X Sues Music Publishers Over “Weaponized” DMCA Takedown Conspiracy
[x twitter]The legal battle between X Corp. and the music industry has just escalated from a straightforward [copyright lawsuit][1] into a full-blown antitrust war.
The dispute started in 2023, with various music publishers accusing X of ‘breeding’ mass copyright infringement, and appeared to [steer toward a settlement][2] last summer.
## X Sues Music Publishers
That settlement never came. Instead, the legal battle motivated X to gather sufficient evidence for a counterstrike, where many key industry companies and music publishers are accused of a conspiracy to weaponize the DMCA.
In a scathing 53-page complaint filed in the Northern District of Texas today, X Corp. is suing the National Music Publishers’ Association ([NMPA][3]) and a coalition of major music publishers, including Sony, Universal, and Warner Chappell, for alleged violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
*X Corp vs. Music Inc.*
[complaint]
The lawsuit essentially argues that the NMPA didn’t send thousands of DMCA takedown notices to protect artist rights. Instead, X claims the notices were used as an “extortionate campaign” to motivate X into paying “supracompetitive” licensing fees.
“As part of this conspiracy, Defendants weaponized the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (the “DMCA”) against X, using the DMCA as a pretext for their extortionate campaign,” the complaint reads.
## Weaponize the DMCA
The core of X’s argument is that the NMPA and many its members allegedly agreed not to make individual deals with the platform. Instead of negotiating separate licenses, X alleges the industry colluded to get a much better price.
According to the complaint, NMPA President David Israelite emailed X in October 2021 (when it was still Twitter), threatening a “massive program” of DMCA notices on a scale “larger than any previous effort in DMCA history” if X did not agree to a partnership.
*Massive*
[messive]
When X refused to sign a deal, the floodgates opened. X claims that starting in December 2021, the NMPA began sending weekly notices identifying thousands of posts. In the first year alone, these notices targeted over 200,000 posts. Since the scheme began, the campaign has resulted in the suspension of more than 50,000 users.
X describes this as a “weaponization” of the DMCA, aimed not at curbing piracy, but at hurting X’s business by targeting its “most popular users”.
*Weaponize*
[weaponize]
## Allegations of Hypocrisy
Perhaps the most colorful allegations in the new complaint focus on the NMPA’s supposed hypocrisy. X argues that, while the NMPA was demanding the removal of fan-made content, its own executives were posting the exact same material.
The complaint cites an instance where an NMPA Senior Vice President reposted a “remix” video by a user known as “KylePlantEmoji,” which featured copyrighted songs by Nelly and Papa Roach.
“The NMPA lawyer did not report this post as infringing a copyright. Quite the opposite: the lawyer supported the video by reposting it on her own feed,” the complaint notes.
*Remix*
[remix]
In another example, X points to a takedown notice issued for a video of a high school sports award ceremony. The video was flagged because of brief background music played while a student walked on stage to accept an award.
*Ceremony*
[baseless]
“Although there is no reasonable basis for censoring this video focused on a high school athlete’s achievement based on the de minimis, non-commercial use of background music in the video, X had to take it down because of Defendants’ scheme,” the complaint notes.
## The Majors Joined the “Conspiracy”
X’s lawsuit also explains how the major music publishers, Universal, Sony, and Warner Chappell, allegedly joined the conspiracy later. Initially, these labels were not part of the NMPA’s takedown blitz.
However, X claims that the publishers eventually joined when their desired licensing deals did not come to fruition.
With this antitrust action, X is seeking damages and a permanent injunction to stop the alleged anticompetitive conduct. With claims for civil conspiracy, unfair competition, and attempted monopolization, among others, this is a high-stakes case.
*—-*
* *
*The full complaint filed today by X Corp. at a federal court in the Northern District of Texas is available [here (pdf)][4].*
From: [TF][5], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/music-companies-sue-twitter-over-mass-copyright-infringement-230615/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/twitter-nmpa.pdf
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/x-sues-music-publishers-over-weaponized-dmca-takedown-conspiracy/
Italy Fines Cloudflare €14 Million for Refusing to Filter Pirate Sites on Public 1.1.1.1 DNS
[italy flag]Launched in 2024, Italy’s elaborate ‘[Piracy Shield][1]‘ blocking scheme was billed as the future of anti-piracy efforts.
To effectively tackle live sports piracy, its broad blocking powers aim to block piracy-related domain names and IP addresses within 30 minutes.
While many pirate sources have indeed been blocked, the Piracy Shield is not without controversy. There have been multiple reports of overblocking, where the anti-piracy system blocked access to [legitimate][2] sites [and services][3].
Many of these overblocking instances involved the American Internet infrastructure company Cloudflare, which has been particularly critical of Italy’s Piracy Shield. In addition to protesting the measures in public, [Cloudflare][4] allegedly refused to filter pirate sites through its public 1.1.1.1 DNS.
## 1.1.1.1: Too Big to Block?
This refusal prompted an investigation by AGCOM, which now concluded that Cloudflare openly violated its legal requirements in the country. Following an amendment, the Piracy Shield also requires DNS providers and VPNs to block websites.
The dispute centers specifically on the refusal to comply with AGCOM [Order 49/25/CONS][5], which was issued in February 2025. The order required Cloudflare to block DNS resolution and traffic to a list of domains and IP addresses linked to copyright infringement.
Cloudflare reportedly refused to enforce these blocking requirements through its public DNS resolver. Among other things, Cloudflare countered that filtering its DNS would be unreasonable and disproportionate.
*Cloudflare’s arguments (translated)*
[cloud]
The company warned that doing so would affect billions of daily queries and have an “extremely negative impact on latency,” slowing down the service for legitimate users worldwide.
[AGCOM][6] was unmoved by this “too big to block” argument.
The regulator countered that Cloudflare has all the technological expertise and resources to implement the blocking measures. AGCOM argued the company is known for its complex traffic management and rejected the suggestion that complying with the blocking order would break its service.
## €14,247,698 Fine
After weighing all arguments, AGCOM imposed a €14,247,698 (USD $16.7m) fine against Cloudflare, concluding that the company failed to comply with the required anti-piracy measures. The fine represents 1% of the company’s global revenue, where the law allows for a maximum of 2%.
*AGCOM’s conclusion (translated)*
[14m]
According to AGCOM, this is the first fine of this type, both in scope and size. This is fitting, as the regulator argued that Cloudflare plays a central role.
“The measure, in addition to being one of the first financial penalties imposed in the copyright sector, is particularly significant given the role played by Cloudflare” AGCOM notes, adding that Cloudflare is linked to roughly 70% of the pirate sites targeted under its regime.
In its detailed analysis, the regulator further highlighted that Cloudflare’s cooperation is “essential” for the enforcement of Italian anti-piracy laws, as its services allow pirate sites to evade standard blocking measures.
## What’s Next?
Cloudflare has strongly contested the accusations throughout AGCOM’s proceedings and previously [criticized][7] the Piracy Shield system for lacking transparency and due process.
While the company did not immediately respond to our request for comment, it will almost certainly appeal the fine. This appeal may also draw the interest of other public DNS resolvers, such as Google and OpenDNS.
AGCOM, meanwhile, says that it remains fully committed to enforcing the local piracy law. The regulator [notes][8] that since the Piracy Shield started in February 2024, 65,000 domain names and 14,000 IP addresses were blocked.
*—*
* *
*A copy of AGCOM’s detailed analysis and the associated order (N. 333/25/CONS) [available here (pdf)][9].*
From: [TF][10], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/tag/piracy-shield/
[4]: https://www.cloudflare.com/
[5]: https://www.agcom.it/provvedimenti/delibera-49-25-cons
[8]: https://www.agcom.it/comunicazione/comunicati-stampa/comunicato-stampa-71
[9]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/RR-25-00092-Order-redacted-1.pdf
French Court Orders Google DNS to Block Pirate Sites, Dismisses ‘Cloudflare-First’ Defense
[champions league]The frontline of online piracy liability keeps moving, and core internet infrastructure providers are increasingly finding themselves in the crosshairs.
Since 2024, the Paris Judicial Court has ordered Cloudflare, Google and other intermediaries to actively block access to pirate sites [through their DNS resolvers][1], confirming that [third-party intermediaries][2] can be required to take responsibility.
These blockades are requested by sports rights holders, covering Formula 1, football, and MotoGP, among others. They argue that public DNS resolvers help users to bypass existing ISP blockades, so these intermediaries should be ordered to block domains too.
## Google DNS Blocks Expand
These blocking efforts didn’t stop. After the first blocking requests were granted, the Paris Court issued various additional blocking orders. Most recently, Google was compelled to take action following a complaint from French broadcaster Canal+ and its subsidiaries regarding Champions League piracy..
Like previous blocking cases, the request is grounded in Article L. 333-10 of the French Sports Code, which enables rightsholders to seek court orders against any entity that can help to stop ‘serious and repeated’ sports piracy.
After reviewing the evidence and hearing arguments from both sides, the Paris Court granted the blocking request, ordering Google to block nineteen [domain names][3], including antenashop.site, daddylive3.com, livetv860.me, streamysport.org and vavoo.to.
The latest blocking order covers the entire 2025/2026 Champions League series, which ends on May 30, 2026. It’s a dynamic order too, which means that if these sites switch to new domains, as verified by ARCOM, these have to be blocked as well.
## Cloudflare-First Defense Fails
Google objected to the blocking request. Among other things, it argued that several domains were linked to Cloudflare’s CDN. Therefore, suspending the sites on the CDN level would be more effective, as that would render them inaccessible.
Based on the [subsidiarity principle][4], Google argued that blocking measures should only be ordered if attempts to block the pirate sites through more direct means have failed.
The court dismissed these arguments, noting that intermediaries cannot dictate the enforcement strategy or blocking order. Intermediaries cannot require “prior steps” against other technical intermediaries, especially given the “irremediable” character of live sports piracy.
The judge found the block proportional because Google remains free to choose the technical method, even if the result is mandated. Internet providers, search engines, CDNs, and DNS resolvers can all be required to block, irrespective of what other measures were taken previously.
## Proportional
Google further argued that the blocking measures were disproportionate because they were complex, costly, easily bypassed, and had effects beyond the borders of France.
The Paris court rejected these claims. It argued that Google failed to demonstrate that implementing these blocking measures would result in “important costs” or technical impossibilities.
Additionally, the court recognized that there would still be options for people to bypass these blocking measures. However, the blocks are a necessary step to “completely cease” the infringing activities.
The ruling further solidifies France’s position as a pioneer in aggressive, real-time anti-piracy enforcement. Over the past two years, the court has systematically rejected defenses from Google and other DNS resolvers. While further appeals may be underway, the Paris Judicial Court clearly sees an anti-piracy role for all intermediaries.
*—*
*
A copy of the order issued by the Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris (RG nº 25/11816) is available [here (pdf)][5]. The order specifically excludes New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and French Polynesia due to specific local legal frameworks.
*
*1. antenashop.site
2. antenawest.store
3. daddylive3.com
4. hesgoal-tv.me
5. livetv860.me
6. streamysport.org
7. vavoo.to
8. witv.soccer
9. veplay.top
10. jxoxkplay.xyz
11. andrenalynrushplay.cfd
12. marbleagree.net
13. emb.apl375.me
14. hornpot.net
15. td3wb1bchdvsahp.ngolpdkyoctjcddxshli469r.org
16. ott-premium.com
17. rex43.premium-ott.xyz
18. smartersiptvpro.fr
19. eta.play-cdn.vip:80*
From: [TF][6], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[2]: https://torrentfreak.com/court-expands-google-and-cloudflare-dns-blocking-to-combat-piracy-241125/
[3]: #domains
[4]: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/the-principle-of-subsidiarity.html
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/tribunal-judiciaire_n°2511816_19_12_2025.pdf
GitHub Restores Repo of GTA Mod ‘Multi Theft Auto’ After Take-Two Fails to Sue
[mta]First released in February 2003, Multi Theft Auto ([MTA][1]) is an unofficial multiplayer mod for several popular Grand Theft Auto games, starting with GTA III.
