# articles

feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=139669
title: Symantec Patent Protects Torrent Users Against Malware
uri: Symantec-Patent-Protects-Torrent-Users-Against-Malware
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/mdJnQyKEE5s/
content:
<p><img src="media/fa85b58e.symantec.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/symantec.png" alt="" width="277" height="133" class="alignright size-full wp-image-139700">In recent years we have documented a wide range of patent applications, several of which had a clear anti-piracy angle. </p>
<p>Symantec Corporation, known for the popular anti-virus software Norton Security, is taking a more torrent-friendly approach. At least, that&#8217;s what a recently obtained <a href="http://www.freepatentsonline.com/9661004.html">patent</a> suggests. </p>
<p>The patent describes a system that can be used to identify fake torrents and malware-infected downloads, which are a common problem on badly-moderated torrent sites. Downloaders of these torrents are often redirected to scam websites or lured into installing malware.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s where Symantec comes in with their automatic torrent moderating solution. Last week the company obtained a patent for a system that can rate the trustworthiness of torrents and block suspicious content to protect users.</p>
<p>&#8220;While the BitTorrent protocol represents a popular method for distributing files, this protocol also represents a common means for distributing malicious software. Unfortunately, torrent hosting sites generally fail to provide sufficient information to reliably predict whether such files are trustworthy,&#8221; the patent reads. </p>
<p>Unlike traditional virus scans, where the file itself is scanned for malicious traits, the patented technology uses a reputation score to make the evaluation.</p>
<p>The trustworthiness of torrents is determined by factors including the reputation of the original uploaders, torrent sites, trackers and other peers. For example, if an IP-address of a seeder is linked to several malicious torrents, it will get a low reputation score.</p>
<p>“For example, if an entity has been involved in several torrent transactions that involved malware-infected target files, the reputation information associated with the entity may indicate that the entity has a poor reputation, indicating a high likelihood that the target file represents a potential security risk,” Symantec notes.</p>
<p>In contrast, if a torrent is seeded by a user that only shares non-malicious files, the trustworthiness factor goes up.</p>
<p><center><strong>Reputation information</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/2bf3912a.sympatenscorecard.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/sympatenscorecard.png" alt="" width="500" height="478" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-139698"></center></p>
<p>If a torrent file has a high likelihood of being linked to malware or other malicious content, the system can take appropriate &#8220;security actions.&#8221; This may be as simple as deleting the suspicious torrent, or a more complex respone such as blocking all related network traffic.</p>
<p>“Examples of such security actions include, without limitation, alerting a user of the potential security risk, blocking access to the target file until overridden by the user, blocking network traffic associated with the torrent transaction, quarantining the target file, and/or deleting the target file,” Symantec writes.</p>
<p><center><strong>Security actions</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/ecda36ac.symantorrent.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/symantorrent.png" alt="" width="500" height="599" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-139699"></center></p>
<p>Symantec Corporation <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/symantec-patent-helps-bittorrent-users-to-spot-malware-and-fakes-140115/">applied</a> for the pattern nearly four years ago, but thus far we haven&#8217;t seen it used in the real world. </p>
<p>Many torrent users would likely appreciate an extra layer of security, although they might be concerned about overblocking and possible monitoring of their download habits. This means that, for now, they will have to rely on site moderators, and most importantly, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/stop-downloading-fakes-and-junk-torrents-071204/">common sense</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=140026
title: Popular Kodi Add-Ons Quit Following Prominent Piracy Lawsuit
uri: Popular-Kodi-Add-Ons-Quit-Following-Prominent-Piracy-Lawsuit
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/MKvF0ZjxJM8/
content:
<p><img src="media/5d9729ce.phoenix-e1496819402223.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/phoenix-e1496819402223.png" alt="" width="250" height="170" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140039">On Monday we broke the news that third-party Kodi add-on ZemTV and the TVAddons library <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dish-network-sues-zemtv-and-tv-addons-for-copyright-infringement-170605/">were being sued</a> in a federal court in Texas. </p>
<p>In a complaint filed by American satellite and broadcast provider Dish Network, both stand accused of copyright infringement, facing up to $150,000 for each offense. </p>
<p>The news came as a shock to many add-on developers, most of whom release their software as a hobby, with no financial motive. A potential lawsuit that can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages clearly takes away most of the fun. </p>
<p>This could very well explain why several add-ons have shut down over the past 48 hours. While the lawsuit isn&#8217;t specifically named in most cases, there appears to be a direct connection.</p>
<p>One of the main add-ons that has thrown in the towel is Phoenix, which offered access to a wide range of channels, broadcasts, movies and TV shows.</p>
<p>&#8220;In light of current events we have decided to close down Phoenix. This is not something that was easy for us to do; we have all formed a bond that cannot be broken as a team and have a HUGE support base that we are thankful of,&#8221; Phoenix developer Cosmix <a href="https://www.tvaddons.ag/forums/phoenix-playlists/59863-phoenix-falling-farewell.html">writes</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;I can speak for myself when I say thank you to everybody that has ever been involved in Phoenix and it will always be one of my fondest memories,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p><center><strong>Cosmix&#8217;s announcement</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/d680eae5.cosmix-message.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cosmix-message.png" alt="" width="778" height="347" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140038"></center></p>
<p>Developer One242415, known for his work on Navi-X, Phoenix and later his own add-on, took a similar decision. He announced the news directly from his add-on which will be closed in a few days.</p>
<p>&#8220;I am removing my addon for good. It was a hell of a ride for me. First starting off with Navi-X, then with Mashup, then with Phoenix, and for two months with my own add-on.&#8221; </p>
<p>In a similar vein, developer Echo Coder also announced that all his addons will be shut down. Again, without naming a specific reason. On Twitter, he did say, however, that the recent spike in popularity of third-party add-ons was not beneficial to the community.</p>
<p>&#8220;The reality is we did say the growth of third party popularity would hinder us. Unfortunately, now it looks like an implosion,&#8221; he tweeted yesterday.</p>
<p>A few hours later this message was followed up with a note that he had pulled his own add-ons offline.</p>
<p>&#8220;Thank you for the last year. My addons are now off-line. Its been emotional. Take care,&#8221; Echo Coder wrote.</p>
<p><center><strong>Echo Coder&#8217;s announcement</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/cb58669d.echocode.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/echocode.png" alt="" width="591" height="191" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140046"></center></p>
<p>The above is just the tip of the iceberg. Several other third-party projects and add-ons have also shut down, announced a temporary hiatus, or other changes.</p>
<p>Various Kodi community websites, including <a href="https://kodigeeks.com/read-blog/6_summary-of-kodi-addons-that-have-closed-shutdown.html">Kodi Geeks</a>, are trying to keep up with all the add-ons that are toppling, and uncertainty remains. The community is in a state of turmoil, and it will take several more days to see what the exact fallout will be.</p>
<p>Assuming that the Dish lawsuit is indeed the main trigger for the recent uproar, it is clear that many developers prefer to stay out of trouble. And with Kodi related piracy <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-sees-illegal-streaming-devices-as-piracy-3-0-170502/">in the spotlights</a> of copyright holders, legal pressure is likely to increase.</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=140034
title: Mysterious Group Lands Denuvo Anti-Piracy Body Blow
uri: Mysterious-Group-Lands-Denuvo-Anti-Piracy-Body-Blow
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Z27LQzWyq6Q/
content:
<p><a href="media/05d838b7.denuvo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/denuvo.jpg"><img src="media/fe5f698e.denuvo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/denuvo.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="109" class="alignright size-full wp-image-116067"></a>While there&#8217;s always excitement in piracy land over the release of a new movie or TV show, video gaming fans really know how to party when a previously uncracked game appears online.</p>
<p>When that game was protected by the infamous Denuvo anti-piracy system, champagne corks explode.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s been a lot of activity in this area during recent months but more recently there&#8217;s been a noticeable crescendo. As more groups have become involved in trying to defeat the system, Denuvo has looked increasingly vulnerable. Over the past 24 hours, it&#8217;s looked in serious danger.</p>
<p>The latest <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackWatch/comments/6fgvx0/dishonored2steampunks/">drama</a> surrounds DISHONORED.2-STEAMPUNKS, which is a pirate release of the previously uncracked action adventure game Dishonored 2. The game uses Denuvo protection and at the rate titles have been falling to pirates lately, it&#8217;s appearance wasn&#8217;t a surprise. However, the manner in which the release landed online has sent shockwaves through the scene.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/29b849af.steampunks1.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/steampunks1.png"><img src="media/5bffe04c.steampunks1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/steampunks1.png" alt="" width="718" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140040" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/steampunks1.png 718w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/steampunks1-200x150.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 718px) 100vw, 718px"></a></center></p>
<p>The cracking scene is relatively open these days, in that people tend to have a rough idea of who the major players are. Their real-life identities are less obvious, of course, but names like CPY, Voksi, and Baldman regularly appear in discussions.</p>
<p>The same cannot be said about SteamPunks. With their topsite presence, they appear to be a proper &#8216;Scene&#8217; group but up until yesterday, they were an unknown entity.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s fair to say that this dramatic appearance from nowhere raised quite a few eyebrows among the more suspicious crack aficionados. That being said, SteamPunks absolutely delivered &#8211; and then some.</p>
<p>Rather than simply pre-crack (remove the protection) from Dishonored 2 and then deliver it to the public, the SteamPunks release appears to contain code which enables the user to generate Denuvo licenses on a machine-by-machine basis.</p>
<p>If that hasn&#8217;t sunk in, the theory is that the &#8216;key generator&#8217; might be able to do the same with all Denuvo-protected releases in future, blowing the system out of the water.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/23d0d8fd.steampunks2.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/steampunks2.png"><img src="media/60613115.steampunks2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/steampunks2.png" alt="" width="717" height="233" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140042"></a></center></p>
<p>While that enormous feat remains to be seen, there is an unusual amount of excitement surrounding this release and the emergence of the previously unknown SteamPunks. In the words of one Reddit <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackWatch/comments/6fiy7k/welcome_steampunks/diiv9wd/">user</a>, the group has delivered the cracking equivalent of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOrgLj9lOwk">The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch</a>, yet no one appears to have had any knowledge of them before yesterday.</p>
<p>Only adding to the mystery is the lack of knowledge relating to how their tool works. Perhaps ironically, perhaps importantly, SteamPunks have chosen to protect their code with VMProtect, the software system that Denuvo itself previously deployed to stop people reverse-engineering its own code.</p>
<p>This raises two issues. One, people could have difficulty finding out how the license generator works and two, it could potentially contain something nefarious besides the means to play Dishonored 2 for free.</p>
<p>With the latter in mind, a number of people in the cracking community have been testing the release but thus far, no one has found anything untoward. That doesn&#8217;t guarantee that it&#8217;s entirely clean but it does help to calm nerves. Indeed, cracking something as difficult as Denuvo in order to put out some malware seems a lot of effort when the same could be achieved much more easily.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is no need to break into Fort Knox to give out flyers for your pyramid scheme,&#8221; one user&#8217;s great analogy <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackWatch/comments/6fgvx0/dishonored2steampunks/diiquln/">reads</a>.</p>
<p>That being said, people with experience are still urging caution, which should be the case for anyone running a cracked game, no matter who released it.</p>
<p>Finally, another twist in the Denuvo saga arrived yesterday courtesy of VMProtect. As widely reported, someone from the company previously indicated that Denuvo had been using its VMProtect system without securing an <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/denuvo-accused-of-using-unlicensed-software-to-protect-it-anti-piracy-tool-170605/">appropriate license</a>.</p>
<p>The source said that legal action was on the horizon but an announcement from VMProtect yesterday suggests that the companies are now seeing eye to eye.</p>
<p>&#8220;We were informed that there are open questions and some uncertainty about the use of our software by DENUVO GmbH,&#8221; VMProtect <a href="http://vmpsoft.com/20170606/vmprotect-and-denuvo-gmbh/">said</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;Referring to this circumstance we want to clarify that DENUVO GmbH had the right to use our software in the past and has the right to use it currently as well as in the future. In summary, no open issues exist between DENUVO GmbH and VMProtect Software for which reason you may ignore any other divergent information.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the above tends to imply there&#8217;s never been an issue, a little more information from VMProtect dev Ivan Permyakov may indicate that an old dispute has since been settled.</p>
<p>&#8220;Information about our relationship with Denuvo Software has long been outdated and irrelevant,&#8221; he <a href="https://dtf.ru/7062-sozdatelyam-zashchity-denuvo-prigrozili-sudom-za-ispolzovanie-piratskogo-softa">said</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=140077
title: Online Platforms Should Collaborate to Ban Piracy and Terrorism, Report Suggests
uri: Online-Platforms-Should-Collaborate-to-Ban-Piracy-and-Terrorism-Repor
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/u2ZIaJ2dbAM/
content:
<p><a href="media/f758d45c.facebook-pirate-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/facebook-pirate-1.jpg"><img src="media/139ebf81.facebook-pirate-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/facebook-pirate-1.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="122" class="alignright size-full wp-image-139520"></a>With deep ties to the content industries, the Digital Citizens Alliance periodically produces reports on Internet piracy. It has published reports on <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mega-demands-apology-over-defamatory-cyberlocker-report-140919/">cyberlockers</a> and tried to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/digital-citizens-slam-cloudflare-for-enabling-piracy-malware-160722/">blame Cloudflare</a> for the spread of malware, for example. </p>
<p>One of the key themes pursued by DCA is that Internet piracy is inextricably linked to a whole bunch of other online evils and that tackling the former could deliver a much-needed body blow to the latter.</p>
<p>Its new report, titled &#8216;Trouble in Our Digital Midst&#8217;, takes this notion and runs with it, bundling piracy with everything from fake news to hacking, to malware and brand protection,  to the sextortion of &#8220;young girls and boys&#8221; via their computer cameras.</p>
<p>The premise of the report is that cybercrime as a whole is undermining America&#8217;s trust in the Internet, noting that 64% of US citizens say that their trust in digital platforms has dropped in the last year. Given the topics under the spotlight, it doesn&#8217;t take long to see where this is going &#8211; Internet platforms like Google, Facebook and YouTube must tackle the problem.</p>
<p>&#8220;When asked, &#8216;In your opinion, are digital platforms doing enough to keep the Internet safe and trustworthy, or are do they need to do more?&#8217; a staggering 75 percent responded that they need to do more to keep the Internet safe,&#8221; the report notes.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s abundantly clear that the report is mostly about piracy but a lot of effort has been expended to ensure that people support its general call for the Internet to be cleaned up. By drawing attention to things that even most pirates might find offensive, it&#8217;s easy to find more people in agreement.</p>
<p>&#8220;Nearly three-quarters of respondents see the pairing of brand name advertising with offensive online content – like ISIS/terrorism recruiting videos – as a threat to the continued trust and integrity of the Internet,&#8221; the report notes.</p>
<p>Of course, this is an incredibly sensitive topic. When big brand ads turned up next to terrorist recruiting videos on YouTube, there was an almighty stink, and rightly so. However, at every turn, the DCA report manages to weave the issue of piracy into the equation, noting that the problem includes the &#8220;$200 million in advertising that shows up on illegal content theft websites often unbeknownst to the brands.&#8221;</p>
<p>The overriding theme is that platforms like Google, Facebook, and YouTube should be able to tackle all of these problems in the same way. Filtering out a terrorist video is the same as removing a pirate movie. And making sure that ads for big brands don&#8217;t appear alongside terrorist videos will be just as easy as starving pirates of revenue, the suggestion goes.</p>
<p>But if terrorism doesn&#8217;t grind your gears, what about fake news?</p>
<p>&#8220;64 percent of Americans say that the Fake News issue has made them less likely to trust the Internet as a source of information,&#8221; the report notes.</p>
<p>At this juncture, Facebook gets a gentle pat on the back for dealing with fake news and employing 3,000 people to monitor for violent videos being posted to the network. This shows that the company &#8220;takes seriously&#8221; the potential harm bad actors pose to Internet safety. But in keeping with the theme running throughout the report, it&#8217;s clear DCA are carefully easing in the thin end of the wedge.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are at only the beginning of thinking through other kinds of illicit and illegal activity happening on digital platforms right now that we must gain or re-gain control over,&#8221; DCA writes.</p>
<p>Quite. In the very next sentence, the group goes on to warn about the sale of drugs and stolen credit cards, adding that the sale of illicit streaming devices (modified Kodi boxes etc) is actually an &#8220;insidious yet effective delivery mechanism to infect computers with malware such as Remote Access Trojans.&#8221;</p>
<p>Both Amazon and Facebook receive praise in the report for their recent banning (<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/amazon-bans-sales-of-pirate-media-players-will-destroy-them-170331/">1</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/facebook-bans-sale-of-piracy-enabling-products-devices-170525/">2</a>) of augmented Kodi devices but their actions are actually framed as the companies protecting their own reputations, rather than the interests of the media groups that have been putting them under pressure.</p>
<p>&#8220;And though this issue underscores the challenges faced by digital platforms – not all of which act with the same level of responsibility – it also highlights the fact digital platforms can and will step up when their own brands are at stake,&#8221; the report reads.</p>
<p>But pirate content and Remote Access Trojans through Kodi boxes are only the beginning. Pirate sites are playing a huge part as well, DCA claims, with one in three &#8220;content theft websites&#8221; exposing people to identify theft, ransomware, and sextortion via &#8220;the computer cameras of young girls and boys.&#8221;</p>
<p>Worst still, if that was possible, the lack of policing by online platforms means that people are able to &#8220;showcase live sexual assaults, murders, and other illegal conduct.&#8221;</p>
<p>DCA says that with all this in mind, Americans are looking for online digital platforms to help them. The group claims that citizens need proactive protection from these ills and want companies like Facebook to take similar steps to those taken when warning consumers about fake news and violent content.</p>
<p>So what can be done to stop this tsunami of illegality? According to DCA, platforms like Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter need to up their game and tackle the problem together.</p>
<p>&#8220;While digital platforms collaborate on policy and technical issues, there is no evidence that they are sharing information about the bad actors themselves. That enables criminals and bad actors to move seamlessly from platform to platform,&#8221; DCA writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;There are numerous examples of industry working together to identify and share information about exploitive behavior. For example, casinos share information about card sharks and cheats, and for decades the retail industry has shared information about fraudulent credit cards. A similar model would enable digital platforms and law enforcement to more quickly identify and combat those seeking to leverage the platforms to harm consumers.&#8221;</p>
<p>How this kind of collaboration could take place in the real world is open to interpretation but the DCA has a few suggestions of its own. Again, it doesn&#8217;t shy away from pulling people on side with something extremely offensive (in this case child pornography) in order to push what is clearly an underlying anti-piracy agenda.</p>
<p>&#8220;With a little help from engineers, digital platforms could create fingerprints of unlawful conduct that is shared across platforms to proactively block such conduct, as is done in a limited capacity with child pornography,&#8221; DCA explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;If these and other newly developed measures were adopted, digital platforms would have the information to enable them to make decisions whether to de-list or demote websites offering illicit goods and services, and the ability to stop the spread of illegal behavior that victimizes its users.&#8221;</p>
<p>The careful framing of the DCA report means that there&#8217;s something for everyone. If you don&#8217;t agree with them on tackling piracy, then their malware, fake news, or child exploitation angles might do the trick. It&#8217;s quite a clever strategy but one that the likes of Google, Facebook, and YouTube will recognize immediately.</p>
<p>And they need to &#8211; because apparently, it&#8217;s their job to sort all of this out. Good luck with that.</p>
<p>The full report can be found here <em>(<a href="media/42f84701.Trouble-in-Our20Digital-Midst20Report-June-2017.pdf" data-original-source="http://www.digitalcitizensalliance.org/clientuploads/directory/Reports/Trouble-in-Our%20Digital-Midst%20Report-June-2017.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=140036
title: Team DIMENSION Returns to The Piracy Scene
uri: Team-DIMENSION-Returns-to-The-Piracy-Scene
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/D-7aABIpMNk/
content:
<p><img src="media/670c42aa.dimens.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dimens.png" alt="" width="400" height="99" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140068">In April, one of the best known TV Scene groups suddenly disappeared. </p>
<p>DIMENSION has been a high profile name for over a decade, both in the Scene and on torrent sites, good for tens of thousands of TV-show releases. </p>
<p>Nearly two months had passed since the sudden disappearance and most followers had already said their virtual goodbyes. Out of nowhere, however, several new DIMENSION releases began popping up this week. </p>
<p>It started with a Gotham episode on Tuesday, followed by Angie Tribeca and Pretty Little Liars. The sudden reapparance came without a public explanation, but it&#8217;s pretty clear that the group is <a href="https://predb.org/group/DIMENSION/page/1">back in full swing</a>. </p>
<p><center><strong>DIMENSION returns</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/fabd0d94.dimensiongone.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dimensiongone.png" alt="" width="600" height="263" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140066"></center></p>
<p>The question remains why the group was absent for so long and if the old crew is intact. TorrentFreak spoke to a source who says that the leader and several top members are no longer with the group. </p>
<p>A recent Scene notice titled &#8220;<a href="https://scenenotice.org/details.php?id=2343">Farewell.To.Team-DIMENSION</a>&#8221; appeared to confirm that there were internal struggles in the group. However, this appears to be fake, as it was copied from an <a href="https://scenenotice.org/details.php?id=2343">earlier notice</a>.</p>
<p>Still, there is no doubt that DIMENSION (and the associated LOL &#8220;group,&#8221; which releases the SD versions) has picked up where it left a few weeks ago, with new TV-releases coming out on a regular basis. </p>
<p>And while reputation is key in the Scene, the average downloader probably can&#8217;t be bothered by internal troubles and politics. </p>
<p>They just want their TV fix.</p>
<p> <center><strong>Pirate responses to the comeback</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/0e5d75b0.dimback.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dimback.png" alt="" width="600" height="500" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140073"></center></p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> The Scene notice referred to in this article is fake, we updated the article to reflect this.</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=140121
title: Usenet Provider is Obliged to Identify Pirates, Court Rules
uri: Usenet-Provider-is-Obliged-to-Identify-Pirates-Court-Rules
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/kUxnwkr2SN8/
content:
<p><img src="media/ededf114.upload.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/upload.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="125" class="alignright size-full wp-image-70533">Dutch anti-piracy group BREIN has targeted pirates of all shapes and sizes over the past several years. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s also one of the few groups that actively tracks down copyright infringers on Usenet, which still has millions of frequent users. </p>
<p>BREIN sets its aim on prolific uploaders and other large-scale copyright infringers. After identifying its targets, it asks providers to reveal the personal details connected to the account. </p>
<p>Last December, BREIN asked Usenet provider <a href="https://www.eweka.nl/en/home/">Eweka</a> to hand over the personal details of one of its former customers but the provider refused to cooperate voluntarily. </p>
<p>In its defense, the Usenet provider argued that it&#8217;s a neutral intermediary that would rather not perform the role of piracy police. Instead, it preferred to rely on the court to make a decision.</p>
<p>The provider had already taken a similar position earlier last year, but the Court of Haarlem <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-orders-usenet-providers-expose-prolific-pirates-160622/">ruled</a> that it must hand over the information.</p>
<p>In a new ruling this week, the Court issued a <a href="http://www.ie-forum.nl/artikelen/eweka-handelt-in-strijd-met-maatschappelijke-zorgvuldigheidsplicht-door-identificerende-gegevens-nie">similar order</a>. </p>
<p>The Court stressed that in these type of situations the Usenet provider is required to hand over the requested details, without intervention from the court. This is in line with case law.</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 aggrieved party has a legitimate interest.</p>
<p>The former Eweka customer was known under the alias &#8216;Badfan69&#8217; and previously uploaded 9,538 allegedly infringing works to Usenet, Tweakers <a href="https://tweakers.net/nieuws/125655/usenetprovider-eweka-moet-gegevens-van-gebruiker-aan-brein-verstrekken.html">reports</a>. He was tracked down through information from the headers of the binaries he posted.</p>
<p>BREIN is pleased with the verdict, which once again strengthens its position in cases where third-party providers hold information on infringing customers. </p>
<p>&#8220;Most of the intermediaries adhere to the law and voluntarily provide the relevant data when BREIN makes a motivated request,&#8221; BREIN director Tim Kuik responds. </p>
<p>&#8220;They have to decide quickly because rightsholders have an interest in stopping uploaders and holding them liable as soon as possible. This sentence emphasizes this once again.&#8221;</p>
<p>The court ordered Eweka to pay legal fees of roughly 1,500 euros. In addition, the provider faces a penalty of 1,000 euros per day, to a maximum of 100,000 euros, if it fails to hand over the requested information in its possession.</p>
<p>Eweka hasn&#8217;t commented publicly on the verdict yet. But, with two rulings in favor of BREIN, it is unlikely that the provider will continue to fight similar cases in the future. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=140120
title: Bill to Ban VPNs & Unmask Operators Submitted to Russia’s Parliament
uri: Bill-to-Ban-VPNs-Unmask-Operators-Submitted-to-Russia-s-Parliament
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/9FjVlSziLxc/
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>Website blocking in Russia is becoming a pretty big deal. Hundreds of domains are now blocked at the ISP level for a range of issues from copyright infringement through to prevention of access to extremist material.</p>
<p>In common with all countries that deploy blocking measures, there is a high demand in Russia for services and software that can circumvent blockades. As a result, VPNs, proxies, mirror sites and dedicated services such as Tor are growing in popularity.</p>
<p>Russian authorities view these services as a form of defiance, so for some time moves have been underway to limit their effectiveness. Earlier this year <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/russia-plans-to-ban-vpns-proxies-that-unblock-blocked-sites-170420/">draft legislation</a> was developed to crack down on systems and software that allow Internet users to bypass website blockades approved by telecoms watchdog Roskomnadzor.</p>
<p>This week the draft bill was submitted to the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament. If passed, it will effectively make it illegal for services to circumvent web blockades by &#8220;routing traffic of Russian Internet users through foreign servers, anonymous proxy servers, virtual private networks and other means.&#8221;</p>
<p>As it stands, the bill requires local telecoms watchdog Rozcomnadzor to keep a list of banned domains while identifying sites, services, and software that provide access to them. Once the bypassing services are identified, Rozcomnadzor will send a notice to their hosts, giving them a 72-hour deadline to reveal the identities of their operators.</p>
<p>After this stage is complete, the host will be given another three days to order the people running the circumvention-capable service to stop providing access to banned domains. If the service operator fails to comply within 30 days, all Internet service providers will be required to block access to the service and its web presence, if it has one.</p>
<p>This raises the prospect of VPN providers and proxies being forced to filter out traffic to banned domains to stay online. How this will affect users of Tor will remain to be seen, since there is no way to block domains. Furthermore, sites offering the software could also be blocked, if they continue to offer the tool.</p>
<p>Also tackled in the bill are search engines such as Google and Yandex that provide links in their indexes to banned resources. The proposed legislation will force them to remove all links to sites on Rozcomnadzor&#8217;s list, with the aim of making them harder to find.</p>
<p>However, Yandex believes that if sites are already blocked by ISPs, the appearance of their links in search results is moot.</p>
<p>“We believe that the laying of responsibilities on search engines is superfluous,” a spokesperson said.</p>
<p>“Even if the reference to a [banned] resource does appear in search results, it does not mean that by clicking on it the user will get access, if it was already blocked by ISPs or in any other ways.”</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=140157
title: US Court Orders Pirate Streaming Site FMovies to Pay $210,000
uri: US-Court-Orders-Pirate-Streaming-Site-FMovies-to-Pay-210-000
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/T7yWEEuJtKc/
content:
<p><img src="media/8b40866b.fmovieslogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fmovieslogo.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="162" class="alignright size-full wp-image-129787">Last year, media conglomerate ABS-CBN took the popular pirate streaming site FMovies <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/major-pirate-movie-streaming-site-fmovies-sued-in-us-court-161026/">to court</a> in the United States.</p>
<p>FMovies is one of several streaming sites that has grown explosively over the past year. It offers tens of thousands of mainstream movies and TV-shows to an audience of millions of people.</p>
<p>In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the media company branded FMovies as a classic pirate site, offering unauthorized streams of content they own.</p>
<p>Despite facing hefty damages, FMovies&#8217; operators didn&#8217;t defend themselves. Several months passed without any response from FMovies in court, which prompted the copyright media company to move ahead and file for a default judgment.</p>
<p>This week District Court Judge Otis D. Wright II issued his verdict, which doesn&#8217;t offer much good news for the streaming site. </p>
<p>Without evidence to the contrary, the Judge went along with ABS-CBN&#8217;s assessment that FMovies’ operators used the company&#8217;s trademarks and copyrighted works to draw in more visitors, generating a healthy profit through advertising.</p>
<p>In total, FMovies was found guilty on six counts; federal trademark infringement, false designation of origin, direct copyright infringement, contributory copyright infringement, unfair competition and false advertising.</p>
<p>Judge Wright&#8217;s order compels FMovies&#8217; operators to pay the requested $30,000 in statutory copyright infringement damages for seven works, as well as $7,200 in attorneys’ fees and costs. </p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants shall pay ABS-CBN Two Hundred Eighteen Thousand Two Hundred Dollars ($218,200) in attorneys’ fees, costs, and statutory damages for  Defendants’ infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrights,&#8221; the <a href="media/060355ee.fmoviesjudg.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/fmoviesjudg.pdf">judgment (pdf)</a> reads.</p>
<p><center><strong>Fmovies.to/se</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/076ecd1b.fmoviesl-e1490949343706.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fmoviesl-e1490949343706.png" alt="" width="600" height="517" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-137265"></center></p>
<p>The media conglomerate was also granted a preliminary injunction, which forbids FMovies from infringing ABS-CBN&#8217;s trademarks and copyrights going forward. In addition, ABS-CBN can also take over the FMovies.to domain name, according to the default judgment.</p>
<p>At the time of writing, Fmovies is still operational from the .to and .se domain names, but that may change in the near future, if the court order is enforced. </p>
<p>With a user base of millions of people, FMovies.to is by far the largest movie streaming site that has ever been targeted in a U.S. Court. With this in mind, it&#8217;s somewhat surprising that ABS-CBN &#8216;only&#8217; requested $210,000 in statutory damages. </p>
<p>In a similar default judgment ABS-CBN requested two years ago, a U.S. federal court in Oregon <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-site-operator-slapped-10-million-damages-141030/">ordered</a> the operator of several tiny streaming sites to pay $10 million in damages to the company.</p>
<p>Then again, the FMovies operators have thus far remained in the shadows, so it&#8217;s unlikely that any damages will ever be paid. </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=140133
title: Nintendo & BREIN Target Seller of ‘Pirate’ Retro Gaming System
uri: Nintendo-BREIN-Target-Seller-of-Pirate-Retro-Gaming-System
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/L8vQMWni84o/
content:
<p><a href="media/98345a93.mario-small.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/mario-small.jpg"><img src="media/9c821e43.mario-small.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mario-small.jpg" alt="" width="260" height="219" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140166"></a>As millions of often younger gamers immerse themselves in the latest 3D romp-fests from the world&#8217;s leading games developers, huge numbers of people are reliving their youth through the wonders of emulation.</p>
<p>The majority of old gaming systems can be emulated on a decent PC these days, opening up the possibility of reanimating thousands of the greatest games to ever grace the planet. While that&#8217;s a great prospect, the good news doesn&#8217;t stop there. The games are all free &#8211; if you don&#8217;t mind pirating them.</p>
<p>While many people go the do-it-yourself route by downloading emulators and ROMs (the games) from the Internet, increasingly people are saving time by buying systems ready-made online. Some of these are hugely impressive, housed in full-size arcade machine cabinets and packing many thousands of games. They also have sizeable price tags to match, running in some cases to thousands of dollars. But there are other options.</p>
<p>The rise of affordable compact computers has opened up emulation and retro gaming to a whole new audience and inevitable some people have taken to selling these devices online with the games pre-bundled on SD cards. These systems can be obtained relatively cheaply but despite the games being old, companies like Nintendo still take a dim view of their sale.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s also the case in the Netherlands, where Nintendo and other companies are taking action against people involved in the sale of what are effectively pirate gaming systems. In a recent case, Dutch anti-piracy outfit BREIN took action against the operator of the Retrospeler (Retro Player) site, an outlet selling a ready-made retro gaming system.</p>
<p><center><b>Retro Player site (translated from Dutch)</b><a href="media/6205e04f.retrogame1.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/retrogame1.png"><img src="media/5c23c622.retrogame1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/retrogame1.png" alt="" width="1433" height="630" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140135"></a></center></p>
<p>As seen from the image above, for a little under 110 euros the player can buy a games machine with classics like Super Mario, Street Fighter, and Final Fantasy pre-installed. Add a TV via an HDMI lead and a joypad or two, and yesteryear gaming becomes reality today. Unfortunately, the fun didn&#8217;t last long and it was soon &#8220;Game Over&#8221; for Retro Player.</p>
<p>Speaking with TorrentFreak, BREIN chief Tim Kuik says that the system sold by Retro Player was based on the popular Raspberry Pi single-board computer. Although small and relatively cheap, the Pi is easily capable of running retro games via software such as <a href="https://retropie.org.uk/">RetroPie</a>, but it&#8217;s unclear which product was installed on the version sold by Retro Player.</p>
<p>What is clear is that the device came pre-installed with a lot of games. The now-defunct <a href="http://Retrospel.nl">Retro Player site</a> listed 6,500 titles for a wide range of classic gaming systems, including Gameboy, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Megadrive and Playstation. Kuik didn&#8217;t provide precise numbers but said that the machine came packaged with &#8220;a couple of thousand&#8221; titles.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/be5a4a86.retrogame2.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/retrogame2.png"><img src="media/07c39361.retrogame2.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/retrogame2.png" alt="" width="1065" height="556" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140136"></a></center></p>
<p>BREIN says in this particular case it was acting on behalf of Nintendo, among others. However, it doesn&#8217;t appear that the case will be going to court. Like many other cases handled by the anti-piracy group, BREIN says it has reached a settlement with the operator of the Retro Player site for an unspecified amount.</p>
<p>The debate and controversy surrounding retro gaming and emulation is one that has been running for years. The thriving community sees little wrong with reanimating games for long-dead systems and giving them new life among a new audience. On the other hand, copyright holders such as Nintendo view their titles as their property, to be exploited in a time, place and manner of their choosing.</p>
<p>While that friction will continue for a long time to come, there will be few if any legal problems for those choosing to pursue their emulation fantasies in the privacy of their own home. Retro gaming is here to stay and as long as computing power continues to increase, the experience is only likely to improve.</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=140010
title: Cloudflare Fails to Limit Scope of Piracy Lawsuit
uri: Cloudflare-Fails-to-Limit-Scope-of-Piracy-Lawsuit
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/u6x8tKzPBWs/
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, including the likes of The Pirate Bay and ExtraTorrent, which rely on the U.S.-based company to keep server loads down.</p>
<p>Many rightsholders have complained about Cloudflare&#8217;s involvement with these sites and last year adult entertainment publisher ALS Scan took things up a notch by <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflare-faces-lawsuit-for-assisting-pirate-sites-160823/">dragging the company to court</a>.</p>
<p>ALS Scan accused the CDN service of various counts of copyright and trademark infringement and listed 15 customers that used the Cloudflare&#8217;s servers to distribute infringing material. </p>
<p>Through an early motion, Cloudflare managed to have several counts dismissed, but the accusation of contributory copyright infringement remained. </p>
<p>Hoping to further limit the scope of the lawsuit, Cloudflare asked the California federal court to grant a summary motion that would exclude 14 of the 15 listed &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites from the lawsuit, as the original sites are not hosted on U.S. servers. </p>
<p>The image hosting sites in question include imgchili.com, slimpics.com, bestofsexpics.com, greenpics.com, imgspot.org and imgsen.se, among others.</p>
<p>Cloudflare argued that in order to be contributing to copyright infringement, the &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites have to be direct infringers, which isn&#8217;t the case if are they are hosted abroad as that would fall outside the scope of U.S. courts. </p>
<p>However, according to the Court, which ordered on the motion for partial summary judgment a few days ago, this argument doesn&#8217;t hold. </p>
<p>&#8220;Here, it is undisputed that cache copies of Cloudflare clients’ files are stored on Cloudflare’s data servers; it is also undisputed that some of those data servers are located in the United States,&#8221; the <a href="media/34b05ac4.cloudpartial.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cloudpartial.pdf">order</a> (pdf) reads. </p>
<p>These cached files are the result of the pirate sites&#8217; decisions to sign up and pay for Cloudflare&#8217;s services. This ties direct infringements to U.S. servers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Thus, to the extent cache copies of Plaintiff’s images have been stored on Cloudflare’s U.S. servers, the creation of those copies would be an act of direct infringement by a given host website within the United States,&#8221; the court adds.</p>
<p>The Court further clarified that unlike Cloudflare claimed, under U.S. law the company can be held liable for caching content of copyright infringing websites. </p>
<p>In addition, Cloudflare&#8217;s argument that “infrastructure-level caching” is a type of fair use was denied as well. </p>
<p>Based on a detailed analysis of all the arguments provided, the Court concludes that the motion for summary judgment is denied for 13 of the 14 contended sites. This means than Cloudflare has to defend itself against the associated copyright infringement claims in an eventual trial.</p>
<p>The lawsuit is a crucial matter for Cloudflare, and not only because of the potential damages it faces in this case. If Cloudflare loses, other rightsholders are likely to make similar demands, forcing the company to actively police potential 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=140176
title: Who’s To Blame For The Kodi Crackdown?
