YouTube Processed 2.2 Billion Content ID Copyright Claims in 2024
To protect copyright holders, YouTube regularly removes, disables, or demonetizes videos that contain allegedly infringing content. For years, little was known about the scope of these copyright claims. That changed three years ago when the streaming platform published its first-ever transparency report. The report showed that roughly 99% of all copyright claims on YouTube are handled through the Content ID system. Since many claims...
Live Sports Piracy: France ‘Contained’ Illegal IPTV & Illicit Streaming in 2024
Around 15 years ago, the French government launched an expansive monitoring and enforcement system to fight online piracy. With fines and internet terminations for recidivists, the so-called Hadopi system was arguably ahead of its time. Users of the peer-to-peer BitTorrent-like networks that Hadopi had been designed to prowl, almost universally hated it. Yet, for the many pirates that had already migrated to file-hosting, indexing,...
Piracy Operation COLLECTiVE Dismantled, Uploader ‘Will1869’ Arrested by UK Police
Torrent site uploaders come in various shapes and sizes. Only a few become so popular that their ‘brand’ is widely recognized by online pirates. COLLECTiVE falls into the latter category. The uploader operating under this tag, Will1869, shared many high-profile titles, mostly films. He purportedly operated as a one-man team. These releases appeared on major torrent sites including 1337x and the recently defunct TorrentGalaxy....
U.S. ISPs Want Retrospective Immunity in Pirate Site Blocking Bill
After a decade of focusing on efforts overseas, the push for website blocking has landed back on American shores. Domestic site blocking initiatives were shelved for over a decade in the U.S. following the SOPA backlash, but that hesitation appears to have evaporated. With Representative Zoe Lofgren’s introduction of the Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act (FADPA) in February, the controversial mechanism of court-ordered blocking against...
Constitutional Court Urged to End Piracy Blockades Now Hurting Millions
Rampant piracy of live sporting events has been a hot topic in Europe for several years. Anti-piracy measures against relatively static targets have their place but preventing access to pirated live streams is much more difficult. After calling for assistance from the European Commission, many rightsholders are hoping for new legislation to hold intermediaries more accountable. Until then, most sport-linked rightsholders continue to...
Copyright Claims Board is “Ineffective and Costly,” Watchdog Groups Say
The US Copyright Claims Board launched in 2022. Through this Copyright Office-hosted venue, rightsholders can claim damages outside the federal court system. The board, instituted through the CASE Act, aims to make it cheaper for creators to resolve disputes. There’s no attorney required and the filing fee is limited to $100 per claim. The potential damages are capped at $30,000 and those who prefer traditional lawsuits can choose to...
