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TorrentFreak |
€3bn Pirate IPTV Network Serving 22m Users “Dismantled” in Massive Operation
A two-year pirate IPTV investigation directed by the Catania District Attorney's Office in Italy, involving Europol, Eurojust, and law enforcement agencies across Europe, culminated in the early hours of this morning. Operation Takendown reportedly dismantled an international pirate IPTV network serving 22 million users and generating an estimated €3 billion per year. At least 11 suspects were detained, over 100 are under investigation.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, pirac...
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TorrentFreak |
Court Rejects Appeal of Youtube-dl Hosting Provider ‘Uberspace’
Hosting provider Uberspace has suffered another setback in a German court. The court of appeal ruled against youtube-dl's former hosting provider, holding it liable for alleged violations of YouTube's copyright protection measures. The owner of the company is currently considering further appeal options. Meanwhile, youtube-dl remains available on GitHub.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Kim Dotcom Suffers “Serious Stroke” and “Cannot Communicate Effectively”
Kim Dotcom is recovering in hospital after reportedly suffering a stroke earlier this month. Dotcom was taken to a local hospital on November 7 and then rushed to a regional hospital for treatment. A post to X in Dotcom's name on Monday informed followers that after suffering "a serious stroke" his recovery is now in the hands of "the best health professionals."
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Supreme Court Seeks U.S. Govt’s View on ‘Repeat Infringer’ Piracy Cases
The Supreme Court has signaled its interest in a landmark case that could redefine anti-piracy enforcement. By calling on the Solicitor General to weigh in on the "repeat infringer" dispute between Cox Communications and several record labels, it has become more likely that the Supreme Court will eventually share its opinion on the "billion dollar" piracy controversy.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Pirate Sites Play Possum While Boosting Counter-Enforcement Measures
Pirates refusing to quit and pirate sites coming back to life isn't unheard of but, for those caught in the act, the consequences can be severe. That's mostly the case in the United States and Europe but the global piracy landscape today is significantly bigger. According to broadcaster beIN, previously shuttered streaming sites are quickly getting back in the game.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Court Expands Google and Cloudflare DNS Blocking to Combat Piracy
A highly controversial court order that required Cisco, Cloudflare, and Google to poison DNS earlier this year was just the beginning. To further combat sports piracy, broadcaster Canal+ sought several follow-up orders. Cisco had discontinued its OpenDNS service in France due to the legal restrictions, so only Google and Cloudflare put up a defense, but without the desired result.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
‘Piracy’ Scam Exploited Movie Fans For 20 Years, Suddenly Cited as Major Threat
One of the most enduring online movie scams involves sites that claim to offer premium content, but turn out to be some type of scam. These services do not discriminate, so whether 'customers' are pirates or just regular people hoping to buy content, everyone is a potential victim. The scam has been running for at least 20 years yet, seemingly out of nowhere, pro site-blocking studies now describe it as a major piracy-related security threat.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, p...
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TorrentFreak |
AGCOM Piracy Shield Critic Receives Ominous Warning, Comes Out Fighting
Despite a series of failures concerning Italy's IPTV blocking platform Piracy Shield and the revelation that the 'free' platform will cost €2m per year, telecoms regulator AGCOM insists that all is going to plan. After breaking ranks, AGCOM board member Elisa Giomi called for the suspension of Piracy Shield while decrying its toll on public resources. When she was warned for her criticism, coupled with a threat of financial implications, Giomi came out fighting.
From: TF, for the latest news o...
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TorrentFreak |
Real-Debrid Implements Extreme Anti-Piracy Filters to Appease Film Companies
Real-Debrid, a popular streaming and download service, says it's implementing far-reaching anti-piracy measures, including hash and keyword filters, in response to a notice from the French Federation of Film Distributors. The API and instantAvailability feature are set for deactivation too, while content from "notorious" pirate sites will be blocked.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Feds Shut Down Pirate Sports Streaming Service 247TVStream, Indict Operators
247TVStream, a pirate IPTV streaming service boasting over 1,000 channels and catering to sports fans worldwide, has been shut down by U.S. authorities. The service, allegedly operated by two brothers, generated millions in revenue. One of the defendants was arrested in New York and the other remains at large. Both men face multi-year prison sentences.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Z-Library Helps Students to Overcome Academic Poverty, Study Finds
A recent study published in the Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice sheds light on people's motivations to use Z-Library. Expensive books and limited access to academic material play a key role among those surveyed. That includes a group of Chinese postgraduate students who believe that shadow libraries help to overcome (academic) poverty.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Hackathon Winners ‘Remote Brick’ Pirate IPTV Box Using Scalable Technique
A team of hackers from Brazil have taken first place in a hackathon organized by the country's telecoms regulator. The challenge was to develop a solution to prevent non-approved 'pirate' set-top devices from functioning in people's homes. The team say they were able to remotely transfer code which completely disabled a target device. Once implemented, "there will be a general failure in most of the irregular boxes in use," the hacker predicted.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles...