MTA does not rely on copyright-infringing code, the developers stress, as it works by code injection that hooks into an officially purchased copy of GTA.
## The GitHub Takedown
With this setup, MTA managed to avoid any serious backlash from the GTA creator [Take-Two Interactive][2]. That is, until the game company purportedly sent a DMCA takedown notice to developer platform GitHub, where MTA’s main repository, ‘[mtasa-blue][3]‘ is hosted.
The DMCA notice alleged that the MTA repository included leaked source code and requested it to be removed in full.
“We are writing to submit a takedown request regarding a leaked source code hosted on GitHub that infringes on our copyrights. The infringer is sharing the leaked source code, on the [mtasa-blue] repository,” the [notice][4] read.
*Takedown*
[dmca]
GitHub received the DMCA takedown request in early December, and, soon after, the MTA repository was indeed made inaccessible on the platform.
*Repo removed*
[dmca]
The notice took MTA’s developers by surprise. In their Discord channel, they suggested that it might be fake, especially since the entire repository was targeted, without pointing out any concrete leaked or infringing code. Additionally, the sender also ‘forgot’ to target the repo’s forks, which is unusual.
## GTA Files Counternotice
The MTA developers didn’t sit idly by. On December 22, they filed their [formal counter-notice][5] requesting GitHub to reinstate their repository, denying any copyright infringement claims. Instead, they explain that their mod hooks into the official GTA game.
“The repository referenced contains only original, independently developed source code and supporting materials created by contributors to the project. It does not include, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted assets, source code, or proprietary files from the original game or its publisher.”
“The software operates by interacting at runtime with a lawfully installed, user-supplied copy of the original game. No copyrighted game content is extracted, copied, redistributed, or included within this repository,” the counternotice adds.
*Counternotice*
[counter]
Filing a formal counternotice is a serious step. Under the DMCA, this requires GitHub to restore the repository within a window of 10 to 14 business days, unless the takedown sender files a formal court action. In other words, it was an invitation for Take-Two to take legal action if they indeed wanted the repository offline.
## MTA Repository Restored
Apparently, Take-Two did not feel the need to follow-up on and earlier this week, the repository was [fully restored][6].
Back
[repoback]
The comeback doesn’t mean that GitHub made a legal determination. Without a court order from Take-Two to keep the content offline, GitHub had to respond as its hands were legally tied by the DMCA.
When we reached out to GitHub, they declined to comment on the specific decision, including the authenticity of the original takedown. Instead, GitHub stated that they “reviewed and processed the notices in accordance with our DMCA Takedown Policy.”
In the hopes of getting additional information and commentary, TorrentFreak also reached out to Take-Two Interactive and a MTA developer. Unfortunately, however, neither responded before our deadline.
MTA
[mta full]
## What’s Next?
While the restoration can be seen as a ‘win’ for MTA, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the result is final. If Take-Two was indeed behind the DMCA notice, it could still choose to take legal action later. This is also what happened to the ‘re3’ and ‘reVC’ repositories previously.
These reverse-engineered GTA mods were [restored following a counternotice][7]. However, they eventually were taken down again a few months later, when Take-Two [sued the developers][8] in U.S. court.
From: [TF][9], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://multitheftauto.com/
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take-Two_Interactive
[3]: https://github.com/multitheftauto/mtasa-blue
[4]: https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/2025/12/2025-12-05-take-two.md
[5]: https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/2025/12/2025-12-22-take-two-counternotice.md
[6]: https://github.com/multitheftauto/mtasa-blue
[7]: https://torrentfreak.com/reverse-engineered-gta-code-back-online-after-dmca-counter-notice-210628/
Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 01/05/2026
[zootopia 2]The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only.
Downloading content without permission is copyright infringement. These torrent download statistics are only meant to provide further insight into piracy trends. All data are gathered from public resources.
This week we have one newcomer on the list. “Zootopia 2” is the most shared title.
## The most torrented movies for the week ending on January 5 are:
──────────┬──────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────
**Movie │**Rank last │**Movie name** │**IMDb Rating /
Rank** │week** │ │Trailer**
──────────┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────
**1** │(1) │Zootopia 2 │[7.6][1] /
│ │ │[trailer][2]
──────────┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────
**2** │(3) │The Running Man │[6.0][3] /
│ │ │[trailer][4]
──────────┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────
**3** │(2) │Predator: Badlands │[7.5][5] /
│ │ │[trailer][6]
──────────┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────
**4** │(4) │Now You See Me: Now You Don’t │[6.5][7] /
│ │ │[trailer][8]
──────────┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────
**5** │(5) │Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery│[7.5][9] /
│ │ │[trailer][10]
──────────┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────
**6** │(…) │Wicked: For Good │[6.8][11] /
│ │ │[trailer][12]
──────────┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────
**7** │(10) │Avatar: Fire and Ash │[7.4][13] /
│ │ │[trailer][14]
──────────┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────
**8** │(6) │Nuremberg │[7.6][15] /
│ │ │[trailer][16]
──────────┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────
**9** │(7) │One Battle After Another │[8.1][17] /
│ │ │[trailer][18]
──────────┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────
**10** │(9) │Tron: Ares │[6.4][19] /
│ │ │[trailer][20]
──────────┴──────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────
Note: We also publish an updating archive of all the list of [weekly most torrented movies lists][21].
From: [TF][22], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26443597/
[2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-7RMaQaygI
[3]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4712810/
[4]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD18ddeFuyM
[5]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31227572/
[6]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43R9l7EkJwE
[7]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14107334/
[8]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E3lMRx7HRQ
[9]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14364480/
[10]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHM1K1JByBI
[11]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19847976/
[12]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt98AlBDI9Y
[13]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1757678/
[14]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb_fFj_0rq8
[15]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29567915/
[16]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvAy9C-bipY
[17]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30144839/
[18]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feOQFKv2Lw4
[19]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6604188/
[20]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YShVEXb7-ic
[21]: https://torrentfreak.com/most-pirated-movies-of-2026-weekly-archive/
[22]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-torrented-pirated-movies/
Anna’s Archive Loses .Org Domain After Surprise Suspension
[archive][Anna’s Archive][1] is a meta-search engine for shadow libraries that allows users to find pirated books and other related sources.
The site launched in [the fall of 2022][2], just days after Z-Library was targeted in a U.S. criminal crackdown, to ensure continued availability of ‘free’ books and articles to the broader public.
The site also actively [provides assistance to AI researchers][3] who want to use its library for model training. More recently, Anna’s Archive announced it had created a massive 300TB backup of Spotify, which it is slowly releasing to the public at large.
Since its launch, Anna’s Archive has also received pushback from rightsholders. The site has been [blocked][4] in various countries, and was [sued in the U.S.][5] after it scraped WorldCat.
Despite this legal pressure, the main annas-archive.org domain name remained operational, until it didn’t.
## Anna’s .ORG Domain Suspended
A few hours ago, the site’s original domain name suddenly became unreachable globally. The annas-archive.org domain status was changed to “[serverHold][6],” which is typically done by the domain registry. This status effectively means that the domain is suspended and under investigation. Similar action has previously been taken against other pirate sites.
It is rare to see a .org domain involved in domain name suspensions. The American non-profit Public Interest Registry ([PIR][7]), which oversees the .org domains, previously [refused to suspend][8] domain names voluntarily, including thepiratebay.org. The registry’s [cautionary stance][9] suggests that the actions against annas-archive.org are backed by a court order.
[serverhold]
TorrentFreak asked PIR for a comment on their supposed involvement in the domain suspension, hoping to find out more about the legal grounds, but the organization did not immediately reply.
It is possible that, in response to the ‘DRM-circumventing’ [Spotify backup][10], rightsholders requested an injunction targeting the domain name. However, we have seen no evidence of that. In the WorldCat lawsuit, OCLC requested an injunction to [force action from intermediaries][11], including domain registries, but as far as we know, that hasn’t been granted yet.
## Anna’s Archive Remains Resilient
This is not the first time Anna’s Archive has lost a domain name. The site [previously moved from its .org domain to a .GS domain][12], anticipating a domain seizure in the WorldCat case.
Ironically, this move resulted in a [swift suspension by the .GS registry][13], after which Anna’s Archive returned to its .org domain.
On Reddit, Anna’s Archive [explains][14] that the recent suspension is a mere hiccup too, pointing users to alternative domains.
“The .org domain apparently has been suspended. Our other domains work fine, and we’ve added some more. We recommend checking our Wikipedia page for the latest domains. This unfortunately happens to shadow libraries on a regular basis. ”
“We don’t believe this has to do with our Spotify backup,” AnnaArchivist adds.
At the time of writing, the site is indeed still operational from the older .li and .se domains, as well as the .in and .pm variants that were just added. However, with legal pressure mounting, there are no guarantees that these domains remain operational.
From: [TF][15], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna%27s_Archive
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/german-pirate-site-blockades-target-annas-archive-fitgirl-and-rpg-only/
[6]: https://icann.org/epp#serverHold
[7]: https://pir.org/
[8]: https://torrentfreak.com/riaa-fails-take-pirate-bay-domain-now-160606/
[9]: https://torrentfreak.com/domain-registrars-and-registries-dont-want-to-police-piracy-181113/
[10]: https://torrentfreak.com/annas-archive-backed-up-spotify-plans-to-release-300tb-music-archive/
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/annas-archive-faces-millions-in-damages-and-a-permanent-injunction-240708/
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/annas-archive-loses-gs-domain-name-but-remains-resilient-240718/
[14]: https://www.reddit.com/r/Annas_Archive/comments/1q3zxlb/message_from_anna_were_fine/
[15]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/annas-archive-loses-org-domain-after-surprise-suspension/
Indian ‘Piracy Kingpin’ Acquitted After 10-Years Due to Lack of Evidence
[tellyb]In the summer of 2015, the then 29-year-old Priyank Pardeshi was arrested by the police in Pune, a large city in western India.
The authorities and rightsholders saw Priyank as a kingpin in the local piracy scene, and these allegations were widely repeated by many [news sites][1] at the time.
Priyank was certainly not a typical pirate site operator. He worked at IBM in California. However, during a work-related visit to his home country, he was suddenly arrested, after investigators found pirated movies on his system while they were collecting evidence in an unrelated matter.
## TellyTorrents and Camcording
In addition to Priyank, the authorities also accused two others of being involved in the scheme, which also involved the popular torrent tracker TellyTorrents. This site was a high-profile target, as it was one of the prime locations where the Bollywood blockbuster Bahubali had leaked online.
The case seemed fairly straightforward too. According to the police, the alleged piracy kingpin confessed to running TellyTorrents, earning huge sums in revenue, and storing 1,243 pirated movies. Not just that, he allegedly also revealed that they were involved in camcording films in local theaters for subsequent pirate releases.
These revelations were also shared publicly in the media, to give the case additional weight.
“Priyank revealed that Rahul Mehta of Delhi and Toni of Ghaziabad used to shoot films from cinemas and multiplexes and would prepare their pirated movies. They used to supply it to Jabalpur and many cities across the country and even in Australia and France.”
## The Case Collapses (After 10 years…)
Priyank spent 311 days in custody before he was released on bail. While the prosecution seemed convinced that they had a case, it completely fell apart in court a few weeks ago, when a judicial magistrate in Jabalpur fully acquitted the lead defendant and two co-accused due to a lack of evidence.
In a detailed judgment, Magistrate Kishan Dev Singh Patel dismantled the prosecution’s case, revealing that the police investigation was almost entirely devoid of technical evidence.
Despite the serious charges under the Copyright Act and IT Act, the court noted that:
**– No Forensics:** The police seized computers, laptops, and hard drives but failed to send any items to a forensic lab for analysis. There was no independent verification that the files on the devices were actually pirated movies.
