# articles

feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142697
title: ESET Tries to Scare People Away From Using Torrents
uri: ESET-Tries-to-Scare-People-Away-From-Using-Torrents
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/8UcsguK-Tu0/
content:
<p><a href="media/48bab8b8.nototorrents.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/nototorrents.jpg"><img src="media/3781ee49.nototorrents-300x169.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/nototorrents-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-81800" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/nototorrents-300x169.jpg 300w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/nototorrents.jpg 490w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"></a>Any company in the security game can be expected to play up threats among its customer base in order to get sales.</p>
<p>Sellers of CCTV equipment, for example, would have us believe that criminals don&#8217;t want to be photographed and will often go elsewhere in the face of that. Car alarm companies warn us that since X thousand cars are stolen every minute, an expensive Immobilizer is an anti-theft must.</p>
<p>Of course, they&#8217;re absolutely right to point these things out. People want to know about these offline risks since they affect our quality of life. The same can be said of those that occur in the online world too.</p>
<p>We ARE all at risk of horrible malware that will trash our computers and steal our banking information so we should all be running adequate protection. That being said, how many times do our anti-virus programs actually trap a piece of nasty-ware in a year? Once? Twice? Ten times? Almost never?</p>
<p>The truth is we all need to be informed but it should be done in a measured way. That&#8217;s why an article just published by security firm ESET on the subject of torrents strikes a couple of bad chords, particularly with people who like torrents. It&#8217;s titled &#8220;Why you should view torrents as a threat&#8221; and predictably proceeds to outline why.</p>
<p>&#8220;Despite their popularity among users, torrents are very risky &#8216;business&#8217;,&#8221; it begins.</p>
<p>&#8220;Apart from the obvious legal trouble you could face for violating the copyright of musicians, filmmakers or software developers, there are security issues linked to downloading them that could put you or your computer in the crosshairs of the black hats.&#8221;</p>
<p>Aside from the use of the phrase &#8220;very risky&#8221; (&#8216;some risk&#8217; is a better description), there&#8217;s probably very little to complain about in this opening shot. However, things soon go downhill.</p>
<p>&#8220;Merely downloading the newest version of BitTorrent clients – software necessary for any user who wants to download or seed files from this &#8216;ecosystem&#8217; – could infect your machine and irreversibly damage your files,&#8221; ESET writes.</p>
<p>Following that scary statement, some readers will have already vowed never to use a torrent again and moved on without reading any more, but the details are really important.</p>
<p>To support <a href="https://www.welivesecurity.com/2017/08/01/view-torrents-threat/">its claim</a>, ESET points to two incidents in 2016 (which to its great credit the company actually discovered) which involved the Transmission torrent client. Both involved deliberate third-party infection and in the latter hackers attacked Transmission&#8217;s servers and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/attackers-infect-transmission-torrent-client-with-os-x-malware-160831/">embedded malware</a> in its OSX client before distribution to the public.</p>
<p>No doubt these were both miserable incidents (to which the Transmission team quickly responded) but to characterize this as a torrent client problem seems somewhat unfair. </p>
<p>People intent on spreading viruses and malware do not discriminate and will happily infect ANY piece of computer software they can. Sadly, many non-technical people reading the ESET post won&#8217;t read beyond the claim that installing torrent clients can &#8220;infect your machine and irreversibly damage your files.&#8221;</p>
<p>That&#8217;s a huge disservice to the hundreds of millions of torrent client installations that have taken place over a decade and a half and were absolutely trouble free. On a similar basis, we could argue that installing Windows is the main initial problem for people getting viruses from the Internet. It&#8217;s true but it&#8217;s also not the full picture.</p>
<p>Finally, the piece goes on to detail other incidents over the years where torrents have been found to contain malware. The several cases highlighted by ESET are both real and pretty unpleasant for victims but the important thing to note here is torrent users are no different to any other online user, no matter how they use the Internet.</p>
<p>People who download files from the Internet, from ALL untrusted sources, are putting themselves at risk of getting a virus or other malware. Whether that content is obtained from a website or a P2P network, the risks are ever-present and only a foolish person would do so without decent security software (<a href="https://www.eset.com/us/download/">such as ESET&#8217;s</a>) protecting them.</p>
<p>The take home point here is to be aware of security risks and put them into perspective. It&#8217;s hard to put a percentage on these things but of the hundreds of millions of torrent and torrent client downloads that have taken place since their inception 15 years ago, the overwhelming majority have been absolutely fine.</p>
<p>Security situations <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/new-utorrent-release-breaks-ties-with-bitcoin-miner-150413/">do arise</a> and we need to be aware of them, but presenting things in a way that spreads unnecessary concern in a particular sector isn&#8217;t necessary to sell products. </p>
<p>The AV-TEST Institute registers around 390,000 new malicious programs <a href="https://www.av-test.org/en/statistics/malware/">every day</a> that don&#8217;t involve torrents, plenty for any anti-virus firm to deal with.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142817
title: Steal This Show S03E06: ‘The Crypto-Financier Of The Underground’
uri: Steal-This-Show-S03E06-The-Crypto-Financier-Of-The-Underground
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/A115rVf5hY0/
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"><strong><sup><em>If you enjoy this episode, consider becoming a patron and getting involved with the show. <a href="https://patreon.com/user?u=4275705">Check out Steal This Show&#8217;s Patreon campaign</a>: support us and get all kinds of&nbsp;fantastic benefits!</em></sup></strong></p>
<p>In this episode, we meet Dan Hassan, a <em>very early Bitcoin enthusiast</em> who&#8217;s taking a different approach to making use of his cryptocurrency wealth. Instead of moving to Silicon Valley, buying a Tesla and funding dubious startups, Dan&#8217;s helping activists and progressives find their feet in crypto. </p>
<p>His aim is to create an extended gang of independently wealthy individuals who can dedicate themselves to disruption and the building of radical, new social alternatives. What could be more STEAL THIS SHOW? </p>
<p>*Please note, although we did manage to screw some crypto tips out of Dan, nothing in this show is to intended as financial advice. These are weird times. Literally no one can predict what&#8217;s going to happen!<br>
&#8212;</p>
<p><a href="https://stealthisshow.com">Steal This Show</a> aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing copyright and file-sharing news. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary, and analysis. </p>
<p>The guests for our news discussions will vary, and we&#8217;ll aim to introduce voices from different backgrounds and persuasions. In addition to news, STS will also produce features interviewing some of the great innovators and minds. </p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Jamie King</p>
<p><strong>Guest:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/volt4ire">Robert Barat</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/rob_t_firefly">Rob Vincent</a></p>
<p><center><iframe width="100%" height="180px" src="//stealthisshow.com/?lpe-frame=1&#038;lpe-season=3&#038;lpe-episode=06" 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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142739
title: Torrentz Shut Down A Year Ago, But The Name Lives On
uri: Torrentz-Shut-Down-A-Year-Ago-But-The-Name-Lives-On
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Z7yiOxV8LWE/
content:
<p><img src="media/b724b30b.torrentz-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/torrentz-1.png" alt="" width="189" height="57" class="alignright size-full wp-image-125836">Last summer, the torrent ecosystem lost two of its biggest stars. First, KickassTorrents was taken down following a criminal investigation by the FBI, resulting in indictments against the site&#8217;s operators.</p>
<p>Not long after <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/feds-seize-kickasstorrents-domains-charge-owner-160720/">KAT went offline</a>, Torrentz.eu decided to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-shuts-down-largest-torrent-meta-search-engine-says-farewell-160805/">close its doors</a> as well, albeit voluntarily. Without prior warning, all torrent listings were removed from the meta-search engine, which was the third largest torrent site at the time.</p>
<p>The site’s operator confirmed the shutdown to TorrentFreak. The website itself was still on air but instead of the usual torrents, its users were left with the following message: “Torrentz will always love you. Farewell.” </p>
<p><center><strong>Torrentz.eu says farewell</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/85349e53.torrentz-farewell.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/torrentz-farewell.png" alt="torrentz-farewell" width="600" height="143" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-125850"></center></p>
<p>A year has passed since and Torrentz.eu is still online, but it remains torrent-less. An official explanation for the drastic action was never given, but it’s likely that legal pressure or the trouble at KAT weighed into the decision.</p>
<p>As we&#8217;ve seen with KAT, however, the Torrentz brand is still alive and kicking today. Soon after the original site ceased its regular operation, several <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-remains-down-but-the-clone-wars-are-on-160813/">&#8216;copies&#8217; popped up</a>, eager to take its place. </p>
<p>The most successful alternative, in terms of traffic, is the elegantly named Torrentz2.eu. Unlike many others, Torrentz2 has always been upfront with its users and never claimed to be an official resurrection. They just want to do what Torrentz did, or even better. </p>
<p>&#8220;We always wanted to operate a site as beautiful as the original torrentz site so recreating it was the only way to do it,&#8221; the site&#8217;s operator tells TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>Torrentz2 copied the look of Torrentz, but runs its own meta-search engine, indexing even more sites than its famous predecessor. At the time of writing the site covers 61,106,364 torrents from 241,559,021 pages on 80 domains.</p>
<p>&#8220;We want to add more sites to our index. There are 80 domains now. There is a really huge list of new torrent sites that we discover and will be added soon.<br>
We are looking for hamsters to power up our servers, we believe that we are very close to finding them,&#8221; the operator says.</p>
<p><center><strong>Torrentz2.eu, alive and kicking</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/a2f8098e.torrentz2-2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/torrentz2-2.png" alt="" width="600" height="265" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-142743"></center></p>
<p>The site hasn&#8217;t had any legal pressure yet, the operator says. In the future, they will continue down the same path, which doesn&#8217;t deviate much from the original site.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are trying to keep the feeling and the features of the original torrentz site. Features that are missing are the user comments and accounts but we are working<br>
on it and will be added very soon.&#8221;</p>
<p>The public seems to appreciate the Torrentz alternative as well. The site has <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2017-170107/">millions</a> of active users today, which is pretty close to the original site. So for most people, not that much has changed actually. </p>
<p>In fact, it would not a surprise if many of the current Torrentz2 visitors have no clue that they&#8217;re not dealing with the &#8220;real&#8221; thing. </p>
<p>All in all, we can say that recent history has shown how flexible the torrent ecosystem can be when it comes to sudden site closures. Whether it&#8217;s KAT, Torrentz, isoHunt, EZTV, YTS or ExtraTorrents, users are quick to find an alternative and continue torrenting there, or move onto something new entirely.</p>
<p>While that may be a positive note for many torrent fanatics, for the sentimentalists it might be strange that those who worked hard to build certain brands for years are seemingly replaced so easily.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142593
title: Seller of ‘Fully Loaded’ Kodi Boxes Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering
uri: Seller-of-Fully-Loaded-Kodi-Boxes-Pleads-Guilty-to-Money-Launder
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/5zvU0jqibOk/
content:
<p><img src="media/2765c03d.kodi.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kodi.jpg" width="200" height="200" class="alignright size-large">In June 2015, police and Trading Standards officers in the UK <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-android-tv-box-sellers-raided-by-police-150612/">carried out raids</a> on sellers of Android boxes configured to receive unauthorized content. One seller, operating from GeekyKit.com, told customers that his physical shops would be shutting down.</p>
<p>“As you may be aware we were visited yesterday by Sky [television] in conjunction with Trading Standards. Whilst we continue to investigate our position the stores will remain closed and support will remain suspended. Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused,” he explained.</p>
<p>Julian Allen was arrested after raids at &#8216;Geeky Kit&#8217; premises in Billingham and Middlesbrough in the north of England. One of the locations is <a href="http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/police-trading-standards-joint-raid-9413857">pictured</a> below.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/7d3f6b7a.geeky-kit.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/geeky-kit.jpg" width="615" height="409" class="aligncenter size-large"></center></p>
<p>Despite the seriously incriminating storefront claims, Allen insisted that his businesses couldn&#8217;t be held responsible for copyrighted TV shows, movies and sports received by customers on boxes his company supplied.</p>
<p>“We do not control the content that is accessible on the internet via the product that we sell. We are currently working with Trading Standards to ensure that we can sell our products whilst adhering to UK copyright laws,” he said.</p>
<p>This January, Allen appeared before Teesside Crown Court charged with laundering £135,173, money said to have been generated via the sale of pre-loaded set-top boxes and premium packages over a 30-month period.</p>
<p>Allen was expected to appear for a week-long trial scheduled to start this Monday but that was scrapped after the 40-year-old <a href="http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/geeky-kit-raids-businessman-admits-13411311">pleaded guilty</a> to using or acquiring criminal property.</p>
<p>According to Gazette Live, a proceeds of crime hearing has been scheduled for next year. In the meantime, Allen was granted unconditional bail until sentencing on October 20, where he faces a potential jail sentence.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what the sentence will be until all the matters are known,” the judge said.</p>
<p>Ever since a European Court of Justice ruling earlier this year that found that selling &#8220;fully-loaded&#8221; streaming boxes are illegal, people in a similar position to Allen have seen their cases take a turn for the worse.</p>
<p>One such case, involving Middlesbrough shopkeeper Brian Thompson, appears to be progressing under different legislation, however. Thompson <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-kodi-box-seller-enters-not-guilty-plea-landmark-trial/">stands accused</a> of two offenses under <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/296ZB">section 296ZB</a> of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, which deals with devices and services designed to circumvent technological measures.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142713
title: ‘US Should Include Fair Use and Safe Harbors in NAFTA Negotiations’
uri: 2017-08-06-
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AmdOERRKuQQ/
content:
<p><img src="media/bd0abf4c.copyright-blood.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/copyright-blood.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="151" class="alignright size-full wp-image-120567">The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States, Canada, and Mexico was negotiated more than 25 years ago. </p>
<p>Over the past quarter century trade has changed drastically, especially online, so the United States is now planning to modernize the international deal.</p>
<p>Various copyright industry groups recognized this as an opportunity to demand tougher copyright enforcement. The MPAA and RIAA <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-riaa-demand-tough-copyright-standards-in-nafta-negotiations-170621/">previously presented</a> their demands, proposing various new limitations, including restrictions to the existing safe harbor protections against copyright infringement claims.</p>
<p>While no concrete plans have been made public yet, the U.S Trade Representative (USTR) recently gave <a href="https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2017/july/ustr-releases-nafta-negotiating">an overview</a> of its NAFTA renegotiation objectives. The language leaves plenty of wiggle room, but it&#8217;s clear that strong copyright enforcement takes a central role.</p>
<p>&#8220;Provide strong protection and enforcement for new and emerging technologies and new methods of transmitting and distributing products embodying intellectual property, including in a manner that facilitates legitimate digital trade,&#8221; one of the key points reads.</p>
<p>It is no surprise that copyright enforcement plays a central role in a possible extension of NAFTA. However, according to the <a href="http://www.recreatecoalition.org/">Re:Create Coalition</a>, which includes members such as the the Consumer Technology Association, the American Library Association and EFF, future proposals should be more balanced.</p>
<p>This means that if copyright enforcement is included, the US Government should also make sure that fair use, safe harbor protections and other copyright limitations and exceptions are added as well. </p>
<p>&#8220;The United States government should promote balance in copyright law to unlock the fullest potential of innovation and creativity globally, and to help U.S. innovators, creators, and small businesses reach foreign audiences.&#8221; Re:Create Executive Director Josh Lamel tells TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>&#8220;If a re-negotiated NAFTA includes a chapter on copyright, which seems likely, it must have mandatory language on copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use and protections from intermediary liability.&#8221;</p>
<p>The USTR stressed that the NAFTA  agreement should cover copyright protections similar to those found in US law. If that is the case, the coalition urges the US Government to &#8216;export&#8217; fair use and other copyright limitations as well, to keep the balance.</p>
<p>Strong enforcement without balance could lead to all sorts of abuse, according to the Re:Create coalition. Just recently, a Colombian student <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/06/standing-diego">faced a hefty prison sentence</a> for sharing a research paper on Scribd, something which would be less likely with a proper fair use defense.</p>
<p>&#8220;Trade agreements should reflect the realities of the world we live in today. If strong intellectual property protections and enforcement measures are included in a trade agreement, so should exceptions and limitations to copyright law,&#8221; Lamel says.</p>
<p>&#8220;You can’t have one without the other. Furthermore, the copyright system cannot function effectively without fair use, and neither can the U.S. economy. 16 percent of the U.S. economy depends on fair use, and 18 million U.S. workers across the country are employed in fair use industries.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition to fair use, Re:Create argues that DMCA-style safe harbor provisions are essential for Internet services to operate freely on the Internet. The RIAA wants to restrict safe harbor protection to limit copyright infringement and abuse, but the coalition believes that these proposals go too far. </p>
<p>If the RIAA had its way, many large Internet service providers wouldn&#8217;t be able to operate freely. This would result in a loss of American jobs, and innovation would be stifled, Re:Create notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you looked up excessive overreach in the dictionary, there would be a picture of the RIAA and MPAA submissions. Limiting safe harbors would be corporate cronyism at its worst,&#8221; Lamel tells TorrentFreak. </p>
<p>&#8220;The safe harbors are at the cornerstone of the Internet economy and consumer Internet experience. It would be an economic disaster. Recent economic analysis found that weakened safe harbors would result in the loss of 4.25 million American jobs and cost nearly half a trillion dollars over the next decade,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>While it&#8217;s still early days, it will be interesting to see what concrete proposals will come out of the negotiations and if fair use and other copyright protections are indeed going to be included. Re-Create promises to keep a close eye on the developments, and they&#8217;re certainly not alone.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142825
title: Lawyer Says He Was Deceived Into BitTorrent Copyright Trolling Scheme
uri: Lawyer-Says-He-Was-Deceived-Into-BitTorrent-Copyright-Trolling-Scheme
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/gGeF-tdRcqU/
content:
<p><a href="media/f8623ca2.law-hammer.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer.jpg"><img src="media/f6eb27a1.law-hammer.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="203" class="alignright size-full wp-image-134548" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer.jpg 270w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px"></a>For more than a decade, companies around the world have been trying to turn piracy into profit. For many this has meant the development of &#8220;copyright trolling&#8221; schemes, in which alleged pirates are monitored online and then pressured into cash settlements.</p>
<p>The shadowy nature of this global business means that its true scale will never be known but due to the controversial activities of some of the larger players, it&#8217;s occasionally possible to take a peek inside their operations. One such opportunity has just raised its head.</p>
<p>According to a lawsuit filed in California, James Davis is an attorney licensed in Oregon and California. Until two years ago, he was largely focused on immigration law. However, during March 2015, Davis says he was approached by an old classmate with an opportunity to get involved in a new line of business.</p>
<p>That classmate was Oregon lawyer Carl Crowell, who over the past several years has been <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/its-impossible-to-torrent-anonymously-lawyer-says-150906/">deeply involved</a> in copyright-trolling cases, including a deluge of Dallas Buyers Club and London Has Fallen litigation. He envisioned a place for Davis in the business.</p>
<p>Davis seemed to find the proposals attractive and became seriously involved in the operation, filing 58 cases on behalf of the companies involved. In common with similar cases, the lawsuits were brought in the name of the entities behind each copyrighted work, such as Dallas Buyers Club, LLC and LHF Productions, Inc.</p>
<p>In time, however, things started to go wrong. Davis claims that he discovered that Crowell, in connection with and on behalf of the other named defendants, &#8220;misrepresented the true nature of the Copyright Litigation Campaign, including the ownership of the works at issue and the role of the various third-parties involved in the litigation.&#8221;</p>
<p>Davis says that Crowell and the other defendants (which include the infamous Germany-based troll outfit Guardaley) made false representations to secure his participation, while holding back other information that might have made him think twice about becoming involved.</p>
<p>&#8220;Crowell and other Defendants withheld numerous material facts that were known to Crowell and the knowledge of which would have cast doubt on the value and ethical propriety of the Copyright Litigation Campaign for Mr. Davis,&#8221; the lawsuit reads.</p>
<p>Davis goes on to allege serious misconduct, including that representations regarding ownership of various entities were false and used to deceive him into participating in the scheme.</p>
<p>As time went on, Davis said he had increasing doubts about the operation. Then, in August 2016 as a result of a case underway in California, he began asking questions which resulted in him uncovering additional facts. These undermined both the representations of the people he was working for and his own belief in the &#8220;value and ethical propriety of the Copyright Litigation Campaign,&#8221; the lawsuit claims.</p>
<p>Davis said this spurred him on to &#8220;aggressively seek further information&#8221; from <a href="https://fightcopyrighttrolls.com/tag/carl-crowell/">Crowell</a> and other people involved in the scheme, including details of its structure and underlying support. He says all he received were &#8220;limited responses, excuses, and delays.&#8221;</p>
<p>The case was later <a href="http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/james-davis-voltage-pictures-bittorrent-copyright-troll-1202516275/">dismissed</a> by mutual agreement of the parties involved but of course, Davis&#8217; concerns about the underlying case didn&#8217;t come to the forefront until the filing of his suit against Crowell and the others.</p>
<p>Davis says that following a meeting in Santa Monica with several of the main players behind the litigation campaign, he decided its legal and factual basis were unsound. He later told Crowell and Guardaley that he was withdrawing from their project.</p>
<p>As the result of the misrepresentations made to him, Davis is now suing the defendants on a number of counts, detailed below.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/5e82f64c.davis-crowell.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/davis-crowell.png"><img src="media/2cea93f0.davis-crowell.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/davis-crowell.png" alt="" width="804" height="626" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-142846"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants’ business practices are unfair, unlawful, and fraudulent. Davis has suffered monetary damage as a direct result of the unfair, unlawful, and fraudulent business practices set forth herein,&#8221; the lawsuit reads.</p>
<p>Requesting a trial by jury, Davis is seeking actual damages, statutory damages, punitive or treble damages &#8220;in the amount of no less than $300,000.&#8221;</p>
<p>While a payment of that not insignificant amount would clearly satisfy Davis, the prospect of a trial in which the Guardaley operation is laid bare would be preferable when the interests of its thousands of previous targets are considered.</p>
<p>Only time will tell how things will pan out but like the vast majority of troll cases, this one too seems destined to be settled in private, to ensure the settlement machine keeps going.</p>
<p><em>Note: The case was originally filed in June, only to be voluntarily dismissed. It has now been <a href="http://courtindex.sdcourt.ca.gov/CISPublic/casedetail?casenum=201700024909&#038;casesite=SD&#038;applcode=C">refiled</a> in state court.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142859
title: Hotspot Shield VPN Reported to FTC For Alleged Privacy Breaches
uri: Hotspot-Shield-VPN-Reported-to-FTC-For-Alleged-Privacy-Breaches
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/3BpnyONQHEE/
content:
<p><a href="media/5f0dfd25.spy.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/spy.jpg"><img src="media/3d881413.spy.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/spy.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="177" class="alignright size-full wp-image-39770"></a>With online privacy becoming an increasingly hot topic, large numbers of companies are offering products which claim to stop third-parties from snooping on users&#8217; Internet activities.</p>
<p>At the forefront are Virtual Private Networks (VPN), which push consumer traffic through encrypted tunnels and remote servers to hide activity from ISPs while offering <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">varying levels of anonymity</a>.</p>
<p>Claims made by VPN companies are often scrutinized by privacy advocates but if a complaint filed this morning by the <a href="https://cdt.org">Center for Democracy and Technology</a><br>
 (CDT) gains momentum, there could be a government investigation into one of the most popular.</p>
<p>Developed by AnchorFree, Inc. and initially released more than nine years ago, the Hotspot Shield application allows users to connect to a VPN service. According to its makers, it&#8217;s been downloaded 75 million times and provides &#8220;anonymous web surfing with complete privacy.&#8221; That claim, however, is now under the spotlight.</p>
<p>In a complaint filed this morning with the Federal Trade Commission, CDT notes that Hotspot Shield makes &#8220;strong claims&#8221; about the privacy and security of its data collection and sharing practices, including that it “never logs or stores user data.” Crucially, the company also claims never to track or sell its customers&#8217; information, adding that security and privacy are &#8220;guaranteed.&#8221;</p>
<p>Countering, CDT says that Hotspot Shield engages in logging practices that contradict its claims, noting that it collects information to “identify [a user’s] general location, improve the Service, or optimize advertisements displayed through the Service.”</p>
<p>The complaint says that IP addresses and unique device identifiers are regularly<br>
collected by Hotspot Shield but the service gets around this issue by classing neither sets of data as personal information.</p>
<p>CDT says it used Carnegie Mellon University’s Mobile App Compliance System to gain insight into Hotspot Shield&#8217;s functionality and found problems with privacy.</p>
<p>&#8220;CMU’s analysis of Hotspot Shield’s Android application permissions found undisclosed data sharing practices with third party advertising networks,&#8221; the group notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;While an ad-supported VPN may be beneficial in certain instances, it should not be paired with a product or service that tells users that it ensures anonymity, privacy, and security.&#8221;</p>
<p>CDT also says that Hotspot Shield tries to cover its back with a disclaimer that the company &#8220;may not provide a virtual IP Address for every web site you may visit and third-party web sites may receive your original IP Address when you are visiting those web sites.” But this runs counter to the stated aim of the service, CDT writes.</p>
<p>Accusing Hotspot Shield of unfair and deceptive trade practices, CDT calls on the Commission to conduct an investigation into its data collection and sharing practices.</p>
<p>Hotspot Shield is yet to respond to the complaint or accusations but in a <a href="http://blog.hotspotshield.com/2014/05/14/ftc-regulation-of-data-security/">2014 blog post</a>, welcomed the FTC&#8217;s involvement in online security issues.</p>
<p><em>Full complaint <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3911863-FTC-Complaint-on-VPNs.html">here</a>, courtesy <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/08/ftc-must-scrutinize-hotspot-shield-over-alleged-traffic-interception-group-says/">Ars</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142821
title: RIAA’s Piracy Claims are Misleading and Inaccurate, ISP Says
uri: RIAA-s-Piracy-Claims-are-Misleading-and-Inaccurate-ISP-Says
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AefO_lPumK0/
content:
<p><img src="media/ec1448ed.grandecomm.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/grandecomm.png" alt="" width="234" height="116" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140705">For more than a decade, copyright holders have been sending ISPs takedown notices to alert them that their subscribers are sharing copyrighted material.</p>
<p>Under US law, providers have to terminate the accounts of repeat infringers &#8220;in appropriate circumstances&#8221; and increasingly they are being held to this standard.</p>
<p>Earlier this year several major record labels, represented by the RIAA, filed a lawsuit in a Texas District Court, accusing ISP <a href="http://mygrande.com/">Grande Communications</a> of failing to take action against its pirating subscribers.</p>
<p>The ISP is not happy with the claims and was quick to submit a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. One of the arguments is that the RIAA&#8217;s evidence is insufficient.</p>
<p>In its original motion, Grande doesn’t deny receiving millions of takedown notices from piracy tracking company Rightscorp. However, it believes that these notices are flawed as Rightscorp is incapable of monitoring actual copyright infringements.</p>
<p>The RIAA disagreed and pointed out that their evidence is sufficient. They stressed that Rightcorp is able to monitor actual downloads, as opposed to simply checking if a subscriber is offering certain infringing content. </p>
<p>In a response from Grande, late last week, the ISP argues that this isn&#8217;t good enough to build a case. While Rightcorp may be able to track the actual infringing downloads to which the RIAA labels hold the copyrights, there is no such evidence provided in the present case, the ISP notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Importantly, Plaintiffs do not allege that Rightscorp has ever recorded an instance of a Grande subscriber actually distributing even one of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works. Plaintiffs certainly have not alleged any concrete facts regarding such an act,&#8221; Grande&#8217;s legal team <a href="media/140442ef.c2e8ca3b-a8e0-4ced-83d2-179bd695cd91.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/c2e8ca3b-a8e0-4ced-83d2-179bd695cd91.pdf">writes (pdf)</a>.</p>
<p>According to the ISP, the RIAA&#8217;s evidence merely shows that Rightscorp sent notices of alleged infringements on behalf of other copyright holders, who are not involved in the lawsuit.</p>
<p>&#8220;Instead, Plaintiffs generally allege that Rightscorp has sent notices regarding &#8216;various copyrighted works,&#8217; encompassing all of the notices sent by Rightscorp on behalf of entities other than  Plaintiffs.&#8221; </p>
<p>While the RIAA argues that this circumstantial evidence is sufficient, the ISP believes that there are grounds to have the entire case dismissed. </p>
<p>The record labels can&#8217;t hold Grande liable for secondary copyright infringement, without providing concrete evidence that their works were actively distributed by Grande subscribers, the company claims.</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiffs cannot allege direct infringement without alleging concrete facts which show that a Grande subscriber actually infringed one of Plaintiffs’ copyrights,&#8221; Grande&#8217;s lawyers note.</p>
<p>&#8220;For this reason, it is incredibly misleading for Plaintiffs to repeatedly refer to Grande having received &#8216;millions&#8217; of notices of alleged infringement, as if those notices all pertained to Plaintiffs’ asserted copyrights.&#8221; </p>
<p>The &#8220;misleading&#8221; copyright infringement evidence argument is only one part of the ISPs defense. The company also notes that it has no control over what its subscribers do, nor do they control the BitTorrent clients that were allegedly used to download content. </p>
<p>If the court ruled otherwise, Grande and other ISPs would essentially be forced to become an &#8220;unpaid enforcement agent of the recording industry,&#8221; the company&#8217;s lawyers note.</p>
<p>The RIAA, however, sees things quite differently. </p>
<p>The music industry group believes that Grande failed to take proper action in response to repeat infringers and should pay damages to compensate the labels. This claim is very similar to the one BMG brought against Cox, where the latter was eventually <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">ordered to pay $25 million</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142886
title: Foxtel Targets 128 Torrent & Streaming Domains For Blocking Down Under
uri: Foxtel-Targets-128-Torrent-Streaming-Domains-For-Blocking-Down-Under
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Ffe4wulOeq8/
content:
<p><a href="media/0702e6e5.blocked-censor.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/blocked-censor.jpg"><img src="media/2759597c.blocked-censor.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blocked-censor.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124850"></a>In 2015, Australia passed <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australia-passes-pirate-site-blocking-law-150622/">controversial legislation</a> which allows &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites located on servers overseas to be blocked at the ISP level.</p>
<p>“These offshore sites are not operated by noble spirits fighting for the freedom of the internet, they are run by criminals who profit from stealing other people’s creative endeavors,” commented then Foxtel chief executive Richard Freudenstein.</p>
<p>Before, during and after its introduction, Foxtel has positioned itself as a keen supporter of the resulting Section 115a of the Copyright Act. And in December 2016, with the law firmly in place, it celebrated success after obtaining a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-and-other-pirate-sites-will-be-blocked-in-australia-161215/">blocking injunction</a> against The Pirate Bay, Torrentz, TorrentHound and isoHunt.</p>
<p>In May, Foxtel filed a <a href="https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/618860/foxtel-seeks-isps-block-more-pirate-sites/">new application</a>, demanding that almost 50 local ISPs block what was believed to be a significant number of &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites not covered by last year&#8217;s order.</p>
<p>Today the broadcasting giant was back in Federal Court, Sydney, to have this second application heard under Section 115a. It was revealed that the application contains 128 domains, each linked to movie and TV piracy.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/625758/more-than-120-domains-foxtel-anti-piracy-hit-list/">ComputerWorld</a>, the key sites targeted are as follows: <em>YesMovies, Vumoo, LosMovies, CartoonHD, Putlocker, Watch Series 1, Watch Series 2, Project Free TV 1, Project Free TV 2, Watch Episodes, Watch Episode Series, Watch TV Series, The Dare Telly, Putlocker9.is, Putlocker9.to, Torlock and 1337x.</em></p>
<p>The Foxtel application targets both torrent and streaming sites but given the sample above, it seems that the latter is currently receiving the most attention. Streaming sites are appearing at a rapid rate and can even be <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvstreamcms-brings-pirate-streaming-site-clones-to-the-masses-170723/">automated to some extent</a>, so this battle could become extremely drawn out.</p>
<p>Indeed, Justice Burley, who presided over the case this morning, described the website-blocking process (which necessarily includes targeting mirrors, proxies and replacement domains) as akin to &#8220;whack-a-mole&#8221;.</p>
<p>&#8220;Foxtel sees utility in orders of this nature,&#8221; counsel for Foxtel <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/foxtel-continues-game-of-whack-a-pirate/">commented</a> in response. &#8220;It&#8217;s important to block these sites.&#8221;</p>
<p>In presenting its application, Foxtel conducted live demonstrations of Yes Movies, Watch Series, 1337x, and Putlocker. It focused on the Australian prison drama series Wentworth, which has been running on Foxtel since 2013, but also featured tests of Game of Thrones. </p>
<p>Justice Burley told the court that since he&#8217;s a fan of the series, a spoiler-free piracy presentation would be appreciated. If the hearing had taken place a few days earlier, spoilers may have been possible. Last week, the latest episode of the show <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/next-game-of-thrones-episode-leaks-online-170804/">leaked onto the Internet</a> from an Indian source before its official release.</p>
<p>Justice Burley&#8217;s decision will be handed down at a later date, but it&#8217;s unlikely there will be any serious problems with Foxtel&#8217;s application. After objecting to many aspects of blocking applications in the past, Australia&#8217;s ISPs no longer appear during these hearings. They are now paid AU$50 per domain blocked by companies such as Foxtel and play little more than a technical role 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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142827
