TorrentSpy Blocks Searches From US Visitors
Written by Ernesto on August 27, 2007Starting today, TorrentSpy blocks all searches from US visitors and redirects them to a privacy statement. TorrentSpy is caught up in a lawsuit in which the MPAA demands that TorrentSpy hands over all user info stored in “random access memory” (RAM).
This service denial seems to be a preventative measure to protect their users, when US users try to search on TorrentSpy they now get this message:
Sorry, but because you are located in the USA you cannot use the search features of the Torrentspy.com website.Torrentspy’s decision to stop accepting US visitors was NOT compelled by any Court but rather an uncertain legal climate in the US regarding user privacy and an apparent tension between US and European Union privacy laws.
The search redirect will be permanent, TorrentSpy owner Justin Bunnell told TorrentFreak: “We must comply with European Union privacy laws and turning off USA traffic was the only way to guarantee that protection for our users. It is not something with a time limit.”. Over 15% of TorrentSpy’s visitors are US residents, shutting them down for good will be a disaster for the site.
We also asked Justin how he thinks this will affect the future of TorrentSpy, and he responded: “Whatever future awaits, the innovations of peer-to-peer technology and the jobs and opportunities it creates will take place outside of the USA.”
TorrentSpy currently does not log any user data, but if the court decides that they have to hand over all information stored in RAM, this would be a huge blow to Internet privacy. The MPAA reasons that all IPs, downloaded .torrent files, dates and other user info are temporarily stored in RAM for a few milliseconds and demands that TorrentSpy logs this info and hands it over to the MPAA. Basically they are demanding that TorrentSpy should keep server logs (pdf link).
TorrentSpy lawyer Ira Rothken is determined to fight this but said in a statement about the case: “The odds favor the copyright owners, copyright law in this country is Draconian and dramatically skewed on the owner’s side”.
Everything TorrentSpy does also applies to other search engines according to the TorrentSpy defense. Last year, when the case started, Rothken said “It [TorrentSpy] cannot be held ‘tertiary’ liable for visitors’ conduct that occurs away from its web search engine”. TorrentSpy claims it did nothing illegal and suggested the MPAA should sue Google.
To be continued…
Update: A federal judge ruled that TorrentSpy must log all data stored in RAM, this is why TorrentSpy blocked the searches.
Previously: Anime Distributor Has No Legal Right to Threaten BitTorrent Users
Next: GetAmnesty.com: MPAA Extortion at its Finest
72 Responses
Did anyone notice that from the page where US visitors get to see the “no access”-message, TorrentSpy links to some non-bittorrent sites?
TorrentSpy should link to the big ones ;), like myBittorrent.com, Mininova.org, etc..
Are they crazy?!!?!?
These were the people that started a deal with the authorities not so long ago with ISOhunt right?
And now the MPAA just stabs them in the back!
What kind of data would be accessable from the RAM???
What? People are still using TorrentSpy and IsoHunt? That’s like trusting Enron.
Proxies.
“Over 15% of TorrentSpy’s visitors are US residents, shutting them down for good will be will be a disaster for the site.”
15% loss in traffic and the RIAA and MPAA off your back? Sounds like an easy decision for the owner. I’m actually surprised someone wasn’t thought of this earlier…
I hope others will follow them too. Its time to isolate RIAA and MPAA out from torrent world.
I still don’t get the whole deal about RAM. Why do they want the RAM?!? Hell, the MAFIAA can take all the RAM in my house for all I care, what the hell are they going to find on them once I power off?
I live in Guam, US. No problem here getting to torrentspy.
Stored in RAM? How many percent of the database is stored in RAM at any given time? Must amount to a few percent, plus it is always changing, so their data will be rather arbitrary. If I got that request I’d make sure they got what they asked – which is most likely not what they want.
lol I’m from the UK and I get the Torrentspy Acts to Protect Privacy message
Man I’m in the UK too, and I get the message saying ‘Sorry you are in the USA etc…’
[quote comment="153492"]I hope others will follow them too. Its time to isolate RIAA and MPAA out from torrent world.[/quote]
You sound naive. Admins won’t block anyone unless its absolutely necessary! The MPAA and RIAA are not the only organizations/companies that cause trouble to torrentsites. There are many more: Microsoft, WebSheriff, BREIN, IFPI, etc… (And I haven’t even started about the record companies…)
If an admin would have to block visitors to keep all organisations satisfied, there would be almost noone left to visit the site.
[quote comment="153512"]lol I’m from the UK and I get the Torrentspy Acts to Protect Privacy message[/quote]
Well, you can always just visit myBittorrent.com. It’s not like you will notice any difference, cos most of TorrentSpy’s torrents were linking to myBittorrent.com lately.
Still no problem in guam.
America: “Home of the Free?”
I understand and admire TorrentSpy’s decision. This protects the privacy of the unwitting. Using foreign proxy services would be a great work-around — make sure you register your TorrentSpy account to a non-US country.
@fjaak: “Stored in RAM? How many percent of the database is stored in RAM at any given time?”
This was an idiot judge who issued the ruling, without understanding the infeasibility of her order. Idiot Judge’s Name Jacqueline Chooljian. You can now find her photoshopped all over porno sites.
