Torrent Site Webhost Ordered to Pay “Piracy” Damages

Hollywood-backed anti-piracy outfit BREIN has won a landmark case against XS Networks, the former hosting provider of torrent site SumoTorrent. The Court of The Hague ruled that the provider is responsible for damages copyright holders suffered through the torrent site's activities. The Dutch verdict has far-reaching implications for the liability…

Video Games Industry To Join Three-Strikes Anti-Piracy Scheme

While "three strikes" or graduated response-style schemes continue to spread, it is the mainstream music and movie industries that are the main beneficiaries of any supposed benefits. To date, makers of other digital products have been left to fend for themselves but if developments in France carry through, that will…

Pirate Bay Censored in Ireland After Mysterious Court Order (Updated)

Starting today, The Pirate Bay is no longer accessible for customers of the Irish Internet provider UPC. Subscribers who try to access the BitTorrent site get a notice informing them that it has been blocked following a court order in a case brought by Ireland's equivalent of the RIAA. The…

U.S. Court Asked to Release Megaupload Search Warrants

By seizing the servers of Megaupload, the U.S. Government also confiscated the personal belongings of many innocent users of the file-hosting service. One entrepreneur has asked the court to return his data and to assist this demand his lawyers are asking to unseal the search warrants. "Gaining access to the…

BPI Asks UK ISPs To Block More Major Torrent Sites

Following its successful application to have The Pirate Bay blocked by several leading ISPs in the UK, the recording industry is back again with new demands. The BPI has reportedly asked Internet service providers such as BT, Virgin and TalkTalk to block leading torrent sites Kickass Torrents, H33t and Fenopy.…

Raided PRQ Torrent Site is Back and Hiring Cinemas To Celebrate

On the first day of October, police in Sweden raided so-called "bulletproof hoster" PRQ. The action took dozens of file-sharing sites offline, but it was later announced that the main target was Tankafetast, Sweden's second favorite torrent site. A few days later Antipiratbyran confirmed the site's demise but now, just…