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 08/08/17
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-08-08-17
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/nZY_7X56OAE/
content:
<p><img src="media/bb7d2d4a.mummy.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mummy.png" alt="" width="300" height="172" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140666">This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>The Mummy, which came out as a Web-DL last week, 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>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-bittorrent-073117/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mummy-2017-torrent-downloads/">The Mummy 2017</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2345759/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzorZUuZqEI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2250912/">Spider-Man: Homecoming</a> (HDTS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2250912/">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0D3AOldjMU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(10)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316204/">Alien Covenant</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316204/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svnAD0TApb8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/boss-baby-torrent-downloads/">The Boss Baby</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3874544/">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tquIfapGVqs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/wonder-woman-torrent-downloads/">Wonder Woman</a> (Subbed HDrip)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279/">8.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8fG0TtVAY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972591/">King Arthur: Legend of the Sword</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972591/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rbPTQIdjmY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218696/">The Wall</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218696/">6.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8-SFAbDu3w">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/">Ghost In the Shell</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4VmJcZR0Yg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4795124/">How To Be a Latin Lover</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4795124/">5.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8-SFAbDu3w">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/">Going In Style</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcdTN5soeQw">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142902
title: Hackers Leak More Confidential Game of Thrones Files
uri: Hackers-Leak-More-Confidential-Game-of-Thrones-Files
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/U0J54nUAJq8/
content:
<p><img src="media/83abb8ee.falling.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/falling.jpg" alt="" width="244" height="196" class="alignright size-full wp-image-142904">Last week, news broke that a hacker, or hackers, had <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hbo-got-hacked-game-of-thrones-spoilers-surface-online-170801/">compromised</a> the network of the American cable and television network HBO.</p>
<p>Those responsible sent out an email to reporters, announcing the prominent breach, and leaked files surfaced on the dedicated website Winter-leak.com.</p>
<p>While the latter is no longer accessible, the hackers are not done yet. Another curated batch of leaked files has now appeared online, revealing more Game of Thrones spoilers, marketing plans, and other confidential HBO files.</p>
<p>The first leak put a preliminary outline of the fourth episode of the current Game of Thrones season in the spotlight, and the second batch follows up with the same for the upcoming fifth episode. </p>
<p>Although the outline was prepared over a year ago, it likely contains various accurate spoilers, which we won&#8217;t repeat here.</p>
<p><center><strong>Preliminary outline S07E05</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/f802c987.prelime05.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/prelime05.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="518" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-142905"></center></p>
<p>The new data dump, which is a subsection of the 1.5 terabytes of data the hackers claimed to have in their possession, also lists a variety of other Game of Thrones related files.</p>
<p>Among other items, there&#8217;s a confidential cast list for the current season, a highly confidential &#8220;Game of Ideas&#8221; brief, an outline of GoT marketing strategies, and a Game of Thrones roadmap. The information all appears to be a few months old.</p>
<p>The hackers took a screenshot of several folders, where the files may have been taken from, as seen below.</p>
<p><center><strong>Folders screenshot</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/3f42b897.gotfiles.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/gotfiles.png" alt="" width="606" height="511" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-142906"></center></p>
<p>In addition, the hackers provided &#8216;proof&#8217; that they have emails, which according to <a href="https://www.apnews.com/c6a3301f977f445f96e52c9749c61477/Hackers-demand-millions-in-ransom-for-stolen-HBO-data">AP</a> point to HBO’s vice president for film programming Leslie Cohen. </p>
<p>Finally, the new batch contains a video letter to HBO CEO Richard Plepler, titled &#8220;First letter to HBO,&#8221; where a certain Mr. Smith takes credit for the hack. The letter offered to keep the information away from the public, in exchange for a ransom payment.</p>
<p><center><strong>First letter to HBO</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/a01738c3.pleplerletter.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pleplerletter.png" alt="" width="600" height="383" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-142907"></center></p>
<p>For spoiler-eager Game of Thrones fans the hack is a true treasure trove. However, like the first batch, no leaked episodes are included. And, based on another screenshot, these are probably not on the way either. </p>
<p>A &#8220;<a href="media/3785379b.series.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/series.png">Series Screenshot</a>&#8221; includes a list of likely compromised titles, such as The Deviant Ones and the previously leaked Barry, Ballers, and Room 104, but no Game of Thrones. </p>
<p>A leak of the fourth GoT episode did <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/next-game-of-thrones-episode-leaks-online-170804/">appear online</a> late last week, but this wasn&#8217;t linked to the breach of HBO&#8217;s network. Still, HBO is likely not amused and will do everything in its power to catch those responsible. </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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142755
title: Pirate Domain Blocking ‘Door’ Should Remain Open, RIAA Tells Court
uri: Pirate-Domain-Blocking-Door-Should-Remain-Open-RIAA-Tells-Court
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/rqY2HSQc4po/
content:
<p><img src="media/c0cbdaf3.cloudflare-logo-e1497134379554.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cloudflare-logo-e1497134379554.png" alt="" width="250" height="126" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140211">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>While Cloudflare is a neutral service provider, rightsholders are not happy with its role. The company has been involved in several legal disputes already, including the RIAA&#8217;s lawsuit against MP3Skull. </p>
<p>Last year the record labels <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-wins-22-million-piracy-lawsuit-against-mp3skull-160225/">won their case</a> against the MP3 download portal but the site ignored the court order and continued to operate. This prompted the RIAA to go after third-party services including Cloudflare, to target associated domain names.</p>
<p>The RIAA demanded domain blockades, arguing that Cloudflare actively cooperated with the pirates. The CDN provider objected and argued that the DMCA shielded the company from the broad blocking requirements. In turn, the court ruled that the DMCA doesn’t apply in this case, opening the door to widespread anti-piracy filtering.</p>
<p>While it&#8217;s still to be determined whether Cloudflare is indeed “in active concert or participation” with MP3Skull, the company recently asked the court <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflare-asks-court-to-vacate-moot-pirate-site-blocking-order-170724/">to vacate the order</a>, arguing that the case is moot. </p>
<p>MP3Skull no longer has an active website, and previous domain names either never used Cloudflare or stopped using it long before the order was issued, the company argued. </p>
<p>The RIAA clearly disagrees. According to the music industry group, Cloudflare&#8217;s request relies on &#8220;misstatements.&#8221; The motion wasn&#8217;t moot when the court issued it in March, and it isn&#8217;t moot today, they argue. </p>
<p>Some MP3Skull domains were still actively using Cloudflare as recently as April, but Cloudflare failed to mention these.</p>
<p>&#8220;CloudFlare’s arguments to the contrary rely largely on misdirection, pointing to the status of domain names that expressly were not at issue in Plaintiffs’ motion,&#8221; the RIAA writes.</p>
<p>Even if all the domain names are no longer active on Cloudflare, the order should remain in place, the RIAA argues. The group points out that nothing is preventing the MP3Skull owners from relaunching the site and moving back to Cloudflare in the future. </p>
<p>&#8220;By its own admission, CloudFlare took no steps to prevent Defendants from using its services at any time. Given Defendants’ established practice of moving from domain to domain and from service to service throughout this case in contempt of this Court’s orders, Defendants could easily have resumed — and may tomorrow resume — their use of CloudFlare’s services.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition, the RIAA stressed that the present ruling doesn&#8217;t harm Cloudflare at all. Since there are no active MP3Skull domains using the service presently, it need take no action.</p>
<p>&#8220;The March 23 Order does not require CloudFlare to do anything. All that Order did was to clarify that Rule 65, and not Section 512(j) of the DMCA, applied,&#8221; the RIAA stresses.</p>
<p>While it seems pointless to spend hours of legal counsel on a site that is no longer active, it shows the importance of the court&#8217;s ruling and the wider site blocking implications it has. </p>
<p>The RIAA wants to keep the door open for similar requests in the future, and Cloudflare wants to avoid any liability for pirate sites. These looming legal consequences are the main reason why the CDN provider asked the court to vacate the order, the RIAA notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is evident that the only reason why CloudFlare wants the Court to vacate its March 23 Order is that it does not like the Court’s ruling on the purely legal issue of Rule 65(d)’s scope,&#8221; the RIAA writes.</p>
<p>It is now up to the court to decide how to move forward. A decision on Cloudflare&#8217;s request is expected to be issued during the weeks to come.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p>The RIAA’s full reply is <a href="media/6ed71af2.riaaresponse.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/riaaresponse.pdf">available here (pdf)</a>.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142929
title: Disney Ditching Netflix Keeps Piracy Relevant
uri: Disney-Ditching-Netflix-Keeps-Piracy-Relevant
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/UeH290gefcg/
content:
<p><img src="media/c11b076f.disney-pirate.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/disney-pirate.jpg" alt="" width="248" height="200" class="alignright size-full wp-image-95935">There is little doubt that, in the United States, Netflix has become the standard for watching movies on the Internet.</p>
<p>The subscription service is responsible for a third of all Internet traffic during peak hours, dwarfing that of online piracy and other legal video platforms.</p>
<p>It’s safe to assume that Netflix-type streaming services are among the best and most convenient alternative to piracy at this point. There is a problem though. The whole appeal of the streaming model becomes diluted when there are too many &#8216;Netflixes.&#8217;</p>
<p>Yesterday, Disney <a href="timehttps://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/08/disney-will-pull-its-movies-from-netflix-and-start-its-own-streaming-services.html">announced</a> that it will end its partnership with Netflix in 2019. The company is working on its own Disney-branded movie streaming platforms, where titles such as Frozen 2 and Toy Story 4 will end up in the future.</p>
<p>Disney titles are among the most-watched content on Netflix, and the company&#8217;s stock took a hit when the news came out. In a statement late yesterday, Disney CEO Bob noted that the company has a good relationship with Netflix but the companies will part ways at the end of next year.</p>
<p>At the moment no decision has been made on what happens to Lucasfilm and Marvel films, but these could find a new home as well. Marvel TV shows such as Jessica Jones and Luke Cage <a href="https://www.recode.net/2017/8/9/16116620/watch-disney-movies-leaving-netflix-streaming">will reportedly</a> stay at Netflix</p>
<p>Although Disney&#8217;s decision may be good for Disney, a lot of Netflix users are not going to be happy. It likely means that they need another streaming platform subscription to get what they want, which isn&#8217;t a very positive prospect. </p>
<p>In piracy discussions, Hollywood insiders often stress that people have no reason to pirate, as pretty much all titles are available online legally. What they don&#8217;t mention, however, is that users need access to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-users-need-27-services-to-get-most-popular-films-report-finds-141208/">a few dozen</a> paid services, to access them all. </p>
<p>In a way, this fragmentation is keeping the pirate ecosystems intact. While legal streaming services work just fine, having dozens of subscriptions is expensive, and not very practical. Especially not compared to pirate streaming sites, where everything can be accessed on the same site.</p>
<p>The music business has a better model, or had initially. Services such as Spotify allowed fans to access most popular music in one place, although that&#8217;s starting to crumble as well, due to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kanye-wests-the-life-of-pablo-piracy-160216/">exclusive deals and more fragmentation</a>.</p>
<p>Admittedly, for a no-name observer, it&#8217;s easy to criticize and point fingers. The TV and movie business is built on complicated licensing deals, where a single Netflix may not be able to generate enough revenue for an entire industry. </p>
<p>But there has to be a better way than simply adding more streaming platforms, one would think?</p>
<p>Instead of solely trying to stamp down on pirate sites, it might be a good idea to take a careful look at the supply side as well. At the moment, fragmentation is keeping pirate sites relevant. </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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142939
title: Man Leaks New ‘Power’ Episodes Online, Records His Own Face
uri: Man-Leaks-New-Power-Episodes-Online-Records-His-Own-Face
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/FSpy0GTmgvc/
content:
<p><a href="media/e32730b9.power.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/power.jpg"><img src="media/14ff890f.power.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/power.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="243" class="alignright size-full wp-image-142950"></a>With the whole world going crazy for Game of Thrones, another TV series has been turning some serious numbers. Produced by Curtis &#8220;50 Cent&#8221; Jackson, crime drama &#8216;Power&#8217; has been pulling in around eight million viewers per episode.</p>
<p>After premiering in June 2014, Power is now seven episodes into season four, which is set to reach its climax on August 27. But somewhat typically for the Internet these days, fans won&#8217;t necessarily have to wait another three weeks to find out what happens. During the past few hours, the final three episodes of &#8216;Power&#8217; leaked online.</p>
<p>While that&#8217;s something in itself, this leak is possibly the most bizarre to take place in the history of piracy. Having been tipped off that screener episodes were available online, TF went looking for evidence. We found it, but it wasn&#8217;t what we expected.</p>
<p>The leaks consist of the three episodes (one complete, the other two missing a few minutes) being played back on an iPhone. A white one. With a broken screen.</p>
<p><center><b>Power leaks: Broken iPhone edition</b><a href="media/a79a62f2.power4a.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/power4a.png"><img src="media/27791a6c.power4a.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/power4a.png" alt="" width="650" height="532" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-142951"></a></center></p>
<p>The off-center nature of the image above isn&#8217;t typical though and most of the time the main picture is both central and well-defined, with surprisingly clear audio. It&#8217;s certainly not going to win any prizes for quality but for the extremely impatient it offers some kind of relief.</p>
<p>The big question, of course, is how these episodes happened to find their way onto that battered iPhone in the first place. Incredibly, the videos themselves provide the answers, with the thoughtful &#8216;cammer&#8217; explaining in several voice-overs how he gained access to one of STARZ hottest properties.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is like the special, this is only for the people that work at STARZ that watch this shit. My man sent me the whole log-in shit. I had to pay that n******r though,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>The log-in referenced by the leaker appears to unlock press access to unreleased content on mediaroom.starz.com. That page has been taken down since, quite possibly due to the leak. Thanks to the video though, we can see how the portal looked on the leaker&#8217;s phone.</p>
<p><center><b>Unreleased &#8216;Power&#8217; episodes on the STARZ portal</b><a href="media/2515b664.power8a.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/power8a.png"><img src="media/0e0990ea.power8a.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/power8a.png" alt="" width="650" height="690" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-142952"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s the whole series bitch, but I can&#8217;t log out though, so I can&#8217;t send it to you. The man says don&#8217;t log out. So i&#8217;m gonna watch these last two episodes and then spoil it for y&#8217;all,&#8221; the &#8216;cammer&#8217; said over one of the episodes.</p>
<p>The original claim that theses were screener copies holds up. Throughout all three episodes, an occasional message appears across the bottom of the screen, declaring that the episodes are &#8220;for screening purposes only.&#8221;</p>
<p><center><b>Screener copies, for your eyes only</b><a href="media/f8291c2e.power5a.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/power5a.png"><img src="media/0a30bc04.power5a.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/power5a.png" alt="" width="650" height="556" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-142953"></a></center></p>
<p>If the whole situation isn&#8217;t bizarre enough so far, the episodes contain quite a bit of complaining from the &#8216;cammer&#8217;, mainly due to his arm aching from holding up the recording phone for such a long time.</p>
<p>Why he didn&#8217;t simply place it down on the table isn&#8217;t clear. He managed it with the playback phone, which is seen leaning against a large water container throughout, something the &#8216;cammer&#8217; believes is pretty badass.</p>
<p>&#8220;You see, I got my shit propped up like a G,&#8221; he said, placing the phone against the water bottle. &#8220;Next episode, definitely not holdin&#8217; this shit, so you n*****s gotta relax.&#8221;</p>
<p>If this whole scenario isn&#8217;t crazy enough, the &#8216;cammer&#8217; polishes off his virtuoso performance by turning the &#8216;cam&#8217; phone around and recording his own face for several seconds. To save his embarrassment we won&#8217;t publish an image here but needless to say, he is extremely easy to identify, as is his Facebook page, where the content seems to have first appeared.</p>
<p>While there&#8217;s clearly no criminal mastermind behind these leaks, dumping unreleased TV shows online can result in a hefty jail sentence, no matter how poorly it&#8217;s done. The gentleman involved should hope that STARZ and the FBI are prepared to see the funny side. Fingers crossed&#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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142973
title: Internet Archive Blocked in 2,650 Site Anti-Piracy Sweep
uri: Internet-Archive-Blocked-in-2-650-Site-Anti-Piracy-Sweep
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/M8kgqNSlV0U/
content:
<p><a href="media/c25c8471.internet-archive.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/internet-archive.png"><img src="media/9ca95c3b.internet-archive.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/internet-archive.png" alt="" width="200" height="172" class="alignright size-full wp-image-55299"></a>Reports of sites becoming mysteriously inaccessible in India have been a regular occurance over the past several years. In many cases, sites simply stop functioning, leaving users wondering whether sites are actually down or whether there&#8217;s a technical issue.</p>
<p>Due to their increasing prevalence, fingers are often pointed at so-called &#8216;John Doe&#8217; orders, which are handed down by the court to prevent Internet piracy. Often sweeping in nature (and in some cases pre-emptive rather than preventative), these injunctions have been known to block access to both file-sharing platforms and innocent bystanders.</p>
<p>Earlier this week (and again for no apparent reason), the world renowned <a href="https://archive.org/">Internet Archive</a> was rendered inaccessible to millions of users in India. The platform, which is considered by many to be one of the Internet&#8217;s most valued resources, hosts more than 15 petabytes of data, a figure which grows on a daily basis. Yet despite numerous requests for information, none was forthcoming from authorities.</p>
<p><center><b>The &#8216;blocked&#8217; message seen by users accessing Archive.org</b><a href="media/6e486e6d.archive-blocked.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/archive-blocked.png"><img src="media/ea785950.archive-blocked.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/archive-blocked.png" alt="" width="1413" height="297" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-142976"></a></center></p>
<p>Quoted by local news outlet <a href="https://www.medianama.com/2017/08/223-india-blocks-access-internet-archive-wayback-machine/">Medianama</a>, Chris Butler, Office Manager at the Internet Archive, said that their attempts to contact the Indian Department of Telecom (DoT) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) had proven fruitless.</p>
<p>Noting that site had previously been blocked in India, Butler said they were no clearer on the reasons why the same kind of action had seemingly been taken this week.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have no information about why a block would have been implemented,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Obviously, we are disappointed and concerned by this situation and are very eager to understand why it’s happening and see full access restored to archive.org.&#8221;</p>
<p>Now, however, the mystery has been solved. The <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40875528">BBC</a> says a local government agency provided a copy of a court order obtained by two Bollywood production companies who are attempting to slow down piracy of their films in India.</p>
<p>Issued by a local judge, the sweeping order compels local ISPs to block access to 2,650 mainly file-sharing websites, including The Pirate Bay, RARBG, the revived KickassTorrents, and hundreds of other &#8216;usual suspects&#8217;. However, it also includes the URL for the Internet Archive, hence the problems with accessibility this week. </p>
<p>The injunction, which appears to be another John Doe order as previously suspected, was granted by the High Court of the Judicature at Madras on August 2, 2017. Two film productions companies &#8211; Prakash Jah Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment &#8211; obtained the order to protect their films <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipstick_Under_My_Burkha">Lipstick Under My Burkha</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jab_Harry_Met_Sejal">Jab Harry Met Sejal</a>.</p>
<p>While India-based visitors to blocked resources are often greeted with a message saying that domains have been blocked at the orders of the Department of Telecommunications, these pages never give a reason why.</p>
<p>This always leads to confusion, with news outlets having to pressure local government agencies to discover the reason behind the blockades. In the interests of transparency, providing a link to a copy of a relevant court order would probably benefit all involved.</p>
<p>A few hours ago, the Internet Archive published a statement questioning the process undertaken before the court order was handed down.</p>
<p>&#8220;Is the Court aware of and did it consider the fact that the Internet Archive has a well-established and standard procedure for rights holders to submit take down requests and processes them expeditiously?&#8221; the platform said.</p>
<p>&#8220;We find several instances of take down requests submitted for one of the plaintiffs, Red Chillies Entertainments, throughout the past year, each of which were processed and responded to promptly.</p>
<p>&#8220;After a preliminary review, we find no instance of our having been contacted by anyone at all about these films. Is there a specific claim that someone posted these films to archive.org? If so, we’d be eager to address it directly with the claimant.&#8221;</p>
<p>But while the Internet Archive appears to be the highest profile collateral damage following the ISP blocks, it isn&#8217;t the only victim. Now that the court orders have become available (<a href="media/081b5b4e.Court20Order20JAB20HARRY20MET20SEJAL.pdf" data-original-source="https://ia801506.us.archive.org/27/items/HighCourtMadrasOrdertoBlock/Court%20Order%20JAB%20HARRY%20MET%20SEJAL.pdf">1</a>,<a href="media/e4d78f5a.Court20Order20Lipstick20Under20My20Burkha.pdf" data-original-source="https://ia601506.us.archive.org/27/items/HighCourtMadrasOrdertoBlock/Court%20Order%20Lipstick%20Under%20My%20Burkha.pdf">2</a>), it&#8217;s clear that other non-pirate entities have also been affected including news site WN.com, website hosting service Weebly, and French ISP Free.fr.</p>
<p>Also, in a sign that sites aren&#8217;t being checked to see if they host the movies in question, one of the orders demands that former torrent index BitSnoop is blocked. The site <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrent-site-bitsnoop-shuts-down-170331/">shut down</a> earlier this year. The same is true for <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/popular-release-group-shaanig-permanently-shuts-down-170612/">Shaanig.org</a>.</p>
<p>This is not the first time that the Internet Archive has been blocked in India. In 2014/2015, Archive.org was rendered inaccessible after it was accused of hosting extremist material. In common with Google, the site copies and stores huge amounts of data, much of it in automated processes. This can leave it exposed to these kinds of accusations.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142987
title: 72-Year-Old Man Accused of ‘Pirating’ Over a Thousand Torrents
uri: 72-Year-Old-Man-Accused-of-Pirating-Over-a-Thousand-Torrents
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/RpVEQzYxSxs/
content:
<p><img src="media/37efc713.oldpirate.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/oldpirate.jpg" alt="" width="160" height="175" class="alignright size-full wp-image-102818">In recent years, file-sharers around the world have been pressured to pay significant settlement fees, or face legal repercussions.</p>
<p>These so-called &#8216;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tag/copyright-trolls/">copyright trolling</a>&#8216; efforts are a common occurrence in the United States too, where hundreds of thousands of people have been targeted in recent years.</p>
<p>While a significant number of defendants are indeed guilty, there are also many that are wrongfully accused. Third-parties may have connected to their Wi-Fi, for example, which isn&#8217;t a rarity.</p>
<p>In Hawaii, a recent target of a copyright trolling expedition claims to be innocent, and he&#8217;s taken his case to the local press. The 72-year-old John J. Harding doesn&#8217;t fit the typical profile of a prolific pirate, but that&#8217;s exactly what a movie company has accused him of being.</p>
<p>In June, Harding received a letter from local attorney <a href="http://www.ppc-ip.com/wp/our-team/">Kerry Culpepper</a>, who works for the rightsholders of movies such as &#8216;Mechanic: Resurrection&#8217; and &#8216;Once Upon a Time in Venice.&#8217; </p>
<p>The letter accused the 72-year-old of downloading a movie and also listed over 1,000 other downloads that were tied to his IP-address. Harding was understandably shocked by the threat and says he never downloads anything.</p>
<p>“I&#8217;ve never illegally downloaded anything … or even legally! I use my computer for email, games, news and that&#8217;s about it,&#8221; Harding told <a href="http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/36083511/elderly-kailua-couple-says-they-are-being-wrongfully-accused-of-illegal-downloads">HawaiiNewsNow</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;I know definitely that I&#8217;m not guilty and my wife is not guilty. So what&#8217;s going on? Did somebody hack us? Is somebody out there actively hacking us? How they do that and go about doing that, I have no idea,&#8221; Harding added.</p>
<p>As is common in these cases, the copyright holder asked the Hawaii Federal Court for a subpoena, which ordered the associated Internet provider to hand over the personal details of the alleged infringers. The attorney then went on to send out settlement requests to the exposed users. </p>
<p>Harding received a letter offering an easy $3,900 settlement, which would increase to $4,900 if he failed to respond before August 7th. However, the elderly man wasn&#8217;t keen on taking the deal, describing the pay-up-or-else demand as &#8220;absolutely absurd.&#8221;</p>
<p>The attorney reiterated to the local newspaper that these are not idle threats. People risk $150,000 per illegal download, he stressed. That said, mistakes happen and people who feel that they are wrongfully accused should contact his office. </p>
<p>Culpepper explained it further with an analogy while adding a new dimension to the &#8216;you wouldn&#8217;t steal a car&#8217; <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/piracy-it-s-a-crime">meme</a> in the process.</p>
<p>“This is similar to a car stolen. If your car was stolen and your car hit someone or did some damage, initially the victim would look to see who was the owner of the car. You would probably tell them, someone stole my car. That time, that person would try to find the person who stole your car,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>The attorney says that they are not trying to bankrupt people. Their goal is to deter piracy. There are cases where they&#8217;ve accepted lower settlements or even a mere apology, he notes. </p>
<p>How the 72-year-old will respond in unknown, but judging for his tone he may be looking for an apology himself. Going to the press was probably a smart move, as rightsholders generally don&#8217;t like the PR that comes with this kind of story. </p>
<p>These cases are by no means unique though. While browsing through the court dockets of Culpepper&#8217;s recent cases we quickly stumbled upon a similar denial. This one comes from a Honolulu woman who&#8217;s accused of pirating &#8216;Mechanic: Resurrection.&#8217;  </p>
<p>&#8220;I have never downloaded the movie they are referencing and when I do download movies I use legal services such as Amazon, and Apple TV,&#8221; she wrote to the court, urging it to keep her personal information private. </p>
<p>&#8220;I do have frequent guests at our house often using the Internet. In the future I will request that nobody uses any file sharing on our Internet connection,&#8221; the letter added. </p>
<p>Unfortunately for her, the letter includes her full name and address, which means that she has effectively exposed herself. This likely means that she will soon receive a settlement request in the mail, just like Harding did, if she hasn&#8217;t already.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142967
title: Usenet Pirate Pays €4,800 ‘Fine’ After Being Exposed by Provider
uri: Usenet-Pirate-Pays-4-800-Fine-After-Being-Exposed-by-Provider
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/B9B6RMOtyvs/
content:
<p><img src="media/18851468.usenet.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/usenet.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="168" class="alignright size-full wp-image-119213">Dutch anti-piracy outfit BREIN has been very active over the past several years, targeting uploaders on various sharing sites and services.</p>
<p>They cast their net wide and have gone after torrent users, Facebook groups, YouTube pirates and Usenet uploaders as well.</p>
<p>To pinpoint the latter group, BREIN contacts Usenet providers asking them to reveal the identity of a suspected user. This is also what happened in a case involving a former customer of <a href="https://www.eweka.nl/en/home/">Eweka</a>.</p>
<p>The person in question, known under the alias ‘Badfan69,’ was accused of uploading 9,538 infringing works to Usenet, mostly older titles. After Eweka handed over his home address, BREIN reached out to him and negotiated a settlement. </p>
<p>The 44-year-old man has now agreed to pay a <a href="https://stichtingbrein.nl/nieuws.php?id=467">settlement of €4,800</a>. If he continues to upload infringing content he will face an additional penalty of €2,000 per day, to a maximum of €50,000.</p>
<p>The case is an important victory for BREIN, not just because of the money.</p>
<p>When the anti-piracy group reached out to Usenet provider Eweka, the company initially refused to hand over any personal details. The Usenet provider argued that it’s a neutral intermediary that would rather not perform the role of piracy police. Instead, it wanted the court to decide whether the request was legitimate.</p>
<p>This resulted in a legal dispute where, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/usenet-provider-has-to-identify-pirates-court-rules-170609/">earlier this year</a>, a local court sided with BREIN. The Court stressed that in these type of copyright infringement cases, the Usenet provider is required to hand over the requested details.</p>
<p>Under Dutch law, ISPs can be obliged to hand over the personal details of their customers if the infringing activity is plausible and the damaged party has a legitimate interest. Importantly, the legal case clarified that this generally doesn&#8217;t require an intervention from the court. </p>
<p>&#8220;Providers must decide on a motivated request for the handover of a user&#8217;s address, based on their own consideration. A refusal to provide the information must be motivated, otherwise, it will be illegal and the provider will be charged for the costs,&#8221; BREIN notes. </p>
<p>While these Usenet cases are relatively rare, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/brein-threatens-pirates-with-high-fines-warns-vpn-users-160314/">BREIN</a> and other parties in the Netherlands, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dutch-film-distributor-to-target-bittorrent-users-for-cash-fines-170802/">such as Dutch Filmworks</a>, are also planning to go after large groups of torrent users. With the Usenet decision in hand, BREIN may want to argue that regular ISPs must also expose pirating users, without an intervention of the court. </p>
<p>This is not going to happen easily though. Several ISPs, most prominently Ziggo, announced that they would not voluntarily cooperate and are likely to fight out these requests in court to get a solid &#8216;torrent&#8217; precedent. </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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143034
title: DMCA Used to Remove Ad Server URL From Easylist Ad Blocklist
uri: DMCA-Used-to-Remove-Ad-Server-URL-From-Easylist-Ad-Blocklist
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/SpoQWBRB91Q/
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="" width="225" height="151" class="alignright size-full wp-image-120567"></a>The default business model on the Internet is &#8220;free&#8221; for consumers. Users largely expect websites to load without paying a dime but of course, there&#8217;s no such thing as a free lunch. To this end, millions of websites are funded by advertising revenue.</p>
<p>Sensible sites ensure that any advertising displayed is unobtrusive to the visitor but lots seem to think that bombarding users with endless ads, popups, and other hindrances is the best way to do business. As a result, ad blockers are now deployed by millions of people online.</p>
<p>In order to function, ad-blocking tools &#8211; such as uBlock Origin or Adblock &#8211; utilize lists of advertising domains compiled by third parties. One of the most popular is <a href="https://easylist.to/">Easylist</a>, which is distributed by authors fanboy, MonztA, Famlam, and Khrinunder, under dual Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike and GNU General Public Licenses.</p>
<p>With the freedom afforded by those licenses, copyright tends not to figure high on the agenda for Easylist. However, a legal problem that has just raised its head is causing serious concern among those in the ad-blocking community.</p>
<p>Two days ago a somewhat <a href="https://github.com/easylist/easylist/commit/a4d380ad1a3b33a0fab679a1a8c5a791321622b3">unusual commit</a> appeared in the Easylist repo on Github. As shown in the image below, a domain URL previously added to Easylist had been removed following a DMCA takedown notice filed with Github.</p>
<p><center><b>Domain text taken down by DMCA?</b><a href="media/ed026e73.easylist-commit.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/easylist-commit.png"><img src="media/d16fdb06.easylist-commit.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/easylist-commit.png" alt="" width="632" height="643" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143041"></a></center></p>
<p>The DMCA notice in question has not yet been published but it&#8217;s clear that it targets the domain &#8216;functionalclam.com&#8217;. A user called &#8216;ameshkov&#8217; helpfully points out <a href="https://github.com/easylist/easylist/commit/1ba8d4afeec6d562a5871fc7504c756e4b2bd5bc#commitcomment-23157626">a post</a> by a new Github user called &#8216;DMCAHelper&#8217; which coincided with the start of the takedown process more than three weeks ago.</p>
<p><center><b>A domain in a list circumvents copyright controls?</b><a href="media/aa3541c2.easylist-dmcahelper.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/easylist-dmcahelper.png"><img src="media/3b9ec8c8.easylist-dmcahelper.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/easylist-dmcahelper.png" alt="" width="917" height="244" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143043"></a></center></p>
<p>Aside from the curious claims of a URL &#8220;circumventing copyright access controls&#8221; (domains themselves cannot be copyrighted), the big questions are (i) who filed the complaint and (ii) who operates Functionalclam.com? The domain WHOIS is hidden but according to a <a href="https://github.com/easylist/easylist/commit/a4d380ad1a3b33a0fab679a1a8c5a791321622b3#commitcomment-23587399">helpful sleuth</a> on Github, it&#8217;s operated by anti ad-blocking company <a href="https://getadmiral.com/">Admiral</a>.</p>
<p><center><b>Ad-blocking means money down the drain&#8230;.</b><a href="media/559353f5.admiral.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/admiral.png"><img src="media/0e39bd16.admiral.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/admiral.png" alt="" width="897" height="552" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143046"></a></center></p>
<p>If that is indeed the case, we have the intriguing prospect of a startup attempting to protect its business model by using a novel interpretation of copyright law to have a domain name removed from a list. How this will pan out is unclear but a notice recently published on Functionalclam.com suggests the route the company wishes to take.</p>
<p>&#8220;This domain is used by digital publishers to control access to copyrighted content in accordance with the Digital Millenium Copyright Act and understand how visitors are accessing their copyrighted content,&#8221; the <a href="http://functionalclam.com/">notice</a> begins.</p>
<p>Combined with the comments by DMCAHelper on Github, this statement suggests that the complainants believe that interference with the ad display process (ads themselves could be the &#8220;copyrighted content&#8221; in question) represents a breach of <a href="https://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap12.html">section 1201</a> of the DMCA.</p>