uri: Who-s-To-Blame-For-The-Kodi-Crackdown
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/NamSDmo1ZzQ/
content:
<p><a href="media/9ab3c2a7.kodilogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kodilogo.jpg"><img src="media/3f5b59a8.kodilogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kodilogo.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="100" class="alignright size-full wp-image-107000"></a>Perfectly legal as standard, the Kodi media player can be easily modified to turn it into the ultimate streaming piracy machine.</p>
<p>Uptake by users has been nothing short of phenomenal. <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/millions-of-north-american-households-use-kodi-with-pirate-add-ons-170504/">Millions of people</a> are now consuming illicit media through third-party Kodi addons. With free movies, TV shows, sports, live TV and more on tap, it&#8217;s not difficult to see why the system is so popular.</p>
<p>As a result, barely a day goes by without Kodi making headlines and this week was no exception. On Monday, TorrentFreak broke the news that the ZEMTV addon and TV Addons, one of the most popular addon communities, were <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dish-network-sues-zemtv-and-tv-addons-for-copyright-infringement-170605/">being sued</a> by Dish Network for copyright infringement.</p>
<p>Within hours of the announcement and apparently as a direct result, several addons (including the massively popular Phoenix) decided to throw in the towel. Quite understandably, users of the platforms were disappointed, and that predictably resulted in people attempting to apportion blame.</p>
<p>The first comment to catch the eye was posted directly beneath our article. Interestingly, it placed the blame squarely on our shoulders.</p>
<p>&#8220;Thanks Torrentfreak, for ruining Kodi,&#8221; it read.</p>
<p>While shooting the messenger is an option, it&#8217;s historically problematic. Town criers were the original newsreaders, delivering important messages to the public. Killing a town crier was considered treason, but it was also pointless &#8211; it didn&#8217;t change the facts on the ground.</p>
<p>So if we can&#8217;t kill those who read about a lawsuit in the public PACER system and reported it, who&#8217;s left to blame? Unsurprisingly, there&#8217;s no shortage of targets, but most of them fall short.</p>
<p>The underlying theme is that most people voicing a negative opinion about the profile of Kodi do not appreciate their previously niche piracy system being in the spotlight. Everything was just great when just a few people knew about the marvelous hidden world of &#8216;secret&#8217; XBMC/Kodi addons, many insist, but seeing it in the mainstream press is a disaster. It&#8217;s difficult to disagree.</p>
<p>However, the point where this all falls down is when people are asked when the discussion about Kodi should&#8217;ve stopped. We haven&#8217;t questioned them all, of course, but it&#8217;s almost guaranteed that while most with a grievance didn&#8217;t want Kodi getting too big, they absolutely appreciate the fact that someone told <em>them</em> about it. Piracy and piracy techniques spread by word of mouth so unfortunately, people can&#8217;t have it both ways.</p>
<p>Interestingly, some people placed the blame on TV Addons, the site that hosts the addons themselves. They argued that the addon scene didn&#8217;t need such a high profile target and that the popularity of the site only brought unwanted attention. However, for every critic, there are apparently thousands who love what the site does to raise the profile of Kodi. Without that, it&#8217;s clear that there would be fewer users and indeed, fewer addons.</p>
<p>For TV Addons&#8217; part, they&#8217;re extremely clear who&#8217;s responsible for bringing the heat. On numerous occasions in emails to TF, the operators of the repository have blamed those who have attempted to commercialize the Kodi scene. For them, the responsibility must be placed squarely on the shoulders of people selling &#8216;Kodi boxes&#8217; on places like eBay and Amazon. Once big money got involved, that attracted the authorities, they argue.</p>
<p>With this statement in mind, TF spoke with a box seller who previously backed down from selling on eBay due to issues over <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-announces-legal-action-to-smash-piracy-links-160215/">Kodi&#8217;s trademark</a>. He didn&#8217;t want to speak on the record but admitted to selling &#8220;a couple of thousand&#8221; boxes over the past two years, noting that all he did was respond to demand with supply.</p>
<p>And this brings us full circle and a bit closer to apportioning blame for the Kodi crackdown. </p>
<p>The bottom line is that when it comes to piracy, Kodi and its third-party &#8216;pirate&#8217; addons are so good at what they do, it&#8217;s no surprise they&#8217;ve been a smash hit with Internet users. All of the content that anyone could want &#8211; and more &#8211; accessible in one package, on almost any platform? That&#8217;s what consumers have been demanding for more than a decade and a half.</p>
<p>That brings us to the unavoidable conclusion that modified Kodi simply got too good at delivering content outside controlled channels, and that success was impossible to moderate or calm. Quite simply, every user that added to the Kodi phenomenon by installing the software with &#8216;pirate&#8217; addons has to shoulder some of the blame for the crackdown.</p>
<p>That might sound harsh but in the piracy world it&#8217;s never been any different. Without millions of users, The Pirate Bay raid would never have happened. Without users, KickassTorrents might still be rocking today. But of course, what would be the point? </p>
<p>Users might break sites and services, but they also make them. That&#8217;s the piracy paradox.</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=139893
title: Copyright Holders Keep Targeting Dead Torrent Sites
uri: Copyright-Holders-Keep-Targeting-Dead-Torrent-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ASrCZ-CpGXM/
content:
<p><img src="media/24a0a783.dead-grave.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dead-grave.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="274" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-140115">Over the past year <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-gone-kat-down-are-torrent-giants-doomed-to-fall-160806/">several major torrent sites have shut down</a>, causing quite an uproar among file-sharers. </p>
<p>Interestingly, however, several copyright holders still appear to think that these sites are alive and kicking. That is, judging from the takedown notices they send to Google. </p>
<p>Publisher Penguin Random House is particularly <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/domains/?id=kat.cr">forgetful</a>. Through its anti-piracy partner Digimarc, the company has reported hundreds of &#8216;infringing&#8217; KickassTorrents URLs. Not only was KAT shut down last summer, the reported URLs are no longer listed in Google&#8217;s search results either. </p>
<p>Penguin is not alone though. Other rightsholders such as Sony Music, Dreamroom Productions, Taylor &#038; Francis Group, The University of Chicago Press and many others have made the same mistakes recently. </p>
<p>Over the past month alone Google has received 1,340 takedown notices for <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/domains/?id=kat.cr">Kat.cr</a> URLs and an additional 775 for the <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/domains/?id=kat.ph">Kat.ph</a> domain name. </p>
<p>The problem is not limited to KAT either. Torrentz.eu, another major torrent site that went offline last summer, is still being targeted at well. </p>
<p>For example, earlier this week Sony Pictures <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/requests/?id=4686820">asked Google</a> to remove a Torrentz.eu URL that linked to the series Community, even though it is no longer indexed. In just one month copyright holders sent Google 4,960 takedown requests for &#8220;dead&#8221; Torrentz URLs. </p>
<p><center><strong>Recent takedown requests for Torrentz.eu</strong><br></br></center><center></p>
<p><img src="media/e8dfc434.torrentzgoog-e1496925083598.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/torrentzgoog-e1496925083598.png" alt="" width="600" height="316" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140118"></center></p>
<p>Apparently, the reporting outfits have failed to adjust their piracy monitoring bots for the changing torrent landscape. </p>
<p>The mistakes are likely due to automated keyword filters that scour sites and forums for links to hosting services. These bots don’t bother to check whether Google actually indexes the content, nor do they remove dead sites from their system.</p>
<p>While targeting dead KAT and Torrentz links is bad enough, things can get worse.</p>
<p>The iconic torrent search isoHunt.com <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/isohunt-shuts-down-after-110-million-settlement-with-the-mpaa-131017/">shut down</a> following a MPAA lawsuit in 2013, well over three years ago. Nonetheless, rightsholders still sent Google takedown notices for the site, more than a <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/domains/?id=isohunt.com">dozen a month actually</a>. </p>
<p>Or what about BTJunkie. This torrent indexer closed its doors voluntarily <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/btjunkie-shuts-down-for-good-120206/">more than half a decade ago</a>. Dead or not, some copyright holders still manage to <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/domains/?id=btjunkie.org">find infringing links</a> in some of the darkest corners of the Internet.</p>
<p>Apparently, torrent users are far quicker to adapt to the changing landscape than the monitoring outfits of some copyright holders&#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=140222
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 06/12/17
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-06-12-17
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/8rHQJo1MRms/
content:
<p><img src="media/f095bee1.fatefurious9-e1497251418671.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fatefurious9-e1497251418671.png" alt="" width="300" height="224" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140225">This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>The Fate of the Furious, which came out as Web-DL this 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-060517/">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>(5)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4630562/">The Fate of the Furious</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4630562/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XBmsl7wbIQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279/">Wonder Woman</a> (TC)</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>3</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5442430/">Life</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5442430/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeLsJfGmY_Y">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4425200/">John Wick: Chapter 2</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4425200/">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGk2EfbD_Ps">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3874544/">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>(3)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790809/">Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales</a> (TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790809/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2_6L7u578Q">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3315342/">Logan</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3315342/">8.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DekuSxJgpbY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1082807">The Belko Experiment</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1082807">6.2</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-tdH7hdgw4">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> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4VmJcZR0Yg">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731562/">Kong: Skull Island</a> (Subbed HDRip)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731562/">7.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44LdLqgOpjo">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=140219
title: Popular Release Group ShAaNiG Permanently Shuts Down
uri: Popular-Release-Group-ShAaNiG-Permanently-Shuts-Down
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/hu3BOGzsqLI/
content:
<p><a href="media/2ae96e75.shaanig.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/shaanig.jpg"><img src="media/ac4b4582.shaanig.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/shaanig.jpg" alt="" width="260" height="141" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140230"></a>While there are dozens of torrent release groups in operation today, some providing extremely high quality work, every few years a notable &#8216;brand&#8217; group appears.</p>
<p>Two of the most famous from recent memory were aXXo and YIFY. Neither were known for historic individual releases or world-beating quality, but both were particularly consistent. An aXXo or YIFY label on an official torrent assured the potential downloader they would be getting a &#8216;McDonalds-quality&#8217; product; never haute cuisine but just enough taste and in enough volume to fill people up.</p>
<p>As a result, these groups gained millions of followers, something that put anti-piracy targets on their backs. No surprise then that neither are around today, with YIFY subjected to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/yts-yify-signs-unprecedented-settlement-with-mpaa-151105/">legal action</a> in New Zealand and aXXo&#8230;.well, no one seems to know.</p>
<p>With those groups gone, there was a gap in the market for a similar product. Popular releases delivered to the masses in small file sizes is clearly a recipe for success and an existing group called ShAaNiG decided to step in to take up some of the slack.</p>
<p>What followed was thousands of ShAaNiG movie and TV show releases, which were uploaded to The Pirate Bay and direct download sites. They also took pride of place on the group&#8217;s forum at Shaanig.org, where they were neatly organized into relevant categories.</p>
<p><center><b>ShAaNiG&#8217;s release forum</b><a href="media/231e87df.shaanig1.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/shaanig1.png"><img src="media/1aa3fe67.shaanig1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/shaanig1.png" alt="" width="650" height="363" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140234"></a></center></p>
<p>But like aXXO and YIFY before it, something went wrong at ShAaNiG. After publishing a couple of releases on Saturday, including a Blu-ray rip of the movie Jawbone and an episode of TV show Outcast, ShAaNiG unexpectedly threw in the towel. A notice on the group&#8217;s homepage gives no reason for the sudden shutdown but makes it clear that ShAaNiG won&#8217;t be coming back.</p>
<p>&#8220;ShAaNiG has shut down permanently,&#8221; it reads. &#8220;Every journey must come to an end, This is the end of our journey. Thank you for all your support.&#8221;</p>
<p>While there are only so many ways to say that a site has been shut down for good, the first sentence is identical to the one used by ExtraTorrent when it <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/extratorrent-shuts-down-for-good-170517/">closed down last month</a>.</p>
<p>Another potentially interesting similarity is that both ExtraTorrent and ShAaNiG had huge followings in India, with both sites indexing a lot of local content, especially movies. </p>
<p>More than 30% of ShAaNiG&#8217;s traffic came from India, with much of it driven from The Pirate Bay where more than a thousand releases live on today. When ExtraTorrent shut down, around 40% of the new traffic arriving at another popular platform <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrent-sites-see-traffic-boost-after-extratorrent-shutdown-170528/">came from India</a>.</p>
<p>Whether the Indian connection is pure coincidence remains to be seen, but it seems possible if not likely that some kind of legal pressure played a part in the demise of both. However, if the situation plays out in the same manner, we&#8217;ll hear no more and like ExtraTorrent, ShAaNiG will simply fade away.</p>
<p>While that will come as a huge disappointment to ShAaNiG fans, other file-sharers are likely to have less sympathy. Like aXXo and YIFY before it, ShAaNiG was rarely (if ever) the source of the material it released, instead preferring to re-encode existing releases. For some pirates, that&#8217;s a red line that should never be crossed.</p>
<p>Whether a new group will rise phoenix-like from the ashes will remain to be seen but as these &#8216;brand&#8217; groups have established time and again, there&#8217;s always a market for passable quality movie releases, if they come in a compact file-size.</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=140232
title: More Pirated Ultra HD Blu-Ray Discs Leak Online, But Mystery Remains
uri: More-Pirated-Ultra-HD-Blu-Ray-Discs-Leak-Online-But-Mystery-Remains
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/T99cZDfM3GE/
content:
<p><img src="media/c84f81a8.4k.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/4k.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="186" class="alignright size-full wp-image-115973">Up until a few weeks ago, full copies of UHD Blu-Ray Discs were impossible to find on pirate sites. </p>
<p>Protected with strong AACS 2.0 encryption, it has long been one of the last bastions movie pirates had to breach. </p>
<p>While the encryption may still be as strong as before, it&#8217;s clear that some pirates have found a way through. After the first pirated Ultra HD Blu-Ray Disc leaked early last month, two new ones have appeared in recent days. </p>
<p>Following the historic &#8220;Smurfs 2&#8221; release, a full UHD copy of &#8220;Patriots Day&#8221; surfaced online little over a week ago, followed by a similar copy of &#8220;Inferno&#8221; this past weekend. The latter two were <a href="media/ee298d18.uhd.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/uhd.png">both released by the scene group TERMiNAL</a> and leaked to various torrent sites.</p>
<p>While the leaks all appear to be legitimate, it&#8217;s still a mystery how the Blu-Ray discs were ripped.</p>
<p>While some have suggested that AACS 2.0 must have been cracked, there is no evidence supporting this yet. The TERMiNAL releases don&#8217;t mention anything that hints at a crack so the mystery remains intact. </p>
<p><center><strong>4k capture</strong> (<a href="http://i92.fastpic.ru/big/2017/0612/90/_451bf2cfcfac0266673966fd47db5990.png?noht=1">full</a>)<br></br></center><center><img src="http://i92.fastpic.ru/big/2017/0612/90/_451bf2cfcfac0266673966fd47db5990.png?noht=1" alt="4k"></center></p>
<p>An alternative explanation would be that there is some kind of exploit allowing the pirates to bypass the encryption. Some have pointed to a private exploit of Intel&#8217;s SGX, which would make it possible to sniff out what PowerDVD has in memory.</p>
<p>&#8220;If SGX has a loop, that will enable people to read PowerDVD&#8217;s memory. That will then allow them to copy the decrypted data from the UHD Blu-Ray drive 1:1,&#8221; a source informs TorrentFreak. </p>
<p>Another option could be that there&#8217;s a private media player exploit, allowing the pirates to get full access to the data and read the encrypted disc. Our source has tried this extensively in the past and got close, but without success. Others may have had more luck.</p>
<p><center><strong>UHD leak specs</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/b08cc67b.infernodetaails.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/infernodetaails.png" alt="" width="598" height="190" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140251"></center></p>
<p>If there&#8217;s indeed such an exploit or vulnerability, the pirates in question might want to keep that private to prevent it from being fixed, presuming it can be patched, that is. </p>
<p>Theoretically, AACS 2.0 could be cracked of course, but this seems to be less likely, according to our source. The latest UHD Blu-Rays also have bus encryption. This means that there are two separate keys to break, which would be very hard.</p>
<p>Cracked or not, pirates are excited about the UHD Blu-Ray copies that have started to populate through private and public torrent sites. </p>
<p><center><strong>Tracker advertising the third UHD leak</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/f0fd8c1e.infernouhd-e1497254218125.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/infernouhd-e1497254218125.png" alt="" width="600" height="459" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140236"></center></p>
<p>While the download numbers are nowhere near those of regular HD releases, the UHD leaks are widely seen as a breakthrough. And with three releases in short succession, there are likely more to follow. </p>
<p>Those who dare to pirate them have to make sure that they have enough bandwidth, time,  and free space on their hard drives though. Ultra HD releases easily take up several dozens of gigabytes. </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=140317
title: Kodi Turmoil Continues as TVAddons Mysteriously Disappears
uri: Kodi-Turmoil-Continues-as-TVAddons-Mysteriously-Disappears
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/i1RvN9YRMVY/
content:
<p><img src="media/b2863a48.tvaddons-1.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddons-1.png" alt="" width="270" height="117" class="alignright size-full wp-image-137958">Last week we broke the news that third-party Kodi add-on ZemTV and the <a href="https://www.tvaddons.ag/">TVAddons</a> library were <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dish-network-sues-zemtv-and-tv-addons-for-copyright-infringement-170605/">being sued</a> in a federal court in Texas.</p>
<p>Since then, the &#8216;pirate&#8217; Kodi community has been <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/popular-kodi-add-ons-quit-following-prominent-piracy-lawsuit-170607/">in turmoil</a>. Several popular Kodi addons decided to shut down, and now TVAddons itself appears to be in trouble as well. </p>
<p>TVAddons is pne of the largest repositories of Kodi add-ons, many of which allow users to watch pirated content. The site has grown massively in recent years and reported that nearly <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-addon-repository-sees-massive-surge-users-170417/">40 million</a> unique users connected to the site&#8217;s servers in March. </p>
<p>Since yesterday, however, these millions of users can no longer access the site. Without prior warning or a public explanation, TVAddons&#8217; domain name stopped responding. The domain&#8217;s DNS entries have been removed which means that it&#8217;s no longer accessible to the public. </p>
<p>Those who try to access the site either get a browser error message, or are <a href="media/2cb70f5d.tvaddonsuni.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddonsuni.png">redirected to a page</a> of TVAddons&#8217; domain name registrar Uniregistry.com (in some cases people may still see the site, if the DNS entries are cached). </p>
<p><center><strong>TVAddons.ag can&#8217;t be reached</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/9576da97.tvaddonscantbereached.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddonscantbereached.png" alt="" width="581" height="237" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140322"></center></p>
<p>For now, it&#8217;s unclear who removed the DNS entries and why. The registrar could have taken this action, but TVAddons may have done it themselves too. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak reached out to TVAddons a few times over the past several days but without response. The site&#8217;s spokesperson was previously quick to reply, but after the Dish lawsuit became public this changed.</p>
<p>In response to our latest email inquiry, we received an <a href="media/cbd25375.tvaddonsnotfound.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tvaddonsnotfound.png">error message</a>, suggesting that the site&#8217;s official email addresses are no longer functioning due to the domain troubles.</p>
<p>TVAddons has also gone quiet on social media, where TVAddons has been very active in the past. However, the last updates on Twitter and Facebook date back more than a week ago. In fact, a few hours ago <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TVADDONS/">TVAddons&#8217; Facebook page</a> disappeared completely.</p>
<p><center><strong>Facebook page unavailable</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/cb07dce1.facetvaddons.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/facetvaddons.png" alt="" width="568" height="163" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140321"></center></p>
<p>Based on the current downtime issues, it&#8217;s no surprise that people are getting worried. If TVAddons doesn&#8217;t return, the Kodi-addon community has lost what&#8217;s arguably its biggest player.</p>
<p>The site&#8217;s extensive library listed 1,500 different add-ons, of which the community-maintained Exodus addon was one of the most popular. Now that the site is no longer available, people may run into issues while updating these.</p>
<p>That said, it&#8217;s best not to jump to conclusions without an official explanation from the team. If we find out more, this article will be updated accordingly.</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=140376
title: Global Entertainment Giants Form Massive Anti-Piracy Coalition
uri: Global-Entertainment-Giants-Form-Massive-Anti-Piracy-Coalition
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/QY3h5-lNVOc/
content:
<p><a href="media/1a4a8e6c.ace-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ace-logo.jpg"><img src="media/0eea55a4.ace-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ace-logo.jpg" alt="" width="315" height="141" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140379"></a>It&#8217;s not unusual for companies within the same area of business to collaborate in order to combat piracy. The studios and labels that form the MPAA and RIAA, for example, have doing just that for decades.</p>
<p>Today, however, an unprecedented number of global content creators and distribution platforms have announced the formation of a brand new coalition to collaboratively fight Internet piracy on a global scale.</p>
<p>The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (<a href="http://alliance4creativity.com">ACE</a>) is a coalition of 30 companies that reads like a who&#8217;s who of the global entertainment market. In alphabetical order the members are:</p>
<p><em>Amazon, AMC Networks, BBC Worldwide, Bell Canada and Bell Media, Canal+ Group, CBS Corporation, Constantin Film, Foxtel, Grupo Globo, HBO, Hulu, Lionsgate, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Millennium Media, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, SF Studios, Sky, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Star India, Studio Babelsberg, STX Entertainment, Telemundo, Televisa, Twentieth Century Fox, Univision Communications Inc., Village Roadshow, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.</em></p>
<p>In a joint announcement today, ACE notes that there are now more than 480 services available for consumers to watch films and TV programs online. However, despite that abundance of content, piracy continues to pose a threat to creators and the economy.</p>
<p>&#8220;Films and television shows can often be found on pirate sites within days – and in many cases hours – of release,&#8221; ACE said in a statement.</p>
<p>&#8220;Last year, there were an estimated 5.4 billion downloads of pirated wide release films and primetime television and VOD shows using peer-to-peer protocols worldwide. There were also an estimated 21.4 billion total visits to streaming piracy sites worldwide across both desktops and mobile devices in 2016.&#8221;</p>
<p>Rather than the somewhat fragmented anti-piracy approach currently employed by ACE members separately, the coalition will present a united front of all major content creators and distributors, with a mission to cooperate and expand in order to minimize the threat.</p>
<p>At the center of the alliance appears to be the MPAA. ACE reports that the anti-piracy resources of the Hollywood group will be used &#8220;in concert&#8221; with the existing anti-piracy departments of the member companies.</p>
<p><center><a href="media/f1a5998b.ace-members.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ace-members.png"><img src="media/44623f23.ace-members.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ace-members.png" alt="" width="650" height="854" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140381"></a></center></p>
<p>Unprecedented scale aside, ACE&#8217;s modus operandi will be a familiar one.</p>
<p>The coalition says it will work closely with law enforcement to shut down pirate sites and services, file civil litigation, and forge new relationships with other content protection groups. It will also strive to reach voluntary anti-piracy agreements with other interested parties across the Internet.</p>
<p>MPAA chief Chris Dodd, whose group will play a major role in ACE, welcomed the birth of the alliance.</p>
<p>&#8220;ACE, with its broad coalition of creators from around the world, is designed, specifically, to leverage the best possible resources to reduce piracy,&#8221; Dodd said.</p>
<p>&#8220;For decades, the MPAA has been the gold standard for antipiracy enforcement. We are proud to provide the MPAA’s worldwide antipiracy resources and the deep expertise of our antipiracy unit to support ACE and all its initiatives.&#8221;</p>
<p>The traditionally non-aggressive BBC described ACE as &#8220;hugely important&#8221; in the fight against &#8220;theft and illegal distribution&#8221;, with Netflix noting that even its creative strategies for dealing with piracy are in need of assistance.</p>
<p>“While we’re focused on providing a great consumer experience that ultimately discourages piracy, there are still bad players around the world trying to profit off the hard work of others,&#8221; said Netflix General Counsel, David Hyman.</p>
<p>&#8220;By joining ACE, we will work together, share knowledge, and leverage the group’s combined anti-piracy resources to address the global online piracy problem.”</p>
<p>It&#8217;s likely that the creation of ACE will go down as a landmark moment in the fight against piracy. Never before has such a broad coalition promised to pool resources on such a grand and global scale. That being said, with great diversity comes the potential for greatly diverging opinions, so only time will tell if this coalition can really hold together.</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=140362
title: US Opposes Kim Dotcom’s Supreme Court Petition Over Seized Millions
uri: US-Opposes-Kim-Dotcom-s-Supreme-Court-Petition-Over-Seized-Millions
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/hwlUfAU5g2M/
content:
<p><img src="media/9a9629f5.megaupload-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/megaupload-logo.jpg" alt="megaupload-logo" width="250" height="208" class="alignright size-full wp-image-95191">Following the 2012 raid on Megaupload and Kim Dotcom, U.S. and New Zealand authorities seized millions of dollars in cash and other property.</p>
<p>Claiming the assets were obtained through copyright and money laundering crimes, the U.S. government launched a separate civil action in which it asked the court to forfeit the bank accounts, cars, and other seized possessions of the Megaupload defendants.</p>
<p>The U.S. branded Dotcom and his colleagues as “fugitives” and <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/u-s-government-wins-dozens-of-millions-from-kim-dotcom-150326/">won their case</a>. Dotcom&#8217;s legal team quickly <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-appeals-to-reclaim-mega-millions-from-u-s-150701/">appealed</a> this verdict, but lost <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-seizes-dotcoms-millions-entrepreneur-fights-back-160815/">once more</a> at the Fourth Circuit appeals court.</p>
<p>However, Dotcom didn&#8217;t give up and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-takes-fight-over-seized-millions-to-us-supreme-court-170410/?preview=true">petitioned</a> the US Supreme Court to hear the case. Together with the other defendants, he wants the Supreme Court to overturn the &#8220;fugitive disentitlement&#8221; ruling and the forfeiture of his assets.</p>
<p>The crux of the case is whether or not the District Court’s order to forfeit an estimated $67 million in assets was right. The defense argues that Dotcom and the other Megaupload defendants were wrongfully labeled as fugitives by the Department of Justice. </p>
<p>“If left undisturbed, the Fourth Circuit’s decision enables the Government to obtain civil forfeiture of every penny of a foreign citizen’s foreign assets based on unproven allegations of the most novel, dubious United States crimes,” Dotcom&#8217;s legal team wrote.</p>
<p>The United States Government disagrees with this assessment. In their opposition brief (<a href="media/6d140a33.US-supreme-mega-response.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/US-supreme-mega-response.pdf">pdf</a>), submitted late last week and <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/06/feds-ask-supreme-court-to-uphold-seizure-of-kim-dotcoms-millions/">picked up</a> by ARS, the Department of Justice asks the Supreme Court not to take on the case.</p>
<p>According to the US, the decision to label Dotcom and his colleagues as fugitives is how Congress intended the relevant section of the law to work. In addition, the current rulings are not incompatible with previous court decisions in similar cases.</p>
<p>&#8220;Petitioners also seek review of the court of appeals’ holding that they qualify as &#8216;fugitives&#8217; under the federal fugitive-disentitlement statute [&#8230;] because they declined to enter the United States with the specific intent to avoid prosecution,&#8221; DoJ writes in its brief. </p>
<p>&#8220;That contention does not warrant review. The court of appeals correctly construed Section 2466 in light of its text and purpose. Its holding applying the statute to the facts here does not conflict with any decision of another circuit,&#8221; the brief adds.</p>
<p>The full opposition brief responds in detail to the petition of Dotcom and his colleagues, with the US ultimately concluding that the Supreme Court should deny the request. </p>
<p>Dotcom and his legal team have previously stated that they need more resources to mount a proper defense against the criminal complaint. The case has been ongoing for more than half a decade and is being fought in several courts, which has proven to be rather expensive.</p>
<p>Whether the Supreme Court accepts or denies the case will likely be decided in the weeks to come. Until then, the waiting continues.</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=140370
title: UK Police Claim Success in Keeping Gambling Ads off Pirate Sites
uri: UK-Police-Claim-Success-in-Keeping-Gambling-Ads-off-Pirate-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/JjSPImcOrPg/
content:
<p><img src="media/32eb51e0.dice.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/dice.jpg" width="240" height="187" class="alignright size-large">Over the past several years, there has been a major effort by entertainment industry groups to cut off revenue streams to &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites. The theory is that if sites cannot generate funds, their operators will eventually lose interest.</p>
<p>Since advertising is a key money earner for any website, significant resources have been expended trying to keep ads off sites that directly or indirectly profit from infringement. It&#8217;s been a multi-pronged affair, with agencies being encouraged to do the right thing and brands warned that their ads appearing on pirate sites does nothing for their image.</p>
<p>One sector that has trailed behind most is the gambling industry. Up until fairly recently, ads for some of the UK&#8217;s largest bookmakers have been a regular feature on many large pirate sites, either embedded in pages or more often than not, appearing via popup or pop-under spreads. Now, however, a significant change is being reported.</p>
<p>According to the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), over the past 12 months there has been an 87% drop in adverts for licensed gambling operators being displayed on infringing websites.</p>
<p>The research was carried out by whiteBULLET, a brand safety and advertising solutions company which helps advertisers to assess whether placing an advert on a particular URL will cause it to appear on a pirate site.</p>
<p>PIPCU says that licensed gambling operators have an obligation to “keep crime out of gambling” due to their commitments under the Gambling Act 2005. However, the Gambling Commission, the UK&#8217;s gambling regulatory body, has recently been taking additional steps to tackle the problem.</p>
<p>In September 2015, the Commission consulted on amendments (<a href="media/6d5e5145.LCCP-crime-review-consultation-September-2015.pdf" data-original-source="http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/Consultations/LCCP-crime-review-consultation-September-2015.pdf">pdf</a>) to licensing conditions that would compel licensees to ensure that advertisements “placed by themselves and others” do not appear on websites providing unauthorized access to copyrighted content.</p>
<p>After the consultation was published in May 2016 (<a href="media/b791c8b8.Placing-digital-adverts-responsibly-consultation-May-2016.pdf" data-original-source="http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/Consultations/Placing-digital-adverts-responsibly-consultation-May-2016.pdf">pdf</a>), all respondents agreed in principle that gambling operators should not advertise on pirate sites. A month later, the Commission <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-forbids-gambling-services-advertising-pirate-sites-160713/">said</a> it would ban the placement of gambling ads on such platforms.</p>
