Archive for the ‘Illegal File Sharing’ Category
Internet service providers in the UK have today begun blocking one of the world’s largest streaming movie portals
Posted: 2013/05/20 in Blocking, Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Filtering, Illegal File Sharing, Jurisprudence, Litigation, New Business Models, Stats / reports, Tech EvolutionIn a follow up to similar actions, the MPAA obtained a High Court order which compels all major ISPs to begin blocking Movie2K, a massive site with millions of visitors each month.
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TorrentFreak can confirm that in the last week of April several of the UK’s leading ISPs including BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk, and almost certainly O2, EE and Sky, received a copy of a High Court order compelling them to block the sites.
BT have already begun blocking the site in the UK and Virgin Media inform us that they too will initiate a blockade today.
“Virgin Media has received an order from the Courts requiring it to prevent access to Download4All and Movie2K in order to help protect against copyright infringement,” a spokesperson told TorrentFreak.
“As a responsible ISP, Virgin Media complies with court orders addressed to the company, but strongly believes that changing consumer behaviour to tackle copyright infringement also needs compelling legal alternatives to give consumers access to great content at the right price.”
More:
http://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-block-huge-movie-site-movie2k-proxy-immediately-unblocks-130520/
Viacom, Paramount, Fox and Lionsgate have all asked Google to take down links pointing to the Pirate Bay documentary TPB-AFK
Posted: 2013/05/20 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Stats / reportsOver the past weeks several movie studios have been trying to suppress the availability of TPB-AFK by asking Google to remove links to the documentary from its search engine. The links are carefully hidden in standard DMCA takedown notices for popular movies and TV-shows.
The silent attacks come from multiple Hollywood sources including Viacom, Paramount, Fox and Lionsgate and are being sent out by multiple anti-piracy outfits.
Fox, with help from six-strikes monitoring company Dtecnet, asked Google to remove a link to TPB-AFK on Mechodownload. Paramount did the same with a link on the Warez.ag forums.
Viacom sent at least two takedown requests targeting links to the Pirate Bay documentary on Mrworldpremiere and Rapidmoviez. Finally, Lionsgate jumped in by asking Google to remove a copy of TPB-AFK from a popular Pirate Bay proxy.
More:
http://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-studios-take-down-pirate-bay-documentary-130519/
Audio watermark blocks playback of pirated movies and sends viewers to digital retailers to access titles legally
Posted: 2013/05/18 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, New Business Models, Stats / reports, Tech Evolutionhttp://variety.com/2013/biz/news/new-ant-piracy-software-uses-power-of-suggestion-1200481389/
and
Anti-Piracy Technology Links Consumers With Legitimate Services
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/anti-piracy-technology-links-consumers-523387
Mass Layoffs At Rapidshare. Signs Of Demise, Or Just Cashing The Chips?
Posted: 2013/05/18 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Litigation, New Business Models, Stats / reports, Tech EvolutionRapidshare, once one of the world’s premier file hosting and sharing websites has just laid off 45 of the company’s 60 employees according to the Swiss news portal 20min. The company, once the epitome of file hosting on the Web is facing hard times after it changed its business model dramatically in the past year.
More:
http://www.ghacks.net/2013/05/17/mass-layoffs-are-signs-of-rapidshares-demise/
“Unfortunately, we have to part with a number of employees,” Sidler told the paper, adding: “But RapidShare will continue to operate, and we have concrete plans for our future.”
That future likely won’t look at all like RapidShare’s past: The company used to run the world’s most popular one-click file hoster, and was frequented by millions of file sharers looking for safer alternatives when music labels and others started to go after P2P users. However, Rapidshare quickly found itself in court, and fought long legal battles with rights holders in Germany and elsewhere.
More:
http://gigaom.com/2013/05/17/rapidshare-mass-layoffs/
Previously:
Rapidshare Boss And Internet Millionaire Christian Alexander Schmid Buys Himself A New Lair, Possibly With Use Of Middle Man
http://vrritti.com/2013/05/02/rapidshare-boss-and-internet-millionaire-christian-alexander-schmid-buys-himself-a-new-lair-possibly-with-use-of-middle-man/
Dutch Judge: ING Bank Cannot Be Forced To Hand Over Personal Details Of Pirate Site Operator To BREIN
Posted: 2013/05/17 in Copyright, Cybercrime, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Privacy / Data Protection, Public Policy, Stats / reportsDutch anti-piracy organization BREIN wanted to learn who is operating pirate platform FTD World. The organization tried to have a judge force ING Bank to hand over personal details related to an FTD bank account.