**– No Money Trail:** Despite claims that “huge profits” were made, the prosecution did not produce a single bank statement or transaction record linking Priyank to the website’s revenue.
**– No Domain Link:** The police failed to provide any documents to prove that Priyank purchased or owned the TellyTorrents domain name or that he paid for the servers in question.
[telly torrents]
“There are no documents on record to show that the illegal website TellyTorrents was created/operated by Priyank Pardeshi,” the judgment reads, leaving no other option than to dismiss the claims.
The prosecution relied heavily on testimony from representatives of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce in Hyderabad, who acted as expert witnesses. In court, however, these witnesses admitted that there is no hard evidence that Priyank pirated movies or that he operated TellyTorrents.
## A Systemic Failure
According to Kartik Sharma, an analyst at the renowned law blog SpicyIP, this acquittal is not an outlier but part of a pattern where Indian law enforcement fails to meet the basic standards of digital evidence.
“The crux of why the acquittal happened is quite evident,” Sharma informs TorrentFreak. “The witnesses from the Telugu Film Chamber acknowledged that they had not seen the accused uploading the pirated movies to the website.”
“Also, there was no testing done by an authorized official agency or lab to establish that the alleged content was pirated.”
Sharma notes that similar lapses have led to acquittals in other high-profile piracy cases, such as State v. Bhushan Kumar in Delhi, where police failed to compare seized VCDs with original copyrighted material.
The weak evidence in these cases, including a lack of digital forensics, is ultimately what leads to a full acquittal of the defendants. However, by then, most of the personal damage is already done.
## The Human Cost
While the “kingpin” narrative has been dismantled by the recent court verdict, the decade-long process has taken its toll. Speaking with TorrentFreak, Priyank highlights the human cost.
“I was unable to work for the last 10 years because after I came out of jail, people looked at me like a big criminal,” he says.
“No company would hire me because, during background verification, they could see that a criminal case was pending against me. Other people stopped seeing me as a good person. Even getting married was difficult.”
The other defendants will have similar stories that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. In this light, it is particularly confronting that one of the co-accused, Dilip Gulwani, passed away while the trial was still ongoing.
## A Living Hell
Looking back, the now 40-year-old Priyank feels as if he has been framed, and he’s considering fighting back legally to recoup some of the damages.
Priyank was no stranger to TellyTorrents but notes that his involvement with pirate sites was limited to installing a forum and setting up a website. The earlier-mentioned ‘confession’ was coerced, he alleges.
All in all, the whole experience was traumatizing. While Priyank had no sympathy for the anti-piracy forces that ruined his life, he would caution pirates to reconsider their options. If caught, Bollywood can turn lives into a living hell.
Priyank hopes to continue his life now. He started a family and earns enough to pay the bills. However, he believes that his career would have been much more successful if the criminal piracy prosecution was never started.
## iBomma: The New Piracy Kingpin
Interestingly, as the TellyTorrents case concluded, a new alleged Indian piracy ‘kingpin’ was caught. On November 15, the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police [arrested Immadi Ravi ][2]as the suspected mastermind behind the popular pirate streaming platform iBomma.
This high-profile takedown occurred shortly after the theatrical release of Baahubali: The Epic (a remastered combination of the film franchise). The original Baahubali film, meanwhile, was at the center of the TellyTorrents case exactly ten years prior.
Notably, the film’s director, S.S. Rajamouli, has also gotten actively involved in the iBomma case and openly thanks the police for their hard work.
As with TellyTorrents at the time, the piracy allegations against Ravi are widely echoed in the press, ranging from a [lavish lifestyle][3] financed by millions of dollars in piracy proceeds to [forged identity papers][4]. While these could all be true, the TellyTorrents case shows that caution is warranted.
That brings us to the final point of interest, or a lack thereof. While most Indian media is widely reporting on all new allegations in the iBomma case, the acquittal of the criminal defendants in the TellyTorrents case does not get a single mention.
*
—*
* *
*A copy of the original TellyTorrents court order, issued by Magistrate Kishan Dev Singh Patel and acquitting all defendants, is available [here (pdf)][5].
*
From: [TF][6], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/MP20010129512015_1_2025-11-28-1.pdf
[6]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/indian-piracy-kingpin-acquitted-after-10-years-due-to-lack-of-evidence/
Hollywood, Netflix, and Apple Are Behind Latest Pirate ‘Brand’ Blockades in Belgium
[pirate-flag]In Belgium, the Department for Combating Online Infringement is responsible for overseeing the local pirate site blocking efforts.
The department reviews injunctions from the Business Court in Brussels and translates these into concrete blockade implementation orders.
The first blockade of this kind was announced in April 2025 and [predominantly targeted][1] sports streaming websites. Notably, however, these blocking requirements were not limited to ISPs; they also compelled DNS resolvers to comply.
These DNS resolvers, including Google and Cloudflare, were not pleased, and Cisco’s OpenDNS even went as far as [stopping its service in Belgium][2] to avoid having to meddle with DNS. This backlash apparently struck a nerve, as OpenDNS has since resumed its activities in Belgium as the case is under appeal.
## U.S. Movie Giants Behind New Blocking Push
Meanwhile, other rightsholders joined in, with various book publishers [securing a blocking order][3] against shadow libraries last August. In late November, this was followed by a new blocking order targeting [various movie piracy sites][4], such as 1337x and Soap2day.
Interestingly, this order is rather limited in its scope. Instead of casting a wide net, it strictly targets Belgium’s five major Internet Service Providers: Proximus, Telenet, Orange Belgium, DIGI Communications Belgium, and Mobile Vikings.
While the targeted ISPs and the blocked sites were listed in the implementation order, the requesting rightsholders were not mentioned.
However, after the Belgian government responded to our transparency request just before Christmas, we can now reveal that familiar names are behind the latest site-blocking campaign.
The underlying order from the French-speaking Business Court in Brussels lists a coalition of major studios: Disney, Netflix, Sony, Paramount, Universal, and Warner Bros. These companies, all members of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), are joined by another video entertainment giant: Apple.
[names]
The MPA has been a driving force behind site-blocking efforts around the world, so it is no surprise to see this activity in Belgium too. However, that doesn’t make the order any less interesting.
## Ten Pirate Brands
While we now have access to the underlying order, the formal list of URLs (Annex 1) will remain confidential. The same is true for Annex 2.b., the official list of the ten pirate names or brands.
“In addition to the list of ‘target sites’ provided in Annex 1 of their application, the applicants also submit an Annex 2.a., classified as confidential, in which the applicants explain the phenomenon of pirate brands, before providing, in Annex 2.b, a list of 10 names,” the translated order reads.
[noms]
These brands are important because the court order mandates that any future sites using this name or branding are also eligible for a spot on the blocklist.
While this list remains confidential, Belgium’s piracy blocklist is transparently published online. This includes the recently blocked URLs, from which it is not difficult to compile the likely list of blocked pirate brands. These include **1337x**, **Fmovies**, **Soap2day**, **Sflix**, **FlixHQ**, **Papadustream**, **French-Strea**m, **Coflix** and **Wiflix**.
## American DNS Questions
The underlying court order further confirms that these heavyweight movie studios did not include any third-party DNS providers (like Google or Cloudflare) in their list of intermediaries. Whether this is motivated by the ongoing appeal in other Belgian blocking cases or a strategic shift remains unknown.
It appears that, for now, the movie companies currently prefer a more targeted approach, focusing exclusively on major Internet Service Providers.
Depending on the motivation, this choice can have implications beyond Belgium. In the United States, rightsholders, including these same movie studios, continue to push for [site-blocking legislation][5], which they hope to see implemented this year. Thus far, we have seen proposed site-blocking bills with and without DNS resolvers, so it can go either way.
*—*
* *
*A copy of the order (RR/25/00092) from the French-speaking Business Court of Brussels is available with minor redactions of personal information [here (pdf)][6].*
From: [TF][7], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/belgiums-latest-pirate-site-blocking-order-spares-dns-providers/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/belgiums-latest-pirate-site-blocking-order-spares-dns-providers/
[6]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/RR-25-00092-Order-redacted-1.pdf
Strike 3’s Piracy Litigation Campaign Broke More Records in 2025
[justice]As the [most prolific copyright litigant][1] in the United States for several years in a row, [Strike 3 Holdings][2] has a name to keep up.
The porn producer is known for filing lawsuits against alleged pirates who download their ‘Milfy,’ ‘Tushy,’ and ‘Vixen’ videos via BitTorrent sites.
Strike 3 monitors pirate sites, and, when their videos are shared in public, it takes decisive action. After tracking down the pirating IP-addresses, it typically files a federal lawsuit, requesting a subpoena to obtain the subscriber’s details.
Once the target is identified, the case can then move forward. While these cases can technically go to trial, they typically result in out-of-court settlements of a few thousand dollars. It’s unknown how profitable these cases are, but the fact that Strike 3 files thousands a year suggests that the business model remains lucrative.
## Record: 4,088 Lawsuits in 2025
Strike 3 kept its “settlement machine” going over the past 12 months. In 2025, the company filed 4,088^{[(*)][3]} new piracy lawsuits in U.S. federal courts, barely surpassing the previous record of 3,932 set just last year.
Almost all these cases were filed against John Does who are initially only identified by their IP-address. Historically, the lawsuits are settled swiftly after the defendant is identified, and that appears to hold true this year as well. Of all cases filed this year, 2,775 (67.9%) are already closed.
Most of these closed cases disappear from the docket within months, typically following a confidential settlement where defendants pay several thousand dollars to resolve the porn piracy lawsuit without further exposure.
## The Cumulative 20,000-Case Milestone
Beyond the annual numbers, 2025 saw Strike 3 cross a historic threshold. Since filing its first case in 2017, the company has now initiated over 20,000 federal copyright lawsuits.
The graph below shows that the number of complaints filed per year has risen steadily since 2020, breaking record after record.
[strike]
To put these numbers in perspective, Strike 3’s cases alone account for more than half of all copyright lawsuits in the United States in recent years.
While critics and judges have occasionally characterized the business model as a “high-tech shakedown” or an “ATM for the courts,” the company shows no signs of slowing down. On the contrary, it appears to expand to a new class of targets.
## $359m Lawsuit Against Meta
While the thousands of “John Doe” cases against individuals have likely brought in millions for Strike 3 over the years, the company’s most ambitious move of 2025 was its [lawsuit against tech giant Meta][4].
In July, Strike 3 accused the tech company of using adult films to assist its AI model training. This follows a broader trend of copyright litigation against AI developers, including several high-profile claims brought by book authors.
Strike 3’s cases specifically focus on Meta’s BitTorrent activity, with the porn producer seeking astronomical damages of up to $359 million. The lawsuit alleges that Meta willfully pirated and redistributed 2,396 adult films to train its AI models, including LLaMA and Movie Gen.
Responding to the lawsuit, Meta dismissed all claims of a coordinated download action. Instead of an AI training effort, Meta suggested that the alleged downloads were [“personal use”][5] by its own employees, contractors, or visitors using its corporate networks and servers.
Whether the Meta lawsuit ends in a landmark ruling or a quiet settlement, Strike 3’s litigation engine shows no signs of cooling down. Whatever happens on the AI front in 2026, the company’s “John Doe” settlement machine will likely continue to churn out new complaints in the background.
*—
(*) Note: the data presented here are based on a PACER search for cases filed between January 1 and December 31, 2025, where ‘Strike 3’ is listed as a party. All known non-copyright cases have been filtered out. *
From: [TF][6], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/strike-3-filed-a-record-number-of-piracy-lawsuits-in-2024-250110/
[2]: https://torrentfreak.com/tag/strike-3-holdings/
[3]: #note
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/copyright-lawsuit-accuses-meta-of-pirating-adult-films-for-ai-training/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/meta-pirated-adult-film-downloads-were-for-personal-use-not-ai-training/
[6]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/strike-3s-piracy-litigation-campaign-broke-more-records-in-2025/
Premier League Targets Dozens of Pirate Streaming Sites through Cloudflare Subpoena
[premier league]As England’s top football competition, the [Premier League][1] draws hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Aside from the sportive stakes, the [Premier League][2] also has a vested interest in selling broadcast rights. These rights generate billions of pounds in revenue per year; a staggering amount unmatched by any other football league.