<p>When the new rules came into play last October, 40 gambling companies (including Bet365, Coral and Sky Bet, who had previously been called out for displaying ads on pirate sites) were making use of PIPCU&#8217;s ‘Infringing Website List‘, a database of sites that police claim are actively involved in piracy.</p>
<p>Speaking yesterday, acting Detective Superintendent Peter Ratcliffe, Head of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), welcomed the ensuing reduction in ad placement on &#8216;pirate&#8217; domains.</p>
<p>“The success of a strong relationship built between PIPCU and The Gambling Commission can be seen by these figures. This is a fantastic example of a joint working initiative between police and an industry regulator,&#8221; Ratcliffe said.</p>
<p>“We commend the 40 gambling companies who are already using the Infringing Website List and encourage others to sign up. We will continue to encourage all UK advertisers to become a member of the Infringing Website List to ensure they’re not inadvertently funding criminal websites.”   </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=140080
title: Pirate Bay Facilitates Piracy and Can be Blocked, Top EU Court Rules
uri: Pirate-Bay-Facilitates-Piracy-and-Can-be-Blocked-Top-EU-Court-Rules
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ftGuMi9kUvk/
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">In 2014, The Court of The Hague handed down its decision in a long running case which had previously forced two Dutch ISPs, Ziggo and XS4ALL, to block The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>The Court ruled against local anti-piracy outfit BREIN, concluding that the <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/isps-no-longer-have-to-block-the-pirate-bay-dutch-court-rules-140128/">blockade was ineffective</a> and restricted the ISPs’ entrepreneurial freedoms.</p>
<p>The Pirate Bay was unblocked by all local ISPs while BREIN took the matter to the Supreme Court, which subsequently referred the case to the EU Court of Justice, seeking further clarification.</p>
<p>After a careful review of the case, the Court of Justice today ruled that The Pirate Bay can indeed be blocked. </p>
<p>While the operators don&#8217;t share anything themselves, they knowingly provide users with a platform to share copyright-infringing links. This can be seen as &#8220;an act of communication&#8221; under the EU Copyright Directive, the Court concludes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Whilst it accepts that the works in question are placed online by the users, the Court highlights the fact that the operators of the platform play an essential role in making those works available,&#8221; the Court explains in a press release (<a href="media/a9dca5a5.CJEU-TPB.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/CJEU-TPB.pdf">pdf</a>).</p>
<p>According to the ruling, The Pirate Bay indexes torrents in a way that makes it easy for users to find infringing content while the site makes a profit. The Pirate Bay is aware of the infringements, and although moderators sometimes remove &#8220;faulty&#8221; torrents, infringing links remain online.</p>
<p>&#8220;In addition, the same operators expressly display, on blogs and forums accessible on that platform, their intention of making protected works available to users, and encourage the latter to make copies of those works,&#8221; the Court writes. </p>
<p>The ruling means that there are no major obstacles for the Dutch Supreme Court to issue an ISP blockade, but a final decision in the underlying case will likely take a few more months.</p>
<p>A decision at the European level is important, as it may also affect court orders in other countries where The Pirate Bay and other torrent sites are already blocked, including Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, and its home turf Sweden.</p>
<p>Despite the negative outcome, the Pirate Bay team is not overly worried.</p>
<p>&#8220;Copyright holders will remain stubborn and fight to hold onto a dying model. Clueless and corrupt law makers will put corporate interests before the public&#8217;s. Their combined jackassery is what keeps TPB alive,&#8221; TPB&#8217;s plc365 tells TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>&#8220;The reality is that regardless of the ruling, nothing substantial will change. Maybe more ISPs will block TPB. More people will use one of the hundreds of existing proxies, and even more new ones will be created as a result.&#8221; </p>
<p>Pirate Bay moderator &#8220;Xe&#8221; notes that while it&#8217;s an extra barrier to access the site, blockades will eventually help people to get around censorship efforts, which are not restricted to TPB.</p>
<p>&#8220;They&#8217;re an issue for everyone in the sense that they&#8217;re an obstacle which has to be overcome. But learning how to work around them isn&#8217;t hard and knowing how to work around them is becoming a core skill for everyone who uses the Internet.</p>
<p>&#8220;Blockades are not a major issue for the site in the sense that they&#8217;re nothing new: we&#8217;ve long since adapted to them. We serve the needs of millions of people every day in spite of them,&#8221; Xe adds.</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=140388
title: Man Faces Prison For Sharing Pirated Deadpool Movie on Facebook
uri: Man-Faces-Prison-For-Sharing-Pirated-Deadpool-Movie-on-Facebook
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/SMR8BcQ08IA/
content:
<p><img src="media/139ebf81.facebook-pirate-1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/facebook-pirate-1.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="122" class="alignright size-full wp-image-139520">With roughly two billion active users per month, Facebook is by far the largest social networking site around. </p>
<p>While most of the content posted to the site is relatively harmless, some people use it to share things they are not supposed to. </p>
<p>This is also what 21-year-old Trevon Maurice Franklin from Fresno, California, did early last year. Just a week after the box-office hit Deadpool premiered in theaters, he shared a pirated copy of the movie on the social network. </p>
<p>Franklin, who used the screen name &#8220;Tre-Von M. King,&#8221; saw his post go viral as it allegedly reached five million views. This didn&#8217;t go unnoticed by Twentieth Century Fox, and soon after the feds were involved as well.</p>
<p>The FBI began to investigate the possibly criminal Facebook post and decided to build a case. This eventually led to an indictment, and the alleged &#8220;pirate&#8221; was arrested soon after.</p>
<p><center><strong>Facebook post from early 2016</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/7b5ccbc7.tre-von-king.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tre-von-king.png" alt="" width="496" height="119" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140399"></center></p>
<p>The U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the Central District of California, which <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/fresno-man-arrested-federal-copyright-violations-alleged-illegal-upload-deadpool-movi-0">released</a> the news a few hours ago, states that Franklin faces up to three years in prison for the alleged copyright infringement. </p>
<p>&#8220;Franklin is charged in a one-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on April 7 with reproducing and distributing a copyrighted work, a felony offense that carries a statutory maximum penalty of three years in federal prison,&#8221; the office wrote in a press release.</p>
<p>According to comments on Facebook, posted last year, several people warned &#8220;Tre-Von M. King&#8221; that it wasn&#8217;t wise to post copyright-infringing material on Facebook. However, Franklin said he wasn&#8217;t worried that he would get in trouble. </p>
<p><center><strong>Comment from early 2016</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/3c8fbc7a.facetrewarn.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/facetrewarn.png" alt="" width="487" height="122" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140406"></center></p>
<p>While the case is significant, there are also plenty of questions that remain unanswered. </p>
<p>Was the defendant involved in recording the copyright infringing copy? Was it already widely available elsewhere? Are the reported five million &#8220;views&#8221; people who watched a large part of the movie, or is this just the number of people who might have seen it in their feeds?</p>
<p>Thus far we have not seen a copy of the indictment in the court records, but a follow-up may be warranted when it becomes available.</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=140296
title: “Top ISPs” Are Discussing Fines & Browsing Hijacking For Pirates
uri: Top-ISPs-Are-Discussing-Fines-Browsing-Hijacking-For-Pirates
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/RWt-75GJAos/
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>For the past several years, anti-piracy outfit Rightscorp has been moderately successful in forcing smaller fringe ISPs in the United States to collaborate in a low-tier copyright trolling operation.</p>
<p>The way it works is relatively simple. Rightscorp monitors BitTorrent networks, captures the IP addresses of alleged infringers, and sends DMCA notices to their ISPs. Rightscorp expects ISPs to forward these to their customers along with an attached cash settlement demand.</p>
<p>These demands are usually for small amounts ($20 or $30) but most of the larger ISPs don&#8217;t forward them to their customers. This deprives Rightscorp (and clients such as BMG) of the opportunity to generate revenue, a situation that the anti-piracy outfit is desperate to remedy.</p>
<p>One of the problems is that when people who receive Rightscorp &#8216;fines&#8217; refuse to pay them, the company does nothing, leading to a lack of respect for the company. With this in mind, Rightscorp has been trying to get ISPs involved in forcing people to pay up.</p>
<p>In 2014, Rightscorp said that its goal was to have ISPs <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/anti-piracy-outfit-wants-to-hijack-browsers-until-fine-paid-140816/">place a redirect page</a> in front of &#8216;pirate&#8217; subscribers until they pay a cash fine.</p>
<p>“[What] we really want to do is move away from termination and move to what’s called a hard redirect, like, when you go into a hotel and you have to put your room number in order to get past the browser and get on to browsing the web,&#8221; the company said.</p>
<p>In the three years since that statement, the company has raised the issue <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rightscorp-plans-to-hijack-pirates-browsers-until-a-fine-is-paid-160402/">again</a> but nothing concrete has come to fruition. However, there are now signs of fresh movement which could be significant, if Rightscorp is to be believed.</p>
<p>&#8220;An ISP Good Corporate Citizenship Program is what we feel will drive revenue associated with our primary revenue model. This program is an attempt to garner the attention and ultimately inspire a behavior shift in any ISP that elects to embrace our suggestions to be DMCA-compliant,&#8221; the company told shareholders yesterday.</p>
<p>&#8220;In this program, we ask for the ISPs to forward our notices referencing the infringement and the settlement offer. We ask that ISPs take action against repeat infringers through suspensions or a redirect screen. A redirect screen will guide the infringer to our payment screen while limiting all but essential internet access.&#8221;</p>
<p>At first view, this sounds like a straightforward replay of Rightscorp&#8217;s wishlist of three years ago, but it&#8217;s worth noting that the legal landscape has shifted fairly significantly since then.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most important development is the BMG v Cox Communications case, in which the ISP was sued for not doing enough to tackle repeat infringers. In that case (for which Rightscorp provided the evidence), Cox was held liable for third-party infringement and ordered to pay damages of <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">$25 million</a> alongside <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-must-pay-8-million-to-cover-bmgs-legal-fees-in-piracy-case-170215/">$8 million</a> in legal fees.</p>
<p>All along, the suggestion has been that if Cox had taken action against infringing subscribers (primarily by passing on Rightscorp &#8216;fines&#8217; and/or disconnecting repeat infringers) the ISP wouldn&#8217;t have ended up in court. Instead, it chose to sweat it out to a highly unfavorable decision.</p>
<p>The BMG decision is a potentially powerful ruling for Rightscorp, particularly when it comes to seeking &#8216;cooperation&#8217; from other ISPs who might not want a similar legal battle on their hands. But are other ISPs interested in getting involved?</p>
<p>According to the Rightscorp, preliminary negotiations are already underway with some big players.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are now beginning to have some initial and very thorough discussions with a handful of the top ISPs to create and implement such a program that others can follow. We have every reason to believe that the litigations referred to above are directly responsible for the beginning of a change in thinking of ISPs,&#8221; the company says.</p>
<p>Rightscorp didn&#8217;t identify these &#8220;top ISPs&#8221; but by implication, these could include companies such as Comcast, AT&#038;T, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, Charter, Verizon, and/or even Cox Communications.</p>
<p>With cooperation from these companies, Rightscorp predicts that a &#8220;cultural shift&#8221; could be brought about which would significantly increase the numbers of subscribers paying cash demands. It&#8217;s also clear that while it may be seeking cooperation from ISPs, a gun is being held under the table too, in case any feel hesitant about putting up a redirect screen.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is the preferred approach that we advocate for any willing ISP as an alternative to becoming a defendant in a litigation and facing potential liability and significantly larger statutory damages,&#8221; Rightscorp says.</p>
<p>A recent development suggests the company may not be bluffing. Back in April the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-sues-isp-grande-communications-for-failing-to-disconnect-pirates-170422/">RIAA sued ISP Grande Communcations</a> for failing to disconnect persistent pirates. Yet again, Rightscorp is deeply involved in the case, having provided the infringement data to the labels for a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-riaa-is-now-copyright-troll-rightscorps-biggest-customer-170424/">considerable sum</a>.</p>
<p>Whether the &#8220;top ISPs&#8221; in the United States will cave into the pressure and implied threats remains to be seen but there&#8217;s no doubting the rising confidence at Rightscorp.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have demonstrated the tenacity to support two major litigation efforts initiated by two of our clients, which we feel will set a precedent for the entire anti-piracy industry led by Rightscorp. If you can predict the law, you can set the competition,&#8221; the company concludes.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Rightscorp appears to continue its use of disingenuous tactics to extract money from alleged file-sharers.</p>
<p>In the wake of several similar reports, this week a Reddit user <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/6gj3rn/rightscorp_200_notices/">reported</a> that Rightscorp asked him to pay a single $20 fine for pirating a song. After paying up, the next day the company allegedly called the user back and demanded payment for a further 200 notices. </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=140360
title: ISP Doesn’t Have to Expose Alleged BitTorrent Pirates, Finnish Court Rules
uri: ISP-Doesn-t-Have-to-Expose-Alleged-BitTorrent-Pirates-Finnish-Court
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/Qb3rSHs9u8M/
content:
<p><img src="media/5451b1e2.finland1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/finland1.jpg" alt="finland" width="200" height="143" class="alignright size-full wp-image-25779">Starting <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/file-sharing-copyright-trolls-invade-finland-140326/">three years ago</a>, copyright holders began sending out thousands of settlement letters to alleged pirates in Finland, a practice often described as copyright trolling.</p>
<p>This week, however, the local Market Court has put the brakes on these efforts, with a rather significant ruling. </p>
<p>In the case in question, filmmakers requested the personal information of hundreds of alleged BitTorrent users from Internet provider DNA. However, after a careful review by a panel of seven judges, the Court decided not to grant the request. </p>
<p>The rightsholders provided a detailed log from a BitTorrent monitoring tool as evidence. While the Court didn&#8217;t doubt that the pirated material had been shared, it questioned how significant the infringements were.</p>
<p>The provided list of IP-addresses and timestamps don&#8217;t show how much data was shared, or for how long. </p>
<p>The evidence included an overview of the total number of users sharing the same file in a single BitTorrent swarm. However, the fact that thousands of people were sharing the same file says nothing about the significance of individual infringements.</p>
<p>&#8220;[T]he applicant has not claimed or provided any explanation that would indicate that the distribution of its work, by an IP address in the application, would have repeatedly occurred or for a longer period of time,&#8221; the Market Court <a href="http://www.markkinaoikeus.fi/fi/index/paatokset/teollisjatekijanoikeudellisetasiat/teollisjatekijanoikeudellisetasiat/1497263623678.html">writes</a>.</p>
<p>The verdict, first reported by <a href="http://www.iltalehti.fi/digi/201706122200203047_du.shtml">Iltalethi</a>, refers to a recent case in the European Court of Justice, and stressed that the significance of an infringement must be weighed against the defendants&#8217; privacy rights. In this case, the court decided that the evidence doesn&#8217;t warrant the exposure of the alleged pirates. </p>
<p>&#8220;Since the applicant has not provided sufficient proof of compliance with the conditions set out in Article 60a of the Copyright Act to adoption of an application, the application must be dismissed,&#8221; the Market Court writes.</p>
<p>The outcome is a clear victory for the accused BitTorrent users. Time will tell whether rightsholders will adapt their evidence to the ruling, or whether they will test their luck elsewhere. The current ruling can still be appealed.</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=140448
title: Pirate Bay Ruling is Bad News For Google & YouTube, Experts Says
uri: Pirate-Bay-Ruling-is-Bad-News-For-Google-YouTube-Experts-Says
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/l6QTiYjaV0E/
content:
<p><a href="media/bfddc9cc.tpb3.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tpb3.png"><img src="media/7e02aab6.tpb3.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tpb3.png" alt="" width="230" height="243" class="alignright size-full wp-image-106334"></a>After years of legal wrangling, yesterday the European Court of Justice handed down a decision in the case between Dutch anti-piracy outfit BREIN and ISPs Ziggo and XS4ALL.</p>
<p>BREIN had demanded that the ISPs block The Pirate Bay, but both providers dug in their heels, forcing the case through the Supreme Court and eventually the ECJ.</p>
<p>For BREIN, yesterday&#8217;s decision will have been worth the wait. Although The Pirate Bay does not provide the content that&#8217;s ultimately downloaded and shared by its users, the ECJ said that it plays an important role in how that content is presented.</p>
<p>“Whilst it accepts that the works in question are placed online by the users, the Court highlights the fact that the operators of the platform play an essential role in making those works available,” the Court <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-facilitates-piracy-and-can-be-blocked-top-eu-court-rules-170614/">said</a>.</p>
<p>With that established the all-important matter is whether by providing such a platform, the operators of The Pirate Bay are effectively engaging in a &#8220;communication to the public&#8221; of copyrighted works. According to the ECJ, that&#8217;s indeed the case.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Court holds that the making available and management of an online sharing platform must be considered to be an act of communication for the purposes of the directive,&#8221; the ECJ said.</p>
<p>Add into the mix that The Pirate Bay generates profit from its activities and there&#8217;s a potent case for copyright liability.</p>
<p>While the case was about The Pirate Bay, ECJ rulings tend to have an effect far beyond individual cases. That&#8217;s certainly the opinion of Enzo Mazza, chief at Italian anti-piracy group FIMI.</p>
<p>&#8220;The ruling will have a major impact on the way that entities like Google operate, because it will expose them to a greater and more direct responsibility,&#8221; Mazza told <a href="http://www.repubblica.it/economia/2017/06/14/news/ue_sentenza_storica_su_pirateria_internet_gli_esperti_cominciano_guai_per_google_facebook_-168095144">La Repubblica</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;So far, Google has worked against piracy by eliminating illegal content after it gets reported. But that is not enough. It is a fairly ineffective intervention.&#8221;</p>
<p>Mazza says that platforms like Google, YouTube, and thousands of similar sites that help to organize and curate user-uploaded content are somewhat similar to The Pirate Bay. In any event, they are not neutral intermediaries, he insists.</p>
<p>The conclusion that the decision is bad for platforms like YouTube is shared by Fulvio Sarzana, a lawyer with <a href="http://www.lidis.it/">Sarzana and Partners</a>, a law firm specializing in Internet and copyright disputes.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the ruling, the Court has in fact attributed, for the first time, secondary liability to sharing platforms due to the violation of copyrights carried out by the users of a platform,&#8221; Sarzana informs TF.</p>
<p>&#8220;This will have consequences for video-sharing platforms and user-generated content sites like YouTube, but it excludes responsibility for platforms that play a purely passive role, without affecting users&#8217; content. This the case with cyberlockers, for example.&#8221;</p>
<p>Sarzana says that &#8220;unfortunate judgments&#8221; like this should be expected, until the approval of a new European copyright law. Enzo Mazza, on the other hand, feels that the copyright reform debate should take account of this ruling when <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/eu-piracy-filter-proposals-being-sabotaged-says-mep-julia-reda-170601/">formulating legislation</a> to stop platforms like YouTube exploiting copyright works without an appropriate license.</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=140511
title: Pirates Cost Australia’s Ten Network “Hundreds of Millions of Dollars”
uri: Pirates-Cost-Australia-s-Ten-Network-Hundreds-of-Millions-of-Doll
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/rl1RVzgwPtE/
content:
<p><a href="media/c5e87d4f.aus.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/aus.jpg"><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"></a>In 2016, Australia&#8217;s Ten Network posted losses of AUS$157 million. This April, the broadcaster showed signs of continuing distress when it posted a half-year loss of AUS$232 million.</p>
<p>In a statement to the stock exchange, Ten said it was trying to secure new terms for a AUS$200 million debt financing guarantee. According to <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-27/ten-network-struggles-to-survive-after-another-big-loss/8475774">ABC</a>, the company had lost more than 60% of its value in the preceding 12 months and almost 98% over the previous five years.</p>
<p>More bad news arrived this week when Ten&#8217;s board decided to put the company into voluntary administration after failing to secure a guarantee for a AUS$250 million loan that could&#8217;ve kept the ship afloat into the new year. As moves get <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-14/ten-enters-volutary-administration/8617078">underway</a> to secure the company&#8217;s future, fingers of blame are being raised. </p>
<p>According to Village Roadshow co-chief executive Graham Burke, Internet pirates cost Ten &#8220;hundreds of millions of dollars&#8221; in advertising revenue due to their tendency to obtain movies and TV shows from the web rather than via legitimate means.</p>
<p>Burke told The Australian <em>(<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/movie-piracy-cost-ten-network-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars/news-story/f09471b50a6afb158feb3964acbf407f">paywall</a>)</em> that movies supplied to Ten by 21st Century Fox (including The Revenant and The Peanuts Movie which were both <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/the-hateful-eight-and-the-revenant-leaked-online-151221/">leaked</a>) had received lower broadcast ratings due to people viewing them online in advance.</p>
<p>“Piracy is a much bigger channel and an illicit economy than the three main commercial networks combined,&#8221; Burke told the publication.</p>
<p>“Movies from Fox arrive with several million people having seen them through piracy. If it wasn’t for piracy, the ratings would be stronger and the product would not be arriving clapped out.&#8221;</p>
<p>But leaked or not, content doesn&#8217;t come cheap. As part of efforts to remain afloat, Ten Network recently tried to re-negotiate content supply deals with Fox and CBS. Together they reportedly cost the broadcaster more than AUS$900 million over the previous six years.</p>
<p>Despite this massive price tag and numerous other problems engulfing the troubled company, Burke suggests it is pirates that are to blame for Ten&#8217;s demise.</p>
<p>“A large part of Ten’s expenditure is on movies and they are being seen by millions of people ­illegitimately on websites supported by rogue ­advertising for drugs, prostitution and even legitimate advertising. The cumulative effect of all the ­pirated product out there has brought down Ten,” Burke said.</p>
<p>While piracy has certainly been blamed for a lot of things over the years, it is extremely rare for a senior industry figure to link it so closely with the potential demise of a major broadcaster.</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=140427
title: Court Orders Google to Remove Links to Takedown Notice
uri: Court-Orders-Google-to-Remove-Links-to-Takedown-Notice
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/pMKUji7RmlA/
content:
<p><img src="media/2ca46867.google-water.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/google-water.png" alt="" width="250" height="153" class="alignright size-full wp-image-89037">On an average day Google processes more than three million takedown notices from copyright holders, and that’s for its search engine alone.</p>
<p>Thanks to Google’s <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/?hl=en">transparency report</a>, the public is able to see where these notices come from and what content they’re targeting. In addition, Google partners with Lumen to post copies of most notices online.</p>
<p>Founded by Harvard’s Berkman Center, <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/">Lumen</a> is one of the few tools that helps to keep copyright holders accountable, while offering an invaluable database for researchers and the public in general.</p>
<p>However, not everyone is pleased with the service. Many copyright holders find it unfair that Google still indirectly links to the infringing URLs, because the search results point people to the takedown notice on Lumen, where these are listed in public.</p>
<p><center><strong>Google linking to a standard DMCA notice</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/511cbaa0.googlelumenlink.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/googlelumenlink.png" alt="" width="600" height="100" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140484"></center></p>
<p>In Germany, a similar complaint was at the center of a lawsuit. A local company found that when people entered its name into the search engine combined with the term ‘suspected fraud’ (Betrugsverdacht), several search results would appear suggesting that the two were linked.</p>
<p>Since making false claims against companies is not allowed in Germany, the company wanted the results removed. The court agreed with this assessment and ordered Google to take action, which it did. However, after removing the results, Google added a mention at the bottom of the results pointing users to the takedown request on Lumen.</p>
<p>“As a reaction to a legal request that was sent to Google, we have removed one search result. You can find further information at LumenDatabase.org,” Google noted, with a link. </p>
<p>The company wasn&#8217;t happy with this and wanted Google to remove this mention, since it indirectly linked to the offensive URLs. After a lower court first sided with Google, the Higher Regional Court of Munich has now ordered (<a href="media/1831a369.Beschluss-OLG-MC39C-Lumen-geschw.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.lhr-law.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Beschluss-OLG-M%C3%9C-Lumen-geschw.pdf">pdf</a>) the search engine to remove the link to the Lumen notice.</p>
<p>Mirko Brüß, a lawyer and expert on German copyright law, wrote a detailed overview of the case in question on <a href="http://ipkitten.blogspot.nl/2017/06/german-court-orders-google-to-stop.html">IPKAT</a> explaining the court&#8217;s reasoning.</p>
<p>&#8220;By presenting its users an explanation about the deleted search result, combined with a hyperlink to the Lumen website where the deleted search result could be clicked, Google (still) enabled users to find and read the infringing statements, even after being ordered by a court to discontinue doing so,&#8221; he notes.</p>
<p>&#8220;The court found that it made no difference whether one or two clicks are needed to get to the result,&#8221; Brüß adds.</p>
<p><center><strong>Lumen</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/e995c9a9.lumendb.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lumendb.png" alt="" width="600" height="299" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140476"></center></p>
<p>While the order only refers to the link at the bottom of the search results, it may also apply to the transparency report itself, Brüß informs TorrentFreak. </p>
<p>It will be interesting to see if copyright holders will use similar means to ensure that Google stops linking to copies of their takedown notices. That would seriously obstruct Google&#8217;s well-intentioned transparency efforts, but thus far this hasn&#8217;t happened. </p>
<p>Finally, it is worth noting that Google doesn&#8217;t index the takedown notices from Lumen itself. Links to takedown notices are only added to search results where content has been removed, either by court order or following a DMCA request. </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=140458
title: Alleged KickassTorrents Owner Considers ‘Voluntary Surrender’ to the US
uri: Alleged-KickassTorrents-Owner-Considers-Voluntary-Surrender-to-t
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/DZnxPJL3bKM/
content:
<p><img src="media/2279eece.kickasstorrents_500x5001-300x300.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x5001-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-99785">Earlier this year a Polish court <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/alleged-kickasstorrents-owner-can-be-extradited-to-the-us-court-rules-170301/">ruled</a> that Artem Vaulin, the alleged owner of the defunct torrent site KickassTorrents, can be extradited to the United States. </p>
<p>The decision came as a disappointment to the defense team, which quickly announced an appeal. </p>
<p>Vaulin has since been released on bail and currently resides in a Warsaw apartment. His release has made it easier to communicate with his attorneys in the United States, who have started negotiations with the US Government.</p>
<p>While the extradition appeal is still ongoing, it now appears that under the right conditions Vaulin might consider traveling to the United States voluntarily, so he can &#8220;resolve&#8221; the pending charges.</p>
<p>This is what the defense team states in a motion for a status conference (<a href="media/7bc22c74.artem-bond.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/artem-bond.pdf">pdf</a>), which was submitted earlier this week.</p>
<p>&#8220;Mr. Vaulin and his counsel in the United States recently have engaged in discussions with the government to determine if the parties can resolve this matter, or at least certain significant issues,&#8221; Vaulin&#8217;s legal team writes.</p>
<p>This includes &#8220;&#8230;issues relating to the proper calculation of the sentencing guidelines and/or the possibility of an agreement for bond should Mr. Vaulin decide to voluntarily surrender to the United States authorities and appear before this Court to resolve the pending charges.&#8221; </p>
<p>While the alleged KickassTorrents operator would be open to a voluntary &#8220;surrender,&#8221; he probably wants several guarantees before that happens. TorrentFreak reached out to the defense team for more information, but they preferred not to comment on ongoing negotiations.</p>
<p>Previously, Megaupload&#8217;s Kim Dotcom made a similar offer in his criminal case, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-will-go-to-the-us-in-exchange-for-legal-funds-120710/">requesting</a> living expenses and a fair trial. The US Government never took him up on this offer, it appears, as Dotcom still resides in New Zealand. </p>
<p>In Vaulin&#8217;s case, the defense previously submitted a motion to dismiss some or all of the charges in the indictment, and they hope a ruling on this will bring more clarity soon. With the requested status conference, both parties will at least be able to update the court on various procedural issues </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=140355
title: Comodo DNS Blocks TorrentFreak Over “Hacking and Warez “
uri: Comodo-DNS-Blocks-TorrentFreak-Over-Hacking-and-Warez
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/iC4h39GcNXE/
content:
<p><img src="media/4fb2d028.comodo-logo-e1497512117154.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/comodo-logo-e1497512117154.png" alt="" width="277" height="94" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140464">Website blocking has become one of the go-to methods for reducing online copyright infringement.</p>
<p>In addition to court-ordered blockades, various commercial vendors also offer a broad range of blocking tools. This includes <a href="https://www.comodo.com/">Comodo</a>, which offers a free DNS service that keeps people away from dangerous sites. </p>
<p>The service labeled <a href="https://www.comodo.com/secure-dns/">SecureDNS</a> is part of the Comodo Internet Security bundle but can be used by the general public as well, without charge. Just change the DNS settings on your computer or any other device, and you&#8217;re ready to go.</p>
<p>&#8220;As a leading provider of computer security solutions, Comodo is keenly aware of the dangers that plague the Internet today. SecureDNS helps users keep safe online with its malware domain filtering feature,&#8221; the company explains. </p>
<p>Aside from malware and spyware, Comodo also blocks access to sites that offer access to pirated content. Or put differently, they try to do this. But it&#8217;s easier said than done. </p>
<p>This week we were alerted to the fact that Comodo blocks direct access to TorrentFreak. Those who try to access our news site get an ominous warning instead, suggesting that we might share pirated content. </p>
<p>&#8220;This website has been blocked temporarily because of the following reason(s): Hacking/Warez: Site may offer illegal sharing of copyrighted software or media,&#8221; the warning reads, adding that several users also reported the site to be unsafe.</p>
<p><center><strong>TorrentFreak blocked</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/c0d88be8.TF-hacking-warez.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/TF-hacking-warez.png" alt="" width="594" height="556" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140465"></center></p>
<p>People can still access the site by clicking on a big red cross, although that&#8217;s something Comodo doesn&#8217;t recommend. However, it is quite clear that new readers will be pretty spooked by the alarming message. </p>
<p>We assume that TorrentFreak was added to Comodo&#8217;s blocklist by mistake. And while mistakes can happen everywhere, this once again show that overblocking is a serious concern. </p>
<p>We are lucky enough that readers alerted us to the problem, but in other cases, it could easily go unnoticed. </p>
<p>Interestingly, the &#8216;piracy&#8217; blocklist is not as stringent as the above would suggest. While we replicated the issue, we also checked several other known &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites including The Pirate Bay, RARBG, GoMovies, and Pubfilm. These could all be accessed through SecureDNS without any warning. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak contacted Comodo for a comment on their curious blocking efforts, but we have yet to hear back from the company. In the meantime, Comodo SecureDNS users may want to consider switching to a more open DNS provider. </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=140496
title: “Kodi Boxes Are a Fire Risk”: Awful Timing or Opportunism?
