‘Google Blocked TorrentFreak From Appearing in Search Feature’
At TorrentFreak, we have written hundreds of articles about website blocking and censorship. Today, we’re featured in one ourselves. Leaked Google documents reveal that TorrentFreak.com shows up in one of Google’s previously unknown blocklists, which actively hides our domain from the Google Now service. Google Now was a Google search feature that presented users with informational cards, to provide users with more details...
‘Get it Right’ Hopes High-Profile Social Influencers Can Deter Piracy
Last month, TorrentFreak reported that the Creative Content UK (CCUK) “Get it Right” anti-piracy campaign had ended the practice of sending infringement notices to ‘pirating’ Internet users in the UK. “The educational emails sent by ISPs upon detection of infringing file-sharing activity have served their purpose and are ceasing, with the focus instead increasing the broader engagement with fans based...
Ads on Pirate Sites Can Hurt Sales, Survey Finds
In recent years, various copyright holder groups embraced a “follow-the-money” approach in the hope of cutting off funding to so-called pirate sites. Major copyright holder groups such as the RIAA and MPAA see this as an effective strategy. Their ultimate goal is to drain these infringing sites of their revenue. Several voluntary initiatives have been set up to facilitate this process. This includes the Trustworthy...
Music Companies Accuse Cox of Gamesmanship, Ask Court for Sanctions
Regular Internet providers are being put under increasing pressure for not doing enough to curb copyright infringement. Music rights company BMG got the ball rolling a few years ago when it won its piracy liability lawsuit against Cox Communications. Following this defeat, several major record labels including Capitol Records, Warner Bros, and Sony Music followed suit by filing a similar lawsuit in a Virginia District Court. With...
TV Distributors Abandon IPTV Blocking Application Down Under
Changes to the law now make it relatively straightforward to have blatant ‘pirate’ sites blocked by ISPs in Australia. Entertainment industry groups have targeted dozens of sites using the streamlined system, including many of the top torrent and streaming platforms. For reasons that remain unclear, however, one application for a blocking order now appears to have hit the stops. Back in February, an application for...
Warner Bros. Obtains Several Blocking Orders Targeting Major Pirate Sites
India is no stranger to blocking pirate sites. Just last week, a court ordered local Internet service providers to block more than 1,200 sites to prevent the spread of a single movie. Now, however, it appears that there additional legal moves underway to ensure that sites are not only blocked temporarily but also on a more permanent basis. Over the past several weeks the High Court in Delhi has been handling many separate applications...