<p>If it does, that could have huge consequences for online advertising but we will need to see the original DMCA notice to have a clearer idea of what this is all about. Thus far, Github hasn&#8217;t published it but already interest is growing. A representative from the EFF has already contacted the Easylist team, so this battle could heat up pretty quickly.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143020
title: Piracy Narrative Isn’t About Ethics Anymore, It’s About “Danger”
uri: 2017-08-12-
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/g9AjDd420Hk/
content:
<p><a href="media/9ef6a551.warning.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/warning.png"><img src="media/40fc3a89.warning.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/warning.png" alt="" width="250" height="213" class="alignright size-full wp-image-109065"></a>Over the years there have been almost endless attempts to stop people from accessing copyright-infringing  content online. Campaigns have come and gone and almost two decades later the battle is still ongoing.</p>
<p>Early on, when panic enveloped the music industry, the campaigns centered around people getting sued. Grabbing music online for free could be costly, the industry warned, while parading the heads of a few victims on pikes for the world to see.</p>
<p>Periodically, however, the aim has been to appeal to the public&#8217;s better nature. The idea is that people essentially want to do the &#8216;right thing&#8217;, so once they understand that largely hard-working Americans are losing their livelihoods, people will stop downloading from The Pirate Bay. For some, this probably had the desired effect but millions of people are still getting their fixes for free, so the job isn&#8217;t finished yet.</p>
<p>In more recent years, notably since the MPAA and RIAA had their eyes blacked in the wake of SOPA, the tone has shifted. In addition to educating the public, torrent and streaming sites are increasingly being painted as enemies of the public they claim to serve.</p>
<p>Several <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/digital-citizens-slam-cloudflare-for-enabling-piracy-malware-160722/">studies</a>, largely carried out on behalf of the Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA), have claimed that pirate sites are hotbeds of malware, baiting consumers in with tasty pirate booty only to offload trojans, viruses, and God-knows-what. These reports have been ostensibly published as independent public interest documents but this week an advisor to the DCA suggested a deeper interest for the industry.</p>
<p>Hemanshu Nigam is a former federal prosecutor, ex-Chief Security Officer for News Corp and Fox Interactive Media, and former VP Worldwide Internet Enforcement at the MPAA. In an interview with <a href="http://deadline.com/2017/08/hackers-pirate-sites-sordid-extortion-schemes-1202144621/">Deadline</a> this week, he spoke about alleged links between pirate sites and malware distributors. He also indicated that warning people about the dangers of pirate sites has become Hollywood&#8217;s latest anti-piracy strategy.</p>
<p>“The industry narrative has changed. When I was at the MPAA, we would tell people that stealing content is wrong and young people would say, yeah, whatever, you guys make a lot of money, too bad,” he told the publication.</p>
<p>“It has gone from an ethical discussion to a dangerous one. Now, your parents’ bank account can be raided, your teenage daughter can be spied on in her bedroom and extorted with the footage, or your computer can be locked up along with everything in it and held for ransom.”</p>
<p>Nigam&#8217;s stance isn&#8217;t really a surprise since he&#8217;s currently working for the Digital Citizens Alliance as an advisor. In turn, the Alliance is at least partly financed by the MPAA. There&#8217;s no suggestion whatsoever that Nigam is involved in any propaganda effort, but recent signs suggest that the DCA&#8217;s work in malware awareness is more about directing people away from pirate sites than protecting them from the alleged dangers within.</p>
<p>That being said and despite the bias, it&#8217;s still worth giving experts like Nigam an opportunity to speak. Largely thanks to industry efforts with brands, pirate sites are increasingly being forced to display lower-tier ads, which can be problematic. On top, some sites&#8217; policies mean they don&#8217;t deserve <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/some-pirate-sites-have-little-respect-for-their-users-160124/">any visitors at all</a>.</p>
<p>In the Deadline piece, however, Nigam alleges that hackers have previously reached out to pirate websites offering $200 to $5000 per day &#8220;depending on the size of the pirate website&#8221; to have the site infect users with malware. If true, that&#8217;s a serious situation and people who would ordinarily use &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites would definitely appreciate the details.</p>
<p>For example, to which sites did hackers make this offer and, crucially, which sites turned down the offer and which ones accepted?</p>
<p>It&#8217;s important to remember that pirates are just another type of consumer and they would boycott sites in a heartbeat if they discovered they&#8217;d been paid to infect them with malware. But, as usual, the claims are extremely light in detail. Instead, there&#8217;s simply a blanket warning to stay away from all unauthorized sites, which isn&#8217;t particularly helpful.</p>
<p>In some cases, of course, operational security will prevent some details coming to light but without these, people who don&#8217;t get infected on a &#8216;pirate&#8217; site (the vast majority) simply won&#8217;t believe the allegations. As the author of the Deadline piece pointed out, it&#8217;s a bit like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reefer_Madness"><em>Reefer Madness</em></a> all over again.</p>
<p>The point here is that without hard independent evidence to back up these claims, with reports listing sites alongside the malware they&#8217;ve supposed to have spread and when, few people will respond to perceived scaremongering. Free content trumps a few distant worries almost every time, whether that involves malware or the threat of a lawsuit.</p>
<p>It&#8217;ll be up to the DCA and their MPAA paymasters to consider whether the approach is working but thus far, not even having government heavyweights on board has helped. </p>
<p>Earlier this year the DCA launched a video campaign, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hackers-use-pirate-sites-to-ruin-your-life-state-attorneys-general-warn-170727/">enrolling 15 attorney generals</a> to publish their own anti-piracy PSAs on YouTube. Thus far, interest has been minimal, to say the least.</p>
<p>At the time of writing the 15 PSAs have 3,986 views in total, with 2,441 of those contributed by a single video contributed by Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel. Despite the relative success, even that got slammed with 2 upvotes and 127 downvotes.</p>
<p>A few of the other videos have a couple of hundred views each but more than half have less than 70. Perhaps most worryingly for the DCA, apart from the Schimel PSA, none have any upvotes at all, only down. It&#8217;s unclear who the viewers were but it seems reasonable to conclude they weren&#8217;t entertained.</p>
<p>The bottom line is nobody likes malware or having their banking details stolen but yet again, people who claim to have the public interest at heart aren&#8217;t actually making a difference on the ground. It could be argued that groups advocating online safety should be publishing guides on how to stay protected on the Internet period, not merely advising people to stay away from certain sites.</p>
<p>But of course, that wouldn&#8217;t achieve the goals of the <strike>MPAA</strike> Digital Citizens Alliance.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142693
title: Popcorn Time Devs Help Streaming Aggregator Reelgood to ‘Fix Piracy’
uri: 2017-08-13-
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/BqCvJoikVZw/
content:
<p><img src="media/0c0ab1ae.reelgood-e1502113245809.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/reelgood-e1502113245809.png" alt="" width="233" height="233" class="alignright size-full wp-image-142863">During the fall of 2015, the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-we-shut-down-ytsyify-and-popcorn-time-151103/">MPAA shut down</a> one of the most prominent pirate streaming services, Popcorn Time fork PopcornTime.io.</p>
<p>While the service was found to be clearly infringing, many of the developers didn&#8217;t set out to break the law. Most of all, they wanted to provide the public with easy access to their favorite movies and TV-shows. </p>
<p>Fast forward nearly two years and several of these Popcorn Time developers are still on the same quest. The main difference is that they now operate on the safe side of the law. </p>
<p>The startup they&#8217;re working with is called <a href="https://reelgood.com/">Reelgood</a>, which can be best described as a streaming service aggregator. The San-Francisco based company, founded by ex-Facebook employee David Sanderson, recently raised $3.5 million and has opened its doors to the public. </p>
<p>The goal of Reelgood is similar to Popcorn Time in the way that it aims to be the go-to tool for people to access their entertainment. Instead of using pirate sources, however, Reelgood stitches together content from various legal platforms, both paid and free.</p>
<p><center><strong>Reelgood</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/b6d6c1c3.Reelgood-Home.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Reelgood-Home.jpg"><img src="media/1723485b.Reelgood-Home.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Reelgood-Home.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="375" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-142865"></a></center></p>
<p>TorrentFreak spoke to former Popcorn Time developer Luigi Poole, who&#8217;s leading the charge on the development of Reelgood&#8217;s web app. He stresses that the increasing fragmentation of streaming services, which drives some people to pirate sites, is one of the problems Reelgood hopes to fix.</p>
<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a misconception that torrenting is done by bad people who don&#8217;t want to pay for content. I&#8217;d say, in the vast majority of cases, torrenting is a symptom of the massive fragmentation that&#8217;s been given as the only legal option to the consumer,&#8221; Poole says.</p>
<p>While people have many reasons to pirate, some stick to unauthorized services because it&#8217;s simply too cumbersome to dig through all the legal options. Pirate sites have a single interface to all popular movies and TV-shows and legal platforms don&#8217;t.</p>
<p>&#8220;The modern TV/movie ecosystem is made up of an increasing number of different services. This makes finding content like changing channels, only more complicated. Is that movie you&#8217;re about to buy or rent on a service you already pay for? Right now there&#8217;s no way to do this other than a cumbersome search using each service&#8217;s individual search. Time to go digging,&#8221; Poole says. </p>
<p>&#8220;We believe this is the main reason people torrent — it&#8217;s just easier, given that the legal options presented to us are essentially a &#8216;go fetch&#8217; treasure hunt,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p><img src="media/2448aa14.Reelgood-Where-to-watch-anything.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Reelgood-Where-to-watch-anything.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="341" class="alignright size-full wp-image-142866">Flipping that channel on an old school television often beats the online streaming experience. That is, for those who want more than Netflix alone. </p>
<p>And the problem isn&#8217;t going away anytime soon. As we reported earlier this week, there&#8217;s a trend towards more fragmentation, instead of less. Disney is pulling some of its most popular content from the US Netflix in 2019, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/disney-ditching-netflix-keeps-piracy-relevant-170809/">keeping piracy relevant</a>. </p>
<p>&#8220;The untold story is that consumers are throwing up their hands with all this fragmentation, and turning to torrenting not because it&#8217;s free, but because it&#8217;s intuitive and easy,&#8221; Poole says. </p>
<p>&#8220;Reelgood fixes this problem by acting as a pirate site interface for every legal option, sort of like a TV guide to anything streaming, also giving you notifications anytime something is new, letting you track when certain content becomes available, and not only telling you where it&#8217;s available but taking you straight there with one click to play.&#8221;</p>
<p>Reelgood can be seen as a defragmentation tool, creating a uniform interface for all the legal platforms people have access to. In addition to paid services such as Netflix and HBO, it also lists free content from Fox, CBS, Crackle, and many other providers.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak took it for a spin and it indeed works as advertised. Simply add your streaming service accounts and all will be bundled into an elegant and uniform interface that allows you to watch and track everything with a single click.</p>
<p>The service is still limited to US libraries but there are already plans to expand it to other countries, which is promising. While it may not eradicate piracy anytime soon, it does a good job of trying to organize the increasingly complex streaming landscape. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, it&#8217;s still not cheap to use more than a handful of paid services, but that&#8217;s a problem even <a href="https://reelgood.com/">Reelgood</a> can&#8217;t fix. Not even with help from seven former Popcorn Time developers.  </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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143002
title: Controlling Millions of Potential Internet Pirates Won’t Be Easy
uri: Controlling-Millions-of-Potential-Internet-Pirates-Won-t-Be-Easy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/JLnNjlMOB0M/
content:
<p><a href="media/2515b664.power8a.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/power8a.png"><img src="media/0e0990ea.power8a.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/power8a.png" alt="" width="250" height="290" class="alignright size-full wp-image-142952"></a>For several decades the basic shape of the piracy market hasn&#8217;t changed much. At the top of the chain there has always been a <em>relatively</em> small number of suppliers. At the bottom, the sprawling masses keen to consume whatever content these suppliers make available, while sharing it with everyone else.</p>
<p>This model held in the days of tapes and CDs and transferred nicely to the P2P file-sharing era. For nearly two decades people have been waiting for those with the latest content to dump it onto file-sharing networks. After grabbing it for themselves, people share that content with others.</p>
<p>For many years, the majority of the latest music, movies, and TV shows appeared online having been obtained by, and then leaked from, &#8216;The Scene&#8217;. However, with the rise of BitTorrent and an increase in computer skills demonstrated by the public, so-called &#8216;P2P release groups&#8217; began flexing their muscles, in some cases <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-releasers-slice-the-top-off-movie-piracy-pyramid-100727/">slicing the top of the piracy pyramid</a>.</p>
<p>With lower barriers to entry, P2P releasers can be almost anyone who happens to stumble across some new content. That being said, people still need the skill to package up that content and make it visible online, on torrent sites for example, without getting caught.</p>
<p>For most people that&#8217;s prohibitively complex, so it&#8217;s no surprise that Average Joe, perhaps comforted by the air of legitimacy, has taken to uploading music and movies to sites like YouTube instead. These days that&#8217;s nothing out of the ordinary and perhaps a little boring by piracy standards, but people still have the capacity to surprise.</p>
<p>This week a man from the United States, without a care in the world, obtained a login for a STARZ press portal, accessed the final three episodes of &#8216;Power&#8217;, and then streamed them on Facebook using nothing but a phone and an Internet connection.</p>
<p>From the beginning, the whole thing was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/man-leaks-new-power-episodes-online-records-his-own-face-170809/">ridiculous, comical even</a>. The man in question, whose name and personal details TF obtained in a matter of minutes, revealed how he got the logins and even recorded his own face during one of the uploaded videos.</p>
<p>He really, <em>really</em> couldn&#8217;t have cared any less but he definitely should have. After news broke of the leaks, STARZ went public confirming the breach and promising to do something about it.</p>
<p>“The final three episodes of Power’s fourth season were leaked online due to a breach of the press screening room,” Starz said in a statement. “Starz has begun forensic investigations and will take legal action against the responsible parties.”</p>
<p>At this point, we should consider the magnitude of what this guy did. While we all laugh at his useless camera skills, the fact remains that he unlawfully distributed copyright works online, in advance of their commercial release. In the United States, that is a criminal offense, one that can result in a prison sentence of several years.</p>
<p>It would be really sad if the guy in question was made an example of since his videos suggest he hadn&#8217;t considered the consequences. After all, this wasn&#8217;t some hi-tech piracy group, just a regular guy with a login and a phone, and intent always counts for something.  Nevertheless, the situation this week nicely highlights how new technology affects piracy.</p>
<p>In the past, the process of putting an unreleased movie or TV show online could only be tackled by people with expertise in several areas. These days a similar effect is possible with almost no skill and no effort. Joe Public, pre-release TV/movie/sports pirate, using nothing but a phone, a Facebook account, and an urge?</p>
<p>That&#8217;s the reality today and we won&#8217;t have to wait too long for a large scale demonstration of what can happen when millions of people with access to these ubiquitous tools have an urge to share.</p>
<p>In a little over two weeks&#8217; time, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr fights UFC lightweight champion, Conor McGregor. It&#8217;s set to be the richest combat sports event in history, not to mention one of the most expensive for PPV buyers. That means it&#8217;s going to be pirated to hell and back, in every way possible. It&#8217;s going to be massive.</p>
<p>Of course, there will be high-quality paid IPTV productions available, more grainy &#8216;Kodi&#8217; streams, hundreds of web portals, and even some streaming torrents, for those that way inclined. But there will also be Average Joes in their hundreds, who will point their phones at Showtime&#8217;s PPV with the intent of live streaming the biggest show on earth to their friends, family, and the Internet. For free.</p>
<p>Quite how this will be combatted remains to be seen but it&#8217;s fair to say that this is a problem that&#8217;s only going to get bigger. In ten years time &#8211; in five years time &#8211; many millions of people will have the ability to become pirate releasers on a whim, despite knowing nothing about the occupation.</p>
<p>Like &#8216;Power&#8217; guy, the majority won&#8217;t be very good at it. Equally, some will turn it into an art form. But whatever happens, tackling millions of potential pirates definitely won&#8217;t be easy for copyright holders. Twenty years in, it seems the battle for control has only just begun.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142860
title: MPAA Revenue Stabilizes, Chris Dodd Earns $3.5 Million
uri: MPAA-Revenue-Stabilizes-Chris-Dodd-Earns-3-5-Million
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/oxZ4YZyXi5o/
content:
<p><img src="media/6631a012.dodd.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dodd.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="262" class="alignright size-full wp-image-123951">Protecting the interests of Hollywood, the MPAA has been heavily involved in numerous anti-piracy efforts around the world in recent years.</p>
<p>Through its involvement in the shutdowns of Popcorn Time, YIFY, isoHunt, Hotfile, Megaupload and several other platforms, the MPAA has worked hard to target piracy around the globe. </p>
<p>Perhaps just as importantly, the group lobbies lawmakers globally while managing anti-piracy campaigns both in and outside the US, including the <a href="http://www.creativecontentuk.org/">Creative Content UK</a> program.</p>
<p>All this work doesn&#8217;t come for free, obviously, so the MPAA relies on six major movie studios for financial support. After its revenues <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-budget-cut-in-half-are-they-dying-120825/">plummeted</a> a few years ago, they have steadily recovered and according to its latest tax filing, the MPAA&#8217;s total income is now over $72 million. </p>
<p>The IRS filing, covering the fiscal year 2015, reveals that the movie studios contributed $65 million, the same as a year earlier. Overall revenue has stabilized as well, after a few years of modest growth.</p>
<p>Going over the numbers, we see that salaries make up a large chunk of the expenses. Former Senator Chris Dodd, the MPAA&#8217;s Chairman and CEO, is the highest paid employee with a total income of more than $3.5 million, including a $250,000 bonus. </p>
<p>It was recently announced that Dodd will <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-dodd-mpaa-exit-20170428-story.html">leave the MPAA next month</a>. He will be replaced by Charles Rivkin, another political heavyweight. Rivkin previously served as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs in the Obama administration.</p>
<p>In addition to Dodd, there are two other employees who made over a million in 2015, Global General Counsel Steve Fabrizio and Diane Strahan, the MPAA&#8217;s Chief Operating Officer.</p>
<p>Looking at some of the other expenses we see that the MPAA’s lobbying budget remained stable at $4.2 million. Another $4.4 million went to various grants, while legal costs totaled $7.2 million that year.</p>
<p>More than two million dollars worth of legal expenses were paid to the US law firm Jenner &#038; Block, which represented the movie studios in various court cases. In addition, the MPAA paid more than $800,000 to the UK law firm Wiggin, which assisted the group in local site-blocking efforts.</p>
<p>Finally, it&#8217;s worth looking at the various gifts and grants the MPAA hands out. As <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-invests-millions-in-academic-piracy-research-160514/">reported last year</a>, the group handsomely contributes to various research projects. This includes a recurring million dollar grant for Carnegie Mellon’s &#8216;Initiative for Digital Entertainment Analytics&#8217; (<a href="http://idea.heinz.cmu.edu/">IDEA</a>), which researches various piracy related topics.</p>
<p>IDEA co-director Rahul Telang previously informed us that the gift is used to hire researchers and pay for research materials. It is not tied to a particular project.</p>
<p>We also see $70,000+ in donations for both the Democratic and Republican Attorneys General associations. The purpose of the grants is listed as “general support.” Interestingly, just recently over a dozen Attorneys General released a public service announcement <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hackers-use-pirate-sites-to-ruin-your-life-state-attorneys-general-warn-170727/">warning the public</a> to stay away from pirate sites.</p>
<p>These type of donations and grants are nothing new and are a regular part of business across many industries. Still, they are worth keeping in mind.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see which direction the MPAA takes in the years to come. Under Chris Dodd it has booked a few notable successes, but there is still a long way to go before the piracy situation is somewhat under control. </p>
<p>&#8212;<br>
<em><br>
MPAA&#8217;s full form 990 was published in Guidestar recently and a copy is available <a href="media/920b66bd.2015-MPAA.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/2015-MPAA.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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143097
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 08/14/17
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-08-14-17
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ns4LyTOoIk8/
content:
<p><img src="media/c23f632a.guardians2.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/guardians2.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="186" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143098">This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 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>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-bittorrent-080817/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3896198/">Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3896198/?">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duGqrYw4usE">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mummy-2017-torrent-downloads/">The Mummy 2017</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2345759/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzorZUuZqEI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972591/">King Arthur: Legend of the Sword</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972591/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rbPTQIdjmY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2250912/">Spider-Man: Homecoming</a> (HDTS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2250912/">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0D3AOldjMU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/boss-baby-torrent-downloads/">The Boss Baby</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3874544/">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tquIfapGVqs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/wonder-woman-torrent-downloads/">Wonder Woman</a> (Subbed HDrip)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279/">8.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8fG0TtVAY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316204/">Alien Covenant</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316204/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svnAD0TApb8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218696/">The Wall</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218696/">6.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyCuUr2_hmA">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/">Ghost In the Shell</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4VmJcZR0Yg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3469046/">Despicable Me 3</a> (HDTS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3469046/">6.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euz-KBBfAAo">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143091
title: New Premier League Blocking Disrupts Pirate IPTV Providers
uri: New-Premier-League-Blocking-Disrupts-Pirate-IPTV-Providers
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/IFyGj5ktPT8/
content:
<p><a href="media/43cda600.premierleague.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/premierleague.jpg"><img src="media/7be95e09.premierleague.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/premierleague.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="199" class="alignright size-full wp-image-116272"></a>Top tier football in the UK is handled by the English Premier League (EPL) and broadcasting partners Sky and BT Sport. All face considerable problems with Internet piracy, through free web or Kodi-based streaming and premium IPTV feeds.</p>
<p>To mitigate the threat, earlier this year the Premier League obtained a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-obtains-intriguing-injunction-to-tackle-pirate-streams-170309/">unique High Court injunction</a> which required ISPs such as Sky, BT, and Virgin to block &#8216;pirate&#8217; football streams in real-time.</p>
<p>Although the success of the program was initially <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/iptv-providers-counter-premier-league-piracy-blocks-170520/">up for debate</a>, the EPL reported it was able to block 5,000 server IP addresses that were streaming its content. When that temporary injunction ran out, the EPL went back to court for a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-wins-new-stream-blocking-injunction-to-fight-piracy-170727/">new one</a>, valid for the season that began this past weekend. There are signs the EPL may have upped its game.</p>
<p>As soon as the matches began on Saturday, issues were reported at several of the more prominent IPTV providers. Within minutes of the match streams going live, subscribers to affected services were met with black screens, causing anger and frustration. While some clearly knew that action was on the cards, relatively few had an effective plan in place.</p>
<p>One provider, which targets subscribers in the UK, scrambled to obtain new domain names, thinking that the existing domains had been placed on some kind of Premier League blacklist. While that may have indeed been the case, making a service more obscure in that sense was never going to outwit the systems deployed by the anti-piracy outfits involved.</p>
<p>Indeed, the provider in question was subjected to much chaos over both Saturday and Sunday, since it&#8217;s clear that large numbers of subscribers had absolutely no idea what was going on. Even if they understood that the EPL was blocking, the change of domain flat-footed the rest. The subsequent customer service chaos was not a pretty sight but would&#8217;ve been a pleasure for the EPL to behold.</p>
<p>An interesting side effect of this EPL action is that even if IPTV subscribers don&#8217;t care about football, many were affected this past weekend anyway.</p>
<p>TF is aware of at least three services (there are probably many more) that couldn&#8217;t service their UK customers with any other channels whatsoever while the Premier League games were being aired. This suggests that the IP addresses hit by the EPL and blocked by local ISPs belonged to the same servers carrying the rest of the content offered by the IPTV providers.</p>
<p>When the High Court handed down its original injunction it accepted that some non-Premier League content could be blocked at the same time but since that &#8220;consists almost exclusively of [infringing] commercial broadcast content such as other sports, films, and television programs,&#8221; there was little concern over collateral damage.</p>
<p>So the big question now is what can IPTV providers and/or subscribers do to tackle the threat?</p>
<p>The first interesting thing to note is not all of the big providers were affected this past weekend, so for many customers the matches passed by as normal. It isn&#8217;t clear whether EPL simply didn&#8217;t have all of the providers on the list or whether steps were taken to mitigate the threat, but that was certainly the case in a handful of cases.</p>
<p>Information passed to TF shows that at least a small number of providers were not only waiting for the EPL action but actually had a backup plan in place. This appears to have resulted in a minimum of disruption for their customers, something that will prove of interest to the many frustrated subscribers looking for a new service this morning.</p>
<p>While the past few days have been somewhat chaotic, other issues have been muddying the waters somewhat.</p>
<p>TF has learned that at least two, maybe three suppliers, were subjected to DDoS attacks around the time the matches were due to air. It seems unlikely that the EPL has been given permission to carry out such an attack but since the High Court injunction is secret in every way that describes its anti-piracy methods, that will remain a suspicion. In the meantime, rival IPTV services remain possible suspects. </p>
<p>Also, a major IPTV stream &#8216;wholesaler&#8217; is reported to have had technical issues on Saturday, which affected its ability to serve lower-tier providers. Whether that was also linked to the Premier League action is unknown and TF couldn&#8217;t find any source willing to talk about the provider in any detail.</p>
<p>So, sports fans who rely on IPTV for their fix are wondering how things will pan out later this week. If this last weekend is anything to go by, disruption is guaranteed, but it will be less of a surprise given the problems of the last few days. While some don&#8217;t foresee huge problems, several providers are already advising customers that VPNs will be necessary.</p>
<p><center><b>An IPTV provider suggesting the use of VPNs</b><a href="media/9cb47339.epl-problems-iptv.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/epl-problems-iptv.png"><img src="media/0659145c.epl-problems-iptv.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/epl-problems-iptv.png" alt="" width="914" height="627" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143101"></a></center></p>
<p>While a VPN will indeed solve the problem in most cases, for many subscribers that will amount to an additional expense, not to mention more time spent learning about VPNs, what they can do, and how they can be setup on the hardware they&#8217;re using for IPTV.</p>
<p>For users on Android devices running IPTV apps or Kodi-type setups, VPNs are both easy to install and use. However, Mag Box STB users cannot run a VPN directly on the device, meaning that they&#8217;ll need either a home router that can run a VPN or a smaller &#8216;travel&#8217; type router with OpenVPN capabilities to use as a go-between.</p>
<p>Either way, costs are beginning to creep up, if IPTV providers can&#8217;t deal with the EPL&#8217;s blocking efforts. That makes the new <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/sky-vs-bt-vs-now-tv-cheapest-ways-watch-2017-18-premier-league/">cheaper football packages</a> offered by various providers that little bit more attractive. But that was probably the plan all along.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143102
title: Curb Your Enthusiasm on Those HBO Leaks
uri: Curb-Your-Enthusiasm-on-Those-HBO-Leaks
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/QSw29E8YUw8/
content:
<p><img src="media/21578873.hbo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hbo.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-104564">Late July, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hbo-got-hacked-game-of-thrones-spoilers-surface-online-170801/">news broke</a> that a hacker, or hackers, had compromised the network of the American cable and television network HBO.</p>
<p>Those responsible contacted reporters, informing them about the prominent breach, and leaked files surfaced on the dedicated website Winter-leak.com.</p>
<p>The website wasn&#8217;t around for long, but last week the hackers reached out to the press again with a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hackers-leak-more-confidential-game-of-thrones-files-170808/">curated batch</a> of new leaks shared through Mega.nz. Among other things, it contained more Game of Thrones spoilers, marketing plans, and other confidential HBO files.</p>
<p>Fast forward another week and there&#8217;s yet another freshly curated batch of leaks. This time it includes episodes of the highly anticipated return of &#8216;Curb Your Enthusiasm,&#8217; which officially airs in October, as well as episodes from “Barry,” &#8220;Insecure&#8221; and “The Deuce,” <a href="https://apnews.com/cac6b441acc540d5962def9881c79a3d/No-'Game-of-Thrones'-in-latest-HBO-hacker-leak">AP</a> reports.</p>
<p>These shows are part of the treasure trove of 1.5 terabytes that was taken from HBO. These and several other titles were already teased last week in a screenshot the hackers released to the press. </p>
<p><center><img src="media/e779c7a3.leakseries.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/leakseries.png" alt="" width="588" height="386" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143113"></center></p>
<p>There&#8217;s no reason to doubt that the leaks <a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-leak-more-hbo-shows-but-no-game-of-thrones-this-week/">are real</a>, but thus far they haven&#8217;t been widely distributed. It appears that the various journalists who received the latest batch of Mega.nz links are not very eager to post them in public. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak scoured popular torrent sites and streaming portals for public copies of the new Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes and came up empty-handed. And we&#8217;re certainly not the only ones having trouble spotting the leaks in public.</p>
<p>&#8220;I searched around a lot a few hours ago and couldn&#8217;t find anything,&#8221; one Curb Your Enthusiasm watcher <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/6tjfq7/curb_your_enthusiasm_leak/">commented</a> on Reddit. &#8220;Why can&#8217;t these hackers be courteous and place links?&#8221; another added.</p>
<p>This is quite different from the leaked episode of Game of Thrones that <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/next-game-of-thrones-episode-leaks-online-170804/">came out</a> before its official release two weeks ago. That leak was not related to the HBO hack, but before the news broke in the mainstream press, thousands of copies were already available on pirate sites.</p>
<p>HBO, meanwhile, appears to have had enough of the continued enthusiasm the hacker is managing to generate in the press. </p>
<p>&#8220;We are not in communication with the hacker and we&#8217;re not going to comment every time a new piece of information is released,&#8221; a company spokesperson said.</p>
<p>&#8220;It has been widely reported that there was a cyber incident at HBO. The hacker may continue to drop bits and pieces of stolen information in an attempt to generate media attention. That&#8217;s a game we&#8217;re not going to participate in.&#8221;</p>
<p>As for the Curb Your Enthusiasm fans who were hoping for an early preview of the new season. They may have to, well&#8230; you know. For now at least.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143157
title: Game of Thrones Pirates Arrested For Leaking Episode Early
uri: Game-of-Thrones-Pirates-Arrested-For-Leaking-Episode-Early
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Fo4S0Bz1saA/
content:
<p><img src="media/6587325e.got-thrones7-1.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/got-thrones7-1.jpg" width="300" height="180" class="alignright size-large">Over the past several years, Game of Thrones has become synonymous with fantastic drama and story telling on the one hand, and Internet piracy on the other. It&#8217;s the most pirated TV show in history, hands down.</p>
<p>With the new season well underway, another GoT drama began to unfold early August when the then-unaired episode “The Spoils of War” began to circulate on various file-sharing and streaming sites. The leak only trumped the official release by a few days, but that didn&#8217;t stop people downloading in droves.</p>
<p>As previously <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/next-game-of-thrones-episode-leaks-online-170804/">reported</a>, the leaked episode stated that it was “For Internal Viewing Only” at the top of the screen and on the bottom right sported a “Star India Pvt Ltd” watermark. The company commented shortly after.</p>
<p>“We take this breach very seriously and have immediately initiated forensic investigations at our and the technology partner’s end to swiftly determine the cause. This is a grave issue and we are taking appropriate legal remedial action,” a spokesperson said.</p>
<p>Now, just ten days later, that investigation has already netted its first victims. Four people have reportedly been arrested in India for leaking the episode before it aired.</p>
<p>&#8220;We investigated the case and have arrested four individuals for unauthorized publication of the fourth episode from season seven,&#8221; Deputy Commissioner of Police Akbar Pathan told <a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news/721/four-arrested-india-leaking-game-thrones-episode">AFP</a>.</p>
<p>The report indicates that a complaint was filed by a Mumbai-based company that was responsible for storing and processing the TV episodes for an app. It has been named locally as <a href="http://www.primefocustechnologies.com/">Prime Focus Technologies</a>, which markets itself as a Netflix &#8220;Preferred Vendor&#8221;.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s claimed that at least some of the men had access to login credentials for Game of Thrones episodes which were then abused for the purposes of leaking.</p>
<p>Local media identified the men as Bhaskar Joshi, Alok Sharma and Abhishek Ghadiyal, who were employed by Prime Focus, and Mohamad Suhail, a former employee, who was responsible for leaking the episode onto the Internet.</p>
<p>All of the men were based in Bangalore and were interrogated &#8220;throughout the night&#8221; at their workplace on August 11. Star India welcomed the arrests and thanked the authorities for their swift action.</p>
<p>“We are deeply grateful to the police for their swift and prompt action. We believe that valuable intellectual property is a critical part of the development of the creative industry and strict enforcement of the law is essential to protecting it,&#8221; the company said in a statement.</p>
<p>&#8220;We at Star India and Novi Digital Entertainment Private Limited stand committed and ready to help the law enforcement agencies with any technical assistance and help they may require in taking the investigation to its logical conclusion.”</p>