uri: Kodi-Boxes-Are-a-Fire-Risk-Awful-Timing-or-Opportunism
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/EE3g9Q3hPKE/
content:
<p>Anyone who saw the pictures this week couldn&#8217;t have failed to be moved by the plight of Londoners caught up in the Grenfell Tower inferno. The apocalyptic images are likely to stay with people for years to come and the scars for those involved may never heal.</p>
<p>As the building continued to smolder and the death toll increased, UK tabloids provided wall-to-wall coverage of the disaster. On Thursday, however, The Sun took a short break to put out yet another sensationalized story about Kodi. Given the week&#8217;s events, it was bound to raise eyebrows.</p>
<p>&#8220;HOT GOODS: Kodi boxes are a fire hazard because thousands of IPTV devices nabbed by customs ‘failed UK electrical standards’,&#8221; the headline <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/3805637/kodi-boxes-are-a-fire-hazard-and-thousands-of-iptv-devices-nabbed-by-customs-failed-uk-electricity-standards/">reads</a>.</p>
<p><center><b>Another sensational &#8216;Kodi&#8217; headline</b><a href="media/efd3af50.sun-4.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/sun-4.png"><img src="media/f7b52a29.sun-4.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/sun-4.png" alt="" width="785" height="630" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140506"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;It’s estimated that thousands of Brits have bought so-called Kodi boxes which can be connected to telly sets to stream pay-per-view sport and films for free,&#8221; the piece continued.</p>
<p>&#8220;But they could be a fire hazard, according to the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), which has been nabbing huge deliveries of the devices as they arrive in the UK.&#8221;</p>
<p>As the image below shows, &#8220;Kodi box&#8221; fire hazard claims appeared next to images from other news articles about the huge London fire. While all separate stories, the pairing is not a great look.</p>
<p><center><b>A &#8216;Kodi Box&#8217;, as depicted in The Sun</b><a href="media/0a4fe2ca.kodi-fire.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kodi-fire.png"><img src="media/9f9c0228.kodi-fire.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kodi-fire.png" alt="" width="1207" height="775" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140501"></a></center></p>
<p>FACT chief executive Kieron Sharp told The Sun that his group had uncovered two parcels of 2,000 &#8216;Kodi&#8217; boxes and found that they &#8220;failed electrical safety standards”, making them potentially dangerous. While that may well be the case, the big question is all about timing.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s FACT&#8217;s job to reduce copyright infringement on behalf of clients such as The Premier League so it&#8217;s no surprise that they&#8217;re making a sustained effort to deter the public from buying these devices. That being said, it can&#8217;t have escaped FACT or The Sun that fire and death are extremely sensitive topics this week.</p>
<p>That leaves us with a few options including unfortunate opportunism or perhaps terrible timing, but let&#8217;s give the benefit of the doubt for a moment.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s a good argument that FACT and The Sun brought a valid issue to the public&#8217;s attention at a time when fire safety is on everyone&#8217;s lips. So, to give credit where it&#8217;s due, providing people with a heads-up about potentially dangerous devices is something that most people would welcome.</p>
<p>However, it&#8217;s difficult to offer congratulations on the PSA when the story as it appears in The Sun does nothing &#8211; <em>absolutely nothing</em> &#8211; to help people stay safe.</p>
<p>If some boxes are a risk (and that&#8217;s certainly likely given the level of Far East imports coming into the UK) which ones are dangerous? Where were they manufactured? Who sold them? What are the serial numbers? Which devices do people need to get out of their houses?</p>
<p>Sadly, none of these questions were answered or even addressed in the article, making it little more than scaremongering. Only making matters worse, the piece notes that it isn&#8217;t even clear how many of the seized devices are indeed a fire risk and that more tests need to be done. Is this how we should tackle such an important issue during an extremely sensitive week?</p>
<p>Timing and lack of useful information aside, one then has to question the terminology employed in the article.</p>
<p>As a piece of computer software, Kodi cannot catch fire. So, what we&#8217;re actually talking about here is small computers coming into the country without passing safety checks. The presence of Kodi on the devices &#8211; if indeed Kodi was even installed pre-import &#8211; is absolutely irrelevant.</p>
<p>Anti-piracy groups warning people of the dangers associated with their piracy habits is nothing new. For years, Internet users have been told that their computers will become malware infested if they share files or stream infringing content. While in some cases that may be true, there&#8217;s rarely any effort by those delivering the warnings to inform people on how to stay safe.</p>
<p>A classic example can be found in the numerous reports put out by the Digital Citizens Alliance in the United States. The DCA has produced several and no doubt expensive <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/digital-citizens-slam-cloudflare-for-enabling-piracy-malware-160722/">reports</a> which claim to highlight the risks Internet users are exposed to on &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites.</p>
<p>The DCA claims to do this in the interests of consumers but the group offers no practical advice on staying safe nor does it provide consumers with risk reduction strategies. Like many high-level &#8216;drug prevention&#8217; documents shuffled around government, it could be argued that on a &#8216;street&#8217; level their reports are next to useless.</p>
<p>Demonizing piracy is a well-worn and well-understood strategy but if warnings are to be interpreted as representing genuine concern for the welfare of people, they have to be a lot more substantial than mere scaremongering.</p>
<p><em>Anyone concerned about potentially dangerous devices can check out these useful guides from Electrical Safety First <em>(<a href="media/0b825cf4.Buying-Electrical-Goods-Online-A5-Leaflet-2014.pdf" data-original-source="http://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/mediafile/100129855/Buying-Electrical-Goods-Online-A5-Leaflet-2014.pdf">pdf</a>) and the Electrical Safety Council (<a href="media/36cf20b6.buying-elec-goods-online.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.essex.ac.uk/health-safety/equipment/documents/buying-elec-goods-online.pdf">pdf</a>)</em></em> </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="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=138997
title: Disney Asks Google to Remove Its Own (Invisible) Takedown Notices
uri: Disney-Asks-Google-to-Remove-Its-Own-(Invisible)-Takedown-Notices
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/pPjKep0KeCA/
content:
<p><img src="media/c11b076f.disney-pirate.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/disney-pirate.jpg" alt="" width="220" height="178" class="alignright size-full wp-image-95935">Pretty much every major copyright holder regularly reports infringing links to Google, hoping to decrease the visibility of pirated files.</p>
<p>Over the past several years, the search engine has had to remove more than two billion links and most of these requests have been neatly archived in the <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/">Lumen database</a>. </p>
<p>Walt Disney Company is no stranger to these takedown efforts. The company has sent over <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/reporters/?id=7667">20 million takedown requests</a> to the search engine, covering a wide variety of content. All of these notices are listed in Google&#8217;s transparency report, and copies are available at Lumen. </p>
<p>While this is nothing new, we recently noticed that Disney doesn&#8217;t stop at reporting direct links to traditional &#8220;pirate&#8221; sites. In fact, they recently targeted one of their own takedown notices in the Lumen database, which was sent on behalf of its daughter company Lucasfilm. </p>
<p>In the notice below, the media giant <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/14116081">wants Google</a> to remove a <a href="https://www.lumendatabase.org/notices/13638290">links to a copy</a> of its own takedown notice, claiming that it infringes the copyright of the blockbuster &#8220;Star Wars: The Force Awakens.&#8221; </p>
<p><center><strong>Disney vs. Disney?</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/7c7e5a5b.disneylumen.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/disneylumen.png" alt="" width="600" height="241" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140532"></center></p>
<p>This is not the first time that a company has engaged in <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/domains/?id=lumendatabase.org">this type of meta-censorship</a>, it appears. </p>
<p>However, it&#8217;s all the more relevant this week after a <a href="/court-orders-google-to-remove-links-to-takedown-notice-170616">German court decided</a> that Google can be ordered to stop linking to its own takedown notices. While that suggests that Disney was right to ask for its own link to be removed, the reality is a bit more complex. </p>
<p>When it was still known as ChillingEffects, the Lumen Database <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/chilling-effects-dmca-archive-censors-itself-150110/">instructed Google not to index any takedown notices</a>. And indeed, searching for copies of takedown notices <a href="media/7321bd61.sitelum.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/sitelum.png">yields no result</a>. This means that Disney asked Google to remove a search result that doesn&#8217;t exist.</p>
<p>Perhaps things are different in a galaxy far, far away, but Disney&#8217;s takedown notice is not only self-censorship but also entirely pointless. </p>
<p>Disney might be better off focusing on content that Google has actually indexed, instead of going after imaginary threats. Or put in the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0000123/">words of Gold Five</a>: &#8220;Stay on Target,&#8221; Disney..</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=140425
title: The Pirate Bay Isn’t Affected By Adverse Court Rulings – Everyone Else Is
uri: The-Pirate-Bay-Isn-t-Affected-By-Adverse-Court-Rulings-Everyone
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/DLR4uley2D0/
content:
<p><a href="media/fd06f581.pirate-bay.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-bay.jpg"><img src="media/2a43984f.pirate-bay.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-bay.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="207" class="alignright size-full wp-image-53470"></a>For more than a decade The Pirate Bay has been the world&#8217;s most controversial site. Delivering huge quantities of copyrighted content to the masses, the platform is revered and reviled across the copyright spectrum.</p>
<p>Its reputation is one of a defiant Internet swashbuckler, but due to changes in how the site has been run in more recent times, its current philosophy is more difficult to gauge. What has never been in doubt, however, is the site&#8217;s original intent to be as provocative as possible.</p>
<p>Through endless publicity stunts, some real, some just for the &#8216;lulz&#8217;, The Pirate Bay managed to attract a massive audience, all while incurring the wrath of every major copyright holder in the world.</p>
<p>Make no mistake, they all queued up to strike back, but every subsequent rightsholder action was met by a Pirate Bay middle finger, two fingers, or chin flick, depending on the mood of the day. This only served to further delight the masses, who happily spread the word while keeping their torrents flowing.</p>
<p>This vicious circle of being targeted by the entertainment industries, mocking them, and then reaping the traffic benefits, developed into the cheapest long-term marketing campaign the Internet had ever seen. But nothing is ever truly for free and there have been consequences.</p>
<p>After taunting Hollywood and the music industry with its refusals to capitulate, endless legal action that the site would have ordinarily been forced to participate in largely took place without The Pirate Bay being present. It doesn&#8217;t take a law degree to work out what happened in each and every one of those cases, whatever complex route they took through the legal system. No defense, no win.</p>
<p>For example, the web-blocking phenomenon across the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia was driven by the site&#8217;s absolute resilience and although there would clearly have been other scapegoats had The Pirate Bay disappeared, the site was the ideal bogeyman the copyright lobby required to move forward.</p>
<p>Filing blocking lawsuits while bringing hosts, advertisers, and ISPs on board for anti-piracy initiatives were also made easier with the &#8216;evil&#8217; Pirate Bay still online. Immune from every anti-piracy technique under the sun, the existence of the platform in the face of all onslaughts only strengthened the cases of those arguing for even more drastic measures.</p>
<p>Over a decade, this has meant a significant tightening of the sharing and streaming climate. Without any big legislative changes but plenty of case law against The Pirate Bay, web-blocking is now a walk in the park, ad hoc domain seizures are a fairly regular occurrence, and few companies want to host sharing sites. Advertisers and brands are also hesitant over where they place their ads. It&#8217;s a very different world to the one of 10 years ago.</p>
<p>While it would be wrong to attribute every tightening of the noose to the actions of The Pirate Bay, there&#8217;s little doubt that the site and its chaotic image played a huge role in where copyright enforcement is today. The platform set out to provoke and succeeded in every way possible, gaining supporters in their millions. It could also be argued it kicked a hole in a hornets&#8217; nest, releasing the hell inside.</p>
<p>But perhaps the site&#8217;s most amazing achievement is the way it has managed to stay online, despite all the turmoil.</p>
<p>This week yet another ruling, this time from the powerful European Court of Justice, found that by offering links in the manner it does, The Pirate Bay and other sites are liable for communicating copyright works to the public. Of course, this prompted the usual swathe of articles claiming that this could be the final nail in the site&#8217;s coffin.</p>
<p>Wrong.</p>
<p>In common with every ruling, legal defeat, and legislative restriction put in place due to the site&#8217;s activities, this week&#8217;s decision from the ECJ will have zero effect on the Pirate Bay&#8217;s availability. For right or wrong, the site was breaking the law long before this ruling and will continue to do so until it decides otherwise.</p>
<p>What we have instead is a further tightened legal landscape that will have a lasting effect on everything BUT the site, including weaker torrent sites, Internet users, and user-uploaded content sites <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-ruling-is-bad-news-for-google-youtube-experts-says-170615/">such as YouTube</a>.</p>
<p>With The Pirate Bay carrying on regardless, that is nothing short of remarkable.</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=140634
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 06/19/17
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-06-19-17
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/zC8lWMryHL0/
content:
<p><img src="media/f095bee1.fatefurious9-e1497251418671.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/fatefurious9-e1497251418671.png" alt="" width="300" height="224" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140225">This week we have three newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Wonder Woman 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-061217/">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/wonder-woman-torrent-downloads/">Wonder Woman</a> (TC)</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>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/power-rangers-torrent-downloads/">Power Rangers</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3717490/">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kIe6UZHSXw">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/fate-furious-torrent-downloads/">The Fate of the Furious</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4630562/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XBmsl7wbIQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/chips-torrent-downloads/">Chips</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493405/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV6S2COhVuM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</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>6</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/john-wick-chapter-2-torrent-downloads/">John Wick: Chapter 2</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4425200/">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGk2EfbD_Ps">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/life-torrent-downloads/">Life</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5442430/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeLsJfGmY_Y">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mummy-2017-torrent-downloads/">The Mummy 2017</a> (HDTS)</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>9</strong></td>
<td>(7)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/logan-torrent-downloads/">Logan</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3315342/">8.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DekuSxJgpbY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirates-caribbean-dead-men-tell-no-tales-torrent-downloads/">Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales</a> (TS)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790809/">7.1</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2_6L7u578Q">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=140419
title: BPI Breaks Record After Sending 310 Million Google Takedowns
uri: BPI-Breaks-Record-After-Sending-310-Million-Google-Takedowns
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/y5N2eIjReQg/
content:
<p><a href="media/ebe343ca.googlepiratebay.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/googlepiratebay.png"><img src="media/3c5b1a66.googlepiratebay.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/googlepiratebay.png" alt="" width="267" height="257" class="alignright size-full wp-image-128445"></a>A little over a year ago during March 2016, music industry group BPI reached an important milestone. After years of sending takedown notices to Google, the group <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bpi-hits-200-million-google-takedowns-calls-for-notice-and-stay-down-160324/">burst through</a> the 200 million URL barrier.</p>
<p>The fact that it took BPI several years to reach its 200 million milestone made the surpassing of the quarter billion milestone a few months later even more remarkable. In October 2016, the group sent its <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bpi-reports-quarter-billion-pirate-links-to-google-ask-uk-govt-for-help-161024/">250 millionth takedown</a> to Google, a figure that nearly doubled when accounting for notices sent to Microsoft&#8217;s Bing.</p>
<p>But despite the volumes, the battle hadn&#8217;t been won, let alone the war. The BPI&#8217;s takedown machine continued to run at a remarkable rate, churning out millions more notices per week.</p>
<p>As a result, yet another new milestone was reached this month when the BPI smashed through the 300 million URL barrier. Then, days later, a further 10 million were added, with the latter couple of million added during the time it took to put this piece together.</p>
<p><center><b>BPI takedown notices, as reported by Google</b><a href="media/3b748758.bpi-310m.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/bpi-310m.png"><img src="media/bf469730.bpi-310m.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/bpi-310m.png" alt="" width="959" height="706" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140479"></a></center></p>
<p>While demanding that Google places greater emphasis on its de-ranking of &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites, the BPI has called again and again for a &#8220;notice and stay down” regime, to ensure that content taken down by the search engine doesn&#8217;t simply reappear under a new URL. It&#8217;s a position BPI maintains today.</p>
<p>&#8220;The battle would be a whole lot easier if intermediaries played fair,&#8221; a BPI spokesperson informs TF.</p>
<p>&#8220;They need to take more proactive responsibility to reduce infringing content that appears on their platform, and, where we expressly notify infringing content to them, to ensure that they do not only take it down, but also keep it down.&#8221; </p>
<p>The long-standing suggestion is that the volume of takedown notices sent would reduce if a &#8220;take down, stay down&#8221; regime was implemented. The BPI says it&#8217;s difficult to present a precise figure but infringing content has a tendency to reappear, both in search engines and on hosting sites.</p>
<p>&#8220;Google rejects repeat notices for the same URL.  But illegal content reappears as it is re-indexed by Google.  As to the sites that actually host the content, the vast majority of notices sent to them could be avoided if they implemented take-down &#038; stay-down,&#8221; BPI says.</p>
<p>The fact that the BPI has added 60 million more takedowns since the quarter billion milestone a few months ago is quite remarkable, particularly since there appears to be little slowdown from month to month. However, the numbers have grown so huge that 310 billion now feels a lot like 250 million, with just a few added on top for good measure.</p>
<p>That an extra 60 million takedowns can almost be dismissed as a handful is an indication of just how massive the issue is online. While pirates always welcome an abundance of links to juicy content, it&#8217;s no surprise that groups like the BPI are seeking more comprehensive and sustainable solutions.</p>
<p>Previously, it was hoped that the Digital Economy Bill would provide some relief, hopefully via government intervention and the imposition of a search engine <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/search-engines-copyright-holders-ready-voluntary-anti-piracy-code-170208/">Code of Practice</a>. In the event, however, all pressure on search engines was removed from the legislation after a separate voluntary agreement <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-anti-piracy-agreement-will-target-domain-hopping-share-search-data-170307/">was reached</a>.</p>
<p>All parties agreed that the voluntary code should come into effect two weeks ago on June 1 so it seems likely that some effects should be noticeable in the near future. But the BPI says it&#8217;s still early days and there&#8217;s more work to be done.</p>
<p>&#8220;BPI has been working productively with search engines since the voluntary code was agreed to understand how search engines approach the problem, but also what changes can and have been made and how results can be improved,&#8221; the group explains.</p>
<p>&#8220;The first stage is to benchmark where we are and to assess the impact of the changes search engines have made so far.  This will hopefully be completed soon, then we will have better information of the current picture and from that we hope to work together to continue to improve search for rights owners and consumers.&#8221;</p>
<p>With more takedown notices in the pipeline not yet publicly reported by Google, the BPI informs TF that it has now notified the search giant of 315 million links to illegal content.</p>
<p>&#8220;That’s an astonishing number.  More than 1 in 10 of the entire world’s notices to Google come from BPI.  This year alone, one in every three notices sent to Google from BPI is for independent record label repertoire,&#8221; BPI concludes.</p>
<p>While it&#8217;s clear that groups like BPI have developed systems to cope with the huge numbers of takedown notices required in today&#8217;s environment, it&#8217;s clear that few rightsholders are happy with the status quo. With that in mind, the fight will continue, until search engines are forced into compromise. Considering the implications, that could only appear on a very distant horizon. </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=140630
title: Roku Sales Banned in Mexico Over Piracy Concerns
uri: Roku-Sales-Banned-in-Mexico-Over-Piracy-Concerns
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/VXXC4uE9wM8/
content:
<p><img src="media/1884a835.mexico-681350_640-e1492767840165.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mexico-681350_640-e1492767840165.jpg" alt="" width="275" height="206" class="alignright size-full wp-image-138202">Online streaming piracy is on the rise and many people use dedicated media players to watch it through their regular TV.</p>
<p>While a lot of attention has been on Kodi, there are other players on the market that allow people to do the same. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roku">Roku</a>, for example, has been doing very well too. </p>
<p>Like Kodi, Roku media players don&#8217;t offer any pirated content out of the box. In fact, they can be hooked up to a wide variety of legal streaming options including HBO Go, Hulu, and Netflix. Still, there is also a market for third-party pirate channels, outside the Roku Channel Store, which turn the boxes into pirate tools.</p>
<p>This pirate angle has now resulted in a ban on Roku sales in Mexico, according to a <a href="http://www.milenio.com/firmas/alvaro_cueva_elpozodelosdeseosreprimidos/batalla-legal-sacan-dispositivo-roku-series-tv-2091-planeta_simios-milenio_18_976282389.html">report</a> in Milenio. </p>
<p>The ban was issued by the Superior Court of Justice of the City of Mexico, following a complaint from Cablevision. The order in question prohibits stores such as Amazon, Liverpool, El Palacio de Hierro, and Sears from importing and selling the devices.</p>
<p>In addition, the court also instructs banks including Banorte and BBVA Bancomer to stop processing payments from a long list of accounts linked to pirated services on Roku.</p>
<p>The main reason for the order is the availability of pirated content through Roku, but banning the device itself is utterly comprehensive. It would be similar to banning all Android-based devices because certain apps allow users to stream copyrighted content without permission. </p>
<p><center><strong>Roku</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/9929f572.roku.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/roku.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="491" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140641"></center></p>
<p>Roku has yet to release an official statement on the court order. TorrentFreak reached out to the company but hadn&#8217;t heard back at the time of publication. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s clear, however, that streaming players are among the top concerns for copyright holders. Motion Picture Association boss Stan McCoy recently characterized the use of streaming players to access infringing content as &#8220;<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-sees-illegal-streaming-devices-as-piracy-3-0-170502/">Piracy 3.0.</a>&#8221;</p>
<p>“If you think of old-fashioned peer-to-peer piracy as 1.0, and then online illegal streaming websites as 2.0, in the audio-visual sector, in particular, we now face challenge number 3.0, which is what I’ll call the challenge of illegal streaming devices,” McCoy said earlier this month. </p>
<p>Unlike the court order in Mexico, however, McCoy stressed that the devices themselves, and software such as Kodi, are ‘probably’ not illegal. However, copyright-infringing pirate add-ons have the capability to turn them into an unprecedented piracy threat.</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=140698
title: Internet Provider Refutes RIAA’s Piracy Allegations
uri: Internet-Provider-Refutes-RIAA-s-Piracy-Allegations
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/GOd6iJnXHc8/
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>“Despite their knowledge of repeat infringements, Defendants have permitted repeat infringers to use the Grande service to continue to infringe Plaintiffs’ copyrights without consequence,” the RIAA&#8217;s <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-sues-isp-grande-communications-for-failing-to-disconnect-pirates-170422/">complaint</a> read. </p>
<p>Grande and its management consulting firm Patriot, which was also sued, both disagree and have filed a motion to dismiss at the court this week. Grande argues that it doesn&#8217;t encourage any of its customers to download copyrighted works, and that it has no control over the content subscribers access.</p>
<p>The Internet provider doesn&#8217;t deny that it has received millions of takedown notices through the piracy tracking company Rightscorp. However, it believes that these notices are flawed as Rightscorp is incapable of monitoring actual copyright infringements.</p>
<p>&#8220;These notices are so numerous and so lacking in specificity, that it is infeasible for Grande to devote the time and resources required to meaningfully investigate them. Moreover, the system that Rightscorp employs to generate its notices is incapable of detecting actual infringement and, therefore, is incapable of generating notices that reflect real infringement,&#8221; Grande writes.</p>
<p>Grande says that if they acted on these notices without additional proof, its subscribers could lose their Internet access even though they are using it for legal purposes.</p>
<p>&#8220;To merely treat these allegations as true without investigation would be a disservice to Grande’s subscribers, who would run the risk of having their Internet service permanently terminated despite using Grande’s services for completely legitimate purposes.&#8221;</p>
<p>Even if the notices were able to prove actual infringement, they would still fail to identify the infringer, according to the ISP. The notices identify IP-addresses which may have been used by complete strangers, who connected to the network without permission.</p>
<p>The Internet provider admits that online copyright infringement is a real problem. But, they see themselves as a victim of this problem, not a perpetrator, as the record labels suggest.</p>
<p>&#8220;Grande does not profit or receive any benefit from subscribers that may engage in such infringing activity using its network. To the contrary, Grande suffers demonstrable losses as a direct result of purported copyright infringement conducted on its network.   </p>
<p>&#8220;To hold Grande liable for copyright infringement simply because &#8216;something must be done&#8217; to address this growing problem is to hold the wrong party accountable,&#8221; Grande adds.</p>
<p>In common with the previous <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">case against Cox Communications</a>, Rightscorp&#8217;s copyright infringement notices are once again at the center of a prominent lawsuit. According to Grande, Rightscorp&#8217;s system can&#8217;t prove that infringing content was actually downloaded by third parties, only that it was made available.</p>
<p>The Internet provider sees the lacking infringement notices as a linchpin that, if pulled, will take the entire case down. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s expected that, if the case moves forward, both parties will do all they can to show that the evidence is sufficient, or not. In the Cox lawsuit, this was the case, but that verdict is currently being appealed. </p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><em>Grande Communication&#8217;s full motion to dismiss is avalaible <a href="media/0f2efe83.grandedismiss.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/grandedismiss.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=140723
title: US Embassy Threatens to Close Domain Registry Over ‘Pirate Bay’ Domain
uri: US-Embassy-Threatens-to-Close-Domain-Registry-Over-Pirate-Bay-Do
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/u5rCBV-aEfc/
content:
<p><a href="media/bfddc9cc.tpb3.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/tpb3.png"><img src="media/7e02aab6.tpb3.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/tpb3.png" alt="" width="230" height="243" class="alignright size-full wp-image-106334"></a>Domains have become an integral part of the piracy wars and no one knows this better than The Pirate Bay.</p>
<p>The site has burned through <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bays-domain-shuffle-come-full-circle-160520/">numerous domains</a> over the years, with copyright holders and authorities successfully pressurizing registries to destabilize the site.</p>
<p>The latest news on this front comes from the Central American country of Costa Rica, where the local domain registry is having problems with the United States government.</p>
<p>The drama is detailed in a letter to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICANN">ICANN</a> penned by Dr. Pedro León Azofeifa, President of the Costa Rican Academy of Science, which operates NIC Costa Rica, the registry in charge of local .CR domain names.</p>
<p>Azofeifa&#8217;s letter is addressed to ICANN board member <a href="https://icannwiki.org/Thomas_Schneider">Thomas Schneider</a> and pulls no punches. It claims that for the past two years the United States Embassy in Costa Rica has been pressuring NIC Costa Rica to take action against a particular domain.</p>
<p>&#8220;Since 2015, the United Estates Embassy in Costa Rica, who represents the interests of the United States Department of Commerce, has frequently contacted our organization regarding the domain name thepiratebay.cr,&#8221; the letter to ICANN reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;These interactions with the United States Embassy have escalated with time and include great pressure since 2016 that is exemplified by several phone calls, emails, and meetings urging our ccTLD to take down the domain, even though this would go against our domain name policies.&#8221;</p>
<p>The letter states that following pressure from the US, the Costa Rican Ministry of Commerce carried out an investigation which concluded that not taking down the domain was in line with best practices that only require suspensions following a local court order. That didn&#8217;t satisfy the United States though, far from it.</p>
<p>&#8220;The representative of the United States Embassy, Mr. Kevin Ludeke, Economic Specialist, who claims to represent the interests of the US Department of<br>
Commerce, has mentioned threats to close our registry, with repeated harassment<br>
regarding our practices and operation policies,&#8221; the letter to ICANN reads.</p>
<p>Ludeke is indeed listed on the US Embassy site for Costa Rica. He&#8217;s also referenced in a <a href="https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08SANJOSE593_a.html">2008 diplomatic cable</a> leaked previously by Wikileaks. Contacted via email, Ludeke did not immediately respond to TorrentFreak&#8217;s request for comment.</p>
<p><center><b>Extract from the letter to ICANN</b><a href="media/b2156728.cr-nic.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/cr-nic.png"><img src="media/5c08e447.cr-nic.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cr-nic.png" alt="" width="766" height="202" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140725"></a></center></p>
<p>Surprisingly, Azofeifa says the US representative then got personal, making negative comments towards his Executive Director, &#8220;based on no clear evidence or statistical data to support his claims, as a way to pressure our organization to take down the domain name without following our current policies.&#8221;</p>
<p>Citing the <a href="http://www.itu.int/net/wsis/docs2/tunis/off/6rev1.html">Tunis Agenda</a> for the Information Society of 2005, Azofeifa asserts that &#8220;policy authority for Internet-related public policy issues is the sovereign right of the States,&#8221; which in Costa Rica&#8217;s case means that there must be &#8220;a final judgment from the Courts of Justice of the Republic of Costa Rica&#8221; before the registry will suspend a domain.</p>
<p>But it seems legal action was not the preferred route of the US Embassy. Demanding that NIC Costa Rica take unilateral action, Mr. Ludeke continued with &#8220;pressure and harassment to take down the domain name without its proper process and local court order.&#8221;</p>
<p>Azofeifa&#8217;s letter to ICANN, which is cc&#8217;d to Stafford Fitzgerald Haney, United States Ambassador to Costa Rica and various people in the Costa Rican Ministry of Commerce, concludes with a request for suggestions on how to deal with the matter.</p>
<p>While the response should prove very interesting, none of the parties involved appear to have noticed that ThePirateBay.cr isn&#8217;t officially connected to The Pirate Bay </p>
<p>The domain and associated site appeared in the wake of the December 2014 shut down of The Pirate Bay, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/fake-pirate-bay-lies-to-press-and-fakes-user-uploads-141215/">claiming to be the real deal</a> and even going as far as making fake accounts in the names of famous &#8216;pirate&#8217; groups including ettv and YIFY.</p>
<p>Today it acts as an unofficial and unaffiliated reverse proxy to The Pirate Bay while presenting the site&#8217;s content as its own. It&#8217;s also affiliated with a fake KickassTorrents site, Kickass.cd, which to this day claims that it&#8217;s a reincarnation of the defunct torrent giant.</p>
<p>But perhaps the most glaring issue in this worrying case is the apparent willingness of the United States to call out Costa Rica for not doing anything about a .CR domain run by third parties, when the real Pirate Bay&#8217;s .org domain is under United States&#8217; jurisdiction.</p>
<p>Registered by the Public Interest Registry in Reston, Virginia, ThePirateBay.org is the famous site&#8217;s main domain. TorrentFreak asked PIR if anyone from the US government had ever requested action against the domain but at the time of publication, we had received no response.</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=140700
title: Court Grants Subpoenas to Unmask ‘TVAddons’ and ‘ZemTV’ Operators
uri: Court-Grants-Subpoenas-to-Unmask-TVAddons-and-ZemTV-Operat
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ZvJvoauB0yc/
content:
<p><img src="media/0af8686f.zemtvadd.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/zemtvadd.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="194" class="alignright size-full wp-image-139977">Earlier this month we broke the news that third-party Kodi add-on ZemTV and the TVAddons library were being sued in a federal court in Texas.</p>
<p>In a complaint filed by American satellite and broadcast provider Dish Network, both stand accused of copyright infringement, facing up to $150,000 for each offense.</p>
<p>While the allegations are serious, Dish doesn&#8217;t know the full identities of the defendants. </p>
<p>To find out more, the company requested a broad range of subpoenas from the court, targeting Amazon, Github, Google, Twitter, Facebook, PayPal, and several hosting providers.</p>
<p><center><strong>From Dish&#8217;s request</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/d463900a.dishreq.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/dishreq.png" alt="" width="600" height="256" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140738"></center></p>
<p>This week the court granted the subpoenas, which means that they can be forwarded to the companies in question. Whether that will be enough to identify the people behind &#8216;TVAddons&#8217; and &#8216;ZemTV&#8217; remains to be seen, but Dish has cast its net wide. </p>
<p>For example, the subpoena directed at Google covers any type of information that can be used to identify the account holder of taacc14@gmail.com, which is believed to be tied to ZemTV. </p>
<p>The information requested from Google includes IP address logs with session date and timestamps, but also covers &#8220;all communications,&#8221; including GChat messages from 2014 onwards.</p>
<p>Similarly, Twitter is required to hand over information tied to the accounts of the users &#8220;TV Addons&#8221; and &#8220;shani_08_kodi&#8221; as well as other accounts linked to tvaddons.ag and streamingboxes.com. This also applies the various tweets that were sent through the account. </p>
<p>The subpoena specifically mentions &#8220;all communications, including &#8216;tweets&#8217;, Twitter sent to or received from each Twitter Account during the time period of February 1, 2014 to present.&#8221; </p>
<p><center><strong>From the Twitter subpoena</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/04ab70c5.twitterdishsub.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/twitterdishsub.png" alt="" width="600" height="380" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140736"></center></p>
<p>Similar subpoenas were granted for the other services, tailored towards the information Dish hopes to find there. For example, the broadcast provider also requests details of each transaction from PayPal, as well as all debits and credits to the accounts.</p>
<p>In some parts, the subpoenas appear to be quite broad. PayPal is asked to reveal information on any account with the credit card statement “Shani,” for example. Similarly, Github is required to hand over information on accounts that are &#8216;associated&#8217; with the tvaddons.ag domain, which is <a href="https://www.google.nl/search?ie=UTF-8&#038;q=tvaddons+github&#038;gws_rd=cr&#038;#q=site:github.com+tvaddons.ag+">referenced</a> by many people who are not directly connected to the site.</p>
