
<p>All of a sudden, MP3Skull.vg redirected to MP3Skull.onl, an unrelated YouTube converter and direct download portal which has been operating independently for quite some time. </p>
<p>After some news articles started to <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2016/09/28/mp3-skull-still-millions-visitors/">confuse</a> the two services, MP3Skull.onl was quick to distance itself from its namesake.</p>
<p><center><strong>MP3Skull.onl&#8217;s tweets</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/15e82b96.mp3skulltweets.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mp3skulltweets.png" alt="mp3skulltweets" width="582" height="212" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129047"></center></p>
<p>&#8220;In the past we read some articles about our service. Learn something: We are not the old mp3skull and not the owner,&#8221; the site&#8217;s operator wrote on Twitter. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know why mp3skull.vg is redirecting to us, I think they just gave up.&#8221;</p>
<p>Indeed, there are no signs that the two MP3Skull&#8217;s are connected. The old MP3Skull domains are associated with Emp3world.ch, which is still online, but there are no links to MP3Skull.onl as far as we can see.</p>
<p>However, despite this clarification the RIAA appears to have been confused as well, since they took action and seized the MP3Skull.onl domain name without warning.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://whois.domaintools.com/mp3skull.onl">Whois information</a> currently lists the RIAA as the domain registrant and the <a href="http://mp3skull.onl/">domain itself</a> is no longer serving any content.</p>
<p><center><strong>MP3Skull.onl&#8217;s Whois</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/1d2efeee.onlwhois.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/onlwhois.png" alt="onlwhois" width="563" height="158" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129048"></center></p>
<p>A source familiar with the situation informs TorrentFreak that the domain name was targeted using the original MP3Skull injunction. This means that the RIAA appears to have seized a domain name of an unrelated third party.</p>
<p>While there is ground to argue that the &#8220;other&#8221; MP3Skull was facilitating copyright infringement, in principle it should not be targeted by an injunction that&#8217;s issued against an entirely different site. </p>
<p>These type of &#8216;mistakes&#8217; or broad applications, are exactly why digital rights activists protest broad website blocking efforts. </p>
<p>The YouTube MP3 converter and download site, meanwhile, has registered a new domain name and continues to operate from <a href="https://mp3.skull.to/">Mp3.skull.to</a>. The original MP3Skull seems to have given up for good.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak contacted the RIAA for a comment on the situation but we have yet to hear back. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129105
title: RIAA: CloudFlare Shields Pirates and Frustrates Blocking Efforts
uri: RIAA-CloudFlare-Shields-Pirates-and-Frustrates-Blocking-Efforts
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/09I0fMAXWiU/
content:
<p><img src="media/7abb2d22.cassette.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cassette.jpg" alt="cassette" width="200" height="150" class="alignright size-full wp-image-84245">Following in the footsteps of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-reports-pirate-sites-and-hosting-providers-to-u-s-government-161010/">the MPAA</a>, the RIAA has submitted its overview of “notorious markets” to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).</p>
<p>These annual submissions help to guide the U.S. Government’s position toward foreign countries when it comes to copyright enforcement. </p>
<p>This year the RIAA’s report includes 47 alleged pirate sites in various categories. As in previous years, popular torrent sites such as The Pirate Bay and ExtraTorrent are prominently mentioned. </p>
<p>There&#8217;s also a strong focus on so-called &#8220;stream-ripping&#8221; sites. While these have been around for roughly a decade, the music industry sees them as a growing threat, which is also evidenced by the recent <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/a-closer-look-at-the-riaa-lawsuit-against-youtube-mp3-161001/">lawsuit</a> against YouTube-MP3.</p>
<p>According to the music group, it is getting harder to target these sites, as they are increasingly taking precautions. </p>
<p>&#8220;It is exceedingly difficult to track, enforce against, and accurately associate various notorious websites,&#8221; RIAA writes, listing domain hopping, reverse proxy services and anonymous domain name registrations as the main factors. </p>
<p><center><strong>Obstructing factors</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/7bf2eaa6.riaaharder.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/riaaharder.png" alt="riaaharder" width="559" height="253" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129133"></center></p>
<p>The Pirate Bay is one of the prime examples of a site that has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-is-back-to-square-one-after-months-of-domain-hopping-151231/">switched domain names</a> in the past. Due to various enforcement efforts it burnt through more than a dozen domains with ease. </p>
<p>In addition, TPB and other pirate sites are increasingly using the popular CDN <a href="https://www.cloudflare.com/">CloudFlare</a>. Besides saving costs, it also acts as a reverse proxy and shields the true hosting location from public view. </p>
<p>This hasn&#8217;t gone unnoticed by the RIAA which repeatedly mentions CloudFlare in its report.</p>
<p>&#8220;BitTorrent sites, like many other pirate sites, are increasing (sic) turning to Cloudflare because routing their site through Cloudflare obfuscates the IP address of the actual hosting provider, masking the location of the site,&#8221; the RIAA writes.  </p>
<p>Throughout the report the RIAA attempts to point out the hosting location of all pirate sites, but it often has to put down &#8220;obfuscated by Cloudflare&#8221; instead.</p>
<p><center><strong>Obstructing factors</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/9ad7bd13.obfuscloud.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/obfuscloud.png" alt="obfuscloud" width="390" height="145" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129132"></center></p>
<p>Aside from making it harder to identify the hosting location, CloudFlare can also make it harder for ISPs to block websites.</p>
<p>Traditionally, some ISPs have blocked pirate sites by IP-address, but this is no longer an option since CloudFlare customers share IPs with other sites, which can <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-blockade-censors-cloudflare-customers-150424/">lead to overblocking</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;The use of Cloudflare’s services can also act to frustrate site-blocking orders because multiple non-infringing sites may share a Cloudflare IP address with the infringing  site,&#8221; the RIAA notes in its report.</p>
<p>While CloudFlare itself isn&#8217;t tagged as a notorious site, the fact that both the RIAA and MPAA are highlighting the service in their report is not without reason. The industry groups are likely to demand a more proactive anti-piracy policy from CloudFlare in the future.</p>
<p>Apart from all the doom and gloom, there is also a positive development. After being labeled as a notorious pirate site for years, the RIAA has taken social network VK.com off its list. This is the direct result of licensing agreements between the site and various major labels.</p>
<p>&#8220;Russia’s vKontakte has now reached <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vkontakt-universal-sign-anti-piracy-licensing-deal-160718/">licensing agreements</a> with major record companies and has thus been removed from our list,&#8221; the RIAA writes. </p>
<p>Finally, it’s worth noting that MP3Skull is no longer on the list. As we suggested yesterday, the RIAA believes that the people behind the site switched their operation to Emp3world.ch. Curiously, this knowledge didn&#8217;t prevent them from seizing the domain name of a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-seize-domain-name-wrong-mp3skull-website-161012/">seemingly unrelated site</a>.</p>
<p>The full list of RIAA&#8217;s &#8220;notorious&#8221; pirate sites can be found below, and the full report is available here (<a href="media/64dc29f8.RIAA_2016_Notorious_Markets_Submission_.pdf" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/RIAA_2016_Notorious_Markets_Submission_.pdf">pdf</a>). </p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><strong>Stream-Ripping Sites</strong></p>
<p><em>&#8211; Youtube-mp3.org<br>
&#8211; Mp3juices.cc<br>
&#8211; Convert2mp3.net<br>
&#8211; Aiomp3.com<br>
&#8211; Clipconverter.cc<br>
&#8211; Savefrom.net<br>
&#8211; Youtube2mp3.cc<br>
&#8211; Onlinevideoconverter.com</em></p>
<p><strong>Search-and-Download Sites</strong></p>
<p><em>&#8211; Emp3world.ch<br>
&#8211; Audiocastle.biz<br>
&#8211; Viperial2.com<br>
&#8211; Im1music.info<br>
&#8211; Albumkings.com<br>
&#8211; Newalbumreleases.net</em></p>
<p><strong>BitTorrent Indexing and Tracker Sites</strong></p>
<p><em>&#8211; Thepiratebay.org<br>
&#8211; Extratorrent.cc<br>
&#8211; Bitsnoop.com<br>
&#8211; Isohunt.to<br>
&#8211; Torrentdownloads.me<br>
&#8211; LimeTorrents.cc<br>
&#8211; Rarbg.to<br>
&#8211; 1337x.to</em></p>
<p><strong>Cyberlockers</strong></p>
<p><em>&#8211; 4shared.com<br>
&#8211; Uploaded.net<br>
&#8211; Zippyshare.com<br>
&#8211; Rapidgator.net<br>
&#8211; Dopefile.pk<br>
&#8211; Chomikuj.pl<br>
&#8211; Turbobit.net<br>
&#8211; Hitfile.net<br>
&#8211; 1fichier.com<br>
&#8211; Bigfile.to<br>
&#8211; Share-online.biz<br>
&#8211; Ulozto.cz</em></p>
<p><strong>Unlicensed Pay-for-Download Sites</strong></p>
<p><em>&#8211; Mp3va.com<br>
&#8211; Soundsbox.com<br>
&#8211; Iomoio.com<br>
&#8211; Soundike.com<br>
&#8211; Payplay.fm<br>
&#8211; Mp3million.com<br>
&#8211; Megaboon.com<br>
&#8211; Melodishop.com<br>
&#8211; Melodysale.com<br>
&#8211; Mp3caprice.com<br>
&#8211; Ivave.com<br>
&#8211; Mediasack.com<br>
&#8211; Goldenmp3.ru</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129217
title: Police Arrest Five in Major Streaming Site Crackdown
uri: Police-Arrest-Five-in-Major-Streaming-Site-Crackdown
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/rp8xriOzv5I/
content:
<p><img src="media/fb51cdd1.blackbeard-e1476428774890.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blackbeard-e1476428774890.jpg" alt="blackbeard" width="175" height="232" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129220">Last November, Federal Police in Brazil launched Operation Blackbeard, a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/arrests-as-police-target-latin-americas-largest-pirate-site-151119/">coordinated action</a> to take down MegaFilmesHD.net, Latin America’s most popular pirate site.</p>
<p>Launched in 2010 and mainly serving the Portuguese-speaking market, MegaFilmesHD had been pulling in a reported 60 million visits per month. </p>
<p>Police made several arrests, including the presumed operators of the site. Four cars, quantities of cash, and bank accounts were seized. The MPAA had <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-and-mpaa-report-notorious-piracy-sites-to-u-s-government-151007/">reported</a> the streaming portal to the United States Trade Representative just a month earlier.</p>
<p>Now, just 11 months on, the authorities are back to complete their unfinished business. Launching the second phase of Operation Blackbird, yesterday police moved against what they describe as a &#8220;criminal gang&#8221; dedicated to profiting from online infringement.</p>
<p>After executing seven search warrants in four states &#8211; São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraíba and Pernambuco &#8211; a total of five people were arrested. Three major local streaming sites were the targets</p>
<p>In operation since 2009, Filmesonlinegratis.net is said to be the 57th most-visited site in Brazil with 36 million monthly visits over the past six months. It offers 11,000 titles for streaming and generates revenue from advertising. Despite the raid, it is currently still online.</p>
<p>According to <a href="http://odia.ig.com.br/brasil/2016-10-13/pf-prende-5-pessoas-e-determina-bloqueio-de-tres-sites-de-pirataria-de-filmes.html">local media</a>, Megafilmeshd20.org was Brazil&#8217;s 119th most-visited site with 17 million visits per month during the past six months. It offered 6,000 titles without obtaining consent from rightsholders while generating revenue from advertising. It is currently offline.</p>
<p>Armagedomfilmes.biz is said to have enjoyed 11 million visits per month as Brazil&#8217;s 179th most popular site. Founded in 2009, it offered 8,000 titles for streaming while generating money from ads. Its domain appears to have been seized by the authorities and now shows the banner below.</p>
<p><Center><a href="media/11bc4300.brazil-seize.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/brazil-seize.png"><img src="media/af175ad7.brazil-seize.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/brazil-seize.png" alt="brazil-seize" width="591" height="369" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129221"></a></center></p>
<p>According to police, together the sites received around three-quarters of a billion visits between them each year while making available thousands of titles focusing on the Brazilian, Portuguese and Japanese markets.</p>
<p>If found guilty, authorities say the suspects face jail sentences of up to eight years for membership of a criminal organization, four years for copyright infringement offenses, plus fines.</p>
<p>Local media reports that the operation to shut down the sites received international support from Interpol.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129111
title: AllMyVideos.net to Shut Down, No Longer Profitable
uri: AllMyVideos-net-to-Shut-Down-No-Longer-Profitable
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Aq1kwlkfRqg/
content:
<p><img src="media/f85165ef.allmyvideos.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/allmyvideos.png" alt="allmyvideos" width="281" height="104" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129203">Founded five years ago, <a href="http://allmyvideos.net/">AllMyVideos.net</a> has become a household name in the video-hosting world. </p>
<p>With millions of users per month it is the go-to site for many, but this is about to change as a message on the homepage warns. </p>
<p>&#8220;We are sorry to inform everyone that effective October 23, 2016 Allmyvideos.net will stop accepting new uploads and the site will close fully at the end of the month,&#8221; the site announced.  </p>
<p>The announcement coincides with a submission from the Hollywood industry group MPAA to the U.S. Government, which <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-reports-pirate-sites-and-hosting-providers-to-u-s-government-161010/">listed AllMyVideos</a> as one of the top pirates sites.</p>
<p>However, according to the operator of the site, prospective legal issues are not the reason why they&#8217;re pulling the plug. The site was forced to take this drastic step due to a lack of revenue.</p>
<p>&#8220;Honestly, the main reason why the site is closing is the fact that the video hosting business is not profitable any longer, not by any means. Over the years making the site break even has become a massive issue,&#8221; Bill from AllMyVideos tells us.</p>
<p>Like many other sites that are often associated with piracy, it&#8217;s hard to get decent paying ads that are not peddling malware. In addition, payment providers often refuse to work with these type of sites, while overall subscriptions revenues are dropping.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s very difficult to get ads that will cover the bandwidth. And AllMyVideos sold maybe five premium subscriptions a week over the last few months, for a total of around $200,&#8221; Bill says. </p>
<p>The lack of revenue runs directly counter to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/report-brands-dotcoms-mega-a-piracy-haven-140918/">a report</a> that was published by the Hollywood-backed Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA) two years ago. This report claimed that these hosting services are highly profitable with huge profit margins.</p>
<p>For example, DCA&#8217;s report estimated the site to have a yearly profit of $997,587, with a very healthy profit ratio of close to 85%. </p>
<p><center>Cyberlocker revenues, estimated by DCA<br></br></center><center><img src="media/2e124f45.dcaestimate.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dcaestimate.jpg" alt="dcaestimate" width="600" height="263" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129235"></center></p>
<p>AllmMyVideos says that these figures don&#8217;t make any sense, which is evidenced by the fact that they are not shutting down due to a lack of profits.</p>
<p>&#8220;Honestly, I don&#8217;t know how the MPAA thinks people make money off hosting. The unreal $ values they come up with are insane. A profit margin of -20% is more like it,&#8221; Bill tells us.</p>
<p>The site is not the first to cite money issues as a reason to quit. Earlier this year other file-hosting services shut their doors for the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/three-large-file-hosting-sites-announce-shutdown-160310/">same reason</a>, and torrent site TorrentHound also cited financial problems as <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrenthound-shuts-down-another-big-torrent-site-bites-the-dust-160915/">one of the main factors</a> to throw in the towel.</p>
<p>In recent years, rights holders and industry groups have pushed hard to cut the money stream to pirate sites in any way they can, which appears to have had some effect.</p>
<p>DCA&#8217;s profit report, for example, was used to get payment processors to stop serving file-hosting services. Similarly, advertisers are also frequently warned not to do business with these and other &#8220;pirate&#8221; sites.</p>
<p>For AllMyVideos these reflections are moot. While they&#8217;ve enjoyed their ride, the team behind the site is ready to move on to new adventures.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s been five years and it&#8217;s sad to see the site close. My team has met a lot of great people and wishes everyone the best of luck,&#8221; Bill concludes. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129113
title: Putlocker.is Mysteriously Goes Down
uri: Putlocker-is-Mysteriously-Goes-Down
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/p8JnxV-0wsw/
content:
<p><img src="media/e9fc9c01.putlockeris-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/putlockeris-1.png" alt="putlockeris" width="275" height="101" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129241">With dozens of millions of monthly views, <a href="http://putlocker.is/">Putlocker.is</a> is the go-to video streaming site for many people. </p>
<p>The site ranks among the <a href="http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/putlocker.is#trafficstats">250 most-visited</a> websites on the Internet and is particularly popular in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa.</p>
<p>However, starting three days ago the site suddenly became inaccessible. While a brief downtime stint is nothing unusual for these type of sites, the prolonged downtime is cause for concern among users. </p>
<p>Many are voicing their frustration after being confronted by yet another CloudFlare downtime banner, showing them that the site&#8217;s servers are still unresponsive. </p>
<p>&#8220;Putlocker is down so I no longer have a reason to live,&#8221; one user dramatically <a href="https://twitter.com/LYRICALBONES/status/786861665744719872?lang=en">announced</a>. </p>
<p>&#8220;Putlocker has been down the whole day. I&#8217;m going through serious withdrawals,&#8221; another <a href="https://twitter.com/KKPKailin/status/786280296446586880">added</a>.</p>
<p><center><strong>Putlocker.is down</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/19be35e8.putlockercf.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/putlockercf.png" alt="putlockercf" width="600" height="411" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129242"></center></p>
<p>Looking for answers, TorrentFreak tried to contact the Putlocker.is team on their known support address. However, this email returned an error message as well. </p>
<p>As far as we can see the current problems are related to the site&#8217;s servers. The domain name itself is operating as it should and hasn&#8217;t been seized or suspended by the registrar. </p>
<p>Interestingly, the downtime occurs right after Hollywood&#8217;s MPAA <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-reports-pirate-sites-and-hosting-providers-to-u-s-government-161010/">reported the site</a> to the United States Trade Representative, describing it as one of the largest piracy threats.</p>
<p>&#8220;Putlocker.is is the most visited infringing English language video streaming link site in the world,&#8221; the MPAA wrote.</p>
<p>According to the MPAA the site is believed to operate from Vietnam, with its servers being hosted at the Swiss company Private Layer. Whether there&#8217;s a direct relation between the report and the downtime is unclear though.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, several &#8220;other&#8221; Putlockers are <a href="media/85980d67.putback.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/putback.png">seizing the opportunity</a> to gain some traction, at least for the time being. Whether the real Putlocker.is will return as well has yet to be seen.</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> The Whois information for Putlocker.is was updated today and shows a new owner. This means that something is happening. We&#8217;ll keep an eye on the situation.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129073
title: Lawmakers Warned That 10 Year Sentences Could Apply to File-Sharers
uri: Lawmakers-Warned-That-10-Year-Sentences-Could-Apply-to-File-Sharers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Tr-oolkFXrs/
content:
<p><img src="media/e928f84b.uk-flag.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/uk-flag.jpg" width="200" height="179" alt="" class="alignright size-large">Under current UK legislation, pirates of physical media such as CDs and DVDs can be jailed for up to 10 years. On the other hand, those committing similar offenses online can be jailed for &#8216;only&#8217; two years.</p>
<p>This has led to anti-piracy groups such as the Federation Against Copyright Theft choosing to pursue their own private prosecutions under the Fraud Act, which allows for much tougher sentences.</p>
<p>In an effort to fix this disparity, earlier this year a new draft of the Digital Economy Bill contained plans to extend the current &#8216;online&#8217; prison term from two to ten years. The relevant section amends the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and simply replaces the word two with ten.</p>
<p>On its way to becoming law, the Bill has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/10-years-in-prison-for-online-pirates-a-step-closer-in-the-uk-160914/">been progressing</a> through various stages in the House of Commons. This week, however, concerns were raised over the precise wording of the amendments. The image below shows how they currently stand.</p>
<p><center><br><img src="media/de13f4e2.digec.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/digec.png" alt="digec" width="598" height="221" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-124554"></center></p>
<p>Despite assurances from MPs that 10-year sentences are directed at large-scale commercial pirates, the text above does not clearly reflect that goal. In fact, just about any online infringer could be swept up in its net, a point not lost on Jim Killock, executive director of the <a href="https://www.openrightsgroup.org/">Open Rights Group</a> (ORG), who this week appeared before MPs.</p>
<p>In an exchange with Nigel Adams MP in the Commons, Killock said that ORG is concerned that ordinary members of the public could be affected by the amendments.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are worried about the impact of this on people who should not be criminalized and who we thought the Government were not trying to criminalize in this case,&#8221; Killock said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our position is that if the Government are going to extend the sentence and have the same sentence online as offline for criminal copyright infringement — that is to say, 10 years — then they need to be very careful about how the lines are drawn, because the offenses are quite different.&#8221;</p>
<p>Killock said that offline criminal copyright infringement is all about criminal gangs duplicating things like DVDs, but online things are harder to define because everything looks like the same act &#8211; publication.</p>
<p>&#8220;You put something on the internet, it is a publication. So how do you tell who is the criminal and who is the slightly idiotic teenager, or whatever it happens to be? How do you make sure that people who should not be threatened with copyright criminal sentences are not given those threats?&#8221; Killock asked the MP.</p>
