When it comes to blocking websites, Russia is quickly emerging as a world leader. Tens of thousands of resources are now blocked in the country on copyright infringement and a wide range of other grounds.

Of course, Russian citizens are not always prepared to be constrained by their government, so large numbers of people regularly find ways to circumvent ISP blockades. The tools and methods deployed are largely the same as those used in the West, including VPNs, proxies, mirror sites and dedicated services such as Tor.

To counter this defiance, the Russian government has been considering legislation to tackle sites, tools and services that provide Internet users with ways to circumvent blockades. According to local news outlet Vedomosti, that has now resulted in a tough new bill.

Russia’s plan is to issue a nationwide ban on systems and software that allow Internet users to bypass website blockades previously approved by telecoms watchdog Roskomnadzor. This means that if a VPN, proxy or similar tool unblocks torrent site RuTracker, for example, it will be breaking the law. As a result, it too will find itself on Russia’s banned site list.

The publication says it has confirmed the bill’s existence with a federal official and several Internet service provider sources.

The technical aspects of the bill were reportedly formulated by lawyers working for the Media Communications Union (MCU), a trade group established by the largest media companies in the country. The MCU has a particular interest in ensuring that web users do not bypass pirate site blockades by using anonymous web-based CGI proxies.

The bill does give VPN and proxy providers some remove for maneuver. If they are configured to prevent access to all domains present in Russia’s banned resources list, it appears they can avoid legal issues. However, for VPN services which pride themselves on not monitoring user traffic, censoring certain sites could provoke a backlash and undermine credibility.

As previously reported, Russia also has search engines in its sights. It wants to prevent links to banned sites appearing in search results, claiming that these encourage people to access banned material.

The new bill reportedly lays out a new framework which will force search engines to remove such links. Failing to do so could result in fines of up to $12,400 per breach, clearly a significant issue for companies such as Google and local search giant Yandex.

“We believe that the laying of responsibilities on search engines is superfluous,” a Yandex spokesperson said.

“Even if the reference to a [banned] resource does appear in search results, it does not mean that by clicking on it the user will get access, if it was already blocked by ISPs or in any other ways.”

This morning, the bill was discussed at the Russian Internet Forum (RIF). While it’s aim of reducing copyright infringement was understood, there were concerns that the bill could affect negatively effect the rights of Internet users.

“Naturally, we are against the spread of illegal content, but the law does not violate the rights and freedoms of citizens to access information,” says Sergey Grebennikov, director of the Regional Public Center of Internet Technologies.

“Yes, there is a ‘gray zone’ used to carry out illegal activities and the distribution of illegal content using a CGI proxies, but it does not mean that legitimate users have to suffer. It is also important to note that the laws do not violate the rights of users who choose the safe use of the Internet, for example, by using a VPN connection,” Grebennikov concludes.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.

In recent years, copyright holders have taken aim at the domain name industry, calling on players to take a more active approach against piracy.

One of the often heard complaints is that website owners use Whois masking services to ensure their privacy.

There are several companies dedicated to offering privacy to domain registrants and today, rightsholders will see a well-known adversary entering the market.

Former Pirate Bay spokesperson and co-founder Peter Sunde has just announced his latest venture. Keeping up his fight for privacy on the Internet, he’s launching a new company called Njalla, that helps site operators to shield their identities from prying eyes.

The name Njalla refers to the traditional hut that Sámi people use to keep predators at bay. It’s built on a tall stump of a tree or pole and is used to store food or other goods.

On the Internet, Njalla helps to keep people’s domain names private. While anonymizer services aren’t anything new, Sunde’s company takes a different approach compared to most of the competition.

Njalla

With Njalla, customers don’t buy the domain names themselves, they let the company do it for them. This adds an extra layer of protection but also requires some trust.

A separate agreement grants the customer full usage rights to the domain. This also means that people are free to transfer it elsewhere if they want to.

“Think of us as your friendly drunk (but responsibly so) straw person that takes the blame for your expressions,” Njalla notes.

TorrentFreak spoke to Peter Sunde who says that the service is needed to ensure that people can register domain names without having to worry about being exposed.

“Njalla is needed because we’re going the wrong way in society regarding people’s right to be anonymous. With social media pressuring us to be less anonymous and services being centralized, we need alternatives,” Sunde says.

The current domain privacy services aren’t really providing anonymity, Sunde believes, that’s why he decided to fill this gap.