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TorrentFreak |
Brazil Blocks Another 250+ Pirate Domains, Milestone #15,000 Just Ahead
During the coming weeks, the 15,000th piracy-linked resource will likely find itself blocked by Brazilian ISPs in response to yet another court order. Indications that Brazil is already testing piracy blocking measures at the internet's core routers is controversial, but if blocking is accurate and only targets pirate sites, criticism may be limited. With a new 250+ domain blocking wave implemented this week, let's take a closer look at how things play out.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyr...
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TorrentFreak |
Half of Young Norwegians Say Online Piracy Is an Acceptable Way to Save Money
A new survey from Norway reveals that 50% of young people under 30 believe that pirating content is an acceptable way to save money. The survey, conducted by Ipsos, highlights that the high cost of streaming services is a key driver behind this attitude. Links between piracy and organized crime or malware, appear to be of less concern.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Apple Opposes Legal Quest to Reinstate ‘Parasitic’ Streaming App Musi
Last month, the company behind music streaming app Musi sued Apple for breach of contract, following the removal of its app from the App Store. Musi hoped for a swift reinstatement through a preliminary injunction, but Apple believes the court should deny the request. The tech giant argues that the delisting is allowed under its developer contract, stressing that the removal was not an impulsive decision.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Telegram Issues Piracy Warning as IPTV Tool ‘Cristal Azul’ Shut Down By Police
Spanish police have shut down Cristal Azul, a popular Kodi add-on with an estimated 78,000 users. As sports rightsholders claim the fraudulent access cost them €42 million, in piracy circles the shutdown is being linked to a change of policy at Telegram. A direct warning that personal details could be handed over by Telegram coincides with some piracy groups abandoning the platform.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 11/25/2024
Every week we take a close look at the most pirated movies on torrent sites. What are pirates downloading? 'Smile 2' tops the chart, followed by 'Deadpool & Wolverine'. 'Alien: Romulus' completes the top three.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Porn Uploads: A Shield for Copyright Infringement Penalties on YouTube?
A new trend has emerged on YouTube where 'scammy' channels facing a ban for copyright infringement appear to evade penalties through the use of sexually explicit content. Questions remain, but evidence does suggest that a loophole is being exploited. By avoiding termination for copyright infringement, these channel owners may be able to protect their linked AdSense accounts.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
RIAA Should Disclose Anti-Piracy Details, Altice Argues
Altice, owner of Internet provider Optimum, is not content with the RIAA's refusal to share detailed information about its anti-piracy efforts. The ISP subpoenaed the music group to obtain potential key evidence for use in its defense against a piracy liability lawsuit filed by record labels. Faced with the RIAA's objections, Altice has filed a motion to compel.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Nintendo v. Pomelo: Yuzu-Based iOS Switch Emu in Circumvention Dead End
2024 has been a pretty rough year for Nintendo-loving emulator fans. At this point it's clear that they can either choose Nintendo, or Switch emulators, but they can't have relationships with both. At least not in public. During the last few hours Nintendo began targeting Pomelo, a popular Switch emulator for iOS devices. Like similar emulators before it, Pomelo's disclaimer against piracy is redundant. Thanks to its family tree, it has nowhere left to go.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyri...