<p>To illustrate his point, Killock spoke about the current state of copyright trolling in the UK by companies such as <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/sky-subscribers-hit-with-new-wave-of-piracy-notices-160415/">Golden Eye International</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;They have no specific knowledge that these people are actually the people doing the downloading, all they know is that somebody appears to have downloaded,&#8221; Killock said.</p>
<p>At this point Adams interrupted, stating that there&#8217;s no intent for the new legislation to affect regular file-sharers.</p>
<p>&#8220;The idea of the Bill is not to go after people who are downloading content, it is purely for those who are uploading content for commercial gain. That is the whole purpose,&#8221; Adams said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Unfortunately, that is not how the language of the offense reads,&#8221; Killock responded.</p>
<p>&#8220;The test in the offense is that somebody is &#8216;causing a loss&#8217;, which is defined as not paying a licence fee, or is &#8216;causing the risk of loss&#8217;, about which your guess is as good as mine, but it is essentially the same as making available, because if you have made something available and somebody else can then make a copy, and then infringe copyright further and avoid further licence fees, basically that is a criminal act,&#8221; the ORG chief explained.</p>
<p>&#8220;So file sharers, whether they are small or large, all appear to be criminal copyright thieves. Similarly, people who are publishing things on websites without a license are also potentially criminalized. Those things can be dealt with much better and more simply through civil courts and civil copyright action.&#8221;</p>
<p>So, to solve the problem of the legislation potentially targeting the wrong people, Killock suggested a tightening-up of the wording in the amendments.</p>
<p>&#8220;What we are calling for is either to get rid of those things which are attacking individuals and wrongly bringing individuals into scope, or to put thresholds of seriousness around the risk of loss and/or causing loss. Something like, &#8216;Serious risk of causing significant loss&#8217; would be the way to deal with this. Similarly, &#8216;Causing serious loss&#8217;,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Even with this explanation, the MP didn&#8217;t appear to understand.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you are knowingly uploading creative content online for commercial gain, to my mind it does not matter whether it is 50 quid or 50,000 quid, you are knowingly stealing someone’s content,&#8221; Nigel Adams said.</p>
<p>&#8220;The commercial gain is not part of this offense. That is what I am saying,&#8221; said Killock.</p>
<p>&#8220;The offense is purely to cause loss — in other words, to not pay a license fee — or to cause risk of loss. There is no &#8216;commercial&#8217; in it. So you have to put the threshold somewhere. You have an offense for the commercial activities and, separately, individuals who cause risk of loss or fail to pay a license fee.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Open Rights Group are to be commended for raising this issue in the House of Commons since as things stand, the wording of the legislation is wide open to abuse from aggressive rightsholders. Whether appropriate amendments will be introduced remains to be seen, but there is clearly a need to be more specific. If not, trouble could lie ahead.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129134
title: Boxing Promoter Offers Cash Reward to Identify Pirate Streamer
uri: Boxing-Promoter-Offers-Cash-Reward-to-Identify-Pirate-Streamer
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Tom_yfSqty4/
content:
<p><a href="media/468f0769.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg"><img src="media/468f0769.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg" alt="streamingkey" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-125426"></a>Every day, content production companies and their anti-piracy partners take a keen interest in people posting their material online without permission.</p>
<p>They&#8217;re often able to use technical means to identify infringers, often relying on IP address, financial, and similar information. However, some also resort to chasing pirates in the physical realm.</p>
<p>This is the approach currently being taken by Duco Events, who are said to be recognized by the World Boxing Organization as the leading promoter in the Asia Pacific region. Duco partners with companies including ESPN, Fox Sports, MAIN EVENT, SKY Sports and SKY Arena, and it is tired of having its content pirated.</p>
<p>One of the biggest thorns in its side is New Zealander James Bryant. Earlier this year he informed NZ Herald that he intended to stream a Duco boxing event taking place in July. That led to a private investigator being sent to his parents&#8217; Auckland house to serve court papers. He wasn&#8217;t there.</p>
<p>Bryant, who claims to be a web developer and SEO specialist, says that on a separate occasion another person emailed him looking for a computer repair. Suspicious, he gave a friend&#8217;s address, which led to an investigator sitting outside there all day. He eventually asked for Bryant by name.</p>
<p>&#8220;They&#8217;ve called me twice, and they told me that it&#8217;s getting serious now, that it was too big to go away,&#8221; Bryant <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&#038;objectid=11681182">said</a>.</p>
<p>That was back in the summer and it appears that as promised, Duco haven&#8217;t forgotten about Bryant. However, they still haven&#8217;t managed to locate him.</p>
<p>&#8220;I have been on holiday for the last few months and they are not doing a very good job at finding me,&#8221; Bryant <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&#038;objectid=11721046">said</a> last week.</p>
<p>&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t bother me one bit &#8230; as soon as they find me, I will make it my personal mission to stream every event.&#8221;</p>
<p>Bryant&#8217;s defiance was not well received, with Duco chief executive Martin Snedden rejected claims that chasing streamers is counter-productive.</p>
<p>&#8220;In our view it is out-and-out theft, and people are starting to get the message that the risk isn&#8217;t worth getting involved. We know we can&#8217;t eradicate this, but we&#8217;re getting better at running interference,&#8221; Snedden said.</p>
<p>Now it appears that Duco are turning up the heat. In a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ducoboxing/photos/a.560337860725757.1073741827.120145078078373/1154231111336426/?type=3&#038;theater">posting</a> this week to the company&#8217;s Facebook page, the boxing promotions outfit sought assistance in finding the elusive Bryant.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/24f1cbf7.duco-boxing-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/duco-boxing-1.png"><img src="media/24f1cbf7.duco-boxing-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/duco-boxing-1.png" alt="duco-boxing-1" width="650" height="678" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129161"></a></center></p>
<p>But if Duco thought that this would prompt Bryant to give himself up, they were very wrong. Instead, the self-confessed streamer has started a <a href="https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/livestream">fund-raiser</a> with two aims. First, to raise money to fight Duco, and second, to set up a new streaming service.</p>
<p>&#8220;My mission is to raise money for the upcoming battle and also to raise funds which will be put into developing a dedicated website which will be hosted on an overseas server which will broadcast live events as they happen,&#8221; Bryant explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;I am currently setting up a site which will provide live streams of legal events such as music, sport and festivals. It will be hosted off shore in any event that the courts do not allow me access to a computer, I plan on hosting a wide range of different events.</p>
<p>&#8220;I believe that as New Zealanders we shouldn&#8217;t have to feed the pockets of the corporations to watch sports we care about. It&#8217;s time to stand up New Zealand!&#8221; he concludes.</p>
<p>Seconds away&#8230;.round two.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129061
title: Company Offers “Fraudulent” and Deceptive Copyright Registrations
uri: Company-Offers-Fraudulent-and-Deceptive-Copyright-Registrations
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/N16zLHSE3fA/
content:
<p><img src="media/bd0abf4c.copyright-blood.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/copyright-blood.jpg" alt="copyright-blood" width="225" height="151" class="alignright size-full wp-image-120567">In pretty much every part in the world creators can claim copyright on their work without having to register anything. </p>
<p>In fact, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_registration#Requirements_by_country">most countries</a> don&#8217;t even have an official copyright registration office. The United States does, as registrations are a requirement for court cases, but that&#8217;s one of the exceptions. </p>
<p>The same is true for India. While registration is voluntary, an official registration at the Government&#8217;s <a href="http://www.copyright.gov.in/">Copyright Office</a> can help to solve legal disputes.  </p>
<p>Interestingly the Indian Copyright Office has now become the center of a rights dispute itself. As it turns out, the website copyright.in is offering &#8216;unofficial&#8217; copyright registrations to Indians as well.  </p>
<p>The website in question offer users &#8220;anteriority proof for their copyrights&#8221; in 164 countries, charging roughly $10 for a copyright registration. </p>
<p><center><strong>India&#8217;s (unofficial) &#8220;Copyright Registration Office&#8221;</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/4c1ac7bf.incopyrightoffice.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/incopyrightoffice.jpg" alt="incopyrightoffice" width="600" height="372" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129071"></center></p>
<p>The Indian Government is not happy with the unofficial registration site. In a press statement it describes the service as fraudulent, because users can confuse it with the official copyright office.</p>
<p>&#8220;This claim is totally fraudulent and creating confusion among the general public,&#8221; the Government&#8217;s press bureau notes.</p>
<p>The Government clarifies that it has nothing to do with the site and advises copyright holders not to register their works there or make any payments. In addition, it has taken legal action and hopes to get the website blocked. </p>
<p>&#8220;The matter has already been referred to the concerned Ministries to block the fake website (i.e. www.copyright.in) and initiate legal action,&#8221; the Government statement adds.</p>
<p>The misleading Indian copyright registration site is just one of many. The same outfit is also connected to similar sites that target copyright holders in other countries, many of which don&#8217;t have an official registration service. </p>
<p>In <a href="http://www.copyright-australia.com/">Australia</a>, <a href="http://www.copyright.it/">Italy</a> and <a href="http://copyright.co.nl/">the Netherlands</a>, similar sites are operational, all offering paid registrations. The UK even has two separate domains, <a href="http://www.copyright.uk/">Copyright.uk</a> and <a href="http://www.copyright.co.uk/">Copyright.co.uk</a>, listing popular brands such as BT and Marks and Spencer to add legitimacy.</p>
<p><center><strong>UK&#8217;s (unofficial) &#8220;Copyright Registration Office&#8221;</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/886be4a4.ukcopyrightoffice.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ukcopyrightoffice.jpg" alt="ukcopyrightoffice" width="600" height="332" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129070"></center></p>
<p>We reached out to the UK Government&#8217;s Intellectual Property Office (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/intellectual-property-office">IPO</a>) which clarified that copyright holders don&#8217;t have to register anything.</p>
<p>&#8220;Copyright is an automatic right in the UK – you do not need to register or pay a fee.  If you create a work of art, from literature to music, you own the rights to that work free of charge,&#8221; an IPO spokesperson told TF.</p>
<p>The IPO stresses that the websites have nothing to do with the Government and cautions rightsholders to think carefully before handing over any money.</p>
<p>&#8220;A number of private companies can be found on the internet that offer a form of registration service for a fee. None of these are official or are connected in any way to the Intellectual Property Office. </p>
<p>&#8220;We advise that people check very carefully before opting to use any paid-for services such as these,&#8221; IPO&#8217;s spokesperson adds.</p>
<p>While it&#8217;s absolutely not required to register copyright in the UK, the websites in question are not necessarily breaking the law, since there&#8217;s no law forbidding private companies from keeping a copyright register.</p>
<p>That said, the registration sites conveniently fail to mention their voluntary nature and are highly misleading to many creators who are not up-to-date on their rights and obligations.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129028
title: Pastor Says Piracy is Literally Killing Actors, So He Gives Them Cars
uri: Pastor-Says-Piracy-is-Literally-Killing-Actors-So-He-Gives-Them-Cars
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/OtLvuaLCgIs/
content:
<p><img src="media/3e7fce18.pastor.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pastor.jpg" alt="pastor" width="270" height="140" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129176">With more than <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-17015873">half of its population</a> living in &#8220;absolute poverty,&#8221; Nigeria is one of the world&#8217;s poorest countries.</p>
<p>The economy has been growing in recent years but unfortunately, not all people reap the rewards. This is also true for those in the film industry.</p>
<p>With close to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Nigeria">a billion</a> U.S. dollars in box office revenue, &#8220;Nollywood&#8221; appears to be doing well. Still, not all actors and filmmakers are rich, as some people falsely assume. </p>
<p>According to Nigerian Pastor Joshua Iginla, piracy is one of the main problems, and he urges the local government to tackle this menace. </p>
<p>“The level of piracy in this country is serious; I hope government will do something about it,&#8221; <a href="https://www.naij.com/1004840-abuja-pastor-reveals-piracy-crippled-many-nollywood-actors.html">Iginla says</a>.</p>
<p>The pastor has been preaching this anti-piracy message for quite some time. He believes that Nollywood&#8217;s actors and actresses are Nigeria’s ambassadors, showing the world a positive image of the country. </p>
<p>However, he warns that the threat of piracy is real, noting that it has already caused several early deaths.</p>
<p>“Many [people] have died prematurely because they are hardworking but piracy has crippled them. We enjoy watching their films but we watch them when they are helpless with none to help them,” he says.</p>
<p>The public at large believes that all actors and actresses are rich, but the pastor says that this is a misunderstanding. This is something he personally experienced when actor Ayo Emmanuel contacted him with a call for help.</p>
<p>&#8220;I wept when Ayo Emmanuel sent me a text a few weeks back that he was sick and needed financial assistance,&#8221; <a href="http://www.olufamous.com/2016/10/tears-of-joyprophet-joshua-dashes.html">Iginla says</a>. </p>
<p>The pastor, who is known for his philanthropy, decided not to sit idly by. During the Sunday service at Champions Royal Assembly at City of Wonders last week, he generously donated a brand new Peugeot 301 to the sick actor.</p>
<p>Emmanuel was floored by the generous surprise gift, as the picture below fittingly illustrates.</p>
<p><center><strong>Emmanuel&#8217;s response</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/548608e8.pastorfloored.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pastorfloored.jpg" alt="pastorfloored" width="600" height="407" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129186"></center></p>
<p>The actor reportedly suffers from &#8220;spiritual and depression&#8221; related problems. While a car might not help him to cope with these challenges, he no longer needs a bus to get to church.</p>
<p>A full photo-op of the giveaway ceremony was posted on the pastor&#8217;s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/joshuaiginlaministries/">Facebook page</a>, including one in which Emmanuel, popularly known as “Nollywood Policeman”, poses with a handwritten sign in front of his new car.</p>
<p><center><strong>Emmanuel&#8217;s new car</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/7a9ff8ff.newcar.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/newcar.jpg" alt="newcar" width="600" height="445" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129189"></center></p>
<p>The pastor is often criticized for giving away expensive gifts while so many others don&#8217;t have enough food to feed their families. However, Iginla stresses that actors have it rough too and that it&#8217;s up to him to decide where his money is spent. </p>
<p>While he has helped a lot of poor people, Nollywood actors and actresses are among his favorites. </p>
<p>Over the past several years he has donated <a href="http://stargist.com/nigerian_celebrity/photos-pastor-iginlas-birthday-celebration-gave-32-cars-nollywood-stars/">dozens of luxury cars</a> to Nollywood celebrities, including a Hummer Jeep, Mercedes G-Wagon, and Mercedes CLS 550.</p>
<p>The fortunate pastor clearly has enough money in the bank. In addition, he&#8217;s also seen a prophet by some. In 2016 several of his &#8220;prophecies&#8221; came true, although one publication notes that he&#8217;s <a href="http://ynaija.com/8-things-remarkable-wealthy-abuja-pastor-iginla/">not always right</a>.</p>
<p>How exactly he acquired his fortune remains a <a href="http://ynaija.com/8-things-remarkable-wealthy-abuja-pastor-iginla/">mystery though</a>, just like his gift of predicting the future.  </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129302
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 10/17/16
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-10-17-16
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/fTYIVIoU3wQ/
content:
<p><img src="media/c848fcbc.suicidesquad.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/suicidesquad.jpg" alt="suicidesquad" width="300" height="161" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128928">This week we have three newcomers in our chart. </p>
<p>Mechanic: Resurrection is the most downloaded movie for the second week in a row.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the weekly movie download chart.</p>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Ranking</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>(<a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-101016/">last week</a>)</strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">torrentfreak.com</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/suicide-squad-torrent-downloads/">Suicide Squad</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386697/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmRih_VtVAs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/dont-breathe-torrent-downloads/">Don&#8217;t Breathe</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4160708/">7.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76yBTNDB6vU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lights-out-torrent-downloads/">Lights Out</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4786282/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct8kBEWmG_s">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/star-trek-beyond-torrent-downloads/">Star Trek Beyond</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2660888/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_trek_beyond">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/captain-fantastic-torrent-downloads/">Captain Fantastic</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3553976/">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1kH4OMIOMc">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mechanic-resurrection-torrent-downloads/">Mechanic: Resurrection</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3522806/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-P3f_wDXvs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_civil_war">Captain America: Civil War</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3498820/">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrVegVI0Us">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/independence-day-resurgence-torrent-downloads/">Independence Day: Resurgence</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1628841/">5.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCe_JshWOZ0">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/mr-church-torrent-downloads/">Mr. Church</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4196848/">7.3</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT3bzXXKtrs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_infiltrator">The Infiltrator</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1355631/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7_M4hjXW1I">trailer</a></td>
<tr>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129328
title: Lucasfilm Sues ‘Lightsaber Academy’ and ‘Jedi Club’ Over Trademark Infringement
uri: Lucasfilm-Sues-Lightsaber-Academy-and-Jedi-Club-Over-Trade
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/dy2IebFOmnU/
content:
<p><img src="media/fd72bf7f.lightsaberac.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lightsaberac.jpg" alt="lightsaberac" width="300" height="74" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129331">Have you ever wanted to learn how to properly fight with a lightsaber? Then the <a href="http://newyorkjedi.com/">New York Jedi club</a> classes are the ideal place. </p>
<p>Leveraging the renewed Star Wars hype, the classes held in midtown Manhattan have gained widespread attention from the public and even mainstream media publications.</p>
<p>However, the phenomenon hasn&#8217;t gone unnoticed by Lucasfilm either, one of the major Star Wars rightsholders. The movie company is not amused with the lightsaber classes and has taken the matter to federal court.</p>
<p>In a complaint filed at a California District Court, they sue Michael Brown and several of his companies, including the popular New York Jedi club and the associated Lightsaber Academy.  </p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants are in the business of promoting, producing, offering for sale and selling unauthorized &#8216;Lightsaber&#8217; classes, which purport to teach students how to use &#8216;Lightsabers&#8217; and/or perform as &#8216;Jedi&#8217;,&#8221; the complaint (<a href="media/ce32a1ae.lucassabor.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/lucassabor.pdf">pdf</a>) reads.</p>
<p>Lucasfilm owns the trademarks to both &#8220;Jedi&#8221; and &#8220;Lightsaber,&#8221; which Brown&#8217;s businesses use to market their classes and events. </p>
<p>In addition, the &#8216;Lightsaber Academy,&#8217; which issues certificates to prospective lightsaber practitioners, is accused of using a logo that&#8217;s similar to Lucasfilm&#8217;s Jedi Order logo.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants regularly use the Lucasfilm Trademarks without authorization in connection with their businesses. Among other infringing activities, Defendants use a logo  that is nearly identical, and confusingly similar, to Lucasfilm’s trademark Jedi Order logo,&#8221; the complaint reads. </p>
<p><center><strong>Trademarked logo</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/12ef5cd3.logolucas.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/logolucas.jpg" alt="logolucas" width="600" height="366" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129333"></center></p>
<p>Lucasfilm sums up a variety of allegedly infringing acts and notes that the merchandising and domain names such as LightsaberAcademy.com and NYJedi.com also use trademark-infringing elements. </p>
<p>To Brown, the lawsuit shouldn&#8217;t come as a complete surprise. He is aware of the potential issues as he has repeatedly sought to license the use of various Star Wars elements, or get some other form of permission from Lucasfilm. </p>
<p>However, time and again the movie outfit refused to give its blessing.</p>
<p>&#8220;Lucasfilm has consistently denied Defendants’ requests. Lucasfilm has never licensed or authorized Defendants to make any commercial use of the Lucasfilm<br>
Trademarks or any other of Lucasfilm’s intellectual properties,&#8221; the complaint notes. </p>
