Without proper moderation any torrent site will turn into a swamp of fake files and malicious content.

This became painfully apparent earlier this year when The Pirate Bay was left unmoderated, and a similar situation is now taking place at 1337x.to.

The site, which is one of the most visited torrent sites on the Internet, has built up a strong community in recent years. As with most other sites the day-to-day operations are managed by admins and moderators, who volunteer their free time to dealing with spam and other inappropriate content.

After a redesign, however, the staffers have grown impatient with the site’s owner who failed to respond to various complaints. One of the most pressing issues is a security hole which allows others to hijack user accounts.

“The new design is full of bugs, leaving users unprotected and vulnerable to attacks. The owner has refused to fix those problems creating dissension in the ranks,” former 1337x moderator ‘The Ghost’ informs TF.

The vulnerabilities allow outsiders to take over the accounts of regular users and post all sorts of spam.

“What would happen, is somebody would reply to a comment that had a script injected. Once they replied, their account got hijacked and started uploading infected torrents,” The Ghost says.

The above is just one example, according to the moderator. These and other bugs caused a lot of problems for the moderation crew as well as the users. However, they reportedly remain in place today.

Since the owner has been very unresponsive, all active moderators and admins have decided to step down. They were already paying for the server rent and the 1337x domain names, which will likely be forwarded to the new home.

Visitors who access the old forum URL (1337x.net) are now redirected to the new home at leetxtorrents.org, where a new forum was created with a copy of the database.

Another “former” 1337x staffer Mustangx, who owns the original .com and .org domains, confirms the staff exodus and says that they are working on a new torrent site as well. The staffers don’t have access to the old code, so they have to start anew.

“We have a team working on an entirely new site at the moment. We hope to have it ready for the new year,” Mustangx says.

In recent days the owner of the original 1337x reappeared again. However, many staffers believe that it’s too late to make things right, although it hurts to leave their old home behind.

“Nobody likes the idea of just leaving the old site sitting there but it doesn’t have an off button. Kind of like leaving a claymore mine lying around the internet,” The Ghost concludes.

At the time of writing the old 1337.to site remains operational, but the domain may be redirected in the future as well.

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

On Thursday following a two-week trial, a Virginia federal jury ruled that US-based ISP Cox Communications could be held liable for piracy carried out by its users.

After failing to act on copyright infringement warnings sent by anti-piracy outfit Rightscorp on behalf of music publisher BMG, Cox was found guilty of willful contributory copyright infringement and ordered to pay $25 million in damages.

At the time of writing Cox is considering its options, including the possibility of appeal, but should the ruling stand the piracy landscape in the United States could be changed forever.

Internet service providers

Firstly, rival Internet service providers such as Comcast are likely to be somewhat nervous about how this decision will affect them and how they will be expected to handle copyright complaints in the future.

During the BMG case the judge found that Cox’s repeat infringer policy was lacking, so much so that it that meant the company lost its safe harbor protections under the DMCA.

It is now likely that if they haven’t already done so, major ISPs will be scrambling to have very clear repeat infringer processes committed to paper and have their employees follow them to the letter. After the decision this week, any one of them could be beaten with the same stick used to beat Cox.

The big question, however, is exactly how repeat infringers will be handled and what their ultimate punishment will be. In the Cox case the clear suggestion was that there needed to be not only suspensions, but also disconnections. That is not something that currently happens regularly in the United States.

Six Strikes

While Cox was one of the few large ISPs that refused to join, most major ISPs in the United States are already part of the so-called ‘Six Strikes’ (Copyright Alerts) scheme. Officially known as the Copyright Alerts System, the program sees pirating subscribers receive escalating warnings about their copyright infringing behaviors.

Along the way they may also face mitigation measures, such as a temporary break in service while having to fill in a copyright-related questionnaire. But then, after the sixth ‘strike’, it appears nothing much happens.

While terminations may be threatened by ISPs, there is no evidence to suggest they are being carried out on anything like a large scale. Certainly, the ‘Six Strikes’ deal itself does not mandate disconnections for repeat infringers, it merely makes the suggestion that could be an option for ISPs.

Nevertheless, if the Cox decision stands, ISPs across the United States will be more aware of the implications of handling infringers in the way that Cox has. At the very least they will be seeking to maintain their Safe Harbor protections under the DMCA so dealing with subscribers more firmly (or at least more clearly) seems the likely outcome.

Rightscorp

As it stands thus far, Thursday was a good day for Rightscorp. The company hasn’t been doing well for some time but its argument that ISPs must implement disconnections for repeat infringers now has more momentum than it did before. That positivity for the company also reflected in its stock Thursday, albeit it briefly.

But while on the surface the disconnection threat might seem good for Rightscorp, in practice things may not work out so well.

