{"id":80748,"date":"2024-12-21T09:00:39","date_gmt":"2024-12-21T09:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/?p=80748"},"modified":"2024-12-21T09:00:39","modified_gmt":"2024-12-21T09:00:39","slug":"eu-and-nl-domain-registries-take-down-piracy-linked-domains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/?p=80748","title":{"rendered":"EU and NL Domain Registries Take Down Piracy-Linked Domains"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/eurid-sidn.jpg\" alt=\"eurid sidn\" width=\"300\" height=\"272\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-261714\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/eurid-sidn.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/images\/eurid-sidn-300x272.jpg 300w, https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/images\/eurid-sidn-600x544.jpg 600w, https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/images\/eurid-sidn-150x136.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">There are plenty of options for copyright holders to frustrate pirate site operations, but attacking their domain names is particularly effective.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, various entertainment industry groups have called on the domain name industry to help out on this front.<\/p>\n<p>The MPA previously signed landmark <a href=\"https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/inside-the-mpaas-piracy-deal-with-the-donuts-domain-registry-160210\/\">agreements<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/mpaa-signs-anti-piracy-deal-with-large-domain-registry-160413\/\">registries<\/a>, enabling the movie industry group to act as a \u201ctrusted notifier\u201d of \u201cpirate\u201d domains. Other players in the domain name market have been more reserved. <\/p>\n<h2>EU and NL Registries Tackle Pirate Domains<\/h2>\n<p>The Public Interest Registry (PIR), for example, which oversees the .org gTLD, previously <a href=\"https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/riaa-fails-take-pirate-bay-domain-now-160606\/\">denied requests to take action<\/a> against The Pirate Bay. According to PIR, <a href=\"https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/domain-registrars-and-registries-dont-want-to-police-piracy-181113\/\">caution is advised<\/a> to ensure a \u201cfree, open, safe and secure internet\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, rightsholder pressure hasn\u2019t abated. Domain name registries that fail to take action are now listed as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/mpa-reports-notorious-piracy-threats-to-u-s-government-241004\/\">notorious piracy markets<\/a>\u201d themselves, as recent reports against the .cc, .io, and .tv domain extensions have shown.<\/p>\n<p>Politics also play a part. For example, U.S. lawmakers previously asked domain name registry VeriSign, known for managing the .com domain, to <a href=\"https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/us-lawmakers-urge-verisign-to-help-tackle-online-piracy-220914\/\">help tackle online piracy<\/a>. <\/p>\n<h2>EU and NL Registries Tackle Pirate Domains<\/h2>\n<p>Despite these developments, there\u2019s little public discussion about new agreements between domain registries and rightsholders. Given the sensitivities involved, not all collaboration needs a spotlight. <\/p>\n<p>This week, Dutch anti-piracy group <a href=\"https:\/\/stichtingbrein.nl\/\">BREIN<\/a> reported that it had booked new success with its previously unknown \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/stichtingbrein.nl\/registry-strategie-brein-populaire-domeinen-offline\/\">registry strategy<\/a>\u2018. <\/p>\n<p>Following a notice from BREIN, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sidn.nl\/en\">SIDN<\/a> (.nl) and <a href=\"https:\/\/eurid.eu\/en\/\">EURid<\/a> (.eu) registries took several pirate site domains offline. SIDN\u2019s actions targeted IPTV-related domains, such as streamdeal.nl, iptvproviders.nl, omniptv.nl and iptvstreamplus.nl. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><center><em>Streamdeal Quarantined<\/em><\/center><br \/><center><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/streamdeal-quarantined.jpg\" alt=\"quarantined\" width=\"600\" height=\"331\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-261721\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/streamdeal-quarantined.jpg 969w, https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/images\/streamdeal-quarantined-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/images\/streamdeal-quarantined-600x331.jpg 600w, https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/images\/streamdeal-quarantined-150x83.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"><\/center><\/p>\n<p>EURid reportedly removed seven domain names after BREIN reached out. These domains, which were used to provide access to pirated films, music, books and games, were registered though domain proxy services that shield the identity of the owners. <\/p>\n<p>The .eu domain names are not publicized as those sites use alternative gTLDs that remain active. Mentioning these domains in public could therefore serve as an unwanted advertisement. <\/p>\n<h2>Reporting Illegal Content?