Bungie’s Vow to Relentlessly Pursue ‘Anonymous’ Cheaters Was No Bluff
When attempting to tackle large-scale infringers of any kind, there’s no single approach that can stop the most determined. Introducing new technical measures may have some effect, while a strategic lawsuit alongside measured, public messaging are usually more effective when combined rather than delivered in isolation. Yet there are other considerations too; warnings that are heard too often lose their impact, threats that in time...
Liverpool Man Sentenced for Selling ‘Pirate’ Firesticks on Facebook
In recent years, legal video and sports streaming services have flourished around the world. At the same time, millions of people are streaming from unauthorized sources, often through perfectly legal streaming devices including Amazon’s Firesticks. Most people know that the subscription services that typically arrive pre-installed on the devices are unauthorized. However, with such significant discounts available, millions can’t...
Nintendo Hits 127 Switch Piracy Tutorial Repos After ‘Cracking’ URL Encryption
Driven by views, likes, and in some cases, a reasonable level of fame, around 2016 emboldened YouTubers threw caution to the wind with their ‘content acquisition’ tutorials. Where there had once been a nod-and-a-wink, many ventured into the full-blown piracy tutorial arena. For good measure, they also marketed them as such. While some claimed protection based on freedom of speech, many underestimated the implications of exercising...
Fmovies and Other Piracy Streaming Giants Switch to New Domains
With more than a quarter billion site visits between February and April, pirate streaming site Fmovies is seen as a major threat by Hollywood. The pirate site rivals legal streaming platforms such as Disney+ in web traffic and has become the poster child for rejuvenated site blocking proposals in the U.S. Congress. Fmovies is no newcomer to the pirate streaming market. The site has been around for quite some time and ACE and the MPA...
DAZN Wins Court Order to Block Around 90 Pirate Sports Streaming Sites
While rightsholders in Belgium have been slightly less vocal in support of site-blocking measures than others around Europe, they now appear to be making up for lost time. With rightsholders eager to block large swathes of pirate sites and local ISPs on record saying they want exactly the same thing, an application for a blocking injunction filed by DAZN’s Eleven Sports Network in March showed partners working together. Eleven Sports...
€5.3m Pirate IPTV Network ‘Dismantled’ By Spanish Police is Still Streaming
A press release issued by Spain’s Ministry of the Interior on Friday initially sounds straightforward. Based on a complaint filed by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, in November 2022 an investigation was launched to identify those responsible for two websites that marketed a service that allegedly violated the rights of ACE members. “The complex computer and banking investigation carried out, together with several police...