The Netherlands is widely regarded as a safe haven for the likes of pirates, hackers and other (cyber)criminals due to:
- the availability of cheap and high quality hosting facilities without a need for (proper) identification of customers;
- anonymous payment services;
- lack of government intervention or pro-active measures;
- non-deterrent legal sanctions;
- low or non-existing fines.
Dutch language news article:
http://www.nu.nl/tech/3476631/ing-hoeft-persoonsgegevens-ftd-niet-brein-geven.html
See also:
http://vrritti.com/?s=ftd+brein
and
BREIN Threat Of Criminal Prosecution Meaningless Because Dutch Government Issued Guideline Never To Criminally Prosecute Online Piracy
http://vrritti.com/2012/06/28/brein-threat-of-criminal-prosecution-meaningless-because-dutch-government-issued-guideline-never-to-criminally-prosecute-online-piracy/
Pirate Bay Domain Registrar(s) Assist(s) Copyright Infringement. Perhaps Not Only In Sweden?
Posted: 2013/05/16 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Jurisprudence, Litigation, Stats / reportsThe organization responsible for Sweden’s top-level domain is facing court action after refusing to disable or seize two domains operated by The Pirate Bay. The Internet Infrastructure Foundation, the body that administers the .SE TLD and engages in projects to better the Internet, now faces a court showdown. The prosecution office is claiming that the foundation is guilty of assisting those who assist others to engage in copyright infringement.
Kim Dotcom Granted Supreme Court Appeal Over U.S. Evidence
Posted: 2013/05/16 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Litigation, Public Policy, Stats / reportsMegaupload founder Kim Dotcom and his alleged co-conspirators have been thrown a lifeline in their ongoing extradition battle in New Zealand. Previously it was decided that Dotcom could not examine the mountains of evidence being withheld by U.S. authorities, but the Supreme Court has now granted an appeal, so the matter can be settled at the country’s highest court.
“I am looking forward to the NZ Supreme Court review in our case and getting the discovery needed for a fair extradition hearing,” Dotcom commented on the news.
If the Supreme Court sides with Kim Dotcom and his associates, the evidence disclosed would be hugely helpful in ongoing legal battles on multiple continents. This includes the pending extradition battle in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Megaupload’s lawyers haven’t been sitting still. In the United States they have a request pending to dismiss the case against the company, and last week two of their top lawyers released a white paper accusing the Obama administration of taking instructions from Hollywood.
Over in Europe, Germany was also added to the mix, with Megaupload lawyer Robert Amsterdam asking the Government there to intervene. Amsterdam argues that the human rights of Dotcom, a German citizen, have been violated by the U.S., and he wants the authorities to raise this issue in Washington.
More:
http://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-supreme-court-appeal-over-u-s-evidence-130516/
Nintendo claims ad revenue on user-created YouTube videos that feature its games
Posted: 2013/05/16 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Google, Illegal File Sharing, New Business Models, Online advertising, Stats / reports, Tech EvolutionNintendo has started claiming ad revenue on user-created Youtube videos featuring its games, according to reports from Youtube users.
Nintendo does not want to block videos containing content that it owns from appearing on Youtube (as many film and music publishers have), but it wants to place ads at the beginning and the end of videos featuring Nintendo games, such as Let’s Plays, with that revenue going to Nintendo as opposed to the creator of the video.
Prolific Youtube channel owner Zack Scott has posted on Facebook about the demands. “I think filing claims against LPers is backwards,” he writes. “Video games aren’t like movies or TV. Each play-through is a unique audiovisual experience. When I see a film that someone else is also watching, I don’t need to see it again. When I see a game that someone else is playing, I want to play that game for myself! Sure, there may be some people who watch games rather than play them, but are those people even gamers?”
