K-Content Pirates Face New ‘Copyright Crime’ Investigation & Analysis Units
The government of South Korea says it will ramp up efforts to prevent online piracy of valuable local 'K-Content' including movies, TV shows, and increasingly popular short-form comics, known locally as 'webtoons'. With the launch of the "Copyright C.....»»
State Attorneys General Warn Public About Piracy Scams and Malware
In a series of new public service announcements, several state attorneys general are warning the public that some very bad actors are exploiting pirate sites to distribute ransomware and steal credit card information. The Digital Citizens Alliance is.....»»
Russia Blocks 167 VPNs, Steps Up OpenVPN & WireGuard Disruption
The head of the Russian department responsible for identifying threats to the "stability, security and integrity" of the internet, has revealed the extent of the Kremlin's VPN crackdown. Former FSO officer Sergei Khutortsev, a central figure in Russi.....»»
Dutch Fiscal Police Win “Anti-Piracy Award” for Shutting Down IPTV Datacenter
The Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance has announced the winner of its annual "Anti-Piracy Award." At this year’s Europol IP Crime conference, the honors went to the Dutch fiscal police (FIOD) for its efforts to combat IPTV piracy. FIOD took down a l.....»»
Brazil Regulator Claims “80% of Pirate TV Boxes” Were Blocked Last Week
Brazil's telecoms regulator Anatel claims that during an operation last week, it successfully blocked around 80% of pirate 'TV boxes' in the country. Estimates from early 2023 suggest that seven million were active in Brazil. The operation, claimed t.....»»
ACE/MPA Target VivaTV, StreamTape & VidSrc: A Peek Under the Hood
Recent DMCA subpoena applications filed by the Motion Picture Association at a court in the U.S. target IPTV, web streaming, and hosting platforms receiving between 80 and 100 million visits per month. They include Android app VivaTV and well-known v.....»»
Lithuania’s Media Watchdog Fines Over Two Dozen ‘Private’ Torrent Tracker Users
Lithuania's Radio and Television Commission (LRTK) is using newly gained legal authority to penalize online pirates. This new power has resulted in several rulings already and this week the media watchdog upped the ante by issuing more than two dozen.....»»
Some Pirate Sites Received More Visitors After Being Blocked
Blocking pirate sites is widely believed to reduce the number of visits to the targeted domains. However, new research based on data provided by WIPO and funded by the Republic of Korea, suggests that's not always the case. Roughly a quarter of all d.....»»
‘Terminating Internet Access over Piracy Claims is Drastic and Overbroad’
Internet provider Grande Communications hopes to overturn a jury verdict that awarded $47 million in piracy damages to several record labels. The ISP is supported by several telecom industry groups, who all object to disconnecting subscribers' intern.....»»
Pirate Sites Exploit ‘Interplanetary File System’ Gateways, Publishers Warn
The Association of American Publishers has shared its overview of notorious piracy markets with the U.S. Trade Representative. The organization sees shadow libraries, including LibGen and Sci-Hub, as key problems, with the relatively new meta-search.....»»
Advising Pirates to Use VPNs is “Positive News” Says Piracy Blocking Chief
Massimiliano Capitanio, head of Italian telecoms regulator AGCOM, believes the country's all-new internet blocking system will deliver a bright future in the fight against pirate IPTV services. After receiving news that pirate operators are making VP.....»»
How An Undercover Lawyer Helped to Topple Denmark’s Torrent Tracker Scene
A few days ago, yet another former operator of a Danish torrent tracker received a suspended prison sentence, the latest conviction following the successful dismantling of Denmark's thriving piracy scene. This unprecedented crackdown started in 2020,.....»»
Pirate IPTV Owners Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison & $18m Damages
Two men who operated a pirate IPTV service have been handed 36-month prison sentences by a specialist IP court in Sweden. Anonymous tips led to an investigation, police surveillance including wiretapping, and subsequent raids which netted 47 gold bar.....»»
Hollywood and Netflix Flag ‘Priority’ Piracy Threats
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has submitted its latest overview of 'notorious' foreign piracy markets to the US Trade Representative. The Pirate Bay and other usual suspects secured entries and for the very first time, the MPA also highlights.....»»
Anti-Piracy Agency Credited With BitTorrent Victory, IPTV & Streaming Take on Both
French audiovisual/telecoms regulator/anti-piracy agency Arcom is being credited for the decline in BitTorrent-related piracy over the past 12 years. In 2010, eight million French pirates used the protocol but in 2022 that figure was down to just two.....»»
RIAA Reports AI Vocal Cloning Site ‘Voicify’ to the U.S. Government
Artificial intelligence is now a mainstream topic but while most people focus on the positive implications, many rightsholders are concerned about potential threats. In its latest overview of notorious copyright-infringing markets, the RIAA lists 'AI.....»»
Genshin Impact: Major Private Server Dev Faces DMCA Subpoenas
The developer of Genshin Impact has filed DMCA subpoena applications against GitHub, YouTube, and Spartan Host, hoping to unmask an individual connected to the largest private server provider in China. Since player progress gained unofficially upsets.....»»
Movie Piracy is Strongly Linked to Box Office Revenue
New research from piracy tracking firm MUSO shows that movie piracy is strongly linked to box office revenues. When pirated downloads peak or slow down, movie theater visits show a similar trend. While this may sound counterintuitive, the finding is.....»»
Police Raid Pirate IPTV Provider Offering Sky TV, Seized Material “Identifies Users”
A man suspected of operating a pirate IPTV service in Italy faces the dubious honor of becoming a prosecution and sentencing guinea pig under the country's new anti-piracy law. Police shut down the provider following an investigation into piracy of S.....»»
Private Torrent Tracker FileList to Shut Down After 16 Years
One of the world's largest private BitTorrent trackers, Filelist, has announced it will shut down soon. The site has been in operation for sixteen years and enjoys millions of monthly visits, mostly from Romania. Site admin EboLLa has chosen to devot.....»»