Yet, other leagues are not the main threat to these broadcast revenues. Instead, piracy has emerged as the Premier League’s main nemesis, with many football fans turn to cheaper pirate streaming services to watch ‘the people’s game’.
In recent years, the Premier League has tried several legal avenues to [tackle the piracy problem][3]. In addition to obtaining [blocking orders][4] in multiple countries, the organization has been a driving force behind several [lawsuits][5], some of which resulted in [prison][6] sentences.
## Cloudflare & Pirate Sites
While the football league typically finds the law on its side, identifying its ‘opponents’ isn’t always easy. Operators of streaming sites and services are typically aware of the legal risks and do their best to remain anonymous. Presumably as part of this strategy, they use services made available by Cloudflare.
Cloudflare doesn’t make the operators of piracy sites ‘anonymous’ but it does shield their hosting locations from public view. Rightsholders can overcome this barrier through formal complaints, after which Cloudflare identifies the hosting services. To obtain additional information, however, rightsholders have to go to court.
Earlier this month the Premier League took this follow-up step by asking a California federal court to issue a DMCA subpoena. The request, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, identifies dozens of target pirate streaming sites and “Access Points”. Through the court, the Premier League hopes to identify the persons connected to these domains.
## Premier League Requests Action
Before going to court, the Premier League’s American law firm, [Hagan Noll & Boyle][7], sent a formal notification to Cloudflare.
“Cloudflare is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season,” attorney Timothy M. Frank wrote.
*Letter to Cloudflare*
The letter identifies specific [streaming site domains][8] and includes screenshots of the websites where these are shown.
In addition to public-facing sites, the Premier League pointed to various “backend links” where the pirated football streams are actually being sourced. The legal paperwork shows unauthorized broadcasts of various matches including Brentford v. Leeds United, Crystal Palace v. Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest v. Tottenham Hotspur.
*One of the streaming sites captured in evidence *
[[site]][9]
Several of the targeted sites utilize sophisticated redirection chains to reach their audience. For example, dooball345.com was found to redirect through dooball345s.com before landing on dooball345x.com. Similarly, pelotalibrevivo.net redirects users to pirlotvenvivo.club.
The court records also highlight how these sites often use unique CDN links and m3u8 playlists, sometimes involving tokens and session IDs—to serve live content to millions of global viewers.
## Cloudflare Must Identify Operators?
The Premier League’s letter to Cloudflare didn’t result in the immediate termination of the accounts, but it is used to request the DMCA subpoena at the the California federal court.
The proposed subpoena, which has yet to be signed off on, would require Cloudflare to hand over information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers, including any names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information, account updates, and account histories.
Whether the Premier League will find any of the information usable is another matter. Many pirate site owners use inaccurate data, but the explicit request for payment information and account history aims to provide a clearer financial trail than standard subscriber data.
*The subpoena *
[[subpoena]][10]
—
*A copy of the requested DMCA subpoena is available [here (pdf)][11] and the Premier League’s declaration can be found [here (pdf)][12]. Below is a list of the targeted “Access Point” [domain names][13] identified in the legal filing: *
**
* *
*– 247sport.org
– 4k-yalla-shoot.info (redirects to yallashootspro.com and 3arabsports.net)
– antenasport.org
– bingsport.site
– deporte-libre.click
– dooball345.com (redirects to dooball345s.com and dooball345x.com)
– goaldaddyth.com
– hesgoal.watch
– librefutboltv.su
– livesports088.com (redirects to keelalive52.com)
– ovogoaal.com
– pelotalibrevivo.net (redirects to pirlotvenvivo.club)
– rbtvplus17.help (redirects to fctv33.work and nplb6earneyhtycourage.sbs)
– ronaldo7.me (redirects to streameasthd.com)
– t4tv.click
– vachvoi.link
– wearechecking.online (redirects to wac.rip)
– yallalshoot.com
– yalla4shoot.com
– yallla-shoot.com (redirects to yallashoot-4k.com, yallashootlivehd.com, wuyh.online )
– sportshd.app *
From: [TF][14], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[2]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-blocked-7000-piracy-domains-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024-240701/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-sky-ace-celebrate-elusive-globe-iptv-prison-sentence-250325/
[8]: #list
[9]: 
[10]: 
[11]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/plsubpoe.pdf
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldec.pdf
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldetails.pdf
Premier League Targets Dozens of Pirate Streaming Sites through Cloudflare Subpoena
[premier league]As England’s top football competition, the [Premier League][1] draws hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Aside from the sportive stakes, the [Premier League][2] also has a vested interest in selling broadcast rights. These rights generate billions of pounds in revenue per year; a staggering amount unmatched by any other football league.
Yet, other leagues are not the main threat to these broadcast revenues. Instead, piracy has emerged as the Premier League’s main nemesis, with many football fans turn to cheaper pirate streaming services to watch ‘the people’s game’.
In recent years, the Premier League has tried several legal avenues to [tackle the piracy problem][3]. In addition to obtaining [blocking orders][4] in multiple countries, the organization has been a driving force behind several [lawsuits][5], some of which resulted in [prison][6] sentences.
## Cloudflare & Pirate Sites
While the football league typically finds the law on its side, identifying its ‘opponents’ isn’t always easy. Operators of streaming sites and services are typically aware of the legal risks and do their best to remain anonymous. Presumably as part of this strategy, they use services made available by Cloudflare.
Cloudflare doesn’t make the operators of piracy sites ‘anonymous’ but it does shield their hosting locations from public view. Rightsholders can overcome this barrier through formal complaints, after which Cloudflare identifies the hosting services. To obtain additional information, however, rightsholders have to go to court.
Earlier this month the Premier League took this follow-up step by asking a California federal court to issue a DMCA subpoena. The request, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, identifies dozens of target pirate streaming sites and “Access Points”. Through the court, the Premier League hopes to identify the persons connected to these domains.
## Premier League Requests Action
Before going to court, the Premier League’s American law firm, [Hagan Noll & Boyle][7], sent a formal notification to Cloudflare.
“Cloudflare is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season,” attorney Timothy M. Frank wrote.
*Letter to Cloudflare*
The letter identifies specific [streaming site domains][8] and includes screenshots of the websites where these are shown.
In addition to public-facing sites, the Premier League pointed to various “backend links” where the pirated football streams are actually being sourced. The legal paperwork shows unauthorized broadcasts of various matches including Brentford v. Leeds United, Crystal Palace v. Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest v. Tottenham Hotspur.
*One of the streaming sites captured in evidence *
[[site]][9]
Several of the targeted sites utilize sophisticated redirection chains to reach their audience. For example, dooball345.com was found to redirect through dooball345s.com before landing on dooball345x.com. Similarly, pelotalibrevivo.net redirects users to pirlotvenvivo.club.
The court records also highlight how these sites often use unique CDN links and m3u8 playlists, sometimes involving tokens and session IDs—to serve live content to millions of global viewers.
## Cloudflare Must Identify Operators?
The Premier League’s letter to Cloudflare didn’t result in the immediate termination of the accounts, but it is used to request the DMCA subpoena at the the California federal court.
The proposed subpoena, which has yet to be signed off on, would require Cloudflare to hand over information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers, including any names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information, account updates, and account histories.
Whether the Premier League will find any of the information usable is another matter. Many pirate site owners use inaccurate data, but the explicit request for payment information and account history aims to provide a clearer financial trail than standard subscriber data.
*The subpoena *
[[subpoena]][10]
—
*A copy of the requested DMCA subpoena is available [here (pdf)][11] and the Premier League’s declaration can be found [here (pdf)][12]. Below is a list of the targeted “Access Point” [domain names][13] identified in the legal filing: *
**
* *
*– 247sport.org
– 4k-yalla-shoot.info (redirects to yallashootspro.com and 3arabsports.net)
– antenasport.org
– bingsport.site
– deporte-libre.click
– dooball345.com (redirects to dooball345s.com and dooball345x.com)
– goaldaddyth.com
– hesgoal.watch
– librefutboltv.su
– livesports088.com (redirects to keelalive52.com)
– ovogoaal.com
– pelotalibrevivo.net (redirects to pirlotvenvivo.club)
– rbtvplus17.help (redirects to fctv33.work and nplb6earneyhtycourage.sbs)
– ronaldo7.me (redirects to streameasthd.com)
– t4tv.click
– vachvoi.link
– wearechecking.online (redirects to wac.rip)
– yallalshoot.com
– yalla4shoot.com
– yallla-shoot.com (redirects to yallashoot-4k.com, yallashootlivehd.com, wuyh.online )
– sportshd.app *
From: [TF][14], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[2]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-blocked-7000-piracy-domains-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024-240701/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-sky-ace-celebrate-elusive-globe-iptv-prison-sentence-250325/
[8]: #list
[9]:
[10]:
[11]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/plsubpoe.pdf
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldec.pdf
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldetails.pdf
Premier League Targets Dozens of Pirate Streaming Sites through Cloudflare Subpoena
[premier league]As England’s top football competition, the [Premier League][1] draws hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Aside from the sportive stakes, the [Premier League][2] also has a vested interest in selling broadcast rights. These rights generate billions of pounds in revenue per year; a staggering amount unmatched by any other football league.
Yet, other leagues are not the main threat to these broadcast revenues. Instead, piracy has emerged as the Premier League’s main nemesis, with many football fans turn to cheaper pirate streaming services to watch ‘the people’s game’.
In recent years, the Premier League has tried several legal avenues to [tackle the piracy problem][3]. In addition to obtaining [blocking orders][4] in multiple countries, the organization has been a driving force behind several [lawsuits][5], some of which resulted in [prison][6] sentences.
## Cloudflare & Pirate Sites
While the football league typically finds the law on its side, identifying its ‘opponents’ isn’t always easy. Operators of streaming sites and services are typically aware of the legal risks and do their best to remain anonymous. Presumably as part of this strategy, they use services made available by Cloudflare.
Cloudflare doesn’t make the operators of piracy sites ‘anonymous’ but it does shield their hosting locations from public view. Rightsholders can overcome this barrier through formal complaints, after which Cloudflare identifies the hosting services. To obtain additional information, however, rightsholders have to go to court.
Earlier this month the Premier League took this follow-up step by asking a California federal court to issue a DMCA subpoena. The request, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, identifies dozens of target pirate streaming sites and “Access Points”. Through the court, the Premier League hopes to identify the persons connected to these domains.
## Premier League Requests Action
Before going to court, the Premier League’s American law firm, [Hagan Noll & Boyle][7], sent a formal notification to Cloudflare.
“Cloudflare is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season,” attorney Timothy M. Frank wrote.
*Letter to Cloudflare*
The letter identifies specific [streaming site domains][8] and includes screenshots of the websites where these are shown.
In addition to public-facing sites, the Premier League pointed to various “backend links” where the pirated football streams are actually being sourced. The legal paperwork shows unauthorized broadcasts of various matches including Brentford v. Leeds United, Crystal Palace v. Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest v. Tottenham Hotspur.
*One of the streaming sites captured in evidence *
[[site]][9]
Several of the targeted sites utilize sophisticated redirection chains to reach their audience. For example, dooball345.com was found to redirect through dooball345s.com before landing on dooball345x.com. Similarly, pelotalibrevivo.net redirects users to pirlotvenvivo.club.
The court records also highlight how these sites often use unique CDN links and m3u8 playlists, sometimes involving tokens and session IDs—to serve live content to millions of global viewers.
## Cloudflare Must Identify Operators?
The Premier League’s letter to Cloudflare didn’t result in the immediate termination of the accounts, but it is used to request the DMCA subpoena at the the California federal court.