<p>The men will be held in custody until August 21 while investigations 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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143172
title: BREIN is Taking Infamous ‘Piracy’ Hosting Provider Ecatel to Court
uri: BREIN-is-Taking-Infamous-Piracy-Hosting-Provider-Ecatel-to-Court
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Wh4hoLZgi4w/
content:
<p><a href="media/8878c0e1.breinlogo.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/breinlogo.png"><img src="media/62cd6b40.breinlogo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/breinlogo.png" alt="" width="204" height="72" class="alignright size-full wp-image-130823" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/breinlogo.png 204w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/breinlogo-200x72.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 204px) 100vw, 204px"></a>A regular website can be easily hosted in most countries of the world but when the nature of the project begins to step on toes, opportunities begin to reduce. Openly hosting The Pirate Bay, for example, is something few providers want to get involved with.</p>
<p>There are, however, providers out there who specialize in hosting services that others won&#8217;t touch. They develop a reputation of turning a blind eye to their customers&#8217; activities, only reacting when a crisis looms on the horizon. Despite the problems, there are a few that are surprisingly resilient.</p>
<p>One such host is Netherlands-based Ecatel, which has hit the headlines many times over the years for allegedly having customers involved in warez, torrents, and streaming, not to mention <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2012/08/04/grum-inside-the-takedown-of-one-of-the-worlds-biggest-spam-networks/">spam</a> and <a href="http://www.malwareurl.com/ns_listing.php?as=AS29073">malware</a>. For hosting the former group, it&#8217;s now in the crosshairs of Dutch anti-piracy group BREIN.</p>
<p>According to an application for a witness hearing filed with The Court of the Hague by BREIN, Ecatel has repeatedly hosted websites dealing in infringing content over recent years. While this is nothing particularly out of the ordinary, BREIN claims that complaints filed against the sites were dealt with slowly by Ecatel or not at all.</p>
<p>Ecatel Ltd is a company incorporated in the UK with servers in the Netherlands but since 2015, another hosting company called Novogara has appeared in tandem. Court documents suggest that Novogara is associated with Ecatel, something that was confirmed early 2016 in an email sent out by Ecatel itself.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;d like to inform you that all services of Ecatel Ltd are taken over by a new brand called Novogara Ltd with immediate effect. The take-over includes Ecatel and all her subsidiaries,&#8221; the email read.</p>
<p>Muddying the waters a little more, in 2015 Ecatel&#8217;s IP addresses were apparently taken over by Quasi Networks Ltd, a Seychelles-based company whose business is described locally as being conducted entirely overseas.</p>
<p>&#8220;Stichting BREIN has found several websites in the network of Quasi Networks with obviously infringing content. Quasi Networks, however, does not respond structurally to requests for closing those websites. This involves unlawful acts against the parties associated with the BREIN Foundation,&#8221; a ruling from the Court reads.</p>
<p>As a result, BREIN wants a witness hearing with three defendants connected to the Ecatel/Novgara/Quasi group of companies in order to establish the relationship between the businesses, where their servers are, and who is behind Quasi Networks.</p>
<p>&#8220;Stichting BREIN is interested in this information in order to be able to judge who it can appeal to and whether it is useful to start a legal procedure,&#8221; the Court adds.</p>
<p>Two of the defendants failed to lodge a defense against BREIN&#8217;s application but one objected to the request for a hearing. He said that since Quasi Networks, Ecatel and Novogara are all incorporated outside the Netherlands, a trial must also be conducted abroad and therefore a Dutch judge would not have jurisdiction.</p>
<p>He also argued that BREIN would use the witness hearing as a &#8220;fishing expedition&#8221; in order to gather information it currently does not have, in order to formulate some kind of case against the defendants, in one way or another.</p>
<p>In a decision published this week, The Court of the Hague rejected that argument, noting that the basis for the claim is copyright infringement through Netherlands-hosted websites. Furthermore, the majority of the witnesses are resident in the district of The Hague. It also underlined the importance of a hearing.</p>
<p>&#8220;The request for holding a preliminary witness hearing opens an independent petition procedure, which does not address the eligibility of any claim that may be lodged. An investigation must be made by the judge who has to deal with and decide the main case &#8211; if it comes.</p>
<p>&#8220;The court points out that a preliminary witness hearing is now (partly) necessary to clarify whether and to what extent a claim has any chance of success,&#8221; the <a href="https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2017:9026">decision</a> reads.</p>
<p>According to documents published by Companies House in the UK, Ecatel Ltd ceased to exist this morning, having been dissolved at the request of its directors.</p>
<p>The hearing of the witnesses is set to take place on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at 9.30 in the Palace of Justice at Prince Claus 60 in The Hague.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143170
title: Roku Gets Tough on Pirate Channels, Warns Users
uri: Roku-Gets-Tough-on-Pirate-Channels-Warns-Users
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/-f8Thag_k20/
content:
<p><img src="media/2d29bd11.roku-e1502784984505.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/roku-e1502784984505.png" alt="" width="277" height="241" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143176">In recent years it has become much easier to stream movies and TV-shows over the Internet. </p>
<p>Legal services such as Netflix and HBO are flourishing, but there&#8217;s also a darker side to this streaming epidemic. Millions of people are streaming from unauthorized sources, often paired with perfectly legal streaming platforms and devices. </p>
<p>Hollywood insiders have dubbed this trend &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-sees-illegal-streaming-devices-as-piracy-3-0-170502/">Piracy 3.0</a>&#8221; are actively working with stakeholders to address the threat. One of the companies rightsholders are working with is <a href="https://www.roku.com/index">Roku</a>, known for its easy-to-use media players. </p>
<p>Earlier this year Roku was harshly confronted with this new piracy crackdown when a Mexican court <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-suspends-ban-on-roku-sales-in-mexico-170623/">ordered local retailers</a> to take its media player off the shelves. While this legal battle isn&#8217;t over yet, it was clear to Roku that misuse of its platform wasn&#8217;t without consequences. </p>
<p>While Roku never permitted any infringing content, it appears that the company has recently made some adjustments to better deal with the problem, or at least clarify its stance. </p>
<p>Pirate content generally doesn&#8217;t show up in the official Roku Channel Store but is directly loaded onto the device through third-party &#8220;private&#8221; channels. A few weeks ago, Roku renamed these &#8220;private&#8221; channels to &#8220;<a href="https://support.roku.com/article/208756738-how-to-add-a-private-channel-to-your-roku-streaming-device#">non-certified</a>&#8221; channels, while making it very clear that copyright infringement is not allowed. </p>
<p>A &#8220;<a href="https://docs.roku.com/doc/addnoncertifiedchannel/en-us">WARNING!</a>&#8221; message that pops up during the installation of these third-party channels stresses that Roku has no control over the content. In addition, the company notes that these channels may be removed if it links to copyright infringing content.</p>
<p><center><strong>Roku Warning</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/4385910b.rokuremove.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rokuremove.png" alt="" width="608" height="268" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143173"></center></p>
<p>&#8220;By continuing, you acknowledge you are accessing a non-certified channel that may include content that is offensive or inappropriate for some audiences,&#8221; Roku&#8217;s warning reads. </p>
<p>&#8220;Moreover, if Roku determines that this channel violates copyright, contains illegal content, or otherwise violates Roku’s terms and conditions, then ROKU MAY REMOVE THIS CHANNEL WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE.&#8221;</p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to Roku to find out how they plan to enforce this policy, but we have yet to hear back. According to Cord Cutters News, several piracy channels have already been <a href="http://cordcuttersnews.com/roku-cracking-piracy/">removed</a> recently, with other developers opting to leave the platform.</p>
<p>Roku’s General Counsel Steve Kay previously informed us that the company is taking the piracy problem seriously. Together with various stakeholders, they are working hard to address the problem. </p>
<p>&#8220;We actively work to prevent third-parties from using our platform to distribute copyright infringing content. Moreover, we have been actively working with other industry stakeholders on a wide range of anti-piracy initiatives,” Kay said. </p>
<p>Roku is not the only platform dealing with the piracy epidemic, the popular media player software Kodi is in the same boat. Kodi has also taken an active anti-piracy stance but they&#8217;re not banning any add-ons. They believe it would be <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-wants-to-beat-piracy-with-legal-content-and-drm-170409/">pointless</a> due to the open source nature of their software.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142820
title: Spinrilla Refuses to Share Its Source Code With the RIAA
uri: Spinrilla-Refuses-to-Share-Its-Source-Code-With-the-RIAA
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/SW1oEYmPtUM/
content:
<p><img src="media/8ebd4927.spinrilla-e1486368999286.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/spinrilla-e1486368999286.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="234" class="alignright size-full wp-image-134771">Earlier this year, a group of well-known labels targeted <a href="https://www.spinrilla.com/">Spinrilla</a>, a popular hip-hop mixtape site and accompanying app with millions of users.</p>
<p>The coalition of record labels including Sony Music, Warner Bros. Records, and Universal Music Group, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-labels-sue-hip-hop-mixtape-download-site-spinrilla-170206/">filed a lawsuit</a> accusing the service of alleged copyright infringements.</p>
<p>Both sides have started the discovery process and recently asked the court to rule on several unresolved matters. The parties begin with their statements of facts, clearly from opposite angles.</p>
<p>The RIAA remains confident that the mixtape site is ripping off music creators and wants its operators to be held accountable.</p>
<p>&#8220;Since Spinrilla launched, Defendants have facilitated millions of unauthorized downloads and streams of thousands of  Plaintiffs’ sound recordings without Plaintiffs’ permission,&#8221; RIAA writes, complaining about &#8220;rampant&#8221; infringement on the site.</p>
<p>However, Spinrilla itself believes that the claims are overblown. The company points out that the RIAA&#8217;s complaint only lists a tiny fraction of all the songs uploaded by its users. These somehow slipped through its Audible Magic <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/piracy-riaa-labels-asked-us-to-promote-their-music-spinrilla-says-170316/">anti-piracy filter</a>.</p>
<p>Where the RIAA paints a picture of rampant copyright infringement, the mixtape site stresses that the record labels are complaining about less than 0.001% of all the tracks they ever published.  </p>
<p>&#8220;From 2013 to the present, Spinrilla users have uploaded about 1 million songs to Spinrilla’s servers and Spinrilla published about 850,000 of those. Plaintiffs are complaining that 210 of those songs are owned by them and published on Spinrilla without permission,&#8221; Spinrilla&#8217;s lawyers write.</p>
<p>&#8220;That means that Plaintiffs make no claim to 99.9998% of the songs on Spinrilla. Plaintiffs’ shouting of &#8216;rampant infringement on Spinrilla&#8217;, an accusation that Spinrilla was designed to allow easy and open access to infringing material, and assertion that &#8216;Defendants have facilitated millions of unauthorized downloads&#8217; of those 210 songs is untrue – it is nothing more than a wish and a dream.&#8221;</p>
<p>The company reiterates that it&#8217;s a platform for independent musicians and that it doesn&#8217;t want to feature the Eminem&#8217;s and Bieber&#8217;s of this world, especially not without permission. </p>
<p>As for the discovery process, there are still several outstanding issues they need the Court&#8217;s advice on. Spinrilla has thus far produced 12,000 pages of documents and answered all RIAA interrogatories, but refuses to hand over certain information, including its source code.</p>
<p>According to Spinrilla, there is no reason for the RIAA to have access to its &#8220;crown jewel.&#8221; </p>
<p>&#8220;The source code is the crown jewel of any software based business, including Spinrilla. Even worse, Plaintiffs want an &#8216;executable&#8217; version of Spinrilla’s source code, which would literally enable them to replicate Spinrilla’s entire website. Any Plaintiff could, in hours, delete all references to &#8216;Spinrilla,&#8217; add its own brand and launch Spinrilla’s exact website. </p>
<p>&#8220;If we sued YouTube for hosting 210 infringing videos, would I be entitled to the source code for YouTube? There is simply no justification for Spinrilla sharing its source code with Plaintiffs,&#8221; Spinrilla adds.</p>
<p>The RIAA, on the other hand, argues that the source code will provide insight into several critical issues, including Spinrilla&#8217;s knowledge about infringing activity and its ability to terminate repeat copyright infringers. </p>
<p>In addition to the source code, the RIAA has also requested detailed information about the site&#8217;s users, including their download and streaming history. This request is too broad, the mixtape site argues, and has offered to provide information on the uploaders of the 210 infringing tracks instead.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s clear that the RIAA and Spinrilla disagree on various fronts and it will be up to the court to decide what information must be handed over. So far, however, the language used clearly shows that both parties are far from reaching some kind of compromise.</p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>The first joint discovery statement is available <a href="media/ced8989a.spin.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/spin.pdf">in full 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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143230
title: Game of Thrones Episode “S07E06” Leaks Online Early
uri: Game-of-Thrones-Episode-S07E06-Leaks-Online-Early
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/bLaIs4janQ0/
content:
<p><img src="media/821a106b.got-thrones7-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/got-thrones7-1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="180" class="alignright size-full wp-image-142026">Trouble continues for HBO as another episode of the popular Game of Thrones series has just leaked online, days ahead of the official premiere.</p>
<p>Copies of the sixth episode of the current season, titled &#8216;Death is the Enemy,&#8217; are currently circulating on various streaming portals, direct download, and torrent sites. </p>
<p>The first copy only just <a href="media/ff637e69.got6leak.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/got6leak.png">appeared</a> on the Pirate Bay, but others were shared elsewhere earlier. One of the leaked videos is 66 minutes long and of high quality, and there are also versions that consist of two separate parts.</p>
<p>Early on, the two parts were circulating on the video streaming site Dailymotion, but these were swiftly removed. </p>
<p>At the moment it&#8217;s not confirmed how the leak came about but <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/freefolk/comments/6tzpmp/episode_6_has_leaked">some suggest</a> that it was leaked by HBO itself in Spain. Several people have posted screenshots and videos that suggest it was made public by HBO unintentionally. </p>
<p><center></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="es" dir="ltr">Estaba mirando el episodio 5 de <a href="https://twitter.com/GameOfThrones">@GameOfThrones</a> y al finalizar me pregunta si quiero ver el próximo&#8230; <a href="https://twitter.com/HBO_ES">@HBO_ES</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GOT7x06?src=hash">#GOT7x06</a> <a href="https://t.co/0LLEP5w26e">pic.twitter.com/0LLEP5w26e</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Rodrigo Morales (@rockdrigom) <a href="https://twitter.com/rockdrigom/status/897712587584012289">August 16, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>This isn&#8217;t the first time that a Game of Thrones episode has leaked online early. Two years ago the same happened with the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/first-episodes-of-game-of-thrones-season-5-leak-online-150412/">first four episodes</a> of season 5. Nonetheless, that season still broke previous viewership records.</p>
<p><center><strong>Game of Thrones &#8220;S07E06&#8221; leak screenshot</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/ce70511c.gotloeak-e1502865241683.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/gotloeak-e1502865241683.png" alt="" width="600" height="291" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143231"></center></p>
<p>Two weeks ago the fourth episode of the current season was also pirated before its official release. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/next-game-of-thrones-episode-leaks-online-170804/">This leak</a>, which carried a prominent “Star India Pvt Ltd” watermark, triggered a lot of interest from impatient Game of Thrones fans as well. </p>
<p>Earlier this week, news broke that four men had been <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/game-of-thrones-pirates-arrested-for-leaking-episode-early-170814/">arrested</a> in connection with the breach, which is still being investigated. The arrested men all worked for the local media processing company Prime Focus Technologies, where the leak reportedly originated.</p>
<p>The current leak is not in any way related to the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hbo-got-hacked-game-of-thrones-spoilers-surface-online-170801/">hack on HBO&#8217;s system</a>, which occurred earlier and revealed several preliminary Game of Thrones scripts. </p>
<p>This hack has also resulted in leaks of various high profile shows, including the upcoming ninth season of &#8216;Curb Your Enthusiasm.&#8217; Initially, these <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/curb-your-enthusiasm-on-those-hbo-leaks-170814/">were hard to find</a> online, but they are now widely available on the usual pirate sites.  </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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143220
title: Showtime Seeks Injunction to Stop Mayweather v McGregor Piracy
uri: Showtime-Seeks-Injunction-to-Stop-Mayweather-v-McGregor-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/mwHcIK8XVfQ/
content:
<p><a href="media/327435da.maymac.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/maymac.jpg"><img src="media/5c003125.maymac.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/maymac.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="188" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143240" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/maymac.jpg 250w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/maymac-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px"></a>It&#8217;s the fight that few believed would become reality but on August 26, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Floyd Mayweather Jr. will duke it out with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.</p>
<p>Despite being labeled a freak show by boxing purists, it is set to become the biggest combat sports event of all time. Mayweather, undefeated in his professional career, will face brash Irishman McGregor, who has gained a reputation for accepting fights with anyone &#8211; as long as there&#8217;s a lot of money involved. Big money is definitely the theme of the Mayweather bout.</p>
<p>Dubbed &#8220;The Money Fight&#8221;, some predict it could pull in a billion dollars, with McGregor pocketing $100m and Mayweather almost certainly more. Many of those lucky enough to gain entrance on the night will have spent thousands on their tickets but for the millions watching around the world&#8230;.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Lennon_Jr.">iiiiiiiit&#8217;s Showtimmme</a>&#8230;.with hefty PPV prices attached.</p>
<p>Of course, not everyone will be handing over $89.95 to $99.99 to watch the event officially on Showtime. Large numbers will turn to the many hundreds of websites set to stream the fight for free online, which has the potential to reduce revenues for all involved. With that in mind, Showtime Networks has filed a lawsuit in California which attempts to preemptively tackle this piracy threat.</p>
<p>The suit targets a number of John Does said to be behind a network of dozens of sites planning to stream the fight online for free. Defendant 1, using the alias &#8220;Kopa Mayweather&#8221;, is allegedly the operator of LiveStreamHDQ, a site that Showtime has grappled with previously.</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiff has had extensive experience trying to prevent live streaming websites from engaging in the unauthorized reproduction and distribution of Plaintiff’s copyrighted works in the past,&#8221; the lawsuit reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;In addition to bringing litigation, this experience includes sending cease and desist demands to LiveStreamHDQ in response to its unauthorized live streaming of the record-breaking fight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.&#8221;</p>
<p>Showtime says that LiveStreamHDQ is involved in the operations of at least 41 other sites that have been set up to specifically target people seeking to watch the fight without paying. Each site uses a .US ccTLD domain name.</p>
<p><center><b>Sample of the sites targeted by the lawsuit</b><a href="media/6a382bcd.maymac1.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/maymac1.png"><img src="media/f45ba32c.maymac1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/maymac1.png" alt="" width="715" height="480" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143252"></a></center></p>
<p>Showtime informs the court that the registrant email and IP addresses of the domains overlap, which provides further proof that they&#8217;re all part of the same operation. The TV network also highlights various statements on the sites in question which demonstrate intent to show the fight without permission, including the highly dubious &#8220;Watch From Here Mayweather vs Mcgregor Live with 4k Display.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition, the lawsuit is highly critical of efforts by the sites&#8217; operator(s) to stuff the pages with fight-related keywords in order to draw in as much search engine traffic as they can.</p>
<p>&#8220;Plaintiff alleges that Defendants have engaged in such keyword stuffing as a form of search engine optimization in an effort to attract as much web traffic as possible in the form of Internet users searching for a way to access a live stream of the Fight,&#8221; it reads.</p>
<p>While site operators are expected to engage in such behavior, Showtime says that these SEO efforts have been particularly successful, obtaining high-ranking positions in major search engines for the would-be pirate sites. </p>
<p>For instance, Showtime says that a Google search for &#8220;Mayweather McGregor Live&#8221; results in four of the target websites appearing in the first 100 results, i.e the first 10 pages. Interestingly, however, to get that result searchers would need to put the search in quotes as shown above, since a plain search fails to turn anything up in hundreds of results.</p>
<p>At this stage, the important thing to note is that none of the sites are currently carrying links to the fight, because the fight is yet to happen. Nevertheless, Showtime is convinced that come fight night, all of the target websites will be populated with pirate links, accessible for free or after paying a fee. This needs to be stopped, it argues.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants’ anticipated unlawful distribution will impair the marketability and profitability of the Coverage, and interfere with Plaintiff’s own authorized distribution of the Coverage, because Defendants will provide consumers with an opportunity to view the Coverage in its entirety for free, rather than paying for the Coverage provided through Plaintiff’s authorized channels.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is especially true where, as here, the work at issue is live coverage of a one-time live sporting event whose outcome is unknown,&#8221; the network writes.</p>
<p>Showtime informs the court that it made efforts to contact the sites in question but had just a single response from an individual who claimed to be sports blogger who doesn&#8217;t offer streaming services. The undertone is one of disbelief.</p>
<p>In closing, Showtime demands a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, and permanent injunction, prohibiting the defendants from making the fight available in any way, and/or &#8220;forming new entities&#8221; in order to circumvent any subsequent court order. Compensation for suspected damages is also requested.</p>
<p>Showtime previously applied for and obtained a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/showtime-and-hbo-sue-over-pre-piracy-150429/">similar injunction</a> to cover the (hugely disappointing) Mayweather v Pacquiao fight in 2015. In that case, websites were ordered to be taken down on the day before the fight.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143228
title: “Public Figure” Threatened With Exposure Over Gay Piracy ‘Fine’
uri: 2017-08-17-
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AlrHYdYX1v0/
content:
<p><a href="media/739b10b5.myster.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/myster.jpg"><img src="media/76e9fbdf.myster.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/myster.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="202" class="alignright size-full wp-image-26852"></a>Flava Works is an Illinois-based company specializing in adult material featuring black and Latino men. It operates an aggressive anti-piracy strategy which has resulted in some large <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-pirate-ordered-to-pay-1-5-million-damages-for-sharing-10-movies-trololo/">damages claims</a> in the past.</p>
<p>Now, however, the company has found itself targeted by a lawsuit filed by one of its alleged victims. Filed in a California district court by an unnamed individual, it accuses Flava Works of shocking behavior relating to a claim of alleged piracy.</p>
<p>According to the lawsuit, &#8216;John Doe&#8217; received a letter in early June from Flava Works CEO Phillip Bleicher, accusing him of Internet piracy. Titled “Settlement Demand and Cease and Desist&#8221;, the letter got straight to the point.</p>
<p>“Flava Works is aware that you have been ‘pirating’ the content from its website(s) for your own personal financial benefit,&#8221; the letter read.</p>
<p><em>[Update: &#8216;John Doe&#8217; has now been identified as <a href="http://www.amcnetworks.com/about-us/leadership/marc-juris">Marc Juris</a>, President &#038; General Manager of AMC-owned WE tv. All references to John Doe below refer to Juris. See note at footer]</em></p>
<p>As is often the case with such claims, Flava Works offered to settle with John Doe for a cash fee. However, instead of the few hundred or thousand dollars usually seen in such cases, the initial settlement amount was an astronomical $97,000. But that wasn&#8217;t all.</p>
<p>According to John Doe, Bleicher warned that unless the money was paid in ten days, Flava Works &#8220;would initiate litigation against [John Doe], publically accusing him of being a consumer and pirate of copyrighted gay adult entertainment.&#8221;</p>
<p>Amping up the pressure, Bleicher then warned that after the ten-day deadline had passed, the settlement amount of $97,000 would be withdrawn and replaced with a new amount &#8211; $525,000.</p>
<p>The lawsuit alleges that Bleicher followed up with more emails in which he indicated that there was still time to settle the matter &#8220;one on one&#8221; since the case hadn&#8217;t been assigned to an attorney. However, he warned John Doe that time was running out and that public exposure via a lawsuit would be the next step.</p>
<p>While these kinds of tactics are nothing new in copyright infringement cases, the amounts of money involved are huge, indicating something special at play. Indeed, it transpires that John Doe is a public figure in the entertainment industry and the suggestion is that Flava Works&#8217; assessment of his &#8220;wealth and profile&#8221; means he can pay these large sums.</p>
<p>According to the suit, on July 6, 2017, Bleicher sent another email to John Doe which &#8220;alluded to [his] high-profile status and to the potential publicity that a lawsuit would bring.&#8221; The email went as far as threatening an imminent Flava Works press release, announcing that a public figure, who would be named, was being sued for pirating gay adult content.</p>
<p>Flava Works alleges that John Doe uploaded its videos to various BitTorrent sites and forums, but John Doe vigorously denies the accusations, noting that the &#8216;evidence&#8217; presented by Flava Works fails to back up its claims.</p>
<p>&#8220;The materials do not reveal or expose infringement of any sort. [Flava Works&#8217;] real purpose in sending this &#8216;proof&#8217; was to demonstrate just how humiliating it would be to defend against Flava Works’ scurrilous charges,&#8221; John Doe&#8217;s lawsuit notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;[Flava Works&#8217;] materials consist largely of screen shots of extremely graphic images of pornography, which [Flava Works] implies that [John Doe] has viewed — but which are completely irrelevant given that they are not Flava Works content. Nevertheless, Bleicher assured [John Doe] that these materials would all be included in a publicly filed lawsuit if he refused to accede to [Flava Works&#8217;] payment demands.&#8221;</p>
<p>From his lawsuit <em>(<a href="media/f97ad969.Doe-Flava-COMPLAINT.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Doe-Flava-COMPLAINT.pdf">pdf</a>)</em> it&#8217;s clear that John Doe is in no mood to pay Flava Works large sums of cash and he&#8217;s aggressively on the attack, describing the company&#8217;s demands as &#8220;criminal extortion.&#8221;</p>
<p>He concludes with a request for a declaration that he has not infringed Flava Works&#8217; copyrights, while demanding attorneys&#8217; fees and further relief to be determined by the court.</p>
<p>The big question now is whether Flava Works will follow through with its threats to exposure the entertainer, or whether it will drift back into the shadows to fight another day. Definitely one to watch.</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> Flava Works has now followed through on its threat to sue Juris. A complaint filed iat an Illinois court accuses the TV executive of uploading Flava Works titles to several gay-focused torrent sites in breach of copyright. It demands $1.2m in damages. </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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143320
title: Cloudflare Kicking ‘Daily Stormer’ is Bad News For Pirate Sites
uri: Cloudflare-Kicking-Daily-Stormer-is-Bad-News-For-Pirate-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ChOmQ1dwH6g/
content:
<p><img src="media/ac6a767e.cloudflarelogo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cloudflarelogo.png" alt="" width="260" height="135" class="alignright size-full wp-image-137767">&#8220;I woke up this morning in a bad mood and decided to kick them off the Internet.&#8221; </p>
<p>Those are <a href="http://gizmodo.com/cloudflare-ceo-on-terminating-service-to-neo-nazi-site-1797915295">the words</a> of Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince, who decided to terminate the account of controversial Neo-Nazi site Daily Stormer. </p>
<p><a href="https://blog.cloudflare.com/why-we-terminated-daily-stormer/">Bam. Gone</a>. At least for a while.</p>
<p>Although many people are happy to see the site go offline, the decision is not without consequence. It goes directly against what many saw as the core values of the company. </p>
<p>For years on end, Cloudflare has been asked to remove terrorist propaganda, pirate sites, and other possibly unacceptable content. Each time, Cloudflare replied that it doesn&#8217;t take action without a court order. No exceptions. </p>
<p>&#8220;Even if it were able to, Cloudfare does not monitor, evaluate, judge or store content appearing on a third party website,&#8221; the company wrote just a few weeks ago, in its <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflare-doesnt-want-to-be-the-piracy-police-170413/">whitepaper</a> on intermediary liability.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re the plumbers of the internet. We make the pipes work but it&#8217;s not right for us to inspect what is or isn&#8217;t going through the pipes,&#8221; Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince <a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/anonymous-opisis-cloudflare-refuses-block-service-pro-isis-websites-1495758">himself said</a> not too long ago.  </p>
<p>&#8220;If companies like ours or ISPs start censoring there would be an uproar. It would lead us down a path of internet censors and controls akin to a country like China,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>The same arguments were repeated in different contexts, over and over.</p>
<p>This strong position was also one of the reasons why Cloudflare was dragged into various copyright infringement court cases. In these cases, the company repeatedly stressed that removing a site from Cloudflare&#8217;s service would not make infringing content disappear. </p>
<p>Pirate sites would just require a simple DNS reconfiguration to continue their operation, after all.</p>
<p>“[T]here are no measures of any kind that CloudFlare could take to prevent this alleged infringement, because the termination of CloudFlare’s CDN services would have no impact on the existence and ability of these allegedly infringing websites to continue to operate,” <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflare-we-cant-stop-pirate-sites-160927/">it said</a>. </p>
<p>That comment looks rather misplaced now that the CEO of the same company has decided to &#8220;kick&#8221; a website &#8220;off the Internet&#8221; after an emotional, but deliberate, decision. </p>
<p>Taking a page from Cloudflare&#8217;s (old) playbook we&#8217;re not going to make any judgments here. Just search Twitter or any social media site and you&#8217;ll see plenty of opinions, both for and against the company&#8217;s actions. </p>
<p>We do have a prediction though. During the months and years to come, Cloudflare is likely to be dragged into many more copyright lawsuits, and when they are, their counterparts are going to bring up Cloudflare&#8217;s voluntary decision to kick a website off the Internet. They gave their legal opponents free ammunition.</p>
<p>Unless Cloudflare suddenly decides to pull all pirate sites from its service tomorrow, of course.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143318
title: Artists Protest RIAA for Trampling on Their Moral Rights
uri: Artists-Protest-RIAA-for-Trampling-on-Their-Moral-Rights
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/A-PwuO1oIkc/
content:
<p><img src="media/f312925c.write-pen-protest.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/write-pen-protest.png" alt="" width="270" height="191" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143332">Most people who create something like to be credited for their work. Whether you make a video, song, photo, or blog post, it feels &#8216;right&#8217; to receive recognition. </p>
<p>The right to be credited is part of the so-called &#8220;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_rights">moral rights,</a>&#8221; which are baked into many copyright laws around the world, adopted at the international level through the Berne Convention.</p>
<p>However, in the United States, this is not the case. The US didn&#8217;t sign the Berne Convention right away and opted out from the &#8220;moral rights&#8221; provision when it eventually joined. </p>
<p>Now that the U.S. Copyright Office is looking into ways to improve current copyright law, the issue has been brought to the forefront again. The Government recently completed <a href="https://www.copyright.gov/policy/moralrights/">a consultation</a> to hear the thoughts of various stakeholders, which resulted in several noteworthy contributions. </p>
<p>As it turns out, the RIAA doesn&#8217;t want artists, such as songwriters, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-says-artists-dont-need-moral-rights-artists-disagree-170521/">to have moral rights</a>. Crediting everyone who’s involved in making a song can be confusing and complicated the group notes, arguing against the addition of a new statutory attribution right.</p>
<p>The RIAA highlights that it would be costly for streaming services to credit everyone involved in the creative process. In addition, they stress that the likes of Spotify might not have the screen real estate to attribute all creators, without ruining the user experience with long lists of names.</p>
<p>“If a statutory attribution right suddenly required these services to provide attribution to others involved in the creative process, that would presumably require costly changes to their user interfaces and push them up against the size limitations of their display screens,” the RIAA writes.</p>
<p>These comments don&#8217;t sit well with songwriters and other creators around the world, who feel that the RIAA is putting trivial metadata issues above their rights. In a protest against the RIAA&#8217;s stance, several songwriter groups around the world are now joining hands to show their discontent.</p>
<p>The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA), Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC), Songwriters Guild of America (SGA), Music Creators North America (MCNA), Council of Music Creators (CMC), and several others, have sent a strongly worded open letter to the RIAA accusing the record label group of betrayal. </p>
<p>&#8220;The RIAA’s argument prioritizes the inconvenience of dealing with accurate metadata over the principle of the protection of the rights of the people upon whose work the music business is built,&#8221; <a href="https://basca.org.uk/2017/08/16/songwriters-protest-moral-rights-issue-riaa/">the letter</a> reads. </p>
<p>&#8220;More fundamentally, RIAA’s comments are taken by many in the music creator community as a betrayal of our joint commitment to expand opportunities for creators. Unfortunately, this divergence of views gives our common adversaries an opportunity to divide our community.&#8221;</p>
<p>The groups warn that without proper attribution, songwriters and other contributors risk not receiving any compensation for the work they do. This puts the RIAA in the same camp as those who want to weaken copyright in general, the letter notes. </p>
<p>&#8220;Without accurate metadata, contributors to a work risk not getting paid. That’s a moral dilemma intrinsically linked to the issue of moral rights — and on this issue the RIAA has now aligned itself with those who seek to enfeeble IP rights.&#8221;</p>
<p>The RIAA&#8217;s stance goes even further than that of Creative Commons and the &#8220;copyleft,&#8221; according to the groups. </p>
<p>&#8220;Even anti-copyright groups like Creative Commons understand the importance of attribution. If the RIAA is seen as less artist-friendly than Creative Commons, the copyleft and all who seek to undervalue our work will benefit.&#8221; </p>
<p>While Creative Commons has more flexible views on copyright than the average entertainment industry company, describing it as &#8220;anti-copyright&#8221; goes a bit far. Still, the groups send a strong message to the RIAA, that the organization&#8217;s stance on moral rights is abhorrent.</p>
<p>The songwriter and artist groups stress that the RIAA might shoot itself in the foot, as it&#8217;s distancing the people it needs to further its interests around the globe. As for the metadata problems, they believe that the streaming platforms and other services will come up with a proper solution eventually.</p>
<p>&#8220;We believe there’s no doubt music platforms will come up with innovative and effective ways to give credit. Certainly there’s no need to set expectations at rock bottom as the RIAA did in their comments,&#8221; the groups write in their letter.</p>
<p>The groups urge the RIAA to revise its views and start collaborating with creators to address specific implementation problems. The record labels and creators should stand together as one, instead of going against each other.  </p>
<p>It will be interesting to see if and how the RIAA responds to the critique. </p>