You guys weren’t paying attention. They don’t want their ram as I’m sure someone could have told them that the instant power is removed the information stored is gone. However, what they DID ask for was that torrentspy, a company that does NOT log any information pertaining to their servers begin LOGGING information that is posted to RAM. Therefore, the MPAA wants them to create a log, which is something they don’t do. It also means that it would be VERY bad. Anything that runs on that server in the form of data is discernable from a log for RAM. Hide ur IP, spread the word.
I never used TorrentSpy anyways, way too much spyware and other crap in their downloads.
grab tor, you can search anonymously for free via AES encryption tor.eff.org
TORRENTSPY FUCKING BLOWS
You have mininova, suprnova, piratebay and others ..
GET THE FACK OFF TS.
one word….. proxy
What’s stored in the RAM?
Everything. Every single visitor’s IP address and every torrent file they download. No, it’s not “stored” in the RAM permanently but it does pass through it at some point. The MPAA/RIAA lawyers are making the case that the RAM is a type of storage medium and therefore the TorrentSpy admins must keep logs of everything that gets put into RAM for even a few milliseconds and then turn that log over to them. The judge initially ruled that this was true and that Torrentspy had to do this, then their lawyers appealed the ruling and she is reconsidering it.
Either way, I’ll never use TorrentSpy again. It’s TPB for me.
I think Google will have to be the new torrent site…
mwahhahahahahahahha! you cant win!
PS.. i thought there was a law or an amendment which says you don’t have to provide self-incriminating evidence to a court???
I’ve only got 3 words for this :(
use proxy
@ Peter Schmit
Is this considered a criminal case yet?
WTF, just move the servers outside the US ?!?!
haha
I just loved it. now there is a site that blocks usa, that’s great =)) .
I switched from Torrentspy to BTJunkie.org anyway, way more stuff there!
Another alternative for sharing stuff is to use encrypted file-sharing apps which ENCRYPT all exchanges, such as http://www.gigatribe.com
Good thing I’m in Canada!! Plus TorrentSpy does suck compared to demonoid, piratebay, and re-vived suprnova!
I am surprised people still use torretnspy anyway. But I’m even more surprised TorrentSpy would kick out 15% of its population, I bet it’s probably more. If you guys think the RIAA and the MPAA are going to stop hassling you and TorrentSpy just because they block the USA, you’re wrong and dumb. They are interested in their copyrights, and money. They don’t care if you’re in Germany or Australia or Mozambique, they will stop at nothing until all of you pay money and go to the over fucking priced cinema
I live in Guan, US. Guan-tanamo that is. I can confirm we do have a problem accessing the site… or food, or clothing, and some other luxuries we don´t really need, or so we´re told.
However, we have no problem accessing water (they give it to us in “boardings” I overheard they call them).
(psst… Moore says we have an excellent dental plan. My last three teeth were wondering…)
1.) The servers are outside of the US, doesn’t matter if the ownership still resides in the US
2.) The only reason why TS has put up this message is because it cares about its users and did not have to put up any message at all.
Those of you that are simply running away to another site do not realize the true problem we’re having. If the court actually does rule in favor of the MPAA upon this, we will have a larger issue than simply torrents. We are losing privacy and this would be a precedent-setting blow to anonymity.
How much longer till the reach of the bureaucratic US twists the arms of other countries after being bought out?
Are you you sure they meant RAM? Because once a computer is turned off, the “RAM” is cleared of all that it contains….
RAM = Random Access Madness
Pitiful Judge ….
tpb + the nova still on top and taking care of business as usual.
Protip: add proxy URLs to your quick searches. For example, in my Opera search.ini configuration, I have
http://www.proxybrowse.biz/?q=http://www.btmon.com/torrent/%s
for BTMon.net searches, whereas “www.proxybrowse.biz” is the proxy’s address. It redirects through that proxy, preventing the site from logging my IP. If you use TorrentSpy, you can do a similar thing. Just make sure the proxy isn’t located in the U.S., as it will of course be blocked.
LOL. How are you able to retrieve the data that is cached in RAM?
Yeah, I might have to bust out the 100% anonymous proxies now. I’ve been using TorrentSpy as my main BitTorrent site since 2005, along with isohunt, at times. I guess isohunt will be my new best friend and possibly other popular BT sites I’ve used in the past, like mininova, etc. if TorrentSpy is taken down eventually.
FUCK THE CORPORATIONS PROFITING OFF OF ALL OF US.
Someone please tell them to contact ‘thepiratebay.org’ and ‘eff.org’
The MPAA deserves absolutely no international foothold. Give them no inch. Zero. Nothing.
I applaud thee torrentspy. Thanks for protecting those of us unfortunate enough to live in a the same country as the RIAA.
[quote comment="153788"]I applaud thee torrentspy. Thanks for protecting those of us unfortunate enough to live in a the same country as the RIAA.[/quote]
Ahh and MPAA
Isn’t RAM refreshed all the time and nothing is permanently stored?
I guess that is why there are so many IT Technicians out there, to help people that are retarded in the computer field, or who are just clueless and simply need help.