<p>The service providers in question still have the option to challenge the subpoenas or ask the court for further clarification. A full overview of all the subpoena requests is <a href="media/9e7fde44.propsubpoena.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/propsubpoena.pdf">available here</a> (Exhibit 2 and onwards), including all the relevant details. This also includes several letters to foreign hosting providers.</p>
<p>While Dish still appears to be keen to find out who is behind &#8216;TVAddons&#8217; and &#8216;ZemTV,&#8217; not much has been heard from the defendants in question. </p>
<p>ZemTV developer “Shani” shut down his addon soon after the lawsuit was announced, without mentioning it specifically. TVAddons, meanwhile, has been offline for well over a week, without any notice in public about the reason for the prolonged downtime.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><em>The court&#8217;s order granting the subpoenas and letters of request is available <a href="media/7c5f34f4.order-1.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/order-1.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=140752
title: MPAA & RIAA Demand Tough Copyright Standards in NAFTA Negotiations
uri: MPAA-RIAA-Demand-Tough-Copyright-Standards-in-NAFTA-Negotiations
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/l_6Ax3t8teM/
content:
<p><a href="media/ee54d223.us-united-america-flag.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/us-united-america-flag.jpg"><img src="media/7893ef12.us-united-america-flag.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/us-united-america-flag.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="178" class="alignright size-full wp-image-116015"></a>The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States, Canada, and Mexico was negotiated more than 25 years ago. With a quarter of a decade of developments to contend with, the United States wants to modernize.</p>
<p>&#8220;While our economy and U.S. businesses have changed considerably over that period, NAFTA has not,&#8221; the government says.</p>
<p>With this in mind, the US requested comments from interested parties seeking direction for negotiation points. With those comments now in, groups like the MPAA and RIAA have been making their positions known. It&#8217;s no surprise that intellectual property enforcement is high on the agenda.</p>
<p>&#8220;Copyright is the lifeblood of the U.S. motion picture and television industry. As such, MPAA places high priority on securing strong protection and enforcement disciplines in the intellectual property chapters of trade agreements,&#8221; the MPAA writes in its submission.</p>
<p>&#8220;Strong IPR protection and enforcement are critical trade priorities for the music industry. With IPR, we can create good jobs, make significant contributions to U.S. economic growth and security, invest in artists and their creativity, and drive technological innovation,&#8221; the RIAA notes.</p>
<p>While both groups have numerous demands, it&#8217;s clear that each seeks an environment where not only infringers can be held liable, but also Internet platforms and services.</p>
<p>For the RIAA, there is a big focus on the so-called &#8216;Value Gap&#8217;, a phenomenon found on user-uploaded content sites like YouTube that are able to offer infringing content while avoiding liability due to Section 512 of the DMCA.</p>
<p>&#8220;Today, user-uploaded content services, which have developed sophisticated on-demand music platforms, use this as a shield to avoid licensing music on fair terms like other digital services, claiming they are not legally responsible for the music they distribute on their site,&#8221; the RIAA writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Services such as Apple Music, TIDAL, Amazon, and Spotify are forced to compete with services that claim they are not liable for the music they distribute.&#8221;</p>
<p>But if sites like YouTube are exercising their rights while acting legally under current US law, how can partners Canada and Mexico do any better? For the RIAA, that can be achieved by holding them to standards envisioned by the group when the DMCA was passed, not how things have panned out since.</p>
<p>Demanding that negotiators &#8220;protect the original intent&#8221; of safe harbor, the RIAA asks that a &#8220;high-level and high-standard service provider liability provision&#8221; is pursued. This, the music group says, should only be available to &#8220;passive intermediaries without requisite knowledge of the infringement on their platforms, and inapplicable to services actively engaged in communicating to the public.&#8221;</p>
<p>In other words, make sure that YouTube and similar sites won&#8217;t enjoy the same level of safe harbor protection as they do today.</p>
<p>The RIAA also requires any negotiated safe harbor provisions in NAFTA to be flexible in the event that the DMCA is tightened up in response to the ongoing <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-govt-reviews-impact-and-efficacy-of-dmca-safe-harbor-160105/">safe harbor rules study</a>.</p>
<p>In any event, NAFTA should not &#8220;support interpretations that no longer reflect today’s digital economy and threaten the future of legitimate and sustainable digital trade,&#8221; the RIAA states.</p>
<p>For the MPAA, Section 512 is also perceived as a problem. While noting that the original intent was to foster a system of shared responsibility between copyright owners and service providers, the MPAA says courts have subsequently let copyright holders down. Like the RIAA, the MPAA also suggests that Canada and Mexico can be held to higher standards.</p>
<p>&#8220;We recommend a new approach to this important trade policy provision by moving to high-level language that establishes intermediary liability and appropriate limitations on liability. This would be fully consistent with U.S. law and avoid the same misinterpretations by policymakers and courts overseas,&#8221; the MPAA writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;In so doing, a modernized NAFTA would be consistent with Trade Promotion Authority’s negotiating objective of &#8216;ensuring that standards of protection and enforcement keep pace with technological developments&#8217;.”</p>
<p>The MPAA also has some specific problems with Mexico, including unauthorized camcording. The Hollywood group says that 85 illicit audio and video recordings of films were linked to Mexican theaters in 2016. However, recording is not currently a criminal offense in Mexico.</p>
<p>Another issue for the MPAA is that criminal sanctions for commercial scale infringement are only available if the infringement is for profit.</p>
<p>&#8220;This has hampered enforcement against the above-discussed camcording problem but also against online infringement, such as peer-to-peer piracy, that may be on a scale that is immensely harmful to U.S. rightsholders but nonetheless occur without profit by the infringer,&#8221; the MPAA writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;The modernized NAFTA like other U.S. bilateral free trade agreements must provide for criminal sanctions against commercial scale infringements without proof of profit motive.&#8221;</p>
<p>Also of interest are the MPAA&#8217;s complaints against Mexico&#8217;s telecoms laws. Unlike in the US and many countries in Europe, Mexico&#8217;s ISPs are forbidden to hand out their customers&#8217; personal details to rights holders looking to sue. This, the MPAA says, needs to change.</p>
<p>The submissions from the RIAA and MPAA can be found <a href="media/3bdf7470.RIAA_Comments_NAFTANegotiations_82FedReg23699_12June17_fin.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/RIAA_Comments_NAFTANegotiations_82FedReg23699_12June17_fin.pdf">here</a> and <a href="media/f3e8fba9.MPAA_filing.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/MPAA_filing.pdf">here</a> (pdf)</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=140796
title: Three Men Sentenced Following £2.5m Internet Piracy Case
uri: Three-Men-Sentenced-Following-2-5m-Internet-Piracy-Case
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/VyrB2nBX8wA/
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>While legal action against low-level individual file-sharers is extremely rare in the UK, the country continues to pose a risk for those engaged in larger-scale infringement.</p>
<p>That is largely due to the activities of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit and private anti-piracy outfits such as the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT). Investigations are often a joint effort which can take many years to complete, but the outcomes can often involve criminal sentences.</p>
<p>That was the profile of another Internet piracy case that concluded in London this week. It involved three men from the UK, Eric Brooks, 43, from Bolton, Mark Valentine, 44, from Manchester, and Craig Lloyd, 33, from Wolverhampton. </p>
<p>The case began when FACT became aware of potentially infringing activity back in February 2011. The anti-piracy group then investigated for more than a year before handing the case to police in March 2012.</p>
<p>On July 4, 2012, officers from City of London Police arrested Eric Brooks&#8217; at his home in Bolton following a joint raid with FACT. Computer equipment was seized containing evidence that Brooks had been running a Netherlands-based server hosting more than £100,000 worth of pirated films, music, games, software and ebooks.</p>
<p>According to police, a spreadsheet on Brooks&#8217; computer revealed he had hundreds of paying customers, all recruited from online forums. Using PayPal or utilizing bank transfers, each paid money to access the server. Police mentioned no group or site names in information released this week.</p>
<p>&#8220;Enquiries with PayPal later revealed that [Brooks] had made in excess of £500,000 in the last eight years from his criminal business and had in turn defrauded the film and TV industry alone of more than £2.5 million,&#8221; police said.</p>
<p>&#8220;As his criminal enterprise affected not only the film and TV but the wider entertainment industry including music, games, books and software it is thought that he cost the wider industry an amount much higher than £2.5 million.&#8221;</p>
<p>On the same day police arrested Brooks, Mark Valentine&#8217;s home in Manchester had a similar unwelcome visit. A day later, Craig Lloyd&#8217;s home in Wolverhampton become the third target for police.</p>
<p>Computer equipment was seized from both addresses which revealed that the pair had been paying for access to Brooks&#8217; servers in order to service their own customers.</p>
<p>&#8220;They too had used PayPal as a means of taking payment and had earned thousands of pounds from their criminal actions; Valentine gaining £34,000 and Lloyd making over £70,000,&#8221; police revealed.</p>
<p>But after raiding the trio in 2012, it took more than four years to charge the men. In a feature common to many FACT cases, all three were charged with Conspiracy to Defraud rather than copyright infringement offenses. All three men pleaded guilty before trial.</p>
<p>On Monday, the men were sentenced at Inner London Crown Court. Brooks was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 140 hours of unpaid work.  </p>
<p>Valentine and Lloyd were each given 18 months in prison, suspended for 12 months. Each was ordered to complete 80 hours unpaid work.</p>
<p>Detective Constable Chris Glover, who led the investigation for the City of London Police, welcomed the sentencing.</p>
<p>“The success of this investigation is a result of co-ordinated joint working between the City of London Police and FACT. Brooks, Valentine and Lloyd all thought that they were operating under the radar and doing something which they thought was beyond the controls of law enforcement,&#8221; Glover said.</p>
<p>“Brooks, Valentine and Lloyd will now have time in prison to reflect on their actions and the result should act as deterrent for anyone else who is enticed by abusing the internet to the detriment of the entertainment industry.&#8221;</p>
<p>While even suspended sentences are a serious matter, none of the men will see the inside of a cell if they meet the conditions of their sentence for the next 12 months. For a case lasting four years involving such large sums of money, that is probably a disappointing result for FACT and the police.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the men won&#8217;t be allowed to enjoy the financial proceeds of their piracy, if indeed any money is left. City of London Police say the trio will be subject to a future confiscation hearing to seize any proceeds of crime.</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=140810
title: Kim Dotcom Opposes US’s “Fugitive” Claims at Supreme Court
uri: Kim-Dotcom-Opposes-US-s-Fugitive-Claims-at-Supreme-Court
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/4omQBx68M7Q/
content:
<p><img src="media/9a9629f5.megaupload-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/megaupload-logo.jpg" alt="megaupload-logo" width="250" height="208" class="alignright size-full wp-image-95191">When Megaupload and Kim Dotcom were raided five years ago, the authorities seized millions of dollars in cash and other property.</p>
<p>The US government claimed the assets were obtained through copyright crimes so went after the bank accounts, cars, and other seized possessions of the Megaupload defendants.</p>
<p>Kim Dotcom and his colleagues were branded as “fugitives” and the Government <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/u-s-government-wins-dozens-of-millions-from-kim-dotcom-150326/">won its case</a>. Dotcom&#8217;s legal team quickly <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-appeals-to-reclaim-mega-millions-from-u-s-150701/">appealed</a> this verdict, but lost <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-seizes-dotcoms-millions-entrepreneur-fights-back-160815/">once more</a> at the Fourth Circuit appeals court.</p>
<p>A few weeks ago Dotcom and his former colleagues <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-takes-fight-over-seized-millions-to-us-supreme-court-170410/">petitioned</a> the Supreme Court to take on the case. </p>
<p>They don&#8217;t see themselves as &#8220;fugitives&#8221; and want the assets returned. The US Government <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/us-opposes-kim-dotcoms-supreme-court-petition-over-seized-millions-170613/">opposed the request</a>, but according to a new reply filed by Megaupload&#8217;s legal team, the US Government ignores critical questions.</p>
<p>The Government has a &#8220;vested financial stake&#8221; in maintaining the current situation, they write, which allows the authorities to use their &#8220;fugitive&#8221; claims as an offensive weapon.</p>
<p>&#8220;Far from being directed towards persons who have fled or avoided our country while claiming assets in it, fugitive disentitlement is being used offensively to strip foreigners of their assets abroad,&#8221; the reply brief (<a href="media/aee51608.KimDotcomandMegauploadReplySCOTUS.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/KimDotcomandMegauploadReplySCOTUS.pdf">pdf</a>) reads. </p>
<p>According to <a href="http://www.techfirm.com/">Dotcom&#8217;s lawyers</a> there are several conflicting opinions from lower courts, which should be clarified by the Supreme Court. That Dotcom and his colleagues have decided to fight their extradition in New Zealand, doesn&#8217;t warrant the seizure of their assets.</p>
<p>&#8220;Absent review, forfeiture of tens of millions of dollars will be a fait accompli without the merits being reached,&#8221; they write, adding that this is all the more concerning because the US Government&#8217;s criminal case may not be as strong as claimed. </p>
<p>&#8220;This is especially disconcerting because the Government’s criminal case is so dubious. When the Government characterizes Petitioners as &#8216;designing and profiting from a system that facilitated wide-scale copyright infringement,&#8217; it continues to paint a portrait of secondary copyright infringement, which is not a crime.&#8221;</p>
<p>The defense team cites several issues that warrant review and urges the Supreme Court to hear the case. If not, the Government will effectively be able to use assets seizures as a pressure tool to urge foreign defendants to come to the US.</p>
<p>&#8220;If this stands, the Government can weaponize fugitive disentitlement in order to claim assets abroad,&#8221; the reply brief reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is time for the Court to speak to the Questions Presented. Over the past two decades it has never had a better vehicle to do so, nor is any such vehicle elsewhere in sight,&#8221; Dotcom&#8217;s lawyers add. </p>
<p>Whether the Supreme Court accepts or denies the case will likely be decided in the weeks to come. </p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=140823
title: Sci-Hub Ordered to Pay $15 Million in Piracy Damages
uri: Sci-Hub-Ordered-to-Pay-15-Million-in-Piracy-Damages
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/8jPSqg6mEbw/
content:
<p><img src="media/398ad51b.scilogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/scilogo.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="222" class="alignright size-full wp-image-118526">Two years ago, academic publisher Elsevier <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/elsevier-cracks-down-on-pirated-scientific-articles-150609/">filed a complaint</a> against Sci-Hub and several related “pirate” sites.</p>
<p>It accused the websites of making academic papers widely available to the public, without permission.</p>
<p>While Sci-Hub is nothing like the average pirate site, it is just as illegal according to Elsevier’s legal team, who <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-orders-shutdown-of-libgen-bookfi-and-sci-hub-151102/">obtained a preliminary injunction</a> from a New York District Court last fall.</p>
<p>The injunction ordered Sci-Hub’s founder Alexandra Elbakyan to quit offering access to any Elsevier content. However, this didn’t happen.</p>
<p>Instead of taking Sci-Hub down, the lawsuit achieved the opposite. Sci-Hub grew bigger and bigger up to a point where its users were downloading hundreds of thousands of papers per day.</p>
<p>Although Elbakyan sent a letter to the court earlier, she opted not engage in the US lawsuit any further. The same is true for her fellow defendants, associated with Libgen. As a result, Elsevier asked the court for a default judgment and a permanent injunction which were issued this week. </p>
<p>Following a hearing on Wednesday, the Court awarded Elsevier $15,000,000 in damages, the maximum statutory amount for the 100 copyrighted works that were listed in the complaint. In addition, the injunction, through which Sci-Hub and LibGen lost several domain names, was made permanent.</p>
<p><center><img src="media/96a70a3a.grantedel.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/grantedel.png" alt="" width="564" height="98" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140893"></center></p>
<p>Sci-Hub founder Alexandra Elbakyan says that even if she wanted to pay the millions of dollars in revenue, she doesn&#8217;t have the money to do so. </p>
<p>&#8220;The money project received and spent in about six years of its operation do not add up to 15 million,&#8221; Elbakyan tells torrentFreak.</p>
<p>&#8220;More interesting, Elsevier says: the Sci-Hub activity &#8217;causes irreparable injury to Elsevier, its customers and the public&#8217; and US court agreed. That feels like a perfect crime. If you want to cause an irreparable injury to American public, what do you have to do? Now we know the answer: establish a website where they can read research articles for free,&#8221; she adds.</p>
<p>Previously, Elbakyan already confirmed to us that, lawsuit or not, the site is not going anywhere. </p>
<p>&#8220;The Sci-Hub will continue as usual. In case of problems with the domain names, users can rely on TOR scihub22266oqcxt.onion,&#8221; Elbakyan added.</p>
<p>Sci-Hub is regularly referred to as the &#8220;Pirate Bay for science,&#8221; and based on the site&#8217;s resilience and its response to legal threats, it can certainly live up to this claim.</p>
<p>The Association of American Publishers (AAP) is <a href="http://newsroom.publishers.org/the-association-of-american-publishers-welcomes-major-judgement-against-sci-hub-pirate-site/">happy with the outcome</a> of the case. </p>
<p>“As the final judgment shows, the Court has not mistaken illegal activity for a public good,&#8221; AAP President and CEO Maria A. Pallante says.</p>
<p>&#8220;On the contrary, it has recognized the defendants’ operation for the flagrant and sweeping infringement that it really is and affirmed the critical role of copyright law in furthering scientific research and the public interest.”</p>
<p>Matt McKay, a spokesperson for the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM) in Oxford went even further, telling <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/us-court-grants-elsevier-millions-in-damages-from-sci-hub-1.22196">Nature</a> that the site doesn&#8217;t offer any value to the scientific comunity.</p>
<p>&#8220;Sci-Hub does not add any value to the scholarly community. It neither fosters scientific advancement nor does it value researchers’ achievements. It is simply a place for someone to go to download stolen content and then leave.&#8221;</p>
<p>Hundreds of thousands of academics, who <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/sci-hub-helps-science-pirates-to-download-100000s-of-papers-per-day-160229/">regularly use the site</a> to download papers, might contest this though. </p>
<p>With no real prospect of recouping the damages and an ever-resilient Elbakyan, Elsevier&#8217;s legal battle could just be a win on paper. Sci-Hub and Libgen are not going anywhere, it seems, and the lawsuit has made them more popular than ever before.</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=140879
title: Court Suspends Ban on Roku Sales in Mexico
uri: Court-Suspends-Ban-on-Roku-Sales-in-Mexico
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/jxT88BppDrk/
content:
<p><img src="media/1884a835.mexico-681350_640-e1492767840165.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/mexico-681350_640-e1492767840165.jpg" alt="" width="275" height="206" class="alignright size-full wp-image-138202">Last week, news broke that the Superior Court of Justice of the City of Mexico had issued a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/roku-sales-banned-in-mexico-over-piracy-concerns-170619/">ban on Roku sales</a>.</p>
<p>The order prohibited stores such as Amazon, Liverpool, El Palacio de Hierro, and Sears from importing and selling the devices. In addition, several banks were told stop processing payments from accounts that are linked to pirated services on Roku.</p>
<p>While <a href="https://www.roku.com/index">Roku</a> itself is not offering any pirated content, there is a market for third-party pirate channels outside the Roku Channel Store, which turn the boxes into pirate tools. Cablevision filed a complaint about this unauthorized use which eventually resulted in the ban. </p>
<p>The news generated headlines all over the world and was opposed immediately by several of the parties involved. Yesterday, a federal judge decided to suspend the import and sales ban, at least temporarily.</p>
<p>As a result, local vendors can resume their sales of the popular media player.</p>
<p>&#8220;Roku is pleased with today’s court decision, which paves the way for sales of Roku devices to resume in Mexico,” Roku&#8217;s General Counsel Steve Kay informed TorrentFreak after he heard the news.</p>
<p><center><strong>Roku</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/e711adbe.rokugot.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/rokugot.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="470" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140883"></center></p>
<p>TorrentFreak has not been able to get a copy of the suspension order, but it&#8217;s likely that the court wants to review the case in more detail before a final decision is made. </p>
<p>While streaming player piracy is seen as one of the greatest threats the entertainment industry faces today, the Roku ban went quite far. In a way, it would be similar to banning the Chrome browser because certain add-ons and sites allow users to stream pirated movies.</p>
<p>Roku, meanwhile, says it will continue to work with rightholders and other stakeholders to prevent piracy on its platform, to the best of their ability.</p>
<p>&#8220;Piracy is a problem the industry at large is facing,&#8221; Key tells TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>&#8220;We prohibit copyright infringement of any kind on the Roku platform. 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.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=140867
title: Banning VPNs and Proxies is Dangerous, IT Experts Warn
uri: Banning-VPNs-and-Proxies-is-Dangerous-IT-Experts-Warn
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/tC2EVBaONiU/
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 April, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/russia-plans-to-ban-vpns-proxies-that-unblock-blocked-sites-170420/">draft legislation</a> was developed to crack down on systems and software that allow Russian Internet users to bypass website blockades approved by telecoms watchdog Roskomnadzor.</p>
<p>Earlier this month the draft bill was <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bill-to-ban-vpns-unmask-operators-submitted-to-russias-parliament-170609/">submitted to the State Duma</a>, the lower house of the Russian parliament. If passed, the law will make it illegal for services to circumvent web blockades by “routing traffic of Russian Internet users through foreign servers, anonymous proxy servers, virtual private networks and other means.”</p>
<p>As the plans currently stand, anonymization services that fail to restrict access to sites listed by telecoms watchdog Rozcomnadzor face being blocked themselves. Sites offering circumvention software for download also face potential blacklisting.</p>
<p>This week the State Duma discussed the proposals with experts from the local Internet industry. In addition to the head of Rozcomnadzor, representatives from service providers, search engines and even anonymization services were in attendance. Novaya Gazeta has published comments <em>(<a href="https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2017/06/20/72853-kazhdyy-dobroporyadochnyy-chelovek-dolzhen-polzovatsya-vpn">Russian</a>)</em> from some of the key people at the meeting and it&#8217;s fair to say there&#8217;s not a lot of support.</p>
<p>VimpelCom, the sixth largest mobile network operator in the world with more than 240 million subscribers, sent along  Director for Relations with Government, Sergey Malyanov. He wondered where all this blocking will end up.</p>
<p>&#8220;First we banned certain information. Then this information was blocked with the responsibility placed on both owners of resources and services. Now there are blocks on top of blocks &#8211; so we already have a triple effort,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is now possible that there will be a fourth iteration: the block on the block to block those that were not blocked. And with that, we have significantly complicated the law and the activities of all the people affected by it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Malyanov said that these kinds of actions have the potential to close down the entire Internet by ruining what was once an open network running standard protocols. But amid all of this, will it even be effective?</p>
<p>&#8220;The question is not even about the losses that will be incurred by network operators, the owners of the resources and the search engines. The question is whether this bill addresses the goal its creators have set for themselves. In my opinion, it will not.&#8221;</p>
<p>Group-IB, one of the world&#8217;s leading cyber-security and threat intelligence providers, was represented CEO Ilya Sachkov. He told parliament that &#8220;ordinary respectable people&#8221; who use the Internet should always use a VPN for security. Nevertheless, he also believes that such services should be forced to filter sites deemed illegal by the state.</p>
<p>But in a warning about blocks in general, he warned that people who want to circumvent them will always be one step ahead.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have to understand that by the time the law is adopted the perpetrators will already find it very easy to circumvent,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Mobile operator giant MTS, which turns over billions of dollars and employs 50,000+ people, had their Vice-President of Corporate and Legal Affairs in attendance. Ruslan Ibragimov said that in dealing with a problem, the government should be cautious of not causing more problems, including disruption of a growing VPN market.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have an understanding that evil must be fought, but it&#8217;s not necessary to create a new evil, even more so &#8211; for those who are involved in this struggle,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Broad wording of this law may pose a threat to our network, which could be affected by the new restrictive measures, as well as the VPN market, which we are currently developing, and whose potential market is estimated at 50 billion rubles a year.&#8221;</p>
<p>In its goal to maintain control of the Internet, it&#8217;s clear that Russia is determined to press ahead with legislative change. Unfortunately, it&#8217;s far from clear that there&#8217;s a technical solution to the problem, but if one is pursued regardless, there could be serious fallout.</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=140816
title: Court Hands Internet Textbook Pirates Suspended Sentences
uri: Court-Hands-Internet-Textbook-Pirates-Suspended-Sentences
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/h5pPaWFqtUA/
content:
<p><a href="media/b1f5c834.books1.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/books1.jpg"><img src="media/028cc1b2.books1.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/books1.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="228" class="alignright size-full wp-image-38808"></a>All types of media content can be exploited online with movies, TV shows, and music among the most popular among pirates. However, in recent years books have proven desirable, especially those that otherwise have hefty price tags.</p>
<p>Textbooks are particularly well known for their stiff pricing, something which presents a thorn in the side for thousands of students every year. Making matters worse, books are often marginally tweaked per revision, ensuring that second owner books lose their value. This isn&#8217;t something that affects pirates though.</p>
<p>Over the years, many file-sharing sites have catered to people seeking textbooks for free, with many building up a dedicated following. Others, however, have seen the opportunity to make some money, offering broad but illegal access to textbooks for a nominal fee.</p>
<p>That was the case with Denmark-based website LendStudy. It provided students with access to hundreds of textbooks for a comparatively reasonable price of 300 kroner ($45.00) per semester. Unfortunately, that attracted the attention of anti-piracy outfit Rights Alliance, who pursued a case against its operators.</p>
<p>In court this week, three men aged 26, 31 and 71 stood accused of scanning and then making available at least 198 copyrighted textbooks to paying members. Between August 2013 and October 2014 it was alleged the textbooks were downloaded from the site 2,574 times, netting the men revenues of around $3,500.</p>
<p>According to local media, all three men initially pleaded <a href="http://www.fyens.dk/erhverv/Retssag-om-piratkopiering-Forening-tilboed-laereboeger-i-massevis/artikel/3161274">not guilty</a> but later admitted being operators of the site.</p>
<p>The court heard how RightsAlliance tried to create an account on LendStudy but its request for membership was discovered and rejected by the site&#8217;s operators. Other evidence presented by the prosecution included photographs of the men loading computers, scanners, and other IT equipment into a car.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is expensive for students to acquire new knowledge. Lendstudy wanted to spread knowledge in the form of books that give students more opportunities for new knowledge,&#8221; the 31-year-old defendant said in court.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for the site&#8217;s operators, the desire to enrich the minds of students failed to persuade the court that piracy could be ignored. All three were found guilty of criminal copyright infringement and handed four-month conditional jail sentences. The LundStudy.dk domain was confiscated.</p>
<p><center><b>The notice on the LendStudy site</b><a href="media/e56825bf.lendstudy.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/lendstudy.png"><img src="media/d3013608.lendstudy.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lendstudy.png" alt="" width="800" height="421" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140869"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;If textbooks are made freely available or sold illegally, publishers have less incentive to produce textbooks,&#8221; <a href="https://www.tv2fyn.dk/artikel/tre-maend-doemt-kopierede-laereboeger-ulovligt">said</a> Martin Lindø Westeraaard from University Press of Southern Denmark.</p>
<p>&#8220;It will be detrimental both for publishers and for the students, who will lose the opportunity to read Danish-language textbooks.&#8221;</p>
<p>A claim for damages against the men will now be pursued by Rights Alliance in a civil case.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=140754
title: Scammers Pick Up NYAA Torrents Domain Name
uri: Scammers-Pick-Up-NYAA-Torrents-Domain-Name
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/nfjUq9-hWo0/
content:
<p><img src="media/af175f74.scamkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/scamkey.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140925">For years NYAA Torrents was heralded as one of the top sources for anime content, serving an audience of millions of users. </p>
<p>This changed abruptly early last month when the site&#8217;s domain names were <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/anime-torrent-site-nyaa-goes-down-after-domain-name-deactivation-170502/">deactivated and stopped working</a>. </p>
<p>TorrentFreak heard from several people, including site moderators and other people close to the site, that NYAA’s owner decided to close the site voluntarily. However, no comments were made in public. </p>
<p>While many former users moved on to other sites, some started to see something familiar when they checked their old bookmarks this week. All of a sudden, NYAA.eu was loading just fine, albeit with a twist. </p>
<p>&#8220;Due to the regulation &#038; security issues with Bittorrent, the Nyaa Team has decided to move from torrent to a faster &#038; secure part of the internet!&#8221; a message posted on the site reads.</p>
<p>Instead, the site says it&#8217;s going underground, encouraging visitors to download the brand new free &#8220;binary client.&#8221; At the same time, it warns against &#8216;fake&#8217; NYAA sites. </p>
<p>&#8220;We wish we could keep up the torrent tracker, but it is to risky for our torrent crew as well as for our fans. Nyaa.se has been shut down as well. All other sites claiming to be the new Nyaa are Fake!&#8221;</p>
<p><center><strong>Fake NYAA</strong><br></br></center><center><a href="media/4a06ce4e.nyaafake.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/nyaafake.jpg"><img src="media/102e56f1.nyaafake.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/nyaafake.jpg" alt="" width="795" height="407" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-140920"></a></center></p>
<p>The truth is, however, that the site itself is &#8220;fake.&#8221; After the domain name was deactivated it was put back into rotation by the .EU registry, allowing outsiders to pick it up. These people are now trying to monetize it with their download offer. </p>
<p>According to the Whois information, NYAA.eu is registered to the German company Goodlabs, which specializes in domain name monetization. </p>
<p>The client download link on the site points to a Goo.gl shorturl, which in turn redirects to an affiliate link for a Usenet service. At least, last time we checked. </p>
<p>The people who registered the domain hope that people will sign up there, assuming that it&#8217;s somehow connected to the old NYAA crew. </p>
<p>Thus far, over 27,000 people have clicked on the link in just a few days. This means that the domain name still generates significant traffic, mostly from Japan, The United States, and France.</p>
<p>While it is likely new to former NYAA users, this type of scam is pretty common. There are a few file-sharing related domains with similar messages, including Demonoid.to, Isohunts.to, All4nothin.net, Torrenthounds.com, Proxyindex.net, Ddgamez.com and many others.</p>
<p>Some offer links to affiliate deals and others point to direct downloads of .exe files. It&#8217;s safe to say, that it&#8217;s best to stay far away from all of these. </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=140903
title: Traveling “Kodi Repair Men” Are Apparently a Thing Now
uri: Traveling-Kodi-Repair-Men-Are-Apparently-a-Thing-Now
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/AQBTiSUYSS8/
content:
<p><a href="media/9ab3c2a7.kodilogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kodilogo.jpg"><img src="media/3f5b59a8.kodilogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kodilogo.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="100" class="alignright size-full wp-image-107000"></a>Earlier this month, third-party Kodi add-on ZemTV and the TVAddons library were sued in a federal court in Texas.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/dish-network-sues-zemtv-and-tv-addons-for-copyright-infringement-170605/">complaint</a>, filed by American satellite and broadcast provider Dish Network, accused the pair of copyright infringement and demanded $150,000 for each offense.</p>
<p>With that <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-grants-subpoenas-to-unmask-tvaddons-and-zemtv-operators-170621/">case continuing</a>, there has been significant fallout. Not only has the TVAddons repository <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-turmoil-continues-as-tvaddons-mysteriously-disappears-170613/">disappeared</a> but addon developers have been <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/popular-kodi-add-ons-quit-following-prominent-piracy-lawsuit-170607/">falling like dominos.</a></p>
<p>Of course, there are large numbers of people out there who are able to acquire and install new addons to restore performance to their faltering setups. These enthusiasts can weather the storms, with most understanding that such setbacks are all part of the piracy experience.</p>
<p>However, unlike most other types of Internet piracy, the world of augmented Kodi setups has a somewhat unusual characteristic.</p>
<p>Although numbers are impossible to come by, it&#8217;s likely that the majority of users have no idea how the software in their &#8216;pirate&#8217; box actually works. This is because through convenience or lack of knowledge they bought their device already setup. So what can these people do?</p>
<p>Well, for some it&#8217;s a case of trawling the Internet for help and advice to learn how to reprogram the hardware themselves. It may take time, but those with the patience will be glad they did since it will help them deal with similar problems in the future.</p>
<p>For others, it&#8217;s taking the misguided route of trying to get the entirely legal (and probably sick-to-the-teeth) official Kodi team to solve their problems on Twitter. Pro tip: Don&#8217;t bother, they&#8217;re not interested.</p>
<p><center><b>Kodi.tv are not interested in piracy problems</b><a href="media/d8e87749.kodi-complaint.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kodi-complaint.png"><img src="media/e7947abb.kodi-complaint.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kodi-complaint.png" alt="" width="731" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140916" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/kodi-complaint.png 731w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/kodi-complaint-200x150.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 731px) 100vw, 731px"></a></center></p>
<p>It&#8217;s likely that the remainder will take their device back to where they bought it, complain like crazy, and then get things fixed for a small fee. But for those running out of options, never fear &#8211; there&#8217;s another innovative solution available.</p>
<p>In a local pub this week I overheard a discussion about &#8220;everybody&#8217;s Kodi going off&#8221; which wasn&#8217;t a big shock given recent developments. However, what did surprise me was the revelation that a local guy is now touring pubs in the area doing on-site &#8220;Kodi repairs.&#8221;</p>
<p>To put things back in working order using a laptop he&#8217;s charging $25/£20/€23 or, for those with an Amazon Firestick, a $50/£40 trade-in for a new, fully-loaded stick. Apparently, the whole thing takes about 15 to 20 mins and is conveniently carried out while having a drink. While obviously illegal, it&#8217;s amazing how quickly opportunists step in to make a few bucks.</p>
<p>That being said, the notion of &#8216;Kodi repair men&#8217; appearing in the flesh is perhaps not such a surprise after all. Countless millions of these devices have been sold, and they invariably go wrong when pirate sources have issues. In reality, it would be more of a surprise if repairers didn&#8217;t exist because there&#8217;s clearly a lot of demand.</p>