<p>Earlier this year Lucasfilm sent Brown a cease and desist order to prevent further infringements. However, instead of halting the business, Lightsaber Academy filed their own <a href="http://trademark.markify.com/trademarks/uspto/lightsaber+academy/86927002">trademark application</a> to protect their logo.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the classes continued, with the next one <a href="http://newyorkjedi.com/calendar/">being scheduled</a> for this coming Thursday at Ripley Grier Studios. </p>
<p><center><strong>Jedi class</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/ba8dd270.lightsaberaca.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lightsaberaca.jpg" alt="lightsaberaca" width="600" height="436" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129332"></center></p>
<p>Lucasfilm hopes that the court can bring an end to this once and for all. </p>
<p>They charge Brown and his businesses with trademark infringement, cybersquatting, unfair competition and more, with potential damages running into the dozens of millions. </p>
<p>Time will tell whether it&#8217;s wise to pick a fight with a group of highly organized Jedi. It&#8217;s going to be an interesting battle for sure.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129361
title: Denuvo Says It’s Still Winning the War Against Games Pirates
uri: Denuvo-Says-It-s-Still-Winning-the-War-Against-Games-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/8j2eZz9QYSs/
content:
<p><img src="media/d2c6b9d1.denuvo.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/denuvo.jpg" width="210" height="109" alt="" class="alignright size-large">There have been a number of anti-piracy technologies that have become loathed by video games pirates over the years. Some are hated due to their tendency to reduce the quality of the gaming experience. Others are predictably hated due to their effectiveness.</p>
<p>In fact, if one took the time to map dislike of a particular technology and place it on a timeline of how long it takes it to get bypassed or &#8216;cracked&#8217;, those graphs would look very similar indeed. So, when we say that Denuvo is currently the most-hated of all anti-piracy technologies, there&#8217;s no real need to ask why.</p>
<p>Just recently, however, pirates have had reason to celebrate. In a matter of months, Denuvo has gone from pretty much uncrackable to a little bit vulnerable.</p>
<p>Early August, a cracker known as Voksi found a loophole in Steam which allowed many Denuvo-protected titles to be played for free. It was a Denuvo bypass, not a full crack, but pirates were grateful. Then, just a few days later the gratitude developed into glee when the first full crack of Denuvo <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/denuvo-properly-cracked-rise-of-the-tomb-raider-first-victim-160809/">appeared online</a> courtesy of cracking group CPY.</p>
<p>But pirates are always hungry for more and immediately wanted to know when new games would become available. They didn&#8217;t have to wait long. Just a couple of weeks later the iteration of Denuvo protecting &#8216;Inside&#8217; was cracked <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/denuvo-weakens-after-inside-cracked-in-record-time-160824/">in record time</a>.</p>
<p>Not long after, those victories were followed by cracks for new games including Doom and Mirror&#8217;s Edge Catalyst, so was this the beginning of the end for Denuvo? Well, it all depends on one&#8217;s perspective.</p>
<p>Over the years, anti-piracy companies have learned that claiming their technology is flawless has always come back to bite them. Denuvo is no different. In a new interview with <a href="http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/denuvo-on-fighting-the-war-against-piracy/0173963">MCVUK</a>, the company explains that being uncrackable is neither the claim nor the aim.</p>
<p>“You have to have a realistic view of anti-piracy measures,” marketing director Thomas Goebl explains.</p>
<p>“There is no such thing as unbreakable protection. That’s something we always tell our clients to help manage their expectations. Our scope is to prevent early cracks for every title. We want to allow an initial window when a game is released to have an uncracked version and thus guarantee sales.”</p>
<p>When one considers the effort and funds expended leading up to a game&#8217;s release, it&#8217;s no surprise that the first few days and weeks are the most important in terms of sales. For so-called &#8216;AAA titles&#8217; (a big target market for Denuvo), marketing expenses can run into millions of dollars, with every cent designed to make gamers salivate with anticipation while moving their hands ever closer to their wallets. Any delay on stopping a pirate copy appearing quickly translates to more sales, Denuvo says.</p>
<p>But despite notable recent setbacks, Denuvo-protected titles still do not appear online on day one. Or week one. Or even month one. If people want these games, they&#8217;re going to have to pay for them. In fact, it is not unusual for games to remain unpirated for months, something that was unthinkable only a year or two ago when titles often appeared online before launch.</p>
<p>Denuvo CEO Reinhard Blaukovitsch told MCVUK that there are a number of strategies that can be employed by developers in order to recoup their development costs and Denuvo is just one piece of the puzzle.</p>
<p>“Some trust in DRM solutions, ones that are user-friendly. They also trust in our solution. There may be other solutions, where you go DRM free or do different price ranges in different territories. This is a marketing decision and strategy that the publishers may want to use. If they decide on some DRM technology or techniques, we can help them,” Blaukovitsch says.</p>
<p>Marketing man Thomas Goebl says that good games will always sell well but as soon as a working pirated version is available online, suddenly developers have to compete with free.</p>
<p>&#8220;Even if the service is good, if it has nice community features and so on, those people who don’t want to pay for it simply won’t pay because there is free competition,&#8221; he says.</p>
<p>Interestingly, Goebl notes something that many pirates will understand already. Multi-player games that require constant access to an online service are in many cases less vulnerable than variants that can also be played substantially offline. Just Cause 3 (released 11 months ago but yet to be cracked) might be considered one such example.</p>
<p>“Especially for single player games, or if there’s a big single player portion to the game, it makes perfect sense to use an anti-tamper solution like ours to prevent any cracks during the launch window time frame,” Goebl says.</p>
<p>Some pirates might be asking why it&#8217;s possible to quickly crack Inside, for example, but not other games that have been released since. The partial answer to that is while crackers like CPY burn the midnight oil circumventing Denuvo, the developers at Denuvo are doing the same with CPY&#8217;s work.</p>
<p>“The procedure [after a crack] is the same every time. We analyze how the crack was done and then we update our protection. It’s a game of cat and mouse that we play,&#8221; Blaukovitsch says.</p>
<p>“There are many techniques we use to prevent people from debugging, reverse engineering and otherwise tampering with our software. We are improving that technology or those techniques on a day-to-day basis, and coming up with new ideas that are almost entirely new inventions on a monthly basis on how we improve our service.”</p>
<p>The end result, no matter how unpopular with pirates, is that by the company&#8217;s own metrics, Denuvo is winning. In the majority of cases the technology does indeed stop games being pirated before, during and after launch, and indeed many months on in most cases.</p>
<p>Whether that will continue to be the case moving forward is unclear, but right now Denuvo is still the most-hated anti-piracy technology on the market. As long as it remains that way, it will be doing its job. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129369
title: KickassTorrents Defense: Torrents Are Not Copyrighted Content, US Has No Case
uri: KickassTorrents-Defense-Torrents-Are-Not-Copyrighted-Content-US-Has
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/I17udwKFow0/
content:
<p><img src="media/75141223.kickasstorrents_500x500-300x300.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x500-300x300.png" alt="kickasstorrents_500x500" width="222" height="222" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-96995" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x500-300x300.png 300w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x500-150x150.png 150w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 222px) 100vw, 222px">In July, Polish law enforcement officers <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/feds-seize-kickasstorrents-domains-charge-owner-160720/">arrested Artem Vaulin</a>, the alleged owner of KickassTorrents, who’s been held in a local prison ever since.</p>
<p>While awaiting the start of extradition hearings, Vaulin&#8217;s U.S. defense team has asked the Illinois federal court to dismiss the entire case. </p>
<p>In a detailed memorandum, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kickasstorrents-alleged-owner-retains-kim-dotcoms-lawyer-160728/">lead counsel</a> <a href="http://www.techfirm.com/">Ira Rothken</a> argues that the U.S. Government&#8217;s allegations of criminal conduct are flawed. Assuming that Vaulin is indeed the site&#8217;s founder, he didn&#8217;t commit any crimes.</p>
<p>KickassTorrents (KAT) was merely a torrent search index, the defense explains. It provided a search function for torrent files which in and by themselves do not contain any copyrighted content. </p>
<p>&#8220;Websites like KAT are devoid of content files. Instead, KAT is nothing more than a search engine, no different in any material way from Google and other popular website search engines, except that KAT indexes BitTorrent files,&#8221; Rothken writes. </p>
<p>&#8220;Thus, at its core, the indictment merely alleges that visitors to KAT may take advantage of KAT’s automated search processes to search for and locate &#8216;dot torrent&#8217; files. Such files contain textual information assembled by automated processes and do not contain copyrighted content.&#8221;</p>
<p>If KAT&#8217;s users downloaded any infringing content, this would occur away from the site on their local computers, beyond KAT&#8217;s control. Merely downloading a torrent file by itself is not an infringing act.</p>
<p>The fact that torrents themselves are not illegal means that operating a torrent index can&#8217;t be classified as a direct copyright infringement, according to the defense. As such, torrent search indexes don&#8217;t commit any criminal acts.</p>
<p>&#8220;The fundamental flaw in the government’s untenable theory of prosecution is that there is no copyright protection for such torrent file instructions and addresses. Therefore, given the lack of direct willful copyright infringement, torrent sites do not violate criminal copyright laws,&#8221; the memorandums reads.</p>
<p>It is possible to hold torrent site operators liable for “secondary” infringements committed by their users, as we have seen in the past. However, this is only possible under civil law, Vaulin&#8217;s defense team argues. </p>
<p>Congress has declined to include “secondary copyright liability” in criminal legislation. As such, the indictment accuses Vaulin of a crime that doesn&#8217;t exist.</p>
<p>&#8220;The indictment would make defendant responsible for infringements committed by former visitors to KAT who are acting in an entirely different online context. In the global connected culture, such elastic expansions of criminal exposure cannot be permitted to stand absent overt action by Congress updating the Copyright Act,&#8221; the defense notes.</p>
<p>Vaulin&#8217;s legal team further points out that the indictment fails to specify any copyrighted media that was downloaded or infringed in the United States. In addition, the money laundering claims are moot since these are based on the criminal copyright infringement claims. </p>
<p>In summary, the defense says that the U.S. Government&#8217;s claim of willful direct criminal copyright infringement for operating a torrent site fails. As such, they ask the federal court to dismiss the case in its entirety. </p>
<p>&#8220;Any theory that a torrent search engine could be held responsible for the offsite infringing acts of its users would be a theory of civil secondary copyright infringement. Such a civil theory is not an offense against the United States and fails as a matter of law.&#8221; </p>
<p>&#8220;Any and all counts that are dependent on criminal copyright infringement, including the conspiracy and money laundering counts, must fail. For all the reasons set forth above, the Court should dismiss the indictment,&#8221; Rothken adds.</p>
<p>The KAT case shows a lot of similarities to the criminal proceedings against Kim Dotcom, for whom Ira Rothken is also the lead counsel. Both cases center around questions of whether the defendants be extradited for secondary copyright infringement charges.</p>
<p>The U.S. Government is expected to counter these claims during the weeks to come, after which the court must make a decision. </p>
<p>The full memorandum of law in support of the motion to dismiss is available here (<a href="media/737c6108.vaulin-dismiss.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/vaulin-dismiss.pdf">pdf</a>).</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129393
title: Man Uses His Own Name For Pirate Streaming Sites, Gets Arrested
uri: Man-Uses-His-Own-Name-For-Pirate-Streaming-Sites-Gets-Arrested
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/GNtGnn-gwlc/
content:
<p><a href="media/db3bd45e.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg"><img src="media/c579e316.pirate-card.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg" alt="pirate-card" width="250" height="210" class="alignright size-full wp-image-86520"></a>For the past several years, the Hollywood studios of the MPA/MPAA and the major recording labels have regularly attended the UK High Court to force ISPs to block pirate sites.</p>
<p>Following a slow start in 2012, a year later a wide range of sites were blocked, including EZTV, Movie2K, PrimeWire, Vodly, YIFY-Torrents, SolarMovie and TubePlus. Dozens of additional sites were targeted in 2014 and 2015, but with so many sites operational, a sizeable task lay ahead.</p>
<p>In May 2016, the MPA <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/new-hollywood-injunction-blocks-couchtuner-putlocker-more-160527/">obtained a new injunction</a>, this time against several streaming sites including Putlocker, WatchFree and Couchtuner. Also included in the package were Rainierland and RainierTamayo, two popular domains for a site showing the latest movies and TV shows.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/207fcad3.rainier-2.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/rainier-2.png"><img src="media/f6cc689f.rainier-2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rainier-2.png" alt="rainier-2" width="550" height="415" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129395" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/rainier-2.png 550w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/rainier-2-200x150.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px"></a></center></p>
<p>Soon after the ISPs put their blocking measures in place the site&#8217;s operator began receiving notifications from users having difficulty reaching the site. In response, he published a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Rainiertamayo/posts/1600212933603169">Facebook post</a> containing advice on how to circumvent the blockades.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/420efff6.rainier-1.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/rainier-1.png"><img src="media/b683ebea.rainier-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rainier-1.png" alt="rainier-1" width="500" height="554" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129394"></a></center></p>
<p>Earlier this month, however, the site experienced much bigger problems. According to media reports in the Philippines, the operator of <a href="http://rainierland.com/">Rainierland</a> and <a href="http://www.rainiertamayo.com/">RainierTamayo</a> was arrested following a complaint from Australia-based anti-piracy outfit <a href="http://ifwglobal.com/">Internet Fraud Watchdog</a>. </p>
<p>Members of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group swooped on the computer science graduate who was reportedly &#8220;caught red-handed&#8221; as he uploaded movies to his site. In a sign that the authorities wanted to send a message, the arrest was televised on national TV, including Tamayo being put into a cell with several other prisoners.</p>
<p>Internet Fraud Watchdog (IFW) Executive Chairman Ken Gamble said they had been “investigating a person running a number of websites that were pirating a lot of US movies, big blockbuster movies online.” It&#8217;s not clear how complex that investigation became but the suspect certainly didn&#8217;t make himself difficult to identify.</p>
<p>Local media <a href="http://www.journal.com.ph/news/provincial/it-expert-jailed-for-online-piracy">identified</a> the operator of RainierTamayo.com as a local man called Rainier Tamayo. IFW say they were able to trace him through his website which had been leaking films online since 2011. Perhaps pointlessly, all domains currently registered to Tamayo are WHOIS-protected, despite featuring his name in various forms in their URLs.</p>
<p>Police say that during the raid they also seized several computers, laptops and routers but that is likely to be the least of the computer graduate&#8217;s worries. According to police sources, if found guilty Tamayo could face up to 12 years in jail for violating copyright law.</p>
<p>The sites in question are currently still up but appear to be non-functional when it comes to playing movies. Tamayo didn&#8217;t immediately respond to TF&#8217;s request for comment which raises the possibility that he&#8217;s still being held.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3a8wNvyJ2JE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129462
title: Blackcat Games Domain Seized by UK Anti-Piracy Police
uri: Blackcat-Games-Domain-Seized-by-UK-Anti-Piracy-Police
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/mbolZvApDok/
content:
<p><a href="media/3d38cec0.blackcats-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/blackcats-1.jpg"><img src="media/61b9633c.blackcats-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blackcats-1.jpg" alt="blackcats-1" width="240" height="218" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129474"></a>For the past several years, the UK&#8217;s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) has been contacting torrent, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-streaming-site-admin-several-domains-suspended-140409/">streaming</a>, and file-hosting sites in an effort to close them down.</p>
<p>In the main, PIPCU has relied on its position as a government agency to add weight to its threats that one or way or another, sites will either be shut down or have their operations <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/city-of-london-police-launches-pirate-site-blacklist-for-advertisers-140331/">hampered</a>. </p>
<p>Many sites located overseas didn&#8217;t take the threats particularly seriously but on several occasions, PIPCU has shown that it doesn&#8217;t need to leave the UK to make an impact. That appears to be the case today with private tracker Blackcats-Games.</p>
<p>With around 30K members, the long-established private tracker has been a major player in the gaming torrents scene for many years but earlier today TorrentFreak received a tip that the site may have attracted the attention of the authorities.</p>
<p>With the site down no further news became available, but in the past few hours, fresh signs suggest that the site is indeed in some kind of legal trouble.</p>
<p>Results currently vary depending on ISP and region, but most visitors to the site&#8217;s Blackcats-Games.net domain are now greeted with the familiar  banner that PIPCU places on sites when they&#8217;re under investigation.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/ab95bd4c.PIPCU-shutdown.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/PIPCU-shutdown.png"><img src="media/81c3a8c8.PIPCU-shutdown.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/PIPCU-shutdown.png" alt="PIPCU-shutdown" width="649" height="713" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-86530" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/PIPCU-shutdown.png 649w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/PIPCU-shutdown-273x300.png 273w" sizes="(max-width: 649px) 100vw, 649px"></a></center></p>
<p>TorrentFreak has confirmed that the police images appearing on the site&#8217;s main page are not stored on the front-facing server BlackCats-Games operated in Canada (OVH, 192.99.46.83), but are actually being served from an IP address known to be under the control of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit.</p>
<p>The same server also provides the images for previously-seized domains including filecrop.com, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-shut-down-mp3-search-engine-mp3juices-140911/">mp3juices.com</a>, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-takes-down-proxy-service-over-piracy-concerns-140806/">immunicity.org</a>, nutjob.eu, deejayportal.co.uk and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-uploader-admits-copyright-infringement-fraud-161010/">oldskoolscouse.co.uk</a>.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/402b7504.black-3.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/black-3.png"><img src="media/951a7524.black-3.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/black-3.png" alt="black-3" width="600" height="416" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129486"></a></center></p>
<p>Of course, being greeted by these PIPCU images leads many users to the conclusion that the site may have been raided and/or its operators arrested. While that is yet to be confirmed by the authorities or sources close to the site, there is also a less dramatic option.</p>
<p>PIPCU is known to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-piracy-police-asked-domain-registrars-to-shut-down-317-sites-150821/">approach registrars</a> with requests for them to suspend domains. The police argue that since they have determined that a particular site is acting illegally, registrars should comply with their requests.</p>
<p>While some like Canada-based <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/domain-registrars-deny-police-requests-suspend-pirate-sites-140808/">EasyDNS have not caved in</a> to the demands, others have. This has resulted in domains quickly being taken <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-orders-registrars-to-suspend-domains-of-major-torrent-sites-131009/">out of the control of site operators</a> without any due process. It&#8217;s certainly possible that this could&#8217;ve happened to Blackcats-Games.net.</p>
<p>Furthermore, a separate micro-site (nefarious-gamer.com) on BlackCats&#8217; server in Canada is still serving a short message, an indication that the server hasn&#8217;t been completely seized. However, there are probably other servers elsewhere, so only time will tell how they have been affected.</p>
<p>Until official word is received from one side or the other, the site&#8217;s users will continue to presume the worst. In 2015, PIPCU <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-piracy-police-deprioritize-ineffective-domain-suspension-requests-151107/">deprioritized domain suspensions</a> so more could be at play here.</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> A source close to the site has informed TF that there has been an arrest but was unable to confirm who was detained.</p>
<p><strong>Update2:</strong> A <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Farow">Reddit moderator</a> says that the owner of Blackcats-Games has been raided and arrested, with equipment seized.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129453
title: ‘Bowl of Skittles’ Photographer Sues Trump for Copyright Infringement
uri: Bowl-of-Skittles-Photographer-Sues-Trump-for-Copyright-Infringem
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/UB1m5vHA5G4/
content:
<p><img src="media/295ce35c.trumpd.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/trumpd.png" alt="trumpd" width="275" height="193" class="alignright size-full wp-image-127311">With the U.S. presidential elections just weeks away there&#8217;s plenty of mud-slinging going on from every imaginable angle. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s safe to say that a few lines have been crossed here and there, and according to a complaint that was filed at an Illinois District Court this week, Donald Trump&#8217;s a pirate.</p>
<p>The case in question was filed by UK-based photographer David Kittos, who shares a lot of his work publicly <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/david_kittos/">on Flickr</a>. This includes a photo of a bowl of Skittles, which <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/david_kittos/4276832395">he took</a> to experiment with a light tent and off-camera flash.</p>
