In file-sharing terms a decade is an awful long time and with the world’s entertainment companies baying for blood, reaching a tenth birthday is a major achievement for any torrent site.

Nevertheless, in recent times two of the world’s largest torrent sites, isoHunt and The Pirate Bay, both celebrated that special birthday. Both bear the scars of battle but remain defiant, at least for now, but there are others who achieve longevity with far fewer war wounds.

At the start of the year, TorrentReactor was the ninth most-popular torrent site on the Internet. Like The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents the site has been subjected to domain blocking in recent years but currently offers its own proxy workaround. That’s a fairly recent development though, so how did it all begin?

“It began ten years ago as a project in a new, very interesting and promising area,” TorrentReactor (TR) told TorrentFreak. “File-sharing was very ‘geeky’ at that time and torrent sites like this tended to make it more public. Over several years TorrentReactor evolved into a big torrent indexing machine serving many millions of people per week.”

Like the majority of torrent sites, TR didn’t start out intending to take over the world. The site rarely had a sustainable team of developers and many of those involved were running other projects at the same time. That was enough to keep the site moving forward and improving as necessary but a couple of years ago things began to change.

“Now we can proudly say there’s a big international group of people working on the project. We still have some side projects but now they are mostly spin-offs or otherwise related,” TR explain.

With the site’s increase in popularity has come a demand for new hardware. Starting out small, TorrentReactor originally rented servers from other companies but alongside the site’s growth came a need to buy its own equipment. Currently the site is running on five servers for databases and front end, plus others to proxy the site’s traffic.

While there is no Pirate Bay-style museum piece, TorrentReactor are no strangers to pulling off Pirate Bay-style pranks.

“The most wide-spread was probably the joke we pulled off about us buying a village in the middle of Russia. It was totally unexpected how viral this thing would go and we definitely had a lot of fun reading about it in lots of various news sources,” TR explain.

But jokes aside, it hasn’t all been so much fun. The site has experienced significant problems over the years and at least one disaster that was completely unexpected.

“In 2010 we had a large hosting partner with ten servers hosted there for various projects including TorrentReactor,” TR explain.

“At the end of the year they had a huge scandal with one of their key employees who was fired and later accessed the whole system and damaged all the HDDs they had. Servers we had with them were located away from each other so we thought it would be safe to store backups with the same hosting provider.

“However the disaster damaged everything: the website code, databases, and all backups. All the other backups we had were dated months before the incident. It took us at least several weeks to restore most of the functionality and data although some of it was gone forever.”

Since then the site has introduced a whole new way of storing and managing its data and so far there has been no situation that has required it to be tested. But interestingly, TR now cite more recent events as causing serious issues for the site. So who is to blame? None other than the world’s largest search engine.

“It is well known that Google brings lots of traffic to file-sharing websites and any changes in algorithms may affect that traffic. This year is probably the most challenging one because Google has introduced many new search algorithms and all torrent sites have suffered from that,” TR explain.

“The changes happened at the same time we were actively rebuilding the website from scratch so we had to work even harder to bring back the traffic and keep the development pace. But the experience we got is definitely a valuable one and will help us a lot in the future.”

All in all, TorrentReactor say that at times external factors caused them to lose around 50% of the traffic they had at their peak.

“A couple of years ago we had over a million visitors a day and now we have around 500k. Many new sites played their part in this too. File-sharing traffic is still growing despite many anti-piracy movements and all that. It just redistributes in a different way giving good small sites a chance to have their audience.”

But despite the setbacks, enthusiasm is high among the TR team and work is underway to modernize and reinforce the site with an eye on the future.

“Loyal visitors might have recently noticed our new main page is full of images, covers for the content we have available. We see many content-oriented websites switching to this kind of look. It helps users select the content they want a lot faster and easier,” TR note. “Visual perception of images is a lot better than reading titles, it gives you the idea of the content instantly.”

TR admit that there are other aspects of the site that should have been upgraded years ago, the user interaction system for one. That is currently being rebuilt with a focus on “friendly and fun” with content discovery mechanisms based around social elements.

“Users will be able to find out more about movies they like and actors that play in them, or browse through game-related content and chat with others who like similar games. More will be revealed in the coming months,” TR concludes.

