TorrentSpy Shuts Down
A little over a year ago, TorrentSpy.com was still the most visited BitTorrent site, but times have changed. After an expensive two year battle with the MPAA, TorrentSpy decided to throw in the towel and the site has now shut down permanently.
TorrentSpy is no more, Justin Bunnell, the founder of the site writes: “We have decided on our own, not due to any court order or agreement, to bring the TorrentSpy.com search engine to an end and thus we permanently closed down worldwide on March 24, 2008.”
The main reason for the shutdown is the ongoing legal battle with the MPAA, which started February 2006. “We now feel compelled to provide the ultimate method of privacy protection for our users - permanent shutdown,” Justin writes.
By the end of 2006 TorrentSpy was more popular than any other BitTorrent site, but this changed quickly in August 2007, when a federal judge ordered TorrentSpy to log all user data. The judge ruled that TorrentSpy had to monitor its users in order to create detailed logs of their activities, and hand these over to the MPAA.
In a response to this decision - and to ensure the privacy of their users - TorrentSpy decided that it was best to block access to all users from the US. This led to a huge decrease in traffic and revenue.
This was not enough for the MPAA, who argued that TorrentSpy had ignored the court decision. The legal battle continued, and this eventually led to a preventative closure of the site by Justin, to protect the privacy of its users.
Brokep from The Pirate Bay had this to say about the closure: “Today all big torrent sites are pressured somehow. TPB has its share of pressure, however we expected it and have a legal system that is more just in cases like this. The way that the copyright lobby is going at this is totally wrong and we can’t let them win. And we won’t let them win. Today we reached a loss of a site, but it was more a person having to give up for economical reasons than anything else. The copyright lobby has their big cards - money and influence. In the long run they will have to give up as well. And when they do, I’ll go to the US and buy Justin a well-deserved beer.”
At this point it is not clear what will happen to the TorrentSpy.com domain. Perhaps Justin should offer it to other BitTorrent site owners?
Previously: Mininova Helps CBC to Distribute TV-Show
Next: Comcast Teams Up With BitTorrent and Promises Net Neutrality
127 Responses (Add yours or TrackBack)
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RIP.
what a sad story :(
torrentspy was the first torrent site i used, and i have a lot of good experiences with it.. but oh well, as long as TPB and mininova hangs on i guess i’ll survive
RIP
damn
TS was crap anyway
This makes me sad :(
TorrentSpy should give the domain to The Pirate Bay so it can redirect there… it would be a last “fuck you” to the MPAA and it would re-direct any users who didn’t know about other places to get torrents to a new index.
I always used TorrentSpy for my torrent needs because it had very good comment section. If something was fake or not good quality you would know from the comments. Then they decide to remove comments from site and i stop visiting. I didnt use it for quite a while. It was good while it lasted. Cya around.
:(
Sucks to live in US…
Damn! another good site got shut down.
I’m so insanely happy about this. I absolutely can not stand the owners of that website. I hope they’re in debt up to their bald spots.
still insist that http://torrent-finder.com/ is the easiest way to find torrents, you only need to tweak the site options ;)
[quote comment="319778"]TS was crap anyway[/quote]
Crap or not, it was still a torrent site.
In response to the MPAA action, how about starting a total world ban of all MPAA related products?
P2P could, for the span of 1 or 2 months, totally ban torrents, legal or otherwise, from USA. All P2P users will boycott all movies showing at theatres in their own countries, all music from the stores, etc. Advertise the fact of the ban, so the retailers who support the MPAA will know how angry the P2P community is getting.
For myself, I get torrents as a preview of things to buy. If I can establish for myself if a film is worth buying, why the hell would I waste my money buying a legal copy of the movie anyway?
the site was good till it had to take of user comments and then filled it with porn.
he should be shot for the mass porn on the site alone
It was a lame ass public tracker made for n00bs. Stop crying and get over it you fucking lamers.
It was a lame ass public tracker made for n00bs. Stop crying and get over it you fucking lamers.
[quote comment="319839"]For myself, I get torrents as a preview of things to buy. If I can establish for myself if a film is worth buying, why the hell would I waste my money buying a legal copy of the movie anyway?[/quote]
Most people do… I myself download movies due to the fact i refuse to pay $20 + for a DVD movie… (AUD) I will but them for under $15 how ever…
The companies just dont see it… They never will… If they lose $1 then its not good… Even tho they make billions more…
it was the first torrent site i used too. i’m sure it used to be brilliant back in the day. Then it got swamped with spyware infested ads’ which totally ruined everything as far as i’m concerned.
torrent spy was nothing but a bunch of cunts anyways, fuck them.
Today is a very sad day. We have a ship lost at sea. Let us hope that captain Brokep can find her a way back to safe ports. Captain Bunnell is a well seasoned pirate and i am sure that we will all have food and drink at a sturdy table once again ARRRR.
The ones with most cash wins in courts, the ones with most cash gets to be president, the ones with most cash gets to decide the laws, the ones with most cash etc..
I dont know why America is stuck but most countries have moved past that 1700 lifestyle and tries to equalize everything so cash doesnt decide the outcome in courts or who gets to lead a country or decide the laws etc..
Very sad, but i did like brokep’s comment….
Until tpb is there…i wont worry…
http://www.hack5.blogspot.com
its sad but we all should not lose hope and start new way
TorrentSpy saved our privacy by shutting down itself
now we better know what to do to
MPAA do i knocked your mind
Really sad story.2 sites until now Demonoid and torrent Spy are closed….I am wondering what is going to happen next.
Hmm……..rarely visited the site…………..good that its gone…………BAZZOKAAA
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