A recently published paper found that it is relatively easy to expose BitTorrent’s biggest content providers. The researchers were able to identify 70% of the initial seeds of publicly available torrent files that were uploaded to The Pirate Bay, something that might peek the interest of the entertainment industry.
Following the joint signing of an IFPI / Bulgarian Interior Ministry memorandum declaring a crackdown on piracy, the head of the Computer Crimes Department appeared on TV and said that the country’s two largest BitTorrent sites will be closed down. Both Zamunda.net and Arena.bg are currently in the spotlight but it is feared more could join them in the future.
Last year The Pirate Bay lost its case in The Netherlands with a court ruling that the site must cease its activities in the country. Despite this decision the site is still accessible in The Netherlands, but anti-piracy group BREIN isn’t sitting still. According to information received by TorrentFreak, they are now taking action to force an ISP to start blocking the site.
It is no secret that pro-copyright lobbyists are exploiting child pornography to get file-sharing sites pulled offline. They have done so for years. Their ultimate goal is to use child porn as an excuse to impose a global Internet filter, and with a new directive being presented in the EU their strategy seems to be paying off.
Demonoid is without doubt one of the most famous BitTorrent trackers on the Internet. Unfortunately, it is also the tracker with the worst record when it comes to uptime as every so often the site disappears for months. With the current downtime of more than a day, users are already fearing the worst.
The Pirate Bay is encouraging its users to oppose the Digital Economy Act that was recently forced through by the UK Government. The legislation “threatens the privacy and human rights of all web users,” they argue, but it’s not too late to turn things around for the better.
Following the announcement that Hans Pandeya is having a second shot at buying The Pirate Bay after last year’s failed attempt, it appears he has a rival bid. Media reports state that the GGF boss will now buy the site for $10 million, but TorrentFreak has managed to get $11 million together and will buy the site tomorrow afternoon at 3pm.
With hundreds of thousands of downloads on BitTorrent just four days after its official release, Avatar is on its way to adding another title to its already impressive track record. With a download rate that surpasses all previous Blu-ray titles, the film is on its way to becoming the most pirated Blu-ray film to date.
A worrying site which claims to allow users to search BitTorrent networks for IP addresses being used to share torrents has appeared in recent days. The site, which has a very paranoid feel, also contains numerous security-related documents from ISPs and other sources. An apparently related video being mailed to studios is even more creepy. But is all as it seems?
The top 10 most downloaded movies on BitTorrent, ‘Clash Of The Titans’ tops the chart this week followed by ‘Shutter Island’. ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ completes the top three.