Whether TorrentReactor or in fact any other major torrent site will be around in another ten years is open to debate but for now there are definitely no plans to fade away.

Source: TorrentReactor: Ten Years of Serving Torrents

Video streaming giant Netflix sees itself as one of the most prominent competitors to the many pirate sites that offer video content without owners’ permission.

However, these pirate sites also offer Netflix valuable information as to what video content they should acquire for their service.

This week Netflix rolled out its service in the Netherlands and the company’s Vice President of Content Acquisition, Kelly Merryman, says that their offering is partly based on what shows do well on BitTorrent networks and other pirate sites.

“With the purchase of series, we look at what does well on piracy sites,” Merryman told Tweakers.

One of the shows that Netflix acquired the rights to in the Netherlands is Prison Break, since it is heavily pirated locally. “Prison Break is exceptionally popular on piracy sites,” Merryman says.

In a separate interview Netflix CEO Reed Hastings adds that his company is aware of the many people who download content without permission via torrent sites. However, this is not exclusively a bad thing, as it also creates demand for the content Netflix is offering.

“Certainly there’s some torrenting that goes on, and that’s true around the world, but some of that just creates the demand,” Hastings says.

Eventually these BitTorrent users may want to switch to Netflix as it’s a much better user experience than torrenting, according to the CEO.

“Netflix is so much easier than torrenting. You don’t have to deal with files, you don’t have to download them and move them around. You just click and watch,” Hastings says.

One goal of Netflix is to convert people who currently use pirate sites to get their fix, and there is some evidence that this is indeed happening. According to Hastings, there is evidence that BitTorrent traffic in Canada dropped 50% after Netflix started there three years ago.

The real challenge for the streaming service is to license as much content as they can, which is easier said than done. It might not be a coincidence that “Game of Thrones” is the most pirated TV-show. After all, Netflix wasn’t able to buy the rights from HBO no matter what they offered.

Source: Netflix Uses Pirate Sites to Determine What Shows to Buy

H33t, one of the largest BitTorrent sites on the Internet, slowly disappeared from the Internet last week.

After some initial confusion it became apparent that the site’s domain registrar had removed all nameservers, rendering H33t unreachable by the public. The reason for this drastic action was initially unclear but over the past week the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place.

TorrentFreak contacted H33t’s domain registrar, the German company Key-Systems, who confirmed that they were forced to take this action following a court order.

“We have indeed been served with a court order granting a temporary injunction requiring us to ensure certain content is not made available,” Key System’s Volker Greimann tells TorrentFreak.

The injunction was obtained by Universal Music GMBH, a German division of Universal Music Group, and lists Robin Thicke’s album Blurred Lines as the infringed material. The order requires the registrar to prevent the files in question from being distributed through H33t’s search engine and tracker.

As a result, Key-Systems saw no other option than to delete the nameservers or remove the entire domain from its system. “The only way to comply with that court order was to either remove the DNS entries or delete the domain,” Greimann says.

This is the first time that a torrent site has been targeted by a copyright holder through a domain registrar. While the details of the injunction haven’t been made available to the public it sets a dangerous precedent. This is also one of the main reasons why Key-Systems is determined to fight the ruling.

“We regret that we cannot comment in detail on an ongoing legal matter that is yet to be finally decided by the court, however we are determined to get this court order lifted as soon as possible,” Greimann tells TorrentFreak.

One of the reasons H33t may have been targeted is its unique takedown policy. The site allows copyright holders to remove infringing files but charges an administration fee of $50 per takedown request. The site doesn’t comply with the DMCA, claiming that it falls outside US jurisdiction.

H33t’s owner hopes that the temporary injunction will eventually be reversed. He is surprised that it is so easy for a German court to target the property of a company that doesn’t operate under its jurisdiction.

“Quite frankly I cannot see how this decision will stand. The German court cannot have global jurisdiction to take down a site in other countries. It is an example of outdated courts making decisions in a cases where they demonstrate their high level of ignorance,” H33t’s Shelby tells TorrentFreak.