<p>But exist they do and some are even doing home visits. One, who offers to assist people &#8220;for a small call out charge&#8221; via his Facebook page, has been receiving glowing reviews, like the one shown below.</p>
<p><center><b>Thanks for the help KodiMan</b><a href="media/08679d53.kodi-review.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/kodi-review.png"><img src="media/a2bb43a8.kodi-review.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kodi-review.png" alt="" width="650" height="210" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140919"></a></center></p>
<p>In many cases, these &#8220;repair men&#8221; are actually the same people selling the pre-configured boxes in the first place. Like pirate DVD sellers, PlayStation modders, and similar characters before them, they&#8217;re heroes to many people, particularly those in cash-deprived areas. They&#8217;re seen as Robin Hoods who can cut subscription TV prices by 95% and ensure sporting events keep flowing for next to nothing.</p>
<p>What remains to be seen though is how busy these people will be in the future. When people&#8217;s devices stop working there&#8217;s obviously a lot of bad feeling, so paying each time for &#8220;repairs&#8221; could eventually become tiresome. That&#8217;s certainly what copyright holders are hoping for, so expect further action against more addon providers in the future.</p>
<p>But in the meantime and despite the trouble, &#8216;pirate&#8217; Kodi devices are still selling like hot cakes. Despite suggestions to the contrary, they&#8217;re easily purchased from sites like eBay, and plenty of local publications are carrying ads. But for those prepared to do the work themselves, everything is a lot cheaper and easier to fix when it goes wrong.</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=140690
title: Sorry, the “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car” Anti-Piracy Ad Wasn’t ‘Pirated’
uri: 2017-06-25-
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/voXl_YbX72E/
content:
<p><img src="media/e6de503d.stealacar.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/stealacar.png" alt="" width="278" height="157" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140846">In recent years millions of people have seen the <em>Piracy It&#8217;s a Crime</em> anti-piracy video.</p>
<p>According to popular belief and reputable news sources, the music used in the &#8220;You Wouldn&#8217;t Steal a Car&#8221; clip was itself pirated. </p>
<p>Oh the irony&#8230;</p>
<p>While the case in question dates back to the beginning of the decade, the alleged &#8220;theft&#8221; is still cited regularly. People regularly mention it on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and also while commenting on various memes, <a href="http://imgur.com/gallery/prtSP/comment/1057496783">as recently</a> as <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/6hxrwt/but_i_would_steal_this_post/dj2b1yb/">a few days ago</a>.</p>
<p>Amusing, for sure, but there&#8217;s one problem. It&#8217;s not true. </p>
<p>The sources for this remarkable story refer to the case of Dutch musician Melchior Rietveldt. In 2006 he was asked to compose a piece of music to be used in an anti-piracy advert. This was supposed to be used exclusively at a local film festival.</p>
<p>However, it turned out that the anti-piracy ad was recycled for various other purposes without the composer’s permission. The clip had been used on dozens of DVDs both in the Netherlands and overseas. This means that Rietveldt&#8217;s music was used without his permission, or pirated, as some would say. </p>
<p><center><strong>Piracy. It&#8217;s a Crime</strong><br></br></center><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fS6ncGEyszc?rel=0&amp;controls=0&amp;showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>The above is true, as <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-corruption-scandal-surrounds-anti-piracy-campaign-111201/">we reported in the past</a>.  And the composer was eventually <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/rights-group-fined-for-not-paying-artist-for-anti-piracy-ad-120717/">compensated for missed royalties</a>. However, the whole case has nothing to do with the Piracy It&#8217;s a Crime clip. It&#8217;s about an entirely different ad.  </p>
<p>The actual Rietveldt commercial is unknown to the wider public, and there are no online copies that we know of. What we do know is that the &#8220;Piracy. It&#8217;s a Crime&#8221; clip was produced in 2004, not 2006, and also not for a Dutch film festival. </p>
<p>The Piracy It&#8217;s a Crime ad was part of a joint initiative by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS). The original announcement is still <a href="https://www.ipos.gov.sg/MediaEvents/Readnews/TabID/873/articleid/178/Default.aspx">available online</a>. </p>
<p>A source close to the Dutch film industry confirmed that the Rietveldt case has nothing to do with the frequently mentioned clip, which means that it&#8217;s all a massive misunderstanding. One that is now deeply ingrained in Internet history, it seems. </p>
<p>It made its way into the <a href="http://www.whosampled.com/Melchior-Rietveldt/Piracy%3A-It%27s-a-Crime/">Who Sampled</a> database, for example, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/01/29/3678851.htm">ABC Science</a> did a feature on it, and that&#8217;s just the tip of the iceberg.</p>
<p>So where does this fable originate from?</p>
<p>When covering the story, several news outlets used an image from the Piracy It&#8217;s a Crime video, since that&#8217;s the classic example of an anti-piracy ad. Somewhere along the line, however, other reporters started to identify that clip as Rietveldt&#8217;s work, without properly checking. Fast forward a few years and many now assume it&#8217;s an established fact. </p>
<p>Pirated or not, the Piracy it&#8217;s a Crime campaign remains a popular source for memes. Whether this is what the MPA and IPOS intended is doubtful, but at least they got the message out.</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=140974
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 06/26/17
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-06-26-17
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/KWE-EVmzGVI/
content:
<p><img src="media/e22c6b96.kongskull.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kongskull.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="201" class="alignright size-full wp-image-137641"> This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Kong: Skull Island 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-061917/">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/tt3731562/">Kong: Skull Island</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731562/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8fG0TtVAY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</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=1Q8fG0TtVAY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/wonder-woman-torrent-downloads/">Wonder Woman</a> (TC)</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>4</strong></td>
<td>(3)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/fate-furious-torrent-downloads/">The Fate of the Furious</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4630562/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XBmsl7wbIQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(8)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mummy-2017-torrent-downloads/">The Mummy 2017</a> (HDTS)</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>6</strong></td>
<td>(2)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/power-rangers-torrent-downloads/">Power Rangers</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3717490/">6.5</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kIe6UZHSXw">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>7</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>8</strong></td>
<td>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/chips-torrent-downloads/">Chips</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493405/">5.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV6S2COhVuM">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(6)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/john-wick-chapter-2-torrent-downloads/">John Wick: Chapter 2</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4425200/">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGk2EfbD_Ps">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/logan-torrent-downloads/">Logan</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3315342/">8.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DekuSxJgpbY">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=140972
title: Cybercrime Officials Shutdown Large eBook Portal, Three Arrested
uri: Cybercrime-Officials-Shutdown-Large-eBook-Portal-Three-Arrested
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/8sYQcPBUSc0/
content:
<p><a href="media/dad34aaa.download-keyboard.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/download-keyboard.jpg"><img src="media/59d6682b.download-keyboard.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/download-keyboard.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="138" class="alignright size-full wp-image-73383"></a>Back in February 2015, German anti-piracy outfit GVU filed a complaint against the operators of large eBook portal Lul.to.</p>
<p>Targeted mainly at the German audience, the site carried around 160,000 eBooks, 28,000 audiobooks, plus newspapers and periodicals. Its motto was &#8220;Read and Listen&#8221; and claimed to be both the largest German eBook portal and the largest DRM-free platform in the world.</p>
<p>Unlike most file-sharing sites, Lul.to charged around 30,000 customers a small fee to access content, around $0.23 per download. However, all that came to end last week when authorities moved to shut the platform down.</p>
<p>According to the General Prosecutor&#8217;s Office, searches in several locations led to the discovery of around 55,000 euros in bitcoin, 100,000 euros in bank deposits, 10,000 euros in cash, plus a &#8220;high-quality&#8221; motorcycle. </p>
<p>As is often the case following significant action, the site has been completely taken down and now displays the following <a href="https://www.lul.to/">seizure notice</a>.</p>
<p><center><b>Lul.to seized (translated from German)</b><a href="media/f14e9d2f.lulto.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/lulto.png"><img src="media/3a83e715.lulto.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lulto.png" alt="" width="726" height="627" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-140980"></a></center></p>
<p>Authorities report that three people were arrested and are being detained while investigations continue. </p>
<p>It is not yet clear how many times the site&#8217;s books were downloaded by users but investigators believe that the retail value of the content offered on the site was around 392,000 euros. By volume, investigators seized more than 11 terabytes of data.</p>
<p>The German Publishers &#038; Booksellers Association welcomed the shutdown of the platform.</p>
<p>&#8220;Intervening against lul.to is an important success in the fight against Internet piracy. By blocking one of the largest illegal providers for e-books and audiobooks, many publishers and retailers can breathe,&#8221; said CEO Alexander Skipis.</p>
<p>&#8220;Piracy is not an excusable offense, it&#8217;s the theft of intellectual property, which is the basis for the work of authors, publishers, and bookshops. Portals like lul.to harm the media market massively. The success of the investigation is another example of the fact that such illegal models ultimately can not hold up.&#8221;</p>
<p>Last week in a separate case in Denmark, three men aged between 26 and 71-years-old were <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-hands-internet-textbook-pirates-suspended-sentences-170624/">handed suspended sentences</a> for offering subscription access to around 198 pirate textbooks.</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=140990
title: Indie Game Developer Shares Free Keys on The Pirate Bay
uri: Indie-Game-Developer-Shares-Free-Keys-on-The-Pirate-Bay
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/VDUurlWNOq4/
content:
<p><img src="media/8cc12a46.paradigmg.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/paradigmg.jpg" alt="" width="275" height="160" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140994">Online piracy is an issue that affects many industries, and indie game developers are certainly no exception.</p>
<p>How people respond can vary from person to person. What&#8217;s right and what&#8217;s wrong largely depends on one&#8217;s individual beliefs, and some do better with pirates than others. </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/paradigmgame?lang=en">Jacob Janerka</a>, developer of the indie adventure game &#8216;<a href="http://www.paradigmadventure.com/">Paradigm</a>,&#8217; was faced with this issue recently. A few days after his game was released he spotted a cracked copy on The Pirate Bay. </p>
<p>But, instead of being filled with anger and rage while running to the nearest anti-piracy outfit, Janerka decided to reach out to the pirates. Not to school or scold them, but to offer a few free keys.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hey everyone, I&#8217;m Jacob the creator of Paradigm. I know some of you legitimately can&#8217;t afford the game and I&#8217;m glad you get to still play it :D,&#8221; Janerka&#8217;s comment on TPB reads. </p>
<p>Having downloaded many pirated games himself in the past, Janerka knows that some people simply don&#8217;t have the means to buy all the games they want to play. So he&#8217;s certainly not going to condemn others for doing the same now, although it would be nice if some bought it later.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you like the game, please tell your friends and maybe even consider buying it later,&#8221; he added. </p>
<p><center><strong>Janerka&#8217;s comment</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/e814c448.paradigmpirate.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/paradigmpirate.png" alt="" width="654" height="251" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140995"></center></p>
<p>The response has gone relatively unnoticed for a while but was posted on Reddit <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/6jgv9v/the_type_of_dev_i_really_like/">recently</a>, where many people applauded the developer for his refreshing approach.</p>
<p>We reached out to Janerka to find out what motivated him to share the free keys on The Pirate Bay. He says that it was mostly a matter of understanding that many pirates are actually huge game fans who don&#8217;t have the money to buy every game they want to play.</p>
<p>Allowing them to do so for free, might lead to a few paying customers down the road, something he experienced first hand.</p>
<p>&#8220;I did it because I understand that in some cases, some people legitimately cannot afford the game and would like to play it. So maybe HOPEFULLY for a lucky few, they got the official keys and got to play it and enjoy it. </p>
<p>&#8220;I know for sure that when I was a young kid, I was unable to buy all the games I wanted and played pirated games. And when I actually got that disposable income, I ended up buying sequels/merch/extra copies,&#8221; Janerka adds.</p>
<p>The developer doesn&#8217;t think that piracy hurts him much, as many people who pirate his games don&#8217;t have the money to buy them anyway. In addition, having non-paying fans of the game is more valuable than having no fans at all.</p>
<p>&#8220;Maybe I lost a few sales or whatever, but people liking your game can be just as valuable. Realistically, most people who pirated it, wouldn&#8217;t have played it anyway, so its neat that more people get to experience it, when they wouldn&#8217;t have otherwise,&#8221; he says.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a refreshing approach to see. While pirates should be under no illusion that any major developer will follow suit, they are probably happy that someone from the industry views piracy from a different perspective. </p>
<p>For Janerka, there&#8217;s probably something positive in this as well. He wins the sympathy of many game pirates, and as the news spreads, this could even generate some additional sales for the <a href="http://www.paradigmadventure.com/">Paradigm</a> game.</p>
<p><center><strong>Paradigm trailer</strong><br></br></center><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lS46leUFXek?rel=0&amp;controls=0&amp;showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="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=141007
title: T411, France’s Most-Visited Torrent Site, Has Been Shut Down
uri: T411-France-s-Most-Visited-Torrent-Site-Has-Been-Shut-Down
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/inOorpJwFd8/
content:
<p><a href="media/43e08d87.T411.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/T411.jpg"><img src="media/002a902b.T411.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/T411.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="112" class="alignright size-full wp-image-141017"></a>As the number one torrent site among French speakers and one of the most popular sites in France, T411&#8217;s rise to stardom is the product of more than a decade of twists and turns.</p>
<p>After a prolonged battle against 31 Canadian media organizations including the CRIA, the administrator of a torrent site known as QuebecTorrent <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/permanent-injunction-closes-quebectorrent-080711/">closed its doors</a> in 2008 after the handing down of a permanent injunction.</p>
<p>“I just wanna say thanks to all the people who supported the cause and me all along,” admin Sebastian Doditz told TorrentFreak at the time.</p>
<p>Initially, it was believed that the 109,000 members of the site would be left homeless but shortly after another torrent site appeared. Called Torrent411 with the slogan The Torrent Yellow Pages (<a href="http://canada411.yellowpages.ca/">411 is Canada&#8217;s version</a>), it launched with around 109,000 members &#8211; the number that QuebecTorrent closed with.</p>
<p>No surprise then that all QuebecTorrent user accounts had been transferred to T411, including ratios and even some content categories that were previously excluded due to copyright holder disputes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Welcome to one and all!&#8221; a notice on the site read. &#8220;It is with great pleasure that we launch the Torrent411.com site today. All the team of Torrent411.com wishes you the most cordial of welcomes! Here you will find all the torrents imaginable which will be for you for thousands of hours to come! Filled with surprises that await you!&#8221;</p>
<p>Even following its resurrection, pressure on the site continued to build. In 2011, it was forced to move to T411.me, to avoid problems with its .com domain, but against the odds, it continued to grow.</p>
<p><a href="/images/l0d2ymfi.bmp"><img src="http://torrentfreak.com/images/l0d2ymfi.bmp" alt="" width="263" height="77" class="alignright size-full wp-image-141019"></a>As shown in the image to the right (courtesy <a href="https://opentrackers.org/torrent411/">OpenTrackers</a>), in 2013 the site had more than 5.3 million members, 336,000 torrents, and 4.7m seeders. That made it a significant site indeed.</p>
<p>In early 2015, the site decided to <a href="http://www.numerama.com/magazine/32295-t411-nouvelle-adresse.html">move again</a>, from .me to .io, following action to have the site <a href="https://www.nextinpact.com/news/93723-blocage-t411-me-jugement-et-son-explication.htm">blocked in France</a>.</p>
<p>But later in the year, there was yet more trouble when the site found itself reported to the United States Trade Representative, identified as a &#8220;rogue site&#8221; <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-and-mpaa-report-notorious-piracy-sites-to-u-s-government-151007/">by the RIAA</a>.</p>
<p>With a number of copyright holders on its back, it&#8217;s clear that T411&#8217;s troubles weren&#8217;t going away anytime soon, but now there&#8217;s a crisis from which the site is unlikely to recover.</p>
<p>On Sunday, T411 simply stopped responding on its latest T411.al domain. No warning and no useful messages have been forthcoming from its operators. For a site of this scale and resilience, that&#8217;s not something one expects.</p>
<p><Center><b>Message greeting site visitors</b><a href="media/9c50f59a.t411-down22.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/t411-down22.png"><img src="media/7c57c89b.t411-down22.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/t411-down22.png" alt="" width="557" height="202" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-141027"></a></center></p>
<p>Even though the site itself has been down, there have been some very basic signs of life. For example, the site&#8217;s Wiki <a href="http://wiki.t411.al/doku.php">remained operational</a> which indicates the T411.al domain is at least partially intact, at least for now. But for those hoping for good news, none will be forthcoming.</p>
<p>Moments ago, French journalist <a href="https://twitter.com/TristanBrossat">Tristan Brossat</a>‏ confirmed that T411 has been shut down in a joint operation between French and Swedish police.</p>
<p>He reports that &#8220;the brains&#8221; behind the site (reportedly two Ukrainians) have been arrested. Servers hosted at a Swedish company have been seized.</p>
<p>Anti-piracy activity against France-connected torrent sites has been high during recent months. Last November, torrent icon What.cd <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/what-cd-shuts-down-following-reported-raids-in-france-161117/">shutdown</a> following action by French authorities.</p>
<p>Soon after, the cybercrime unit of the French military police targeted the country&#8217;s largest pirate site, Zone-Telechargement (<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/police-shut-down-frances-largest-pirate-site161129/">1</a>,<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/sacem-provides-details-on-recent-torrent-site-raids-in-france-161203/">2</a>).</p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> A source familiar with developments informs TF that a one of those arrested in Sweden was a developer. In France, he reports that moderators have been arrested.</p>
<p><strong>Update2:</strong> The arrests in Sweden took place in the Huddinge Municipality in Stockholm County, east central Sweden. The men are said to be around 30-years-old and are suspected of copyright infringement and money laundering offenses.</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=141010
title: Cox: Supreme Court Suggests That Pirates Shouldn’t Lose Internet Access
uri: Cox-Supreme-Court-Suggests-That-Pirates-Shouldn-t-Lose-Internet-Acc
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/i5sqcnGEfz4/
content:
<p><img src="media/07db73b3.stop-blocked.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/stop-blocked.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="168" class="alignright size-full wp-image-72076">December 2015 a Virginia federal jury <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cox-is-liable-for-pirating-subscribers-ordered-to-pay-25-million-151217/">held</a> Internet provider Cox Communications responsible for the copyright infringements of its subscribers.</p>
<p>The ISP refused to disconnect alleged pirates and was found guilty of willful contributory copyright infringement. In addition, it was ordered to pay music publisher BMG Rights Management $25 million in damages.</p>
<p>Cox has since filed an appeal and this week it submitted an additional piece of evidence from the US Supreme Court, stating that this strongly supports its side of the argument. </p>
<p>Last week the Supreme Court issued an important verdict in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packingham_v._North_Carolina">Packingham v. North Carolina</a>, ruling that it&#8217;s unconstitutional to bar convicted sex offenders from social media. The Court described the Internet as an important tool for people to exercise free speech rights.</p>
<p>While nothing in the ruling refers to online piracy, it could turn out to be crucial in the case between Cox and BMG. The Internet provider now argues that if convicted criminals have the right to use the Internet, accused file-sharers should have it too.</p>
<p>&#8220;Packingham is directly relevant to what constitute &#8216;appropriate circumstances&#8217; to terminate Internet access to Cox’s customers. The decision emphatically establishes the centrality of Internet access to protected First Amendment activity..,&#8221; Cox writes in its filing at the Court of Appeals.</p>
<p>&#8220;As the Court recognized, Internet sources are often &#8216;the principal sources for knowing current events, checking ads for employment, speaking and listening in the modern public square, and otherwise exploring the vast realms of human thought and knowledge&#8217;.&#8221;</p>
<p>Citing the Supreme Court ruling, Cox notes that the Government &#8220;may not suppress lawful speech as the means to suppress unlawful speech.&#8221; This would be the case if entire households lost Internet access because a copyright holder accused someone of repeated copyright infringements.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Court’s analysis strongly suggests that at least intermediate scrutiny must apply to any law that purports to restrict the ability of a class of persons to access the Internet,&#8221; ISP <a href="media/31f65672.Cox-fist-amend.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Cox-fist-amend.pdf">writes (pdf)</a>.</p>
<p>In its case against BMG, Cox was held liable because it failed to take appropriate action against frequent pirates, solely based on allegations of piracy monitoring outfit Rightscorp. Cox doesn&#8217;t believe these one-sided complaints should be enough for people to be disconnected from the Internet. </p>
<p>If convicted sex offenders still have the right to use social media, accused pirates should not be barred from the Internet on a whim, the argument goes.</p>
<p>&#8220;And if it offends the Constitution to cut off a portion of Internet access to convicted criminals, then the district court’s erroneous interpretation of Section 512(i) of the DMCA — which effectively invokes the state’s coercive power to require ISPs to terminate all Internet access to merely accused infringers — cannot stand,&#8221; Cox writes. </p>
<p>Whether the Court of Appeals will agree has yet to be seen, but with the stakes at hand this issue is far from resolved. In addition to the case between BMG and Cox, the MPAA recently filed a lawsuit against Grande Communications, which <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-sues-isp-grande-communications-for-failing-to-disconnect-pirates-170422/">centers around the same issue</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=141080
title: FACT Threatens Users of ‘Pirate’ Kodi Add-Ons
uri: FACT-Threatens-Users-of-Pirate-Kodi-Add-Ons
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/zeCQStr68KQ/
content:
<p><img src="media/86968eca.kodi.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kodi.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" class="alignright size-full wp-image-106816">In the UK there&#8217;s a war going on against streaming pirates. At least, that&#8217;s what the local anti-piracy body <a href="https://www.fact-uk.org.uk/">FACT</a> would like the public to know. </p>
<p>The popular media streaming platform Kodi is at the center of the controversy. While Kodi is perfectly legal, many people use it in conjunction with third party add-ons that offer pirated content. </p>
<p>FACT hopes to curb this trend. The group has already taken action against sellers of Kodi devices pre-loaded with these add-ons and they&#8217;re keeping a keen eye on developers of illicit add-ons too. </p>
<p>However, according to FACT, the &#8216;crackdown&#8217; doesn&#8217;t stop there. Users of pirate add-ons are also at risk, they claim. </p>
<p>&#8220;And then we’ll also be looking at, at some point, the end user. The reason for end users to come into this is that they are committing criminal offences,”  FACT’s chief executive Kieron Sharp <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/kodi-boxes-addons-downloads-legal-crackdown-copyright-films-fact-a7809306.html">told</a> the Independent.</p>
<p>While people who stream pirated content are generally hard to track, since they don&#8217;t broadcast their IP-address to the public, FACT says that customer data could be obtained directly from sellers of fully-loaded Kodi boxes.</p>
<p>“When we’re working with the police against a company that’s selling IPTV boxes or illicit streaming devices on a large scale, they have records of who they’ve sold them to,&#8221; Sharp noted. </p>
<p>While the current legal efforts are focused on the supply side, including these sellers, the end users may also be targeted in the future. </p>
<p>&#8220;We have a number of cases coming before the courts in terms of those people who have been providing, selling and distributing illicit streaming devices. It’s something for the very near future, when we’ll consider whether we go any further than that, in terms of customers.&#8221;</p>
<p>The comments above make it clear that FACT wants users of these pirate devices to feel vulnerable and exposed. But threatening talk is much easier than action.</p>
<p>It will be very hard to get someone convicted, simply because they bought a device that can access both legal and illegal content. A receipt doesn&#8217;t prove intent, and even if it did, it&#8217;s pretty much impossible to prove that a person streamed specific pirated content.</p>
<p>But let&#8217;s say FACT was able to prove that someone bought a fully-loaded Kodi box and streamed content without permission. How would that result in a conviction? Contrary to claims in the mainstream press, watching a pirated stream <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/no-kodi-users-are-not-risking-ten-years-in-prison-170507/">isn&#8217;t an offense covered</a> by the new Digital Economy Act. </p>
<p>In theory, there could be other ways, but given the complexity of the situation, one would think that FACT would be better off spending its efforts elsewhere. </p>
<p>If FACT was indeed interested in going after individuals then they could easily target people who use torrents. These people broadcast their IP-addresses to the public, which makes them easy to identify. In addition, you can see what they are uploading, and they would also be <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/10-years-in-jail-for-internet-pirates-now-reality-in-the-uk-170501/">liable under the Digital Economy Act</a>.</p>
<p>However, after FACT&#8217;s decades-long association with the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-withdraws-funding-for-uk-anti-piracy-group-fact-160524/">MPAA ended</a>, its main partner in the demonization of Kodi-enabled devices is now the Premier League, who are far more concerned about piracy of live broadcasts (streaming) than content made available after the fact via torrents.</p>
<p>So, given the challenges of having a meaningful criminal prosecution of an end-user as suggested, that leaves us with the probability of FACT sowing fear, uncertainty, and doubt. In other words, scaring the public to deter them from buying or using a fully-loaded Kodi box. </p>
<p>This would also fit in with FACT&#8217;s recent claims that some pirate devices are a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-boxes-are-a-fire-risk-awful-timing-or-opportunism-170618/">fire hazard</a>. While it&#8217;s kind of FACT to be concerned about the well-being of pirates, as an anti-piracy organization their warnings also serve as a deterrent. </p>
<p>This strategy could pay off to a degree but there&#8217;s also some risk involved. Every day new &#8220;Kodi&#8221; related articles appear in the UK tabloid press, many of them with comments from FACT. Some of these may scare prospective users, but the same headlines also make these boxes known to a much wider public.</p>
<p>In fact, in what is quite a serious backfire, some recent pieces published by the popular Trinity Mirror group (which include FACT comments) actually provide a <a href="http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/kodi-addons-still-work-173-13194989">nice list of pirate addons</a> that are still operational following recent crackdowns. </p>
<p>So are we just sowing fear now or educating a whole new audience?</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=141109
title: Operation ‘Pirate On Demand’ Blocks Pirate IPTV Portals
uri: Operation-Pirate-On-Demand-Blocks-Pirate-IPTV-Portals
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/s0haOphOdwo/
content:
<p><a href="media/c49b1eda.image_mini.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/image_mini.jpg"><img src="media/0697a9b9.image_mini.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/image_mini.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="112" class="alignright size-full wp-image-141123"></a>Via cheap set-top boxes, IPTV services (Internet Protocol TV) allow people to access thousands of live TV channels in their living rooms for a nominal fee.</p>
<p>Some of these services are available for just a few euros, dollars or pounds per month, often in HD quality.</p>
<p>While service levels can vary, some of the best also offer comprehensive Video On Demand (VOD), with hundreds and in some cases thousands of movies and TV shows on tap, supported by catch-up TV. Given their professional nature, the best IPTV products are proving a real thorn in the side for rights holders, who hope to charge ten times the money while delivering a lesser product.</p>
<p>As a result, crackdowns against IPTV providers, resellers and other people in the chain are underway across the world, but Europe in particular. Today&#8217;s news comes from Italy, where Operation &#8220;Pirate On Demand&#8221; is hoping to make a dent in IPTV piracy.</p>
<p>The operation is being headed up by the Guardia di Finanza (GdF), a department under Italy&#8217;s Minister of Economy and Finance. Part of the Italian Armed Forces, GdF says it has targeted nine sites involved in the unlawful distribution of content offered officially by local media giants Mediaset and Sky.</p>
<p>The authorities received assistance of a specialized team from the local anti-piracy group <a href="http://www.dcpweb.it/en/">DCP</a>, which operates on behalf of a broad range of entertainment industry companies.</p>
<p>According to GdF, a total of 89 servers were behind the portals which together delivered an estimated 178 terabytes of pirate content, ranging from TV shows and sports, to movies and children&#8217;s entertainment.</p>
<p>The nine portals are in the process of being blocked with some displaying the following message.</p>
<p><center><b>Seizure notice on the affected sites</b><a href="media/c3d1f4b7.iptv-italy.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/iptv-italy.jpg"><img src="media/03147fb7.iptv-italy.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/iptv-italy.jpg" alt="" width="955" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-141110"></a></center></p>
<p>The investigation began in September 2016 and was coordinated by Giangiacomo Pilia, the prosecutor at the Cagliari Court. Thus far, two people have been arrested.</p>
<p>A person arrested in the Varese area, who police believe is the commercial director of an illicit platform, has been charged with breaching copyright law.</p>
<p>A second individual arrested in Macerata is also suspected of copyright offenses, having technically managed the platform. Computer equipment, decoders, smart cards, and other electronic devices were also seized.</p>
<p>In addition to blocking various web portals, measures will now be taken to block the servers being used to supply the IPTV services. The GdF has also delivered a veiled threat to people who subscribed to the illicit services.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is also in the hands of investigators the position of those who have actively accessed the platforms by purchasing pirated subscriptions and thus benefiting by taking advantage,&#8221; GdF said.</p>
<p>The moves this week are the latest to take place under the Operation &#8220;Pirate On Demand&#8221; banner. Back in March, authorities moved to shut down and block 15 portals offering illegal IPTV access to Mediaset and Sky channels.</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=141161
title: Canada’s Supreme Court Orders Google to Remove Search Results Worldwide
uri: Canada-s-Supreme-Court-Orders-Google-to-Remove-Search-Results-Worldw
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/XovUGLyTBSo/
content:
<p><a href="media/560a9ef5.searchman.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/searchman.jpg"><img src="media/e92721d2.searchman.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/searchman.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="156" class="alignright size-full wp-image-135409"></a>Back in 2014, the case of Equustek Solutions Inc. v. Jack saw two Canadian entities battle over stolen intellectual property used to manufacture competing products.</p>
<p>Google had no direct links to the case, yet it became embroiled when Equustek Solutions claimed that Google’s search results helped to send visitors to websites operated by the defendants (former Equustek employees) who were selling unlawful products.</p>
<p>Google voluntarily removed links to the sites from its Google.ca (Canada) results, but Equustek demanded a more comprehensive response. It got one.</p>
<p>In a ruling handed down by a court in British Columbia, Google <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/court-hands-google-worldwide-site-blocking-injunction-140618/">was ordered</a> to remove the infringing websites’ listings from its central database in the United States, meaning that the ruling had worldwide implications.</p>
<p>Google filed an appeal hoping for a better result, arguing that it does not operate servers in British Columbia, nor does it operate any local offices. It also questioned whether the injunction could be enforced outside Canada&#8217;s borders.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the British Columbia Court of Appeal disappointed the search giant. In a June 2015 <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-fails-to-overturn-worldwide-site-blocking-order-150612/">ruling</a>, the Court decided that Google does indeed do business in the region. It also found that a decision to restrict infringement was unlikely to offend any overseas nation.</p>
<p>“The plaintiffs have established, in my view, that an order limited to the google.ca search site would not be effective. I am satisfied that there was a basis, here, for giving the injunction worldwide effect,” Justice Groberman wrote.</p>
<p>Undeterred, Google took its case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, hoping to limit the scope of the injunction by arguing that it violates freedom of expression. That effort has now failed.</p>
<p>In a 7-2 majority decision released Wednesday, Google was branded a &#8220;determinative player&#8221; in facilitating harm to Equustek.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is not an order to remove speech that, on its face, engages freedom of expression values, it is an order to de-index websites that are in violation of several court orders,&#8221; wrote Justice Rosalia Abella.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have not, to date, accepted that freedom of expression requires the facilitation of the unlawful sale of goods.&#8221;</p>
<p>With Google now required to delist the sites on a global basis, the big question is what happens when other players attempt to apply the ruling to their particular business sector. Unsurprisingly that hasn&#8217;t taken long.</p>
<p>The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which supported Equustek&#8217;s position in the long-running case, welcomed the decision and said that Google must &#8220;take on the responsibility&#8221; to ensure it does not direct users to illegal sites.</p>
<p>&#8220;Canada’s highest court has handed down a decision that is very good news for rights holders both in Canada and around the world. Whilst this was not a music piracy case, search engines play a prominent role in directing users to illegal content online including illegal music sites,&#8221; said IFPI CEO, Frances Moore.</p>
<p>&#8220;If the digital economy is to grow to its full potential, online intermediaries, including search engines, must play their part by ensuring that their services are not used to facilitate the infringement of intellectual property rights.&#8221;</p>
<p>Graham Henderson, President and CEO of Music Canada, which represents Sony, Universal, Warner and others, also welcomed the ruling.</p>
<p>&#8220;Today&#8217;s decision confirms that online service providers cannot turn a blind eye to illegal activity that they facilitate; on the contrary, they have an affirmative duty to take steps to prevent the Internet from becoming a black market,&#8221; Henderson said.</p>
<p>But for every voice of approval from groups like IFPI and Music Canada, others raised concerns over the scope of the decision and its potential to create a legal and political minefield. In particular, University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist <a href="http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2017/06/global-internet-takedown-orders-come-canada-supreme-court-upholds-international-removal-google-search-results/">raised</a> a number of interesting scenarios.</p>
