Academics Launch Torrent Site to Share Papers and Datasets

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts have launched a torrent site which allows academics to share papers and datasets. AcademicTorrents provides researchers with a reliable and decentralized platform to share their work with peers, as well as the rest of the world. The site currently indexes over 1.5 petabytes of…

Successful Kickstarter Campaign Hit By Game Piracy Claims

A project to resurrect one of the most important home computers in history has been hit by copyright infringement claims. UK-based Elite Systems, who plan to resurrect the legendary ZX Spectrum as a Bluetooth attachment for iOS, Android and Windows devices, have already reached their Kickstarter goal. However, games developers…

Judge Understands BitTorrent, Kills Mass Piracy Lawsuits

In the U.S. roughly half a million people have been sued for sharing copyrighted files in recent years, but filing of mass-lawsuits is not getting easier. A federal judge in Iowa has just issued a key order which makes mass-BitTorrent piracy lawsuits virtually impossible. The judge ruled that copyright holders…

The Pirate Bay Unblocking Decision’s Knock-On Effect on Proxy Sites

A dramatic decision at The Court of The Hague this week meant that two ISPs in the Netherlands were legally able to reverse their blocking of The Pirate Bay. The ruling, which was both welcomed and unexpected, is now having knock-on effects, with an emboldening Dutch Pirate Party preparing to…

AT&T Develops Credits System to Limit File-Sharing Bandwidth

A patent application by telecoms giant AT&T details a traffic management system set to add a little more heat to the net neutrality debate. Rather than customers using their Internet connections to freely access any kind of data, the telecoms giant envisions a system in which subscribers engaged in "non-permissible"…

Pirate Bay Uploader Can’t be Criminally Prosecuted, Court Rules

A Dutch man who admitted uploading more than 5,000 e-books to The Pirate Bay has had his case dismissed on appeal. The court ruled that the man can't be prosecuted criminally as copyright infringement cases belong in a civil court. Anti-piracy group BREIN is disappointed, but still has the option…

Movie Studio Wants $869k From FileServe to Compensate Piracy Losses

The makers of the independent movie American Cowslip are demanding $869,000 in piracy damages from file-hosting service FileServe. The movie company filed a lawsuit last year and is now moving for a default judgment due to a lack of response from the cyberlocker. According to American Cowslip's producer, piracy is…