Publishing Pirate Site-Blocking Orders is a Good Start, But It’s Not Transparency
Recognition of transparency in the FADPA site blocking bill is welcome, but will be become reality? So far, many blocking regimes have lacked transparency. The true scale of site blocking action in Europe, let alone the world, is effectively proprietary information to which the public has zero access. It may be the ideal time for global site blocking to implement global transparency by default.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Gazprom: 23,000 Sites/Telegram Channels Blocked, 770 Lawsuits Won in 2024
Using tools broadly similar to those preferred by its Western counterparts, in 2024, Russia's Gazprom-Media suppressed online piracy by blocking 17,400 websites and 5,700 Telegram channels. Filing lawsuits at an average rate of more than 14 each week, Gazprom claims victory in 775 infringement lawsuits. Whether that amounts to 'winning' the piracy war is another matter.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/gazprom-2024-23k-sites-telegram-channels-blocked-770-lawsuits-won-250209/
Rightsholders Target VPN Providers in French Court to Block Piracy
In their ongoing battle against online sports piracy, French rightsholders are now seeking to extend site-blocking measures to VPN providers. Canal+ and the football league LFP have requested court orders to compel NordVPN, ExpressVPN, ProtonVPN, and others to block access to pirate sites and services. The move follows similar orders obtained last year against DNS resolvers.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/rightsholders-target-vpn-providers-in-french-court-to-block-piracy-250207/
‘Meta Torrented over 81 TB of Data Through Anna’s Archive, Despite Few Seeders’
Freshly unsealed court documents reveal that Meta downloaded significant amounts of data from shadow libraries through Anna's Archive. The company's use of BitTorrent was already known, but internal email communication reveals sources and terabytes of downloaded data, as well as a struggle with limited availability and slow download speeds due to a lack of seeders.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Piracy Victories for Hollywood & Premier League Spark Progress Concerns
In 2024 the Motion Picture Association and the Premier League celebrated notable anti-piracy wins in Vietnam. The collapse of the Fmovies empire and the conviction of a person linked to a major IPTV provider, marked rare progress in a difficult region. Yet, increasing doubts over what happens next in Vietnam has sparked concerns that not even the biggest wins offer guaranteed progression.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/victories-for-hollywood-premier-league-spark-progress-concerns-250205/
LaLiga: Cloudflare, Google and X Are Essential Piracy Facilitators
In a submission to the U.S. Trade Representative, LaLiga accuses Google, Cloudflare, and X of enabling pirate services to thrive. The submission is unusual; the Special 301 process requests recommendations concerning foreign countries. LaLiga also stands out for its country-specific complaints, nominating the UK and Germany for the Priority Watch List over piracy challenges.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/laliga-cloudflare-google-and-x-are-essential-piracy-facilitators-250204/
Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 02/03/2025
Every week we take a close look at the most pirated movies on torrent sites. What are pirates downloading? 'Moana 2' tops the chart, followed by 'Den of Thieves 2: Pantera'. 'Nosferatu' 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/
MPA Shares Pirate Site Blocking ‘Best Practices’ at WIPO Meeting
MPA Senior Executive Vice President Karyn Temple will share the movie industry group's site blocking 'best practices' at a WIPO meeting. The insights arrive just few days after a new site blocking bill was introduced in the United States. Not surprisingly, the MPA's 'best practices' for site blocking largely align with proposed legislative amendments.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/mpa-shares-pirate-site-blocking-best-practices-at-wipo-meeting-250203/
TorrentGalaxy Pleads Financial Difficulties, Asks Users to Chip In
TorrentGalaxy was taken over by new owners last year and faced repeated difficulties in the months that followed. Official updates have been sparse, but according to a new message posted by the operators, they're having trouble paying the bills. Further details are lacking, but the call for help resulted in a healthy stream of crypto donations, which will be of interest to anti-piracy groups too.
From: [TF][1], for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/
https://torrentfreak.com/torrentgalaxy-pleads-financial-difficulties-asks-users-to-chip-in-250129/