“All key parts of the Internet need to have options for anonymity, and the domain name area is something which was never really protected. At best you can buy a domain name using ‘privacy by proxy’ services, which are aimed more at limiting spam than actually protecting your privacy.”

As co-founder of The Pirate Bay, Njalla might also get some pirate sites as customers. Since Njalla owns the domain names, this could lead to some pressure from rightsholders, but Sunde isn’t really worried about this.

“The domain name itself is not really what they’re after. They’re after the content that the domain name points to. So we’re never helping with anything that might infringe on anything anyhow, so it’s a non-question for us,” Sunde says.

For those who are interested, Njalla just opened its website for business. The company is registered with the fitting name 1337 LLC and is based in Nevis, a small island in the Caribbean Sea.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.

For the millions of purist ‘pirates’ out there, obtaining free content online is a puzzle to be solved at home. Discovering the best sites, services, and tools is all part of the challenge and in order to keep things tidy, these should come at no cost too.

But for every self-sufficient pirate, there are dozens of other individuals who prefer not to get into the nuts and bolts of the activity but still want to enjoy the content on offer. It is these people that are reportedly fueling a new crime wave sweeping the streets, from the United States, through Europe, and beyond.

IPTV – whether that’s a modified Kodi setup or a subscription service – is now considered by stakeholders to be a major piracy threat and when people choose to buy ready-built devices, they are increasingly enriching “criminal gangs” who have moved in to make money from the phenomenon.

That’s the claim from Police Scotland, who yesterday held a seminar at Scottish Police College to discuss emerging threats in intellectual property crime. The event was attended by experts from across Europe, including stakeholders, Trading Standards, HM Revenue & Customs, and the UK Intellectual Property Office.

“The illegal use of Internet protocol television has risen by 143% in the past year and is predominantly being carried out online. This involves the uploading of streams, server hosting and sales of pre-configured devices,” Scottish Police said in a statement.

The conference was billed as an “opportunity to share ideas, knowledge and investigative techniques” that address this booming area of intellectual property infringement, increasingly being exploited by people looking to make a quick buck. The organized sale of Android-style set-top boxes pre-configured for piracy is being seen as a prime example.

In addition to eBay and Amazon sales, hundreds of adverts are being placed both online and in traditional papers by people selling devices already setup with Kodi and the necessary addons.

“Crime groups and criminals around Scotland are diversifying into what’s seen as less risk areas,” Chief Inspector Mark Leonard explains.

It goes without saying that both police and copyright holders are alarmed by the rise in sales of these devices. However, even the people who help to keep the ‘pirate’ addons maintained and circulated have a problem with it too.

“In my opinion, the type of people attracted to selling something like a preloaded Kodi box aren’t very educated and generally lean towards crooked or criminal activity,” Eleazar of the hugely popular TVAddons repository informs TorrentFreak.

“These box sellers bring people to our community who should never have used Kodi in the first place, people who feel they are owed something, people who see Kodi only as a piracy tool, and people who don’t have the technical aptitude to maintain their Kodi device themselves.”

But for sellers of these devices, that’s exactly why they exist – to help out people who would otherwise struggle to get a Kodi-enabled box up and running. However, there are clear signs that these sellers are feeling the heat and slowly getting the message that their activities could attract police attention.

On several occasions TorrentFreak has contacted major sellers of these devices for comment but none wish to go on the record. Smaller operators, such as those selling a few boxes on eBay, are equally cautious. One individual, who is already on police radar, insists that it’s not his fault that business is booming.

“Sky and the Premier League charge too much. It’s that simple,” he told TF.

“Your average John gives you a few quid and takes [the device] and plugs it in. Job done. How is that different from getting a mate to do it for you, apart from the drink?”

To some extent, Internet piracy has traditionally been viewed as a somewhat ‘geeky’ activity, carried out by the tech-savvy individual with a little know-how. However, the shift from the bedroom to the living room – fueled by box suppliers – has introduced a whole new audience to the activity.

“This is now seen as being normalized,” says Chief Inspector Mark Leonard.

“A family will sit and watch one of these IPTV devices. There’s also a public perception that this is a commodity which is victimless. Prevention is a big part of this so we need to change attitudes and behaviours of people that this damages the creative industries in Scotland as well.”

As things stand, everything points to the controversy over these devices being set to continue. Despite being under attack from all sides, their convenience and bargain-basement pricing means they will remain a hit with fans. This is one piracy battle set to rage for some time.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.