Nintendo has issued the following statement to GameFront on the matter: “As part of our on-going push to ensure Nintendo content is shared across social media channels in an appropriate and safe way, we became a Youtube partner and as such in February 2013 we registered our copyright content in the Youtube database. For most fan videos this will not result in any changes, however, for those videos featuring Nintendo-owned content, such as images or audio of a certain length, adverts will now appear at the beginning, next to or at the end of the clips. We continually want our fans to enjoy sharing Nintendo content on Youtube, and that is why, unlike other entertainment companies, we have chosen not to block people using our intellectual property.”
More:
http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/05/16/nintendo-enforces-copyright-on-youtube-lets-plays
Previously:
YouTube has a special deal with Universal which sees content taken down at the record label’s request and DMCA counter notices blocked with no chance of appeal
http://vrritti.com/2013/04/05/youtube-has-a-special-deal-with-universal-which-sees-content-taken-down-at-the-record-labels-request-and-dmca-counter-notices-blocked-with-no-chance-of-appeal/
UK Student Admits Breaching Sony Copyrights With Leak of PS3 SDK
Posted: 2013/05/15 in Jurisprudence, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Education / Awareness, Stats / reports, Enforcement, Litigation, CopyrightLast year an Internet user known as El Nomeo leaked version 3.70 of Sony’s Playstation3 SDK online. Yesterday the man appeared in a UK court and pleaded guilty to charges of copyright infringement. He’ll be sentenced next month.
More:
http://torrentfreak.com/uk-student-admits-breaching-sony-copyrights-with-leak-of-ps3-sdk-130515/
Records Labels Prepare Massive ‘Pirate Site’ Domain Blocking Blitz
Posted: 2013/05/15 in Blocking, Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Stats / reportsIn their ongoing battle against websites said to infringe music copyrights, record labels have initiated a fresh wave of actions aimed at forcing UK ISPs to carry out domain blocking. This third wave is set to be the biggest so far, affecting as many as 25 domains and including some of the world’s largest torrent sites and file-hosting search engines. Furthermore, the BPI – the entity coordinating the action – will ask courts to block US-based music streaming operation, Grooveshark.
More:
http://torrentfreak.com/records-labels-prepare-massive-pirate-site-domain-blocking-blitz-130515/
French report lists 75 proposals to help the country’s film, music, TV and publishing industry adapt to the digital revolution
Posted: 2013/05/13 in File Sharing, New Business Models, Illegal File Sharing, Legislation, Education / Awareness, Tech Evolution, Stats / reports, Public Policy, Enforcement, Litigation, CopyrightA report due to be presented to the French president and culture minister on 13 May calls for the dissolution of the Hadopi anti-piracy authority and for its functions to be taken over by audiovisual regulator CSA, Journal du Dimanche reports. The report on “Act 2 of the cultural exception” includes 75 proposals to help the country’s film, music, TV and publishing industry adapt to the digital revolution. Its author, former Canal Plus chairman Pierre Lescure, proposes replacing the suspension of internet service with fines for persistent illegal downloaders. Hadopi will disappear, but there will still be a system of regulation provided by the CSA, said a presidential advisor.
Other proposals include relaxing the chronology for films to be carried on TV and online video. The VoD window would be brought forward to three, rather than four months, after cinema release. The report also suggests reviewing the so-called “Cope tax” on ISPs and the private copy tax on recording supports. It does not address the Colin and Collin report that proposed taxing US internet giants, which is currently being discussed by the National Digital Council.
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/govt-study-proposes-dissolving-hadopi-report–942930
The first hints of what can be expected from the report on cultural content in the digital era by Pierre Lescure, which will be handed to President François Hollande today at 12pm, have been leaked.
Among the 75 expected proposals, the report plans to tax connected devices such as smartphones and tablets as well as getting rid of Hadopi.
Hadopi, the authority, set up by Nicolas Sarkozy to fight illegal downloads, will be abolished and its remit transferred to TV regulator CSA which would become the new regulator for digital cultural offerings.
The tax on connected devices will include connected TV sets and aims to compensate the content value transfer from consumers who are increasingly accustomed to getting free content to manufacturers and high-priced devices.
The report, compiled by the former Canal+ Group CEO, also aims to enable consumers to access movies 18 months after their theatrical release, instead of the current 36 months, through VOD.