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TorrentFreak |
Men Arrested in Magis TV Piracy Raids Also Face Malicious Software Charges
Police raids in Colombia and Ecuador this week against people involved in the sale and supply of illegal streaming service Magis TV, have an unusual component. In addition to the usual charges relating to the distribution of unlicensed streams, initial reports suggest that cybersecurity crimes relating to the functionality of the Magis TV software will also feature among the charges.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
FMovies Piracy ‘Mastermind’ Confesses, Authorities Confirm Piracy Prosecution
The alleged owner and operator of FMovies and affiliated platforms, together considered the most visited pirate sites on the planet before they were recently shut down, has confessed and will be prosecuted in Vietnam. Phan Thành Công, 34, is said to have operated the site between 2016 and 2024. An accomplice, Nguyen Tuan Anh, also 34, allegedly uploaded 50,000 videos.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Dutch Court Orders ISP to Block Torrent Site TorrentGalaxy
BREIN has obtained a new blocking order in the Netherlands targeting TorrentGalaxy, one the world's most popular torrent sites. Internet provider Odido objected to the request, arguing that the Dutch anti-piracy group could have done more to target the problem closer to the source. The Rotterdam District Court found that the anti-piracy group can't be expected to do more than it's already done.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Google’s “Negligent” Piracy Response Prevented Critic Deindexing Its Own Site
Google is facing criticism in Spain and Italy for alleged anti-piracy failures. The latest claim accuses Google of ignoring notices that aim to remove pirate IPTV providers from search results. So here's the thing: why would a company take down 10 billion URLs from search but suddenly start acting differently? The public labeling of Google as "grossly negligent" deserves context too; two weeks ago, Google's diligence prevented one of its accusers from deindexing its own website.
From: TF, for th...
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TorrentFreak |
Piracy Kingpin Behind ‘Noonoo TV’ and ‘TVWiki’ Arrested in Korea
Korean authorities have shut down the popular video piracy service TVWIKI, which had millions of users. A special unit of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism arrested the alleged operator, who is also believed to be connected to other streaming platforms. These include OKTOON, which was also pulled offline, and piracy giant NoonooTV, which voluntarily threw in the towel last year.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Per-Song or Per-Album? Record Labels Challenge Court’s Piracy Damages Ruling
Several major record labels are asking the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for a rehearing en banc in their piracy lawsuit against Grande Communications. They argue that the court erred in holding that piracy damages should be calculated per album, rather than per song. They argue that this decision, which will lower the $47 million damages award, doesn't reflect the way that music is commercialized today.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
DAZN’s Piracy Shield ‘Smart TV’ Block Revoked After IPTV Portal Complaint
After DAZN received a warning for the blunder that saw Google Drive blocked in Italy, a company behind a smart TV video player app had a DAZN-initiated blocking decision revoked after a successful appeal. That may seem like a win, but the finer details reveal a legal framework that favors rightsholders so strongly, online services incurring liability for the actions of users seems inevitable.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Key Pirate Bay Figures Don’t Recognize Themselves in TV Series
The Pirate Bay TV series is the entertainment industry's depiction of the torrent site's turbulent history. The creators don't take sides but mostly focus on the legal battle that only represents part of the story. According to Pirate Bay co-founder Peter Sunde and Piratbyrån's Rasmus Fleischer, living though it all was a completely different experience.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Nintendo Sues Emulator Gamer Who Streamed Pirated Games Before Release
Nintendo has filed a devastating lawsuit against a gamer who not only live-streamed games before their commercial release, but used emulators and pirated ROMs to do so. Jesse Keighin, aka EveryGameGuru, faces claims of unauthorized public performance and reproduction, contributory infringement and inducement for sharing links to emulators and pirated ROMs, plus violations of the anti-circumvention and circumvention device trafficking components of the DMCA.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyr...
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TorrentFreak |
Pirating “The Pirate Bay” TV Series is Ironically Difficult (Updated)
The Pirate Bay made its debut as a TV series on the Swedish streaming platform SVT Play earlier today. International viewers are left waiting until other services pick it up. In the meantime, some may be tempted to explore unofficial channels for pirated copies of the show. But finding a pirated copy is proving surprisingly difficult.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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TorrentFreak |
Police ‘Infringing Website List’ Portal Set For a £220K Makeover
A database of pirate sites maintained by City of London Police for more than a decade is set for a makeover. Earlier this year vendors were invited to bid for a contract to supply
a new portal for Operation Creative, the anti-piracy initiative responsible for the Infringing Website List. Nominated for inclusion by mainly overseas rightsholders, the list predominantly features overseas pirate sites. The winning bid of just over £221,000 will be settled from the UK public purse.
From: TF, for the...
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€3bn Pirate IPTV Network Serving 22m Users “Dismantled”...