<p>The photo was uploaded with an &#8220;all rights reserved&#8221; notice and didn&#8217;t really get any attention, until it became part of Trump&#8217;s presidential campaign in the form of the following &#8220;advertisement&#8221; tweeted by Donald Trump Jr.  </p>
<p> “If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you. Would you take a handful? That’s our Syrian refugee problem.”  </p>
<p><center><img src="media/77cc6e11.trumpskittles.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/trumpskittles.jpg" alt="trumpskittles" width="600" height="730" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129456"></center></p>
<p>While the message itself has been widely debated already, few people knew that the image was used without permission. Making things even worse, the photographer in question turns out to be a refugee himself, as stated in the complaint.</p>
<p>&#8220;The unauthorized use of the Photograph is reprehensibly offensive to Plaintiff as he is a refugee of the Republic of Cyprus who was forced to flee his home at the age of six years old,&#8221; Kittos&#8217; lawyer writes (<a href="media/6e5336c3.trumpskittles.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/trumpskittles.pdf">pdf</a>).</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiff never authorized Defendant Trump for President, Inc. or the other Defendants to use the Photograph as part of the Advertisement or for any other purpose,&#8221; the complaint adds. </p>
<p>In addition to Donald Trump Sr, the complaint also lists running mate Mike Pence and Trump Jr. as defendants. All are accused of both direct and secondary copyright infringement, by sharing the image online. </p>
<p>After about a week Trump&#8217;s tweet was removed, following a complaint from Kittos&#8217; lawyer, but others continued to share it on social media and elsewhere. </p>
<p>In the lawsuit the photographer asks for an injunction, hoping to prevent further copyright infringements. In addition, he wants damages for copyright infringement, as well as compensation from any profits that were made in the process.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129415
title: Spanish Police Arrest Their First Ever eBook Pirate
uri: Spanish-Police-Arrest-Their-First-Ever-eBook-Pirate
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ZGtEL0HH0KA/
content:
<p><a href="media/6a85b8fe.e-books.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/e-books.jpg"><img src="media/31ccbd18.e-books.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/e-books.jpg" alt="e-books" width="220" height="150" class="alignright size-full wp-image-26365"></a>Content creators and distributors rarely appreciate their content being distributed without permission and frequently enrol government bodies and law enforcement to help crack down on the practice.</p>
<p>While there have been many crackdowns across Europe, Spain has traditionally had a poor record when it comes to enforcing IP rights. However, in recent years that position has changed somewhat, with various actions against pirate sites alongside a tightening of legislation.</p>
<p>This week the Ministry of the Interior announced the arrest of a major eBook pirate, a first-ever event for the country.</p>
<p>The investigation began in 2015 following a complaint from the Spanish Reproduction Rights Centre (CEDRO), a non-profit association of authors and publishers of books, magazines, newspapers and sheet music.</p>
<p>According to the Ministry, CEDRO had been tracking the suspect but were only able to identify him by an online pseudonym. However, following investigations carried out by the police, his real identity was discovered.</p>
<p>That led to a raid in Valencia overseen by the Technological Investigation Brigade (<a href="http://www.policia.es/org_central/judicial/udef/bit_alertas.html">BIT</a>), a unit of the national civilian police force of Spain. BIT specializes in all types of emerging crime including online fraud, cyber attacks, and copyright infringement.</p>
<p>Local police subsequently arrested a man said to be responsible for the unlawful release of thousands of literary works. The individual is said to have maintained a server which housed all of the infringing content, some of it made available on the same day as official release.</p>
<p>Case investigators said that one forum carried more than 11,000 of the man&#8217;s infringing releases, which ranged from a single book to multi-title collections, a common occurrence in the eBook piracy scene. In all, 400 subsequent &#8216;pirate&#8217; eBook sites are said to have utilized his releases.</p>
<p>Police say that a seized hard drive also contained infringing works, as well as software tools designed to remove copy protections and DRM from books purchased from legal sources and obtained from others.</p>
<p>Thus far, the authorities claim that the individual defrauded creators of at least 400,000 euros via his operation. A mobile telephone and banking information was also seized.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129436
title: Megaupload User Fears Complete Data Loss, Asks Court For Help
uri: Megaupload-User-Fears-Complete-Data-Loss-Asks-Court-For-Help
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/sNLXY1ZyW8A/
content:
<p><img src="media/5fd37436.megaupload.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/megaupload.jpg" align="right" alt="megaupload">In the wake of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-shut-down-120119/">Megaupload&#8217;s shutdown</a> nearly five years ago, many of the site’s <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/feds-please-return-my-personal-files-megaupload-120120/">users complained</a> that their personal files had been lost as collateral damage.</p>
<p>One of these users is Kyle Goodwin, who operates a sports video company in Ohio. He used Megaupload as part of his business, storing large videos he created himself. </p>
<p>After Megaupload&#8217;s servers were raided Mr. Goodwin could no longer access the files. In an effort to remedy this, he <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-user-asks-court-to-order-return-of-his-data-120525/">asked the court</a> to help him and others to retrieve their personal property.</p>
<p>Helped by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Stanford&#8217;s Hoover Institution, Mr. Goodwin filed over half a dozen requests asking the court to find a workable solution for the return of his data. Thus far, however, this has been without success.</p>
<p>This week, his legal team once again raised the issue before the Virginia District Court, pointing out that the government&#8217;s actions are still being felt today. </p>
<p>&#8220;As a result of the government’s actions, Mr. Goodwin and many other former Megaupload users lost access to their valuable data, and that data remains inaccessible today,&#8221; Goodwin&#8217;s legal team writes (<a href="media/11ed5e2d.goodwinreq.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/goodwinreq.pdf">pdf</a>).</p>
<p>The files were originally stored by Carpathia Hosting, which was later taken over by QTS Realty Trust. Although the backups are still in place, QTS informed the court last year that this may not last for long.</p>
<p>At the time QTS noted that “there is a high likelihood that the disk drives, on which the data presumably reside, will experience high failure rates.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the parties involved including the Government, Megaupload and copyright holders, have yet to find a mutually agreeable solution for the data retrieval. Similarly, the court has yet to rule on <a href="media/e27e895c.gov.uscourts.vaed.275313.90.0.pdf" data-original-source="http://ia600807.us.archive.org/2/items/gov.uscourts.vaed.275313/gov.uscourts.vaed.275313.90.0.pdf">Mr. Goodwin&#8217;s motion</a> asking for the return of his property, which he filed in 2012.</p>
<p>&#8220;Mr. Goodwin’s motion remains pending. Further delay may mean the complete loss of Mr. Goodwin’s valuable property and that of other former Megaupload users,&#8221; his lawyers write.</p>
<p>Hoping to finally make a breakthrough while the data still exists, Mr. Goodwin is now asking the court to rule on his pending motion for return of his property as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Megaupload counsel Ira Rothken hopes that the court will hold the Government responsible for their actions and that it will help to reunite former users with their data.  </p>
<p>&#8220;Megaupload looks forward to having the court determine whether or not the U.S. acted appropriately by turning off all consumer access to their data stored in the cloud,&#8221; Rothken tells TF in a comment.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Department of Justice should avoid elevating Hollywood interests over consumer interests and do the right thing for consumers like Kyle Goodwin who wants access to youth soccer videos he stored in the Megaupload cloud,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>The sports videographer is not the only one waiting to be reunited with his files. Many others are in the same position. Just a few weeks ago a former Megaupload user contacted TorrentFreak in desperation, hoping to recover a personal photo that is very dear to him. </p>
<p>Whether the court can help to make this happen has yet to be seen. The lack of progress over the past several years doesn&#8217;t encourage optimism.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129489
title: Steal This Show S02E04: Decentralize All The Things
uri: Steal-This-Show-S02E04-Decentralize-All-The-Things
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/9ZRYOQj-bfw/
content:
<p><img src="media/d01749d9.stslogo180.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/stslogo180.png" alt="stslogo180" width="180" height="180" class="alignright size-full wp-image-113928"><a href="https://www.yours.network/">Yours</a> is one of a number of startups setting out to address the problems of centralized content monopolies. This micropayments-based content sharing network lets users tip their favourite creators using Bitcoin, but also benefit by sharing in the earnings of successful creators. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s hotly anticipated in both the Bitcoin and decentralized content spaces, following founder <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanxcharles">Ryan X. Charles</a>&#8216; viral post, &#8216;<a href="https://ryanxcharlestimes.com/fix-reddit-with-bitcoin-7da3f85fb9ba#.5un6swfjk">Fix Reddit With Bitcoin</a>&#8216;.</p>
<p>A year after Ryan&#8217;s idea of a&nbsp;decentralized, bitcoin-powered Reddit caught the attention of certain parts of the internet, they&#8217;re getting near to launch. In this show, Jamie meets Ryan Charles and <a href="https://twitter.com/Steven_McKie">Steven McKie</a> of Yours to place the project in the history of P2P efforts to help us regain control of our content online. We discuss:</p>
<ul>
<li>Digg and Reddit&#8217;s early days, and how the legacy of Digg still haunts Reddit</li>
<li>Reddit&#8217;s nascent plans to become decentralized and how they got shelved</li>
<li>How Jamie nearly made a billion dollars on Bitcoin, or says he did</li>
<li>Corruption on the Bitcoin subreddit, and how decentralization could address moderators gone bad</li>
<li>Bitcoin-powered torrenting with <a href="http://joystream.co/">Joystream</a> ,and Jamie&#8217;s idea for a ratio-less private tracker</li>
<li>The Yours.network concept: a content platform in which creators and reposters share in content payments.</li>
</ul>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><a href="https://stealthisshow.com">Steal This Show</a> aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing copyright and file-sharing news. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary and analysis. </p>
<p>The guests for our news discussions will vary and we&#8217;ll aim to introduce voices from different backgrounds and persuasions. In addition to news, STS will also produce features interviewing some of the great innovators and minds. </p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Jamie King</p>
<p><strong>Guest:</strong> Ryan X. Charles and Steven McKie</p>
<p><center><iframe width="100%" height="180px" src="//stealthisshow.com/?lpe-frame=1&#038;lpe-season=2&#038;lpe-episode=04" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></p>
<p><strong>Produced </strong> <em>by </em>Jamie King<br>
<strong>Edited &#038; Mixed</strong> <em>by</em> Riley Byrne<br>
<strong>Original Music</strong> <em>by</em> David Triana<br>
<strong>Web Production</strong> <em>by</em> Siraje Amarniss</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129597
title: Cisco Develops System To Automatically Cut-Off Pirate Video Streams
uri: Cisco-Develops-System-To-Automatically-Cut-Off-Pirate-Video-Streams
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/aoqu7e9BgLk/
content:
<p><a href="media/bc003361.network-round.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/network-round.jpg"><img src="media/a79e141a.network-round.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/network-round.jpg" alt="network-round" width="220" height="220" class="alignright size-full wp-image-126170"></a>While torrents continue to be one of the Internet&#8217;s major distribution methods for copyrighted content, it&#8217;s streaming that&#8217;s capturing the imagination of the pirating mainstream.</p>
<p>Easy to use via regular web browsers, modified Kodi installations, and fully-fledged IPTV services, streaming is now in the living rooms of millions of people. As such it is viewed as a threat to subscription and PPV TV providers worldwide, especially those offering live content such as sporting events.</p>
<p>Pirate services obtain content by capturing and restreaming feeds obtained from official sources, often from something as humble as a regular subscriber account. These streams can then be redistributed by thousands of other sites and services, many of which are easily found using a simple search.</p>
<p>Dedicated anti-piracy companies track down these streams and send takedown notices to the hosts carrying them. Sometimes this means that streams go down quickly but in other cases hosts can take a while to respond or may not comply at all. Networking company Cisco thinks it has found a solution to these problems.</p>
<p>The company&#8217;s claims center around its Streaming Piracy Prevention (SPP) platform, a system that aims to take down illicit streams in real-time. Perhaps most interestingly, Cisco says SPP functions without needing to send takedown notices to companies hosting illicit streams.</p>
<p>&#8220;Traditional takedown mechanisms such as sending legal notices (commonly referred to as ‘DMCA notices’) are ineffective where pirate services have put in place infrastructure capable of delivering video at tens and even hundreds of gigabits per second, as in essence there is nobody to send a notice to,&#8221; the company explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;Escalation to infrastructure providers works to an extent, but the process is often slow as the pirate services will likely provide the largest revenue source for many of the platform providers in question.&#8221;</p>
<p>To overcome these problems Cisco says it has partnered with <a href="https://www.friendmts.com">Friend MTS</a> (FMTS), a UK-based company specializing in content-protection.</p>
<p>Among its services, FMTS offers Distribution iD, which allows content providers to pinpoint which of their downstream distributors&#8217; platforms are a current source of content leaks. </p>
<p>&#8220;Robust and unique watermarks are embedded into each distributor feed for identification. The code is invisible to the viewer but can be recovered by our specialist detector software,&#8221; FMTS explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;Once infringing content has been located, the service automatically extracts the watermark for accurate distributor identification.&#8221;</p>
<p>Friend MTS also offers Advanced Subscriber iDentification (ASiD), a system that is able to identify legitimate subscribers who are subsequently re-transmitting content online. </p>
<p>According to Cisco, FMTS feeds the SPP service with pirate video streams it finds online. These are tracked back to the source of the leak (such as a particular distributor or specific pay TV subscriber account) which can then be shut-down in real time.</p>
<p>&#8220;The process is fully automated, ensuring a timely response to incidents of piracy. Gone are the days of sending a legal notice and waiting to see if anyone will answer,&#8221; Cisco <a href="http://blogs.cisco.com/sp/a-new-paradigm-for-dealing-with-illegal-redistribution-of-content">says</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;SPP acts without the need to involve or gain cooperation from any third parties, enabling an unmatched level of cross-device retransmission prevention and allowing service providers to take back control of their channels, to maximize their revenue.&#8221;</p>
<p>Friends MTS and Cisco believe the problem is significant. During the last month alone the company says it uncovered 12,000 HD channels on pirate services that were being sourced from Pay TV providers.</p>
<p>How much of dent the companies will be able to make in this market will remain to be seen but not having to rely on the efficiency of takedown requests certainly has the potential to shift the balance of power.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129553
title: UK Movie Pirates Lose Appeal, Prison Time Stands
uri: UK-Movie-Pirates-Lose-Appeal-Prison-Time-Stands
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/tVf0movhlmU/
content:
<p><img src="media/0a6858fb.piratkeyb-e1476968827887.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/piratkeyb-e1476968827887.png" alt="piratkeyb" width="222" height="157" class="alignright size-full wp-image-108110">Early 2013, five UK men were arrested for their alleged involvement in several interrelated movie release groups including RemixHD, 26K, UNiQUE, DTRG and HOPE/RESISTANCE.</p>
<p>The groups were responsible for distributing no less than 9,000 copyright infringing movies on popular torrent sites, including ExtraTorrent. </p>
<p>These releases generated five million unauthorized &#8216;views&#8217; and a million pounds in lost revenue, according to a calculation from UK’s Federation Against Copyright Theft, which was actively involved in the case.</p>
<p>All the men opted to plead guilty and late last year Wolverhampton Crown Court handed down sentences <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-movie-pirates-sentenced-to-a-total-of-17-years-151218/">adding up to 17 years</a> of jail time.  </p>
<p>Sahil Rafiq and Reece Baker received the toughest sentences, four-and-a-half years and four years and two months, respectively. The pair appealed the decision in court this week, but without the desired result. </p>
<p>Defense lawyers argued that a reduced sentence would be appropriate as the men didn&#8217;t profit from the widespread copyright infringement. However, the Court of Appeal rejected this argument and denied the appeal.</p>
<p>“Whilst we accept that the sentences passed on these two young men were stiff, we are unpersuaded that they were manifestly excessive,” Mr Justice Hickinbottom said, <a href="http://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2016/10/20/pair-from-movie-pirating-gang-jailed-over-1-million-film-piracy-lose-appeals/#qaEcmPLUekvycIsp.99">quoted</a> by Express &#038; Star. </p>
<p>This means that Sahil Rafiq, who was accused of uploading more than 880 movies and causing 1.5 million illegal downloads as founder of 26K, will have to sit out his four-and-a-half year sentence.</p>
<p>Reece Baker, a member of DTRG and the founder of HOPE/RESISTANCE, has to serve four years and two months. He was said to have triggered more than 226,000 illegal downloads and aggravated his circumstances by continuing to upload movies while he was on bail.</p>
<p>The three other men haven&#8217;t appealed their sentences, as far as we know. </p>
<p>Graeme Reid, founder of ‘RemixHD,’ was jailed for three years and six months and ANALOG and TCM founder Ben Cooper received the same sentence. Scott Hemming, who uploaded some 800 movies, received a two-year suspended sentence.</p>
<p>Due to the distributed nature of BitTorrent, many of the movies the men released online are still being shared on public torrent sites, and perhaps will still be long after they&#8217;ve served their sentences.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>Additional background and information is available in our previous in -depth coverage on these cases, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-movie-pirates-sentenced-to-a-total-of-17-years-151218/">here</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/movie-pirates-facing-shocking-prison-sentences-151213/">here</a>.</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129405
title: KSI Buys His Own Movie 62 Times to Atone For Piracy Sins
uri: KSI-Buys-His-Own-Movie-62-Times-to-Atone-For-Piracy-Sins
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/opRrJJpYeVE/
content:
<p><a href="media/813d2dea.ksi-7.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-7.jpg"><img src="media/c6f8071d.ksi-7.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-7.jpg" alt="ksi-7" width="230" height="232" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129499"></a>KSI, the UK-based YouTubing, videogaming, rapper-comedian has 14.8 million channel subscribers. As a result he&#8217;s one of the most popular stars on the Internet.</p>
<p>The London-based jack-of-all-trades recently released a movie called Laid in America. It came out on Blu-ray earlier this month but rather than all of his fans buying it, many pirated it on torrent sites.</p>
<p>That led to KSI going crazy in a video published last week, in which he called his pirating fans some <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/insanely-popular-youtuber-ksi-goes-fng-ballistic-at-movie-pirates-161013/">terrible, awful things</a>.</p>
<p>Quickly, however, people with long memories recalled that KSI himself isn&#8217;t so innocent when it comes to getting stuff without paying for it. Indeed, KSI had previously downloaded a pirate copy of Sony Vegas and even asked for help on Twitter to get it working.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/ed152422.ksi-8.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-8.png"><img src="media/0b4f82fe.ksi-8.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-8.png" alt="ksi-8" width="500" height="450" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129501"></a></center></p>
<p>As a result, the cries of &#8216;hypocrite&#8217; on his channel became deafening but of course, someone of KSI&#8217;s YouTubing abilities was hardly going to let this opportunity go to waste. We were waiting for a response and yesterday morning it came, albeit briefly.</p>
<p>KSI uploaded a new video titled &#8220;I&#8217;M A HYPOCRITE&#8221; but immediately made it private before we could get a sneak preview. Was this his long-awaited apology?</p>
<p>In the past few hours it became clear that, yes, yes it was. In a new five minute long, well-produced video, KSI gets on his knees and asks for forgiveness.</p>
<p>Ok, he doesn&#8217;t at all. He dresses up as a pirate, goes for a swashbuckling adventure around London, and attempts to atone for his sins by buying stuff. </p>
<p><center><a href="media/c1d6625d.ksi-6.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-6.png"><img src="media/4d481215.ksi-6.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-6.png" alt="ksi-6" width="560" height="315" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129497"></a></center></p>
<p>However, instead of buying Sony software to make up for his earlier transgression, KSI does the next best thing.</p>
<p>He visits HMV, buys every single copy of his OWN movie that the store has in stock, takes them out onto the streets, and gives them all away to adoring fans. No doubt impressed, Sony are probably recalling their lawyers right now.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eN-ecLz_RvE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>While some might find his style unpalatable, there&#8217;s little doubt that KSI is a master of YouTube and utterly brilliant at getting clicks. Of course, everyone who reports on his antics only adds to his popularity, but when people like him are prepared to deal with a difficult topic like piracy in a refreshing way, that&#8217;s worthy of a second look.</p>
<p>Last week we toyed with the tantalizing possibility that KSI might be engaged in a guerilla anti-piracy campaign. While that may or may not be the case, if you&#8217;re trying to reach the YouTube generation with that kind of message, there doesn&#8217;t seem to be a better way to go about it.</p>
<p>Young people aren&#8217;t best known for following the advice of men in suits. Young men dressed as pirates, on the other hand&#8230;. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-anti-piracy-education-campaign-launched-quietly-151201/">GetitRight campaign</a> take note?</p>