The proposed subpoena, which has yet to be signed off on, would require Cloudflare to hand over information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers, including any names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information, account updates, and account histories.
Whether the Premier League will find any of the information usable is another matter. Many pirate site owners use inaccurate data, but the explicit request for payment information and account history aims to provide a clearer financial trail than standard subscriber data.
*The subpoena *
[[subpoena]][10]
—
*A copy of the requested DMCA subpoena is available [here (pdf)][11] and the Premier League’s declaration can be found [here (pdf)][12]. Below is a list of the targeted “Access Point” [domain names][13] identified in the legal filing: *
**
* *
*– 247sport.org
– 4k-yalla-shoot.info (redirects to yallashootspro.com and 3arabsports.net)
– antenasport.org
– bingsport.site
– deporte-libre.click
– dooball345.com (redirects to dooball345s.com and dooball345x.com)
– goaldaddyth.com
– hesgoal.watch
– librefutboltv.su
– livesports088.com (redirects to keelalive52.com)
– ovogoaal.com
– pelotalibrevivo.net (redirects to pirlotvenvivo.club)
– rbtvplus17.help (redirects to fctv33.work and nplb6earneyhtycourage.sbs)
– ronaldo7.me (redirects to streameasthd.com)
– t4tv.click
– vachvoi.link
– wearechecking.online (redirects to wac.rip)
– yallalshoot.com
– yalla4shoot.com
– yallla-shoot.com (redirects to yallashoot-4k.com, yallashootlivehd.com, wuyh.online )
– sportshd.app *
From: [TF][14], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[2]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-blocked-7000-piracy-domains-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024-240701/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-sky-ace-celebrate-elusive-globe-iptv-prison-sentence-250325/
[8]: #list
[9]:
[10]:
[11]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/plsubpoe.pdf
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldec.pdf
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldetails.pdf
Premier League Targets Dozens of Pirate Streaming Sites through Cloudflare Subpoena
[premier league]As England’s top football competition, the [Premier League][1] draws hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Aside from the sportive stakes, the [Premier League][2] also has a vested interest in selling broadcast rights. These rights generate billions of pounds in revenue per year; a staggering amount unmatched by any other football league.
Yet, other leagues are not the main threat to these broadcast revenues. Instead, piracy has emerged as the Premier League’s main nemesis, with many football fans turn to cheaper pirate streaming services to watch ‘the people’s game’.
In recent years, the Premier League has tried several legal avenues to [tackle the piracy problem][3]. In addition to obtaining [blocking orders][4] in multiple countries, the organization has been a driving force behind several [lawsuits][5], some of which resulted in [prison][6] sentences.
## Cloudflare & Pirate Sites
While the football league typically finds the law on its side, identifying its ‘opponents’ isn’t always easy. Operators of streaming sites and services are typically aware of the legal risks and do their best to remain anonymous. Presumably as part of this strategy, they use services made available by Cloudflare.
Cloudflare doesn’t make the operators of piracy sites ‘anonymous’ but it does shield their hosting locations from public view. Rightsholders can overcome this barrier through formal complaints, after which Cloudflare identifies the hosting services. To obtain additional information, however, rightsholders have to go to court.
Earlier this month the Premier League took this follow-up step by asking a California federal court to issue a DMCA subpoena. The request, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, identifies dozens of target pirate streaming sites and “Access Points”. Through the court, the Premier League hopes to identify the persons connected to these domains.
## Premier League Requests Action
Before going to court, the Premier League’s American law firm, [Hagan Noll & Boyle][7], sent a formal notification to Cloudflare.
“Cloudflare is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season,” attorney Timothy M. Frank wrote.
*Letter to Cloudflare*
The letter identifies specific [streaming site domains][8] and includes screenshots of the websites where these are shown.
In addition to public-facing sites, the Premier League pointed to various “backend links” where the pirated football streams are actually being sourced. The legal paperwork shows unauthorized broadcasts of various matches including Brentford v. Leeds United, Crystal Palace v. Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest v. Tottenham Hotspur.
*One of the streaming sites captured in evidence *
[[site]][9]
Several of the targeted sites utilize sophisticated redirection chains to reach their audience. For example, dooball345.com was found to redirect through dooball345s.com before landing on dooball345x.com. Similarly, pelotalibrevivo.net redirects users to pirlotvenvivo.club.
The court records also highlight how these sites often use unique CDN links and m3u8 playlists, sometimes involving tokens and session IDs—to serve live content to millions of global viewers.
## Cloudflare Must Identify Operators?
The Premier League’s letter to Cloudflare didn’t result in the immediate termination of the accounts, but it is used to request the DMCA subpoena at the the California federal court.
The proposed subpoena, which has yet to be signed off on, would require Cloudflare to hand over information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers, including any names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information, account updates, and account histories.
Whether the Premier League will find any of the information usable is another matter. Many pirate site owners use inaccurate data, but the explicit request for payment information and account history aims to provide a clearer financial trail than standard subscriber data.
*The subpoena *
[[subpoena]][10]
—
*A copy of the requested DMCA subpoena is available [here (pdf)][11] and the Premier League’s declaration can be found [here (pdf)][12]. Below is a list of the targeted “Access Point” [domain names][13] identified in the legal filing: *
**
* *
*– 247sport.org
– 4k-yalla-shoot.info (redirects to yallashootspro.com and 3arabsports.net)
– antenasport.org
– bingsport.site
– deporte-libre.click
– dooball345.com (redirects to dooball345s.com and dooball345x.com)
– goaldaddyth.com
– hesgoal.watch
– librefutboltv.su
– livesports088.com (redirects to keelalive52.com)
– ovogoaal.com
– pelotalibrevivo.net (redirects to pirlotvenvivo.club)
– rbtvplus17.help (redirects to fctv33.work and nplb6earneyhtycourage.sbs)
– ronaldo7.me (redirects to streameasthd.com)
– t4tv.click
– vachvoi.link
– wearechecking.online (redirects to wac.rip)
– yallalshoot.com
– yalla4shoot.com
– yallla-shoot.com (redirects to yallashoot-4k.com, yallashootlivehd.com, wuyh.online )
– sportshd.app *
From: [TF][14], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[2]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-blocked-7000-piracy-domains-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024-240701/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-sky-ace-celebrate-elusive-globe-iptv-prison-sentence-250325/
[8]: #list
[9]:
[10]:
[11]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/plsubpoe.pdf
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldec.pdf
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldetails.pdf
Premier League Targets Dozens of Pirate Streaming Sites through Cloudflare Subpoena
[premier league]As England’s top football competition, the [Premier League][1] draws hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Aside from the sportive stakes, the [Premier League][2] also has a vested interest in selling broadcast rights. These rights generate billions of pounds in revenue per year; a staggering amount unmatched by any other football league.
Yet, other leagues are not the main threat to these broadcast revenues. Instead, piracy has emerged as the Premier League’s main nemesis, with many football fans turn to cheaper pirate streaming services to watch ‘the people’s game’.
In recent years, the Premier League has tried several legal avenues to [tackle the piracy problem][3]. In addition to obtaining [blocking orders][4] in multiple countries, the organization has been a driving force behind several [lawsuits][5], some of which resulted in [prison][6] sentences.
## Cloudflare & Pirate Sites
While the football league typically finds the law on its side, identifying its ‘opponents’ isn’t always easy. Operators of streaming sites and services are typically aware of the legal risks and do their best to remain anonymous. Presumably as part of this strategy, they use services made available by Cloudflare.
Cloudflare doesn’t make the operators of piracy sites ‘anonymous’ but it does shield their hosting locations from public view. Rightsholders can overcome this barrier through formal complaints, after which Cloudflare identifies the hosting services. To obtain additional information, however, rightsholders have to go to court.
Earlier this month the Premier League took this follow-up step by asking a California federal court to issue a DMCA subpoena. The request, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, identifies dozens of target pirate streaming sites and “Access Points”. Through the court, the Premier League hopes to identify the persons connected to these domains.
## Premier League Requests Action
Before going to court, the Premier League’s American law firm, [Hagan Noll & Boyle][7], sent a formal notification to Cloudflare.
“Cloudflare is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season,” attorney Timothy M. Frank wrote.
*Letter to Cloudflare*
The letter identifies specific [streaming site domains][8] and includes screenshots of the websites where these are shown.
In addition to public-facing sites, the Premier League pointed to various “backend links” where the pirated football streams are actually being sourced. The legal paperwork shows unauthorized broadcasts of various matches including Brentford v. Leeds United, Crystal Palace v. Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest v. Tottenham Hotspur.
*One of the streaming sites captured in evidence *
[[site]][9]
Several of the targeted sites utilize sophisticated redirection chains to reach their audience. For example, dooball345.com was found to redirect through dooball345s.com before landing on dooball345x.com. Similarly, pelotalibrevivo.net redirects users to pirlotvenvivo.club.
The court records also highlight how these sites often use unique CDN links and m3u8 playlists, sometimes involving tokens and session IDs—to serve live content to millions of global viewers.
## Cloudflare Must Identify Operators?
The Premier League’s letter to Cloudflare didn’t result in the immediate termination of the accounts, but it is used to request the DMCA subpoena at the the California federal court.
The proposed subpoena, which has yet to be signed off on, would require Cloudflare to hand over information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers, including any names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information, account updates, and account histories.
Whether the Premier League will find any of the information usable is another matter. Many pirate site owners use inaccurate data, but the explicit request for payment information and account history aims to provide a clearer financial trail than standard subscriber data.
*The subpoena *
[[subpoena]][10]
—
*A copy of the requested DMCA subpoena is available [here (pdf)][11] and the Premier League’s declaration can be found [here (pdf)][12]. Below is a list of the targeted “Access Point” [domain names][13] identified in the legal filing: *
**
* *
*– 247sport.org
– 4k-yalla-shoot.info (redirects to yallashootspro.com and 3arabsports.net)
– antenasport.org
– bingsport.site
– deporte-libre.click
– dooball345.com (redirects to dooball345s.com and dooball345x.com)
– goaldaddyth.com
– hesgoal.watch
– librefutboltv.su
– livesports088.com (redirects to keelalive52.com)
– ovogoaal.com
– pelotalibrevivo.net (redirects to pirlotvenvivo.club)
– rbtvplus17.help (redirects to fctv33.work and nplb6earneyhtycourage.sbs)
– ronaldo7.me (redirects to streameasthd.com)
– t4tv.click
– vachvoi.link
– wearechecking.online (redirects to wac.rip)
– yallalshoot.com
– yalla4shoot.com
– yallla-shoot.com (redirects to yallashoot-4k.com, yallashootlivehd.com, wuyh.online )
– sportshd.app *
From: [TF][14], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[2]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-blocked-7000-piracy-domains-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024-240701/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-sky-ace-celebrate-elusive-globe-iptv-prison-sentence-250325/
[8]: #list
[9]:
[10]:
[11]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/plsubpoe.pdf
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldec.pdf
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldetails.pdf
Premier League Targets Dozens of Pirate Streaming Sites through Cloudflare Subpoena
[premier league]As England’s top football competition, the [Premier League][1] draws hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Aside from the sportive stakes, the [Premier League][2] also has a vested interest in selling broadcast rights. These rights generate billions of pounds in revenue per year; a staggering amount unmatched by any other football league.
Yet, other leagues are not the main threat to these broadcast revenues. Instead, piracy has emerged as the Premier League’s main nemesis, with many football fans turn to cheaper pirate streaming services to watch ‘the people’s game’.
In recent years, the Premier League has tried several legal avenues to [tackle the piracy problem][3]. In addition to obtaining [blocking orders][4] in multiple countries, the organization has been a driving force behind several [lawsuits][5], some of which resulted in [prison][6] sentences.
## Cloudflare & Pirate Sites
While the football league typically finds the law on its side, identifying its ‘opponents’ isn’t always easy. Operators of streaming sites and services are typically aware of the legal risks and do their best to remain anonymous. Presumably as part of this strategy, they use services made available by Cloudflare.