<p>&#8220;What happens if a Chinese court orders [Google] to remove Taiwanese sites from the index? Or if an Iranian court orders it to remove gay and lesbian sites from the index? Since local content laws differ from country to country, there is a great likelihood of conflicts,&#8221; Geist said.</p>
<p>But rather than painting Google as the loser in this battle, Geist believes the decision actually grants the search giant more power.</p>
<p>&#8220;When it comes to Internet jurisdiction, exercising restraint and limiting the scope of court orders is likely to increase global respect for the law and the effectiveness of judicial decisions. Yet this decision demonstrates what many have feared: the temptation for courts will be to assert jurisdiction over online activities and leave it to the parties to sort out potential conflicts,&#8221; Geist says.</p>
<p>&#8220;In doing so, the Supreme Court of Canada has lent its support to global takedowns and vested more power in Internet intermediaries, who may increasingly emerge as the arbiters of which laws to follow online.&#8221;</p>
<p>Only time will tell how Google will react, but it&#8217;s clear there will be plenty of entities ready to test the limits and scope of the company&#8217;s responses to the ruling.</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=141168
title: New Lawsuit Demands ISP Blockades Against ‘Pirate’ Site Sci-Hub
uri: New-Lawsuit-Demands-ISP-Blockades-Against-Pirate-Site-Sci-Hub
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/c-_AaiiZZjY/
content:
<p><img src="media/398ad51b.scilogo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/scilogo.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="222" class="alignright size-full wp-image-118526">Founded more than 140 years ago, the American Chemical Society (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Chemical_Society">ACS</a>) is a leading source of academic publications in the field of chemistry. </p>
<p>The non-profit organization has around 157,000 members and researchers publish tens of thousands of articles a year in its peer-reviewed journals.</p>
<p>ACS derives a significant portion of its revenue from its publishing work, which is in large part behind a paywall. As such, it is not happy with websites that offer their copyrighted articles for free, such as Sci-Hub. </p>
<p>The deviant &#8216;pirate site&#8217; believes that all scientific articles should be open to the public, as that&#8217;s in the best interest of science. While some academics are sympathetic to the goal, publishers share a different view. </p>
<p>Just last week Sci-Hub <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/sci-hub-ordered-to-pay-15-million-in-piracy-damages-170623/">lost its copyright infringement case</a> against Elsevier, and now ACS is following suit with a separate case. In a complaint filed in a Virginia District Court, the scientific society demands damages for Sci-Hub&#8217;s copyright and trademark infringements.   </p>
<p>According to the <a href="http://www.infodocket.com/2017/06/28/american-chemistry-society-files-suit-against-sci-hub/">filing</a>, Sci-Hub has &#8220;stolen Plaintiff’s copyright-protected scientific articles and reproduced and distributed them on the Internet without permission.&#8221; </p>
<p>ACS points out that Sci-Hub is operating two websites that are nearly identical to the organization&#8217;s official site, located at <a href="http://pubs.acs.org.sci-hub.cc">pubs.acs.org.sci-hub.cc</a> and acs.org.secure.sci-hub.cc. These are confusing to the public, they claim, and also an infringement of its copyrights and trademarks.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Pirated/Spoofed Site appears to almost completely replicate the content of Plaintiff’s website. For example, the Pirated/Spoofed Site replicates webpages on ACS’s history, purpose, news, scholarship opportunities, and budget,&#8221; the <a href="media/ee8e5105.ACS-v-Sci-Hub.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ACS-v-Sci-Hub.pdf">complaint (pdf)</a> reads.</p>
<p>&#8220;Each of these pages on the Pirated/Spoofed Site contains ACS’s Copyrighted Works and the ACS Marks, creating the impression that the Pirated/Spoofed Site is associated with ACS.&#8221;</p>
<p><center><strong>From the ACS complaint</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/af269682.acscomplaint-e1498682376851.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/acscomplaint-e1498682376851.png" alt="" width="600" height="390" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141170"></center></p>
<p>By offering its articles for free and mimicking the ACS website, Sci-Hub is in direct competition with the scientific society. As a result, ACS claims to lose revenue.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defendants are attempting to divert users and revenues away from ACS by replicating and distributing ACS’s Copyrighted Works without authorization,&#8221; the complaint reads.</p>
<p>With the lawsuit, ACS hopes to recoup the money it claims to have lost. It&#8217;s likely that the total damages amount will run in the millions. However, if the defendants stay out of reach, this might be hard to collect. </p>
<p>Perhaps this is why the current lawsuit has included a request for a broader injunction against Sci-Hub. Not only does it ask for domain name seizures, but the scientific society also wants search engines, web hosting companies and general Internet providers to block access to the site. </p>
<p>&#8220;That those in privity with Defendants and those with notice of the injunction, including any Internet search engines, web hosting and Internet service providers, domain name registrars, and domain name registries cease facilitating access to any or all domain names and websites through which Defendants engage in unlawful access to, use, reproduction, and distribution of the ACS Marks or ACS’s Copyrighted Works,&#8221; it reads.</p>
<p>If granted, it would mean that Internet providers such as Comcast would have to block users from accessing Sci-Hub. That&#8217;s a big deal since pirate site blockades are not common in the United States. </p>
<p>It might very well be that ACS is not expecting any compensation for the alleged copyright and trademark infringements, but that the broad injunction is their main goal. If that is the case, this case could turn out to be more crucial than it looks at first sight.</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=141196
title: 200 ‘Pirate’ Media Player Sellers Shut Down After EU Court Ruling
uri: 200-Pirate-Media-Player-Sellers-Shut-Down-After-EU-Court-Ruling
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/XO5QKmjWv9s/
content:
<p><img src="media/54e03740.movies1.jpg" data-original-source="https://torrentfreak.com/images/movies1.jpg" width="200" height="135" class="alignright size-large">The huge increase in popularity of piracy-configured set-top boxes has been nothing short of amazing over the past 18 months.</p>
<p>According to numerous reports, their use has become somewhat of an epidemic in Europe, prompting concern from anti-piracy organizations across the continent.</p>
<p>One group at the forefront is Dutch anti-piracy outfit BREIN, who took a case against a seller of &#8216;pirate&#8217; boxes all the way to the European Court of Justice &#8211; and won.</p>
<p>Handed down in April, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/selling-piracy-configured-media-players-is-illegal-eu-court-rules-170426/">the decision</a> concluded that selling devices pre-configured for piracy (such as those loaded with Kodi and third-party addons) is illegal under EU law.</p>
<p>While news of the decision was never likely to reach all sellers of &#8216;pirate&#8217; boxes, those under the impression that sales occupied some kind of gray area were quickly corrected. That resulted in some sellers exiting the market and others changing the way they operate, such as selling boxes blank and expecting users to configure them themselves.</p>
<p>Due to the locality of the original case, sellers in the Netherlands were always likely to feel the impact of the ECJ ruling most initially, particularly with BREIN breathing down their collective necks. That has just been effectively confirmed by the anti-piracy group, with the news that around 200 &#8216;pirate&#8217; media player sellers have ceased trading since the decision.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is a mixture of individuals and companies,&#8221; BREIN chief Tim Kuik informs TorrentFreak.</p>
<p>Kuik says that the sales were taking place via dedicated websites, online stores such as Amazon and eBay, plus social platforms including Facebook.</p>
<p>In an indication of how much in demand the devices are, the BREIN chief says that most of the sellers sold nothing else but &#8216;pirate&#8217; boxes, to sustain a business or bring in some extra cash for the entrepreneurial individual.</p>
<p>Kuik says that 150 out of the 200 entities were contacted directly by BREIN, who advised them to stop what they&#8217;re doing to avoid things getting out of hand.</p>
<p>&#8220;Typically we send an explanatory letter with a cease and desist undertaking. Everyone gets the opportunity to settle. Most take it,&#8221; Kuik says.</p>
<p>Of course, others choose not to comply with BREIN&#8217;s demands, so for them, things have the potential to get more expensive and complicated, given the right conditions.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have now entered a phase in which willful infringement is assumed and this means no more warnings. If no settlement is reached the case will go to court. We have a couple of court cases under preparation,&#8221; Kuik explains.</p>
<p>This could mean a contested court case, which following the ECJ ruling is likely to end badly for anyone selling boxes filled with pirate addons. That being said, settling with BREIN can be expensive too.</p>
<p>&#8220;Providers who settle with BREIN pay up to 10,000 euros. Those who continue can count on a multiple of that. There&#8217;s a raw deal for those who think they&#8217;ll just get a warning. That time is now over.&#8221;</p>
<p>For those who ignore BREIN&#8217;s overtures and threats of legal action, there&#8217;s also the possibility of a case going ahead without them even being there.</p>
<p>&#8220;Under certain circumstances, an ex parte court order may be applied for,&#8221; Kuik concludes.</p>
<p>While the legality of such devices now seems completely clear in the EU, the market is yet to settle. Given past innovations, it&#8217;s more than likely that new avenues will open up to re-test the law to a new breaking point &#8211; and beyond.</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=141042
title: Nintendo Shuts Down “Donkey Kong” Remake For Roku
uri: Nintendo-Shuts-Down-Donkey-Kong-Remake-For-Roku
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/mLabE_ja73w/
content:
<p><img src="media/f24e33a6.nintendologo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/nintendologo.png" alt="" width="250" height="139" class="alignright size-full wp-image-121992">When Nintendo&#8217;s Shigeru Miyamoto came up with Donkey Kong more than 35 years ago, gaming was still a niche pastime. </p>
<p>How different is that today, where the average household has more than a handful of devices that play computer games. </p>
<p>While the gaming industry has come a long way, plenty of people are still drawn to older arcade games. There&#8217;s something nostalgic about their look and feel, and thanks to emulators and remakes, they are still widely available. </p>
<p>Donkey Kong, for example, could be played on Roku thanks to the efforts of Marcelo Lv Cabral, who released an unofficial version of the Nintendo game using the original art and music. </p>
<p>The software developer, who lives in Arizona, started the project as a hobby to improve his programming skills. He previously did the same with other games such as Lode Runner and Prince of Persia.  </p>
<p>When he finished the project he released the code <a href="https://github.com/lvcabral/Donkey-Kong-Roku">on GitHub</a>, incuding a disclaimer stating his intent.</p>
<p>&#8220;This source code was developed as a programming exercise, it is not being used for profit or any kind of financial gain, all assets and images belong to the original copyright owner,&#8221; it read.</p>
<p><center><strong>Screenshot from the GitHub page</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/7fabac9e.donkeyroku.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/donkeyroku.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="933" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141046"></center></p>
<p>While nostalgic arcade game fans will appreciate the effort, Nintendo was not amused. This week the gaming giant instructed the developer platform GitHub to remove the repository, which it did. </p>
<p>&#8220;The reported repository contains a recreation of Nintendo&#8217;s Donkey Kong video game for Roku, which was created and published without Nintendo&#8217;s authorization,&#8221; Nintendo writes in its <a href="/images/donkeydmca.txt">takedown notice</a>. &#8220;Please immediately remove the repository.&#8221;</p>
<p>We reached out to the developer, who is disappointed to see his code taken down. While he realizes that Nintendo owns the rights to Donkey Kong, his code was unique and completely custom.</p>
<p>&#8220;I believe they have the rights related to the name and the assets, but not to my code. That was completely done by myself, no porting of any Nintendo code, but GitHub took down everything,&#8221; Cabral tells TorrentFreak. </p>
<p>&#8220;What I don`t understand is why only my project was removed, if you search Donkey Kong on the GitHub you`ll found several other remake projects,&#8221; he adds. </p>
<p>The developer doesn&#8217;t plan to challenge the takedown. In theory, he could re-release the code with unique artwork and a new name, but Cabral prefers to focus on other projects for the time being.</p>
<p>He is currently working on a remake of the game Moon Patrol for example, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNLBkOXiTQU">also for the Roku platform</a>. </p>
<p>While Nintendo has every right to take the infringing Donkey Kong content offline, some might feel that the company should allow fans a little more leeway for their fan-made projects. </p>
<p>However, judging from recent history, this is idle hope. In recent years the company has taken several fan-projects offline, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/nintendo-shuts-down-javascript-gameboy-emulator-150712/">including</a> a popular JavaScript-powered Game Boy Advance emulator  </p>
<p>Luckily for Cabral, his Lode Runner and Prince of Persia remakes are <a href="http://lvcabral.com/">still available</a>, for now. These games were originally released by Brøderbund Software, which no longer exists.</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=141234
title: Protesters Physically Block HQ of Russian Web Blocking Watchdog
uri: Protesters-Physically-Block-HQ-of-Russian-Web-Blocking-Watchdog
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/plJvu4O8tcM/
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>Hardly a week goes by without the Russian web-blocking juggernaut rolling on to new targets. Whether they&#8217;re pirate websites, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bill-to-ban-vpns-unmask-operators-submitted-to-russias-parliament-170609/">anonymity and proxy services</a>, or sites that the government feels are inappropriate, web blocks are now a regular occurance in the region.</p>
<p>With thousands of domains and IP addresses blocked, the situation is serious. Just recently, however, blocks have been more problematic than usual. Telecoms watchdog Roskomnadzor, which oversees blocking, claims that innocent services are rarely hit. But critics say that overbroad IP address blockades are affecting the innocent.</p>
<p>Earlier this month there were reports that citizens across the country couldn&#8217;t access some of the country&#8217;s largest sites, including Google.ru, Yandex.ru, local Facebook variant vKontakte, and even the Telegram messaging app.</p>
<p>There have been various explanations for the problems, but the situation with Google appears to have stemmed <a href="https://www.vedomosti.ru/technology/articles/2017/06/22/695589-google">from a redirect</a> to an unauthorized gambling site. The problem was later resolved, and Google was removed from the register of banned sites, but critics say it should never have been included in the first place.</p>
<p>These and other developments have proven too much for some pro-freedom activists. This week they traveled to Roskomnadzor&#8217;s headquarters in St. Petersburg to give the blocking watchdog a small taste of its own medicine.</p>
<p>Activists from the &#8220;<a href="https://openrussia.org">Open Russia</a>&#8221; and &#8220;Civil Petersburg&#8221; movements positioned themselves outside the entrance to the telecom watchdog&#8217;s offices and built up their own barricade constructed from boxes. Each carried a label with the text &#8220;Blocked Citizens of Russia.&#8221;</p>
<p><center><b>Blockading the blockaders in Russia</b><a href="media/60e76c8b.photo-open-russia.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/photo-open-russia.jpg"><img src="media/4de1edac.photo-open-russia.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/photo-open-russia.jpg" alt="" width="580" height="435" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-141236" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/photo-open-russia.jpg 580w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/photo-open-russia-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px"></a></center></p>
<p>&#8220;Freedom of information, like freedom of expression, are the basic values of our society. Those who try to attack them, must themselves be &#8216;blocked&#8217; from society,&#8221; said Open Russia coordinator Andrei Pivovarov.</p>
<p>Rather like Internet blockades, the image above shows Open Russia&#8217;s blockade only partially doing its job by covering just three-quarters of Roskomnadzor&#8217;s entrance. </p>
<p>Whether that was deliberate or not is unknown but the video embedded below clearly shows staff walking around its perimeter. The protestors were probably just being considerate, but there are suggestions that staff might have been using VPNs or Tor.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j20gMnyGXgQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>Moving forward, new advice from Roskomnadzor to ISPs is that they should think beyond IP address and domain name blocking and consider using Deep Packet Inspection. This would help ensure blocks are carried out more accurately, the watchdog says.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s even a suggestion that rather than doing their own website filtering, Internet service providers could buy a &#8220;ready cleaned&#8221; Internet feed from an approved supplier instead. This would remove the need for additional filtering at their end, it&#8217;s argued, but it sounds like more problems waiting to 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=140687
title: uTorrent Now Has a Built-in Game Store
uri: uTorrent-Now-Has-a-Built-in-Game-Store
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/LKecovTmsQI/
content:
<p><img src="media/0b16e39f.utorrentdark.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/utorrentdark.png" alt="" width="265" height="81" class="alignright size-full wp-image-140675">With dozens of millions of active users a day, <a href="http://www.utorrent.com/">uTorrent</a> remains the leading torrent client in terms of use.</p>
<p>Despite its popularity, the client hasn&#8217;t introduced many significant changes in recent years. While there are plans to completely overhaul the client and make it a web browser based application, there is another change that caught our eye recently. </p>
<p>uTorrent&#8217;s parent company BitTorrent Inc. has quietly added a game store to its most popular piece of software. </p>
<p>The company is not new to the &#8220;store&#8221; concept. It previously had a movie store called the &#8216;Torrent Entertainment Network&#8217; a decade ago. However, this shut down in 2008 due to a lack of success.</p>
<p>The new Game Store is integrated into the torrent client and offers a range of indie games, for PC, Mac, and Linux. </p>
<p><center><strong>uTorrent&#8217;s Game Store</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/61b2685e.utorgame.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/utorgame.jpg" alt="" width="1019" height="820" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141013"></center></p>
<p>While adding a content store to uTorrent appears to be a big deal, it was introduced without any public announcements. There was no press release from BitTorrent, no blog post, not even a mention on the official Twitter account. </p>
<p>The only reference we&#8217;ve seen to the new &#8216;feature&#8217; is a mention in the uTorrent changelog a few weeks ago. &#8220;Added Game store to the client,&#8221; is all it says. </p>
<p>We asked BitTorrent Inc. for a comment on the new store but unfortunately, we haven&#8217;t heard back. It almost seems as if the company doesn&#8217;t really want to get any attention for it, for some reason. And we might know why. </p>
<p>After buying a game through the uTorrent store, we were surprised to see that it simply referred us to the Steam platform, to activate and download our purchase. There was no option to download the game in uTorrent, which is a missed opportunity for a download client. </p>
<p>While we bought only one game, this likely means that the Games Store is not meant to showcase uTorrent&#8217;s excellent downloading capabilities, but a simple storefront with lots of eyeballs that refers buyers to a third-party platform. </p>
<p>That said, it&#8217;s interesting to see uTorrent trying to find alternative revenue models in addition to its ads. Games will likely appeal to a large chunk of uTorrent users, and the store adds value without being too obtrusive.</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=141242
title: The Terrible Horrors of ‘Kodi Boxes’ Shock The UK
uri: The-Terrible-Horrors-of-Kodi-Boxes-Shock-The-UK
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/NSsbt8u8C08/
content:
<p>In the beginning, we were told that Kodi Boxes are probably going to destroy Hollywood, not to mention companies like Sky and The Premier League. But who cares about the big people in suits drinking champagne from gold swimming pools?</p>
<p>No, what the unwashed masses need to hear are stories that make us realize that these little plastic wonder boxes are going to ruin <em>our</em> miserable lives. Luckily, they&#8217;ve been appearing thick and fast this past couple of weeks.</p>
<p>It turns out that Kodi Boxes are not only likely to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/kodi-boxes-are-a-fire-risk-awful-timing-or-opportunism-170618/">burn your house down</a>, but they&#8217;re also part of a master plan to pick away at the delicate threads holding family life together.</p>
<p>Forget about the piracy, that doesn&#8217;t matter. The powers that be need you to understand that Kodi Boxes are Trojan horses of misery that people are willingly bringing in to their own homes. Can you believe people are being so stupid?</p>
<p>According to <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/kodi-users-inadvertently-exposing-children-10625999">an article</a> in this week&#8217;s The Mirror, for example, kids&#8217; movies spewed out by these evil devices are now being interrupted by adverts for alcohol. Well, it makes a change from seeing  Phil Mitchell <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWBJFH0CtyU">smashed out of his mind at 8pm on BBC1</a>, doesn&#8217;t it?</p>
<p>At the same time, Kodi Boxes are straining relationships between father and son, not to mention subjecting unsuspecting parents to malware threats. They include scams purporting to be from the &#8216;FBI&#8217; which demand money for using Popcorn Time inside Kodi. The world truly has gone mad.</p>
<p>Of course, if only one person sees this nonsense it&#8217;s too much, and The Mirror piece is quite rightly filled with quotes from real people who gave up piracy as a result of their bad experiences. It also has plenty of useful advice from the UK&#8217;s leading anti-piracy outfit, as you&#8217;d expect.</p>
<p>Intrigued, we decided to carry out our own research among a handful of the millions of maniacs who are still prepared to plug one of these death devices into their UK mains supply. And we were shocked &#8211; not by a dodgy power adaptor from China &#8211; but by the huge numbers of other problems these Kodi Boxes can foist upon the honest working man.</p>
<p>A user called Neil told us that he&#8217;d bought a Kodi Box off eBay after hearing all the hype in the media. His plan was to watch Premier League football without paying a penny. However, instead of scooping up that forbidden 3pm kick-off excitement, all it did was ruin his enjoyment of the beautiful game.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;d been out drinking all day with the lads. I was proper, proper smashed. I got home and shoved the thing into the nearest telly to watch Liverpool versus Manchester United and although I felt really sick, couldn&#8217;t focus on the screen, and soon fell unconscious, I think the picture wasn&#8217;t too bad,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think I saw that wheel thing spinning in the middle of the screen and everything stopping either, which is a big plus for me on a free box. And to top it all, Liverpool beat United 2:1, which was a real bonus.</p>
<p>&#8220;However, when discussing the game the next day with my dad who watched the game on Sky with a proper subscription, I was horrified to learn that Manchester United actually won the game 3:0 &#8211; against Arsenal! It just goes to show, you get what you pay for. My box is now where it should have been all along &#8211; in the bin.&#8221;</p>
<p>A man called Rich told us that he&#8217;d also heard good things about Kodi Boxes but was really upset after being completely misled by the person who sold him one.</p>
<p>&#8220;I used to be a subscriber to Sky&#8217;s top package, including those fifty channels nobody watches but they force you to have. I also forked out for all their boxing PPVs that come on at stupid o&#8217;clock in the morning, and bought several blu-ray discs each time I got paid. All in all I must&#8217;ve spent £140 a month.</p>
<p>&#8220;So, when a bloke down the pub who I&#8217;ve never met before told me that I could legally get the same stuff for free using a Kodi Box, I immediately believed him. I mean, what reasonable bloke wouldn&#8217;t? He had just one left as well, how lucky was that?&#8221;</p>
<p>But it didn&#8217;t take long for Rich&#8217;s enthusiasm to wane. The thought of owning a potential incendiary device filled with content provided by a Russian crime syndicate and funded by Columbian drug barons was too much.</p>
<p>&#8220;I watched a couple of films on it without my house burning down, but then I started reading horror stories in the paper about these boxes shoving drinks adverts in our kids&#8217; faces,&#8221; he told us.</p>
<p>&#8220;Enough was enough. After being lied to by the seller the thought of my kids demanding toys <em>and</em> beer for Christmas was just too much, it just wasn&#8217;t worth the risk. So I went straight back to giving Sky over a grand a year and life&#8217;s never been better.&#8221;</p>
<p>Kodi Box user Peter told us that he could really relate to warnings published in the papers this week that set-top box users had been hit with popups demanding their bank details.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was hoping to watch the big fight last weekend but it only came on for a few minutes and then suddenly went off,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;Then a notice appeared telling me to ring a number with my credit card details. Well, I&#8217;d heard about these ransomware attacks and I wasn&#8217;t going to fall for that old trick.</p>
<p>&#8220;However, imagine my surprise when I realized that I&#8217;d accidentally put on my official satellite box instead of Kodi, and the message was actually from my pay-per-view provider. Just goes to show, everybody wants your money these days, and these crooks can rope you in for years, and make it really hard to cancel.&#8221;</p>
<p>Another chap called James told us that he never considered getting a Kodi Box until he saw an article in a UK tabloid explaining how Kodi Boxes pose a risk for families with children.</p>
<p>&#8220;The article quoted some anti-piracy company. They said that parents don&#8217;t realize that Kodi Boxes allow easy access to hardcore pornography. And it&#8217;s true, I had no idea,&#8221; James said.</p>
<p>&#8220;But I live alone, so I wasted no time buying one off eBay. I&#8217;m watching it in the shed with a fire extinguisher in the other hand, just to be safe.&#8221;</p>
<p>But while James clearly has his hands full, our last user is much less satisfied.</p>
<p>Sue told us that she was assured her Kodi box was a miracle device with endless uses. However, after its addons recently stopped working she decided to test the claim by sliding the failing unit under the leg of a wobbly table. It soon became clear the hardware had been massively oversold.</p>
<p>&#8220;They say these boxes can do anything but mine clearly wasn&#8217;t fit for purpose. It was way too thick so when I put it under the leg, the table sat at a really steep angle. If anything, it was more unstable than it was before.</p>
<p>&#8220;I dread to think what could&#8217;ve happened if I&#8217;d put a pot of boiling oil on it next to the baby. No wonder health and safety are up in arms.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>Tune in next week when we reveal how Kodi Boxes can cause unsightly hair growth and unwanted pregnancies.</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=139402
title: Copyright Holders Ask Google to Block Site-Blocking Notifications
uri: Copyright-Holders-Ask-Google-to-Block-Site-Blocking-Notifications
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/BFW3NeFt0vg/
content:
<p><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">Following a series of High Court orders, UK Internet providers now block access to thousands of pirate domain names. </p>
<p>If prospective pirates try to access these sites, they are presented with a blocking notification instead. </p>
<p>Virgin Media, for example, shows <a href="http://assets.virginmedia.com/site-blocked.html">the following message</a> to its subscribers. </p>
<p>&#8220;Virgin Media has received an order from the High Court requiring us to prevent access to this site.&#8221;</p>
<p>While these type of messages are crystal clear to the general public, they appear to cause confusion among copyright holders. Or more likely, among the automated takedown tools they use. </p>
<p>This week we stumbled upon an unusual request from the anti-piracy group <a href="http://ripblock.co.uk">RipBlock</a>, sent on behalf of Amorphous Music. The <a href="https://lumendatabase.org/notices/14255650">notice</a> in question targets several links, but also the blocking page of Virgin Media, as seen below. </p>
<p><center><strong>Virgin takedown</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/7bddf58e.virginblock.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/virginblock.png" alt="" width="579" height="162" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141114"></center></p>
<p>Needless to say, Virgin&#8217;s blocking notification doesn&#8217;t list any infringing material. Perhaps RipBlock&#8217;s monitoring tool is using a Virgin Media connection, entering the notification in their system instead of the URL of a pirate site?</p>
<p>While that seems plausible, it would mean that the UK company is using more than one ISP, as it also frequently reports the blocking notifications of Sky in its takedown <a href="https://www.lumendatabase.org/notices/11947357">requests</a>.</p>
<p>In any case, it&#8217;s clear that the company doesn&#8217;t check its submissions very carefully, as the same URLs are <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/domains/?id=virginmedia.com">listed</a> in <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/domains/?id=sky.com">dozens</a> of DMCA notices.</p>
<p><center><strong>Sky takedown</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/5fa02def.skyblocked.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/skyblocked.png" alt="" width="579" height="132" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141115"></center> </p>
<p>Interestingly, this kind of mistake is not unique to RipBlock. Another UK company, Leak Delete, asked Google to remove BT&#8217;s blocking page from its search results with a similar <a href="https://www.lumendatabase.org/notices/11259452">takedown notice</a>. </p>
<p>BT&#8217;s &#8220;ukispcourtorders.co.uk&#8221; page provides a list of blocked sites and no infringing content. Nonetheless, Leak Delete has targeted it <a href="https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/copyright/searchdata/domains/?id=ukispcourtorders.co.uk">repeatedly</a> according to Google&#8217;s transparency report. </p>
<p><center><strong>BT takedown</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/844e7ee5.ukispcourtorders.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ukispcourtorders.png" alt="" width="579" height="149" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141116"></center></p>
<p>In situations like this, we can see how erroneous takedown claims can easily lead to over-blocking. If blocking requests are used to block access to site blocking notifications, anything can be targeted.</p>
<p>It’s good to know that, despite receiving millions of requests per day, Google is still able to spot most of these flaws.</p>
<p>The search giant can&#8217;t catch them all though. As a result, BT&#8217;s blocking notification is <a href="https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&#038;q=ukispcourtorders.co.uk">no longer listed</a> in the search engine.</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=141295
title: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week on BitTorrent – 07/03/17
uri: Top-10-Most-Pirated-Movies-of-The-Week-on-BitTorrent-07-03-17
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/TULnVU0NTx8/
content:
<p><img src="media/e22c6b96.kongskull.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kongskull.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="201" class="alignright size-full wp-image-137641"> This week we have two newcomers in our chart.</p>
<p>Kong: Skull Island is the most downloaded movie for the second week in a row.</p>
<p>The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. All the movies in the list are Web-DL/Webrip/HDRip/BDrip/DVDrip unless stated otherwise.</p>
<p><a href="http://TorrentFreak.com/category/dvdrip/feed/"><strong>RSS feed</strong></a> for the weekly movie download chart.</p>
<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-062617/">last week</a></strong></th>
<th><strong>Movie name</strong></th>
<th width="18%"><strong>IMDb Rating / Trailer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">Most downloaded movies via torrents</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td>(1)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731562/">Kong: Skull Island</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731562/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44LdLqgOpjo">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td>(3)</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>3</strong></td>
<td>(2)</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>(4)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/fate-furious-torrent-downloads/">The Fate of the Furious</a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4630562/">6.7</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XBmsl7wbIQ">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>5</strong></td>
<td>(5)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mummy-2017-torrent-downloads/">The Mummy 2017</a> (HDTS)</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>6</strong></td>
<td>(7)</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>7</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316204/">Alien Covenant</a> (Subbed HDrip)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316204/">6.8</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svnAD0TApb8">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>8</strong></td>
<td>(10)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/logan-torrent-downloads/">Logan</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3315342/">8.6</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DekuSxJgpbY">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td>(9)</td>
<td><a href="https://torrentfreak.com/john-wick-chapter-2-torrent-downloads/">John Wick: Chapter 2</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4425200/">8.0</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGk2EfbD_Ps">trailer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>10</strong></td>
<td>(&#8230;)</td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212428/">The Lost City of Z</a> </td>
<td><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212428/">6.9</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwjtdOqTmrA">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=141303
title: Putin Signs Law to Remove Pirate Proxies From Search Engines
uri: Putin-Signs-Law-to-Remove-Pirate-Proxies-From-Search-Engines
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/RRjD2Ny98mc/
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 its battle control the flow of copyrighted content on the Internet, Russia is creating new legislation at a faster rate than almost any other country today.</p>
<p>Not only is the country becoming a leader when it comes to blocking, but it&#8217;s also positioning itself to handle future threats.</p>
<p>Part of that is dealing with the endless game of whac-a-mole that emerges when a site or service is blocked following the orders of the Moscow Court. Very quickly new domains appear, that either provide proxy access, mirror the contents of the original, or present that same content in a new format.</p>
<p>These techniques have allowed pirates to quickly recover from most legal action. However, a new law just signed by the Russian president aims to throw a significant wrench in the works.</p>
<p>After being adopted by the State Duma on June 23 and approved by the Federation Council June 28, on Saturday July 1 Vladimir Putin signed a new law enabling the country to quickly crack down on sites designed to present content in new ways, in order to circumvent blockades.</p>
<p>The legislation deals with all kinds of derivative sites, including those that are &#8220;confusingly similar to a site on the Intenet, to which access is restricted by a decision of the Moscow City Court in connection with the repeated and improper placement of information containing objects of copyright or related rights, or the information needed to obtain them using the Internet.&#8221;</p>
<p>As usual, copyright holders will play an important role in identifying such sites, but the final categorization as a derivative, mirror, or reverse proxy will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Communications. That government department will be given 24 hours to make the determination following a complaint.</p>
<p>From there, the Ministry will send a notification in both Russian and English to the operator of the suspected pirate site. Telecoms watchdog Roskomnadzor will also receive a copy before ordering ISPs to block the sites within 24 hours.</p>
<p>In an effort to make the system even more robust, both original pirate sites and any subsequent derivatives are also being made harder to find.</p>
<p>In addition to ISP blockades, the law requires search engines to remove all blocked sites from search results, so Googling for &#8216;pirate bay mirror&#8217; probably won&#8217;t be as successful in future. All advertising that informs Internet users of where a blocked site can be found must also be removed.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/View/0001201707010015?index=0&#038;rangeSize=1">new law</a> comes into force on October 1, 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=141324
title: Pirate Streaming Box Operation Nets £370k But Only a Suspended Sentence
uri: Pirate-Streaming-Box-Operation-Nets-370k-But-Only-a-Suspended-Senten
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/E0pWCTgOA_w/
content:
<p><a href="media/f0a9a46f.maizbox.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/maizbox.jpg"><img src="media/c0c66bc9.maizbox.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/maizbox.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" class="alignright size-full wp-image-141330"></a>In the UK there are two broad views on copyright infringement, one covering a type that&#8217;s usually small and personal and another of varying scales done in the course of a business.</p>
<p>For the purpose of punishments, the latter is much more serious and copyright holders often warn that commercial scale pirates risk significant custodial sentences. Indeed, over the years that has often been the case.</p>
<p>However, a case being reported in Wales this morning is of interest in a number of ways, not least since it involves the current piracy hot topic &#8211; set-top devices loaded with Kodi and infriging third-party addons &#8211; and large sums of money. </p>
<p>Between June 2014 and March 2016 a man called Daniel Brown was involved in selling piracy-configured set-top devices to the public. He brought the base Android units in from China and filled them with this own &#8216;pirate&#8217; Kodi build. However, according to <a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/mans-illegal-kodi-box-business-13271905">Wales Online</a>, this attracted the attention of BSkyB who complained to local police.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Brown continued selling his devices via his legitimate company, Maiz Limited, which is still active today. Searches of Companies House reveals that Brown is still a director of the company, whose nature of business is listed as &#8220;Ready-made interactive leisure and entertainment software development.&#8221;</p>