<\/h2>\n<p>BREIN says that these registries take responsibility by helping to shut down illegal activity. On what grounds these companies take action isn\u2019t immediately clear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPirates like to use trustworthy top-level domains such as .nl and .eu for their illegal websites. The organizations responsible for this, SIDN and EURid, know this and take their responsibility by helping to combat illegality,\u201d BREIN writes.<\/p>\n<p>The anti-piracy group goes on to mention that pirate IPTV services infringe copyrights. That violates the terms and conditions of the domain registries, so they <em>can<\/em> be terminated on these grounds. But were they?<\/p>\n<p>TorrentFreak reached out to both SIDN and EURid, requesting more information and both registries say that the domain name terminations referenced by BREIN were not copyright related.<\/p>\n<h2>Inaccurate WHOIS Information<\/h2>\n<p>SIDN spokesperson Marnie van Duijnhoven explains that the domain name registrations were canceled, because the owners didn\u2019t provide or confirm the correct <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/WHOIS\">WHOIS<\/a> registration data.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a standard procedure at SIDN that we apply if there is reason to doubt the correctness of the registrant\u2019s data. The reason may be a report from a third party such as Stichting Brein, but also, for example, the Police,\u201d Van Duijnhoven says.<\/p>\n<p>While these verification procedures were initiated in response to BREIN\u2019s notifications, the decision to cancel the domain names was not directly related to the content on the sites. Instead, the cancellations were made under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sidn.nl\/en\/nl-domain-name\/general-terms-and-conditions-for-nl-registrants\">Articles 16 and 18<\/a> of SIDN\u2019s terms and conditions, which cover inaccurate WHOIS information<\/p>\n<p>EURid spokesperson Reelika Kirna confirmed that inaccurate registrant data also triggered their response. This is a terms of service violation, but not one related to copyright.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cFollowing the request from BREIN regarding seven .eu domain names, we carried out our standard procedure for registration data validation and subsequently suspended these domain names due to a breach of Articles 3(b) and 4(d) and (e) of our Terms and Conditions,\u201d Kirna informed us. <\/p>\n<h2>Roads to Rome<\/h2>\n<p>BREIN\u2019s director Bastiaan van Ramshorst informs us that SIDN and EURid are indeed correct. In these instances, copyright wasn\u2019t the reason to report the domains, at least on paper. <\/p>\n<p>The anti-piracy group previously reported domains to SIDN on the basis of copyright infringement. These complaints are handled under the separate notice and takedown procedure. That wasn\u2019t the case here, but the aim is the same.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBREIN\u2019s goal is the same: to take the domain offline because copyright and related rights are being violated on a large scale. The grounds on which SIDN takes action does not matter to us.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoth roads lead to Rome. Obviously illegal websites almost always have incorrect WHOIS data because infringers want to remain anonymous. BREIN can and does use both grounds,\u201d Van Ramshorst adds. <\/p>\n<p>Whether any of these roads is easier than the other is unknown, but SIDN\u2019s latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sidn.nl\/en\/internet-security\/transparency-report\">transparency report<\/a> shows that <em>notice and takedown<\/em> (NTD) reports are rare. The registry received 39 NTD requests in the first three quarters of the year. <\/p>\n<p>During the same period, SIDN launched over 5,000 procedures under article 16 and 18 of its terms and conditions, which includes claims concerning inaccurate WHOIS information. <\/p>\n<p>From: <a href=\"https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/\">TF<\/a>, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wpematico_credit\"><small>Powered by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wpematico.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are plenty of options for copyright holders to frustrate pirate site operations, but attacking their domain names is particularly effective. In recent years, various entertainment industry groups have called on the domain name industry to help out on this front. The MPA previously signed landmark agreements with registries, enabling the movie industry group to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80749,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[308],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-torrent"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=80748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/80749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=80748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=80748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=80748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}