<p>While the US Government has yet to decide on the moral rights issue, in other countries the attribution right is taken very seriously. Just recently, a District Court in Isreal awarded a local music composer <a href="https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=20193a77-2652-4f0d-b1f9-d7966e88b0b4">$223,000 in statutory damages</a> because his name was removed from the credits of an online kids animation series.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143379
title: Court Orders Aussie ISPs to Block Dozens of Pirate Sites
uri: Court-Orders-Aussie-ISPs-to-Block-Dozens-of-Pirate-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/56aBZz6ju6c/
content:
<p><img src="media/dbb74c88.aus.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/aus.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="159" class="alignright size-full wp-image-96798">Rather than taking site operators to court, copyright holders increasingly demand that Internet providers should block access to ‘pirate’ domains.</p>
<p>As a result, courts all around the world have ordered ISPs to block subscriber access to various pirate sites. </p>
<p>This is also happening in Australia where the first blockades were issued late last year. In December, the Federal Court <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-and-other-pirate-sites-will-be-blocked-in-australia-161215/">ordered ISPs</a> to block The Pirate Bay and several other sites, which happened soon after. </p>
<p>However, as is often the case with website blocking, one order is not enough as there are still plenty of pirate sites and proxies readily available. So, several rightsholders including movie studio Village Roadshow and local broadcaster Foxtel went back to court.</p>
<p>Today the Federal Court ruled on two applications that cover 59 pirate sites in total, including many popular torrent and streaming portals. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Judgments/fca/single/2017/2017fca0965">first order</a> was issued by Justice John Nicholas, who directed several Internet providers including IINet, Telstra, and TPG to block access to several pirate sites. The request came from Village Roadshow, which was backed by several major Hollywood studios.</p>
<p>The order directs the ISPs to stop passing on traffic to 41 torrent and streaming platforms including Demonoid, RARBG, EZTV, YTS, Gomovies, and Fmovies. The full list of blocked domains is even longer, as it also covers several proxies.</p>
<p>&#8220;The infringement or facilitation of infringement by the Online Locations is flagrant and reflect a blatant disregard for the rights of copyright owners,&#8221; <a href="http://www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Judgments/fca/single/2017/2017fca0965">the order</a> reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;By way of illustration, one of the Online Locations is accessible via the domain name &#8216;istole.it&#8217; and it and many others include notices encouraging users to implement technology to frustrate any legal action that might be taken by copyright owners.&#8221; </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.comcourts.gov.au/file/Federal/P/NSD663/2017/3787886/event/29056799/document/1018339">separate order</a> handed down by Federal Court Judge Stephen Burley, another 17 sites are ordered blocked following a request from Foxtel. This includes popular pirate sites such as 1337x, Torlock, Putlocker, YesMovies, Vumoo, and LosMovies. </p>
<p>The second order also includes a wide variety of alternative locations, including proxies, which brings the total number of targeted domain names to more than 160.</p>
<p>As highlighted by <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/film-studios-and-foxtel-win-orders-blocking-59-pirate-websites-20170817-gxyora.html">SHM</a>, the orders coincide with the launch of a new anti-piracy campaign dubbed &#8220;<a href="http://www.thepriceofpiracy.org.au/">The Price of Piracy</a>,&#8221; which is organized by Creative Content Australia. Lori Flekser, Executive director of the non-profit organization, believes that the blockades will help to significantly deter piracy. </p>
<p>&#8220;Not only is there decreasing traffic to pirate sites but there is a subsequent increase in traffic to legal sites,&#8221; she said. </p>
<p>At the same time, she warns people not to visit proxy and mirror sites, as these could be dangerous. This message is also repeated by her organization&#8217;s campaign, which warns that pirate sites can be filled with ransomware, spyware, trojans, viruses, bots, rootkits and worms.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143366
title: Porn Producer Says He’ll Prove That AMC TV Exec is a BitTorrent Pirate
uri: Porn-Producer-Says-He-ll-Prove-That-AMC-TV-Exec-is-a-BitTorrent-Pira
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/h1VQ-qO8vws/
content:
<p><a href="media/f8623ca2.law-hammer.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer.jpg"><img src="media/f6eb27a1.law-hammer.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="203" class="alignright size-full wp-image-134548" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer.jpg 270w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/law-hammer-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px"></a>When people are found sharing copyrighted pornographic content online in the United States, there&#8217;s always a chance that an angry studio will attempt to track down the perpertrator in pursuit of a cash settlement.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s what adult studio Flava Works did recently, after finding its content being shared without permission on a number of gay-focused torrent sites. It&#8217;s now clear that their target was Marc Juris, President &#038; General Manager of AMC-owned WE tv. Until this week, however, that information was secret.</p>
<p>As detailed in our <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/public-figure-threatened-with-exposure-over-gay-piracy-fine-170817/">report</a> yesterday, Flava Works contacted Juris with an offer of around $97,000 to settle the case before trial. And, crucially, before Juris was publicly named in a lawsuit. If Juris decided not to pay, that amount would increase significantly, Flava Works CEO Phillip Bleicher told him at the time.</p>
<p>Not only did Juris not pay, he actually went on the offensive, filing a &#8216;John Doe&#8217; complaint in a California district court which accused Flava Works of extortion and blackmail. It&#8217;s possible that Juris felt that this would cause Flava Works to back off but in fact, it had quite the opposite effect.</p>
<p>In a complaint filed this week in an Illinois district court, Flava Works named Juris and accused him of a broad range of copyright infringement offenses.</p>
<p>The complaint alleges that Juris was a signed-up member of Flava Works&#8217; network of websites, from where he downloaded pornographic content as his subscription allowed. However, it&#8217;s claimed that Juris then uploaded this material elsewhere, in breach of copyright law.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendant downloaded copyrighted videos of Flava Works as part of his paid memberships and, in violation of the terms and conditions of the paid sites, posted and distributed the aforesaid videos on other websites, including websites with peer to peer sharing and torrents technology,&#8221; the complaint reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;As a result of Defendant’ conduct, third parties were able to download the copyrighted videos, without permission of Flava Works.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition to demanding injunctions against Juris, Flava Works asks the court for a judgment in its favor amounting to a cool $1.2m, more than twelve times the amount it was initially prepared to settle for. It&#8217;s a huge amount, but according to CEO Phillip Bleicher, it&#8217;s what his company is owed, despite Juris being a former customer.</p>
<p>&#8220;Juris was a member of various Flava Works websites at various times dating back to 2006. He is no longer a member and his login info has been blocked by us to prevent him from re-joining,&#8221; Bleicher informs TF.</p>
<p>&#8220;We allow full downloads, although each download a person performs, it tags the video with a hidden code that identifies who the user was that downloaded it and their IP info and date / time.&#8221;</p>
<p>We asked Bleicher how he can be sure that the content downloaded from Flava Works and re-uploaded elsewhere was actually uploaded by Juris. Fine details weren&#8217;t provided but he&#8217;s insistent that the company&#8217;s evidence holds up.</p>
<p>&#8220;We identified him directly, this was done by cross referencing all his IP logins with Flava Works, his email addresses he used and his usernames. We can confirm that he is/was a member of Gay-Torrents.org and Gayheaven.org. We also believe (we will find out in discovery) that he is a member of a Russian file sharing site called GayTorrent.Ru,&#8221; he says.</p>
<p>While the technicalities of who downloaded and shared what will be something for the court to decide, there&#8217;s still Juris&#8217; allegations that Bleicher used extortion-like practices to get him to settle and used his relative fame against him. Bleicher says that&#8217;s not how things played out.</p>
<p>&#8220;[Juris] hired an attorney and they agreed to settle out of court.  But then we saw him still accessing the file sharing sites (one site shows a user&#8217;s last login) and we were waiting on the settlement agreement to be drafted up by his attorney,&#8221; he explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;When he kept pushing the date of when we would see an agreement back we gave him a final deadline and said that after this date we would sue [him] and with all lawsuits &#8211; we make a press release.&#8221;</p>
<p>Bleicher says at this point Juris replaced his legal team and hired lawyer Mark Geragos, who Bleicher says tried to &#8220;bully&#8221; him, warning him of potential criminal offenses.</p>
<p>&#8220;Your threats in the last couple months to &#8216;expose&#8217; Mr. Juris knowing he is a high profile individual, i.e., today you threatened to issue a press release, to induce him into wiring you close to $100,000 is outright extortion and subject to criminal prosecution,&#8221; Geragos wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;I suggest you direct your attention to various statutes which specifically criminalize your conduct in the various jurisdictions where you have threatened suit.&#8221;</p>
<p>Interestingly, Geragos then went on to suggest that the lawsuit may ultimately backfire, since going public might affect Flava Works&#8217; reputation in the gay market.</p>
<p>&#8220;With respect to Mr. Juris, your actions have been nothing but extortion and we reject your attempts and will vigorously pursue all available remedies against you,&#8221; Geragos&#8217; email reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;We intend to use the platform you have provided to raise awareness in the LGBTQ community of this new form of digital extortion that you promote.&#8221;</p>
<p>But Bleicher, it seems, is up for a fight.</p>
<p>&#8220;Marc knows what he did and enjoyed downloading our videos and sharing them and those of videos of other studios, but now he has been caught,&#8221; he told the lawyer.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is the kind of case I would like to take all the way to trial, win or lose. It shows<br>
people that want to steal our copyrighted videos that we aggressively protect our intellectual property.&#8221;</p>
<p>But to the tune of $1.2m? Apparently so.</p>
<p>&#8220;We could get up to $150,000 per infringement &#8211; we have solid proof of eight full videos &#8211; not to mention we have caught [Juris] downloading many other studios&#8217; videos too &#8211; I think &#8211; but not sure &#8211; the number was over 75,&#8221; Bleicher told TF.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s quite rare for this kind of dispute to play out in public, especially considering Juris&#8217; profile and occupation. Only time will tell if this will ultimately end in a settlement, but Bleicher and Juris seemed determined at this stage to stand by their ground and fight this out in court.</p>
<p><em>Complaint (<a href="media/e70cdb01.complaint-flava-v-juris.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/complaint-flava-v-juris.pdf">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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143166
title: Rightscorp Bleeds Another Million, Borrows $200K From Customer BMG
uri: Rightscorp-Bleeds-Another-Million-Borrows-200K-From-Customer-BMG
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/dyH8xvPBWCY/
content:
<p><a href="media/c9f95d44.rightscorp.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/rightscorp.png"><img src="media/ef1215bb.rightscorp.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rightscorp.png" alt="" width="222" height="54" class="alignright size-full wp-image-78740"></a>Anti-piracy outfit Rightscorp is one of the many companies trying to turn Internet piracy into profit. The company has a somewhat novel approach but has difficulty balancing the books.</p>
<p>Essentially, Rightscorp operates like other so-called copyright-trolling operations, in that it monitors alleged offenders on BitTorrent networks, tracks them to their ISPs, then attempts to extract a cash settlement. Rightscorp does this by sending DMCA notices with settlement agreements attached, in the hope that at-this-point-anonymous Internet users break cover in panic. This can lead to a $20 or $30 &#8216;fine&#8217; or in some cases dozens of multiples of that.</p>
<p>But despite settling hundreds of thousands of these cases, profit has thus far proven elusive, with the company hemorrhaging millions in losses. The company has just filed its results for the first half of 2017 and they contain more bad news.</p>
<p>In the six months ended June 2017, revenues obtained from copyright settlements reached just $138,514, that&#8217;s 35% down on the $214,326 generated in the same period last year. However, the company did manage to book $148,332 in &#8220;consulting revenue&#8221; in the first half of this year, a business area that generated no revenue in 2016.</p>
<p>Overall then, total revenue for the six month period was $286,846 &#8211; up from $214,326 last year. While that&#8217;s a better picture in its own right, Rightscorp has a lot of costs attached to its business.</p>
<p>After paying out $69,257 to copyright holders and absorbing $1,190,696 in general and administrative costs, among other things, the company&#8217;s total operating expenses topped out at $1,296,127 for the first six months of the year.</p>
<p>To make a long story short, the company made a net loss of $1,068,422, which was more than the $995,265 loss it made last year and despite improved revenues. The company ended June with just $1,725 in cash.</p>
<p>&#8220;These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued,&#8221; the company&#8217;s latest statement reads.</p>
<p>This hanging-by-a-thread narrative has followed Rightscorp for the past few years but there&#8217;s information in the latest accounts which indicates how bad things were at the start of the year.</p>
<p>In January 2016, Rightscorp and several copyright holders, including Hollywood studio Warner Bros, agreed to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/accused-pirates-win-class-action-settlement-from-rightscorp-and-warner-bros-160112/">settle a class-action lawsuit</a> over intimidating robo-calls that were made to alleged infringers. The defendants agreed to set aside $450,000 to cover the costs, and it appears that Rightscorp was liable for at least $200,000 of that.</p>
<p>Rightscorp hasn&#8217;t exactly been flush with cash, so it was interesting to read that its main consumer piracy settlement client, music publisher BMG, actually stepped in to pay off the class-action settlement.</p>
<p>&#8220;At December 31, 2016, the Company had accrued $200,000 related to the settlement of a class action complaint. On January 7, 2017, BMG Rights Management (US) LLC (“BMG”) advanced the Company $200,000, which was used to pay off the settlement. The advance from BMG is to be applied to future billings from the Company to BMG for consulting services,&#8221; Rightscorp&#8217;s filing reads.</p>
<p>With Rightscorp&#8217;s future BMG revenue now being gobbled up by what appears to be loan repayments, it becomes difficult to see how the anti-piracy outfit can make enough money to pay off the $200,000 debt. However, its filing notes that on July 21, 2017, the company issued &#8220;an aggregate of 10,000,000 shares of common stock to an investor for a purchase price of $200,000.&#8221; While that amount matches the BMG debt, the filing doesn&#8217;t reveal who the investor is.</p>
<p>The filing also reveals that on July 31, Rightscorp entered into two agreements to provide services &#8220;to a holder of multiple copyrights.&#8221; The copyright holder isn&#8217;t named, but the deal reveals that it&#8217;s in Rightscorp&#8217;s best interests to get immediate payment from people to whom it sends cash settlement demands.</p>
<p>&#8220;[Rightscorp] will receive 50% of all gross proceeds of any settlement revenue received by the Client from pre-lawsuit &#8216;advisory notices,&#8217; and 37.5% of all gross proceeds received by the Client from &#8216;final warning&#8217; notices sent immediately prior to a lawsuit,&#8221; the filing notes.</p>
<p>Also of interest is that Rightscorp has offered not to work with any of the copyright holders&#8217; direct competitors, providing certain thresholds are met &#8211; $10,000 revenue in the first month to $100,000 after 12 months. But there&#8217;s more to the deal.</p>
<p>Rightscorp will also provide a number of services to this client including detecting and verifying copyright works on P2P networks, providing information about infringers, plus reporting, litigation support, and copyright protection advisory services.</p>
<p>For this, Rightscorp will earn $10,000 for the first three months, rising to $85,000 per month after 16 months, valuable revenue for a company fighting for its life.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143268
title: Streaming Service iflix Buys Shows Based on Piracy Data
uri: Streaming-Service-iflix-Buys-Shows-Based-on-Piracy-Data
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/jTReA5T2qJQ/
content:
<p><img src="media/cc161284.iflix.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/iflix.jpg" alt="" width="277" height="158" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143359">When major movie and TV companies discuss piracy they often mention the massive losses incurred as a result of unauthorized downloads and streams.</p>
<p>However, this unofficial market also offers a valuable pool of often publicly available data on the media consumption habits of a relatively young generation.</p>
<p>Many believe that piracy is in part a market signal showing copyright holders what consumers want. This makes piracy statistics key business intelligence, which some companies have started to realize.</p>
<p>Netflix, for example, previously said that their offering is partly based on what shows do well on BitTorrent networks and other pirate sites. In addition, the streaming service also uses piracy to figure out <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/netflix-sets-pricing-based-on-local-piracy-rates-150416/">how much they can charge</a> in a country. They are not alone.</p>
<p>Other major entertainment companies also keep a close eye on piracy, using this data to their advantage. This includes the Asia-based streaming portal <a href="https://www.iflix.com/">iFlix</a>, which recently secured $133 million in funding and boasts to have over <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iflix">five million</a> users.</p>
<p>Iflix co-founder Patrick Grove says that his company actively uses piracy numbers to determine what content they acquire. The data reveal what is popular locally, and help to give viewers the TV-shows and movies they&#8217;re most interested in.</p>
<p>&#8220;We looked at piracy data in every market,&#8221; Grove informed CNBC&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/16/streaming-service-iflixs-patrick-grove-on-using-piracy-as-data.html">Managing Asia</a>, which doesn&#8217;t stop at looking at a few torrent download numbers.</p>
<p>Representatives from the Asian company actually went out on the streets to buy pirated DVDs from street vendors. In addition, iflix also received help from local Internet providers which shared a variety of streaming data. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to the streaming service to get more details about their data gathering techniques. One of the main partners to measure online piracy is the German company TECXIPIO, which is known to actively monitor BitTorrent traffic.</p>
<p>The company also maintains a close relationship with Internet providers that offer further insight, including streaming data, to determine which titles work best in each market.</p>
<p>While analyzing the different sets of data, the streaming service was surprised to see the diversity in different regions as well as the ever-changing consumer demand.</p>
<p>&#8220;Through looking at the Top 20 pirated DVDs in every market we are live in, we were surprised to find the amount of pirated K-drama content. In Ghana for example, the number one pirated title is K-drama series called ‘Legend of the Blue Sea’,&#8221; an iflix spokesperson told us.</p>
<p>Iflix believes that piracy data is superior to other market intelligence. Before rolling out its service in Saudi Arabia the company made a list of the 1,000 most popular shows and used that to its advantage.</p>
<p>While there is a lot of piracy in emerging markets, iflix doesn&#8217;t think that people are not willing to pay for entertainment. It just has to be available for a decent price, and that&#8217;s where they come in. </p>
<p>&#8220;We believe that people in emerging markets do not actively want to steal content, they do so because there is no better alternative,&#8221; the company informs us. </p>
<p>&#8220;As consumers become more connected, gaining access to information and cultural influences on a global scale, they want to be entertained at a world-class standard. We set out with the aim of offering an alternative that is better than piracy; by providing unlimited access to high-quality, world-class entertainment, all at the price of pirated DVD.&#8221;</p>
<p>There is no doubt that iflix is ambitious, and that it&#8217;s willing to employ some unusual tactics to grow its userbase. The company is quite optimistic about the future as well, judging from its co-founder&#8217;s prediction that it will welcome its billionth viewer in a few years. </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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143216
title: TVAddons Decimated Without Trial, Here’s a View of the Damage
uri: TVAddons-Decimated-Without-Trial-Here-s-a-View-of-the-Damage
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Omd9p-nVbFU/
content:
<p><a href="media/4277da46.tvaddons.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddons.png"><img src="media/dd424df6.tvaddons.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddons.png" alt="" width="232" height="95" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128846"></a>On June 2, a collection of Canadian telecoms giants including Bell Canada, Bell ExpressVu, Bell Media, Videotron, Groupe TVA, Rogers Communications and Rogers Media, filed a complaint in Federal Court against Montreal resident Adam Lackman, the man behind TVAddons.</p>
<p>They claimed that by developing, hosting, distributing or promoting Kodi add-ons, Lackman infringed their copyrights.</p>
<p>On June 9 the Federal Court handed down an interim injunction against Lackman which restrained him from various activities in respect of TVAddons. The process took place ex parte, meaning in secret, without Lackman being able to mount a defense.</p>
<p>The plaintiffs were also granted an Anton Piller order, a civil search warrant that granted access to Lackman&#8217;s premises and allowed him to be interrogated.</p>
<p>As previously reported, the plaintiffs <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-returns-ugly-war-canadian-telcos-kodi-addons-170801/">abused the process</a> and only later did a court recognize that the search was designed as both a fishing exercise and a means to take down TVAddons, in advance of any trial on the merits of the case.</p>
<p>In the meantime, with the process grinding through an early appeal, the plaintiffs&#8217; aim of destroying TVAddons has been at least partially achieved. After prolonged downtime, Lackman recently brought the site back under a new URL, TVAddons.co. However, he informs TF that serious damage has been done to a project that previously enjoyed great momentum.</p>
<p>&#8220;Google is the most popular site on the internet. If Google was down for a day, you&#8217;d check back tomorrow. If it was down for a week, you&#8217;d check back a week later. If it was down for a month, maybe you&#8217;d try once in a while,&#8221; Lackman says.</p>
<p>&#8220;However, if Google was down for more than six months, would you return in a year from now? Probably not. And that&#8217;s Google, not a small community site like TVAddons.&#8221;</p>
<p>Some people are coming back to the site now, but in nowhere near the volumes it previously enjoyed. Here&#8217;s a traffic analysis for a typical day at TVAddons.ag before the takedown.</p>
<p><center><b>TVAddons.ag daily traffic, before the takedown</b><a href="media/7bd90c4c.oldtraffic.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/oldtraffic.jpg"><img src="media/d6c1eaa3.oldtraffic.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/oldtraffic.jpg" alt="" width="538" height="263" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143308"></a></center></p>
<p>And here is how the traffic for TVAddons.co looked a few days ago, a little two weeks after its revival and ten weeks after the initial takedown.</p>
<p><center><TVAddons.co traffic, after bringing the site back</b><a href="media/61407e76.TVAddons-newtraffic.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/TVAddons-newtraffic.png"><img src="media/42630dec.TVAddons-newtraffic.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/TVAddons-newtraffic.png" alt="" width="538" height="263" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143309"></a></center></p>
<p>Part of the problem is not being able to get in touch with former users. In addition to taking control of TVAddons&#8217; domains, the legal process also deprived the site of its social media accounts.</p>
<p>For example, TVAddons&#8217; <a href="https://twitter.com/tvaddons">original</a> Twitter account is now dormant. It still has 141K followers but with its passwords in the hands of lawyers, Lackman has been forced to open a new account, <a href="https://twitter.com/tvaddonsco">TVAddonsco</a>. However, he&#8217;s only been able to attract just over 8,000 followers.</p>
<p>Facebook tells a similar story. With no access to the old account (which had 174,229 likes), the new account <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tvaddonsco">facebook.com/tvaddonsco</a> is stalling at around 1,600. The situations on YouTube and Instagram are just as bleak. </p>
<p>&#8220;They&#8217;ve completely muzzled us, there was never anything questionable on our social media, seizing it without actually winning a lawsuit against us is nothing less than censorship,&#8221; Lackman says.</p>
<p>&#8220;Since we never required user registration, we don&#8217;t have the ability to reach the majority of our users without having access to our old social media accounts and notification system, which doesn&#8217;t work without our domain name being active.&#8221;</p>
<p>Also seized were TVaddons&#8217; Feedburner account, which was used to manage the site&#8217;s 100,000 RSS feed subscribers. </p>
<p>&#8220;It was in the same account as Google+ and YouTube so we lost that too. We could have easily used it to forward our RSS feed and keep all the subscribers otherwise,&#8221; Lackman adds.</p>
<p>This has left TVAddons having to do its best to spread the details of its new locations via social media <a href="https://www.tvaddons.co/contest-firetv-newurl/">and a contest</a> that has thus far gained more than 87,000 entries and may be helping things along. </p>
<p>While it&#8217;s now common knowledge that many TVAddons-related domains and accounts were seized following the search, Lackman now reveals that other non-connected projects were affected too. Included were the social media pages of several unrelated businesses, the domain name of a hosting website that was around seven years old, and an entirely legal &#8220;cord-cutting&#8221; information resource.</p>
<p>&#8220;Since the cord-cutting phenomenon conflicts with their business interests, seizing that specific social media page effectively destroyed their direct competition,&#8221; Lackman says.</p>
<p>&#8220;The plaintiffs are trying to destroy their competition rather than innovating. TVAddons provided a lot of legitimate competition for them in terms of content for cordcutters, they&#8217;re trying to keep a grasp on the market at any cost.</p>
<p>&#8220;Their failure at innovating can be immediately demonstrated by the fact that the NFL recently canceled all broadcast contracts with Canadian TV operators, in favor of <a href="https://www.dazn.com/en-US">DAZN</a>, a new legal sports streaming service that charges half the price they did, with way more content than their sports packages ever offered.&#8221;</p>
<p>But despite the setbacks, Lackman appears determined to continue not only with the resurrected TVAddons, but also the legal fight against the Canadian broadcasting giants intent on his destruction.</p>
<p>At the time of writing <a href="https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/support-tv-addons-in-the-fight-against-censorship">the site&#8217;s fundraiser</a> has generated more than $27,000 in 15 days but TF understands that this might only be 5 to 10 percent of the final sum required when all bills are counted. It&#8217;s hoped that <a href="https://www.tvaddons.co/donate-credit/">new methods of donating</a> and assistance from friendly <a href="https://twitter.com/tvaddonsco/status/898287995148673024">website operators</a> might give the campaign an additional boost but in the meantime, Lackman is expressing gratitude for the efforts so far.</p>
<p><center></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am honoured to see so much support from so many people whom I have never met. Thank you and G-d Bless you all.</p>
<p>&mdash; Adam Lackman (@adamlackman) <a href="https://twitter.com/adamlackman/status/893551998133567488">August 4, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>It&#8217;s hard to say whether TVAddons will once again reach the heights achieved at its peak but after taking years to build up a following, the odds are certainly stacked against it.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143248
title: The Windows App Store is Full of Pirate Streaming Apps
uri: The-Windows-App-Store-is-Full-of-Pirate-Streaming-Apps
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/nT7-GJqD2F0/
content:
<p><img src="media/fcd804cf.windowspiratemicrosoft.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/windowspiratemicrosoft.png" alt="" width="269" height="189" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143278">Over the past few years it has become much easier to stream movies and TV-shows over the Internet.</p>
<p>Legal streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon are booming. At the same time, however, there&#8217;s also a dark market of thousands of pirate streaming tools. </p>
<p>In recent months, Hollywood has directed many its anti-piracy efforts towards unauthorized Kodi-addons and several popular pirate streaming sites, which offer movies and TV-shows without permission. What seems to be largely ignored, however, is a &#8220;store&#8221; that hundreds of millions of people have access to; the Windows App Store. </p>
<p>When we were browsing through the &#8220;top free&#8221; apps in the Windows Store, our attention was drawn to several applications that promoted &#8220;free movies&#8221; including various Hollywood blockbusters such as &#8220;Wonder Woman,&#8221; &#8220;Spider-Man: Homecoming,&#8221; and &#8220;The Mummy.&#8221;</p>
<p>Initially, we assumed that a pirate app may have slipped passed Microsoft&#8217;s screening process. However, the &#8216;problem&#8217; doesn&#8217;t appear to be isolated. There are dozens of similar apps in the official store that promise potential users free movies, most with rave reviews.</p>
<p><center><strong>Some of the many pirate apps in the &#8220;trusted&#8221; store</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/663de8c3.windowsstore.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/windowsstore.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="511" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143253"></center></p>
<p>Most of the applications work on multiple platforms including PC, mobile, and the Xbox. They are pretty easy to use and rely on the familiar grid-based streaming interface most sites and services use. Pick a movie or TV-show, click the play button, and off you go. </p>
<p>The sheer number of piracy apps in the Windows Store, using names such as &#8220;Free Movies HD,&#8221; &#8220;Free Movies Online 2020,&#8221; and &#8220;FreeFlix HQ,&#8221; came as a surprise to us. In particular, because the developers make no attempt to hide their activities, quite the opposite.</p>
<p>The app descriptions are littered with colorful language offering the latest Hollywood movies, and thousands of others, without charge. In addition, the apps display their capabilities in various screenshots, including those showing movies that are not yet available on legal streaming platforms.</p>
<p><center><strong>Screenshot provided by the Windows app store</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/aef22143.nohide.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/nohide.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="439" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143255"></center></p>
<p>Making matters worse, the applications show advertising as well, including high-quality pre-roll ads. Some of these appear to be facilitated through Microsoft&#8217;s own <a href="https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ad-monetization-platform">Ad Monetization platform</a>. Other apps offer paid versions or in-app purchases to monetize their service.</p>
<p>After hours of going through the pirate app offerings, it&#8217;s clear that Microsoft&#8217;s &#8220;trusted&#8221; Windows Store is ridden with unauthorized content. Thus far we have only mentioned video, but the issue also applies to pirated music in the form of dedicated streaming and download apps. </p>
<p>Earlier this year, Microsoft signed a landmark <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/search-engines-and-rightsholders-sign-landmark-anti-piracy-deal-170220/">anti-piracy agreement</a> with several major copyright holders, to address pirate search results in the Bing search engine. The above makes clear that search results in the Microsoft Store store may require some attention too.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to Microsoft, asking for a comment on our findings, but at the time of publication we haven&#8217;t yet heard 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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143428
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 08/21/17
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-08-21-17
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/M_V-2x8z4TA/
content:
<p><img src="media/68e4798a.baywatch.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/baywatch.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="174" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143430">This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Baywatch 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>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-bittorrent-081417/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1469304/">Baywatch</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1469304/">5.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyKOgnaf0BU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3896198/">Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3896198/?">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duGqrYw4usE">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mummy-2017-torrent-downloads/">The Mummy 2017</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2345759/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzorZUuZqEI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972591/">King Arthur: Legend of the Sword</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972591/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rbPTQIdjmY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/wonder-woman-torrent-downloads/">Wonder Woman</a> (Subbed HDrip)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279/">8.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8fG0TtVAY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2250912/">Spider-Man: Homecoming</a> (HDTS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2250912/">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0D3AOldjMU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3501112/">Security</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3501112/">8.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbKAkL-tmSY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/boss-baby-torrent-downloads/">The Boss Baby</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3874544/">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tquIfapGVqs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(10)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3469046/">Despicable Me 3</a> (HDTS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3469046/">6.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euz-KBBfAAo">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/">Ghost In the Shell</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4VmJcZR0Yg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143437
title: Healthy Aussie Pirates Set To Face Cash ‘Fines’, Poor & Sick Should Be OK
uri: Healthy-Aussie-Pirates-Set-To-Face-Cash-Fines-Poor-Sick-Shoul
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/x8HUMbg_MqM/
content:
<p><img src="media/1c7efe0c.spongepirate.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/spongepirate.jpg" width="170" height="208" class="alignright size-large">One of the oldest methods of trying to get people to stop downloading and sharing pirated material is by hitting them with &#8216;fines&#8217;.</p>
<p>The RIAA began the practice in September 2003, tracking people sharing music on early peer-to-peer networks, finding out their identities via ISPs, and sending them cease-and-desist orders with a request to pay hundreds to thousands of dollars.</p>
<p>Many thousands of people were fined and the campaign raised awareness, but it did nothing to stop millions of file-sharers who continue to this day.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s something that Village Roadshow co-chief Graham Burke now wants to do something about. He says his company will effectively mimic the RIAA&#8217;s campaign of 14 years ago and begin suing Internet pirates Down Under. He told <a href="http://www.afr.com/business/media-and-marketing/village-roadshow-to-sue-hundreds-of-australians-for-piracy-20170819-gy01co">AFR</a> that his company is already setting things up, ready to begin suing later in the year.</p>
<p>Few details have been made available at this stage but it&#8217;s almost certain that Village Roadshow&#8217;s targets will be BitTorrent users. It&#8217;s possible that users of other peer-to-peer networks could be affected but due to their inefficiency and relative obscurity, it&#8217;s very unlikely.</p>
<p>That leaves users of The Pirate Bay and any other torrent site vulnerable to the company, which will jump into torrent swarms masquerading as regular users, track IP addresses, and trace them back to Internet service providers. What happens next will depend on the responses of those ISPs.</p>
<p>If the ISPs refuse to cooperate, they will have to be taken to court to force them to hand over the personal details of their subscribers to Village Roadshow. It&#8217;s extremely unlikely they&#8217;ll hand them over voluntarily, so it could be some time before any ISP customer hears anything from the film distributor.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that Village Roadshow will want money to go away and Burke is already being open over the kind of sums his company will ask for.</p>
<p>&#8220;We will be looking for damages commensurate with what they&#8217;ve done. We&#8217;ll be saying &#8216;You&#8217;ve downloaded our Mad Max: Fury Road, our Red Dog, and we want $40 for the four movies plus $200 in costs&#8217;,&#8221; he says.</p>
<p>While no one will relish any kind of &#8216;bill&#8217; dropping through a mail box, in the scheme of things a AUS$240 settlement demand isn&#8217;t huge, especially when compared to the sums demanded by companies such as Voltage Pictures, who <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/judge-throws-out-aussie-dallas-buyers-club-piracy-case-151216/">tried and failed</a> to start piracy litigation in Australia two years ago.</p>
<p>However, there&#8217;s even better news for some, who have already been given a heads-up that they won&#8217;t have to pay anything.</p>
<p>&#8220;We will identify people who are stealing our product, we will ask them do they have ill health or dire circumstances, and if they do and undertake to stop, we&#8217;ll drop the case,&#8221; Burke says.</p>