H33t meanwhile has lost nearly 25% of its traffic over the past week. The site quickly moved to the new H33t.eu domain but many visitors appear to have trouble finding the new home.

Source: Universal Music Behind H33t.com Domain Seizure

After years of negotiating and planning the long-awaited U.S. “six-strikes” system finally went live in February.

The Copyright Alert System’s main goal is to educate the public. That is, informing people that their connection is being used to share copyrighted material without permission, and pointing them to legal alternatives.

While repeat infringers face so-called mitigation measures, the copyright holders and ISPs have made it very clear that no one will permanently lose their Internet access. Nevertheless, AT&T is currently using its Copyright Alert emails to warn accused pirates that account termination is an option.

TorrentFreak obtained a copy of AT&T’s Copyright Alert (posted in full below) which warns that those who share copyrighted files may lose their account. Worryingly, this threat comes before the official mitigation measures are mentioned.

“Using your Internet service to infringe copyrights is illegal and a violation of the AT&T Internet Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy, which apply to all users of your account, and could result in mitigation measures including limitation of Internet access or even suspension or termination,” AT&T writes.

The sentence above points to a footnote clarifying that a termination is AT&T policy as required by the DMCA.

“Pursuant to Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, AT&T’s policy is to terminate services to repeat infringers under appropriate circumstances,” the footnote reads.

The key part here is “appropriate circumstances,” which the Internet provider doesn’t elaborate on.

Several years ago AT&T stated that it would only disconnect repeat infringers if the company was ordered to do so by a court, unlike other service providers such as YouTube and many file-hosting services who terminate accounts on their own.

The issue is a gray area, since the termination section of the DMCA is not clear on whether service providers have to terminate accounts themselves, or if a court order is required.

TorrentFreak contacted AT&T to ask which circumstances could expose a subscriber to losing his or her Internet access but we have yet to receive a response.

If it wanted to, AT&T could certainly identify persistent pirates as the six-strikes scheme requires the company to keep a database of infringing accounts. The scheme further requires ISPs to save this information in case the MPAA, RIAA or other copyright holders decide they need to access it.

So, it is not unthinkable that account terminations could follow, although this would require the copyright holders to obtain a court order or subpoena.

While AT&T’s “alert” doesn’t cross any lines, technically speaking, for the general public the mention of possible account terminations can be rather confusing. It would have been more appropriate to explain under what circumstances subscribers may lose Internet access, while making clear that this is unrelated to the alert they received.

A redacted copy of the Copyright Alert being sent out by AT&T is detailed below.

—

Copyright Infringement Alert

Dear (Primary Account Holder),

We are sending you this alert as part of our participation in the Copyright Alert Program — an industry-wide initiative intended to help users understand their rights and responsibilities in the distribution of copyrighted content online.

Digital content owners routinely monitor file-sharing networks to determine if copyrighted movies and music are being distributed illegally over the Internet. Through the Copyright Alert System, we’ve recently received a notice from a movie studio, record company, television studio or other company that owns copyrighted material that your AT&T Internet account was used in connection with possible infringement of their copyright protected materials.

Your account was identified by its IP address. However, in keeping with the AT&T Privacy Policy, we have not released your name or personal information, and we will not do so except as required by a lawful request for records. But at the request of the content owner, we are sending this alert — which applies to all users of your account — so that the issue may be resolved without further action.

A copy of the original notice can be found at att.com/copyright-infringement, but summary information is available at the end of this email.

What is Copyright Infringement?

Copyright protection gives creators of original intellectual property (such as music, movies, videos, books, artwork, and images) the exclusive right to that work — including control over reproduction, distribution, adaptation, performance, or financial benefit. If you or any other user(s) of your account copy, reproduce, adapt, or distribute copyrighted material without authorization, you are infringing those rights.

Using your Internet service to infringe copyrights is illegal and a violation of the AT&T Internet Terms of Service (TOS) and Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), which apply to all users of your account, and could result in mitigation measures including limitation of Internet access or even suspension or termination.*

How Does this Affect Me?

Through the Copyright Alert Program, users are given an opportunity to understand and change behavior that may be resulting in Copyright Alerts. However, if they receive multiple Copyright Alerts, they may encounter corrective action — or mitigation measures — which may limit or inhibit Internet access.

