New Investigation Unravels “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car” Anti-Piracy PSA
In 2004, the online piracy epidemic was becoming more serious for the movie industry, largely due to the spectacular growth of bandwidth-efficient torrent sites. This concern was recognized by the Motion Picture Association (MPA[A]) and its renowned CEO, Jack Valenti, who had been in charge of the Hollywood group since 1966. “If we don’t react promptly to an ascending curve of illegal uploading and downloading soon to be reinforced...
Tit-For-Tat: Porn Producers Counter Meta’s “Personal Use” Piracy Defense
In July, adult content producers Strike 3 Holdings and Counterlife Media filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Meta. The complaint accused the tech company of using adult films to assist its AI model training. Similar claims have been made by other rightsholders, including many book authors. This latest case specifically focuses on Meta’s BitTorrent activity. That’s no surprise, as plaintiff Strike 3 is the most active...
DISH Wins $42M Default Judgment Against “DMCA-Ignored” Host Virtual Systems
When a US-based web host receives a credible DMCA takedown notice, it’s often a sign that action is required to resolve the complaint. That usually means taking down allegedly infringing content uploaded by a third party. Having met its obligations under the DMCA, compliance typically means that the host avoids liability for third-party infringement. Some overseas hosts operate somewhat differently, however, embracing non-compliance...
Happy Fire Stick Crackdown Malware Armageddon Month
For the third Oct/Nov period, three years in a row, once again it’s Fire Stick Crackdown Malware Armageddon Month in the UK. The annual event begins with the usual publications finding inspiration to write about the most popular streaming device in the UK, with drama injected into the mix by any means available to ensure maximum engagement. If only there was some way of measuring interest in these articles or related searches, it...
Dutch Court Orders ISP to Block Music Piracy Sites ‘Newalbumreleases’ and ‘Israbox’
Pirate site blocking is a common practice in dozens of countries around the world, and the Netherlands is no exception. After a decade-long legal battle between anti-piracy group BREIN and three local Internet providers, the latter were ordered to block access to The Pirate Bay in 2020. This was a pivotal moment, as it opened the door to more blocking requests targeting other torrent sites, streaming portals, and shadow libraries. A...
TorrentFreak Turns 20: What a Ride!
Twenty years ago, the first post was published on TorrentFreak. At the time, I was a young graduate student, eager to learn and research. My interest soon exceeded the academic world and was drawn to a vibrant digital playground: the Internet. In the early 2000s, new technologies and communications channels were suddenly at everyone’s fingertips. There was a whole new world to explore. Being somewhat of a digital late bloomer, I was...
