TorrentSpy Slapped with $110 Million Judgement
Written by Ernesto on May 07, 2008TorrentSpy has been ordered to pay a $110 million fine by a federal judge in Los Angeles. The BitTorrent site was found guilty on the charges of copyright infringement of several movie studios represented by the MPAA.
This default judgment is the result of an ongoing court case between the MPAA and Valence Media, TorrentSpy owner Justin Bunnel’s company, that started early 2006.
It is uncertain at this point whether TorrentSpy will appeal.
Unsurprisingly, MPAA’s Dan Glickman was very pleased with the outcome of the case that lasted over two years, as he said:
“This substantial money judgment sends a strong message about the illegality of sites. The demise of TorrentSpy is a clear victory for the studios and demonstrates that such pirate sites will not be allowed to continue to operate without facing relentless litigation by copyright holders.”
“The claims made by the MPAA in this case don’t stand up to any sort of scrutiny,” says Andrew Norton, head of the US Pirate Party in a response. “It is also clear that our judicial system urgently needs some unbiased education in modern technical matters, as anyone that has watched this case knows the judge is out of her depth. What chance does justice have in that situation?”
In 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 lead to a preventative closure of the site by Justin, to protect the privacy of its users.
UPDATE - Wired have the judgement available in their coverage here
UPDATE - TorrentSpy will appeal the decision.
Previously: Test: Does Your ISP Slow Down BitTorrent Traffic?
Next: MPAA Demands $15 Million from The Pirate Bay
157 Responses (Add yours or TrackBack)
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[quote]YES YOU FUCKING MORON, I WAS LAID OFF DUE TO FALLING RECORD SALES DUE TO PIRACY.[/quote]
Maybe its not because piracy, but because records you produced suck? Never thought that consumers are not mindless animals who will buy any kind of shit?
fucking MaPhiAA cunts. they never learn. in fact when does the next torrentsite file a complaint for biased info, bribing the judge, police and any other person they can bribe, treathening in any way possible, not respecting privacy at all, using hacking techniques and flawed evidence and stuff. when do they file that complaint! prison for life for the maffia!
does someone knows their offices? if so go graffiti them, sic of them
[quote comment="379425"][quote]YES YOU FUCKING MORON, I WAS LAID OFF DUE TO FALLING RECORD SALES DUE TO PIRACY.[/quote]
Maybe its not because piracy, but because records you produced suck? Never thought that consumers are not mindless animals who will buy any kind of shit?[/quote]
The fact of the matter is that the record companies were ripping off artists for years. The value was in the manufacturing, and the record industry failed to respond to the changing market. It still has.
The fact of the matter is that capitalism isn’t perfect. Law is made by those that have the most influence and piracy is wrong. Everyone is in the wrong.
Consumers feel ripped off, record companies feel cheated, the average artist always has been cheated whilst those pop princesses live in the live of luxury and the result is the current situation.
[quote comment="378952"]Did the judge raise her pinky to the corner of her mouth when she came up with a number?[/quote]
ROFL :D
Oh Lordy
How much will Google have to pay in fines? I use it to search for my torrents. How much should I pay a publisher if I show a friend a movie in my home, sharing a “reasonable facsimile” of it — or, how much would I have to pay the studio’s parent company for, say, borrowing one of their books from a library? The entire business model broke the second we installed Napster more than tens years ago. $110M is a joke of Dr Evil scale.
i would kill my self if that happened to me..
[quote comment="379425"][quote]YES YOU FUCKING MORON, I WAS LAID OFF DUE TO FALLING RECORD SALES DUE TO PIRACY.[/quote]
Maybe its not because piracy, but because records you produced suck? Never thought that consumers are not mindless animals who will buy any kind of shit?[/quote]
The business model is broken, out of date and mode, and people are surprised revenue dissolves? Are you joking?
This is the same industry that told us to treat music as “disposable” for the past twenty years.
These are the same labels, publishers, distributors that told us to pay $24 for two “hit songs” they conditioned us to like through propagandistic radio-play.
The industry model is only 80 years old or so. Prior, you would have made money selling the right to your sheet music and performing. Selling records is not a Biblical right. You should have adapted ten years ago and have no one to blame but your bosses (who I’ve said this to for ten years, watching their margins shrink and employees get laid off).
