Authorities take down another popular file-sharing site, arrest founder for piracy

By: Zach Epstein | Feb 22nd, 2012

Authorities in Germany recently executed a raid that resulted in at least two arrests and the takedown of another popular file-sharing service. German-language news site Heise Online reported earlier this week that German police arrested two men with alleged ties to file-sharing service Skyload.net, which was subsequently taken offline. The service�fs owner, identified as 28-year-old Maik P., was taken into custody along with 25-year-old Marcel E., owner of Skyload.net�fs Web hosting service. Both men have been charged with violating copyright laws and Maik P. is allegedly personally responsible for uploading and sharing more than 10,000 copyrighted films. The Skyload.net takedown follows the closure of one of the most popular file-sharing services in the world, Megaupload, which was taken offline last month as its founder and a number of other men with ties to the service were arrested in a raid. While shuttering Megaupload appears to have done nothing to slow digital piracy, authorities around the world continue to battle alongside copyright holders to shut down file-hosting services that allow users to share copyrighted content illegally.


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So where's Anonymous going to hit next? I say they hit zee Germans were it hurts and disrupt the production of breweries around the country. Tears will flow.

^ Wow, the shutting down of these sites seems to be gaining momentum.

bmwracer wrote:

^ Wow, the shutting down of these sites seems to be gaining momentum.

Facebook is next. And then the world will die.

Tu_triky wrote:

Facebook is next. And then the world will die.

Twitter first, hopefully.

bmwracer wrote:

Twitter first, hopefully.

Death to all nitwits, nitweets, facebooks, neckbones, and fake bacon lovers.

The Pirate Bay tosses all torrents

by Dara Kerr February 28, 2012 7:38 PM PST

One of the Internet's largest torrent-downloading sites is no longer offering torrents, but that doesn't mean the site is being shuttered. Now users can access files with magnet links.

If you go to The Pirate Bay's Web site, you'll now see the words "The Magnet Bay." As of tomorrow, the popular Swedish torrent tracker will no longer be offering users torrent files, but instead will be posting magnet links.

On its blog today, the Pirate Bay wrote that even though this "marks the end of an era," users should not notice much of a difference.

"It shouldn't make much of a difference for the average user. At most it will take a few more seconds before a torrent shows the size and files," The Pirate Bay team told TorrentFreak in an interview today. "Just click the red button instead of the green one and all will be fine."

The Pirate Bay says the reason for the change is simple--the torrents are a waste of space and time. "It's simpler for us and no more hassle for you," the site wrote on its blog. "It's more resilient than .torrent files and it uses much less bandwidth for those who want to mirror."

Two weeks ago, The Pirate Bay warned that this would happen and explained exactly how the magnet links work. Rather than keeping all torrent files on a central server for users to download, the magnet links instead let users download from other BitTorrent users.

"A lot of media has hyped that we're stopping with the torrent files. It's like saying that Ferrari is no longer selling cars--they're just selling BETTER cars," The Pirate Bay wrote on its blog. "As are we, we're giving you the best links there are!"

However, it seems the recent crackdown on file-hosting sites like MegaUpload might be another motivator. The Pirate Bay team told TorrentFreak that magnet links use far fewer resources and also make the site less susceptible to being shut down.

"Countries, particularly in EU, seem to moving toward total censorship so we do all we can to avoid our users ending up with less freedom," The Pirate Bay wrote on its blog.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57387238-93/the-pirate-bay-tosses-all-torrents/#ixzz1nk0spcmQ

^ And the trend continues...

bmwracer wrote:

^ And the trend continues...

We should all go back to trading VHS tapes recorded in SLP mode.

Tu_triky wrote:

We should all go back to trading VHS tapes recorded in SLP mode.

That should get the postal service back in the black.

bmwracer wrote:

That should get the postal service back in the black.

Haha. Seriously.

Tu_triky wrote:

Haha. Seriously.

And I still have two functional VCRs and a bunch of VHS tapes.

bmwracer wrote:

And I still have two functional VCRs and a bunch of VHS tapes.

Me too, although only one VCR is actually hooked up. Tapes too...collecting dust.

One for the good guys....
Hollywood studios lose Australian download appeal

Entertainment Apr. 20, 2012 - 11:15AM JST ( 17 )

SYDNEY �\

Top Hollywood film studios on Friday failed in their attempt to stem the flow of illegal downloads when they lost a landmark appeal against an Australian Internet provider.

A group of international and Australian companies, including Warner Bros, Disney and 20th Century Fox, alleged that iiNet authorized the infringement of their copyright when its customers downloaded movies and television programs.

In a world-first judgement in 2010, a Federal Court in Australia ruled iiNet did not authorize the downloads or have the power to stop them, thwarting the studios�f attempt to stem losses they say run into billions of dollars.

