TorrentValley Raided and Shut Down
Written by Ernesto on November 12, 2008TorrentValley, one of the larger BitTorrent sites with millions of visitors each month, has been shut down by Bulgarian authorities. The site’s servers were seized by a Cyber Crime Unit, which acted based upon evidence provided by the Bulgarian music industry.
In 2007, TorrentFreak featured TorrentValley in a roundup article on lesser known BitTorrent sites. In the months after, the site continued its growth and became one of the larger BitTorrent directories.
The site’s success didn’t last, however, as Bulgarian authorities have just shut down the site after being tipped off by the Bulgarian Association of Musical Producers (BAMP), a music industry lobby group.
This case is again a prime example how the music industry and law enforcement agencies work together seamlessly. Investigators from the music industry handed over ‘evidence’ to the Bulgarian authorities, who went on to raid the site in question. Justice is meant to be blind, but it clearly isn’t in this case.
This case is not unique in this regard. IFPI, an anti-piracy lobby group for the music industry has helped gathering evidence against OiNK as well, claiming it was a criminal operation where hundreds and thousands of dollars were made. More recently IFPI was involved in the Italian Pirate Bay blockade, where they assisted the local authorities, and hosted the server where the takedown notice was hosted.
As we’ve pointed out before, in most police investigations, if a police officer is directly involved in a crime, he or she is usually unable to participate in the investigation, as being involved reduces that person’s objectivity. Justice is meant to be blind, not fueled by thoughts of personal redemption or vengeance. It is unfortunate that most authorities seem to be unaware of this principle.
This is not the first time Bulgarian authorities have gone after a BitTorrent site. In 2006, the administrator of Arenabg.com, the largest BitTorrent tracker in the country, was arrested by the police. The admin was later released due to “lack of grounds for his arrest”, but the government ordered an IP-block of the site nevertheless, which led to massive protests.
TorrentValley didn’t have the large fanbase Arenabg.com had, so protests are not to be expected this time. At this point it is also unclear if action has been taken against the administrator of the site.
Previously: Piracy Rampant Among Finnish Youth
Next: Anti-Piracy Group Hints at Disclosure “On Demand”
56 Responses
shit like this sucks
more useless attempts to shut us down….
hope one of them big shot lawyers that understands file sharing agrees to represent em 4 free.
Google hosts copyrighted information… go get em..
… hello? why arent they being raided? I just said it.. therefor.. its true, thus they should raided right this second.
I dont understand why its not working.. is anybody listening?
GOOGLE! RAID GOOGLE! ….
why does it only work for them?
lol Evidence Giver..
you didnt bribe us.. what do you think that corruption is free?
You have alot to learn.
Bribe us and then we will consider it.
-Police
Haha BUMP what kind of name is that!?
** BAMP
laaaammmeee
They just don’t know when to quit. For every site they take down 3 will pop us. So I guess they will always lose.
Visit P2P Tech Time
http://www.p2ptechtime.com
Around the world, the music industry is treated as the proper authority on everything. Now why is that the case? Well, it should be common sense that copyright law is used by content industries to take down whoever doesn’t submit to them or serve their interests. Now, where is the neutrality for this testimony? If they were good investigators, they would call into question their testimony, since they clearly have a motive to misconstrue the facts. Such is the ways of justice in regards to copyright law. Such sad happenings happen all over the world: U.S., U.K., Finland, Japan, the Low Countries, Serbia, amongst other places. Is it not time already that this should change? It is not good to take this lying down, not all all, is it?
Roze
http://www.10ch.org/
start throwing pies and eggs at musicians and movie theatres,
maybe if they look like the dirty scum bags they really are then things might change
im tired a words….
lol
the site sucked
sha na na na
hey hey hey goodbye.
another one bites the dust.
@11 Its not the people on the streets or the musicians mate.
Its the corporations that are getting their profits pinched here.
Music artist get bugger all money from royalties(even the cost of manufacturing of CDs etc are taken out of it than working out the % of dollars given to artist).
Even more funny when it comes to movies, the actors and production stuff are all paid after the movie is made and the cost of that ins factor into the over cost of making the movie.
However they tell you that the poor bugger who works on the set won’t be able to feed his children if we download the movie.
The big cooperation just doesn’t make as much money out of us if some of us downloaded it that’s all.
Like the article says… I just don’t understand how they can hand in ‘imo tainted’ evidence and get away with it …
They should be arrested on the spot for interfering with police matters or something
I wonder how much it costs to bribe the justice system???
no waffles for you.
@4 lay off google
you want more censorship?