MegaUpload’s Kim Dotcom orders deletion of 3D gun design. No court order or notice needed
Posted: 2013/05/12 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Public Policy, Stats / reportsTaken down because Dotcom thinks the designs are ‘scary’, not because of a government request, takedown notice or court order…
Internet mogul Kim Dotcom says designs for a 3D-printed gun are “scary” and he has deleted public links to its blueprints from his new file-sharing website.
The US government is investigating whether the gun design, created by US-based Defense Distributed, breached arms-control laws relating to shipping weapons overseas by making the plans publicly available online.
The Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance demanded Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson remove public access to the designs until he had proven he had not broken the law, the BBC reports.
The plans were available on Dotcom’s Mega website, but the New Zealand-based entrepreneur asked his staff to delete the public files.
Dotcom said he was not contacted by the US government, but became aware of its plans to shut down public links to the designs.
“I think it’s a serious threat to security of the community. I think it’s scary that people can print 3D guns that can’t even be detected by metal detectors … This should concern everybody,” he told Radio New Zealand.
The files still remained in private cloud storage on the website, Dotcom said.
More than 100,000 people have already downloaded the blueprints, which are also available via the Pirate Bay file-sharing website.
More:
http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8657162/dotcom-orders-deletion-of-3d-gun-design
If this is an issue that is really costing the film industry a billion dollars a year in Australia, then why aren’t they screaming the house down?
Posted: 2013/05/12 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Legislation, New Business Models, Public Policy, Stats / reports, Tech EvolutionA PROPOSED trial to help Hollywood movie studios catch online copyright infringers has flat-lined after six months of inaction, and industry experts now hold little hope for its resuscitation.
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AFACT boss Neil Gane denied the trial scheme had been abandoned despite the six-month hiatus. “The Attorney-General’s Department round-table discussions may have temporarily stalled but I am confident that a workable solution will be found,” Mr Gane said.
“It is in everyone’s interests, the content, technology and telecommunications’ industries, as well as audiences to work together to find smart and practical solutions to protecting creative content.”
A senior telecoms executive who asked to remain anonymous said the lack of action from both the Attorney-General’s Department and AFACT was “perplexing”. “If this is an issue that is really costing the film industry a billion dollars a year in Australia, then why aren’t they screaming the house down? Why aren’t they running around trying to get something going? But we’ve heard nothing from them,” the executive said.
A failure to reach an outcome on the spread of online copyright infringement could lead the government to intervene and write into copyright law an industry code on internet piracy.
FileServe Hit With $1,000,000 Movie Piracy Lawsuit
Posted: 2013/05/11 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Litigation, Stats / reports, Tech Evolution“FileServe is a website that sells access to large amounts of unauthorized intellectual property to the public, including California residents, without paying the rightful owners of that property,” the filmmakers write.
More:
http://torrentfreak.com/fileserve-sued-for-copyright-infringement-by-movie-company-130511/
MegaUpload’s Kim Dotcom: “The key to making money on the Internet is global instant availability of content at a fair price”
Posted: 2013/05/11 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Litigation, New Business Models, Public Policy, Stats / reports, Tech Evolution“You can’t release content exclusively in the US and 3-6 months later in other markets. That encourages piracy. The Internet is about NOW.”
“There are so many ways for content creators to monetize their product online. Isn’t it insane that a company like Google, that creates no content, is the most valuable Internet company in the world? If the content industry would get together and create a realtime global online marketplace for content they would create the most valuable Internet company.”
“I think Bitcoin is great and Mega is accepting Bitcoin through one of our resellers. Digital currencies are the future and together with other innovations they will replace the ways we deal with money today. So obviously there will be a fight around this because the big banks won’t want to give up their license to print money with bogus fees for every transfer you make.”
“Chris Dodd has weakened the MPAA and Hollywood substantially with this attack against me. Because in the coming years they will have to deal with the fallout of this attack. Its coming back like a boomerang and it will hit them on the head. The good old days of buying favors and writing the laws they want are over. This case is going to stop copyright extremism and provide better rights to users. New legislation will be much more balanced and focus on users rights. Mark my words :-)”
“I have said many times that I am against piracy. I think copyrights have a right to exist. People who create content should be rewarded. No question. But I am against copyright extremism. I am against a content business model that encourages piracy. Believe me there would be much less of it if everyone everywhere could just access content and pay a fair price for it. Megaupload has not caused the piracy problem just like your spoon doesn’t cause you to gain weight. Megaupload was a tool.”