Rightscorp currently tries to negotiate with alleged pirates with the suggestion that the anti-piracy outfit won’t press for ISP disconnection as long as people pay the cash demanded in their settlement emails. However, if one assumes that the Cox decision stands then the power over whether to disconnect someone is now well and truly out of Rightscorp’s hands.

In the past Rightscorp might’ve pushed an ISP to pressure a subscriber, but with ISPs taking more of an interest in preserving Safe Harbor protections, subscribers paying Rightscorp won’t have any positive effect on whether a customer is disconnected or not. After all, one cannot simply pay a fine to a third party to absolve an ISP of liability under the law.

Granted, outfits like BMG might agree not to sue ISPs if they pass on Rightscorp’s threats and subscribers pay their fines, but ISPs will have to put policies in place across the board and it’s difficult to imagine any copyright holders getting special treatment. Furthermore, if ISPs have solid repeat infringer policies, there will be nothing to sue them over.

Finally, and perhaps crucially, disconnected former Internet users generate zero revenue for Rightscorp.

Internet users

Presuming that the Cox decision stands (and it may not after appeal), US Internet subscribers could be faced with a new reality, one that doesn’t simply allow them to pirate most online content with impunity. Sure, copyright trolls do snag a few thousand in their nets, but overall nothing currently happens to Internet pirates.

Presuming that “six strikes” is where the line is drawn in the sand, subscribers could be faced with not having access to the Internet, at least from their current supplier, after getting caught six times. That’s a lot of chances by almost any measure but will most users allow things to get that far?

Is it likely that many more subscribers, faced with a guarantee of disconnection, will take measures to protect their activities online by using VPNs or similar anonymity tools?

While that remains to be seen, the implications of mass anonymity could be intriguing. Not only will subscribers eliminate the threat of disconnection, but US ISPs will also have fewer concerns over disconnecting users. On top, trolls like Rightscorp will have much fewer people to chase for cash.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. With at least $25m at stake it’s likely that the Cox case will run for some time yet. And it could be quite a ride.

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

Founder & CEO of Jumpwire Media Gavin McGarry, and publisher of The Illusion Of More and consultant to the Copyright Alliance David Newhoff agree to disagree on geoblocking, ISPs’ liability for pirating subscribers, the use of search engines to regulate piracy – and the biggest problems facing digital creators today.

Steal This Show host Jamie King, meanwhile, suggests that President Trump might want to round up pirates, and floats the idea of a Bad Search engine returning the search results no one else wants.

—

STS aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing copyright and file-sharing news. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary and analysis.

The guests for our news discussions will vary and we’ll aim to introduce voices from different backgrounds and persuasions. In addition to news, STS will also produce features interviewing some of the big innovators and minds, one-on-one.

Host: Jamie King

Guests: David Newhoff and Gavin McGarry.

Produced by Jamie King
Edited & Mixed by Eric Bouthiller
Original Music by David Triana

Topics being discussed this week:

– EU Proposal Bans Netflix-Style Geo Blocking and Restrictions
– Cox Is Liable for Pirating Subscribers, Ordered to pay $25 million
– Search Engines Need Regulating to Reduce Piracy, Russia Says
– And more…

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

Former Pirate Bay spokesperson Peter Sunde has always been very outspoken about people’s inherent drive to copy things.

Last year he paid the ultimate price of sacrificing his freedom for his involvement in TPB, but that hasn’t changed his core ‘kopimi‘ values.

One of Peter’s major frustrations is how the entertainment industries handles the idea of copying. When calculating the losses piracy costs, they often put too much value on pirated copies.

This is something Peter knows all too well, as he still owes various movie and music companies millions in damages.

However, this hasn’t stopped him from continuing to copy. In fact, he’s just built the ultimate copying machine using a Raspberry Pi, an LCD display and some Python code.

With these three ingredients the “Kopimashin” makes 100 copies of the Gnarls Barkely track “Crazy” every second. This translates to more than eight million copies per day and roughly $10 million in ‘losses.’

Crazy indeed.

Peter’s machine is part of an art project about the value of digital copies which he’s preparing for an upcoming exhibition.

“I want to show the absurdity on the process of putting a value to a copy. The machine is made to be very blunt and open about the fact that it’s not a danger to any industry at all,” Sunde tells TF.

“But following their rhetoric and mindset it will bankrupt them. I want to show with a physical example – that also is really beautiful in it’s own way – that putting a price to a copy is futile.”

The Kopimashin

The Kopimashin does make real copies of the track, but they are sent to /dev/null, which means that they are not permanently stored.

The most important message, however, is that the millions of dollars in losses the industry claims from him and the other TPB founders are just as fictitious as the number displayed on the Kopimashin.

