‘Fear of Looking Cheap’ Can Deter Sports Piracy, But Piracy Stats Can Backfire
Over the years, we’ve witnessed dozens of anti-piracy campaigns. Despite these efforts, reported piracy rates appear to increase, seemingly undeterred. Research has indicated that piracy is a complex phenomenon that’s not always easy to grasp. However, understanding the motivations of pirates can be key to changing their behavior, new research suggests. Piracy Study: Social Risks & Norms An academic study recently published in...
Suno & Udio Sound Fair Use Alarm in Yout vs. RIAA YouTube-Ripper Appeal
In October 2020, the RIAA filed a DMCA takedown notice at GitHub targeting ubiquitous YouTube ripping tool, youtube-dl. “The clear purpose of this source code is to (i) circumvent the technological protection measures used by authorized streaming services such as YouTube, and (ii) reproduce and distribute music videos and sound recordings owned by our member companies without authorization for such use,” the notice declared....
German Pirate Site Blockades Target Anna’s Archive, FitGirl and RPG Only
In 2021, German Internet providers agreed to voluntarily block structurally infringing pirate sites. The ISPs teamed up with rightsholder groups and launched the “Clearing Body for Copyright on the Internet” (CUII), which became responsible for handing down blocking ‘decisions’. In June, signatories to the blocking agreement amended their code of conduct, which fundamentally changed how CUII operates. Going forward, all blocking...
Pinterest Accused of Sending ‘False’ DMCA Claims to Delist Downloader From Google
Pintere.com is a straightforward tool that enables users to download images, videos, and boards from Pinterest. The service also works with other platforms, including Facebook, Imgur, and Instagram, but its name suggests that Pinterest is of prime interest. The site is a project from developer Johnathan Nader, a name that regular readers may recognize. Nader is also the owner of stream-ripper Yout.com, which is actively engaged in a...
DAZN Letters to IPTV Pirates Demand €500, Compliance in 7 Days – Or Else
Everyone accepts that pirate suppliers are responsible for redistributing and profiting from content they don’t own and for that there could be a heavy price to pay. Yet when punishments for ordinary people enter the equation, that’s a completely different ball game. Targeting suppliers of pirated content has a straightforward end game; make them stop, make them pay, and when the situation demands it, use the best cases as a public...
Mass Pirate Site Domain Suspensions Aim to Slay the Streaming Hydra
The Motion Picture Association’s (MPA) submission to the USTR’s 2025 review of notorious pirate markets identifies a “rapidly expanding” category of pirate sites. Calling out the likes of Vidsrc, HydraHD, and Cineby, the MPA spoke of “one-stop piracy sites offering content somewhat comparable to IPTV services, but without the need for subscriptions or dedicated devices.” The MPA’s use of the term ‘hydra’ appears to acknowledge that...