Cloudflare doesn’t make the operators of piracy sites ‘anonymous’ but it does shield their hosting locations from public view. Rightsholders can overcome this barrier through formal complaints, after which Cloudflare identifies the hosting services. To obtain additional information, however, rightsholders have to go to court.
Earlier this month the Premier League took this follow-up step by asking a California federal court to issue a DMCA subpoena. The request, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, identifies dozens of target pirate streaming sites and “Access Points”. Through the court, the Premier League hopes to identify the persons connected to these domains.
## Premier League Requests Action
Before going to court, the Premier League’s American law firm, [Hagan Noll & Boyle][7], sent a formal notification to Cloudflare.
“Cloudflare is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season,” attorney Timothy M. Frank wrote.
*Letter to Cloudflare*
The letter identifies specific [streaming site domains][8] and includes screenshots of the websites where these are shown.
In addition to public-facing sites, the Premier League pointed to various “backend links” where the pirated football streams are actually being sourced. The legal paperwork shows unauthorized broadcasts of various matches including Brentford v. Leeds United, Crystal Palace v. Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest v. Tottenham Hotspur.
*One of the streaming sites captured in evidence *
[[site]][9]
Several of the targeted sites utilize sophisticated redirection chains to reach their audience. For example, dooball345.com was found to redirect through dooball345s.com before landing on dooball345x.com. Similarly, pelotalibrevivo.net redirects users to pirlotvenvivo.club.
The court records also highlight how these sites often use unique CDN links and m3u8 playlists, sometimes involving tokens and session IDs—to serve live content to millions of global viewers.
## Cloudflare Must Identify Operators?
The Premier League’s letter to Cloudflare didn’t result in the immediate termination of the accounts, but it is used to request the DMCA subpoena at the the California federal court.
The proposed subpoena, which has yet to be signed off on, would require Cloudflare to hand over information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers, including any names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information, account updates, and account histories.
Whether the Premier League will find any of the information usable is another matter. Many pirate site owners use inaccurate data, but the explicit request for payment information and account history aims to provide a clearer financial trail than standard subscriber data.
*The subpoena *
[[subpoena]][10]
—
*A copy of the requested DMCA subpoena is available [here (pdf)][11] and the Premier League’s declaration can be found [here (pdf)][12]. Below is a list of the targeted “Access Point” [domain names][13] identified in the legal filing: *
**
* *
*– 247sport.org
– 4k-yalla-shoot.info (redirects to yallashootspro.com and 3arabsports.net)
– antenasport.org
– bingsport.site
– deporte-libre.click
– dooball345.com (redirects to dooball345s.com and dooball345x.com)
– goaldaddyth.com
– hesgoal.watch
– librefutboltv.su
– livesports088.com (redirects to keelalive52.com)
– ovogoaal.com
– pelotalibrevivo.net (redirects to pirlotvenvivo.club)
– rbtvplus17.help (redirects to fctv33.work and nplb6earneyhtycourage.sbs)
– ronaldo7.me (redirects to streameasthd.com)
– t4tv.click
– vachvoi.link
– wearechecking.online (redirects to wac.rip)
– yallalshoot.com
– yalla4shoot.com
– yallla-shoot.com (redirects to yallashoot-4k.com, yallashootlivehd.com, wuyh.online )
– sportshd.app *
From: [TF][14], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[2]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-blocked-7000-piracy-domains-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024-240701/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-sky-ace-celebrate-elusive-globe-iptv-prison-sentence-250325/
[8]: #list
[9]:
[10]:
[11]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/plsubpoe.pdf
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldec.pdf
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldetails.pdf
Premier League Targets Dozens of Pirate Streaming Sites through Cloudflare Subpoena
[premier league]As England’s top football competition, the [Premier League][1] draws hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Aside from the sportive stakes, the [Premier League][2] also has a vested interest in selling broadcast rights. These rights generate billions of pounds in revenue per year; a staggering amount unmatched by any other football league.
Yet, other leagues are not the main threat to these broadcast revenues. Instead, piracy has emerged as the Premier League’s main nemesis, with many football fans turn to cheaper pirate streaming services to watch ‘the people’s game’.
In recent years, the Premier League has tried several legal avenues to [tackle the piracy problem][3]. In addition to obtaining [blocking orders][4] in multiple countries, the organization has been a driving force behind several [lawsuits][5], some of which resulted in [prison][6] sentences.
## Cloudflare & Pirate Sites
While the football league typically finds the law on its side, identifying its ‘opponents’ isn’t always easy. Operators of streaming sites and services are typically aware of the legal risks and do their best to remain anonymous. Presumably as part of this strategy, they use services made available by Cloudflare.
Cloudflare doesn’t make the operators of piracy sites ‘anonymous’ but it does shield their hosting locations from public view. Rightsholders can overcome this barrier through formal complaints, after which Cloudflare identifies the hosting services. To obtain additional information, however, rightsholders have to go to court.
Earlier this month the Premier League took this follow-up step by asking a California federal court to issue a DMCA subpoena. The request, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, identifies dozens of target pirate streaming sites and “Access Points”. Through the court, the Premier League hopes to identify the persons connected to these domains.
## Premier League Requests Action
Before going to court, the Premier League’s American law firm, [Hagan Noll & Boyle][7], sent a formal notification to Cloudflare.
“Cloudflare is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season,” attorney Timothy M. Frank wrote.
*Letter to Cloudflare*
The letter identifies specific [streaming site domains][8] and includes screenshots of the websites where these are shown.
In addition to public-facing sites, the Premier League pointed to various “backend links” where the pirated football streams are actually being sourced. The legal paperwork shows unauthorized broadcasts of various matches including Brentford v. Leeds United, Crystal Palace v. Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest v. Tottenham Hotspur.
*One of the streaming sites captured in evidence *
[[site]][9]
Several of the targeted sites utilize sophisticated redirection chains to reach their audience. For example, dooball345.com was found to redirect through dooball345s.com before landing on dooball345x.com. Similarly, pelotalibrevivo.net redirects users to pirlotvenvivo.club.
The court records also highlight how these sites often use unique CDN links and m3u8 playlists, sometimes involving tokens and session IDs—to serve live content to millions of global viewers.
## Cloudflare Must Identify Operators?
The Premier League’s letter to Cloudflare didn’t result in the immediate termination of the accounts, but it is used to request the DMCA subpoena at the the California federal court.
The proposed subpoena, which has yet to be signed off on, would require Cloudflare to hand over information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers, including any names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information, account updates, and account histories.
Whether the Premier League will find any of the information usable is another matter. Many pirate site owners use inaccurate data, but the explicit request for payment information and account history aims to provide a clearer financial trail than standard subscriber data.
*The subpoena *
[[subpoena]][10]
—
*A copy of the requested DMCA subpoena is available [here (pdf)][11] and the Premier League’s declaration can be found [here (pdf)][12]. Below is a list of the targeted “Access Point” [domain names][13] identified in the legal filing: *
**
* *
*– 247sport.org
– 4k-yalla-shoot.info (redirects to yallashootspro.com and 3arabsports.net)
– antenasport.org
– bingsport.site
– deporte-libre.click
– dooball345.com (redirects to dooball345s.com and dooball345x.com)
– goaldaddyth.com
– hesgoal.watch
– librefutboltv.su
– livesports088.com (redirects to keelalive52.com)
– ovogoaal.com
– pelotalibrevivo.net (redirects to pirlotvenvivo.club)
– rbtvplus17.help (redirects to fctv33.work and nplb6earneyhtycourage.sbs)
– ronaldo7.me (redirects to streameasthd.com)
– t4tv.click
– vachvoi.link
– wearechecking.online (redirects to wac.rip)
– yallalshoot.com
– yalla4shoot.com
– yallla-shoot.com (redirects to yallashoot-4k.com, yallashootlivehd.com, wuyh.online )
– sportshd.app *
From: [TF][14], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[2]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-blocked-7000-piracy-domains-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024-240701/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-sky-ace-celebrate-elusive-globe-iptv-prison-sentence-250325/
[8]: #list
[9]:
[10]:
[11]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/plsubpoe.pdf
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldec.pdf
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldetails.pdf
Premier League Targets Dozens of Pirate Streaming Sites through Cloudflare Subpoena
[premier league]As England’s top football competition, the [Premier League][1] draws hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Aside from the sportive stakes, the [Premier League][2] also has a vested interest in selling broadcast rights. These rights generate billions of pounds in revenue per year; a staggering amount unmatched by any other football league.
Yet, other leagues are not the main threat to these broadcast revenues. Instead, piracy has emerged as the Premier League’s main nemesis, with many football fans turn to cheaper pirate streaming services to watch ‘the people’s game’.
In recent years, the Premier League has tried several legal avenues to [tackle the piracy problem][3]. In addition to obtaining [blocking orders][4] in multiple countries, the organization has been a driving force behind several [lawsuits][5], some of which resulted in [prison][6] sentences.
## Cloudflare & Pirate Sites
While the football league typically finds the law on its side, identifying its ‘opponents’ isn’t always easy. Operators of streaming sites and services are typically aware of the legal risks and do their best to remain anonymous. Presumably as part of this strategy, they use services made available by Cloudflare.
Cloudflare doesn’t make the operators of piracy sites ‘anonymous’ but it does shield their hosting locations from public view. Rightsholders can overcome this barrier through formal complaints, after which Cloudflare identifies the hosting services. To obtain additional information, however, rightsholders have to go to court.
Earlier this month the Premier League took this follow-up step by asking a California federal court to issue a DMCA subpoena. The request, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, identifies dozens of target pirate streaming sites and “Access Points”. Through the court, the Premier League hopes to identify the persons connected to these domains.
## Premier League Requests Action
Before going to court, the Premier League’s American law firm, [Hagan Noll & Boyle][7], sent a formal notification to Cloudflare.
“Cloudflare is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season,” attorney Timothy M. Frank wrote.
*Letter to Cloudflare*
The letter identifies specific [streaming site domains][8] and includes screenshots of the websites where these are shown.
In addition to public-facing sites, the Premier League pointed to various “backend links” where the pirated football streams are actually being sourced. The legal paperwork shows unauthorized broadcasts of various matches including Brentford v. Leeds United, Crystal Palace v. Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest v. Tottenham Hotspur.
*One of the streaming sites captured in evidence *
[[site]][9]
Several of the targeted sites utilize sophisticated redirection chains to reach their audience. For example, dooball345.com was found to redirect through dooball345s.com before landing on dooball345x.com. Similarly, pelotalibrevivo.net redirects users to pirlotvenvivo.club.
The court records also highlight how these sites often use unique CDN links and m3u8 playlists, sometimes involving tokens and session IDs—to serve live content to millions of global viewers.
## Cloudflare Must Identify Operators?
The Premier League’s letter to Cloudflare didn’t result in the immediate termination of the accounts, but it is used to request the DMCA subpoena at the the California federal court.
The proposed subpoena, which has yet to be signed off on, would require Cloudflare to hand over information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers, including any names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information, account updates, and account histories.
Whether the Premier League will find any of the information usable is another matter. Many pirate site owners use inaccurate data, but the explicit request for payment information and account history aims to provide a clearer financial trail than standard subscriber data.