<p>While being upfront about such a policy has its pros and cons, Burke is also reducing his range of targets, particularly if likes to be seen as a man of his word, whenever those words were delivered. In March 2016, when he restated his intention to begin suing pirates, he also excluded some other groups from legal action.</p>
<p>“We don’t want to sue 16-year-olds or mums and dads,” Burke <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/australian-movie-giant-considering-legal-action-against-pirates-160311/">said</a>. “It takes 18 months to go through the courts and all that does is make lawyers rich and clog the court system. It’s not effective.”</p>
<p>It will remain to be seen what criteria Village Roadshow ultimately employs but it&#8217;s likely the company will be asked to explain its intentions to the court, when it embarks on the process to discover alleged pirates&#8217; identities. When it&#8217;s decided who is eligible, Burke says the gloves will come off, with pirates being &#8220;pursued vigorously&#8221; and &#8220;sued for damages.&#8221;</p>
<p>While Village Roadshow&#8217;s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Village_Roadshow_Pictures_films">list of films</a> is considerable, any with a specifically Australian slant seem the most likely to feature in any legal action. Burke tends to push the narrative that he&#8217;s looking after local industry so something like Mad Max: Fury Road would be perfect. It would also provide easy pickings for any anti-piracy company seeking to harvest Aussie IP addresses since it&#8217;s still very popular.</p>
<p>Finally, it&#8217;s worth noting that Australians who use pirate streaming services will be completely immune to the company&#8217;s planned lawsuit campaign. However, Burke appears to be tackling that threat using a couple of popular tactics currently being deployed elsewhere by the movie industry.</p>
<p>&#8220;Google are not doing enough and could do a lot more,&#8221; he told The Australian (<a href="https://myaccount.news.com.au/theaustralian/subscribe?pkgDef=TA_SDO_P0415A_W04&#038;directSubscribe=true&#038;b=true&#038;sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_FCF&#038;mode=premium&#038;dest=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/google-failing-to-tackle-piracy-village-roadshows-graham-burke/news-story/f3ac77be6021635eb2a0c26769708cd1">subscription</a>)</p>
<p>Burke said that he was &#8220;shocked&#8221; at how easy it was to find streaming content using Google&#8217;s search so decided to carry out some research of his own at home. He said he found Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk with no difficulty but that came with a sting in the tail.</p>
<p>According to the movie boss, his computer was immediately infected with malware and began asking for his credit card details. He doesn&#8217;t say whether he put them in.</p>
<p>As clearly the world&#8217;s most unlucky would-be movie pirate, Burke deserves much sympathy. It&#8217;s also completely coincidental that Hollywood is now <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/piracy-narrative-isnt-about-ethics-anymore-its-about-danger-170812/">pushing a &#8220;danger&#8221; narrative</a> to keep people away from pirate sites.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143461
title: Court Cracks Down on ‘Future’ Pirate Mayweather-McGregor Streams
uri: Court-Cracks-Down-on-Future-Pirate-Mayweather-McGregor-Streams
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/KzlvSw2UOaA/
content:
<p><img src="media/5c003125.maymac.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/maymac.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="188" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143240" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/maymac.jpg 250w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/maymac-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px">This weekend, the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. will go head-to-head with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.</p>
<p>The fight is not just about prestige, but also about money. Some predict that the unusual matchup could pull in a staggering one billion dollars. </p>
<p>A significant portion of this will go to each of the fighters, but rightsholders such as Showtime benefit as well. </p>
<p>People who want to stream the event live over the Internet will have to cough up between $89.95 and $99.99. This will generate millions of dollars in revenue but the numbers would be even higher if it wasn&#8217;t so easy to stream the fight through pirate sites. </p>
<p>This is why Showtime took some of the most brazen pirate sites <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/showtime-seeks-injunction-to-stop-mayweather-v-mcgregor-piracy-170816/">to court last week</a>, demanding an injunction to stop the pirated streams before they even start. In its complaint, the cable TV provider listed 44 domain names which advertise the fight, urging the court to shut them down pre-emptively. </p>
<p><center><strong>A few of the 44 targeted (sub)domains.</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/a847f90c.maydom.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/maydom.png" alt="" width="600" height="167" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143466"></center></p>
<p>After reviewing the application, United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. approved the preliminary injunction, which forbids the site&#8217;s operators from offering infringing streams. The injunction stays in place until August 28, two days after the event. </p>
<p>While the order is a clear win for Showtime, it&#8217;s unclear how effective it will be. The sites in question are all believed to be connected to LiveStreamHDQ and its alleged operator “Kopa Mayweather,” who Showtime have battled before. </p>
<p>At the time of writing, the sites are all still online, although the language appears to have changed. Many now have articles explaining <a href="https://mayweathervsmcgregor.livestreamhdq.com/">how the fight can be watched legally</a>. Whether it remains that way has to be seen.</p>
<p><center><strong>Updated &#8216;pirate&#8217; site</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/f7333eb1.maynew.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/maynew.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="421" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143491"></center></p>
<p>Interestingly, the injunction doesn&#8217;t mention any domain name registrars or registries. When Showtime applied for similar measures in the past, the company specifically asked to take control of domain names, so these couldn&#8217;t be used for any infringing activity.</p>
<p>That said, the current order applies to the defendants and any others who are &#8220;in active concert or participation&#8221; with them, so this might be enough for domain registrars and other parties to take appropriate action.</p>
<p>Showtime also has the possibility to request updates to the injunction, if needed, but with only a few days to go this has to happen swiftly.</p>
<p>As mentioned earlier, this is not the first time that Showtime has gone after alleged pirates before they get a chance to commit an offense. The company launched similar cases for the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/showtime-and-hbo-sue-over-pre-piracy-150429/">Mayweather vs. Pacquiao</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/showtime-sues-to-block-pirated-mayweather-berto-streams-150909/">Mayweather vs. Berto</a> matchups in 2015.</p>
<p>While these efforts were successful in taking a few pirate sites down, there were plenty of unauthorized streams available when the events started. This time it&#8217;s not likely to be any different. With hundreds of live streaming sites and tools out there, piracy will remain undefeated. </p>
<p><em>&#8212;</p>
<p>A copy of the preliminary injunction is available <a href="media/c47d3a47.mayinjun.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/mayinjun.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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143501
title: MPAA Wins Movie Piracy Case in China After Failed Anti-Piracy Deal
uri: MPAA-Wins-Movie-Piracy-Case-in-China-After-Failed-Anti-Piracy-Deal
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/22iuzG3PQbE/
content:
<p><a href="media/fd7f56e1.mpaa-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/mpaa-1.jpg"><img src="media/1f9a16ec.mpaa-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mpaa-1.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="163" class="alignright size-full wp-image-119098"></a>As one of China’s top 10 Internet companies, Xunlei is a massive operation with hundreds of millions of monthly users.</p>
<p>Among other file-sharing ventures, Xunlei operates ‘Thunder’, the world’s most popular torrent client. This and other almost inevitable copyright-related issues put the company on the radar of the MPAA.</p>
<p>With Xunlei pursuing an IPO in the United States in 2014, relationships with the MPAA began to thaw, resulting in the breakthrough signing of a Content Protection Agreement (<a href="http://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-strikes-anti-piracy-deal-with-torrent-client-creator-140604/">CPA</a>) requiring Xunlei to protect MPAA studio content including movies and TV shows.</p>
<p>But in October 2014, with things clearly not going to plan, the MPAA <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-reports-top-pirate-sites-u-s-government-141027/">reported Xunlei</a> to the U.S. government, complaining of rampant piracy on the service. In January 2015, the MPAA stepped up a gear and sued Xunlei for copyright infringement.</p>
<p>“For too long we have witnessed valuable creative content being taken and monetized without the permission of the copyright owner. That has to stop and stop now,” said MPAA Asia-Pacific chief Mike Ellis.</p>
<p>Now, more than two-and-a-half years later, the case has come to a close. Yesterday, the Shenzhen Nanshan District People&#8217;s Court found Xunlei Networking Technologies Co. guilty of copyright infringement.</p>
<p>The Court found that Xunlei made 28 movie titles (belonging to companies including Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Disney and Warner Bros.) available to the public via its platforms without proper authorization, &#8220;in serious violation&#8221; of the movie group&#8217;s rights.</p>
<p>Xunlei was ordered to cease-and-desist and told to pay compensation of 1.4 million yuan ($210,368) plus the MPA&#8217;s litigation costs of $24,400. In its original complaint, the MPA demanded a public apology from Xunlei but it&#8217;s unclear whether that forms part of the ruling. The outcome was welcomed by the MPA.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are heartened that the court in Shenzhen has found in favor of strong copyright,&#8221; <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mpaa-wins-copyright-infringment-case-chinese-streaming-video-site-1031504">said</a> MPAA Asia-Pacific chief Mike Ellis.</p>
<p>&#8220;The legitimate Chinese film and television industry has worked hard to provide audiences with a wide range of legal options for their audio-visual entertainment — a marketplace that has flourished because of the rights afforded to copyright owners under the law.&#8221;</p>
<p>How the MPAA and Xunlei move ahead from here is unclear. This case has taken more than two-and-a-half years to come to a conclusion so further litigation seems somewhat unlikely, if not unwieldy. Then there&#8217;s the question of the anti-piracy agreement signed in 2014 and whether that is still on the table.</p>
<p>As previously <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/failed-mpaa-xunlei-anti-piracy-deal-is-shocking-150120/">revealed</a>, the agreement not only compelled Xunlei to use pre-emptive content filtering technology but also required the platform to terminate the accounts of people who attempt to infringe copyright in any way. </p>
<p>“[The] filter will identify each and every instance of a user attempting to infringe a studio work, by uploading or downloading,&#8221; an internal MPAA document revealed.</p>
<p>All that being said, the document also contained advice for the MPAA not to sue Xunlei, so at this point anything could happen.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143443
title: Many Film Students Pirate Films for Their Courses
uri: Many-Film-Students-Pirate-Films-for-Their-Courses
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/o01RkxlYlgk/
content:
<p><img src="media/4c8247cf.simpsons-300x126.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/simpsons-300x126.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="126" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-78899" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/simpsons-300x126.jpg 300w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/simpsons.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px">Hollywood leaves no opportunity unused in stressing that piracy is hurting the livelihoods of millions of people who work in the movie industry. </p>
<p>Despite these efforts, many people who have or aspire to a career in the movie industry regularly turn to pirate sites. This includes film students who are required to watch movies for class assignments. </p>
<p>New research by Wendy Rodgers, Humanities Research Liaison Librarian at Memorial University of Newfoundland, reveals that piracy is a common occurrence among film students in Canada. This is the conclusion of an extensive survey among students, professors, and librarians at several large universities.</p>
<p>The results, outlined in a paper titled &#8220;Buy, Borrow, or Steal? Film Access for Film Studies Students,&#8221; show that students know that piracy is illegal. However, more than half admit to having downloaded movies in the past because it&#8217;s more convenient, cheaper, or the only option.</p>
<p>&#8220;92% of students know that downloading copyrighted films through P2P or other free online methods is illegal. Yet 60% have done it anyway, reportedly turning to illegal sources because legal channels were inconvenient, expensive, or unavailable,&#8221; Rodgers writes.</p>
<p>The students are not alone in their deviant behavior. The study reveals that 17% of librarians and 14% of faculty have also pirated films. </p>
<p>Moving on, the students were asked about their methods to access films that are required course material. P2P downloading is popular here as well, with 42% admitting that they &#8220;always&#8221; or &#8220;usually&#8221; pirate these films. Using &#8220;free websites&#8221; was also common for 51% of the students, but this could include both legal platforms and pirate sites.</p>
<p>Buying or renting a DVD is significantly less popular, with 8% and 2% respectively. The same is true for lending from the university library reserve desk, which scored only 22%. </p>
<p>For staff and librarians, it doesn&#8217;t come as a surprise that many students download content illegally. They think the majority of the students use pirate sources, and one of the surveyed professors admits to having an unofficial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy </p>
<p>&#8220;I have made it my policy not to ask HOW the students are viewing the films, since I know most are doing so illegally. I do not encourage this, and I ensure legal access is available, but many students are so used to illegally downloading media that their first instinct is to view the films that way.&#8221;</p>
<p>Among librarians, the piracy habits of students are also well known. The paper quotes a librarian who sometimes points out that certain films are only available on pirate sites, without actively encouraging students to break the law.</p>
<p>&#8220;If a film is out of print or otherwise not legally available in Canada, and if the film might otherwise be available online by nefarious networking means, I will inform patrons of the fact, and advise them that I would never in good conscience advise them to avail themselves of those means. </p>
<p>&#8220;You catch my drift? If they&#8217;re looking for the film it is because they need it for academic purposes, and our protectionist IP regime is sometimes an unfortunate hindrance,&#8221; the librarian stated. </p>
<p>The paper&#8217;s main conclusion is that piracy is widespread among film students, in part because of lacking legal options. It recommends that libraries increase the legal availability of required course material, and lobby the movie industry and government for change.</p>
<p>&#8220;Librarians and educators need to do more to support students, recognizing that the system – not the student – is dysfunctional,&#8221; Rodgers notes.</p>
<p>While students certainly have their own responsibilities, it would make sense to increase streaming options, digitize DVDs when legally possible, and screen more films in class, for example.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p>&#8220;Buy, Borrow, or Steal? Film Access for Film Studies Students&#8221; was <a href="http://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/issue/view/1073">accepted for publication</a> and will appear in a future issue of the College &#038; Research Libraries journal.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143529
title: Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit Secures Funding Until 2019
uri: Police-Intellectual-Property-Crime-Unit-Secures-Funding-Until-2019
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/70_THNL7bLk/
content:
<p><a href="media/57ab39a0.city-pipcu.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/city-pipcu.png"><img src="media/7d486e43.city-pipcu.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/city-pipcu.png" alt="" width="270" height="113" class="alignright size-full wp-image-133985"></a>When compared to the wide range of offenses usually handled by the police, copyright infringement is a relatively rare offense.</p>
<p>Historically most connected to physical counterfeiting, in recent years infringement has regularly featured a significant online component.</p>
<p>Formed four years ago and run by the City of London Police, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) has a mission to tackle IP crime wherever it may take place but with a special online focus. It is tightly linked to the music, movie, and publishing industries so can most often be viewed protecting their products from infringement.</p>
<p>PIPCU announced its arrival in the summer of 2013 and officially launched a few months later in December 2013, complete with £2.56million in funding from the UK government&#8217;s Intellectual Property Office (IPO). However, the unit had been already in operation for some time, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-launch-campaign-to-shut-down-torrent-sites-130604/">writing warning letters</a> to torrent and streaming site advising them to shut down &#8211; or else.</p>
<p>PIPCU&#8217;s initial funding secured the future of the unit until June 2015 but in October 2014, well in advance of that deadline, PIPCU secured <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/anti-piracy-police-pipcu-secure-govt-funding-until-2017-141023/">another £3m</a> from the IPO to fund the unit to September 2017.</p>
<p>Having received £5.56 million in public funds over three years, PIPCU needed to show some bang for its buck. As a result, the unit publicised numerous actions including <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-make-third-pirate-streaming-arrest-140902/">streaming arrests</a>, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-orders-registrars-to-suspend-domains-of-major-torrent-sites-131009/">attempted domain seizures</a>, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/police-confirm-arrests-blackcats-games-operators-161020/">torrent site closures</a> and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/city-of-london-police-launches-pirate-site-blacklist-for-advertisers-140331/">advertising disruptions</a>. PIPCU also <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-streaming-site-admin-several-domains-suspended-140409/">shut down</a> several sports streaming and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/anti-piracy-police-begin-targeting-ebook-pirates-140921/">ebook sites</a> plus a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-operator-torrent-site-proxies-140806/">large number of proxies</a></p>
<p>With August 2017 already upon us, PIPCU should be officially out of funds in a month&#8217;s time but according to the <a href="https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/ip-police-get-3m-boost/5062507.article">Law Gazette</a>, the unit is going nowhere.</p>
<p>An Intellectual Property Office (IPO) spokesperson told the publication that PIPCU has received £3.32m in additional funding from the government which runs from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2019 &#8211; the unit&#8217;s sixth anniversary.</p>
<p>Much of PIPCU&#8217;s more recent activity appears to have been focused in two key areas, both operated under its &#8216;Operation Creative&#8217; banner. The first concerns PIPCU&#8217;s Infringing Website List, which aims to deter advertisers from inadvertently finding &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, PIPCU <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-claim-64-drop-in-mainstream-advertising-on-200-pirate-sites-170303/">claimed</a> success after revealing a 64% drop in &#8220;mainstream advertising&#8221; revenue on 200 unauthorized platforms between January 2016 and January 2017. More recently, PIPCU revealed that gambling advertising, which is often seen on &#8216;pirate&#8217; platforms, had <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-claim-success-in-keeping-gambling-ads-off-pirate-sites-170614/">reduced by 87% on IWL sites</a> over the previous 12 months.</p>
<p>Finally, PIPCU has been taking action alongside local police forces, FACT, Sky, Virgin, BT, and The Premier League, against suppliers of so-called &#8216;fully loaded&#8217; set-top boxes, many featuring Kodi bundled with illicit third party addons. However, after a fairly sustained initial flurry, the last <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/police-bust-pirate-kodi-box-sellers-on-behalf-of-sky-virgin-bt-premier-league-170208/">publicized operation</a> was in February 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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143574
title: Pirate Bay Founders Ordered to Pay Music Labels $477,000
uri: Pirate-Bay-Founders-Ordered-to-Pay-Music-Labels-477-000
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/zXPJtbB7opE/
content:
<p><a href="media/3151e70f.tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg"><img src="media/7b21649b.tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tpb-piratebay-thepiratebay-logo.jpg" alt="" width="256" height="219" class="alignright size-full wp-image-142141"></a>In November 2011, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), with support from Finnish anti-piracy group Copyright Information and Anti-Piracy Center (CIAPC), filed a lawsuit in the Helsinki District Court against The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>IFPI, which represents the world&#8217;s major labels, demanded that the site&#8217;s operators stop facilitating the unauthorized distribution of music and pay compensation to IFPI and CIAPC-affiliated rightsholders for the damages caused through their website.</p>
<p>Progress in the case has been somewhat glacial but this morning, almost six years after the complaint was first filed, a decision was handed down.</p>
<p>Fredrik Neij and Gottfrid Svartholm, two founder members of the site, were ordered by the District Court to cease-and-desist the illegal operations of The Pirate Bay. They were also ordered to jointly and severally pay compensation to IFPI record labels to the tune of 405,000 euros ($477,000).</p>
<p>The Court was reportedly unable to contact Neij (aka TiAMO) or Svartholm (aka Anakata) in connection with the case. With no response received from the defendants by the deadline, the Court heard the case in their absence, handing a default judgment to the plaintiffs.</p>
<p>Last year a similar verdict was handed down by the Helsinki District Court to Pirate Bay co-founder Peter Sunde.</p>
<p>Sony Music Entertainment Finland, Universal Music, Warner Music, and EMI Finland sued Sunde claiming that the music of 60 of their artists has been shared illegally through The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>Sunde was also <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-co-founder-must-pay-record-labels-395000-160616/">found liable</a> in his absence and ordered to pay the major labels around 350,000 euros ($412,000) in damages and 55,000 euros ($65,000) in costs. He later announced plans to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-co-founder-to-sue-record-labels-for-defamation-160621/">sue the labels</a> for defamation.</p>
<p>“I’m a public person in Finland and they’re calling me a criminal when they KNOW I’m not involved in what they’re suing me for,&#8221; Sunde told TorrentFreak at the time. &#8220;It’s defamation.”</p>
<p>Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm, and Peter Sunde all owe large sums of money to copyright holders following decisions relating to The Pirate Bay dating back at least eight years. In all cases, the plaintiffs have recovered nothing so the latest judgment only seems likely to add to the growing list of unpaid bills.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, The Pirate Bay sails on, seemingly oblivious to the news.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143432
title: BREIN Goes After Developers of ‘Pirate’ Kodi Builds
uri: BREIN-Goes-After-Developers-of-Pirate-Kodi-Builds
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/VHpLNAQHS-w/
content:
<p><img src="media/5f9796f8.movies1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/movies1.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="135" class="alignright size-full wp-image-105597">A surge of cheap media players, which often use the open source Kodi software, has made it easy for people to stream video from the Internet directly to their TVs.</p>
<p>The media players themselves are perfectly legal, and the Kodi software is too, but when these are loaded with pirate add-ons, legal issues arise.</p>
<p>Earlier this year the European Court of Justice ruled that <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/streaming-pirate-video-is-illegal-high-court-judge-says-170319/">selling</a> or <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/what-now-for-pirate-boxes-streaming-following-the-ecj-ruling-170429/">using</a> devices pre-configured to obtain copyright-infringing content is illegal. With this decision in hand, anti-piracy group BREIN has pressured dozens of vendors to halt their sales, but the action hasn&#8217;t stopped there. </p>
<p>Aside from going after sellers, BREIN is also targeting people who make &#8220;pirate&#8221; Kodi builds, which are prepackaged bundles of add-ons.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are also going after people who are involved in illegal builds, those with add-ons for unauthorized content,&#8221; BREIN director Tim Kuik confirmed to TorrentFreak without highlighting any specific targets. </p>
<p>Thus far, the group has focused on three &#8216;pirate&#8217; builds and settled with ten people connected to them. </p>
<p>BREIN settlements generally include an agreement not to offer any infringing material in the future. This is also the case here. The developers face a penalty of 500 euros per infringing link per day.</p>
<p>Aside from the Filmspeler (Film Player) judgment of the EU Court of Justice, BREIN&#8217;s actions also use the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-court-not-for-profit-hyperlinking-usually-not-infringement-160908/">Geenstijl ruling</a> as a basis. This confirmed that merely linking to copyrighted works without permission can be seen as infringement, especially when it&#8217;s done with a profit motive.</p>
<p>In addition to targeting developers, BREIN previously announced that it had successfully halted the infringing activities of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/200-pirate-media-player-sellers-shut-down-after-eu-court-ruling-170630/">200 sellers</a> of &#8216;pirate&#8217; media players. </p>
<p>Despite BREIN&#8217;s efforts, there are still plenty of infringing players, builds, and add-ons circulating in the wild, even <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/three-months-on-ebays-total-kodi-ban-doesnt-exist-170711/">on eBay</a>. However, with pressure from various sides, it has become increasingly risky for the people involved, which is a dramatic change compared to a year ago.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143584
title: YouTube Fair Use Case Ends in Victory For h3h3Productions
uri: YouTube-Fair-Use-Case-Ends-in-Victory-For-h3h3Productions
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/QSpybE5odUk/
content:
<p><a href="media/6c444aa6.youtubehappy.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/youtubehappy.png"><img src="media/0052363b.youtubehappy.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/youtubehappy.png" alt="" width="230" height="158" class="alignright size-full wp-image-130150"></a>Hila and Ethan Klein are the duo behind h3h3productions, a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/h3h3productions">YouTube channel</a> dedicated to the comedy found in Internet culture.</p>
<p>With more than 4.6 million subscribers the channel is doing extremely well, but last year faced a fight for its very existence. In May 2016, the pair <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEGVOysbC8w">announced</a> they were being sued by YouTuber Matt Hosseinzadeh, who also produces comedy content and publishes it on his MattHossZone channel.</p>
<p>The problem lay in a video produced by H3h3productions (published on a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/h2h2productions">sister channel</a> in February 2016) in which they poked fun at Hosseinzadeh, using clips of their rival&#8217;s videos for material. The Kleins said this was fair use but Hosseinzadeh viewed it as copyright infringement.</p>
<p>According to the Kleins, Hosseinzadeh initially approached them with settlement offers of a few thousand dollars and also gave them the opportunity to publicly apologize and promote his content. The Kleins refused to back down so at this point, Hosseinzadeh sued for copyright infringement and defamation.</p>
<p>Fighting a lawsuit is extremely expensive but the Kleins received overwhelming support online, particularly via a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/h3h3defensefund">GoFundMe campaign</a> that pulled in over $170,000.</p>
<p>With the legal battle well underway, both sides asked the court for a summary judgment in their favor in advance of a full trial. In a decision handed down yesterday by District Judge Katherine B. Forrest, the Kleins prevailed. In a 21-page ruling, the Judge wastes no time in getting straight to the point.</p>
<p>Describing the Klein&#8217;s video and the critique contained within as &#8220;quintessential criticism and comment&#8221; equivalent to the kind one might find in a film studies class, Judge Forrest goes on to examine the cornerstones of fair use, including the purpose of the work, the amount of copyrighted content used, and the effect of the use of the content on its potential market.</p>
<p>&#8220;Any review of the Klein video leaves no doubt that it constitutes critical commentary of the Hoss video; there is also no doubt that the Klein video is decidedly not a market substitute for the Hoss video,&#8221; Judge Forrest writes, noting that the former effectively transformed the latter into &#8220;fodder for caustic, moment-by-moment commentary and mockery.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;For these and the other reasons set forth below, defendants’ use of clips from the Hoss video constitutes fair use as a matter of law,&#8221; the Judge concludes.</p>
<p>On the defamation front, Hosseinzadeh fared no better, with the Judge noting that truth is an absolute defense to a defamation claim.</p>
<p>&#8220;Further, it is clear that defendants’ comments regarding the lawsuit are either non-actionable opinions or substantially true as a matter of law. For these and the other reasons set forth below, plaintiff’s defamation claim fails. Defendants’ motion for summary judgment is therefore GRANTED, and plaintiff’s motion is DENIED.&#8221;</p>
<p>The news was quickly welcomed by Ethan Klein.</p>
<p><center></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We won the lawsuit. Video coming soon. Huge victory for fair use on YouTube.</p>
<p>&mdash; Ethan Klein (@h3h3productions) <a href="https://twitter.com/h3h3productions/status/900412107434319872">August 23, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>What happens next is largely up to Hosseinzadeh. He still has the opportunity to appeal the case but whether he will take that opportunity given the clarity of the ruling and the additional costs involved will remain to be seen.</p>
<p>In the meantime, the <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3946577-Hosseinzadeh-Klein-ruling.html">decision</a> (via Techcrunch) provides food for thought and guidance for other YouTubers making reaction videos.</p>
<p>The ruling doesn&#8217;t give YouTubers blanket clearance to continue with impunity but does clarify how much content can be used, provided adequate commentary and criticism is present. They&#8217;re valuable guidelines in a notoriously difficult area of copyright law.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143553
title: Pirates Leak Copy of Kim Dotcom Documentary Online
uri: Pirates-Leak-Copy-of-Kim-Dotcom-Documentary-Online
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/QXooc8WM0EM/
content:
<p><img src="media/9f4c8914.kimcaught.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kimcaught.jpg" alt="" width="277" height="186" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143586">In recent years, we have writen dozens of articles on <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tag/kim-dotcom/">Kim Dotcom</a>, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-shut-down-120119/">Megaupload&#8217;s shutdown</a>, and all the intrigue surrounding the case.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a story worth documenting and not just in writing. This is what the people behind the documentary <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/kim-dotcom-caught-in-the-web/id1254277662">Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web</a> realized as well. </p>
<p>With cooperation from the mastermind behind the defunct file-sharing site, they made a thrilling documentary that captures the essence of the story, which is far from over. </p>
<p>This week the film was released to the wider public, made available for sale on various online platforms including iTunes and Amazon Prime. Thus far things are going well, with the movie making its way into various top charts, including a <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/900712906915946496">first place</a> in the iTunes documentary category.</p>
<p>However, if we believe entertainment industry rhetoric, this meteoric rise will soon be all over.</p>
<p>Earlier today the first pirated copies of &#8220;Caught in The Web&#8221; started to appear online. It is widely available on The Pirate Bay, for example, and shows up on various other &#8220;pirate&#8221; download and streaming sites as well.</p>
<p><center><strong>The leaked documentary</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/6517bd61.kimleaked.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kimleaked.png" alt="" width="600" height="480" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143592"></center></p>
<p>Leaks happen every day, and this one&#8217;s not any different. That being said, people who followed the Dotcom saga may appreciate the irony, since Megaupload was a popular destination for pirates as well. So, a chunk of the site&#8217;s former users probably prefers to grab a free version. To sample, of course.</p>
<p>This is especially true for those who hit several roadblocks in trying to access the film from official outlets. Over the past few days, some people complained that &#8220;Caught in the Web&#8221; isn&#8217;t legally available through their preferred legal channel due to geographical restrictions.</p>
<p>Dotcom, still accused by the US Government of depriving copyright holders of $500 million in one of the country&#8217;s largest copyright infringement cases, responded appropriately when a Twitter follower <a href="https://twitter.com/ivoisaev/status/899887836496879616">pointed this out</a>. </p>
<p><center><strong>Not available</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/07bb6612.notav.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/notav.png" alt="" width="600" height="286" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143599"></center></p>
<p>&#8220;They are wondering why people are pirating? If you&#8217;re willing to pay but you can&#8217;t find it legally, why is it your or my fault?&#8221; he wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;If the Megaupload documentary is only available in the US iTunes store then I totally understand if you download or stream it elsewhere,&#8221; Dotcom added in another tweet. </p>
<p>The documentary is available in more countries, but not in all Amazon or iTunes stores. So, with the sympathy of the documentary&#8217;s main subject, people with no legal alternatives don&#8217;t have to feel as bad when they choose to pirate it instead. </p>
<p>That doesn&#8217;t make it less illegal, of course, but we doubt that the makers will actively pursue people for it. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the people who were tasked with distributing the film may want to have another chat with Kim Dotcom. In recent years he has repeatedly sent out a concise list of tips on how to stop piracy. </p>
<p>Worth a read.</p>
<p><center></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">How to stop piracy:<br>1. Create great content<br>2. Make it easy to buy<br>3. Same day global release<br>4. Works on any device<br>5. Fair price</p>
<p>&mdash; Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/380757105298268160">September 19, 2013</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143639
title: Entire Kim Dotcom Spying Operation Was Illegal, High Court Rules
uri: Entire-Kim-Dotcom-Spying-Operation-Was-Illegal-High-Court-Rules
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/iiUOTdw4HXs/
content:
<p><a href="media/29219ba9.megaupload-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/megaupload-logo.jpg"><img src="media/9a9629f5.megaupload-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/megaupload-logo.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="208" class="alignright size-full wp-image-95191"></a>In the months that preceded the January 2012 raid on file-storage site Megaupload, authorities in New Zealand used the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) spy agency to monitor Kim and Mona Dotcom, plus Megaupload co-defendant Bram van der Kolk.</p>
<p>When this fact was revealed it developed into a crisis. The GCSB was forbidden by law from conducting surveillance on its own citizens or permanent residents in the country, which led to former Prime Minister John Key later apologizing for the error.</p>
<p>With Dotcom determined to uncover the truth, the entrepreneur launched legal action in pursuit of the information illegally obtained by GCSB and to obtain compensation. In July, the High Court <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-denied-access-to-illegally-obtained-spy-recordings-170720/">determined</a> that Dotcom wouldn’t get access to the information but it also revealed that the scope of the spying went on <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-spying-fiasco-puts-prime-minister-under-pressure-170725/">much longer</a> than previously admitted, a fact later <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/police-confirms-extra-illegal-spying-on-kim-dotcom-170727/">confirmed</a> by the police.</p>
<p>This raised the specter that not only did the GCSB continue to spy on Dotcom after it knew it was acting illegally, but that an earlier affidavit from a GCSB staff member was suspect.</p>
<p>With the saga continuing to drag on, revelations published in New Zealand this morning indicate that not only was the spying on Dotcom illegal, the entire spying operation &#8211; which included his Megaupload co-defendants &#8211; was too.</p>
<p>The reports are based on documents released by Lawyer Peter Spring, who is acting for Bram van der Kolk and Mathias Ortmann. Spring says that the High Court decision, which dates back to December but has only just been made available, <a href="https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/new-gcsb-illegal-spying-exposed">shows</a> that &#8220;the whole surveillance operation fell outside the authorization of the GCSB legislation as it was at the relevant time&#8221;.</p>
<p>Since Dotcom is a permanent resident of New Zealand, it&#8217;s long been established that the GCSB acted illegally when it spied on him. As foreigners, however, Megaupload co-defendants Finn Batato and Mathias Ortmann were previously considered valid surveillance targets.</p>
<p>It now transpires that the GCSB wasn&#8217;t prepared to mount a defense or reveal its methods concerning their surveillance, something which boosted the case against it.</p>
<p>&#8220;The circumstances of the interceptions of Messrs Ortmann and Batato&#8217;s communications are Top Secret and it has not proved possible to plead to the allegations the plaintiffs have made without revealing information which would jeopardize the national security of New Zealand,&#8221; the Court documents read.</p>
<p>&#8220;As a result the GCSB is deemed to have admitted the allegations in the statement of claim which relate to the manner in which the interceptions were effected.&#8221;</p>
<p>Speaking with <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/337996/spy-agency-s-dotcom-surveillance-illegal-court-rules">RadioNZ</a>, Grant Illingworth, a lawyer representing Ortmann and van der Kolk, said the decision calls the entire GCSB operation into doubt. </p>