<p>Finally, while the video is no doubt entertaining, even the cleverest anti-piracy campaigns can backfire in unexpected ways, as the YouTube comment below illustrates.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/a0b156bb.ksi-5.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-5.png"><img src="media/597517b8.ksi-5.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ksi-5.png" alt="ksi-5" width="650" height="111" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129495"></a></center></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129559
title: Police Confirm Arrests of BlackCats-Games Operators
uri: Police-Confirm-Arrests-of-BlackCats-Games-Operators
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/7dgRXBcYXTk/
content:
<p><img src="media/412d1642.blackcats-1.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/blackcats-1.jpg" width="240" height="218" alt="" class="alignright size-large">After being down for several hours, yesterday the domain of private tracker BlackCats-Games <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/blackcat-games-domain-seized-by-uk-anti-piracy-police-161019/">was seized</a> by the UK&#8217;s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit.</p>
<p>The domain used to point to an IP address in Canada, but was later switched to a server known to be under the control of PIPCU, the UK&#8217;s leading anti-piracy force.</p>
<p>Following several hours of rumors, last evening sources close to the site began to confirm that the situation was serious. Reddit user <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/trackers/comments/58abqn/bcg_busted/d8yz0co">Farow</a> went public with specific details, noting that the owner of BlackCats-Games had been arrested and the site would be closing down.</p>
<p>A former site staff member <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/trackers/comments/58abqn/bcg_busted/d8z24gq">added</a> that there had in fact been two arrests and it was the site&#8217;s sysops that had been taken into custody.</p>
<p>While both are credible sources, there was no formal confirmation from PIPCU. That came a few moments ago and it&#8217;s pretty bad news for fans of the site and its operators.</p>
<p>&#8220;Officers from the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) have arrested two men in connection with an ongoing investigation into the illegal distribution of copyright protected video games,&#8221; the unit said in a statement.</p>
<p>Police say that the raids took place on Tuesday, with officers arresting two men aged 47 and 44 years at their homes in Birmingham, West Midlands and Blyth, Northumberland. Both were arrested on suspicion of copyright infringement and money laundering offenses.</p>
<p>Detectives say they also seized digital media and computer hardware.</p>
<p>PIPCU report that the investigation into the site was launched in cooperation with UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). A former staff member indicated that a PayPal account operated by the site in 2013 appears to have played an important role in the arrests.</p>
<p>Detective Sergeant Gary Brownfrom the City of London Police Intellectual Property Unit said that their goal was to disrupt the work of &#8220;content thieves.&#8221;</p>
<p>“With the ever-growing consumer appetite for gaming driving the threat of piracy to the industry, our action today is essential in disrupting criminal activity and the money which drives it,&#8221; Brownfrom said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Those who steal copyrighted content exploit the highly skilled work and jobs supported by the gaming industry. We are working hard to tackle digital intellectual property crime and we will continue to target our enforcement activity towards those identified as content thieves whatever scale they are operating at.”</p>
<p>UK Interactive Entertainment welcomed the arrests.</p>
<p>“UKIE applauds the action taken by PIPCU against the operators of the site. Sites like this are harmful to the hard work of game creators around the world. PIPCU’s actions confirm that these sites will not be tolerated, and are subject to criminal enforcement,” a spokesman said.</p>
<p>Stanley Pierre-Louis, general counsel for the Entertainment Software Association, thanked PIPCU for its work.</p>
<p>“ESA commends PIPCU for its commitment to taking action against sites that facilitate the illegal copying and distribution of incredibly advanced works of digital art. We are grateful for PIPCU’s leadership in this area and their support of creative industries.”</p>
<p>Both men have been released on police bail.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129583
title: Android Pirate App Store Case Ends in Mistrial, Jury Undecided
uri: Android-Pirate-App-Store-Case-Ends-in-Mistrial-Jury-Undecided
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/doPBWyYFP6s/
content:
<p><img src="media/8baeb686.applanet.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/applanet.jpg" alt="applanet" width="250" height="250" class="alignright size-full wp-image-55966" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/applanet.jpg 250w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/applanet-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px">Assisted by police in France and the Netherlands, the <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/fbi-seizes-pirate-android-app-domains-120822/">FBI took down</a> the “pirate” Android stores Appbucket, Applanet and SnappzMarket during the summer of 2012.</p>
<p>During the years that followed several people connected to the Android app sites were arrested and indicted, and slowly but surely these cases are now reaching their conclusions. </p>
<p>Two months ago the first sentencing was announced, and it was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-android-app-store-member-jailed-for-46-months-160831/">a big one</a>. SnappzMarket&#8217;s &#8216;PR manager&#8217; Scott Walton was handed a 46-month prison sentence for conspiracy to commit copyright infringement.</p>
<p>Like several others, Walton had pleaded guilty in order to get a reduced sentence. However, not all did. David Lee, a California man linked to Applanet, decided to move to trial instead. </p>
<p>The indictment charged Lee with aiding and abetting criminal copyright infringement (<a href="media/1702b301.complaint.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/complaint.pdf">pdf</a>). In addition, he was charged with conspiring to infringe copyrights and violating the DMCA&#8217;s anti-circumvention provision.</p>
<p>As the case progressed it became clear that the U.S. Government&#8217;s evidence wasn&#8217;t as strong as initially thought. Before the trial even started, the prosecution voluntarily <a href="media/bf6a891c.dismiss.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/dismiss.pdf">dropped</a> the criminal copyright infringement charge. </p>
<p>The &#8220;overt&#8221; acts that were scrapped due to a lack of evidence are all related to an undercover FBI agent in the Northern District of Georgia, who supposedly downloaded pirated apps from Applanet&#8217;s computer servers.   </p>
<p>What remained was the conspiracy charge and last week both parties argued their case before the jury. Over the course of several days many witnesses were heard, including FBI agents and co-defendant Gary Sharp, who previously <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/android-piracy-group-leaders-plead-guilty-to-criminal-copyright-infringement-160503/">pleaded guilty</a>.</p>
<p>Friday last week the closing arguments were presented after which the jury retreated to deliberate at 10:30 in the morning. At the end of the day, however, they still hadn&#8217;t reached a decision so the court decided to continue after the weekend. </p>
<p>On Monday the jury got back together but after having failed to reach a verdict by the end of the day, a mistrial was declared. This means that David Lee has not been found guilty. </p>
<p><center><strong>Mistrial</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/9d4286e1.mistrial.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mistrial.png" alt="mistrial" width="586" height="543" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129618"></center></p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to Lee&#8217;s lawyers for more information but they declined to comment. </p>
<p>In the jury instructions the defense hammered on the fact that  the government must prove that either the conspiracy or an overt act took place in the District of Georgia, even if the defendant never set foot there. </p>
<p>It could be that the Jury couldn&#8217;t reach a unanimous decision on that point or any of the other key issues.</p>
<p>TF also contacted the Department of Justice, who didn&#8217;t go into detail either, but informed us that they are still evaluating the outcome. &#8220;We are considering our options,&#8221; a DoJ spokesperson said. </p>
<p>In theory, the U.S. Government can ask for a retrial, which means that the case has to be tried again. For now, however, David Lee remains out of prison.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129585
title: Anti-Piracy Outfits Agree to Strengthen International Cooperation
uri: Anti-Piracy-Outfits-Agree-to-Strengthen-International-Cooperation
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FsdiKsGRi0E/
content:
<p>With the Internet and therefore online piracy having developed into a truly global phenomenon, anti-piracy groups everywhere are expanding their reach.</p>
<p>What was once a semi-isolated affair has become a multi-agency, cross-continent operation, with governments and rights holders alike striving to share information and pool resources.</p>
<p>An event this week illustrated where things are going, with representatives from around the world descending upon Brussels for a meeting hosted by the Motion Picture Association.</p>
<p>The International Roundtable, titled “Combating Internet Piracy: International Practice”, saw government officials from Europe and Russia join representatives from the United States and the UK to discuss cooperation against piracy.</p>
<p><center><strong>The meeting</strong> (Photo via <a href="https://twitter.com/roscomnadzor/status/788415662339321856">Роскомнадзор</a>)<br></br></center><center><a href="media/e189debe.brussels-meeting.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/brussels-meeting.jpg"><img src="media/975deebc.brussels-meeting.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/brussels-meeting.jpg" alt="brussels-meeting" width="600" height="450" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129592" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/brussels-meeting.jpg 600w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/brussels-meeting-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a></center></p>
<p>According to information released by Russian telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor and translated by the MPA, those gathered agreed that a &#8220;lack of intellectual property protection causes significant economic damage to individual rights holders and the global economy.&#8221;</p>
<p>Of course, that message certainly isn&#8217;t new. Neither are <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/digital-citizens-slam-cloudflare-for-enabling-piracy-malware-160722/">mounting public claims</a> by rights holders that Internet users are being put at risk through their visits to unauthorized sites.</p>
<p>Those assembled agreed that consumers are negatively impacted from enjoying entertainment in a safe environment since pirate sites &#8220;are a fertile ground for identity theft, viruses, malware or spyware.&#8221;</p>
<p>As mentioned earlier, anti-piracy groups and initiatives of all kinds now understand that collaboration is part of the way forward, whether that&#8217;s sharing information or working towards tougher legal frameworks.</p>
<p>&#8220;In particular, participants acknowledged the need to strengthen international cooperation in the fight against IPR violations on the Internet and to continue sharing experiences in improving legislation, and law enforcement practice in combating copyright infringement in the digital environment in the EU, Russian Federation, and USA,&#8221; a summary of the meeting reads.</p>
<p>Those at the meeting included representatives from the US &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/is-the-u-s-six-strikes-anti-piracy-system-doomed-160605/">six-strikes</a>&#8221; Copyright Alert System and the UK&#8217;s <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-anti-piracy-education-campaign-launched-quietly-151201/">GetitRight campaign</a>. Details are fairly scarce, but these groups are likely to have shared data on how educational messages affect the behaviors of Internet pirates and how voluntary agreements with industry players such as ISPs can become part of the anti-piracy package.</p>
<p>Another item on the agenda was the role that search engines and user-generated content companies play when it comes to fighting online piracy. While Russia has its own issues with services like Yandex, for the US and Europe the focus is very much on Google and sites such as YouTube. </p>
<p>Service provider liability and related legislative initiatives will continue to be hot topics in the months and years ahead. This is particularly true of the United States, where the safe harbor provisions of the DMCA are <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-govt-reviews-impact-and-efficacy-of-dmca-safe-harbor-160105/">under scrutiny</a> alongside a controversial debate on the so-called &#8216;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-says-youtube-is-running-a-dmca-protection-racket-160412/">value gap</a>&#8216; claimed to be present on YouTube.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129513
title: Pirate Sites Remain Popular in the UK, Despite Website Blockades
uri: Pirate-Sites-Remain-Popular-in-the-UK-Despite-Website-Blockades
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/nvTrOIPczic/
content:
<p><img src="media/2759597c.blocked-censor.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blocked-censor.jpg" alt="blocked-censor" width="250" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124850">Website blocking has become one of the favorite anti-piracy tools of the entertainment industries in recent years.</p>
<p>The UK is a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/megashare-viooz-watch32-zmovie-blocked-140311/">leader on this front</a>, with the High Court ordering local ISPs to block access to many popular file-sharing sites.</p>
<p>Over time the number of blocked URLs has expanded to well over 1,000, with popular torrent, streaming, and direct download sites being the main targets.</p>
<p>While research has shown that this approach is <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-blocking-boosts-interest-in-vpns-research-shows-200416/">somewhat effective</a>, there are plenty of options through which people can circumvent the blockades, including many reverse proxies. </p>
<p>Similarly, pirate sites can simply switch to a new domain name to evade the court orders, and new sites are allowed to flourish in the shadow of those that are no longer available. </p>
<p>This week we decided to take a look at the current pirate site landscape in the UK, with some surprising results. </p>
<p>As it turns out, the list of top ten most-used pirate sites in the UK includes several sites that are on the ISPs blockists. In some cases the sites  remain accessible on their original domain names, via the HTTPS URL. </p>
<p>As we&#8217;ve <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/https-renders-uk-pirate-site-blocklist-useless-160223/">highlighted before</a>, not all ISPs are able to block HTTPS traffic, which allows their subscribers to load The Pirate Bay and other blocked sites just fine. </p>
<p>There are also websites that intentionally help visitors to circumvent the blocks by registering new domain names. Unblocked.vip, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-pirate-site-blocking-whack-a-mole-continues-160429/">for example</a>, has cycled through various domain names in order to remain available.</p>
<p>And then there are the newcomers. 123movies.to deserves a mention here as it&#8217;s currently the most-used pirate site in the UK. With an Alexa rank of 81, it&#8217;s even one of the 100 most-visited sites in the country.</p>
<p><center><strong>123movies.to</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/f386a832.123movies.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/123movies.jpg" alt="123movies" width="600" height="434" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129548"></center></p>
<p>Below we&#8217;ve made an overview of the ten most-used pirate sites in the UK. Several of these are on the blocklist, with a current or previous URL. This suggests that the blocking efforts are not as effective as rightsholders would like them to be. </p>
<p>The conclusion is also in line with research from Italy, which suggested that site-blocking can actually be <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/censoring-pirate-sites-is-counterproductive-research-finds-160708/">counterproductive</a>. Similarly, a UK report revealed that it significantly <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-site-blocking-gives-boost-to-pirate-linking-sites-150102/">boosts traffic</a> to non-blocked websites.</p>
<p>While the entertainment industries still see enough value in website blocking, it&#8217;s clear that it&#8217;s not the silver bullet that will defeat piracy. And at a rate of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-soaring-financial-cost-of-blocking-pirate-sites-141019/">£14,000 per site</a>, it comes at a high cost. </p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><em>The label &#8220;pirate site&#8221; applies to sites that have been classified as such by entertainment industry groups. It&#8217;s worth noting that at the time of writing, several of the sites (*) had already started redirecting to new domain names. Putlocker.is is currently down.</em></p>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th><strong>Site</strong></th>
<th width="20%"><strong>Alexa rank</strong></th>
<th width="25%"><strong>Type</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Original site blocked?</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">torrentfreak.com</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong><a href="http://123movies.to/">123movies.to</a></strong></td>
<td>81</td>
<td>Streaming</td>
<td>No</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><a href="http://www.watchseries.ac/">Watchseries.ac</a></strong> (<a href="http://www.watchseriesgo.to/">*</a>)</td>
<td>126</td>
<td>Streaming</td>
<td>Yes</td>
<tr>
<td><strong><a href="http://Unblocked.vip">Unblocked.vip</a></strong> (<a href="https://unblocked.ist/">*</a>)</td>
<td>127</td>
<td>Proxy links</td>
<td>Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><a href="http://putlocker.is/">Putlocker.is</a></strong> (down)</td>
<td>161</td>
<td>Streaming</td>
<td>No</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><a href="https://pirateproxy.red/">Pirateproxy.red</a></strong> (<a href="https://pirateproxy.vip/">*</a>)</td>
<td>183</td>
<td>Torrents (proxy)</td>
<td>Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><a href="https://thepiratebay.org/">Thepiratebay.org</a></strong></td>
<td>316</td>
<td>Torrents</td>
<td>Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><a href="http://rutracker.org/forum/index.php">Rutracker.org</a> </strong></td>
<td>384</td>
<td>Torrents</td>
<td>No</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><a href="http://vodlocker.com/">Vodlocker.com</a></strong></td>
<td>407</td>
<td>Cyberlocker</td>
<td>No</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><a href="http://zippyshare.com/">Zippyshare.com</a></strong></td>
<td>412</td>
<td>Cyberlocker</td>
<td>No</td>
<tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><a href="http://www.yify-torrent.org/">Yify-torrent.org</a></strong></td>
<td>431</td>
<td>Torrents</td>
<td>No</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=128497
title: Pirate Party On Course For Historic Election Win in Iceland
uri: Pirate-Party-On-Course-For-Historic-Election-Win-in-Iceland
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/b0fePBZbMlo/
content:
<p><img src="media/8bd18bcb.pirate-ice.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-ice.jpg" alt="pirate-ice" width="180" height="160" class="alignright size-full wp-image-103057">Founded in 2006 by Rick Falkvinge, the Pirate party movement has scored some significant victories over the years.</p>
<p>The greatest success is the continuing presence in the European Parliament, but in Iceland the local Pirate Party is writing history as well.</p>
<p>Iceland&#8217;s Pirates have a great track record already, with three members in the national Parliament. However, more may join in the future as the party has added many new supporters in recent months.</p>
<p>With elections just a week away the tension is growing. The Pirates have been <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-party-becomes-icelands-most-popular-political-party-150319/">leading the polls</a> for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_parliamentary_election,_2016#Opinion_polls">most of the year</a> and are currently neck-and-neck with the Social Democratic Alliance to become the largest party in the country.</p>
<p>This brings the Pirates in an unusual position where they have to start thinking about possible partners to form a coalition Government, for the first time in history.</p>
<p>TF spoke with Ásta Helgadóttir, Member of Parliament for the Icelandic Pirate Party, who says that the party is ready to bring the change many citizens are longing for.</p>
<p>&#8220;Firstly, by adopting a new constitution which has already been voted on in a non-binding referendum,&#8221; Helgadóttir says.</p>
<p><img src="media/0ddbe5dd.asta.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/asta.jpg" alt="asta" width="200" height="181" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129679">&#8220;This will change how Iceland functions as a democracy, transitioning into a much more meaningful democracy. The Pirates are focused on decentralization of power, access to information and civil and human rights. The pillars of any meaningful notion of democracy.&#8221; </p>
<p>Despite the Pirate name, copyright issues are not central to their plans. That said, they have spoken out against recent web-blocking efforts. </p>
<p>Iceland&#8217;s ISPs have been ordered to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-blockade-set-for-icelandic-expansion-141025/">block access</a> to &#8216;infringing&#8217; sites such as The Pirate Bay, which the party sees as a step in the wrong direction. The party fears that these censorship efforts will lead to more stringent measures.</p>
<p>&#8220;These measures are not a solution and only exacerbate the problem. There needs to be a review of copyright law and how creators are compensated for their work,&#8221; Helgadóttir notes, adding that some ISPs are planning to fight the blockades <a href="http://www.visir.is/segja-nidurstodu-deildu-domsins-oskiljanlega/article/2016161018714">in court</a>.</p>
<p>While the Pirate Party movement has always appealed to the younger generations, in Iceland it receives support across all age groups. One of their main selling points is a broad and clear vision for Iceland that breaks with the current political establishment. </p>
<p>The Pirate Party was in part formed by supporters of the <a href="https://en.immi.is/">Icelandic Modern Media Initiative</a>, a unanimously adopted parliamentary resolution to create the optimal environment for freedom of information and free expression.</p>
<p>&#8220;This work is still under way but something the Pirates want to implement,&#8221; Helgadóttir says.</p>
<p>&#8220;The resolution brings limited liability for intermediaries, whistleblower protection, enhanced source protection, due process, defamation law reform and data protection, among other things.&#8221;</p>
<p>With just a week to go, there&#8217;s a realistic chance that the Pirates will book a historic election win, allowing them to govern the country during the years to come. </p>
<p>In that regard, the timing could hardly be any better. With the recent revelations from the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/panama-papers-pirates-prepare-to-takeover-iceland-160405/">Panama Papers scandal</a> and the banking crisis fresh in mind, people are longing for change. </p>
<p>According to Helgadóttir, the party hasn&#8217;t set any specific goals in terms of a vote percentage they want to reach. Whatever the outcome, they will to their best to and steer the country in the right direction once again.</p>
<p>&#8220;We do not have a specific target in terms of percentages. Our objective is to get the ball rolling on some fundamental issues, whether that happens with 10% of the vote or 40% of the vote is not paramount.&#8221;</p>
<p>The parliamentary elections will take place next week, October 29. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129407
title: iKeepSafe Inadvertently Gives Students a Valuable Lesson in Creators’ Rights
uri: 2016-10-24-
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/R8RllGUOfUE/
content:
<p>Children and students of all kinds are some of the most valuable assets to society. After all, they&#8217;re literally the future of the planet. As a result, hundreds of groups around the world dedicate themselves to protecting their interests, from general welfare and healthcare to Internet safety.</p>
