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
114 Responses
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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.
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