<p>&#8220;The GCSB has now admitted that the unlawfulness was not just dependent upon residency issues, it went further. The reason it went further was because it didn&#8217;t have authorization to carry out the kind of surveillance that it was carrying out under the legislation, as it was at that time,&#8221; Illingworth said.</p>
<p>In comments to <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=11911084">NZHerald</a>, Illingworth added that the decision meant that the damages case for Ortmann and van der Kolk had come to an end. He refused to respond to questions of whether damages had been paid or a settlement reached.</p>
<p>He did indicate, however, that there could be implications for the battle underway to have Dotcom, Batato, Ortmann and van der Kolk extradited to the United States.</p>
<p>&#8220;If there was illegality in the arrest and search phase and that illegality has not previously been made known in the extradition context then it could be relevant to the extradition,&#8221; Illingworth said.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143503
title: Florida Court Orders ‘Pirate’ Site KissAsian to Pay 1.8M in Damages
uri: Florida-Court-Orders-Pirate-Site-KissAsian-to-Pay-1-8M-in-Damage
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/1X-I29gG_TQ/
content:
<p><img src="media/1b2c44e2.kissasian-logo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kissasian-logo.png" alt="" width="250" height="99" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143527">ABS-CBN, the largest media and entertainment company in the Philippines, continues its legal campaign against pirate sites in the US.</p>
<p>The company has singled out dozens of streaming sites that offer access to &#8216;Pinoy&#8217; content without permission, both in the US and abroad.</p>
<p>This week a federal court in Florida signed a default judgment against <a href="http://kissasian.com/">KissAsian</a>, one of the biggest targets thus far. Since the defendants failed to show up it was a relatively easy win.</p>
<p>The lawsuit in question was filed in February and accused KissAsian of both copyright and trademark infringement. According to ABS-CBN, the site was using its trademarks and copyrighted content to draw visitors and generate profit.</p>
<p>&#8220;ABS-CBN is suffering irreparable and indivisible injury and has suffered substantial damages as a result of Defendant’sunauthorized and unlawful use of the ABS-CBN Marks and Copyrighted Works,&#8221; the complaint read.</p>
<p>When the operators of the pirate site failed to respond to the allegations, the media company asked for a default judgment. United States District Judge William Dimitrouleas has now approved the company&#8217;s request, granting it $1 million in trademark damages, and another $810,000 for copyright infringement.</p>
<p><center><strong>The order (<a href="media/06092171.kissasian.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kissasian.pdf">pdf</a>)</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/c595ea25.kissanimedamages.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kissanimedamages.png" alt="" width="600" height="204" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143530"></center></p>
<p>In addition, the judge granted a request to hand over the KissAsian.com domain name to ABS-CBN, which hasn&#8217;t happened thus far. </p>
<p>While the order is a clear win for the Philippine media conglomerate, it might be hard to recoup the damages from the unknown operators of the site. In fact, it doesn&#8217;t appear that the site is going to cease its activities anytime soon, as the order requires.</p>
<p>Soon after KissAsian.com was put at risk, the site&#8217;s operators simply relocated to a new domain name; <a href="http://kissasian.ch/">KissAsian.ch</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are transferring domain, new domain is kissasian.ch, and kissasian beta mirror is not working temporarily, it will be done in next 5-10mins. Sorry for the inconvenience!&#8221; a statement on Facebook reads.</p>
<p>And so it continues. </p>
<p><center><img src="media/b1ebdf99.kissasian.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kissasian.png" alt="" width="488" height="211" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143526"></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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143665
title: Darkwood Creators Share Game on The Pirate Bay, For Those Who Can’t Pay
uri: Darkwood-Creators-Share-Game-on-The-Pirate-Bay-For-Those-Who-Can-t
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/MER1Isrnc-U/
content:
<p><img src="media/890da058.Darkwood_cover-e1503734518661.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Darkwood_cover-e1503734518661.png" alt="" width="250" height="142" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143666">Online piracy is an issue that affects many industries, and indie game development is certainly no exception.</p>
<p>While some developers see piracy as an evil that needs to be rooted out as soon as possible, others are more open to the motivations behind it. </p>
<p>The average game fan may not have the financial means to try out all the new titles that come out every month, for example. While these people are not by any means entitled to a free copy, sometimes the human element resonates with developers.</p>
<p>Acid Wizard Studio, the three college friends from Poland behind the horror game Darkwood, started thinking about this when they recently received an email from a desperate young fan. </p>
<p>The person in question wasn&#8217;t a pirate. However, he did request a refund because he was worried that his parents would not like the extra spending.</p>
<p>&#8220;When we read the explanation from someone who wrote that he needed the refund because he didn&#8217;t want his parents to be stressed out when seeing the bill at the end of the month&#8230; well, it made us feel quite bad,&#8221; they explain <a href="https://imgur.com/gallery/xVhDz">on Imgur</a>.</p>
<p><center><strong>Acid Wizard Studio</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/0625a422.acidteam-e1503734618225.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/acidteam-e1503734618225.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="423" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143667"></center></p>
<p>The developers realized that this person wasn&#8217;t alone. Many people had already pirated the game, often for a similar reason, while others use unauthorized key reselling platforms. </p>
<p>How they decided to respond is quite unique though. They uploaded a free copy on The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>&#8220;So we decided to do something about it! If you don&#8217;t have the money and want to play the game, we have a safe torrent on the Pirate Bay of the latest version of Darkwood (1.0 hotfix 3), completely DRM-free. </p>
<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s no catch, no added pirate hats for characters or anything like that.&#8221;</p>
<p>Below is a copy of the <a href="https://thepiratebay.org/torrent/18469605/Darkwood_-_hotfix_3_(developer_s_torrent)">official torrent</a> on The Pirate Bay. Just a few hours after the upload it has gained the attention of thousands of people, who are happily sharing it with others.</p>
<p><center><strong>The official Darkwood torrent</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/08c342df.darktorrent-e1503734729735.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/darktorrent-e1503734729735.png" alt="" width="600" height="452" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143668"></center> </p>
<p>The developers stress that anyone is welcome to grab a free copy. That said, they encourage people who like it and have the means, to buy it later. In any case, people should stay away from key sharing sites, referring to them as the &#8220;cancer&#8221; of the industry.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have just one request: if you like Darkwood and want us to continue making games, consider buying it in the future, maybe on a sale, through Steam, GOG or Humble Store. But please, please, don&#8217;t buy it through any key reselling site. By doing that, you&#8217;re just feeding the cancer that is leeching off this industry.&#8221;</p>
<p>People who are into horror games can download a <a href="https://thepiratebay.org/torrent/18469605/Darkwood_-_hotfix_3_(developer_s_torrent)">copy of the game here</a>, or <a href="http://www.darkwoodgame.com/">buy it here</a>. The Imgur post with the full story of the developers, spotted via <a href="http://www.pcgamer.com/darkwood-creators-upload-the-full-game-to-the-pirate-bay-so-everyone-can-play-it/">PC Gamer</a>, is <a href="https://imgur.com/gallery/xVhDz">well worth a read too</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143624
title: Live Mayweather v McGregor Streams Will Thrive On Torrents Tonight
uri: Live-Mayweather-v-McGregor-Streams-Will-Thrive-On-Torrents-Tonight
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/3dQE23Cj5Hc/
content:
<p><a href="media/2c7b73dc.acestream-logo.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/acestream-logo.png"><img src="media/1c7c8712.acestream-logo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/acestream-logo.png" alt="" width="220" height="212" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143629"></a>Tonight, August 26, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Floyd Mayweather Jr. will finally meet UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor in what is being billed as the biggest fight in boxing history.</p>
<p>Although tickets for inside the arena are still available for those with a lot of money to burn, most fans will be viewing on a screen of some kind, whether that&#8217;s in a cinema, sports bar, or at home in front of a TV.</p>
<p>The fight will be available on Showtime in the United States but the promoters also say they&#8217;ve done their best to make it accessible to millions of people in dozens of countries, with varying price tags dependent on region. Nevertheless, due to generally high prices, it&#8217;s likely that untold thousands around the world will attempt to watch the fight without paying.</p>
<p>That will definitely be possible. Although Showtime has won a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-cracks-down-on-future-pirate-mayweather-mcgregor-streams-170821/">pre-emptive injunction</a> to stop some sites offering the fight, many hundreds of others are likely to fill in the gaps, offering generally lower-quality streams to the eager masses. Whether all of these sites will be able to cope with what could be unprecedented demand will remain to be seen, but there is one method that will thrive under the pressure.</p>
<p>Torrent technology is best known for offering content after it&#8217;s aired, whether that&#8217;s the latest episode of Game of Thrones or indeed a recording of the big fight scheduled for the weekend. However, what most &#8216;point-and-click&#8217; file-sharers won&#8217;t know is that there&#8217;s a torrent-based technology that offers live sporting events week in, week out.</p>
<p>Without going into too many technical details, <a href="http://wiki.acestream.org/wiki/index.php/AceStream_3.0/en">AceStream / Ace Player HD</a> is a torrent engine built into the ever-popular VLC media player. It&#8217;s available on Windows, Android and Linux, costs nothing to install, and is incredibly easy to use.</p>
<p>Where regular torrent clients handle both .torrent files and magnet links, AceStream relies on an AceStream Content ID to find streams to play instead. This ID is a hash value (similar to one seen in magnet links, but prefaced with &#8216;acestream://&#8217;) which relates to the stream users want to view.</p>
<p>Once found, these can be copied to the user&#8217;s clipboard and pasted into the &#8216;Open Ace Stream Content ID&#8217; section of the player&#8217;s file menu. Click &#8216;play&#8217; and it&#8217;s done &#8211; it really is that simple.</p>
<p><center><b>AceStream is simplicity itself</b><a href="media/c2951817.acestream1.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/acestream1.png"><img src="media/c39aa377.acestream1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/acestream1.png" alt="" width="800" height="534" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143625"></a></center></p>
<p>Of course, any kind of content &#8211; both authorized and unauthorized &#8211; can be streamed and shared using AceStream and there are hundreds of live channels available, some in very high quality, 24/7. Inevitably, however, there&#8217;s quite an emphasis on premium content from sports broadcasters around the world, with fresh links to content shared on a daily basis.</p>
<p>The screenshot below shows a typical AceStream Content ID indexing site, with channels on the left, AceStream Content IDs in the center, plus language and then stream speed on the far right. <em>(Note: TF has redacted the links since many will still be live at time of publication)</em></p>
<p><center><b>A typical AceSteam Content ID listing</b><a href="media/bf3e2d36.acestream2.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/acestream2.png"><img src="media/8b4a2545.acestream2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/acestream2.png" alt="" width="900" height="467" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143627"></a></center></p>
<p>While streams of most major TV channels are relatively easy to find, specialist channels showing PPV events are a little bit more difficult to discover. For those who know where to look, however, the big fight will be only a cut-and-paste away and in much better quality than that found on most web-based streaming portals.</p>
<p>All that being said, for torrent enthusiasts the magic lies in the ability of the technology to adapt to surging demand. While websites and streams wilt under the load Saturday night, it&#8217;s likely that AceStream streams will thrive under the pressure, with viewers (downloaders/streamers) also becoming distributors (uploaders) to others watching the event unfold.</p>
<p>With this in mind, it&#8217;s worth noting that while AceStream is efficient and resilient, using it to watch infringing content is illegal in most regions, since simultaneous uploading also takes place. Still, that&#8217;s unlikely to frighten away enthusiasts, who will already be aware of the risks and behind a VPN.</p>
<p>Ace Streams do have an Achilles heel though. Unlike a regular torrent swarm, where the initial seeder can disappear once a full copy of the movie or TV show is distributed around other peers, AceStreams are completely reliant on the initial stream seeder at all times. If he or she disappears, the live stream dies and it is all over. For this reason, people looking to stream often have a couple of extra stream hashes standing by.</p>
<p>But for big fans (who also have the money to spend, of course), the decision to pirate rather than pay is one not to be taken lightly. The fight will be a huge spectacle that will probably go down in history as the biggest combat sports event of all time. If streams go down early, that moment will be gone forever, so forget telling your kids about the time you watched McGregor knock out Mayweather in 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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143682
title: Mystery Codes Appear in ‘Pirate’ Mayweather v McGregor Streams
uri: Mystery-Codes-Appear-in-Pirate-Mayweather-v-McGregor-Streams
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/wSszPeuMPjA/
content:
<p><a href="media/8d79d9e5.barcode-pirate.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/barcode-pirate.jpg"><img src="media/75cdc0c7.barcode-pirate.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/barcode-pirate.jpg" alt="" width="125" height="125" class="alignright size-full wp-image-11328"></a>For many hardcore boxing fans, it was the fight that should never have taken place. But last night, undefeated legend Floyd Mayweather stepped into the ring against UFC lightweight champion and supposed boxing novice, Conor McGregor.</p>
<p>A known slow starter, Mayweather came out true to form, arguably losing the first three rounds to the brash Irishman who had previously promised to bounce the 40-year-old&#8217;s head off the canvas in round one. But by round 10 it was all over, with McGregor running out of gas and with no answer to Mayweather&#8217;s increasingly vicious punches. TKO Mayweather.</p>
<p>While viewing figures won&#8217;t be in for some time, the event is likely to have been a massive PPV success all over the world, with millions tuning in for what turned out to be a value-for-money event. But despite widespread availability, it&#8217;s likely that hundreds of thousands &#8211; maybe even millions &#8211; tuned into the fight from unofficial sources. Interestingly, some of those had a little extra something thrown in for free.</p>
<p>During the fight, TF received an unsubstantiated report that an unusual watermark was being embedded into streams originally broadcast by Sky Box Office in the UK. The message we received simply told us there were codes on the screen, but we were unable to get any further information from the source who had already gone offline.</p>
<p>Quick inquiries with two other sources watching pirate streams confirmed that codes had appeared on their screens too. One managed to take a series of photographs which are included below. <em>(Note: portions of the code are redacted to protect the source)</em></p>
<p><center><b>The mystery sequence of numbers</b><a href="media/9a71160a.Fight2a.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Fight2a.jpg"><img src="media/b8025865.Fight2a.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight2a.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143691" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight2a.jpg 800w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight2a-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"></a></center></p>
<p>The letter and number combinations briefly appeared in 20 to 23 sets of pairs, which according to the images seen by TF stayed the same throughout the broadcast. It is possible there was some variation but nothing we&#8217;ve seen suggests that. The big question, of course, is why they were put there and by whom.</p>
<p>According to our sources, these codes didn&#8217;t appear when the main action was taking place but when the camera turned to people in each corner. Since no digits appeared over the top of the fight itself, it might suggest that they were put there by a broadcaster, in this instance Sky Box Office, who were licensed to show the fight in the UK.</p>
<p>If that was indeed the case, it&#8217;s certainly possible that the sequence of numbers would allow Sky to track the illicit stream back to a subscriber and/or a set-top box tied to a particular account. Since that subscriber has then re-streamed that content back online illegally, the code would act as a homing beacon and could spell bad news for the individual involved.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/3dabaadd.Fight1a.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Fight1a.jpg"><img src="media/6189187c.Fight1a.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight1a.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143690" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight1a.jpg 800w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight1a-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"></a></center></p>
<p>The other possibility is that the codes were not put there by Sky or another official broadcaster in the chain, but by someone in the illicit streaming market. Pirate streams are vulnerable to being &#8216;stolen&#8217; in much the same way that official streams are, so it&#8217;s possible that a provider wanted to keep tabs on where its streams were ending up.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/9cece0d9.Fight3a.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Fight3a.jpg"><img src="media/7f85b00c.Fight3a.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight3a.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143692" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight3a.jpg 800w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/Fight3a-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"></a></center></p>
<p>The big question is why, with all the sophisticated technology available in 2017, were the watermark codes so visible? It&#8217;s possible to track content pretty much invisibly these days, so this overt display isn&#8217;t really necessary, if it was put there by professionals, that is.</p>
<p>Of course, by being this obvious there might be a little bit of psychological warfare at play by whoever put the codes on the screen. Or, indeed, there might be a more benign explanation relating to certain equipment used in the process.</p>
<p>Only time will tell, but it&#8217;s safe to say that neither Mayweather nor McGregor will be too worried, having bagged hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from the showpiece event.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=142116
title: Philips Wants to Stop Piracy With ‘Ambilight’ Technology
uri: Philips-Wants-to-Stop-Piracy-With-Ambilight-Technology
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/m1lnnvtNJ0s/
content:
<p><img src="media/86342ead.theater-movie-cinema.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/theater-movie-cinema.png" alt="" width="275" height="164" class="alignright size-full wp-image-142135" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/theater-movie-cinema.png 275w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/theater-movie-cinema-220x130.png 220w" sizes="(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px">The movie industry sees illegally recorded movies as one of the biggest piracy threats and goes to extremes to stop it.</p>
<p>Over the years, movie theaters have used audio and video watermarking tools to detect pirates, for example. And during prominent events, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/metal-detectors-and-night-vision-goggles-now-used-to-catch-pirates/">night-vision goggles</a> and other spy tech is used to monitor movie goers.</p>
<p>Most anti-piracy efforts are not particularly pleasing for the public, but a new technology from Philips hopes to change this. In a recent <a href="http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&#038;Sect2=HITOFF&#038;p=1&#038;u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&#038;r=2&#038;f=G&#038;l=50&#038;co1=AND&#038;d=PG01&#038;s1=piracy&#038;OS=piracy&#038;RS=piracy">patent application</a> the technology company proposes an ambient lighting system for movie theaters that will hinder pirate recordings.</p>
<p>&#8220;The major motion picture studios are losing large amounts of money due to piracy. The worldwide motion picture industry, distributors, theaters, video stores and pay-per-view operators, lose each year billions of dollars as a result of piracy,&#8221; the company begins.</p>
<p>Philips notes that many of the current security measures, such as watermarking, make piracy traceable. However, they don&#8217;t prevent actual recording and distribution. Watermarks can be simply rendered useless if pirates remove them afterwards, for example.</p>
<p>&#8220;The problem with current security measures in digital cinema is that they do not prevent pirates from filming the content from the cinema screen. Watermarks can help to identify the source of pirate content, but it does not prevent the actual copying and spreading of the content.&#8221; </p>
<p>The ambient lighting solution is different and Philips believes that it could reduce piracy substantially. </p>
<p>The concept is quite easy. By shining light on the visitors from the side, at a certain frequency, the pirate recordings will be severely degraded up to a point where they&#8217;ll become completely unwatchable. </p>
<p>&#8220;The solution proposed here is to shine visible light from an (additional) light source with a pre-determined modulation frequency at the cinema screen while the movie plays,&#8221; the patent application reads. </p>
<p>&#8220;When the frequency is chosen well, a camera will not be able to properly film the content, because the light source runs out of sync with the camera resulting in stripes running through the movie content.&#8221; </p>
<p><center><img src="media/a0609856.ambientmess.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ambientmess.png" alt="" width="600" height="375" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-142128"></center></p>
<p>The idea is partly inspired by Philips existing Ambilight technology for TVs. This generates lighting effects around the TV that correspond to the video content. The cinema setup will do the same while hindering pirates in the process. A win-win situation, according to Philips. </p>
<p>&#8220;It is yet a further aspect to provide a more immersive experience when watching video content on a display device in combination with anti-piracy measures,&#8221; the patent application reads.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s unclear whether there are concrete plans to roll out the technology at movie theaters. Philips, however, is no stranger to these type of anti-piracy solutions. The company previously rolled out CineFence, a forensic marking technology for both image and sound, targeted at digital cinema content.</p>
<p>In any case, it&#8217;s a good marketing message to get movie theaters to try ambient lighting. Whether it&#8217;s really effective has yet to be seen though.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143662
title: Piracy Fines For Dutch Pirates, Starting This Autumn
uri: Piracy-Fines-For-Dutch-Pirates-Starting-This-Autumn
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/uhf2xU4h7Kk/
content:
<p><a href="media/67ffec03.trollsign.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/trollsign.jpg"><img src="media/17a592c8.trollsign.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/trollsign.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-108977"></a>In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that the “piracy levy”, used in the Netherlands to compensate rightsholders for illicit downloading, was unlawful. In the immediate aftermath, downloading from unauthorized sources was banned.</p>
<p>Three years on and illegal downloading is still considered by rightsholders to be a problem that needs to be brought under control. This means that BitTorrent users are the number one target since their activities also involve uploading, something that most courts consider to be a relatively serious offense.</p>
<p>With that in mind, Dutch film distributor Dutch Filmworks (DFW) is <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dutch-film-distributor-to-target-bittorrent-users-for-cash-fines-170802/">preparing a wave</a> of anti-piracy activity that looks set to mimic the copyright-trolling activities of similar outfits all over the world.</p>
<p>A recent application to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens), revealed that DFW wishes to combat “the unlawful dissemination of copyright protected works” by monitoring the activities of BitTorrent users.</p>
<p>“DFW intends to collect data from people who exchange files over the Internet through BitTorrent networks. The data processing consists of capturing proof of exchange of files via IP addresses for the purpose of researching involvement of these users in the distribution or reproduction of copyrighted works,” it reads.</p>
<p>People who are monitored sharing DFW titles (the company says it intends to track people sharing dozens of releases) will get a letter with an offer to settle in advance of being taken to court. Speaking with <a href="http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2017/08/dutch-filmworks-threatens-stiff-fines-for-illegal-downloads-from-this-autumn/">NOS</a>, DFW CEO Willem Pruijsserts now reveals that the campaign will begin in the autumn.</p>
<p>“[The lettter] will propose a fee,” he says. “If someone does not agree [to pay], the organization can start a lawsuit.”</p>
<p>Quite how much DFW will ask for is not yet clear, but Pruijsserts says the Dutch model will be more reasonable than similar schemes underway in other regions.</p>
<p>“In Germany, this costs between €800 and €1,000, although we find this a bit excessive. But of course it has to be a deterrent, so it will be more than a tenner or two,” he said.</p>
<p>In comments to <a href="https://www.rtlz.nl/tech/dutch-filmworks-opent-jacht-op-illegale-downloaders">RTLZ</a>, Pruijsserts confirmed &#8216;fines&#8217; of at least hundreds of euros.</p>
<p>According to documents filed with the Dutch data protection authority, DFW will employ an external German-based tracking company to monitor alleged pirates which will “automatically participate in swarms in which works from DFW are being shared.” The company has been named by RTL Z as German company Excipion, which could be linked to the monitoring outfit <a href="https://www.tecxipio.com/">Tecxipio</a>, which began as Excipio.</p>
<p>In conversation with NOS, Pruijsserts said that &#8220;hundreds of thousands&#8221; of people watched films like Mechanic: Resurrection without paying. This particular movie is notable for appearing in many piracy cases in the United States. It is one of the titles pursued relentlessly by lawyers acting in concert with notorious copyright-trolling outfit Guardaley.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most crucial element moving forward is whether DFW will be able to get ISPs to cooperate in handing over the personal details of allegedly infringing subscribers. Thus far, ISPs Ziggo and KPN have indicated they won&#8217;t do so without a court order, so further legal action will be required for DFW to progress.</p>
<p>When DFW&#8217;s application for discovery is heard by the court, it will be interesting to see how far the ISPs dig into the anti-piracy scheme. Finding out more about Guardaley, if the company is indeed involved, would be an intriguing approach, especially given the outfit&#8217;s tendency to scurry away (<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-troll-backs-down-when-faced-with-exposure-161109/">1</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-troll-piracy-witness-went-back-to-the-future-and-lost-170526/">2</a>) when coming under intense scrutiny.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143716
title: Mayweather vs. McGregor Caused Massive Surge in Streaming Piracy
uri: Mayweather-vs-McGregor-Caused-Massive-Surge-in-Streaming-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AhxaIcybpNM/
content:
<p><img src="media/5c003125.maymac.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/maymac.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="188" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143240" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/maymac.jpg 250w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/maymac-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px">The boxing matchup between Mayweather and McGregor was an unusual sporting event in many ways, not least financially. </p>
<p>With close to a billion dollars at stake, various rightsholders did their best to ensure that piracy was kept to a minimum. </p>
<p>However, despite <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-cracks-down-on-future-pirate-mayweather-mcgregor-streams-170821/">an injunction</a> against pirate streaming sites and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mystery-codes-appear-in-pirate-mayweather-v-mcgregor-streams-170827/">mysterious tracking codes</a> embedded in streams, they were easily defeated.  </p>
<p>New data published by Canadian broadband management company <a href="https://www.sandvine.com/">Sandvine</a> reveals that there was a massive surge in live streaming piracy around the fight. The company monitored traffic at a fixed access tier-1 network in North America and found that many people tuned into pirate IPTV services. </p>
<p>Generally speaking, a single pirate live streaming channel never accounts for more than five percent of the total bandwidth generated by these unauthorized broadcasts. However, it was quite different last weekend.</p>
<p>&#8220;On Saturday that all changed, as the report below shows: at its peak, the pirated UFC and PPV channels for the  Mayweather/McGregor fight accounted for 50% of all pirate TV streams,&#8221; <a href="https://www.sandvine.com/">Sandvine</a> notes.</p>
<p><center><strong>Streaming piracy boost</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/8bbb85ba.Mayweather-McGregor-Traffic-Share.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Mayweather-McGregor-Traffic-Share.png" alt="" width="693" height="349" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143725"></center></p>
<p>According to Sandvine, roughly 8% of the sampled subscribers have pirate live streaming devices at their homes and many of these were tuning into the fight between Mayweather and McGregor. </p>
<p>Towards the end of the event, 3.5 percent of total bandwidth consumed on the network came from these pirate streams. To give an illustration of the traffic that was generated, Sandvine notes that the unauthorized boxing streams totaled more traffic than Twitch, Facebook, and Instagram together.</p>
<p><center><strong>Streaming piracy market share</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/9cb7a3b5.Mayweather-McGregor-Total-Traffic-Share-768x372.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/Mayweather-McGregor-Total-Traffic-Share-768x372.png" alt="" width="768" height="372" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143729"></center></p>
<p>While the figures are based on a sample of North American fixed access network traffic, Sandvine believes that it provides a good indication of the total traffic. In the near future, the company plans to release more details on this pirate streaming trend, to better understand what&#8217;s going on. </p>
<p>Sandvine informed TorrentFreak that the current numbers apply to pirate IPTV services, not the live streams that people watch in their regular browser. </p>
<p>This means that the complete piracy numbers are even higher. There is a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/live-mayweather-v-mcgregor-streams-will-thrive-on-torrents-tonight-170826/">wide variety</a> of live streaming options available to pirates, and tracking outfit Irdeto <a href="https://irdeto.com/news/239-illegal-streams-detected-for-mayweather-vs-mcgregor.html">estimates</a> that close to 3 million people watched streams through YouTube, Facebook, Periscope and various pirate streaming sites.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s safe to say that in theory, the rightsholders could have made millions more. But then again, with hundreds of millions fresh in the bank, they&#8217;re not doing too badly at the moment.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143718
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 08/28/17
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-08-28-17
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/hGBlgTq7HGU/
content:
<p><img src="media/a1b3b674.hitmansbo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hitmansbo.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143720">This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Hitman&#8217;s Bodyguard 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>
<h5>This week&#8217;s most downloaded movies are:</h5>
<table class="css hover">
<thead>
<tr>
<th width="12%"><strong>Movie Rank</strong></th>
<th width="15%"><strong>Rank <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-bittorrent-082117/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1959563/">Hitman&#8217;s Bodyguard</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1959563/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4Afusxc2SM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3896198/">Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3896198/?">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duGqrYw4usE">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1469304/">Baywatch</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1469304/">5.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyKOgnaf0BU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mummy-2017-torrent-downloads/">The Mummy 2017</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2345759/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzorZUuZqEI">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/wonder-woman-torrent-downloads/">Wonder Woman</a> (Subbed HDrip)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279/">8.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8fG0TtVAY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972591/">King Arthur: Legend of the Sword</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972591/">7.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rbPTQIdjmY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2250912/">Spider-Man: Homecoming</a> (HDTS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2250912/">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0D3AOldjMU">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2091256/">Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2091256/">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDm_2m-Hg6c">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/boss-baby-torrent-downloads/">The Boss Baby</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3874544/">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tquIfapGVqs">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3469046/">Despicable Me 3</a> (HDTS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3469046/">6.4</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euz-KBBfAAo">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143738
title: Game of Thrones Piracy Peaks After Season Finale
uri: 2017-08-28-Game-of-Thrones-Piracy-Peaks-After-Season-Finale
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/KDpr0ihC7Pc/
content:
<p><img src="media/821a106b.got-thrones7-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/got-thrones7-1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="180" class="alignright size-full wp-image-142026">The seventh season of Game of Thrones has been the most-viewed thus far, with record-breaking TV ratings.</p>
<p>Traditionally, the season finale is among the most-viewed episodes of the season. This is true on official channels, but also on pirate sites.</p>
<p>Despite numerous legal options, Game of Thrones remains extremely popular among pirates. Minutes after the official broadcast ended last night people flocked to various torrent and streaming sites, to watch it for free. </p>
<p>Looking at the torrent download numbers we see that the latest episode is topping all previous ones of this season. At the time of writing, more than 400,000 people were actively sharing one of the many available torrents.</p>
<p><center><strong>Some of the more popular GoT torrents</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/dede9de2.gotfinal.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/gotfinal.png" alt="" width="609" height="285" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143779"></center></p>
<p>While the demand is significant, there is no all time “<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/game-of-thrones-season-finale-breaks-piracy-record-150615/">swarm record</a>” as we saw two years ago. </p>
<p>In part, this may be due to improved legal options, but the recent rise of pirate streaming sites and services are also &#8216;stealing&#8217; traffic. While there is no hard data available, millions of people now use streaming sites and services to watch pirated episodes of Game of Thrones.</p>
<p>Record or not, there is little doubt that Game of Thrones will end up being the most pirated show of the year once again. That will be the sixth year in a row, which is unprecedented.</p>
<p>In recent years, HBO has tried to contain piracy by sending DMCA takedown notices to pirate sites. In addition, the company also <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/game-thrones-pirates-monitored-hbo-warnings-way-170719/">warned</a> tens of thousands of BitTorrent downloaders directly. Nonetheless, many people still find their way to this unofficial market.</p>
<p>While HBO has grown used to mass-scale piracy in recent years, it encountered some other major setbacks this season. Hackers <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hackers-leak-more-confidential-game-of-thrones-files-170808/">leaked</a> preliminary outlines of various episodes before they aired. The same hackers also threatened to release the season finale, but that never happened. </p>
<p>There were two episode leaks this year, but these were unrelated to the aforementioned. The fourth episode <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/next-game-of-thrones-episode-leaks-online-170804/">leaked</a> through the Indian media processing company Prime Focus Technologies, which resulted in several <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/game-of-thrones-pirates-arrested-for-leaking-episode-early-170814/">arrests</a>. Two weeks later, HBO Spain <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/game-of-thrones-episode-s07e06-leaks-online-early-170816/">accidentally</a> made the sixth episode public days in advance, which spread online soon after.</p>
<p>On the upside. Piracy aside, the interest of the media and millions of &#8216;legal&#8217; viewers appears to be on a high as well, so there&#8217;s certainly something left to celebrate.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143749
title: Police Confiscate 245 ‘Pirate’ Media Players
uri: Police-Confiscate-245-Pirate-Media-Players
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/5irEjaOn3sg/
content:
<p><img src="media/b83bd568.exodus-movies.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/exodus-movies.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="181" class="alignright size-full wp-image-134675">More and more people are starting to use &#8220;fully-loaded&#8221; set-top boxes to stream video content directly to their TVs.</p>