In this case, it is the former.
However, almost all servers do take take logs of some kind and store in on the HDD (hard disk drive) permanently. So if the prosecutors find such logs this way, then many of us are screwed, unless we changed ISPs (Chaging ISP = change in IP)recently and haven’t gone to TorrentSpy.
Unless the admins made backups (which everyone should know how to do and do, data is the most expensive part of the PC)and physically destroyed the original drives (you can’t simply reformat and install an OS, there are many tools that can recover data from a previous format) and hid the backups somewhere. (Although that would be like [don't know the proper term for this] “hiding” evidence relevant to the case, which will put them in deep crap. [correct if I am wrong])
It is true that the MPAA should sue Google, along with Yahoo!, AOL (the built-in search engine that I assume it contains), AltaVista, and thousands of other search engines.
screw TorrentSPY, suprNOVA IS BACK!
hey no worries, if your in the U.S just use one of the Anonymous surf deals and you can get back on Torrentspy.com and they dont have to worry about your info and ndither do you !! try Anonymousatwork.com
does anybody know how to FUCK the RIAA/MPAA? everybody says fuck the mafiaa but does saying fuck the mafiaa actually fuck them? it seems to me that the mafiaa is laughing all the way to the bank every time somebody says fuck the mafiaa. what methods are you people using to actually fuck the mafiaa? i would like to know. the mpaa just had record box office summer season. the don’t seem like they got fucked to me. do people say fuck the mafiaa and secretly go to the movies or buy cd’s? WTF.
Well, I’m north of the US Border, seems like our politicians and judges have balls or at least half of them to not go out and sue and jail users here.
Why is the issue of RAM creating so much confusion . Most Internet companies like TS have zero downtime servers and its not one server but a robust cluster of many servers . All the court is asking is to run a timely process which will run on the server and will create a log about all the users who are currently using the server.
They should just set up a web based proxy and have a link/auto-redirect for users in the US to use.
I think someone does not know geography. Guam is apart of the US. It is 14 degrees north and 140 degrees west. I still get to torrentspy.com. Is that a little more clear? Also, US copyright laws apply here. So I dont see how effective this block is. But it is obviously another demonstration of how anonymous bittorrent really is. Viva le Bittorrent! (no i am not french or spanish)
what’s a good list of free to use IP addies? use the wrong one your ass is grass…
the web proxy at http://unblocktorrentspy.com works fine for me, wee!
i didnt read everyones post.. but couldnt you just use a proxy to get to the site…?
Or that is if you can find one that isnt hosted in the US
lol i shouldve read the post right before me! :)
but i bet… torrentspy doesnt care… as long as it doesnt look like they have any vistors from the US then they should be fine
i used a program called tor on
firefox and still accessed
torrentspy search.
Screw the control freaks.
What I’m wondering now, is if this is temporary or is this a permanent deal? If it is, then they should be called simply terrorists.
Guess its about time to move to Japan…
Simple to get around… just hit http://anonymouse.org/cgi-bin/anon-www.cgi/http://torrentspy.com instead of torrentspy directly
Don’t fuck with donald…
The point is:
Torrentspy is (as of posting their non-access to US residents message) logging activity on the servers. Torrentspy protected its US users by refusing them access once they complied with the new ruling. It is smart because it protects you and it protects them.
Go to inavid.com for easy step instructions on how to get around this minor problem. Its an easy solution that anyone should do no matter what torrent or p2p client their using.
http://www.inavid.com/tutorial-videos/windows-vista/beginner-videos/general-beginner-questions/197-torrent-spy.html
Ok, so we can’t win a war against a country we control, we can’t win a war against oppression and racial bigotry, and we can’t win wars on substance abuse, economic inequality, and numerous other social distortions….but there’s one thing that America’s damn sure going to win and that’s the war on illegal movies, music, and porn. God knows there’s nothing worse than sticky keyboards, blank cds, and overworked hard drives. Terrorism can wait.
the simple fact that TorrentSpy is falling victim to a disgusting case of entrapment and un-warranted victimization by these GOVERNMENT funded organizations just to keep corporate industries pleased and profitable shows that our constitutionally protected rights, (or lack thereof) are worth their weight in RAM.
torrent spy was the best torrent earch site, hands down, this sucks so freaking bad, im so upset :(
hi all
same with me i am in ksa
but you can use jap it’s work tray it
go to
http://anon.inf.tu-dresden.de/index_en.html
http://unblocktorrentspy.com/
Block U.S. residents, but keep every song, program, game, movie, everything made by U.S. artists.
et Frenchizes leisurely Tenneco Georgia alphabet!Klein kink
wane arrangement dump succumbs.stratifications Schweitzer.deluge,
this will be temperately, people will still find the way to download files on the internet, it is something that impossible to stop…
I hope they dont hand over the logs!
i live in canada no problems… use mininova works good to
For the past two days I haven’t been able to get any access to the torrentspy website. When I click on the link I get a message saying “Service Unavailable” does anyone know anything about this?
Stop posting other torrent sites….
If people are to stupid to find their own torrent sites let them use Limewire :P
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