“Just have a look at Youtube and the amount of infringements you can find there every day. A US court has just confirmed that Youtube is protected by same harbor laws even if they have general knowledge of infringements and even if they welcome it. Megaupload deserved the same protection. “
More:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10882223
EU Commissioner Kroes To Explain Hollywood How To Do Business In Europe. Spotify Should Be Guiding Hollywood’s Way
Posted: 2013/05/08 in Copyright, Cybercrime, Education / Awareness, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, New Business Models, Public Policy, Stats / reports, Tech Evolution- one digital market will benefit all;
- copyright law needs to be simplified;
- more online business models equals less piracy;
- her adviser Prince Constantijn: too many successful start-ups are being bought by non-European companies;
- start-ups will be offered more tax benefits and investing in start-ups will become more attractive;
- the battle against cybercrime has to be won through better cooperation;
- businesses need to notify authorities about security breaches;
Dutch language news article:
http://www.nu.nl/internet/3417424/kroes-wil-legaal-media-aanbod-stimuleren-piraterij.html
German court convicts, sentences BitTorrent site operator to nearly 4 years
Posted: 2013/05/08 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Jurisprudence, Litigation, Online advertising, Organized Crime, Public Policy, Stats / reportsA German district court in the western city of Aachen has handed down one of the harshest sentences for abetting copyright infringement: three years and 10 months in prison.
The 33-year-old alleged operator of the Russian-hosted torrent.to, who was named only as “Jens. R” in court documents, remains under investigation for fraudulent bankruptcy filings and embezzlement. Other than pleading not guilty, Jens R. did not offer a defense in the case and is expected to appeal.
Like similar sites, such as the Pirate Bay, the defendant was accused of selling ads against links to torrent files.
MegaUpload’s Kim Dotcom Wants To Meet Up With United States Attorney General Eric Holder
Posted: 2013/05/05 in Copyright, Cybercrime, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Litigation, Organized Crime, Public Policy, Stats / reportsHolder will be in New Zealand to join the Quintet meeting with his four counterpart Attorneys General from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
But Kim Dotcom — the notorious Auckland-based, German-born internet entrepreneur and founder of the massive global file-sharing websites Megaupload and Mega — is working hard to ensure that Holder’s fleeting visit is neither unnoticed nor routine. Kim Dotcom is offering $500 to anyone who can capture footage of Holder in Auckland and set it to music — specifically Dotcom’s own Megaupload song.
Dotcom has a gripe with Eric Holder. It is the United States Attorney General who is leading the effort to extradite Kim Dotcom to the United States to face copyright, racketeering, money-laundering and other charges, laid out in a 72-page indictmentfiled by the United States government last year.
More:
http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/dirty-tricks-dotcom/610/
See also:
http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/05/03/usa-courts-holder-megaupload-idINDEE94200920130503
Piracy….Perhaps those who are so quick to point the finger at Thailand would do well to look in their own backyards
Posted: 2013/05/05 in Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Illegal File Sharing, Organized Crime, Public Policy, Stats / reportsAnd remember that Thais are also victims of such criminal networks. Piracy hinders the development of the country’s creative economy and this affects far more people than the selfish minority who profit from counterfeiting and online theft.
More:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/348337/a-needless-blame-game
Greek Anti-Piracy Group Demands Blocks Of KickAss, isoHunt, 1337x, H33T And Possibly The Pirate Bay
Posted: 2013/05/02 in Blocking, Copyright, Education / Awareness, Enforcement, File Sharing, Filtering, Illegal File Sharing, Litigation, Stats / reportsIn a continuation of the website blocking phenomenon, an anti-piracy group fresh to the action has applied to have several major torrent sites blocked at the ISP level in Greece. AEPI, the Greek Society for the Protection of Intellectual Property, has filed at court to have KickAssTorrents, isoHunt, 1337x and H33T all rendered inaccessible to subscribers. Sources inform TorrentFreak that The Pirate Bay will also be targeted later this month.
More:
http://torrentfreak.com/anti-piracy-group-demands-blocks-of-kickass-isohunt-1337x-and-h33t-130502/