Don’t act the asshat.
@15 you wonder how much it costs to bribe? the costs are equal of what they earn from the crap trials they win(hardly a win). they are diggin their own grave
http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/Waffles/
who wants waffles^^
This is what is bound to happen with the improportional growth of such sites. The individuals that drive the corporations can’t come and present a civil case against every user that logs on and downloads it, that’s just not cost effective. But they can jump up and raise civil cases against the websites (or ISP, local government, and so on).
In doing so, the natural response for the accused (again ISP, local government, so on) is to react to such demands, but the rational response is to look at your public opinion and understand that a large growing minority of the population is using these websites… and those that are not, don’t see anything wrong with the casual SHARING of INFORMATION.
Simply stated, we have current usable tools to do what we want (technology), they have an old out dated system of bureaucracy… Seriously guys, who’s going to win? After all it’s just all ones and zeroes, right?
Long live the hydra!!! Let’s see 10 more of these sites tomorrow.
@ 4
Maybe these sites should just host a search engine and then (as a second function) index torrents independent of the site and just link to those torrents when a term is searched for.
“I’m Feeling Lucky”
I use ArenaBG daily. It had and has issues with hosting companies shutting them down.
But the will to be on the high seas of piracy is stronger.
ArenaBG is still alive and well.
I have never used torrentvalley or knew that it was Bulgarian.
I am sure they will be back up online shortly.
Bulgarians are not fond of authorities telling them what to do.
It is a well known fact that Bulgarians are less intelligent than the rest of the world’s population. They must have had outside help to set up this website in the first place: there is no way any Bulgarians would have the inteliigence to do it alone. Most of them barely qualify to be toilet cleaners and road workers.
I saw the bad news first here:
http://www.slyck.com/news.php?story=1795
I couldn’t believe it.
It was just a torrent search engine and torrent directory on the web.” It’s not a tracker like The Pirate Bay, rather it’s an indexer.
I’m very angry !
“It is a well known fact that Bulgarians are less intelligent than the rest of the world’s population.”
What a stupid twat you are. Check it out that Bulgaria, Vietnam, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and other small countries from East are leading in International Mathematic, Chemistry & Phisics coompetitions. US ( including Microsoft)would be nowhere without the input from these countries. You cunt !
im hungry for outdated, shitty plastic discs to be shoved down my throat, from ‘bands’ flung together by some ‘johnson’ in a board room.
the police are corporate bitches.
look at the cannabis laws.
if they keep busting torrent sites the users will just keep moving/learning to hide.
passive acceptance of this behaviour is stupid.
trackers are like phone companys.
their job is to connect you, not to monitor what you say/share
soon the world will have a copyright terrorist.
i am positive.
“a large growing minority of the population is using these websites… and those that are not, don’t see anything wrong with the casual SHARING of INFORMATION.”
————————————–
you stupid shit. it’s not “information” it’s millions of dollars and hours worth of hard work thousands of people may have put into a project that you somehow feel entitled to just because it can be easily broken down into 1’s and 0’s…
@ 28
We shouldn’t download the Creative Commons licenses stuff as well…
Apparently because “It’s millions of dollars and hours worth of hard work thousands of people may have put into a project”
People will do what they want, if the websites are not there they will still be doing the exact same thing through FTP’s or services like tv-links (depending on the needs).
You sound like piracy would stop if the pirate bay was gone, well guess what… People would continue to find the information else where.
And yes, saying it is all ones and zeroes is a simplification, but the point is that we live in a world where technology enables us to do what we want. It’s not entitlement it’s human nature; and if it weren’t, there wouldn’t be so many people doing it.
…jack ass!
no no no! give that back now! [the site]
BAMP your a bunch of stupid dumbasses…
10 more will rise to replace it so have a nice day
Yeah, I do feel entitled to those 1’s and 0’s Anon-28. The same way movie stars feel entitled to their millions of dollars for putting on a play. I’m tired of paying so much money at the theater for a movie only to get raped by the studio execs again when I try to buy the over priced DVD or the high subscription to view it on cable.
The same can be said for sports outings nowadays. It used to be a national past time, now your priced out of the park. The sole reason is because ball players, managers, on staff doctors, etc. all feel entitled to millions of dollars a year.