*The subpoena *
[[subpoena]][10]
—
*A copy of the requested DMCA subpoena is available [here (pdf)][11] and the Premier League’s declaration can be found [here (pdf)][12]. Below is a list of the targeted “Access Point” [domain names][13] identified in the legal filing: *
**
* *
*– 247sport.org
– 4k-yalla-shoot.info (redirects to yallashootspro.com and 3arabsports.net)
– antenasport.org
– bingsport.site
– deporte-libre.click
– dooball345.com (redirects to dooball345s.com and dooball345x.com)
– goaldaddyth.com
– hesgoal.watch
– librefutboltv.su
– livesports088.com (redirects to keelalive52.com)
– ovogoaal.com
– pelotalibrevivo.net (redirects to pirlotvenvivo.club)
– rbtvplus17.help (redirects to fctv33.work and nplb6earneyhtycourage.sbs)
– ronaldo7.me (redirects to streameasthd.com)
– t4tv.click
– vachvoi.link
– wearechecking.online (redirects to wac.rip)
– yallalshoot.com
– yalla4shoot.com
– yallla-shoot.com (redirects to yallashoot-4k.com, yallashootlivehd.com, wuyh.online )
– sportshd.app *
From: [TF][14], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[2]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-blocked-7000-piracy-domains-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024-240701/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-sky-ace-celebrate-elusive-globe-iptv-prison-sentence-250325/
[8]: #list
[9]:
[10]:
[11]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/plsubpoe.pdf
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldec.pdf
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldetails.pdf
Premier League Targets Dozens of Pirate Streaming Sites through Cloudflare Subpoena
[premier league]As England’s top football competition, the [Premier League][1] draws hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Aside from the sportive stakes, the [Premier League][2] also has a vested interest in selling broadcast rights. These rights generate billions of pounds in revenue per year; a staggering amount unmatched by any other football league.
Yet, other leagues are not the main threat to these broadcast revenues. Instead, piracy has emerged as the Premier League’s main nemesis, with many football fans turn to cheaper pirate streaming services to watch ‘the people’s game’.
In recent years, the Premier League has tried several legal avenues to [tackle the piracy problem][3]. In addition to obtaining [blocking orders][4] in multiple countries, the organization has been a driving force behind several [lawsuits][5], some of which resulted in [prison][6] sentences.
## Cloudflare & Pirate Sites
While the football league typically finds the law on its side, identifying its ‘opponents’ isn’t always easy. Operators of streaming sites and services are typically aware of the legal risks and do their best to remain anonymous. Presumably as part of this strategy, they use services made available by Cloudflare.
Cloudflare doesn’t make the operators of piracy sites ‘anonymous’ but it does shield their hosting locations from public view. Rightsholders can overcome this barrier through formal complaints, after which Cloudflare identifies the hosting services. To obtain additional information, however, rightsholders have to go to court.
Earlier this month the Premier League took this follow-up step by asking a California federal court to issue a DMCA subpoena. The request, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, identifies dozens of target pirate streaming sites and “Access Points”. Through the court, the Premier League hopes to identify the persons connected to these domains.
## Premier League Requests Action
Before going to court, the Premier League’s American law firm, [Hagan Noll & Boyle][7], sent a formal notification to Cloudflare.
“Cloudflare is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season,” attorney Timothy M. Frank wrote.
*Letter to Cloudflare*
The letter identifies specific [streaming site domains][8] and includes screenshots of the websites where these are shown.
In addition to public-facing sites, the Premier League pointed to various “backend links” where the pirated football streams are actually being sourced. The legal paperwork shows unauthorized broadcasts of various matches including Brentford v. Leeds United, Crystal Palace v. Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest v. Tottenham Hotspur.
*One of the streaming sites captured in evidence *
[[site]][9]
Several of the targeted sites utilize sophisticated redirection chains to reach their audience. For example, dooball345.com was found to redirect through dooball345s.com before landing on dooball345x.com. Similarly, pelotalibrevivo.net redirects users to pirlotvenvivo.club.
The court records also highlight how these sites often use unique CDN links and m3u8 playlists, sometimes involving tokens and session IDs—to serve live content to millions of global viewers.
## Cloudflare Must Identify Operators?
The Premier League’s letter to Cloudflare didn’t result in the immediate termination of the accounts, but it is used to request the DMCA subpoena at the the California federal court.
The proposed subpoena, which has yet to be signed off on, would require Cloudflare to hand over information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers, including any names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information, account updates, and account histories.
Whether the Premier League will find any of the information usable is another matter. Many pirate site owners use inaccurate data, but the explicit request for payment information and account history aims to provide a clearer financial trail than standard subscriber data.
*The subpoena *
[[subpoena]][10]
—
*A copy of the requested DMCA subpoena is available [here (pdf)][11] and the Premier League’s declaration can be found [here (pdf)][12]. Below is a list of the targeted “Access Point” [domain names][13] identified in the legal filing: *
**
* *
*– 247sport.org
– 4k-yalla-shoot.info (redirects to yallashootspro.com and 3arabsports.net)
– antenasport.org
– bingsport.site
– deporte-libre.click
– dooball345.com (redirects to dooball345s.com and dooball345x.com)
– goaldaddyth.com
– hesgoal.watch
– librefutboltv.su
– livesports088.com (redirects to keelalive52.com)
– ovogoaal.com
– pelotalibrevivo.net (redirects to pirlotvenvivo.club)
– rbtvplus17.help (redirects to fctv33.work and nplb6earneyhtycourage.sbs)
– ronaldo7.me (redirects to streameasthd.com)
– t4tv.click
– vachvoi.link
– wearechecking.online (redirects to wac.rip)
– yallalshoot.com
– yalla4shoot.com
– yallla-shoot.com (redirects to yallashoot-4k.com, yallashootlivehd.com, wuyh.online )
– sportshd.app *
From: [TF][14], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[2]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-blocked-7000-piracy-domains-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024-240701/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-sky-ace-celebrate-elusive-globe-iptv-prison-sentence-250325/
[8]: #list
[9]:
[10]:
[11]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/plsubpoe.pdf
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldec.pdf
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldetails.pdf
Premier League Targets Dozens of Pirate Streaming Sites through Cloudflare Subpoena
[premier league]As England’s top football competition, the [Premier League][1] draws hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Aside from the sportive stakes, the [Premier League][2] also has a vested interest in selling broadcast rights. These rights generate billions of pounds in revenue per year; a staggering amount unmatched by any other football league.
Yet, other leagues are not the main threat to these broadcast revenues. Instead, piracy has emerged as the Premier League’s main nemesis, with many football fans turn to cheaper pirate streaming services to watch ‘the people’s game’.
In recent years, the Premier League has tried several legal avenues to [tackle the piracy problem][3]. In addition to obtaining [blocking orders][4] in multiple countries, the organization has been a driving force behind several [lawsuits][5], some of which resulted in [prison][6] sentences.
## Cloudflare & Pirate Sites
While the football league typically finds the law on its side, identifying its ‘opponents’ isn’t always easy. Operators of streaming sites and services are typically aware of the legal risks and do their best to remain anonymous. Presumably as part of this strategy, they use services made available by Cloudflare.
Cloudflare doesn’t make the operators of piracy sites ‘anonymous’ but it does shield their hosting locations from public view. Rightsholders can overcome this barrier through formal complaints, after which Cloudflare identifies the hosting services. To obtain additional information, however, rightsholders have to go to court.
Earlier this month the Premier League took this follow-up step by asking a California federal court to issue a DMCA subpoena. The request, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, identifies dozens of target pirate streaming sites and “Access Points”. Through the court, the Premier League hopes to identify the persons connected to these domains.
## Premier League Requests Action
Before going to court, the Premier League’s American law firm, [Hagan Noll & Boyle][7], sent a formal notification to Cloudflare.
“Cloudflare is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season,” attorney Timothy M. Frank wrote.
*Letter to Cloudflare*
The letter identifies specific [streaming site domains][8] and includes screenshots of the websites where these are shown.
In addition to public-facing sites, the Premier League pointed to various “backend links” where the pirated football streams are actually being sourced. The legal paperwork shows unauthorized broadcasts of various matches including Brentford v. Leeds United, Crystal Palace v. Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest v. Tottenham Hotspur.
*One of the streaming sites captured in evidence *
[[site]][9]
Several of the targeted sites utilize sophisticated redirection chains to reach their audience. For example, dooball345.com was found to redirect through dooball345s.com before landing on dooball345x.com. Similarly, pelotalibrevivo.net redirects users to pirlotvenvivo.club.
The court records also highlight how these sites often use unique CDN links and m3u8 playlists, sometimes involving tokens and session IDs—to serve live content to millions of global viewers.
## Cloudflare Must Identify Operators?
The Premier League’s letter to Cloudflare didn’t result in the immediate termination of the accounts, but it is used to request the DMCA subpoena at the the California federal court.
The proposed subpoena, which has yet to be signed off on, would require Cloudflare to hand over information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers, including any names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information, account updates, and account histories.
Whether the Premier League will find any of the information usable is another matter. Many pirate site owners use inaccurate data, but the explicit request for payment information and account history aims to provide a clearer financial trail than standard subscriber data.
*The subpoena *
[[subpoena]][10]
—
*A copy of the requested DMCA subpoena is available [here (pdf)][11] and the Premier League’s declaration can be found [here (pdf)][12]. Below is a list of the targeted “Access Point” [domain names][13] identified in the legal filing: *
**
* *
*– 247sport.org
– 4k-yalla-shoot.info (redirects to yallashootspro.com and 3arabsports.net)
– antenasport.org
– bingsport.site
– deporte-libre.click
– dooball345.com (redirects to dooball345s.com and dooball345x.com)
– goaldaddyth.com
– hesgoal.watch
– librefutboltv.su
– livesports088.com (redirects to keelalive52.com)
– ovogoaal.com
– pelotalibrevivo.net (redirects to pirlotvenvivo.club)
– rbtvplus17.help (redirects to fctv33.work and nplb6earneyhtycourage.sbs)
– ronaldo7.me (redirects to streameasthd.com)
– t4tv.click
– vachvoi.link
– wearechecking.online (redirects to wac.rip)
– yallalshoot.com
– yalla4shoot.com
– yallla-shoot.com (redirects to yallashoot-4k.com, yallashootlivehd.com, wuyh.online )
– sportshd.app *
From: [TF][14], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[2]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-blocked-7000-piracy-domains-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024-240701/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-sky-ace-celebrate-elusive-globe-iptv-prison-sentence-250325/
[8]: #list
[9]:
[10]:
[11]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/plsubpoe.pdf
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldec.pdf
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldetails.pdf
Premier League Targets Dozens of Pirate Streaming Sites through Cloudflare Subpoena
[premier league]As England’s top football competition, the [Premier League][1] draws hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Aside from the sportive stakes, the [Premier League][2] also has a vested interest in selling broadcast rights. These rights generate billions of pounds in revenue per year; a staggering amount unmatched by any other football league.
Yet, other leagues are not the main threat to these broadcast revenues. Instead, piracy has emerged as the Premier League’s main nemesis, with many football fans turn to cheaper pirate streaming services to watch ‘the people’s game’.
In recent years, the Premier League has tried several legal avenues to [tackle the piracy problem][3]. In addition to obtaining [blocking orders][4] in multiple countries, the organization has been a driving force behind several [lawsuits][5], some of which resulted in [prison][6] sentences.
## Cloudflare & Pirate Sites
While the football league typically finds the law on its side, identifying its ‘opponents’ isn’t always easy. Operators of streaming sites and services are typically aware of the legal risks and do their best to remain anonymous. Presumably as part of this strategy, they use services made available by Cloudflare.
Cloudflare doesn’t make the operators of piracy sites ‘anonymous’ but it does shield their hosting locations from public view. Rightsholders can overcome this barrier through formal complaints, after which Cloudflare identifies the hosting services. To obtain additional information, however, rightsholders have to go to court.
Earlier this month the Premier League took this follow-up step by asking a California federal court to issue a DMCA subpoena. The request, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, identifies dozens of target pirate streaming sites and “Access Points”. Through the court, the Premier League hopes to identify the persons connected to these domains.
## Premier League Requests Action
Before going to court, the Premier League’s American law firm, [Hagan Noll & Boyle][7], sent a formal notification to Cloudflare.
“Cloudflare is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season,” attorney Timothy M. Frank wrote.
*Letter to Cloudflare*
The letter identifies specific [streaming site domains][8] and includes screenshots of the websites where these are shown.
