EU Report Distills AI-Training Lessons from Napster Piracy Era: Don’t Sue, License
When Napster found its way to millions of desktop computers 25 years ago, the music industry was terrified by this apparent existential threat. Determined to make the problem disappear, the legal response was swift. Within a year, the RIAA sued Napster, and artists such as Metallica and Dr. Dre soon followed. This strategy seemed to work, as the RIAA lawsuit effectively shut down Napster two years after it launched. However, the genie...
Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 12/08/2025
The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. Downloading content without permission is copyright infringement. These torrent download statistics are only meant to provide further insight into piracy trends. All data are gathered from public resources. This week we have two newcomers on the list. “Predator: Badlands” is the most shared title. The most...
Bypass Amazon Fire TV Stick Piracy Ban and See What Happens Next
Generally speaking, pirates tend to dislike restrictions, because more often than not, restrictions mean either less piracy or less convenient piracy. News from Amazon last month indicated that apps linked to piracy would start to face new restrictions when sideloaded to Fire TV devices, although exactly how that would manifest itself was still unknown. The ‘announcement’ was ‘quietly’ delivered via the media and spread quickly. That...
Lithuanian Watchdog Fines Torrent Tracker Users for Pirating Local Blockbuster
In 2023, Lithuania amended its Code of Administrative Offenses, allowing media watchdog LRTK to fine pirates, without going to court. This legislative change was specifically designed to deter piracy in the European country. With potential fines on the line, pirates would reconsider their habits, the idea was. Tracking Torrent Tracker Pirates Over the past two years, dozens of fines were handed out. The targets were mostly first-time...
Court Empowers Hollywood in Race to Block “Wicked: For Good” Piracy
While Australia’s site-blocking mechanism has made few enemies since 2018, it hasn’t been known for being fast. As discussed earlier this year, accuracy has traditionally been favored over speed, which is contrary to less cautious approaches taken in other countries. After an unprecedented request and cooperation from the Federal Court, Australia will now step up several gears and show whether it can achieve both. Not Just Another...
Belgium’s Latest Pirate Site-Blocking Order Spares DNS Providers
Over the past few months, Belgium has issued several site-blocking orders targeting hundreds of piracy-linked domain names. These blockades follow a newly instated two-step process. A local court first issues a blocking order, after which a special government body determines how it will be implemented. This process aims to prevent errors and overblocking. Pirate DNS Blocking While site blocking is common in Europe, these new Belgian...