<p>One of the groups dedicated to the latter is the Internet Keep Safe Coalition (<a href="http://ikeepsafe.org/">iKeepSafe</a>), an alliance of policy leaders, educators, law enforcement and technology experts.</p>
<p>iKeepSafe has launched a new initiative in partnership with pro-copyright/anti-piracy group Creative Future called the <a href="http://ikeepsafe.org/digital-citizenship/calling-all-educators-enter-the-contribute-to-creativity-challenge/">Contribute to Creativity Challenge</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;We know that when students are given the opportunity to be creative, they not only learn to make conscious choices about sharing their creative work, but they also understand the value of respecting the rights of other creators,&#8221; iKeepSafe says.</p>
<p>The challenge is a competition which requires students to submit electronic projects that center around the importance of behaving well online, such as respecting copyright and related rights.</p>
<p>&#8220;To participate, each entrant will need to submit an electronic project educating others about the importance of being an ethical, responsible online digital citizen,&#8221; iKeepSafe notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;The submissions will be judged according to the judging rubric and the winning entries will each receive a $75 Amazon gift card for books or classroom supplies.&#8221;</p>
<p>For those submitting entries the exercise of considering what makes a good digital citizen should be an enlightening one. Indeed, the creative process itself should also be enjoyable and educational, further sweetened by the prospect of a few bucks should the entry be a winner.</p>
<p>But for those young creators getting involved, there&#8217;s another equally valuable lesson to be learned from this exercise, even at the tender age of 12.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s quite likely that some participating students will be considering getting involved in the business of content creation, whether that&#8217;s in the music, movie, TV, or publishing sectors. With that in mind, they should consider the terms and conditions of any contracts entered into. This competition is a great place to start.</p>
<p>The Contribute to Creativity Challenge has five pages of T&#038;Cs <em>(<a href="media/128396db.Project-Create-Terms-and-Conditions-October-2016.pdf" data-original-source="http://ikeepsafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Project-Create-Terms-and-Conditions-October-2016.pdf">pdf</a>)</em>. They include rules that submitted content cannot infringe other people&#8217;s intellectual property rights or condone any illegal activities, which is fair enough.</p>
<p>However, since this is all about being creative and respecting creators&#8217; rights, we took a look at what rights these young creators will have over their content after it&#8217;s submitted to the competition and what uses it will be put to thereafter.</p>
<p>&#8220;By entering the Competition, each Entrant hereby grants to Promoter and their assigns, licensees and designees a non-exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual license to use, copy, publish, and publicly display the Entry and all elements of the Entry (including, but not limited to, the Entrant’s name, city and country, biographical information, statements, voice, photograph and other likeness (unless prohibited by law)) in whole or in part,&#8221; the conditions read.</p>
<p>Of course, some kind of license is required if the competition operators are to be able to do anything with the entries. However, it also means that whether the entrant likes it or not (or even understands the legal jargon), their submitted work can be published along with their photographs <em>until the end of time</em> by iKeepSafe, &#8220;in any and all media either now known or not currently known, in perpetuity throughout the universe for all purposes.&#8221;</p>
<p>In perpetuity. Universe. All purposes. And, just to be clear, &#8220;without notification and <u>without compensation of any kind to Entrant</u> or any third party.&#8221; <em>(emphasis ours)</em></p>
<p>Of course, there will be many students who will relish the thought of their projects gaining some publicity since that could really help their profile. However, it seems likely from the conditions of the competition that what iKeepSafe really wants is free material for upcoming campaigns.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Promoter shall have the right, without limitation, to reproduce, alter, amend, edit, publish, modify, crop and use each Entry in connection with commercials, advertisements and promotions related to the Promoter, the sale of Promoter’s products, the Competition and any other competition sponsored by Promoter, in any and all media, now or hereafter known, including but not limited to, all forms of television distribution, theatrical advertisements, radio, the Internet, newspapers, magazines and billboards,&#8221; the conditions read.</p>
<p>The eagle-eyed will have noticed that student entrants grant iKeepSafe a non-exclusive license, which usually means that they are also free to exploit their works themselves, a luxury that an exclusive license does not offer. While that&#8217;s a good thing, a subsequent clause could conceivably muddy the waters.</p>
<p>&#8220;Entrant agrees not to release any publicity or other materials on their own or through someone else regarding his or her participation in the Competition without the prior consent of the Promoter, which it may withhold in its sole discretion,&#8221; it reads.</p>
<p>Just to be absolutely clear, there&#8217;s no suggestion that iKeepSafe are leading students down a dark path here, since their overall goal of promoting ethical behavior online is a noble one. That being said, would it really hurt to properly compensate student creators featured in subsequent campaigns that will largely exist to help businesses?</p>
<p>After all, the message here is about being ethical, and with Creative Future on board &#8211; which represents rightsholders worth billions of dollars &#8211; there&#8217;s more than a little bit of cash lying around to properly compensate these young creators.</p>
<p>Perhaps the key lesson for students and other creators to be aware of at this early stage is that some companies and organizations will be prepared to exploit their creative work while giving little or indeed absolutely nothing back.</p>
<p>Today it&#8217;s a harmless school project competition entry on ethics, but in a few years time it could be something worth millions, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panayiotou_v_Sony_Music_Entertainment_(UK)_Ltd">ask George Michael</a>.</p>
<p>Finally, if being ethical and responsible really is the goal, perhaps students and competition operators alike should consider a much less restrictive <a href="https://creativecommons.org/">Creative Commons license</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129684
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 10/24/16
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-10-24-16
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/SyPYIFG1sWA/
content:
<p><img src="media/c848fcbc.suicidesquad.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/suicidesquad.jpg" alt="suicidesquad" width="300" height="161" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128928">This week we have two newcomers in our chart. </p>
<p>Suicide Squad is the most downloaded movie for the third week in a row.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the weekly movie download chart.</p>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Ranking</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>(<a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-101716/">last week</a>)</strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">torrentfreak.com</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/suicide-squad-torrent-downloads/">Suicide Squad</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386697/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmRih_VtVAs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/bad-moms-torrent-downloads/">Bad Moms</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4651520/">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0FNjPsANGk">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/dont-breathe-torrent-downloads/">Don&#8217;t Breathe</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4160708/">7.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76yBTNDB6vU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/sausage-party-torrent-downloads/">Sausage Party</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1700841/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBdeE7mzED4">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/star-trek-beyond-torrent-downloads/">Star Trek Beyond</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2660888/">7.4</a> / <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_trek_beyond">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lights-out-torrent-downloads/">Lights Out</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4786282/">6.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct8kBEWmG_s">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mechanic-resurrection-torrent-downloads/">Mechanic: Resurrection</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3522806/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-P3f_wDXvs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/independence-day-resurgence-torrent-downloads/">Independence Day: Resurgence</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1628841/">5.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCe_JshWOZ0">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(10)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_infiltrator">The Infiltrator</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1355631/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7_M4hjXW1I">trailer</a></td>
<tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_civil_war">Captain America: Civil War</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3498820/">8.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrVegVI0Us">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129698
title: BPI Reports Quarter Billion ‘Pirate’ Links to Google, Ask UK Govt. For Help
uri: BPI-Reports-Quarter-Billion-Pirate-Links-to-Google-Ask-UK-Govt
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Hcl1_8lGtGs/
content:
<p><img src="media/3c5b1a66.googlepiratebay.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/googlepiratebay.png" alt="googlepiratebay" width="222" height="214" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128445">Despite the growing availability of legal music services in many countries, record labels are facing a constant stream of pirated music.</p>
<p>In an attempt to prevent these infringements, BPI and other music industry groups send millions of takedown notices to Internet services every month. </p>
<p>Although several major search engines are targeted, most of these requests are directed at Google. The numbers are quite staggering, and over the past few hours UK <a href="https://www.bpi.co.uk/">music industry group BPI</a> hit a new milestone. </p>
<p>BPI just crossed the mark of <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/reporters/?id=1847">250,000,000</a> reported links, and is currently adding nearly three million new ones every week.</p>
<p>The majority of these allegedly copyright infringing URLs have been removed from Google&#8217;s search results. While this usually happens in a matter of hours, the music group believes that more should be done to address the underlying problem.</p>
<p>&#8220;Consumers are still too often directed towards the online black market when they search online for entertainment, rather than to legal services that reward artists and creators,&#8221; BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor informs TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>“The fact the BPI alone has now sent a quarter of a billion notices to Google to remove search results directing consumers to illegal copies of music &#8211; and almost as many again to Bing &#8211; demonstrates that there is a major problem underlying the UK digital economy,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>Copyright holder groups and search engines have organized several roundtable discussions in an attempt to find new solutions, but thus far without a satisfactory result for both sides.</p>
<p>In recent years Google has introduced a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-punishing-pirate-sites-in-search-results-works-160713/">variety of tweaks and changes</a> to the way its search engine operates. It downranks sites for which it receives a lot of takedown requests, for example. Similarly, it actively promotes legal content in search results. </p>
<p>However, BPI and other rightsholders would like search engines to go even further, by delisting pirate sites in their entirety or making sure that pirated content can&#8217;t simply reappear under a new URL. </p>
<p>Google is not willing to go this far, as it may lead to over-blocking and other problems, which has brought both camps to a stalemate. </p>
<p>BPI hopes that the UK Government can help to break this impasse. Lawmakers are currently working on a new and revised version of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Economy_Bill_2016%E2%80%9317">Digital Economy Bill</a> which could be used to address the search issue, by demanding a proactive stance from Google, Bing and others.</p>
<p>“The Digital Economy Bill which is before Parliament represents a real opportunity for Government to back the creative businesses that provide millions of UK jobs, by insisting that search engines put in place an effective Code of Practice to address this problem,” Taylor says. </p>
<p>While the search issue has been brought up in the <a href="https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2016-09-13a.783.3">recent discussions</a> in parliament, there is no search engine related language in the current form of the bill. So for now, BPI has to keep adding to the quarter billion URLs they have targeted already, onto the next milestone.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129703
title: Police Confiscate Hundreds of Computers Over Movie Piracy Allegations
uri: Police-Confiscate-Hundreds-of-Computers-Over-Movie-Piracy-Allegations
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/U6zkkQzwwEE/
content:
<p>During the summer, Poland became entangled in what is likely to be one of the world&#8217;s most important copyright battles. Alleged KickassTorrents founder Artem Vaulin was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/feds-seize-kickasstorrents-domains-charge-owner-160720/">arrested</a> in the country, where he continues to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/alleged-kickasstorrents-owner-u-s-counsel-160916/">fight extradition</a> to the United States.</p>
<p>Now Poland finds itself at the center of separate but related file-sharing controversy, this time related to the activities of copyright trolls and the authorities apparently working on their behalf.</p>
<p>Like most areas of Europe, Poland is being targeted by aggressive content owners. These companies trawl torrent networks for IP addresses in the hope they will lead to people prepared to pay a settlement amount to make legal issues go away. But while in the rest of the continent these matters are generally a civil legal matter, in Poland police are deeply involved.</p>
<p>According to several reports in local media, police have visited hundreds of homes across the country, seizing hundreds of computers alleged to have been involved in the sharing of a comedy movie titled &#8220;<a href="http://www.filmweb.pl/film/Wkr%C4%99ceni-2013-695452">Screwed</a>&#8220;.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have established 2,600 downloads of the film. This applies to about 900 computers,&#8221; the District Prosecutor&#8217;s Office in Szczecin told local news outlet TVN24.</p>
<p>The prosecutor&#8217;s office say that the seizures were made to protect evidence and stop infringement but the actions of the authorities are causing real concern. <a href="http://tvn24bis.pl/z-kraju,74/policja-rekwiruje-komputery-piratow-ktorzy-sciagneli-film-wkreceni,686031.html">TVN24</a> reports that on a national scale as many as 40,000 people may have downloaded the movie and therefore risk being visited by the police.</p>
<p>Also raising eyebrows is the evidence authorities are acting upon. It is unclear who obtained the IP address-based evidence or whether it has been subjected to any independent scrutiny. Also controversial is the basis upon which computers are being seized.</p>
<p>The action is said to be primarily aimed at people who not only download but also redistribute content online. Of course, this describes most BitTorrent users perfectly, since downloading and simultaneous uploading is all part of the process.</p>
<p>However, the authorities say that their main targets are people cashing in on mass distribution, and that does not accurately describe the general public nor the hundreds, perhaps thousands of people getting caught up in this sweep.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, legal experts cited by local media insist that while downloading is a civil offense, uploading can be viewed as a criminal matter which could lead to fines or even imprisonment of up to two years. However, the wronged party &#8211; in this case a movie studio &#8211; can offer the alleged wrongdoer a way out if he or she pays compensation.</p>
<p>The action is just one of many similar operations to hit Poland in recent months. A year ago, police <a href="http://www.radiowroclaw.pl/articles/view/45914/Wkreceni-w-duze-klopoty">seized</a> around 1,000 computers alleged to have downloaded and shared the same movie.</p>
<p>Somewhat worryingly, prosecutors later <a href="http://di.com.pl/ktos-ogladal-wkreconych-na-ekinotv-a-odwiedzila-go-policja-w-zwiazku-z-p2p-przypadek-53532">admitted</a> that they did not verify the technical processes used by the distributors to identify the alleged infringers. </p>
<p>It was also claimed that in some cases police <a href="http://di.com.pl/wkreceni-i-zatrzymania-sprzetu-policjanci-znow-proponowali-ugody-niedobrze-53506">advised</a> suspects to settle with their accusers rather than face legal action. While it&#8217;s not unusual for police to act as mediators in all kinds of disputes, critics felt that the advice was inappropriate in an unproven copyright case.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129803
title: Repeat Infringers Can Be Mere Downloaders, Court Rules
uri: Repeat-Infringers-Can-Be-Mere-Downloaders-Court-Rules
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Z1Z9AHjqNoE/
content:
<p><a href="media/cdef4830.copyright-blood.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/copyright-blood.jpg"><img src="media/bd0abf4c.copyright-blood.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/copyright-blood.jpg" alt="copyright-blood" width="225" height="151" class="alignright size-full wp-image-120567"></a>A case that recording labels EMI and Capitol filed against the long-since defunct music service MP3Tunes has been rolling on for nearly a decade.</p>
<p>MP3Tunes was originally a site selling MP3s from non-major label artists. It later added a locker service which allowed users to store their MP3s online and play them remotely on Internet-enabled devices.</p>
<p>MP3Tunes also ran Sideload.com, a service which enabled users to search for MP3s on the web and add them to the MP3Tunes service. Many of these MP3s infringed copyright, MP3Tunes and owner Michael Robertson both got sued, and together got mauled in court.</p>
<p>MP3Tunes went bankrupt in 2012 and following a 2014 trial, the jury awarded the plaintiffs <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mp3tunes-founder-ordered-pay-41-million-copyright-infringement-140327/">$41m in damages</a>. Punitive damages of $7.5m were later reduced to <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/judge-modifies-48-million-verdict-736436">$750,000</a>.</p>
<p>The case went to appeal and yesterday the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals handed down an opinion that should attract the attention of service providers and Internet users alike. The most interesting points from a wider perspective cover the parameters which define so-called &#8216;repeat infringers&#8217;.</p>
<p>Following an important case involving music outfit BMG, piracy monetization firm Rightscorp, and ISP Cox Communications, it was broadly accepted that a repeat infringer was a subscriber who repeatedly infringed BMG&#8217;s copyrights. In that case, those were subscribers who were repeatedly caught using BitTorrent to share (upload) copyrighted music online.</p>
<p>The fine received by Cox <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">in that case</a> provided the clearest indication yet that in order to retain their &#8216;safe harbor&#8217; under the DMCA, service providers must take action against such &#8216;repeat infringers&#8217;. However, in the opinion handed down yesterday, the Court widens the net beyond those who get caught uploading.</p>
<p>Noting that the District Court in the MP3Tunes case had also defined a &#8216;repeat infringer&#8217; as a user who posts or uploads infringing content &#8220;to the Internet for the world to experience or copy&#8221;, the Court of Appeals adds that the same court determined that a mere downloader of infringing content could not be defined as a repeat infringer &#8220;that internet services providers are obligated to ban from their websites.&#8221; </p>
<p>According to the Court of Appeal, that definition was too narrow.</p>
<p>&#8220;We reject this definition of a &#8216;repeat infringer,&#8217; which finds no support in the text, structure, or legislative history of the DMCA. Starting with the text, we note that the DMCA does not itself define &#8216;repeat infringers&#8217;,&#8221; the opinion reads <em>(<a href="http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/2a7d5a92-e0e0-4223-90c0-a84ffcbeab8d/1/doc/14-4369_opn.pdf#xml=http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/2a7d5a92-e0e0-4223-90c0-a84ffcbeab8d/1/hilite/">pdf</a>)</em>.</p>
<p>Noting that &#8216;repeat&#8217; means to do something &#8220;again or repeatedly&#8221; while an &#8216;infringer&#8217; is &#8220;[s]omeone who interferes with one of the exclusive rights of a copyright,&#8221; the Court of Appeals goes on to broaden the scope significantly.</p>
<p>&#8220;Copyright infringement is a strict liability offense in the sense that a plaintiff is not required to prove unlawful intent or culpability, and a user does not have to share copyrighted works in order to infringe a copyright,&#8221; its opinion reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the context of this case, all it takes to be a &#8216;repeat infringer&#8217; is to repeatedly upload or download copyrighted material for personal use,&#8221; adding &#8220;that a &#8216;repeat infringer&#8217; does not need to know of the infringing nature of its online activities, or to upload rather than download content.&#8221;</p>
<p>The notion that the term &#8216;repeat infringer&#8217; can now be applied to anyone who knowingly (or unknowingly) downloads infringing content on multiple occasions is likely to set pulses racing. How it will play out in practical real-world scenarios will remain to be seen, but it&#8217;s certainly food for thought.</p>
<p>For those looking for more detail, <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/content-industry-gets-favored-interpretation-repeat-infringers-mp3tunes-appeal-941019">Hollywood Reporter</a> has a report covering the specifics in the MP3Tunes case, which will now head back to the District Court for damages to be determined and/or another trial.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129741
title: Aussie KickassTorrents Blocking Battle Continues, Despite Takedown
uri: Aussie-KickassTorrents-Blocking-Battle-Continues-Despite-Takedown
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Ix_nYBsxq_U/
content:
<p><img src="media/9fd33bdd.kickass.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kickass.jpg" width="205" height="143" alt="" class="alignright size-large">Back in April, members of the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and Australasian collecting society APRA AMCOS teamed up to file the music industry’s first ‘pirate’ site blocking application Down Under.</p>
<p>Filed at the Federal Court under section 115A of the Copyright Act 1968, member labels Universal Music, Warner Music, Sony Music and J Albert &#038; Son <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kickasstorrents-next-target-for-aussie-piracy-blocklist-180416/">demanded</a> that then leading torrent site KickassTorrents (KAT) should be blocked by the country’s ISPs.</p>