The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT), made up of 34 film, television and music companies, appealed, claiming it set a dangerous precedent that allowed Internet companies to ignore copyright theft.

But in a serious blow to their fight against piracy it was thrown out by Australia�fs highest court Friday.

�gThe High Court held that the respondent, an Internet Service Provider (ISP), had not authorized the infringement by its customers of the appellants�f copyright in commercially released films and television programs,�h the unanimous ruling said.

It added that iiNet had no direct technical power to prevent its customers from using the BitTorrent file sharing system to infringe copyright, by downloading content to watch on their laptops and PCs.

�gRather, the extent of iiNet�fs power to prevent its customers from infringing�c copyright was limited to an indirect power to terminate its contractual relationship with its customers,�h the court said.

The case was seen as an ambitious attempt to force ISPs to act against piracy.

It hinged on thousands of downloads over the Perth-based iiNet network over 59 weeks from June 2008 involving nearly 90 films and TV series including �gBatman Begins�h, �gTransformers�h and �gHeroes�h.

The movie studios hoped to set a worldwide precedent forcing ISPs to act against offenders, while Internet rights groups feared it would compel the firms to cut customers�f web access without having to take them to court.

iiNet welcomed Friday�fs decision, saying it proved the claims made against it were unfounded.

�gThis marks the end of more than three years of legal argument and challenges,�h said chief executive Michael Malone.

�gMore notably, while this case has been important, for both iiNet and for regulation of the industry internationally, it has not distracted us from our core business.�h

He said the best way for the film industry to protect owners�f copyright was to increase the availability of lawful, online content in a more timely and affordable way.

Malone added that there was strong evidence that content partnerships and agreements between ISPs, legal websites and copyright holders was the best way to reduce piracy, rather than costly legal battles.

�gIncreasing the availability of licensed digital content is the best, most practical approach to meet consumer demand and protect copyright,�h he said.

�gWe have consistently said we are eager to work with the studios to make their very desirable material legitimately available to a waiting customer base and that offer remains the same today.�h

http://www.japantoday.com/category/entertainment/view/hollywood-studios-lose-australian-download-appeal

Megaupload Trial May Never Happen, Judge Says

A US judge has put a bomb under the Megaupload case by informing the FBI that a trial in the United States may never happen. The cyberlocker was never formally served with the appropriate paperwork by the US authorities, as it is impossible to serve a foreign company with criminal charges.

Charges in the indictment include engaging in a racketeering conspiracy, conspiring to commit copyright infringement, conspiring to commit money laundering and two substantive counts of criminal copyright infringement.

While the prosecution is hoping to have Megaupload tried in the US, breaking news suggests that this may never happen.

It turns out that the US judge handling the case has serious doubts whether it will ever go to trial due to a procedural error.

�gI frankly don�ft know that we are ever going to have a trial in this matter,�h Judge O�fGrady said as reported by the NZ Herald.

Judge O�fGrady informed the FBI that Megaupload was never served with criminal charges, which is a requirement to start the trial. The origin of this problem is not merely a matter of oversight. Megaupload�fs lawyer Ira Rothken says that unlike people, companies can�ft be served outside US jurisdiction.

�gMy understanding as to why they haven�ft done that is because they can�ft. We don�ft believe Megaupload can be served in a criminal matter because it is not located within the jurisdiction of the United States,�h Rothken says.

Megaupload�fs lawyer adds that he doesn�ft understand why the US authorities weren�ft aware of this problem before. As a result Judge O�fGrady noted that Megaupload is �gkind of hanging out there.�h

If this issue indeed prevents Megaupload from being tried in the US, it would be a blunder of epic proportions. And it is not the first �gprocedural�h mistake either.

Last month the New Zealand High Court declared the order used to seize Dotcom�fs property �gnull and void�h after it was discovered that the police had acted under a court order that should have never been granted.

The error dates back to January when the police applied for the order granting them permission to seize Dotcom�fs property. Rather than applying for an interim restraining order, the Police Commissioner applied for a foreign restraining order instead.

The exact ramifications of the failure to serve will become apparent in the near future.

http://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-trial-may-never-happen-judge-says-120420/

ISPs Adopt Alert System To Warn Users of Illegal Downloads

If you�fre a person who downloads torrents on a regular basis, you might want to watch what you do from today on as Internet service providers will begin cracking down on users who download copyrighted material.

The Copyright Alert System (CAS) will be used by AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Verizon and will allow for content creators to send notices to ISPs that include a list of people who they believe have downloaded copyrighted material through �gpeer-to-peer�h services.

The violators will receive up to six notices, each �gwith an increasing degree of seriousness.�h The first two notices will be �geducational alerts�h meant to inform the subscriber illegal content is being downloaded under their account. The next two are �gacknowledgment�h notices that will require a response from the recipient, and the last two will be �gmitigation�h alerts, that will try to impose consequences to help emphasize the seriousness of the situation.