There are dozens of ways to make a living from your intellectual property, music and film especially.
Insanity is repeating the same mistake and expecting a different outcome.
Change or continue a poor man’s death.
SERVES THEM RIGHT!
“F$CK the MPAA/RIAA and all they represent.
A bunch of horses as*es spewing nothing but bulls&it!!”
wot a quote…..lets just laugh in the face of these corporate fatcats cos we all no there no way to stop illegal file sharing!!
the ridiculous fing is that i only download material that i would never consider buying so how is that costing them money? ‘but hey if its free then why not’ is my attitude and that prob the same for millions of other torrenters. Personally i believe this leads to more sales……..Anyway,as said….F*CK MPAA and all they represent!!!
Nuffin but respect to ev1 on the torrent scene!!
Hmm time to download more, gotta make up for lost downloads!
Imagine if they would have kept sweeping us under the rug, they would have so much more money right now because it would have never got into the spotlight.
Keep digging your grave MPAA.
[quote comment="378940"][quote comment="378897"]Fuck you MPAA Communists.[/quote]
It’s called “capitalists”.[/quote]
Its Communist all the way. REAL CAPITALISTS MAKE MONEY THE INNOVATIVE WAY, Like TorrentSpy, the traffic hogs. MPAA is Commie, because they are using the backing of a community and gov’t structures to force their ideals down your throat and slow the evolution of a REAL market. Its all supply and demand for torrentspy who capitalized on the music industries epic failures by old-ass rich & dumb executives. MPAA is just a community support org, or therapists for said slow-rich guys club to are to greedy to adapt to the reality of constant change. Look at iTunes, raping the music industry more than anyone. Thats called adapting to a market too bad the “labels” never caught on.
“And I shit on the judge :D”
And me I pee on her desk and slap her in the face.
“YES YOU FUCKING MORON, I WAS LAID OFF DUE TO FALLING RECORD SALES DUE TO PIRACY.”
Good! You see we don’t need parasites like you in this country. Go and get yourself a real job that trully benefit the society instead of sucking off the blood of artists and public alike!
Next we will show up with the pest killer to clean or societies off parasites like you! Or your friend might end up with their head on a pic!
“Do you want to talk about bullies, come and meet me and I will teach you what a bully you are and teach you a lesson.”
Ok!
Tell me where you live and we can settle this.
“Its Communist all the way”
Agree!
Capitaslism is serving the customer as best as you can and make a profit as a result.
Those who fail in capitalism such as the seven major entertainement companies also shameful members of the RIAA/MPAA, think the they have the right to change the rule just for themselves!
For them the world is collapsing and I will laught my head off once they are all buried under the ruin of their doing!
The MPAA can suck my balls!
Please disregard what I said earlier. I actually suck alot of cocks
ahhhh… i see “Suepirates” has no comments on the l0ss of his “J0B”
WB to the flame war. BTW we’re all still L0L’in @ you.
Are you aware of something called “dinosaurs” ? They died because the couldn’t adapt either…
[quote comment="379654"]WB to the flame war. BTW we’re all still L0L’in @ you./quote]glad to be back. I just discovered myself, and now I’m beating off 2 cocks with my hands.
I LOVE DICKS!!!!
LONG LIVE TORRENT SPY!! f#@K MPAA and Dan Glickman’s mother licked my dick yesterday…
[quote comment="379327"]
YES YOU FUCKING MORON, I WAS LAID OFF DUE TO FALLING RECORD SALES DUE TO PIRACY.[/quote]
In think you’re a little confused, dear. You weren’t laid off of the MAFIAA’s payroll - you’re currently working on their payroll as a hired sockpuppet-slash-cocksucker.
[quote comment="379327"]
And seriously get ieSpell, it’s a great free tool and will make you look bright.[/quote]
Aaww… I’m sorry to break this to you, Shortbus, but despite the impeccible spelling, you do infact look like a gurgling retard. So let this be a lessons to all the kids out there; spellchecking can’t disguise that you’re posting from Special Ed. class.
BTW, I’m “borrowing” your name for awhile. I think you won’t mind.
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