<p>Arguing that KickassTorrents showed a &#8220;complete disrespect for music creators and the value of music&#8221;, the industry groups asked leading ISPs Telstra, Optus, TPG, and Foxtel to stop their subscribers from accessing the site. However, during the summer that job was effectively <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/feds-seize-kickasstorrents-domains-charge-owner-160720/">carried out for them</a> by the US Department of Justice, which shut down KickassTorrents and had its owner arrested.</p>
<p>But despite the disappearance of the site, the Aussie case has continued. The music industry is now focusing on the many clones, copies, and wannabees that are using the KickassTorrents name to get traffic, despite having nothing to do with the original site.</p>
<p>This week the parties were back in the Federal Court. The ISPs aren&#8217;t fighting the blocking demand per se, but as usual there&#8217;s a dispute over who will foot the bill for legal proceedings and will shoulder costs of implementing the blockades.</p>
<p>None of the ISPs are objecting to paying for the blocking systems to be put in place. However, they want rightsholders to pay for the initial implementation and ongoing maintenance of a block, which according to <a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/609066/move-block-kickass-torrent-continues-despite-site-takedown/">ComputerWorld</a> will be put in place for three years.</p>
<p>ISP Optus estimated a cost of AUS$12,500 (US$9,533) to put blocks in place. TPG informed the court that following initial setup, each domain name would cost $50 to block. </p>
<p>Simplifying the rolling injunctions demands made by the movie and TV industry in the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/studios-isps-clash-over-aussie-pirate-bay-blockade-160624/">blocking case</a> against The Pirate Bay and others, the music industry is seeking straight-forward DNS-based blocking backed up by a system which would block subsequently appearing clones, mirrors, and proxy sites.</p>
<p>The record labels and their allies foresee an application to the court containing details of any site they wish the ISPs to block, with the ISPs given 10 days to object to the blocking demand. The court would then decide whether the parties would need to appear before another hearing in advance of the domain being added to the blocklist.</p>
<p>Of course, KickassTorrents no longer exists so the continuing of a case to have it blocked is somewhat unusual, to say the least.</p>
<p>Illustrating just how far removed the case has shifted from its original aims is an image posted by <a href="https://www.cnet.com/au/news/kickass-torrents-domain-blocking-universal-sony-australia-fight-telstra-optus-tpg/">CNET</a>, which shows the original domains the industry wanted blocked, and how that has completely changed following the demise of KAT.</p>
<p><Center><a href="media/bd5fcafa.kat-block.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kat-block.png"><img src="media/60459814.kat-block.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kat-block.png" alt="kat-block" width="600" height="343" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129755"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8211; Kat.al is an incomplete snapshot of KAT before it went offline.<br>
&#8211; Kattor.zyx has nothing to do with KAT, redirects to another site.<br>
&#8211; Kickass.cd is <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/popular-kat-mirror-is-in--reality-a-dressed-up-pirate-bay-mirror-160805/">a clone</a> of The Pirate Bay.<br>
&#8211; Kickasstorrents.immunicity.date is another &#8216;snapshot&#8217; site.<br>
&#8211; Kickass.pe is completely inactive<br>
&#8211; Kickass.Ukbypass.download (see Kickass.cd)<br>
&#8211; Kickass.Unblocked.tv (see Kickass.cd)</p>
<p>The case (which now has only tenuous links to KickassTorrents) continues alongside the movie industry&#8217;s blocking case against The Pirate Bay. That too is <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australian-isps-refuse-to-pay-for-pirate-site-blocking-160506/">experiencing argument</a> over who will pay for what and has also been affected by takedowns.</p>
<p>The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, Torrentz, TorrentHound and Solarmovie are featured in that action, but only the first two domains are intact after last three permanently closed (<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-shuts-down-largest-torrent-meta-search-engine-says-farewell-160805/">1</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrenthound-shuts-down-another-big-torrent-site-bites-the-dust-160915/">2</a>) in recent months.</p>
<p>Only time will tell whether the expense and inevitable game of whac-a-mole will be worth it, but all the signs point to this being a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-sites-remain-popular-in-the-uk-despite-website-blockades-161022/">complex battle</a> with no definite end.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129743
title: Warner Bros. Claims Agency Ran its Own Pirate Movie Site
uri: Warner-Bros-Claims-Agency-Ran-its-Own-Pirate-Movie-Site
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/HOd0FQIc0xo/
content:
<p><a href="media/a3070c17.cofeeleak.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cofeeleak.jpg"><img src="media/a3070c17.cofeeleak.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cofeeleak.jpg" alt="cofeeleak" width="180" height="207" class="alignright size-full wp-image-18716"></a>When so-called DVD screeners of the latest movies leak to pirate sites, studios are among the first to highlight the damaging effects. Often the copies are of excellent quality, a gift to millions of file-sharers worldwide but a potential headache for subsequent official distribution efforts.</p>
<p>While studios have had the means to track screeners back to their sources for a long time, when compared to the number of leaks it is relatively rare for industry insiders to face civil legal action. That changed yesterday when Warner Bros. Entertainment sued talent agency <a href="http://www.innovativeartists.com">Innovative Artists</a>.</p>
<p>In a lawsuit filed in a California federal court, Warner accuses the agency of effectively setting up its own pirate site, stocked with rips of DVD screeners that should have been kept secure.</p>
<p>&#8220;Beginning in late 2015, Innovative Artists set up and operated an illegal digital distribution platform that copied movies and then distributed copies and streamed public performances of those movies to numerous people inside and outside of the agency,&#8221; the complaint (<a href="media/08dd1d9a.warner-innovativesuit.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/warner-innovativesuit.pdf">pdf</a>) reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;Innovative Artists stocked its platform with copies of Plaintiff’s works, including copies that Innovative Artists made by ripping awards consideration &#8216;screener&#8217; DVDs that Plaintiff sent to the agency to deliver to one of its clients.&#8221;</p>
<p>Given its position in the industry, Innovative Artists should have known better than to upload content, Warner&#8217;s lawyers write.</p>
<p>&#8220;The actions Plaintiff complains of are blatantly illegal. That illegality would be obvious to anyone, but especially to Innovative Artists, a talent agency that claims to promote the interests of actors, writers, directors and others whose livelihoods depend critically on respect for copyright,&#8221; the complaint adds.</p>
<p>Only making matters worse is the fact that some of the DVD screeners ripped by the agency leaked out beyond its platform, which was actually a shared folder on its Google Drive account.</p>
<p>According to the complaint, Warner Bros. discovered something was amiss when content security company Deluxe Entertainment Services advised that screener copies of Creed and In the Heart of the Sea had appeared on file-sharing sites.</p>
<p>Both movies were made available by <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hive-cm8-apologizes-for-leaking-hateful-eight-dvd-screener-151230/">Hive-CM8</a>, a release outfit responsible for many leaks during December 2015. Crucially, both contained watermarks that enabled them to be tracked back to the source.</p>
<p>&#8220;Because the screeners were &#8216;watermarked&#8217; — embedded with markers that identified their intended recipients — Plaintiff traced the copies to screeners that Plaintiff had sent to an Innovative Artists client, in care of the agency,&#8221; the complaint notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Instead of forwarding the screeners directly to its client, Innovative Artists used illegal ripping software to bypass the technical measures that prevent access to and copying of the content on DVDs. Innovative Artists then copied the movies to its digital distribution platform, where those copies became available for immediate downloading and streaming along with infringing copies of many other copyrighted movies.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the allegations are damaging enough already, they don&#8217;t stop there. The complaint alleges that the agency also gave others access to the screeners stored on Google Drive in return for access to other titles not yet in its possession.</p>
<p>&#8220;Innovative Artists traded access to some of its unauthorized digital copies of movies in exchange for unauthorized copies of content possessed by third  parties. For example, in one case, Innovative Artists granted an assistant at another company access to the digital distribution platform because the assistant had  provided a screener to Innovative Artists for a title that was not already on the  platform,&#8221; Warner writes.</p>
<p>For copyright infringement, Warner Bros. seeks actual or statutory damages, up to the maximum of $150,000 for willful infringement, attorneys&#8217; fees, and an injunction. For the breaches of anti-circumvention provisions when Innovative ripped the DVDs, the studio claims the maximum statutory damages as permitted by the DMCA.</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> Innovative Artists has issued an apology (via Deadline)</p>
<p><em>Innovative Artists has fully cooperated with Warner Bros. from the first moment Warner Bros. informed Innovative that two award screener movies had been found on an Internet bit torrent site in December 2015. </p>
<p>Innovative immediately permitted Warner Bros. to enter it’s offices, interview it’s employees, review its databases, and fully investigate the issues.</p>
<p>As Warner Bros. well-knows, Innovative management immediately shut down all access to award screeners in December 2015 and Innovative immediately ceased any further activity that is the subject of the complaint.</p>
<p>Warner Bros. is well aware, from its past experience with other industry entities, the sharing of award screeners is commonplace within the Hollywood community. Innovative was surprised, given its full cooperation with Warner Bros. investigation, that the complaint was filed without any communication from Warner Bros. without any prior contact with Innovative to resolve the claims.</p>
<p>Notwithstanding that fact, Innovative is sorry for the improper sharing of the screener movies and will seek to resolve this matter with Warner Bros. on fair and reasonable terms as soon as possible. Innovative will have no further comment on this matter.</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129745
title: Megaupload 2.0 Will Outsource File-Hosting and Prevent Takedown Abuse
uri: Megaupload-2-0-Will-Outsource-File-Hosting-and-Prevent-Takedown-Abuse
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/eReIoAKYddw/
content:
<p><img src="media/b2f1e8b5.megaupload-mu2.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/megaupload-mu2.jpg" alt="megaupload-mu2" width="250" height="176" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129746">For many people Kim Dotcom is synonymous with Megaupload, the file-sharing giant that was taken down by the U.S. Government early 2012. </p>
<p>While the underlying criminal case against its operators is still ongoing, Megaupload will soon be back in business. At least, a fresh incarnation of the service which will be different in quite a few aspects.</p>
<p>This weekend Megaupload 2, or MU2, secured its first investment round. Through Max Keiser&#8217;s crowdfunding platform <a href="https://bnktothefuture.com/pitches/megaupload-2-0-bitcache">Bank to the Future</a>, it raised well over a million dollars from 354 investors in just two weeks.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s quite an impressive achievement for a service that has yet to be launched and for which many technical details have yet to be released. </p>
<p>To find out a bit more TorrentFreak reached out to Kim Dotcom, who is not officially part of the venture but is operating as its chief &#8220;evangelist,&#8221; in part because of his ongoing legal cases. </p>
<p>As things currently stand, Megaupload 2.0 won&#8217;t be fully operational on the planned launch date, January 20th next year. However, the company will release additional details on how it will operate and function at that date, which also marks the fifth anniversary of the takedown of the original Megaupload.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is unlikely that we can make a full January 20th launch happen. The fund-raising was delayed and the legal team needed more time for the new setup. But we will reveal more details about Megaupload 2 and Bitcache on that special day,&#8221; Dotcom says. </p>
<p>From what has been revealed thus far, Megaupload 2.0 and the associated Bitcache platform will allow people to share and store files, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-2-0-will-link-file-transfers-bitcoin-transactions-160805/">linking every file-transfer</a> to a bitcoin transaction.</p>
<p>This adds a layer of security for users of the service but also provides options for content creators to generate revenue. These bitcoin transactions will occur off the blockchain through Bitcache, since the blockchain itself wasn&#8217;t built to handle the massive volume Megaupload 2.0 envisions.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/123ada2a.mu2logo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mu2logo.png" alt="mu2logo" width="582" height="290" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129749"></center></p>
<p>The bitcoin element is not the only part that&#8217;s different from the original Megaupload though. Perhaps surprisingly, the new incarnation isn&#8217;t going to store all files itself. Instead, it plans to use third-party providers such as Maidsafe and Storj.</p>
<p>&#8220;Megaupload 2 will be a caching provider for popular files on special high-speed servers that serve the files from ram. Long term storage will mostly be provided by numerous third-party sites that we are partnering with. You can expect more details on January 20,&#8221; Dotcom tells us.</p>
<p>This means that MU2 will mostly act as an intermediary between other file-storage platforms, adding a separate layer of encryption through Bitcache.</p>
<p>&#8220;MU2 via its third-party encryption providers will make sure that every file is encrypted on-the-fly. On top of that Bitcache will add an additional layer of encryption with its new &#8216;pay per download&#8217; encrypted container.&#8221; </p>
<p>How the pay-per-download functionality will work exactly is unknown. The transaction value is said to be &#8220;absolutely minimal&#8221; per individual transfer, but good enough for content providers to earn revenue. </p>
<p>Another change compared to the original Megaupload is that the new service won&#8217;t offer unrestricted direct delete access to copyright holders. Instead, it will have a takedown procedure where all rightholder requests will be processed and manually checked by people. </p>
<p>&#8220;Megaupload 2 will not provide a direct delete tool,&#8221; Dotcom says, referring to the many mistakes rightsholders made on the original service.</p>
<p>&#8220;It will be a more time-consuming effort but because of mass automated takedown requests by the content industry with a failure rate of over 30% it has become a requirement to protect the rights of users.&#8221;</p>
<p>Megaupload 2.0 will be the third file storage service to use the Mega brand. A year after the takedown Dotcom launched the privacy company, Mega, which is still operational today albeit without his blessing. </p>
<p>From what we know thus far it&#8217;s clear that MU2 and Bitcache will be something quite different from both the original service and Mega. According to Dotcom, all changes will be for the better and he said that former Megaupload users will be <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-2-0-to-launch-with-original-megaupload-user-database-160708/">welcomed with open arms</a>.</p>
<p>With over a million raised by investors already, MU2 is currently valued at well over $50 million. While this is still peanuts compared to the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-worked-on-a-multi-billion-dollar-ipo-120417/">multi-billion dollar IPO</a> the original Megaupload was working on, it shows that people have faith in Dotcom and his team.</p>
<p>During the weeks to come more details about the new incarnation are expected to be released, which we plan to keep a close eye on.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129865
title: UK Considers Fines to Force Search Engines to Tackle Piracy
uri: UK-Considers-Fines-to-Force-Search-Engines-to-Tackle-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/P7lcOyqaeic/
content:
<p><a href="media/5d2dadcb.parliament.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/parliament.jpg"><img src="media/322b8853.parliament.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/parliament.jpg" alt="parliament" width="180" height="135" class="alignright size-full wp-image-82702"></a>Content owners regularly accuse companies such as Google and Bing of including infringing content in their search results, often on the initial pages following a search where exposure to the public is greatest.</p>
<p>In addition to having these &#8216;pirate&#8217; results demoted or removed entirely, content providers believe that results featuring genuine content should receive priority, to ensure that the legitimate market thrives.</p>
<p>At least in part, Google has complied with industry requests. Sites which receive the most takedown notices are demoted in results, while some legitimate content has been appearing higher. But of course, entertainment industry companies want more &#8211; and they might just get it.</p>
<p>Currently under discussion in Parliament is the Digital Economy Bill. It&#8217;s been covered here on several occasions (<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-bill-introduces-10-year-prison-sentence-for-online-pirates-160706/">1</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/10-years-in-prison-for-online-pirates-a-step-closer-in-the-uk-160914/">2</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/lawmakers-warned-that-10-year-sentences-could-apply-to-file-sharers-161016/">3</a>) due to a key aim of harmonizing the punishments for on-and-offline infringement.</p>
<p>However, the Bill appears to be broadening in scope and the role of search engines is now on the agenda, something which the BPI hinted at last week in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bpi-reports-quarter-billion-pirate-links-to-google-ask-uk-govt-for-help-161024/">comments to TorrentFreak</a>.</p>
<p>A new clause titled &#8220;Power to provide for a code of practice related to copyright infringement&#8221; envisions a situation whereby search engines come to a voluntary agreement with rightsholders on how best to tackle piracy, or have one forced upon them.</p>
<p>“The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for a search engine to be required to adopt a code of practice concerning copyright infringement that complies with criteria specified in the regulations,&#8221; the proposed clause reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;The regulations may provide that if a search engine fails to adopt such a code of practice, any code of practice that is approved for the purposes of that search engine by the Secretary of State, or by a person designated by the Secretary of State, has effect as a code of practice adopted by the search engine.&#8221;</p>
<p>If the clause was adopted, the Secretary of State would also be granted powers to investigate disputes surrounding a search engine&#8217;s compliance with any code, appoint a regulator, and/or impose &#8220;financial penalties or other sanctions&#8221; if companies like Google fall short.</p>
<p>The Conservative government previously made a manifesto commitment to reduce copyright infringement and several MPs believe that this clause would help it to achieve that aim.</p>
<p>Speaking in Parliament this week, Labour MP Kevin Brennan said that Baroness Neville-Rolfe, the Minister for Intellectual Property, had chaired a series of roundtable discussions and meetings between rights holders and search engines including Google, Bing and Yahoo.</p>
<p>The rights holders proposed a voluntary code of practice, with some interesting parameters for the search engines to live up to.</p>
<p>&#8220;The guiding principles for the voluntary code of conduct would have been that in the top three results, fewer than 1% link to illegal sites; in the top 10, fewer than 5%; and in the top 20, fewer than 10%,&#8221; Brennan explained.</p>
<p>&#8220;Achieving these objectives would improve the quality of search results and resolve disadvantages that limit the visibility of legitimate sites on which consumers can buy or stream copyrighted works.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, it appears that the search engines in question aren&#8217;t particularly enthusiastic about the role they&#8217;re being asked to play.</p>
<p>&#8220;In essence, rights holders want search engines to do what ISPs already do — work co-operatively to take action against sites that have been identified by the High Court as pirate sites — but despite numerous efforts, search engines will not co-operate or agree to the code of practice,&#8221; Brennan said.</p>
<p>&#8220;They continue to take little responsibility for the fact that listings can overwhelmingly consist of illegal content—the equivalent of the &#8216;Yellow Pages&#8217; refusing to take responsibility for publishing the details of crooked traders and fraudsters.&#8221;</p>
<p>Introducing the new clause (which grants the Secretary of State power to fine search engines) could help the search engines to become more compliant, Brennan said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Given the difficulties in negotiations, the new clause would provide a legal backstop to prevent search engines from refusing point-blank to co-operate in discussions. While the code of practice remains a voluntary dream, search engines can refuse to collaborate, as they have for many years.&#8221;</p>
<p>Concluding, Brennan indicated that given the Digital Economy Bill is in front of MPs, there is no better time to introduce such a clause. However, Minister for Digital and Culture Matt Hancock urged patience. </p>
<p>&#8220;I care about the substance of getting this Bill through right. There are, of course, important parts of parliamentary process both here and in the [House of Lords],&#8221; Hancock said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Given that the round table discussions are ongoing, including a meeting next week, now is not the right time for the broad reserve power.&#8221;</p>
<p>The debates continue.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129780
title: Major ‘Pirate’ Movie Streaming Site Fmovies Sued in US Court
uri: Major-Pirate-Movie-Streaming-Site-Fmovies-Sued-in-US-Court
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/0mvO0ab6E3o/
content:
<p><img src="media/8b40866b.fmovieslogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fmovieslogo.jpg" alt="fmovieslogo" width="234" height="162" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129787">Pirate video streaming sites are booming. Their relative ease of use and on demand viewing makes them a viable alternative to P2P file-sharing, which has traditionally dominated the piracy arena. </p>
<p>Over the past months, several newcomers appeared on the scene, some of which have quickly grown to become serious traffic magnets. </p>
<p><a href="http://fmovies.to/">Fmovies.to</a> is one of these relative newcomers. In tandem with the similar looking <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-sites-remain-popular-in-the-uk-despite-website-blockades-161022/">123movies.to</a>, the streaming service has built a user base of millions of people since the start of the year.</p>
<p>The downside to this success is that copyright holders are bound to come knocking, and this is exactly what has happened. A few days ago Fmovies.to and its operators were sued in a Florida federal court by the Philippine media conglomerate <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABS-CBN">ABS-CBN</a>.</p>
<p>In a complaint filed at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the media company brands Fmovies as a classic pirate site.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendant’s website is a classic example of a pirate operation, having no regard whatsoever for the rights of ABS-CBN and willfully infringing ABS-CBN’s intellectual property,&#8221; the company&#8217;s lawyers write (<a href="media/459bfdb8.complaint-1.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/complaint-1.pdf">pdf</a>). </p>