After the sixth warning, ISPs may take it upon themselves to throttle the users�f Internet speeds or deny them Internet access until they acknowledge the alerts sent by way of a dedicated landing page.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/02/isps-adopt-alert-system-to-warn-users-of-illegal-downloads/#sthash.RXvooVgn.dpuf

niknik wrote:

ISPs Adopt Alert System To Warn Users of Illegal Downloads If you�fre a person who downloads torrents on a regular basis, you might want to watch what you do from today on as Internet service providers will begin cracking down on users who download copyrighted material. The Copyright Alert System (CAS) will be used by AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Verizon and will allow for content creators to send notices to ISPs that include a list of people who they believe have downloaded copyrighted material through �gpeer-to-peer�h services. The violators will receive up to six notices, each �gwith an increasing degree of seriousness.�h The first two notices will be �geducational alerts�h meant to inform the subscriber illegal content is being downloaded under their account. The next two are �gacknowledgment�h notices that will require a response from the recipient, and the last two will be �gmitigation�h alerts, that will try to impose consequences to help emphasize the seriousness of the situation. After the sixth warning, ISPs may take it upon themselves to throttle the users�f Internet speeds or deny them Internet access until they acknowledge the alerts sent by way of a dedicated landing page. http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/02/isps-adopt-alert-system-to-warn-users-of-illegal-downloads/#sthash.RXvooVgn.dpuf

Hmm, wonder how this will affect D-Addicts...?

niknik wrote:

ISPs Adopt Alert System To Warn Users of Illegal Downloads If you�fre a person who downloads torrents on a regular basis, you might want to watch what you do from today on as Internet service providers will begin cracking down on users who download copyrighted material. The Copyright Alert System (CAS) will be used by AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Verizon and will allow for content creators to send notices to ISPs that include a list of people who they believe have downloaded copyrighted material through �gpeer-to-peer�h services. The violators will receive up to six notices, each �gwith an increasing degree of seriousness.�h The first two notices will be �geducational alerts�h meant to inform the subscriber illegal content is being downloaded under their account. The next two are �gacknowledgment�h notices that will require a response from the recipient, and the last two will be �gmitigation�h alerts, that will try to impose consequences to help emphasize the seriousness of the situation. After the sixth warning, ISPs may take it upon themselves to throttle the users�f Internet speeds or deny them Internet access until they acknowledge the alerts sent by way of a dedicated landing page. http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/02/isps-adopt-alert-system-to-warn-users-of-illegal-downloads/#sthash.RXvooVgn.dpuf

from what i've read, it's totally up to the copyright holders to do the sleuthing to figure out which IP's to report. i'm imagining this might have less of an effect on foreign-made content that doesn't even get licensed for release in the USA. this assumption is just based on how fansubbers have been able to continue doing what they do

heard Tor isn't good for running torrents.. maybe this?
http://www.i2p2.de/

niknik wrote:

Judge O�fGrady informed the FBI that Megaupload was never served with criminal charges, which is a requirement to start the trial. The origin of this problem is not merely a matter of oversight. Megaupload�fs lawyer Ira Rothken says that unlike people, companies can�ft be served outside US jurisdiction. �gMy understanding as to why they haven�ft done that is because they can�ft. We don�ft believe Megaupload can be served in a criminal matter because it is not located within the jurisdiction of the United States,�h Rothken says. Megaupload�fs lawyer adds that he doesn�ft understand why the US authorities weren�ft aware of this problem before. As a result Judge O�fGrady noted that Megaupload is �gkind of hanging out there.�h If this issue indeed prevents Megaupload from being tried in the US, it would be a blunder of epic proportions. And it is not the first �gprocedural�h mistake either.

wtg.. seems about par for the course. law enforcement is still playing catch-up to the net.. and as new tech keeps coming out i wonder if it ever will catch up.

po0t wrote:

from what i've read, it's totally up to the copyright holders to do the sleuthing to figure out which IP's to report. i'm imagining this might have less of an effect on foreign-made content that doesn't even get licensed for release in the USA. this assumption is just based on how fansubbers have been able to continue doing what they do

THink YesAsia or someone like that would need to be involved in the request to stop it.

SO YAY!! After a week off line we are back up and in action!! Squirrels ate the cable. Its been an enormous hassle getting them out of our attic!
_________________

Trade or Distro
It's all good!

Check out my drama trade list: http://www.freewebs.com/evendrama/

[quote="Eve]Squirrels ate the cable. Its been an enormous hassle getting them out of our attic! [/quote]
Those dang varmints...!

My neighbor's been trying to get a possum out of his attic for the past week.