In addition to public-facing sites, the Premier League pointed to various “backend links” where the pirated football streams are actually being sourced. The legal paperwork shows unauthorized broadcasts of various matches including Brentford v. Leeds United, Crystal Palace v. Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest v. Tottenham Hotspur.
*One of the streaming sites captured in evidence *
[[site]][9]
Several of the targeted sites utilize sophisticated redirection chains to reach their audience. For example, dooball345.com was found to redirect through dooball345s.com before landing on dooball345x.com. Similarly, pelotalibrevivo.net redirects users to pirlotvenvivo.club.
The court records also highlight how these sites often use unique CDN links and m3u8 playlists, sometimes involving tokens and session IDs—to serve live content to millions of global viewers.
## Cloudflare Must Identify Operators?
The Premier League’s letter to Cloudflare didn’t result in the immediate termination of the accounts, but it is used to request the DMCA subpoena at the the California federal court.
The proposed subpoena, which has yet to be signed off on, would require Cloudflare to hand over information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers, including any names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information, account updates, and account histories.
Whether the Premier League will find any of the information usable is another matter. Many pirate site owners use inaccurate data, but the explicit request for payment information and account history aims to provide a clearer financial trail than standard subscriber data.
*The subpoena *
[[subpoena]][10]
—
*A copy of the requested DMCA subpoena is available [here (pdf)][11] and the Premier League’s declaration can be found [here (pdf)][12]. Below is a list of the targeted “Access Point” [domain names][13] identified in the legal filing: *
**
* *
*– 247sport.org
– 4k-yalla-shoot.info (redirects to yallashootspro.com and 3arabsports.net)
– antenasport.org
– bingsport.site
– deporte-libre.click
– dooball345.com (redirects to dooball345s.com and dooball345x.com)
– goaldaddyth.com
– hesgoal.watch
– librefutboltv.su
– livesports088.com (redirects to keelalive52.com)
– ovogoaal.com
– pelotalibrevivo.net (redirects to pirlotvenvivo.club)
– rbtvplus17.help (redirects to fctv33.work and nplb6earneyhtycourage.sbs)
– ronaldo7.me (redirects to streameasthd.com)
– t4tv.click
– vachvoi.link
– wearechecking.online (redirects to wac.rip)
– yallalshoot.com
– yalla4shoot.com
– yallla-shoot.com (redirects to yallashoot-4k.com, yallashootlivehd.com, wuyh.online )
– sportshd.app *
From: [TF][14], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[2]: https://www.premierleague.com/
[4]: https://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-blocked-7000-piracy-domains-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024-240701/
[5]: https://torrentfreak.com/premier-league-sky-ace-celebrate-elusive-globe-iptv-prison-sentence-250325/
[8]: #list
[9]:
[10]:
[11]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/plsubpoe.pdf
[12]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldec.pdf
[13]: https://torrentfreak.com/images/pldetails.pdf
Two Alleged Pirate IPTV Operators Sent to Prison For Contempt of Court
Two men said to be the operators of SmoothStreams, a pirate IPTV service shut down by entertainment companies over three years ago, have been imprisoned in Canada. Marshall Macciacchera and his father Antonio were both found guilty of contempt and sentenced to an initial term of six months. Marshall's sentence will continue until he complies with a court order to hand over financial information and a laptop password, among other things.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 08/11/2025
Every week we take a close look at the most pirated movies on torrent sites. What are pirates downloading? 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' tops the chart, followed by '28 Years Later'. 'The Pickup' completes the top three.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-torrented-pirated-movies/
U.S. Anti-Piracy Bills See Headline Blocking Claim Squeezed By Democracy
With two pirate site blocking bills under discussion in the U.S., and a third expected in the weeks ahead, a key statistic seems to be shrinking. During 2024 it was claimed that site blocking is a common tool in ~60 countries, a figure now reframed as "50 democratic countries" in the latest blocking bill. Yet if countries are excluded from the total on the basis they have never blocked, no longer block, or fail to meet the democratic threshold, the total may shrink to less than 40.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-anti-piracy-bills-see-democracy-shrink-blocking-country-claims-250803/
Study Reveals a Malware Problem on Pirate Sites, but How Bad is It?
A new report investigates the cybersecurity risks consumers face when using digital piracy services in Southeast Asia. The findings clearly show that pirate sites are a bigger threat than legal streaming platforms, suggesting that countermeasures are warranted. However, does is also mean that pirates are 65 times more likely to be infected by malware? And is that even important?
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/study-reveals-a-malware-problem-on-pirate-sites-but-how-bad-is-it/
Labels Don’t Want Supreme Court Review to Delay Piracy Lawsuit Against Verizon
In a move that could reshape the online copyright enforcement landscape, last month the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a pivotal piracy liability lawsuit. The Court's decision will have a direct impact on similar lawsuits, including that between major record labels and ISP Altice, which is now on hold. Verizon has asked the court for a similar stay, but since that lawsuit is in its early stages, the labels are firmly opposed to any further delay.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Jetflix Streaming Piracy Ringleader Sentenced to 7 Years Prison
The founder of illegal streaming service Jetflicks, a platform said to have negatively affected every significant copyright owner of TV shows in the United States, has been sentenced to 84 months in prison. Kristopher Dallmann had pleaded not guilty to several counts including conspiracy, criminal copyright infringement, and money laundering. He received sentences ranging between 12 and 84 months in prison to be served concurrently.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/jetflix-streaming-piracy-ringleader-sentenced-to-7-years-prison-250723/
Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 07/21/2025
Every week we take a close look at the most pirated movies on torrent sites. What are pirates downloading? 'How to Train Your DragonThunderbolts' tops the chart, followed by 'Ballerina'. 'Karate Kid: Legends' completes the top three.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-torrented-pirated-movies/
Google Sues Operators of a 10 Million Device Android Set-Top Box Botnet
A Google lawsuit filed in a New York court has been partly unsealed, revealing details of what is believed to be the largest botnet of its type in history. Consisting of 10 million compromised Android devices, mostly cheap Chinese set-top boxes popular with users of free and pirate streaming services, the Badbox 2.0 botnet turns user devices into nodes in a massive residential proxy network. Google says the botnet is used for ad fraud, malware distribution, and other digital crimes.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Former #1 Movie Piracy Site “Strongly Linked” to Global Infostealer Activity
Earlier this year, Microsoft published a report on an infostealer malware campaign identified as stemming from pirate streaming sites. With one million user devices infected, the potential for damage is clearly enormous but the threat isn't new. Data sourced from specialist breach databases reveals that Fmovies, the world's most popular pirate streaming site before its closure in 2024, was "strongly linked" to Infostealer activity targeting users worldwide.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Pair Behind 400 Block-Evading Pirate Porn Sites Face Prosecution
Law enforcement authorities in Vietnam will prosecute the operators of around 400 pirate sites offering pornographic content. Such material is illegal in Vietnam and the authorities say the men made large profits from visitors viewing lucrative advertising. Also of note are claims that the men circumvented blocking measures at ISPs either owned by, or closely connected to, the government.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/pair-behind-400-block-evading-pirate-porn-sites-face-prosecution-250718/
After SOPA’s Painful Death, Safe Site Blocking Claim Disputed By Cloudflare
A recent forum event held in Washington promised to discuss how pirate site-blocking orders can be safely implemented in the United States. With speakers Rep. Darrell Issa and Rep. Zoe Lofgren both openly admitting that SOPA was a disaster, Issa said that he believes that this time around, the errors of SOPA have all been fixed. That's clearly the case, or at least it was until a lone voice offered insight on the very topic those in attendance were there to discuss.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
UK Hosting Provider Asks Court to Dismiss $25 Million Pirate IPTV Lawsuit
UK hosting provider Innetra PC is pushing back against a $25 million lawsuit from pay-TV giant DISH Network. Accused of enabling widespread copyright infringement, Innetra filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, arguing that a U.S. court lacks the necessary jurisdiction. Among other things, Innetra stresses that its servers and customers are located outside the United States.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/uk-hosting-provider-asks-court-to-dismiss-25-million-pirate-iptv-lawsuit/
Registrar Snubs DMCA Subpoena, Claims Passive Conduit Immunity
In a case being heard at a California court, domain registrar Dynadot has partially declined to cooperate with the disclosure requirements of a DMCA subpoena, claiming immunity as a conduit service provider. In response, a copyright holder has asked the Court to issue an order clarifying service providers' safe harbor protection. The case is certainly unusual but also forms part of a more complex set of events, that may ultimately culminate in a potential moment of clarity.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/registrar-snubs-dmca-subpoena-potential-pandoras-box-shut-for-now-250706/
Google’s DMCA Transparency Report ‘Freezes’ After Recent Volume Surge
After more than a decade of timely updates, Google Search's takedown transparency report has stalled since mid-April. The absence of new data makes it harder for journalists and researchers to analyze these DMCA takedown efforts, which have increased significantly over the past year and a half. Notably, Google continues to send these notices to the Lumen database, providing some ongoing visibility.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/googles-dmca-transparency-report-freezes-after-recent-volume-surge/
Amazon Remote Disables Piracy Apps Sideloaded on Fire TV Devices
Over the past 18 months, media reports concerning live sports piracy have systematically demonized the Fire TV Stick, hoping to pressure Amazon into action against pirate apps. Amazon doesn't allow infringing apps on its official store, so users manually sideload apps available elsewhere on the internet. In a rare event earlier this week, at least two pirate apps sideloaded by users onto Fire TV devices, were remotely and irreversibly disabled by Amazon.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/amazon-remote-disables-piracy-apps-sideloaded-on-fire-tv-devices-250628/
Google Receives Piracy Shield Orders to Block Pirate Sites in Public DNS
Italian telecoms regulator AGCOM has regularly criticized Google over its anti-piracy efforts, but the signs suggest that change is on the way. AGCOM says a system activated last month, relayed blocking orders received by the Piracy Shield anti-piracy system, directly to Google, which "promptly" blocked pirate site domains on its public DNS resolver. AGCOM says the system should be fully operational "as soon as possible" but warns that Google will still have to do more.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
IPTV Piracy Lawsuit Targets ‘Boss IPTV Cartel’, CDN, Hosts, Set-Top Box Supplier
A five-year-old investigation by US-based streaming service YuppTV features in a copyright complaint filed at a federal court in Pennsylvania. Alleging systematic piracy of YuppTV content, the complaint claims to identify the owner of various IPTV services and companies, collectively the 'Boss IPTV Cartel'. Allegations against CDN company Datacamp, set-top box manufacturer Infomir, and other intermediaries, add extra layers to an already complicated case.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Piracy Giant Mangajikan’s “Website Closed” After 185m Visits in May Alone
Earlier this week, Japanese manga publisher Shueisha filed a DMCA subpoena application in the U.S., as it continues to pursue the operators of major pirate sites. At the very top of Shueisha's latest list is Mangajikan, a site that appears to have received 185 million visitors in May alone. In Japan, that made Mangajikan more popular than Instagram, Facebook, and ChatGPT. But right now, on what used to be its front page, is a very clear message: Website Closed.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
European ISPs Complain About ‘Disproportionate’ Pirate Site Blocking
Internet providers are increasingly tasked in the role of anti-piracy enforcers and instructed to block pirate websites and services. In Europe, court-ordered blockades are now commonplace, but ISPs are cautious when it comes to further expansion. In a recent submission to the EU Commission, EuroISPA, which represents over 3,300 ISPs, complains about "disproportionate" blocking measures, as recently seen in Italy, Spain and elsewhere.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/european-isps-complain-about-disproportionate-pirate-site-blocking/
Pirate Site Visits Dip to 216 Billion a Year, But Manga Piracy is Booming
Fresh data for 2024 reveals that while overall pirate site traffic dipped to 216 billion visits, the landscape is shifting dramatically. Publishing piracy is booming, largely driven by an insatiable global demand for manga. In stark contrast, both music and film piracy have tanked. Despite these changes, the United States remains the top traffic source for pirate sites.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.