UN Database WIPO ALERT Helps to Facilitate Globalized Pirate Site Blocking
In Brazil, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security were scheduled to meet with National Telecommunications Agency Anatel this week to discuss a persistent piracy problem. Known as Gatonet, these unlicensed and illegal TV networks seem to rely on their connections with organized crime. Last week, the authorities said they’d shut down one such operation linked to a powerful drug trafficker known locally as Peixão. Sabotage of...
Anthropic Scores Preliminary Victory in AI-Copyright Clash Against Music Companies (Updated)
Over the past few years, AI technology has progressed at a rapid pace. This includes large language models, which are typically trained on a broad datasets of texts; the more, the better. When AI hit the mainstream, it became apparent that rightsholders were not always pleased that their works had been used to train AI. This applies to photographers, artists, music companies, journalists, and authors, some of whom formed groups to...
Meta’s BitTorrent Uploads of ‘Pirate Library’ Data Equaled 30% of Downloads, Expert Says
Over the past two years, rightsholders of all kinds have filed lawsuits against companies that develop AI models. Most of these cases allege that AI developers used copyrighted works to train LLMs without first obtaining authorization. Meta is among a long list of companies now being sued for this allegedly-infringing activity, including a class action lawsuit filed by authors Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Christopher Golden....
Premier League, Sky & ACE Celebrate Elusive Globe IPTV Prison Sentence
The Premier League, UK broadcaster Sky, plus global anti-piracy coalition Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, are reporting the conclusion of a ‘landmark’ pirate IPTV case in the Middle East. According to their statement, a joint criminal complaint in Lebanon led to an unnamed defendant being found guilty of five criminal charges, including unspecified intellectual property and cybercrime-related offenses. The precise origin,...
Torrent Site Uploader and Member of ‘The Scene’ Sentenced to Prison in Denmark
In Denmark, law enforcement authorities and rightsholders have worked hard to shut down the thriving local torrent tracker scene over the past five years. These efforts targeted private torrent trackers including DanishBits, NordicBits, Superbits, Asgaard and ShareUniversity. More than two dozen uploaders and admins connected to these sites were convicted as a result. Torrent Tracker Uploader Sent to Prison Thus far, several cases...
France Mulls Instant IPTV Blocks, €750K Fines & New Piracy Crime of ‘Incitement’
Regardless of club, region or country, football fans across Europe have been warned for years about the potential for financial crisis. With rising prices for those who love the stadium experience, and a similar picture for those burdened with rising costs while juggling multiple subscriptions at home, awareness among fans is already typically high. Commentary from those within French top tier football indicates a sport in crisis....