<p>Although the media players themselves can be used for perfectly legal means, third-party add-ons turn them into pirate machines, providing access to movies, TV-shows and IPTV channels.</p>
<p>Over the past several years, there has been little enforcement effort on this front. However, this changed earlier this year, when the European Court of Justice <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/streaming-pirate-video-is-illegal-high-court-judge-says-170319/">ruled</a> that selling devices pre-configured to obtain copyright-infringing content is illegal.</p>
<p>The hardware can still be sold and media player software such as Kodi is legal too, but vendors who ship boxes with pirate add-ons could get a letter or visit from rightsholders. Dutch anti-piracy outfit BREIN is particularly active on this front and has convinced <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/200-pirate-media-player-sellers-shut-down-after-eu-court-ruling-170630/">hundreds of sellers</a> to clean up shop.</p>
<p>One of these vendors, located in The Hague, recently promised that it would stop offering these boxes. However, BREIN <a href="https://stichtingbrein.nl/nieuws.php?id=472">discovered</a> that while the pirate media players disappeared from the online store, they were still sold in the bricks-and-mortar store.</p>
<p>The anti-piracy group obviously wasn&#8217;t happy with this and reported the shop owner to the local police, who went in and confiscated 245 &#8220;pirate&#8221; media players a few days ago. </p>
<p>&#8220;We summoned this merchant to stop but, despite his promise to do so, he continued. We have therefore reported it to the police. These players cause great damage because people no longer pay for the movies and series they watch,&#8221; BREIN director Tim Kuik says.</p>
<p>It is now up to the authorities to determine if any further action is needed. BREIN expects that the prosecutor&#8217;s office will try to settle the case with a fine, but if the vendor refuses to pay it may also lead to a prosecution. At the same time, BREIN also has the option to file a civil case.</p>
<p>Although BREIN&#8217;s actions usually don&#8217;t result in criminal prosecutions, the anti-piracy group continues to pressure people who are involved in selling and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/brein-goes-after-developers-of-pirate-kodi-builds-170823/">developing</a> these platforms. Ultimately, they hope that this will deter others from getting involved.</p>
<p>Earlier this year the Motion Picture Association described pirate media players as a major threat, dubbing them &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-sees-illegal-streaming-devices-as-piracy-3-0-170502/">Piracy 3.0</a>.&#8221; While this threat is far from over, it has definitely become riskier for people to get involved in developing and selling these boxes.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143793
title: Steal This Show S03E07: ‘Connecting The Counterculture’
uri: Steal-This-Show-S03E07-Connecting-The-Counterculture
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/uDt_dUmOiH8/
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"><strong><sup><em>If you enjoy this episode, consider becoming a patron and getting involved with the show. <a href="https://patreon.com/user?u=4275705">Check out Steal This Show&#8217;s Patreon campaign</a>: support us and get all kinds of&nbsp;fantastic benefits!</em></sup></strong></p>
<p>In this episode, we meet <a href="https://twitter.com/elimisteve">Steve Phillips</a> of <a href="https://stealthisshow.com/s03e05/">The Pursuance Project</a>. Pursuance is a new tool for organising activists and journalists online which springs directly from the work of journalist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrett_Brown">Barrett Brown</a> and Barrett&#8217;s experience handling the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_Stratfor_email_leak">Stratfor</a> HBGary leaks around 2012-2013, which resulted in him going to prison. </p>
<p>We discuss the tech behind the Panama Papers and Snowden leaks, the details behind the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HBGary">HB Gary leaks</a>, how Steve was inspired by the story of Anonymous&#8217; first big online hit and how organizational tools are the new frontier online &#8211; whether for corporate teams or activist groups.<br>
&#8212;</p>
<p><a href="https://stealthisshow.com">Steal This Show</a> aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing copyright and file-sharing news. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary, and analysis. </p>
<p>The guests for our news discussions will vary, and we&#8217;ll aim to introduce voices from different backgrounds and persuasions. In addition to news, STS will also produce features interviewing some of the great innovators and minds. </p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Jamie King</p>
<p><strong>Guest:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/elimisteve">Steve Phillips</a></p>
<p><center><iframe width="100%" height="180px" src="//stealthisshow.com/?lpe-frame=1&#038;lpe-season=3&#038;lpe-episode=07" 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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143787
title: Renowned Kodi Addon Developer MetalKettle Calls it Quits
uri: Renowned-Kodi-Addon-Developer-MetalKettle-Calls-it-Quits
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/QUvsrnHzhzE/
content:
<p><a href="media/cc16c596.metalkettle.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/metalkettle.jpg"><img src="media/5248e5a3.metalkettle.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/metalkettle.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143791"></a>After dominating the piracy landscape for more than a decade, BitTorrent now shares the accolades with web streaming. The latter is often easier to understand for novices, which has led to its meteoric rise.</p>
<p>Currently, software like Kodi grabs most of the headlines. The software is both free and legal but when it&#8217;s augmented with third-party addons, it&#8217;s transformed into a streaming piracy powerhouse. As a result, addon developers and distributors are coming under pressure these days.</p>
<p>Numerous cases are already underway, notably against addon repository TVAddons and the developer behind third-party addon ZemTV. Both are being <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dish-network-sues-zemtv-and-tv-addons-for-copyright-infringement-170605/">sued in the United States</a> by Dish Networks but the case filed against TVAddons in Canada is the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-returns-ugly-war-canadian-telcos-kodi-addons-170801/">most controversial</a>. It&#8217;s already proven <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-decimated-without-trial-heres-a-view-of-the-damage-170820/">massively costly</a> for its operator, who has been forced to ask the public for donations to keep up the fight.</p>
<p>With this backdrop of legal problems for prominent players, it&#8217;s no surprise that other people involved in the addon scene are considering their positions. This morning brings yet more news of retirement, with one of the most respected addon developers and distributors deciding to call it a day.</p>
<p>Over the past three to four years, the name MetalKettle has become synonymous not only with high-quality addons but also the MetalKettle addon repository, which was previously a leading go-to location for millions of Kodi users.</p>
<p>But now, &#8216;thanks&#8217; to the increased profile of the Kodi addon scene, the entire operation will shrink away to avoid further negative attention. <em>(Statement published verbatim)</em></p>
<p>&#8220;Over the past year or so Kodi has become more mainstream and public we&#8217;ve all seen the actions of others become highlighted legally, with authorities determined to target 3rd party addons making traction. This has eventually caused me to consider &#8216;what if?&#8217; &#8211; the result of which never ends well in my mind,&#8221; MetalKettle writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;With all this said I have decided to actively give up 3rd party addon development (at least for the time being) and concentrate on being a husband and father.&#8221;</p>
<p>The news that MetalKettle will now fall silent will be sad news for the Kodi scene, after hosting plenty of addons over the years including UK Turks, UKTV Again, Xmovies8, Cartoons8, Toonmania, TV Mix, Sports Mix, Live Mix, Watch1080p, and MovieHut, to name just a few.</p>
<p>The distribution of these addons and others ultimately placed MetalKettles on the official Kodi repository <a href="http://kodi.wiki/view/Official:Forum_rules/Banned_add-ons">blacklist</a>, banned for providing access to premium content without authorization.</p>
<p>More recently, however, MetalKettle joined the Colossus Kodi repository but it seems likely that particular alliance will now come to an end. Whether other developers will take on any of the existing MetalKettle addons is unclear.</p>
<p>Signing off to his fans during the past few hours, MetalKettle (MK) thanked everyone for their support over the past several years.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s much appreciated and made this all worthwhile,&#8221; MK said.</p>
<p>While plenty of people contribute to the Kodi scene, it can be quite a hostile environment for those who step out of line. The same cannot be said of MK, as evidenced by the <a href="https://twitter.com/metal_kettle/status/902264028524896257">outpouring of gratitude</a> from his associates on Twitter.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143707
title: Piracy ‘Disaster’ Strikes The Hitman’s Bodyguard
uri: Piracy-Disaster-Strikes-The-Hitman-s-Bodyguard
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/trAdnhCYyV0/
content:
<p><img src="media/a1b3b674.hitmansbo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hitmansbo.jpg" alt="" width="260" height="260" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143720"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1959563/?ref_=ttco_co_tt">The Hitman&#8217;s Bodyguard</a> is an action comedy movie featuring Hollywood stars Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds. </p>
<p>While this hasn&#8217;t been a great summer at the box office, the makers of the film can&#8217;t complain as they&#8217;ve taken the top spot two weeks in a row. While this is reason for a small celebration, the fun didn&#8217;t last for long.</p>
<p>A few days ago several high-quality copies of the film <a href="media/ddedaa90.bodyguard.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/bodyguard.png">started to appear</a> on various pirate sites. While movie leaks happen every day, it&#8217;s very unusual that it happens just a few days after the theatrical release. In several countries including Australia, China, and Germany, it hasn&#8217;t even premiered yet.</p>
<p>Many pirates appear to be genuinely surprised by the early release as well, based on various comments. &#8220;August 18 was the premiere, how did you do this magic?&#8221; one downloader writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;OK, this was nothing short of perfection. 8 days post theatrical release&#8230; perfect 1080p clarity&#8230; no hardcoded subs&#8230; English translation AND full English subs&#8230; 5.1 audio. Does it get any better?&#8221; another commenter added.</p>
<p>The pirated copies of the movie are tagged as a &#8220;Web-DL&#8221; which means that they were ripped from an online streaming service. While the source is not revealed anywhere, the movie is currently available on <a href="https://unogs.com/video/?v=80119311">Netflix in Japan</a>, which makes it a likely candidate.</p>
<p><center><strong>Screenshot of the leak</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/a3ef7696.25771454938629677049.png" data-original-source="https://cdn.imagecurl.com/images/25771454938629677049.png"><img src="media/27bd8700.hitleak-e1503997998367.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hitleak-e1503997998367.png" alt="" width="600" height="338" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143813"></a></center></p>
<p>While the public often call for a simultaneous theatrical and Internet release, the current leak shows that this might come with a significant risk. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s clear that The Hitman&#8217;s Bodyguard production company Millennium Films is going to be outraged. The company has taken an aggressive stance against piracy in recent years. Among other things, it demanded <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/london-fallen-pirates-get-automated-300-fines-160609/">automated cash settlements</a> from alleged BitTorrent pirates and is also linked to various &#8216;copyright troll&#8217; lawsuits. </p>
<p>Whether downloaders of The Hitman&#8217;s Bodyguard will be pursued as well has yet to be seen. For now, there is still plenty of interest from pirates. The movie was the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-pirated-movies-week-bittorrent-082817/">most downloaded title</a> on BitTorrent last week and is still doing well.  </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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143846
title: HDClub, Russia’s Leading HD-Only Torrent Site, Permanently Shuts Down
uri: HDClub-Russia-s-Leading-HD-Only-Torrent-Site-Permanently-Shuts-Dow
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/kK227wmUrc0/
content:
<p><a href="media/ffbeca6e.hdclublogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/hdclublogo.jpg"><img src="media/85627a90.hdclublogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hdclublogo.jpg" alt="" width="329" height="146" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143856"></a>While millions of users frequent popular public torrent sites such as The Pirate Bay and RARBG every day, there&#8217;s a thriving scene that&#8217;s hidden from the wider public eye.</p>
<p>Every week, private torrent trackers cater to dozens of millions of BitTorrent users who have taken the time and effort to gain access to these more secretive communities. Often labeled as elitist and running counter to the broad sharing ethos that made file-sharing the beast it is today, private sites pride themselves on quality, order and speed, something public sites typically struggle to match.</p>
<p>In addition to these notable qualities, many private sites choose to focus on a particular niche. There are sites dedicated to obscure electronic music, comedy, and even magic, but HDClub&#8217;s focus was given away by its name.</p>
<p>Dubbing itself &#8220;The HighDefinition BitTorrent Community&#8221;, HDClub specialized in HD productions including Blu-ray and 3D content, covering movies, TV shows, music videos, and animation. </p>
<p>Born in 2007, HDClub celebrated its ninth birthday on March 9 last year, with 2017 heralding a full decade online for the site.  Catering mainly to the Russian and Ukrainian markets, <a href="https://opentrackers.org/hdclub/">the site&#8217;s releases</a> often preserved an English audio option, ideal for those looking for high-quality releases from an unorthodox source at decent speeds.</p>
<p>Of course, HDClub releases often leaked out of the site, meaning that thousands are still available on regular public trackers, as a search on any Western torrent engine reveals.</p>
<p><center><b>A sample of HDClub releases listed on Torrentz2</b><br></br></center><center><a href="media/277d4ba0.hdclub-releases.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/hdclub-releases.png"><img src="media/bdcc7321.hdclub-releases.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hdclub-releases.png" alt="" width="818" height="324" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-143861"></a></center></p>
<p>Importantly, the site offered thousands of releases completely unavailable in Russia from licensed sources, meaning it filled a niche in which official outlets either wouldn&#8217;t or couldn&#8217;t compete. This earned itself a place in Russia&#8217;s Top 1000 sites list, despite being a closed membership platform.</p>
<p>The site&#8217;s attention to detail and focus earned it a considerable following. For the past few years the site capped membership at 190,000 people but in practice, attendance floated around the 170,000 mark. Seeders peaked at approximately 400,000 with leechers considerably less, making seeding as difficult as one might expect on a ratio-based tracker.</p>
<p>Now, however, the decade-long run of HDClub has come to an abrupt end. Early this week the tracker went dark, reportedly without advance notice. A Russian language announcement now present on its main page explains the reasons for the site&#8217;s demise.</p>
<p>&#8220;Recently, we received several dozens of complaints from rightsholders weekly, and our community is subjected to attacks and espionage,&#8221; the announcement reads.</p>
<p>While public torrent sites are always bombarded with DMCA-style notices, private sites tend to avoid large numbers of complaints. In this case, however, HDClub were clearly feeling the pressure. The site&#8217;s main page was open to the public while featuring popular releases, so this probably didn&#8217;t help with the load.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not clear what is meant by &#8220;attacks and espionage&#8221; but it&#8217;s possibly a reference to DDoS assaults and third-parties attempting to monitor the site. Nevertheless, as HDClub points out, the climate for torrent, streaming, and similar sites has become increasingly hostile in the region recently.</p>
<p>&#8220;In parallel, there is a tightening of Internet legislation in Russia, Ukraine and EU countries,&#8221; the site says.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the site&#8217;s operators also suggest that interest from some quarters had waned, noting that &#8220;the time of enthusiasts irretrievably goes away.&#8221; It&#8217;s unclear whether that&#8217;s a reference to site users, the site&#8217;s operators, or indeed both. But in any event, any significant decline in any area can prove fatal, particularly when other pressures are at play.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the circumstances, we can no longer support the work of the club in the originally conceived format. The project is closed, but we ask you to refrain from long farewells. Thank you all and goodbye!&#8221; the message concludes.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the site ends with a little teaser, which may indicate some hope for the future.</p>
<p>&#8220;There are talks on preserving the heritage of the club,&#8221; it reads, without adding further details.</p>
<p>Possibly stay tuned&#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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143875
title: Game of Thrones Traffic Surge Slowed Down The Pirate Bay
uri: Game-of-Thrones-Traffic-Surge-Slowed-Down-The-Pirate-Bay
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/LcgDvXE5eyQ/
content:
<p><img src="media/2a43984f.pirate-bay.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-bay.jpg" alt="pirate bay" width="200" height="207" class="alignright size-full wp-image-53470">The Pirate Bay was unreachable for several hours today, after it already experienced connectivity issues on Monday and Tuesday.</p>
<p>Today&#8217;s downtime was due to a DDoS attack, we were informed, and at the time of writing the site is working fine again. </p>
<p>What&#8217;s interesting, though, is that the site&#8217;s connectivity issues earlier this week were triggered by something more unusual. A massive increase in &#8220;Game of Thrones&#8221; traffic.</p>
<p>Yesterday, the TPB-team said traffic to the site quadrupled on Monday after the season finale was uploaded. A 400% increase means millions of extra visitors, something that can easily grind a site down to a halt. </p>
<p>The Pirate Bay is capable of handling some traffic peaks, we were told, but the Game of Thrones surge was hard to manage.</p>
<p>The spike in visitors is not unique to The Pirate Bay website. It affected other torrent sites too, especially after The Pirate Bay became unreachable in some parts of the world. </p>
<p>One torrent site owner found the traffic surge so unprecedented and sudden, that it almost seemed like a DDoS attack. </p>
<p>The problems are not limited to torrent sites alone. Plenty of legal streaming platforms had trouble keeping up with the Game of Thrones demand as well. For example, a lot of HBO Go users <a href="http://outage.report/hbo-go#2017-08-27">complained</a> that they couldn&#8217;t access the service when the season finale aired. </p>
<p>Finally, to illustrate how Game of Thrones traffic is dominating torrents sites we only have to look at the most shared files on The Pirate Bay. Currently, top seven are all GoT related.</p>
<p>Now that Game of Thrones has come to an end, for this season at least, things are likely to calm down a bit. </p>
<p><center><strong>TPB&#8217;s most shared torrents</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/4be9cb05.tpbtopd.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tpbtopd.png" alt="" width="673" height="348" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143896"></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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143844
title: Kim Dotcom Wants K.im to Trigger a “Copyright Revolution”
uri: Kim-Dotcom-Wants-K-im-to-Trigger-a-Copyright-Revolution
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/0-5Q76_v44E/
content:
<p><img src="media/8c28e456.kimlogo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kimlogo.png" alt="" width="250" height="145" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143929">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 Megaupload is no more, the New Zealand Internet entrepreneur is working on a new file-sharing site. Initially <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-2-0-will-outsource-file-hosting-and-prevent-takedown-abuse-161025/">dubbed Megaupload 2</a>, the new service will be called K.im, and it will be quite different from its predecessor. </p>
<p>This week Dotcom, who&#8217;s officially the chief “evangelist” of the service, showed a demo to a few thousand people revealing more about what it&#8217;s going to offer.</p>
<p><a href="http://K.im">K.im</a> is not a central hosting service, quite the contrary. It will allow users to upload content and distribute it to dozens of other services, including Dropbox, Google, Reddit, Storj, and even torrent sites. </p>
<p>The files are distributed across the Internet where they can be accessed freely. However, there is a catch. The uploaders set a price for each download and people who want a copy can only unlock it through the K.im app or browser addon, after they&#8217;ve paid. </p>
<p><center><strong>Pick your price</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/a030d967.kimdemo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kimdemo.png" alt="" width="600" height="464" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143930"></center> </p>
<p>K.im, paired with <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-2-0-will-link-file-transfers-bitcoin-transactions-160805/">Bitcache</a>, is basically a micropayment solution. It allows creators to charge the public for everything they upload. Every download is tied to a Bitcoin transaction, turning files into their own &#8220;stores.&#8221;</p>
<p>Kim Dotcom tells TorrentFreak that he sees the service as a copyright revolution. It should be a win-win solution for independent creators, rightsholders, and people who are used to pirating stuff.  </p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m working for both sides. For the copyright holders and also for the people who what to pay for content but have been geo-blocked and then are forced to download for free,&#8221; Dotcom says.</p>
<p>Like any other site that allows user uploaded content, K.im can also be used by pirates who want to charge a small fee for spreading infringing content. This is something Dotcom is aware of, but he has a solution in mind.</p>
<p>Much like YouTube, which allows rightsholders to &#8220;monetize&#8221; videos that use their work, K.im will provide an option to claim pirated content. Rightsholders can then change the price and all revenue will go to them. </p>
<p>So, if someone uploads a pirated copy of the Game of Thrones season finale through K.im, HBO can claim that file, charge an appropriate fee, and profit from it. The uploader, meanwhile, maintains his privacy.  </p>
<p>&#8220;It is the holy grail of copyright enforcement. It is my gift to Hollywood, the movie studios, and everyone else,&#8221; Dotcom says. </p>
<p>Dotcom believes that piracy is in large part caused by an availability problem. People can often not find the content they&#8217;re looking for so it&#8217;s K.im&#8217;s goal to distribute files as widely as possible. This includes several torrent sites, which are currently featured in the demo.</p>
<p><center><strong>Torrent uploads?</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/a2677547.bitcache-e1504125856228.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bitcache-e1504125856228.png" alt="" width="600" height="415" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143931"></center></p>
<p>Interestingly, it will be hard to upload content to sites such as YTS, EZTV, KickassTorrents, and RARBG, as they&#8217;ve been shut down or don&#8217;t allow user uploads. However, Dotcom stresses that the names are just examples, and that they are still working on partnering with various sites.</p>
<p>Whether torrent sites will be eager to cooperate has yet to be seen. It&#8217;s possible that the encrypted files, which can&#8217;t be opened without paying, will be seen as &#8220;spam&#8221; by traditional torrent sites.</p>
<p>Also, from a user perspective, one has to wonder how many people are willing to pay for something if they set out to pirate it. After all, there will always be plenty of free options for those who refuse to or can&#8217;t pay.</p>
<p>Dotcom, however, is convinced that K.im can create a &#8220;copyright revolution.&#8221; He stresses that site owners and uploaders can greatly benefit from it as they receive affiliate fees, even after a pirated file is claimed by a rightsholder. </p>
<p>In addition, he says it will revolutionize copyright enforcement, as copyright holders can monetize the work of pirates. That is, if they are willing to work with the service.</p>
<p>&#8220;Rightsholders can turn piracy traffic into revenue and users can access the content on any platform. Since every file is a store, it doesn&#8217;t matter where it ends up,&#8221; Dotcom says.</p>
<p>Dotcom does have a very valid point here. Many people have simply grown used to pirating because it&#8217;s much more convenient than using a dozen different services. In Dotcom&#8217;s vision, people can just use one site to access everything.</p>
<p>The ideas don&#8217;t stop at sharing files either. In the future, Dotcom also wants to use the micropayment option to offer YouTubers and media organizations to accept payments from the public, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41094797">BBC notes</a>. </p>
<p>There&#8217;s still a long way to go before K.im and Bitcache go public though. The expected launch date is not final yet, but the services are expected to go live in mid-to-late 2018.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143939
title: Plex Gets Tough Over Unofficial Kodi Addon But Crisis Quickly Averted
uri: Plex-Gets-Tough-Over-Unofficial-Kodi-Addon-But-Crisis-Quickly-Averted
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/WOSxHojuIcE/
content:
<p><a href="media/e29ae3cd.plex.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/plex.png"><img src="media/eeab7432.plex.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/plex.png" alt="" width="220" height="220" class="alignright size-full wp-image-143953"></a>Earlier this week, TF reported on the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/renowned-kodi-addon-developer-metalkettle-calls-it-quits-170829/">surprise retirement</a> of established and respected Kodi addon developer, MetalKettle.</p>
<p>After several years of producing and distributing a wide range of addons for the popular media center, &#8216;MK&#8217; threw in the towel.</p>
<p>“Over the past year or so Kodi has become more mainstream and public we’ve all seen the actions of others become highlighted legally, with authorities determined to target 3rd party addons making traction,&#8221; MK announced.</p>
<p>&#8220;This has eventually caused me to consider ‘what if?’ – the result of which never ends well in my mind.&#8221;</p>
<p>The &#8220;what if?&#8221; here is whether MK himself would ever find himself targeted by legal action. As the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-returns-ugly-war-canadian-telcos-kodi-addons-170801/">recent case</a> filed against <a href="http://tvaddons.co">Kodi addons</a> site TVAddons by Bell, Videotron, Groupe TVA, and Rogers shows, copyright holders are prepared to act aggressively to protect their rights.</p>
<p>While we don&#8217;t doubt MK&#8217;s reasons for retirement, it now transpires that MK was already in the spotlight of Plex Inc., the company behind Plex. They seem particularly unimpressed with some of his recent work.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.plex.tv/">Plex</a> is a system which allows users to manage and organize their entire media library, import artwork and all kinds of metadata, and then stream it to any device, such as TVs, phones, and set-top boxes.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W7TCWhTfrIM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>For people with content already around it&#8217;s a beautiful Netflix-beating system that&#8217;s free to use up to a point, but it also comes with premium features as part of a $5pm Plex Pass subscription. Those extras include a Kodi addon.</p>
<p>&#8220;Currently available as a preview to our premium Plex Pass subscribers, the Plex for Kodi add-on gives users the best of both worlds; the advanced customization of Kodi home theater and the beauty and simplicity of Plex for access on any device, anywhere, anytime,&#8221; the Plex site reads.</p>
<p>MK Plex, the addon produced by MetalKettle, unlocks the restrictions. Installable in Kodi with just a few clicks, the addon allows users of Plex to achieve the above without the need for a Plex Pass subscription. The addon was submitted by MK to the TVAddons repository last week but it took only days for Plex&#8217;s legal department to swing into action.</p>
<p>TorrentFreak obtained a copy of the company&#8217;s letter to TVAddons from a source close to the platform.</p>
<p>&#8220;We represent Plex, Inc. of Los Gatos, California, USA (&#8216;Plex&#8217;) in trademark and other intellectual property legal matters. Plex recently learned that you offer a software product called MK Plex that is promoted on [your] website,&#8221; it begins.</p>
<p>&#8220;The designation MK Plex infringes on Plex’s intellectual property rights and therefore Plex hereby demands that you remove all web pages that use the designation MK Plex, delete all software branded MK Plex and disable all downloading, and cease all other use of Plex’s trademarks immediately.&#8221;</p>
<p>While this request would&#8217;ve been enough for TVAddons to respond, the lawyers went on in some detail about trademark issues, reiterating that &#8220;the designation &#8216;unofficial plugin&#8217; indicates that your use of MK Plex is intended to trade on the reputation and goodwill of the Plex brand.&#8221;</p>
<p>In summary, Plex said that by presenting itself as an unofficial plug-in, MK Plex infringes trademark and unfair competition law in the United States. There was no mention at all of the features provided by the software, the entire issue was framed as a trademark dispute.</p>
<p>Plex&#8217;s lawyers continued by threatening formal legal action against TVAddons, including a claim for damages and a court order to shut down the entire site. That&#8217;s pretty aggressive for a letter that references an addon that was completely produced by a third-party. Nevertheless, TVAddons informs TF that it had no problem complying with Plex&#8217;s takedown request as a matter of urgency.</p>
<p>&#8220;We love Plex and would never do anything to cause them grief. The user generated addon in question should never have made its way into our repository in the first place and we apologize for that,&#8221; a site representative said.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;d like to stress, however, that we took swift action as soon as Plex made us aware of the issue. This is why it&#8217;s so important that all web sites with user generated institute a legitimate takedown notice system, so that issues like this can be amicably resolved much faster than they could be in court, without any harm done to either party. TV ADDONS has always and will continue to respect the rights of others.&#8221;</p>
<p>TVAddons doesn&#8217;t know if MK himself is fully aware of the problem Plex has with his addon or whether he&#8217;s going to put it into retirement along with himself. However, the undertone in our conversation indicated that might be a prudent course of action.</p>
<p>TVAddons said they responded immediately to all of Plex&#8217;s demands and were thanked for dealing with the matter comprehensively, so it&#8217;s at least possible that MK has similar options available.</p>
<p>While a trademark dispute for a Kodi addon is interesting enough, this case offers a perfect illustration of how problems with intellectual property can be worked through, if the parties are prepared to work together. In the ongoing case of the Canadian broadcasters against TVAddons, not a single takedown notice or piece of correspondence was sent to TVAddons in advance of super-aggressive legal action.</p>
<p>Had a simple email been sent, the problem could&#8217;ve been solved in a day, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/tvaddons-decimated-without-trial-heres-a-view-of-the-damage-170820/">rather than the years</a> currently expected.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=143934
title: Torrent Sites Suffer DDoS Attacks and Other Trouble
uri: Torrent-Sites-Suffer-DDoS-Attacks-and-Other-Trouble
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/C6TU35scASE/
content:
<p><img src="media/40fc3a89.warning.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/warning.png" alt="" width="250" height="213" class="alignright size-full wp-image-109065">It&#8217;s not uncommon for torrent sites to suffer downtime due to technical issues. That happens pretty much every day. </p>
<p>But when close to a dozen large sites go offline, people start to ask questions.</p>
<p>This is exactly what happened this week. As reported previously, The Pirate Bay was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/game-thrones-traffic-surge-slowed-pirate-bay-170830/">hard to reach earlier</a>, after a surge of traffic and a subsequent DDoS attack overloaded its servers. And they were not alone. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak spoke to several torrent site admins who noticed an increase of suspicious traffic which slowed down or toppled their sites, at least temporarily. While most have recovered, some sites remain offline today.  </p>
<p>TorrentProject.se, one of the most used torrent search engines, has been down for nearly three days now. The site currently shows a &#8220;403 Forbidden&#8221; error message. Whether this is a harmless technical issue, the result of a DDoS attack, or worse, is unknown. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to the owner of the site but we have yet to hear back. </p>
<p><center><strong>403 error</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/2e89d69d.403.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/403.png" alt="" width="444" height="164" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-144047"></center></p>
<p>Another site that appears to be in trouble is <a href="http://worldwidetorrents.eu/">WorldWideTorrents</a>. This site, which was started after the KAT shutdown last year, is a home to many comic book fans. However, over the past few days the site has become unresponsive. </p>
<p>Based on WHOIS data, the site&#8217;s domain name has been suspended. The name servers were changed to &#8220;suspended-domain.com,&#8221; which means that it&#8217;s unlikely to be reinstated. WorldWideTorrents will reportedly return with a new domain but which one is currently unknown.   </p>
<p>Popular uploaders on the site such as Nemesis43, meanwhile, are still active on other sites. </p>
<p><center><strong>WorldWireTorrents Whois</strong></center><center><img src="media/9e6e06b7.wwtorrents.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/wwtorrents.png" alt="" width="600" height="230" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-143998"></center></p>
<p>Then there&#8217;s also <a href="https://isohunt.to/">Isohunt.to</a>, which has been unresponsive for over a week. The search engine, which launched in 2013 less than two weeks after isoHunt.com shut down, has now vanished itself. </p>
<p>With no word from the operators, we can only speculate what happened. The site has seen a sharp <a href="media/90af473b.isodecline.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/isodecline.png">decline in traffic</a> over the past year, so it could be that they simply lost interest. </p>
<p><center><strong>Isohunt.to is not responding</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/389c6a76.isoout.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/isoout.png" alt="" width="600" height="270" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-144022"></center></p>
<p>Those who now search for IsoHunt on Google are instead pointed to isohunts.to, which is a scam site advising users to download a &#8220;binary client,&#8221; which is little more than an ad.</p>
<p>The above shows that the torrent ecosystem remains vulnerable. DDoS attacks and domain issues are nothing new, but after the shutdown of KAT, Torrentz, Extratorrent, and other giants, the remaining sites have to carry a larger burden.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=144037
title: Search Engines Will Open Systems to Prove Piracy & VPN Blocking
uri: Search-Engines-Will-Open-Systems-to-Prove-Piracy-VPN-Blocking
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/TBC8d3-Y6zk/
content:
<p><a href="media/0702e6e5.blocked-censor.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/blocked-censor.jpg"><img src="media/2759597c.blocked-censor.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/blocked-censor.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-124850"></a>Over the past several years, Russia has become something of a world leader when it comes to website blocking. Tens of thousands of websites are now blocked in the country on copyright infringement and a wide range of other grounds.</p>
<p>With circumvention technologies such as VPNs, however, Russian citizens are able to access blocked sites, a position that has irritated Russian authorities who are determined to control what information citizens are allowed to access.</p>
<p>After working on new legislation for some time, late July President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/russia-bans-unrestricted-vpns-proxies-and-tor-in-russia-170731/">signed</a> a new law which requires local telecoms watchdog Rozcomnadzor to maintain a list of banned domains while identifying sites, services, and software that provide access to them.</p>
<p>Rozcomnadzor is required to contact the operators of such services with a request for them to block banned resources. If they do not, then they themselves will become blocked. In addition, search engines are also required to remove blocked resources from their search results, in order to discourage people from accessing them. </p>
<p>With compliance now a matter of law, attention has turned to how search engines can implement the required mechanisms. This week Roskomnadzor hosted a meeting with representatives of the largest Russian search engines including Yandex, Sputnik, Search Mail.ru, where this topic was top of the agenda.</p>
<p>Since failure to comply can result in a fine of around $12,000 per breach, search companies have a vested interest in the systems working well against not only pirate sites, but also mirrors and anonymization tools that provide access to them.</p>
<p>&#8220;During the meeting, a consolidated position on the implementation of new legislative requirements was developed,&#8221; Rozcomnadzor reports.</p>
<p>&#8220;It was determined that the list of blocked resources to be removed from search results will be transferred to the operators of search engines in an automated process.&#8221;</p>
<p>While sending over lists of domains directly to search engines probably isn&#8217;t that groundbreaking, Rozcomnadzor wants to ensure that companies like Yandex are also responding to the removal requests properly.</p>
<p>So, instead of simply carrying out test searches itself, it&#8217;s been agreed that the watchdog will gain direct access to the search engines&#8217; systems, so that direct verification can take place.</p>
<p>&#8220;In addition, preliminary agreements have been reached that the verification of the enforcement of the law by the search engines will be carried out through the interaction of the information systems of Roskomnadzor and the operators of search engines,&#8221; Rozcomnadzor reports.</p>
<p>Time for search engines to come into full compliance is ticking away. The law requiring them to remove listings for &#8216;pirate&#8217; mirror sites comes into effect October 1. Exactly a month later on November 1, VPNs and anonymization tools will have to be removed too, if they fail to meet the standards required under state regulation.</p>
<p>Part of that regulation requires anonymization services to disclose the identities of their owners to the government.</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="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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