“Piracy is killing the music industry” is a phrase we’ve been hearing from industry execs for many years now.

So in that regard, it can be quite refreshing to hear a different perspective from someone whose livelihood depends on music.

This is exactly what happened at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival last Friday.

During his set, singer-songwriter Mac DeMarco told the crowd that his latest album “This Old Dog” had leaked online. That’s not insignificant, as it’s nearly three weeks before the official May 5 release date.

However, instead of begging fans to wait for the official release to come out, DeMarco said that he didn’t give a shit and encouraged them to download it from pirate sites.

“We’re going to play a song we’ve only played twice before. It’s a new song, came out a couple of days ago. But you know what? The album leaked yesterday, so I don’t give a shit anymore.”

“Download it. Pirate Bay, Torrents.to, Soulseek, Napster, Limewire, Kazaa. Just get it, just get it,” DeMarco added.

Pirate Bay, Torrents.to, Soulseek, Nepster, Limewire, Kazaa…

The comments are noteworthy since artists don’t regularly encourage fans to get their work on The Pirate Bay, for free. However, the sites and services that the singer-songwriter mentioned are also worth highlighting.

It appears that Mac DeMarco hasn’t been actively participating in the piracy scene recently as the references are a bit dated, to say the least.

The original Napster application ceased to operate in 2001, when Demarco was 11-years-old, and Kazaa and Limewire followed a few years later. Even Torrents.to is no longer operational from its original domain name.

The only two options that remain are The Pirate Bay and Soulseek, which are both icons in the file-sharing world. Perhaps it’s time for this old dog to learn some new tricks?

Despite the active “promo,” thus far interest in the leaked album is rather modest. The torrent on The Pirate Bay has roughly 100 people sharing it at the time of writing, and that’s the most popular one we’ve seen.

Or could it be that some fans just gave up after they tried to get outdated and malware infested copies of Kazaa and Limewire up and running?

Download…

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.

According to the world’s major movie studios, piracy during a movie’s opening release window is the most damaging to the industry. That’s almost completely down to the way movies are marketed.

In the weeks and early months following a major title’s debut, the only place to see it is in a theater. When people make brand new movies available illegally in the home, it’s argued that fewer people go to the cinema and the subsequent retail window suffers with fewer sales.

This disruption in the market is the work of so-called movie ‘cammers’, people who enter movie theaters around the world, record the latest titles with a video device, and then make them available online and/or to physical bootleggers. They’re a prime target for movie studios who invest considerable resources in tracking them down, especially when it comes to the biggest titles.

Last Friday the MPAA was doing just that when one of their investigators shadowed two men into a Linthicum, Maryland theater from the parking lot at around 7:30 pm.

Troy Cornish, 38, of Baltimore, and Floyd Buchanan, 35, of Dundalk, were allegedly seen with recording equipment outside while preparing to target the US premiere of The Fate of the Furious (F8) starring Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson.

Like its predecessors, F8 is destined to be a guaranteed hit with the pirating masses so getting an early copy as quickly as possible is high on the list for capable cammers.

According to Anne Arundel County Police, when Cornish and Buchanan were approached inside the theater they were actively recording the $250m blockbuster. The pair were later found to be wearing some kind of recording harnesses under their clothing which held cell phones against their chests.

Both men were arrested and subsequently charged with the unauthorized recording of a movie in a theater. According to a local report, they face one year in prison and/or a $2,500 fine.

It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act (which usually covers such offenses) can see a first time offender imprisoned for up to three years and a repeat offender for up to six. Potentially complicating matters is that the MPAA investigator told police that Buchanan was already known to the industry group as a movie piracy suspect.

While the fate of the pair will remain to be seen, the fate of The Fate of the Furious is already sealed in piracy circles. After being pirated (presumably by another group) within 24 hours of its release, the movie entered TF’s weekly “Top Ten Most Pirated” chart yesterday at number six, a position that’s guaranteed to improve next week.

There are several versions available online, but without a doubt the most popular is a cammed version uploaded by notorious release group Hive-CM8. It was reportedly obtained from a ‘latino’ source and appears online with hard-coded subtitles cropped off.

Hive-CM8 is perhaps best known for their DVD screener leaks over the past couple of years (1,2) but are known to work with movie cammers too.

The MPAA is yet to make a statement on the arrests of Cornish and Buchanan but recently noted that The Fate of the Furious had contributed over $65 million to Georgia’s local economy while employing over 1,600 local workers.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.