The International Olympic Committee is working around the clock to protect its broadcasting rights. Over the past week, IOC has sent thousands of DMCA takedown notices to Google. They reveal that torrent sites are a problem of the past; live-streaming sites are the main concern now.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
After years of plain sailing followed by several years of bad luck, two convicted IPTV operators in Sweden were sentenced to prison and ordered to pay rightsholders $18m in damages. On appeal, the men successfully argued that the amount was excessive and based on incorrect information. A dispute over an admin panel photograph led to damages being slashed by $7m.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Copyright holders' representatives frequently use DMCA subpoenas to compel online intermediaries to share personal details of alleged pirate site operators. Cloudflare is a popular target for these requests but according to the people behind popular adult site nhentai.net, DMCA subpoenas shouldn't apply to 'mere conduit' intermediaries.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Karaoke may not scale the heights of popularity it once did in the West, but after more than 50 years the format may still be generating around $5 billion a year for rightsholders. That may explain why Hong Kong Customs carried out a month-long crackdown, arrested 18 people, and for the very first time, seized hardware and remote servers powering an online karaoke streaming system.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Despite suffering losses in a legal battle that has dragged on for years, German publishing giant Axel Springer is refusing to give up on its claim that ad blocking software illegally interferes with its business model. Thus far, Eyeo GmbH, the company behind Adblock Plus, has come out on top. However, with Axel Springer's reformulated claims now rooted firmly in copyright law, the stakes are high at Germany's highest court. A long-running lawsuit involving Sony and a cheat device may yet hold the answers.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
South Africa has been trying to update its copyright law for several years now. President Ramaphosa previously sent two bills back to the drawing broad, after U.S. copyright groups described the broad fair use exceptions as dangerous. While critique persists, the South African Government is now taking a firm stand, openly stating that broad fair use exceptions are a feature, not a bug.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Musi is one of the most popular music apps in Apple's App Store. The free iOS music streaming tool has millions of happy users, but is branded a parasitic threat by the music industry. Behind the scenes, music industry group IFPI has been working hard to get it removed from the App Store. Apple hasn't taken action thus far but further escalation involving the major labels, YouTube, and a potential lawsuit, were proposed earlier this year.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
The world's largest recording labels are expanding their site-blocking program after obtaining an order from a Paris court. The order also requires search engines to deindex blocked domains from search results, which pushes look-a-like platforms to the top making malicious sites more visible. This disproportionately affects inexperienced users, undermines confidence in search engines, and has only a limited effect on those who regularly pirate.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
If a new security report is correct, millions of people hoping to access Z-Library may have been lured to a phishing campaign instead. As we take a closer look at the report, which suggests that the personal details of millions could be at risk, the irony is unavoidable. Information on how to spot this scam is readily available, yet the scam itself relies on a steady stream of people eager to research on Z-Library, having done no research at all on the potential pitfalls.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Five men found guilty of operating one of the largest pirate streaming services in the U.S. have filed requests for their convictions to be overturned. Kristopher Dallmann, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, Jared Jaurequi, and Peter Huber, were convicted last month by a Las Vegas jury. Four of the men face up to 60 months in prison while Dallmann's maximum is 48 years.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Hikari-no-Akari, a long-established pirate site that specialized in Japanese music, has closed its doors voluntarily. The drastic decision comes shortly after Sony Music Entertainment Japan obtained a subpoena, requiring Cloudflare to share the personal details of the operator. Despite the shutdown, the Recording Industry Association of Japan still plans to hold the site's operator accountable.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Anti-piracy group FACT assisted UK police to deliver cease-and-desist notices to 40 alleged pirate 'IPTV operators'. The 'crackdown' further resulted in three arrests in Nottingham, Widnes, and Stockton-on-Tees in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Sky reportedly removed more than 3,000 IPTV advertisements from social media platforms since June.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Despite the best efforts of YouTube and rightsholders, determined users can usually find a limited number of pirated movies available for viewing. Yet, at the time of writing, something more unusual catches the eye. Channels that have been dormant for 15+ years, or newer channels showing zero signs of previous infringement, are suddenly offering the latest Hollywood movies. Viewing numbers are vast - easily tens of millions - but the true number could be even higher.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
A few days after popular pirate streaming site Fmovies seemingly shut down for good, a flurry of 'related' streaming portals have closed shop too. Flixtorz.to, Flixhq.bz, Movies7.to, Swatchseries.mx and Yeahmovies.to are among more than a dozen sites that are no longer online. The sites all redirect to new domains that are, purportedly, managed by another team.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.