Marvel and DC Comics Join Forces to Target BitTorrent
Written by enigmax on November 22, 2007When Demonoid disappeared recently, many people were sad at losing access to a great selection of comics. Those people are about to become even more upset as Marvel and DC Comics launch a twin strategy to shutdown a comic torrent community and target usenet uploaders.
A little while ago when Marvel mentioned BitTorrent in one of its comics, it seemed quite an amusing thing to do. Seen by some as a gentle swipe at an unauthorized source, perhaps suggesting an uneasy but peaceful co-existence.
A couple of months down the line and this analysis couldn’t be further from the truth. Marvel are getting into the online digital comic business these days and their attitude seems to have changed. It’s time to take down trackers and take on Usenet uploaders.
Popular comic book tracker Z-Cult FM was threatened by Marvel and DC Comics, as site admin ‘Serj’ explained: “We got legal letters from both Marvel and DC Comics who have been working together to send us these legal threats. We are currently dealing with the legal issues and they have given us 3 days before they are forced to take anymore action.”
As a precautionary measure, Z-Cult FM voluntarily took down their tracker to take a little time to assess the situation and double check the authenticity of the demands. “We have confirmed one of the legal letters is 100% from DC Comics when a phone call was made to DC Comics who confirmed the email and its contents” said ‘Serj’, “As of today we were unable to contact Marvel and we are trying again tomorrow just to 100% confirm it.”
Right now the site itself is back online but is not currently offering torrents. Marvel had demanded that the site be completely shutdown to which ‘Serj’ says: “We will never let the main Z-Cult FM site die even if that means torrent free.”
Those comic fans who get their fix from Usenet don’t escape supply problems either. A prolific scanner/uploader known as ‘Oroboros’ has revealed he’s done releasing comics on Usenet. He said: “I’m done with the newsgroup. I got a DMCA notice from my newsgroup service. I have no posting abilities. I can’t even post a message saying I have to stop posting. If anyone can get to the group, please let them know that I’m done. They have my IP address in the notice and this is my one stated warning.”
However, ‘Oroboros’ didn’t say he was going to stop releasing completely, just on newsgroups: “I’m not done with scanning. It’s just the newsgroup that I can’t access anymore. I will still scan and release into the wild like I did a year and 1/2 ago.”
Another high note, Z-Cult FM’s admin just announced some really good news. Seems that there are benefits to having your material available on BitTorrent after all. Serj explains:
“A comic publisher we talked to while ago who wanted their books banned from our site for their own reasons have just PMed/Emailed me to revoke the ban and are happy for us to share their files here.”
Seems like the start of a great relationship!
Previously: PickyPirate: Metacritic Meets BitTorrent
Next: Forced Exodus of BitTorrent Sites Is Imminent
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[quote comment="222739"]anime/manga= the best
comic= imho sucks… the american can’t make cartoon that are pleasing to the eye.
comic blows, never like it could careless about it…
video games are based on anime/manga…
never liked comic, never will.
it’s for 3-5 years old toddler :)[/quote]
Punctuation/Grammar/Spelling/The ability to make a coherent thought= apparently not important to you
The parallel with Napster is all in place, but what will be the iTunes type of solution?
.cbrs are better than Flash or even PDF solutions for comics. And the rabid scanner fanboys are remarkable in getting a product out and even responding to the market by improving their torrents.
The $4.00 32 page book is an anachronism, but the graphic novel works (esp with bookstore distribution). Licensed torrents with some DRM (alas) might be worth a subscription fee. Of course, non-DRM’ed cbrs would be best.
Anyway, scanned/on screen comics are the future.
…the fuck? They are shutting down one out of a like a brazillion torrent trackers?
BTW they ARE just TRACKERS right? I mean they dont own the original file?
This reminds me of what happened when Reagan was still on, taxpayers paying milk farms to stop producing milk…
Guess what?
One guy sells his cows from the stopped production farm, to his other farm where he’s still allowed to produce. The Taxpayers got milked for it cos the farmer still has all of his cows and gets paid by the govt too…
welovefreedom - are you fucking retarded? comics are for kids? not even superhero comics are for kids. It’s been a long time since you can open a Batman Comic and not find a dismembered body. Infinite Crisis one of DC’s biggest event comics had people’s arms being ripped off, Black Adam putting his hand in a guys head and making it explode. Then you can go to the older shit like Ennis’ Punisher, whic are some of the most hardcore stories ever written and that’s in all fiction, whether it be novels, TV or film. Read comics and tell me they are for kids. No one under 18 reads comics and the companies know this. That’s why all the comics even the superhero ones are adult.
The stupid thing about all of this is Marvel and DC are already on shaky ground with geeks. With a dwindling fan base, and more and more people turning their backs now their pissing on us? I don’t read main stream comics never really have just for that reason. I buy indie and download on or two big issues of marvel or dc stuff maby once every few months. I would buy those issues if the companies actully tried to relate to me instead of having a plot so twisted and warped only a super geek could unravel it.
Many young people don’t seem to care. But I do. They are trying to destroy everything that stood for the things WE believed in. Yes, I am older now. Not a powerful person in my community anymore. But I still believe we all have to stick together, and try and save the things we want saved. I’ve seen the lame attempts at Comics, as sold in the Safeway along with National Enquirer,
the myriad of improve your body, your sex life, your diet, your head space magazines. AARGH!
you know what’s really nerdy? minding other people’s business, making fun of what they like to do..corey taylor likes comics, and he’s cool…you gotta admit that… maybe you should start livin’ your lives and get off other people’s beeswax? okay? “cool” buddies? hahaha dorks…
their old comics are good but when they make the movies they are totally different from the comics which to me kind of sucks.
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