“The damages in the TPB case are equally ludicrous of course. The idea behind it is of course never to get that money paid, but to scare people into silence and obedience.”

The millions of dollars the industry is said to lose stands in no relation to actual damages according to Peter. On the contrary, he believes that piracy positively affects sales.

“To quote Kenneth Goldsmith, I think the file-sharing trials of this century are going to be our obscenity trials. The claims are never valid, they’re never based on actual damage. If that was the case, we would have been awarded money.”

“The economics work differently in a global networked society. But the industries will not change. That’s why we need to take them down,” he adds.

The Pirate Bay co-founder hopes to finalize 13 Kopimashins for various exhibitions and plans to sell a few as well. In the meantime, he’s continuing to ‘bankrupt’ poor Gnarls Barkley and his label.

“The one running at my home is up to 120 million copies as we speak. That equals $150 million in losses to the recording industry – following their logic,” Peter says.

To get his copying effort recognized Peter contacted the Guinness Book of Records this week, who are currently reviewing his application.

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

In its annual “Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets” the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has listed more than a dozen websites said to be involved in online piracy.

The list draws heavily on input from industry groups and copyright holders including the RIAA and MPAA, who submitted their recommendations a few weeks ago.

While the USTR admits that its overview is not meant to be proof of any actual violations, it encourages responsible authorities to take legal action where it’s appropriate.

“The United States encourages all responsible authorities to intensify efforts to combat piracy and counterfeiting, and to use the information contained in the Notorious Markets List to pursue legal actions where appropriate,” they write.

As in previous years several of the top torrent sites are targeted, including ExtraTorrent, Torrentz and Rutracker. KickassTorrents (KAT) is listed as well, with the authorities noting that the site’s operators go to extremes to hide their identities and evade law enforcement.

“Reportedly based in Canada, over the past several years the site operators have changed the domain name numerous times, obscured or hidden their locations, and have used multiple servers in various countries to evade or otherwise frustrate enforcement actions,” USTR writes.

Interestingly, the latest USTR overview no longer lists The Pirate Bay, which was prominently and persistently featured in recent years.

In addition to torrent sites the list of notorious sites includes various streaming portals and cyberlockers such as 4Shared.com, Putlocker.is, Cuevana.tv, Watchseries.it, and Nowvideo.sx.

Russia’s main social network VK.com is mentioned as well, despite the company’s increased anti-piracy measures.

Continuing a trend that was started last year, the USTR also calls out a domain registrar as a rogue actor. According to the Government the Canadian registrar Rebel is servicing a disproportionate number of infringing sites.

“This year’s submissions reflect that, while the role of domain name registrars remains an ongoing subject of important discussion, Rebel’s outlier status is evidence that it is not taking measures that other domain name registrars have found to be reasonable to address infringement,” the report reads.

Several digital rights groups have pointed out that domain registrars are neutral services and shouldn’t be branded as piracy havens. However, according to the USTR companies such as Rebel should implement policies that allow it to act against clearly criminal activity.

In addition to domain registries, the USTR notes that some hosting services have also become piracy havens. The report specifically calls out the Swiss company Private layer which hosts Putlocker.is, Cuevana.tv, Watchseries.it, and Nowvideo.sx.

“This group of websites, all hosted by Private Layer based in Switzerland and Panama, are evidence of the rising popularity among pirate sites of certain Swiss hosting services,” the USTR writes.

Switzerland is currently working on new legislation to address a loophole in its law that makes it hard to take action against pirate sites, but this plan has yet to be implemented.

According to the Government the yearly overview has helped to spotlight several sites and services that were shut down over the past year. This includes the site of the popular release group YTS/YIFY and well as a leading Popcorn Time fork.

Whether similar successes will be booked during the year to come has yet to be seen. The full list of the notorious online sites and services that are highlighted in the report (pdf) are included below.

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-Rutracker.org (torrent site)
-ExtraTorrent.cc (torrent site)
-Kat.cr (torrent site)
-Ebooktree.org (linking site)
-Ex.ua (download/streaming)
-4Shared.com (cyberlocker)
-Rapidgator.org (cyberlocker)
-Uploaded.net (cyberlocker)
-Movshare group (which allegedly operates Nowvideo.sx, Watchseries.it, Torrenz.eu, Videoweed.es and Novamov.com)
-Private Layer (hosting company of Putlocker.is, Cuevana.tv, Watchseries.it, and Nowvideo.sx )
-Rebel (domain registrar)
-Segundamano.es (mod-chips)
-Bukalapak.com (e-commerce)
-Dhgate.com (e-commerce)
-VK.com (social network)
-Zippyshare.com (cyberlocker)

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