No action will be taken at this point and we’ll let you know when mitigation measures are pending, should any be necessary. At that point, if you wish, you may request an Independent Review which provides an opportunity to challenge this or any other Copyright Alert before any mitigation measure is implemented. (Be sure to preserve any records or information that could be used to show that the activity was non-infringing.)

Other Helpful Information

It is possible that the infringement notice is the result of activity through a peer-to-peer (P2P) program that may be on your computer. These programs can pose issues, so it is important for you to understand what they are and the risks of using them.

You can find information on P2P programs and how to remove them, through the Center for Copyright Information at www.copyrightinformation.org

There are many ways to legally enjoy protected television programs, movies, and music. You can find information on these methods at www.copyrightinformation.org/a-better-way-to-find-movies-tv-music/

What Do I Need to Do?

• Please visit att.com/copyright-infringement to learn more about copyrights, our policies, and the Copyright Alert System.
• Visit the Center for Copyright Information website at copyrightinformation.org for additional information on the industry-wide Copyright Alert Program, as well as information on Peer-to-Peer programs, and more.
• Check to make sure that the activity of all users of your account is in compliance with copyright laws, the AT&T Internet Terms of Service, and Acceptable Use Policy.

Taking the above action should help you to resolve the issue.

Sincerely,
Your AT&T Internet Service Customer Care Team

_{*Pursuant to Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, AT&T’s policy is to terminate services to repeat infringers under appropriate circumstances.}

Important Note: This email contains links to various websites. You may copy and paste the URL(s) into your browser rather than clicking directly on the link.
Copyright Notice

–Summary–
For a copy of the original notice, please go to att.com/copyright-infringement

Notice ID: XXXXXX
Content Owner: MPAA Search and Notify
Contact: Administrator
NA
(+1) 818-XXX-XXXX
XXXXXX@mpaa.org
Content Title: EXPENDABLES 2, THE
File Name: The.Expendables.2.2012.iNTERNAL.720p.BluRay.x264-AVSHD [PublicHD]
IP Address: XXXXXX
Port: 39815
File Type: P2P
Timestamp: XXXXXX

Source: AT&T Threatens Persistent Pirates With Account Termination

In 2010 the UK introduced the Digital Economy Act, legislation designed in part to crack down on the unlawful sharing of copyrighted material, but three years on and the implementation of the law is still more than a couple of years away.

Not surprisingly the music and movie industries remain keen to see action taken against errant subscribers and unlicensed sites that they blame for millions in lost sales every year. But while DEA implementation is still some time away, the government has been listening.

Behind the scenes negotiations are taking place on a voluntary “three strikes” style scheme and operating right now is a new City of London Police unit focused on making life difficult for unauthorized torrent and other file-sharing sites.

Then yesterday there was more news that strongly suggests that the government intends to take a tougher line on copyright infringement. Prime Minister David Cameron announced that he had appointed Mike Weatherley MP as his advisor on intellectual property.

Weatherley, who says he will focus on enforcement issues relating to the creative industries, is no stranger to the entertainment world. The chartered accountant was the former finance director of record producer Pete Waterman’s empire. He later became Vice President (Europe) for the Motion Picture Licensing Company.

The 56-year-old founder of Parliament’s Rock the House competition, is also a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Intellectual Property Group which was launched back in 2003 to raise awareness and rally against copyright and related infringement.

Given his background and support for the new Intellectual Property Crime Unit, there can be little doubt that Weatherley’s appointment signals a hardening of attitudes by the government against piracy and in support of the entertainment industries.

“I am honored to be been appointed as the Prime Minister’s adviser on Intellectual Property. The creative industries are incredibly important to Britain’s economy so it is only right that the Government focuses on enforcement issues,” Weatherley said in a statement.

“I look forward to working with the Prime Minster and my ministerial colleagues on addressing the challenges that face the film and music industries.”

While Weatherley’s new role is an unpaid position, he will no doubt work hard to ensure that his colleagues in Big Music aren’t remunerated in the same fashion.

Source: UK Prime Minister Appoints New Anti-Piracy Enforcement Advisor