<p>For many in the Kodi scene, the name MAiZ name may ring a bell. For some time, the so-called MAiZ BOX was a device often discussed on forums and Facebook as doing a good job of receiving free TV. However, that was also accompanied by criticizm of its steep £125 price tag.</p>
<p><center><b>MAiZ Box sales information</b><a href="media/5167a0c4.maiz-sales.png" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/maiz-sales.png"><img src="media/05860f7c.maiz-sales.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/maiz-sales.png" alt="" width="1185" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-141331"></a></center></p>
<p>While success in shifting large numbers of units isn&#8217;t referenced in the small company accounts filed by Maiz Limited, it was clearly doing well. Swansea Crown Court heard that between 2014 and 2016 the company generated £371,000, which is a lot even when divided by unit sales of £125 each.</p>
<p>At his trial, Judge Peter Heywood said Brown was “industrious but misguided in some ways” and was &#8220;clearly skilled in the use of computer technology&#8221;. But despite the large sums of money involved, no custodial sentence was handed down.</p>
<p>Brown was given an 18 months sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work. This means that Brown will spend no time in jail provided he meets the terms of his sentencing.</p>
<p>The entrepreneur won&#8217;t get away completely though. Brown agreeed to pay almost £20,000 towards his prosecution, at a repayment rate of £800 per month. But somewhat unusually in such cases, no Proceeds of Crime Act orders were made, which suggests that there will be no attempt to recover money made through the business.</p>
<p>Brown&#8217;s lenient sentence further undermines the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/no-kodi-users-are-not-risking-ten-years-in-prison-170507/">ridiculous claims</a> still circulating in the UK press that Kodi users face up to 10 years in jail for using the devices to stream content in their own homes. </p>
<p>Brown did not immediately respond to TorrentFreak&#8217;s requests for comment.</p>
<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K0t3_i1XzRQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=141284
title: US International Trade Administration Worries About Widespread Piracy
uri: US-International-Trade-Administration-Worries-About-Widespread-Piracy
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/u3TFzYTBjD4/
content:
<p><img src="media/1c3cb9c4.TRADE-Int-e1499066318502.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/TRADE-Int-e1499066318502.png" alt="" width="200" height="234" class="alignright size-full wp-image-141293">One of the main goals of the <a href="http://www.trade.gov/">International Trade Administration</a> is to strengthen the interests of U.S. industries around the globe. </p>
<p>The agency, which falls under the Department of Commerce, is committed to ensure fair trade through the &#8220;rigorous enforcement&#8221; of trade laws and agreements.</p>
<p>Despite its efforts, many challenges remain. In its newly released overview of top markets in the Media and Entertainment (M&#038;E) sector, piracy is highlighted as one of the prime threats.</p>
<p>&#8220;Digital trade has brought attention to widespread piracy and the importance of having solid copyright laws and enforcement actions, along with educational campaigns to encourage legal consumption of M&#038;E,&#8221; the International Trade Administration (ITA) writes.</p>
<p>The agency points out that it&#8217;s hard to measure exactly how much piracy is hurting sales, but states that this number is in the millions. The problem also prompted copyright holders to increase their takedown efforts.</p>
<p>&#8220;Piracy and illegal file sharing continue to plague the M&#038;E sectors. It is difficult to quantify losses from piracy and to calculate piracy rates accurately. Therefore many industry groups and businesses track piracy around the clock, and online takedown notices are rising dramatically as a result,&#8221; ITA writes. </p>
<p>The piracy threat is a global problem and also affects business in the top export countries for media and entertainment products and services. This includes Canada, India and Brazil, where legislation or enforcement are currently lacking, according to the agency. </p>
<p>In India, for example, various forms of online and physical piracy are booming, despite the fact that legal sales are growing as well.</p>
<p>&#8220;[India] is a very challenging marketplace, with barriers, to trade such as high piracy threats to both physical and digital M&#038;E sectors, and uncertain implementation of laws governing the M&#038;E sectors. The IIPA reports online and mobile piracy, illegal file sharing of music, cam cording in theaters, and rampant signal piracy of pay TV content,&#8221; ITA <a href="media/3bca8789.Top-Markets-Media-and-Entertinment-2017.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/Top-Markets-Media-and-Entertinment-2017.pdf">writes (pdf)</a>.</p>
<p>Another large export market is Canada. While the US and Canada are much alike in many aspects, the northern neighbor&#8217;s enforcement against online piracy is lacking, according to the ITA.</p>
<p>&#8220;Canada has a well-developed professional sector that makes trading easier and efficient for U.S. exporters. However, there are copyright and other trade barriers for American businesses in Canada. Online infringement is high and enforcement weaker than expected.&#8221;</p>
<p>Brazil is the third top expert market where the US media and entertainment sector faces severe challenges. There are various trade barriers, including high taxation of foreign products and services, and piracy is also widespread.</p>
<p>&#8220;Copyright industries doing business in Brazil face significant Internet piracy, as do products in the entertainment sector, such as CDs; DVDs; and other media carrying pirated music, movies, TV programming and video games,&#8221; ITA writes.</p>
<p>While revenues are growing in Brazil, more work can be done to limit piracy. The Brazilian Government could lower taxes, for example, but the industry itself could also do more to increase the availability of its products. </p>
<p>&#8220;Circumvention devices that allow access to video game consoles are a problem for all copyright sectors. The activity is driven by high costs and taxes on entertainment and lack of a full catalogue offering to the public, some of which is a governmental problem, and some of which is caused by the industry.&#8221; </p>
<p>The ITA sees robust copyright laws, increased enforcement and campaigns to highlight legal alternatives, as possible solutions to these problems. </p>
<p>In Brazil change may come shortly, as there&#8217;s a new copyright law pending. However, not all countries are receptive to the US complaints. Canada<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/canada-rejects-flawed-and-one-sided-piracy-claims-from-us-govt-170310/"> previously responded </a>to a similar US report, labeling it as flawed and one-sided.</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=141341
title: Steal This Show S03E04: ‘Re-Decentralizing The Net’
uri: Steal-This-Show-S03E04-Re-Decentralizing-The-Net
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/8MccXeMpvuU/
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 Ryan Shea, co-founder of Blockstack. This ambitious project aims to create a new, decentralized Internet in which users, not Big Content, own their data and keep control of how their apps run. </p>
<p>We discuss why the internet needs re-decentralising, if and how to pull users away from reliance on monopoly platforms like Facebook and Google, and much more. Plus, Ryan and Jamie come up with a scheme for a blockchain-powered meme market!</p>
<p>Blockstack, which integrates with the IPFS distributed storage system, could have significant upsides in the filesharing world. It would provide, for example, an entirely new DNS, meaning no more domain attacks for filesharing sites. Combined with the fact that they permanence of distributed filesystems makes takedown notices almost impossible to enforce, and it&#8217;s easy to see one key reason this has the potential to be a very disruptive development.</p>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p><a href="https://stealthisshow.com">Steal This Show</a> aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing copyright and file-sharing news. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary, and analysis. </p>
<p>The guests for our news discussions will vary, and we&#8217;ll aim to introduce voices from different backgrounds and persuasions. In addition to news, STS will also produce features interviewing some of the great innovators and minds. </p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Jamie King</p>
<p><strong>Guest:</strong> Ryan Shea</p>
<p><center><iframe width="100%" height="180px" src="//stealthisshow.com/?lpe-frame=1&#038;lpe-season=3&#038;lpe-episode=04" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></p>
<p><strong>Produced </strong> <em>by </em>Jamie King<br>
<strong>Edited &#038; Mixed</strong> <em>by</em> Riley Byrne<br>
<strong>Original Music</strong> <em>by</em> David Triana<br>
<strong>Web Production</strong> <em>by</em> Siraje Amarniss</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=141347
title: Half of All Football Fans Have Watched Illegal Streams
uri: Half-of-All-Football-Fans-Have-Watched-Illegal-Streams
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/5w4-g9RLCGk/
content:
<p><a href="media/096bd33d.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg"><img src="media/468f0769.streamingkey.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/streamingkey.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="167" class="alignright size-full wp-image-125426"></a>Being a fan of top-flight football in the UK is an expensive proposition. In 2016, the average price of a season ticket was just shy of £500 a season while watching on TV can cost more than £60 per month.</p>
<p>Of course, there are good reasons for these high prices. Premier League footballers are notoriously highly-paid and with TV rights recently changing hands for more than £5.3bn, money has to be recouped in the most basic of ways &#8211; from the fans&#8217; pocket.</p>
<p>While this is a success up to a point, there&#8217;s a growing factor upsetting the money men. The rise of online streaming is a thorn in the side of English Premier League, who are having to deal with large numbers of fans obtaining live matches for free via the Internet. But just how many fans are going down this route?</p>
<p>The results of a new survey carried out by the BBC reveal some shocking but perhaps not entirely unexpected results. Carried out online by ComRes between 7 and 15 March among 1,000 fans, it shows that large numbers of fans prefer the free option.</p>
<p>The headline figure is that 36% of football supporters stream Premier League matches online illegally at least once every month, a figure that reduces to just under a quarter (22%) when the frequency is once a week.</p>
<p>However, when fans were asked whether they had ever watched a match through an unofficial online provider, close to half (47%) said they had done so. That&#8217;s certainly a worryingly high number for the Premier League.</p>
<p>And if one removes older fans from the equation, things only get worse.</p>
<p>Almost two-thirds (65%) of younger fans aged 18 to 34 say they illegally stream live football matches online at least once a month. Among older fans aged 34 to 54 the figure improves to 33%, dropping to just 13% for the over 55s.</p>
<p>With 29%, the top reason fans gave for streaming content illegally was because &#8220;a friend/family member does it and they just watch.&#8221; Whether this is fans simply being coy is unclear, but it does suggest that watching football illegally has become a communal pastime, something which can likely be attributed to the rise of set-top boxes running software like Kodi.</p>
<p>Almost a quarter (24%) believe that TV sports packages do not represent good value for money but the only shock here is that the number isn&#8217;t higher. It&#8217;s certainly possible that many &#8216;streaming&#8217; fans would never have paid in the first place, so pricing might be less of a factor for them.</p>
<p>Interestingly, 25% of respondents say they stream matches illegally because the quality is good. This is interesting since while illicit streams are both cheap and convenient, quality and reliability isn&#8217;t usually high up the checklist. That being said, the BBC research doesn&#8217;t differentiate between free streams and cheap IPTV streams, and the latter can indeed rival an official service.</p>
<p>There are also a few interesting revelations when it comes to fans&#8217; opinions on the legality of illicit streaming.</p>
<p>A small 12% of fans think the practice is legal, almost three times less than the number who say it is illegal (34%). Almost three-quarters (32%) don&#8217;t know the legal status of streaming from an illicit source.</p>
<p>Following a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/selling-piracy-configured-media-players-is-illegal-eu-court-rules-170426/">recent ruling</a> from the European Court of Justice, it is now clear that streaming from an unlicensed source amounts to copyright infringement.</p>
<p>However, enforcing that legislation against people in their own homes would provide similar challenges to prosecuting people who &#8216;tape&#8217; a friend&#8217;s record collection or watch pirate DVDs. It&#8217;s just not realistic.</p>
<p>Interestingly, 10% believe it is legal to watch but illegal to upload a stream. That was believed to be the case before the ECJ ruling, but the former has now been clarified.</p>
<p>Uploading streams is very, very much illegal (as is supplying &#8216;pirate&#8217; boxes) and in the right circumstances could lead to a custodial sentence. However, no regular consumer does this through conventional streaming (through a Kodi-powered device, for example), so it&#8217;s a moot point.</p>
<p>A tiny 4% of people believe that unauthorized streaming is not breaking the law but that Sky or BT could still fine them if they found out, which is technically wrong on both counts.</p>
<p>That being said, proving someone watched a stream is extremely difficult and since copyright law in the UK requires that infringers compensate for the losses they&#8217;ve caused, any &#8216;fine&#8217; imposed might only amount to the cost of a match, for example.</p>
<p>Again, the chances of this happening in any way are very unlikely and have certainly never happened to date, even though millions are watching streams via their computers and set-top boxes loaded with Kodi. This is something the Premier League wants to change. </p>
<p>&#8220;Fans should know that these pre-loaded boxes enable pirate broadcasts of Premier League football, and other popular content, and are illegal. People who supply them have been jailed or ordered to pay significant financial penalties,&#8221; a spokesman <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40483486">told the BBC</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are increasingly seeing prominent apps and add-ons being closed down as the law catches up with them, leading to consumers being out of pocket.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Premier League will continue to protect its copyright, and the legitimate investment made by its broadcasting partners. Their contribution allows our clubs to develop and acquire players, invest in facilities and support the wider football pyramid and communities &#8211; all things that fans enjoy and society benefits from.&#8221;</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/">TF</a>, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2016-160102/">torrent sites</a> and  <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/">ANONYMOUS VPN services</a>.</p>
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feed_id: http://torrentfreak.com/?p=141354
title: Hollywood Wants Governments to Push Voluntary Anti-Piracy Deals
uri: Hollywood-Wants-Governments-to-Push-Voluntary-Anti-Piracy-Deals
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/7wf30UT7kYU/
content:
<p><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">The ever-present threat of online piracy remains a hot topic in Hollywood. </p>
<p>A lot has changed over the years. Piracy is arguably more mainstream now with easy to use streaming sites and tools, and site owners have become more skilled at evading various enforcement efforts. </p>
<p>Most sites have multiple domain names at their disposal, for example, as well as access to hosting facilities that are more responsive to complaints from rightsholders.</p>
<p>According to Hollywood&#8217;s MPAA, cross-border cooperation with various third-party intermediaries is required to curb piracy. The group has promoted this agenda for a while and is now reemphasizing the need for governments to facilitate these kinds of deals.</p>
<p>In a statement prepared for an upcoming meeting of WIPO&#8217;s Advisory Committee on Enforcement, MPAA&#8217;s Global Content Protection chief Dean Marks states that voluntary agreements are essential in their fight against piracy.</p>
<p>These agreements will help to adapt to the evolving piracy landscape, much quicker than copyright legislation can. </p>
<p>&#8220;Unlike laws and regulations, voluntary measures can quickly be adapted to address changing forms of online piracy. Such measures benefit not only rightsholders, but also internet intermediaries, service providers, governments and individual users of the internet,&#8221; Marks notes. </p>
<p>&#8220;Voluntary measures should therefore be encouraged by governments as an important means of addressing online copyright piracy,&#8221; he <a href="media/98292ebd.marks-wipo12.pdf" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/marks-wipo12.pdf">adds (pdf)</a>. </p>
<p>One of the problems, according to the Hollywood group, is that piracy sites are spreading their infrastructure all over the world. They may use a domain name in one country, hosting in a few others, and a CDN on top of all that. </p>
<p>This cross-border threat can often not be dealt with in a single country or by a single company. It requires cooperation from a wide variety of third-party intermediaries, including search engines and hosting providers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Clearly this new paradigm of infringement strains the foundational notion of territoriality of copyright law and increases the difficulty of effectively enforcing copyrights,&#8221; Marks writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hosting providers, domain name registries and registrars, CDNs, cloud storage services and even internet access providers and search engines all can serve a constructive role by adopting measures to prevent their platforms and services from being abused for copyright infringement.&#8221;</p>
<p>The MPAA has thus far struck <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/private-anti-piracy-deals-with-domain-registries-are-worrisome-professor-warns-170302/">two voluntary deals</a> with the domain name registries Donuts and Radix. This allows the anti-piracy group to report infringing domain names, which may then be removed. Thus far this has resulted in 25 domain name suspensions, but the MPAA would like to broaden its scope and partner with more registries. </p>
<p>Hosting companies, CDNs such as Cloudflare, and search engines can also do more to curb copyright infringements. Ultimately this will be in their own interest, the MPAA says. These companies do not want to be associated with piracy or face tougher legislation when governments step in.</p>
<p>&#8220;&#8230;many companies do not wish to be associated with those engaged in illegal activities, including copyright pirates. Moreover, turning a blind eye to doing business with pirate websites can result in damaging repercussions. </p>
<p>&#8220;In the United States of America (USA), for example, intermediaries have been named as unindicted co-conspirators in criminal copyright prosecutions,&#8221; Marks notes.</p>
<p>MPAA&#8217;s Global Content Protection chief suggests a few ways governments can intervene. They could host hearings to facilitate cooperation, for example. Another option is to adopt laws or regulations that foster cooperation. </p>
<p>Finally, Marks notes that authorities can instruct law enforcement agencies to &#8220;work with&#8221; internet intermediaries and service providers to adopt voluntary anti-piracy measures, similar to the ones in place with <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-hijack-ads-on-251-pirate-sites-150825/">City of London Police</a> and its piracy watch list for advertisers.</p>
<p>Previously the MPAA has offered similar suggestions <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-asks-government-to-facilitate-private-anti-piracy-deals-151020/">to the US Government</a>. While this may have had some effect, many companies are still reluctant to jump on board. </p>
<p>Companies such as <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-refuses-mpaa-request-blacklist-pirate-site-homepages-141123/">Google</a>, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflare-were-not-aiding-and-abetting-piracy-100530/">CloudFlare</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/icann-refuses-to-play-piracy-police-150612/">ICANN</a> don&#8217;t believe they are required to proactively enforce against piracy on a broad scale, and it likely requires a massive push to change their perspective.</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=141392
title: TV Giant Canal Plus Decides to Stop Paying Artists & Creators, Gets Sued
uri: TV-Giant-Canal-Plus-Decides-to-Stop-Paying-Artists-Creators-Gets-Su
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/-LVpWp8Betg/
content:
<p><a href="media/37c15968.canal-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/canal-logo.jpg"><img src="media/8c02869d.canal-logo.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/canal-logo.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" class="alignright size-full wp-image-106770"></a>It&#8217;s common for anti-piracy groups to accuse torrent, streaming, and other download sites of not paying licensing fees. As a result, dozens have been sued over the years, often with catastrophic results for the platforms involved.</p>
<p>It is extremely rare, however, for a bone fide broadcasting company to simply declare that it won&#8217;t be paying artists, authors, and creators, for the content they provide. Amazingly, that&#8217;s the situation playing out in France with pay TV company Canal Plus.</p>
<p>Owned by giant Vivendi, Canal Plus has decided that its current deals with content providers are unfavorable to the company and wants to renegotiate them. In the meantime, tens of millions of euros in royalties owed to SACEM (Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music), SACD (Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers), SCAM (The Civil Society of Multimedia Authors) and ADAGP (Society of Authors in the Graphic and Plastic Arts) are going unpaid.</p>
<p>The decision has caused outrage among the collecting societies, with SACEM (the group that caused the <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/music-group-confirms-what-cd-raid-claims-millions-in-losses-161118/">closure of What.CD</a> and <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/t411-frances-most-visited-torrent-site-has-disappeared-170627/">French torrent giant T411</a>) deriding Canal Plus for denying artists what is rightfully theirs.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are receiving many calls from panic-stricken authors who are finding themselves without the wages due to them,&#8221; a spokesman from SACEM <a href="http://www.telerama.fr/medias/canal-pietine-les-droits-d-auteurs-les-createurs-se-rebiffent,160410.php">said</a>. &#8220;Some of them will find themselves facing serious difficulties and how will they continue to create if they have not been paid?&#8221;</p>
<p>Hervé Rony, general manager of The Civil Society of Multimedia Authors (SCAM) directly attacked the TV provider.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve never seen such brutality. Never has another player in the audiovisual industry deployed such methods,&#8221; Rony said.</p>
<p>Even filmmakers are affected by the decision to withhold royalties, with the Association of Authors, Directors, Producers (L&#8217;ARP) noting that it was &#8220;deeply shocked&#8221; at what it describes as an act of &#8220;violence.&#8221;</p>
<p>Although a broad range of creators is affected, local media reports say that Canal Plus&#8217; decision not to pay copyright fees will hit the music sector first, with today being the day that payments should have been made. As a result, SCAM is warning that it may not be able to meet its obligations for the fiscal year.</p>
<p>Telerama reports that Canal Plus is trying to negotiate an 80% discount worth tens of millions of euros to support its cost-cutting agenda, but those demands are meeting a wall of defiance among the collecting societies.</p>
<p>&#8220;We only discuss between people in good faith, when they have already settled what they owe and do not renege on contracts already signed,&#8221; Rony said. &#8220;Nobody wants the death of Canal Plus. But the prerequisite for any discussion is the resumption of payments.&#8221;</p>
<p>In comments made by SACEM yesterday, the copyright group indicated that beyond paying what it owes now, Canal Plus only has two options available, both involving the inside of a courtroom. The first would involve a lawsuit over breach of contract and the second would see it being sued for using copyright works without a license &#8211; piracy, effectively.</p>
<p>&#8220;In this case, we will seek penalties for infringement. They do not have much latitude,&#8221; SACEM said.</p>
<p>Several of the groups owed money by Canal Plus have published statements, with SACD, SACEM, SCAM, and ADAGP indicating they will be joining forces to tackle the broadcaster, who they accuse of undermining the right of creators to get paid.</p>
<p>&#8220;SACEM, along with the other authors&#8217; societies, would have liked the constructive dialogue it had conducted over the last few weeks to have resulted in Canal Plus fulfilling its contractual obligations, but failing that, was obliged to take appropriate measures, including Judicial rights, so that the rights of its members are preserved,&#8221; SACEM wrote.</p>
<p>With a meeting between those affected scheduled for Friday, the suggestion that legal action is already underway has now been confirmed by Variety. Citing an industry source, the publication says that Canal Plus is being sued in the Paris High Court for around 50 million euros.</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=141394
title: Chrome’s Default ‘Ad-Blocker’ is Bad News for Torrent Sites
uri: Chrome-s-Default-Ad-Blocker-is-Bad-News-for-Torrent-Sites
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/X78mZTwdiLM/
content:
<p><img src="media/53764347.chrome.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/chrome.jpg" alt="" width="209" height="209" class="alignright size-full wp-image-100967" srcset="https://torrentfreak.com/images/chrome.jpg 222w, https://torrentfreak.com/images/chrome-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 209px) 100vw, 209px">Online advertising can be quite a nuisance. Flashy and noisy banners, or intrusive pop-ups, are a thorn in the side of many Internet users.</p>
<p>These type of ads are particularly popular on pirate sites, so it&#8217;s no surprise that their users are <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/millennials-love-piracy-ad-blockers-160920/">more likely</a> to have an ad-blocker installed.</p>
<p>The increasing popularity of these ad-blocking tools hasn&#8217;t done the income of site owners any good and the trouble on this front is about to increase. </p>
<p>A few weeks ago Google announced that its Chrome browser will <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/06/05/google-says-its-chrome-ad-blocker-will-lead-to-better-ads-but-some-see-a-self-serving-ploy/">start blocking</a> &#8216;annoying&#8217; ads in the near future, by default. This applies to all ads that don&#8217;t fall within the &#8220;<a href="https://www.betterads.org/standards">better ads standards</a>,&#8221; including popups and sticky ads.</p>
<p>Since Chrome is the leading browser on many pirate sites, this is expected to have a serious effect on torrent sites and other pirate platforms. TorrentFreak spoke to the operator of one of the largest torrent sites, who&#8217;s sounding the alarm bell. </p>
<p>The owner, who prefers not to have his site mentioned, says that it&#8217;s already hard to earn enough money to pay for hardware and hosting to keep the site afloat. This, despite millions of regular visitors.</p>
<p>&#8220;The torrent site economy is in a bad state. Profits are very low. Profits are f*cked up compared to previous years,&#8221; the torrent site owner says. </p>
<p>At the moment, 40% of the site&#8217;s users already have an ad-blocker installed, but when Chrome joins in with its default filter, it&#8217;s going to get much worse. A third of all visitors to the torrent site in question use the Chrome browser, either through mobile or desktop.</p>
<p>&#8220;Chrome&#8217;s ad-blocker will kill torrent sites. If they don&#8217;t at least cover their costs, no one is going to use money out of his pocket to keep them alive. I won&#8217;t be able to do so at least,&#8221; the site owner says.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s too early to assess how broad Chrome&#8217;s ad filtering will be, but torrent site owners may have to look for cleaner ads. That&#8217;s easier said than done though, as it&#8217;s usually the lower tier advertisers that are willing to work with these sites and they often serve more annoying ads.</p>
<p>The torrent site owner we spoke with isn&#8217;t very optimistic about the future. While he&#8217;s tested alternative revenue sources, he sees advertising as the only viable option. And with Chrome lining up to target part of their advertising inventory, revenue may soon dwindle.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve tested all types of ads and affiliates that are safe to work with, and advertising is the only way to cover costs. Also, most services that you can make good money promoting don&#8217;t work with torrent sites,&#8221; the torrent site owner notes.</p>
<p>Just a few months ago popular torrent site TorrentHound decided to shut down, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/torrenthound-shuts-down-another-big-torrent-site-bites-the-dust-160915/">citing a lack in revenue</a> as one of the main reasons. This is by no means an isolated incident. TorrentFreak spoke to other site owners who confirm that it&#8217;s becoming harder and harder to pay the bills through advertisements. </p>
<p>The operator of <a href="https://www.torlock.com/">Torlock</a>, for example, confirms that those who are in the business to make a profit are having a hard time.</p>
<p>&#8220;All in all it’s a tough time for torrent sites but those that do it for the money will have a far more difficult time in the current climate than those who do this as a hobby and as a passion. We do it for the love of it so it doesn’t really affect us as much,&#8221; Torlock&#8217;s operator says.</p>
<p>Still, there is plenty of interest from advertisers, some of whom are trying their best to circumvent ad-blockers. </p>
<p>&#8220;Every day we receive emails from willing advertisers wanting to work with us so the market is definitely still there and most of them have the technology in place to circumvent adblockers, including Chrome’s default one,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p>Google&#8217;s decision to ship Chrome with a default ad-blocker appears to be self-serving in part. If users see less annoying ads, they are less likely to install a third-party ad-blocker which blocks more of Google&#8217;s own advertisements. </p>
<p>Inadvertently, however, they may have also announced their most effective anti-piracy strategy to date. </p>
<p>If pirate sites are unable to generate enough revenue through advertisements, there are few options left. In theory, they could start charging visitors money, but most pirates go to these sites to avoid paying. </p>
<p>Asking for voluntary donations is an option, but that&#8217;s unlikely to cover the all the costs. </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=141447
title: State Dept, MPAA, RIAA “Fake Twitter Feud” Plan Backfires
uri: State-Dept-MPAA-RIAA-Fake-Twitter-Feud-Plan-Backfires
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ia0A2c84ymw/
content:
<p><a href="media/65c07f77.ben.jpg" data-original-source="http://feed.torrentfreak.com/images/ben.jpg"><img src="media/62d33aa6.ben.jpg" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/ben.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="239" class="alignright size-full wp-image-141463"></a>By the first quarter of 2017, Twitter had 328 million users. It&#8217;s the perfect platform to give anyone a voice online and when like-minded people act together to make something &#8220;trend&#8221;, stories and ideas can go viral.</p>
<p>When this happens organically, through sharing based on a genuine appreciation of topics and ideas, it can be an awe-inspiring thing to behold. However, the mechanism doesn&#8217;t have to be spontaneous to reach a large audience, if it&#8217;s organized properly.</p>
<p>That was the plan of the US State Department when it sent an email to Stanford Law School. With the Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement involved, the State Department’s Bureau of Economic Affairs asked the law school to participate in a &#8220;fake Twitter feud&#8221; to promote Intellectual Property protection. </p>
<p>Leaked by a Stanford law professor to Mike Masnick at <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170705/10241437723/state-dept-enlists-hollywood-friends-to-start-fake-twitter-fight-over-intellectual-property.shtml">Techdirt</a>, the email outlines the aims of the looming online war.</p>
<p>&#8220;This summer, we want to activate an audience of young professionals &#8211; the kind of folks who are interested in foreign policy, but who aren’t aware that intellectual property protection touches every part of their lives. I think the law school students at your institution may be the type of community that we would like to engage,&#8221; the email reads. </p>
<p>&#8220;The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs wants to start a fake Twitter feud. For this feud, we would like to invite you and other similar academic institutions to participate and throw in your own ideas!&#8221; the email reads.</p>
<p>The plan clearly has some momentum. According to the email, big names in IP protection are already on board, including the US Patent and Trademark Office, the powerful Copyright Alliance, not to mention the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America.</p>
<p>The above groups can call on thousands of individuals to get involved so participation could be significant. Helpfully, the email also suggests how the &#8216;conflict&#8217; should play out, suggesting various topics and important figures to fire up the debate.</p>
<p>&#8220;The week after the 4th of July, when everyone gets back from vacation but will still feel patriotic and summery, we want to tweet an audacious statement like, &#8216;Bet you couldn’t see the Independence Day fireworks without bifocals; first American diplomat Ben Franklin invented them #bestIPmoment @StateDept&#8217;,&#8221; the email reads.</p>
<p>As one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin is indeed one of the most important figures in US history. And, as the inventor of not only bifocals, the lighting rod, and myriad other useful devices, his contribution to science and society is unquestionable.</p>
<p>Attaching him to this campaign, however, is a huge faux pas.</p>
<p>Despite inventing swim fins, the Franklin stove, the flexible catheter, a 24-hour three-wheel clock, a long-arm device to reach books from a high shelf, and becoming the first person to use the words &#8220;positive&#8221; and &#8220;negative&#8221; to describe electricity,<br>
Franklin refused to patent any of his inventions.</p>
<p>&#8220;As we benefit from the inventions of others, we should be glad to share our own&#8230;freely and gladly,&#8221; he wrote in his autobiography.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s abundantly clear that using Franklin as the seed for an IP protection campaign is problematic, to say the least. His inventions have enriched the lives of millions due to his kindness and desire to share.</p>
<p>Who knows what might have happened if patents for bifocals and lightning rods had been aggressively enforced. Certainly, the groups already committed to this campaign wouldn&#8217;t have given up such valuable Intellectual Property so easily.</p>
<p>To be fair to the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, the decision to use the term &#8220;fake Twitter feud&#8221; seems more misguided than malicious and it seems unlikely that any conflict could have broken out when all participants are saying the same thing.</p>
<p>That being said, with the Copyright Alliance, MPAA and RIAA on board, the complexion changes somewhat. All three have an extremely tough stance on IP enforcement so will have a key interest in influencing how the &#8220;feud&#8221; develops and who gets sucked in.</p>
<p>The big question now, however, is if this campaign will now go ahead as laid out in the email. The suggested hashtags (#MostAmericanIP and #BestIPMoment) have little traction so far and now everyone will know that far from being a spontaneous event, the whole thing will have been coordinated. That probably isn&#8217;t the best look.</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=141453
title: Google Removed 2.5 Billion ‘Pirate’ Search Results
uri: Google-Removed-2-5-Billion-Pirate-Search-Results
url: http://feed.torrentfreak.com/~r/Torrentfreak/~3/ZFkBzu_8WfY/
content:
<p><img src="media/367885e7.googlelogo.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/googlelogo.png" alt="" width="250" height="83" class="alignright size-full wp-image-135049">Google is coping with a continuous increase in takedown requests from copyright holders, which target pirate sites in search results.</p>
<p>Just a few years ago the search engine removed &#8216;only&#8217; a few thousand URLs per day, but this has since grown to millions. When added up, the numbers are truly staggering.</p>
<p>In its transparency report, Google now states that it has removed 2.5 billion reported links for alleged copyright infringement. This is roughly 90 percent of all requests the company received.</p>
<p>The chart below breaks down the takedown requests into several categories. In addition to the URLs that were removed, the search engine also received 154 million duplicate URLs and 25 million invalid URLs. </p>
<p>Another 80 million links remain in search results because they can&#8217;t be classified as copyright infringing, according to Google.</p>
<p><center><strong>Google&#8217;s takedown overview</strong><br></br></center><center><img src="media/67568daf.25billionurls.png" data-original-source="http://torrentfreak.com/images/25billionurls.png" alt="" width="600" height="321" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-141467"></center></p>
<p>The 2.5 billion removed links are spread out over 1.1 million websites. File-storage service 4shared takes the crown with 64 million targeted URLs, followed at a distance by mp3toys.xyz, rapidgator.net, uploaded.net, and chomikuj.pl.</p>
<p>While rightsholders have increased their takedown efforts over the years, the major entertainment industry groups are still not happy with the current state of Google’s takedown process.</p>
<p>One of the main complaints has been that content which Google de-lists often reappears under new URLs.</p>
<p>“They need to take more proactive responsibility to reduce infringing content that appears on their platform, and, where we expressly notify infringing content to them, to ensure that they do not only take it down, but also keep it down,” a BPI spokesperson told us <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bpi-breaks-record-after-sending-310-million-google-takedowns-170619/">last month</a>.</p>
<p>Ideally, rightsholders would like Google to ensure that content “stays down” while blocking the most notorious pirate sites from search results entirely. Known &#8216;pirate&#8217; sites such as The Pirate Bay have no place in search results, they argue.</p>
<p>Google, however, believes such broad measures will lead to all sorts of problems, including over-blocking, and maintains that the current system is working as the DMCA was intended.</p>
<p>The search engine did implement various other initiatives to counter piracy, including the downranking of pirate sites and promoting legal options in search results, which it details in its regularly updated “<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-punishing-pirate-sites-in-search-results-works-160713/">How Google Fights Piracy</a>” report.</p>
<p>In addition, Google and various rightsholders have signed a <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/google-anti-piracy-agreement-will-target-domain-hopping-share-search-data-170307/">voluntary agreement</a> to address “domain hopping” by pirate sites and share data to better understand how users are searching for content. For now, however, this effort is limited to the UK.</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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