<p>&#8220;As a result, ABS-CBN requires this Court’s intervention if any meaningful stop is to be put to Defendant’s piracy,&#8221; the complaint adds, explaining that several of its movies are freely available on the site.</p>
<p><center><strong>An ABS-CBN movie playing on Fmovies</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/a732e06a.fmovies-abs-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fmovies-abs-1.jpg" alt="fmovies-abs" width="600" height="496" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129793"></center></p>
<p>ABS-CBN accuses Fmovies.to of unfair competition and several counts of both trademark and copyright infringement, direct or through the site&#8217;s users. In doing so, they argue that the streaming service has cause them substantial harm. </p>
<p>&#8220;Defendant’s Internet-based website business is an illegal operation, infringing on the intellectual property rights of ABS-CBN through its distribution and performance of ABS CBN’s Copyrighted Works and using the ABS-CBN Marks to promote, advertise, and distribute such content.&#8221;</p>
<p>At this point it&#8217;s unclear who is operating the site. The media company notes that the domain names are registered anonymously so it&#8217;s very possible that the operators are not from the United States. </p>
<p>However, ABS-CBN argues the court has jurisdiction over the defendant since the site is operating in the state of Florida.</p>
<p>Through the court case the media conglomerate is seeking damages, which may run to millions of dollars. In addition, they request a permanent injunction to bar the operators from running Fmovies. </p>
<p>This includes a request to seize the site&#8217;s current and future domain names that are tied to copyright infringements.</p>
<p>This is not the first time ABS-CBN has gone after pirate sites and recent history shows that the consequences can be quite severe. In a default judgment last year, a U.S. federal court in Oregon ordered the operator of several tiny streaming sites to pay <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-operator-slapped-10-million-damages-141030/">$10 million in damages</a> to the company. </p>
<p>However, with a user base of millions of people, Fmovies.to is by far the largest movie streaming site to be targeted in a U.S. Court, although probably not the last.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129867
title: “MPAA and RIAA’s Anti-Piracy Plans Harm The Internet”
uri: MPAA-and-RIAA-s-Anti-Piracy-Plans-Harm-The-Internet
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/WyhdLJqbg0I/
content:
<p><img src="media/475e6d9a.iic.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/iic.png" alt="iic" width="279" height="150" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129923">Earlier this month, several copyright holder groups sent their annual “notorious markets” submissions to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).</p>
<p>The U.S. Government uses this input for the <a href="https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/intellectual-property/Special-301">Special 301 report</a>, an overview of threats to various copyright industries. The recommendations usually include well-known piracy sites such as The Pirate Bay, but increasingly third-party technology providers are also added to the mix.</p>
<p>For example, this year the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-reports-pirate-sites-and-hosting-providers-to-u-s-government-161010/">MPAA</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-cloudflare-shields-pirates-and-frustrates-blocking-efforts-161013/">RIAA</a> identified domain name registrars as possible piracy facilitators. In addition, several &#8220;rogue&#8221; hosting providers were mentioned, as well as CDN provider Cloudflare.</p>
<p>The inclusion of these technology companies is a dangerous development according to the Internet Infrastructure Coalition (I2Coalition), which counts Google, Amazon, Verisign and Dreamhost among its <a href="https://www.i2coalition.com/i2c-members/current-members/">members</a>.</p>
<p>The I2Coalition submitted a rebuttal to the USTR this week in which they outline their concerns. They warn that if the MPAA and RIAA have their way, the entire Internet could be put at risk. </p>
<p>&#8220;Certain submissions favor an approach to intellectual property and infringement protections that would be harmful to the Internet infrastructure marketplace, and therefore to the Internet itself, as well as the global U.S. and global economies,&#8221; they write.</p>
<p>The main problem is that the entertainment industry groups &#8220;vilify&#8221; specific technologies instead of the marketplaces themselves, as the Special 301 process is supposed to do. </p>
<p>For example, MPAA&#8217;s characterization of Cloudflare as a service that creates &#8220;obstacles to enforcement” as it helps pirate sites to &#8220;hide,&#8221; is inappropriate according to the coalition. </p>
<p>&#8220;Technologies themselves cannot be bad actors. Further, a number of submissions characterize technologies and those using the technologies using unnecessarily inflammatory language.&#8221; </p>
<p>In addition to misguided statements about technology, I2Coalition also argues that the submissions show a misinterpretation of the obligations domain name registrars have under the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (<a href="https://icannwiki.com/Registrar_Accreditation_Agreement">RAA</a>).</p>
<p>Ideally, the MPAA and RIAA would like domain registrars to suspend domain names that are accused of copyright infringement, but most refuse to do so without a court order. Rightfully so, according to I2Coalition.</p>
<p>&#8220;Both the vilification of technology, and misconstruing of the RAA have one goal in common: forcing Internet infrastructure companies to act as intermediaries in intellectual property disputes,&#8221; the group writes. </p>
<p>&#8220;This is not the answer to intellectual property infringement, is not the purpose of the Special 301 process, and proposals to expand the use of these companies as intermediaries are misguided.&#8221; </p>
<p>Using a page from the entertainment industry playbook, the technology companies stress that billions of dollars are at stake if the Government steers policies in the wrong direction.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Internet infrastructure industry generates more than $100 billion in annual revenue and is growing at a rate of nearly 20% per year.</p>
<p>&#8220;Creating regulatory and legal hurdles to the industry’s progress will not only negatively impact the architecture and viability of the global Internet, it will also impact the overall economy, which is dependent on the continued growth of the Internet infrastructure industry.&#8221;</p>
<p>The rebuttal and other submissions will form the basis of the U.S. Government’s Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets, which is expected to come out later this year.</p>
<p>&#8212;<br>
<em><br>
I2Coalition&#8217;s full submission is available <a href="media/a9983126.he_2016_Special_301_Out_of_Cycle_Review_of_Notorious_Markets.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Request_for_public_comment_on_the_2016_Special_301_Out_of_Cycle_Review_of_Notorious_Markets.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="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129872
title: UK Piracy Blocklist Expands With 123movies and Other Streaming Sites
uri: UK-Piracy-Blocklist-Expands-With-123movies-and-Other-Streaming-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/a9qkswe1knI/
content:
<p><img src="media/2759597c.blocked-censor.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blocked-censor.jpg" alt="blocked-censor" width="250" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124850">The list of websites that are blocked in the UK for facilitating copyright infringement is growing longer and longer.</p>
<p>In a new ruling, the High Court orders Sky, BT, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, Telefonica UK and Virgin to block access to over a dozen &#8216;pirate&#8217; streaming sites.</p>
<p>The new blocking request was issued following a complaint from the Motion Picture Association Europe (<a href="http://mpaeurope.org/">MPA</a>), which acts on behalf of several major Hollywood movie studios. </p>
<p>Among the new sites are the popular streaming portal 123movies.to, Genvideos.org, Hdmovieswatch.net and Spacemov.net.</p>
<p>The 123movies.to website is by far the largest target on the list. The site is currently the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-sites-remain-popular-in-the-uk-despite-website-blockades-161022/">most used pirate site in the UK</a>, and attracts millions of daily visitors around the globe.</p>
<p>While the looming blockade will result in a temporary reduction in traffic, 123movies is already anticipating such measures. The streaming portal currently features a message alerting people that they have an alternative .ru domain available that may help to bypass blockades.</p>
<p>&#8220;You can access out site through http://123movies.ru domain if the main domain is blocked by your ISP,&#8221; the alert reads.</p>
<p><center><br></br></center><center><img src="media/124e4027.123moviesblocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/123moviesblocked.jpg" alt="123moviesblocked" width="512" height="444" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129882"></center></p>
<p>TorrentFreak has confirmation from one of the large UK Internet providers that the court order has been granted. However, at the time of writing the new blockades have yet to be put in place by most ISPs. </p>
<p>As in previous cases, the latest blocking application was not seriously contested by the ISPs, which have given up on defending their position in court. As a result, it is now a mere formality for copyright holders to have a pirate site banned.</p>
<p>In addition, rightsholders have the freedom to add new domains without the need for a new court order if a blocked site decides to move to a new home. This will be needed, as sites such as GeekTV and Themovie4u already moved on.</p>
<p>Whether the present blocks will be more than a drop in the ocean has yet to be seen. There are many other streaming portals that are still available, which means that the movie studios will probably be back in court soon enough.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><em>The full rundown of newly blocked sites is as follows. This list was released by a large UK ISP. </p>
<p>123movies.to, Geektv.is, Genvideos.org, Gowatchseries.biz, Hdmovies14.net, Hdmovieswatch.net, Themovie4u.com, Moviesub.net, Movietubenow.biz, Series-cravings.me, Spacemov.com, Streamallthis.is and Watchmovies.ms.</em></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129953
title: Pirate Bay Blocking Case Heard By European Court of Justice
uri: Pirate-Bay-Blocking-Case-Heard-By-European-Court-of-Justice
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/PwZk4IwXNbk/
content:
<p><img src="media/0e036607.pirate-bay.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-bay.jpg" width="200" height="207" alt="" class="alignright size-large">In 2014, The Court of The Hague handed down its decision in a long-running case which had previously forced two Dutch ISPs, Ziggo and XS4ALL, to block The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>The case was filed by local anti-piracy outfit BREIN, which faced defeat when the Court ruled that the blockade against the popular torrent site restricted the ISPs’ entrepreneurial freedoms.</p>
<p>As a result, The Pirate Bay was unblocked in the Netherlands. However, BREIN wasn&#8217;t done and the anti-piracy group pressed on, taking the matter to the Supreme Court.</p>
<p>Acting on <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/attorney-general-doubts-legality-of-pirate-bay-blockade-150529/">advice</a> from the Advocate General, in November 2015 the Supreme Court postponed its final decision, referring <a href="http://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI:NL:HR:2015:3307">key questions</a> to the EU Court of Justice.</p>
<p>Yesterday, the hearing took place yesterday before the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which was asked to decide;</p>
<p>&#8211; Whether The Pirate Bay communicates infringing content to the public<br>
&#8211; Whether the operator of a website communicates copyrighted works to the public when it indexes and links, but doesn&#8217;t host content itself. If not, the Court was asked to decide whether TPB can be blocked for facilitating infringement. </p>
<p>This is a big moment for BREIN, who will have been encouraged by a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-court-not-for-profit-hyperlinking-usually-not-infringement-160908/">decision</a> handed down by the ECJ in September. In that case, Playboy defeated Dutch blog GeenStijl.nl, which had deliberately published links to content it knew to be infringing, but didn&#8217;t host itself.</p>
<p>In the Playboy case, the ECJ found that when a person knew or ought to have known that a posted hyperlink provides access to an illegally published work, the provision of that link constitutes a communication to the public.</p>
<p>It further found that when hyperlinks are used for profit, those displaying such links are expected to carry out checks to ensure that the relevant works have not been illegally published. If they have been published illegally, that too represents a communication to the public.</p>
<p>BREIN believes these parameters can be applied to the Pirate Bay case.</p>
<p>&#8220;We argue that rights holders have not granted permission to distribution of their works via TPB and TPB actively and knowingly maintains a collection of infringing links (over 90% is infringing) for profit. Moreover, TPB itself makes magnet links of the torrent links. So it is infringing,&#8221; BRIEN chief Tim Kuik informs TF. </p>
<p>&#8220;The service providers [Ziggo/XS4All] say that TPB facilitates infringement but does not infringe itself. Their arguments seemed all over the place.</p>
<p>&#8220;They shamelessly said TPB is neutral and passive like Google but at the same time also agreed it is unlawful, not like Google. Also, one of their arguments to reject blocking was that it is more proportionate for BREIN to go after infringing users (their own subscribers),&#8221; Kuik adds.</p>
<p>But while BREIN and the ISPs battle it out, the anti-piracy group has gained support from a heavyweight ally. </p>
<p>&#8220;The European Commission says that it stands on the side of BREIN: both civil and criminal law can be enforced against services like TPB that facilitate infringement, even by blocking access to the site by service providers,&#8221; BREIN says.</p>
<p>&#8220;France and Spain also took part in the hearing and argued, contrary to the opinion of the Commission but in line with  BREIN, that TPB itself is infringing. They also argued that access to TPB must be blocked, which happens in those countries already.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Advocate General will issue his advice on January 19, 2017, and a ruling is expected to follow about three months later. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129877
title: New Legislation to Tackle Pirate Kodi Box Sellers Rejected
uri: New-Legislation-to-Tackle-Pirate-Kodi-Box-Sellers-Rejected
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/3n2s5ZAVhCE/
content:
<p><a href="media/096bd33d.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg"><img src="media/468f0769.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg" alt="streamingkey" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-125426"></a>Over the course of the past decade-and-a-half, the number of BitTorrent users has grown from a handful to a couple of hundred million. Usage is still massive but it&#8217;s now streaming that&#8217;s making strides.</p>
<p>Accessible via a standard browser or dedicated hardware devices, pirate streams of the latest movies, TV shows, and sporting events are now watched by millions in the comfort of their own homes, or even on the move.</p>
<p>Copyright holders everywhere are worried but it&#8217;s perhaps most evident in the UK where police and Trading Standards officers are targeting sellers of Kodi-enabled devices that have been modified to receive pirate streams. This week, as part of the forming Digital Economy Bill, Members of Parliament have been discussing potential amendments to UK copyright law aimed at clamping down on the sale of such devices.</p>
<p>&#8220;Android-based IPTV boxes are being loaded with software linking thousands of streams of infringing entertainment, movie and sport content. The boxes are sold on mainstream marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, and through Facebook,&#8221; said Labour MP Kevin Brennan.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 has yet to be updated to reflect the new technology. It offers no effective remedies to copyright owners, who at present can rely only on laws that are not particularly tailored to copyright infringement.&#8221;</p>
<p>Brennan said that police currently need to prosecute under the Fraud Act 2006, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and the Serious Crime Act 2015. By amending the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, bodies such as Trading Standards would have an easier time prosecuting offenders, the MP said.</p>
<p>&#8220;New clause 33 would amend section 107(1) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA) to create the new offense of supply of devices primarily used to infringe copyright. It is entirely logical to amend that section, which is concerned with &#8216;criminal liability for…dealing with infringing articles&#8217;, but which currently focuses only on physical copies of work and on communication to the public,&#8221; Brennan explained.</p>
<p>&#8220;The new clause would bring trading standards offices into the picture, empowering them to make investigations and to enforce the rules on such devices under section 107(1) of the 1988 Act. To minimize the risk of new and uncertain legal tests, concepts or unintended consequences, the drafting adopts for the most part language used elsewhere in that Act.&#8221;</p>
<p><center><b>IPTV &#8216;Clause 33&#8217;- CDPA Amendment proposals</b><a href="media/edcb6e3a.iptv-clause.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/iptv-clause.png"><img src="media/87897baf.iptv-clause.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/iptv-clause.png" alt="iptv-clause" width="550" height="660" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-129890"></a></center></p>
<p>Support for the new clause came from the SNP&#8217;s Callum Kerr, who noted that people will continue to innovate when it comes to obtaining pirate content. Surprisingly, he also confessed that someone in Parliament actually encouraged him to buy a pirate box.</p>
<p>&#8220;Someone in [Parliament] recommended an IPTV box to me for my London flat because it is quite a cheap way of accessing content, but I did not follow that advice because I would not want to access any illegal content,&#8221; Kerr said.</p>
<p>&#8220;These boxes come pre-loaded, and there should be no pretense about it: they are designed to give people a way of avoiding paying for content that they know they should pay for. There is no excuse for that.&#8221;</p>
<p>Noting that the proposals for amendments to the CDPA have &#8220;a long list of supporters in the industry&#8221;, Brennan asked Matt Hancock, Minister for Digital and Culture, whether they could rely on his support too. Hancock said he understood the concerns but believes that current legislation (the Fraud Act 2006 and the Serious Crime Act 2015) can cope without having to modify the CDPA.</p>
<p>&#8220;This activity is already covered by criminal law under the Fraud Act 2006 and the Serious Crime Act 2015. The City of London police force is investigating cases. It seized over 500 set-top boxes earlier this year and arrested a man for fraud and IP offenses,&#8221; Hancock said.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is a danger in the digital world of legislating for a specific technology as opposed to legislating for the offense in a technology-neutral way. I strongly prefer the latter. As the law is already in existence in the two Acts that I mentioned, the best thing to do is to prosecute under the existing Acts, rather than try to chase a particular technology, which may well be out of date.&#8221;</p>
<p>Hancock told MPs that the government already has a strategy for tackling IP crime with a specific focus on dealing with the problem of IPTV and whatever technology eventually comes along to replace it. Sticking with existing legislation is the way forward, he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;The existing criminal ​offenses provide a legislative framework that is broad enough to protect our creative industries. However, I will of course keep this area under review,&#8221; he added, while asking for the new clause to be withdrawn. Brennan complied.</p>
<p>The fact that a request to amend the CDPA was rejected in this case raises questions over the current push to increase punishments for online copyright infringement offenses from two to ten years.</p>
<p>Many of the more serious online cases have also been successfully prosecuted under the Fraud Act, without any need to use the CDPA. Notably, these prosecutions were achieved without sucking in <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/lawmakers-warned-that-10-year-sentences-could-apply-to-file-sharers-161016/">low-level offenders</a> such as casual file-sharers.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=129639
title: Court Orders Cloudflare to Identify ‘Pirate’ Site Operators
uri: Court-Orders-Cloudflare-to-Identify-Pirate-Site-Operators
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AXAwKa5wfAs/
content:
<p><img src="media/4a535cc9.cloudflare.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cloudflare.png" alt="cloudflare" width="275" height="188" class="alignright size-full wp-image-96401">As one of the leading CDN and DDoS protection services, Cloudflare is used by millions of websites across the globe.</p>
<p>This includes thousands of “pirate” sites which rely on the U.S. based company to keep server loads down.</p>
<p>In addition, Cloudflare has the added benefit that it can &#8216;obfuscate&#8217; the hosting providers of these sites, offering an extra layer of anonymity. </p>
<p>This is an issue academic book publisher Elsevier has dealt with first hand. Last year the company filed a complaint against Sci-Hub, Libgen and Bookfi, but thus far the operators of the latter two sites remain unknown. </p>
<p>Since both sites used Cloudflare in the past, Elsevier tried to obtain information through the &#8220;trusted notifier&#8221; program. However, the CDN provider replied that it could not share this information for sites that are no longer active on its network.</p>
<p>This left Elsevier no other option than to take the matter to court. In a request filed last month, the publisher explained that a court-ordered discovery subpoena is the only option to move the case forward and identify the defendants. </p>
<p>In a recent order, federal Judge Robert W. Sweet agrees with that assessment.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is good cause to believe that absent identifying information concerning the operators of libgen.org and bookfi.org, Elsevier will be unable to advance its claims against those operators,&#8221; Judge Sweet writes. </p>
<p>The court has seen enough evidence to conclude that the two websites are engaging in copyright-infringing activities and concludes that a subpoena is warranted.</p>
<p>&#8220;Elsevier has made a substantial evidentiary showing that Defendants, through the websites libgen.org and bookfi.org, have engaged in conduct which violates Elsevier&#8217;s exclusive rights under [U.S. copyright law],&#8221; the order notes. </p>
<p>This means that Cloudflare will have to hand over any and all information they have that may identify these former customers.</p>
<p><center><strong>Judge Sweet&#8217;s order</strong><img src="media/c4d5ecfe.sweetorder.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/sweetorder.png" alt="sweetorder" width="576" height="276" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129837"><br></br></center><center></center></p>
<p>While Cloudflare is left with no other option than to cooperate, it&#8217;s unclear to what degree they can help.</p>
<p>Since neither Libgen nor Bookfi are currently using Cloudflare’s services, it remains to be seen whether the company still has the site’s old IP-addresses and other identifiable information on file.</p>
<p>Even if the operators are identified, it&#8217;s unlikely that they will agree to future U.S. court orders, as they are likely living abroad. </p>
<p>After losing their previous domain names through the lawsuit, the Libgen and Bookfi websites continued to serve ‘pirated’ papers and books. Even today, they remain available through their new homes at golibgen.io and bookfi.net.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-provider-anonymous-review-160220/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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