So yeah, I feel entitled to some 1’s and 0’s for all the times I paid 3 times for one movie, or when I paid top dollar for a music CD with only one hit song. They owe me. Or, maybe execs, actors, musicians, agents, sports players, etc can stop expecting to make millions/billions every year so I don’t have to pay $10 for a soda or $15 for a single song? Spread the wealth, GOBAMA! ;P
you stupid shit. it’s not “information” it’s millions of dollars and hours worth of hard work thousands of people may have put into a project that you somehow feel entitled to just because it can be easily broken down into 1’s and 0’s…
You Stupid piece of shit you. They don’t do millions of dollars worth of work. THEY’RE ACTORS. They deserve hardly any monetary remuneration.
You are so damn stupid.
“Justice is meant to be blind”
This statement is retarded, and detracts from the article. Almost every crime prosecuted by the police is reported by someone who is not neutral to the situation. If your car is stolen, you call the police, you don’t wait for an impartial stranger to call.
@24? so you are saying a tiolet cleaner own torrentvalley?
Fuck the music industry police. Maybe we have to kill few of those people to send them a clear and convincing threat. “Mess with us and you will be dead” message sounds good to me.
“Justice is meant to be blind” refers to the imposition of punishment, a function of the court system, not the Police. To use it in the context of the article is… retarded.
I’m also a road worker but right now I’m a toilet cleaner. NubCakes, what are you talking about, I’m sorry about the bad words but… are you an idiot?
Here in bulgaria we have great web-industry. Believe me (I guess you’re from the USA or something) - the only people that come to America or some european countries are the people that are lazy to work here and they want to clean dishes all live long and don’t rise in anything. Don’t judge by those people you’ve seen. I know the TorrentValley administrator in person - he’s my friend, he’s a great specialist and his clients are from all around the world. Maybe he’s making website during his break when he’s not cleaning toilets, right?
BAMP? You gotta be freakin kidding me. I think its time pirates go back to the underground. Enough of these moron four letter agencies.
jess
http://www.internet-anonymity.net.tc
you know what? Bulgaria was rated the most corrupt nation by Transparency International. And what do they focus on? Torrent sites. This is why Bulgaria will never be still be the poorest and most corrupt nation in the EU.
Subudi se!
No offence, but who needs the others. Everybody uses either ThePirateBay or Mininova these days.
And they know it.
http://www.aquariumfish.me
Anyone remember when we dubbed stuff on our dual cassette decks and passed off the mix tape? Or when we taped Star Wars off of TV on a VHS tape and lent it a buddy?
I don’t remember the RIAA (or BAMP for that matter :P) and Hollywood stopping people from buying or selling cassettes…
Just a bigger network of friends and a cheaper way of making copies.
“after being tipped off by the Bulgarian Association of Musical Producers (BAMP)”
-Too bad they weren’t the Bulgarian Association of Musical F___________ (BAMF)
“a large growing minority of the population is using these websites… and those that are not, don’t see anything wrong with the casual SHARING of INFORMATION.”
Nope, your so wrong. By your reasoning child porn should be able to be shared: after all, it’s only infomation right?
@40 “No offence, but who needs the others. Everybody uses either ThePirateBay or Mininova these days.
And they know it.”
No, mostly only stupid retarded noobs use TPB and mininova who will put up with fakes, malware, low quality files and slow speeds. MOre experienced/elite people use private trackers, IRC and/or usenet.
Idiot.
And I stand by my claim about Bulgarians being less intelligent: just go and look at the UN index of IQ and grading of education services: Bulgaria scores third to last.
I see the industry shills are in attendance tonight.
To IFPI, Davenport-Lyons, RIAA, MPAA, BPI, and the rest of you douchebags…..
How long do you think you can keep harassing and pushing before people push back and push back hard?
Before you have to pay a personal price for your actions?
Just something to think about.
@44 : wHOA, i’M SURE THEY ARE QUAKING IN THEIR BOOTS because you made a veiled threat. I’m sure they’ll stop everything they are doing.
You freaking dickless, spineless, brainless, fag loving poofta idiot shithead. Piss off, your a retard.
This is a jaw-dropping, insanity-causing turn of events. —BULGARIA— doesn’t want Free World-wide Publicity for its MUSIC INDUSTRY!? Before this story broke, would one in a billion non-Bulgarians know there WAS a BULGARIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY!? They couldn’t BUY publicity like this. They’re getting the ONLY AVENUE OF PUBLICITY THAT THE BULGARIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY HAS EVER KNOWN -SHUT- -DOWN- !?
The world has finally gone nuts. I’m glad I was there to see it. Maybe Indiana Whoever can move to Bulgaria.
If torrent indexers are illegal why the hell then they don’t go after Google? Google has armies of lawyers to protect them from these moron four letter agencies and also tons of money…That’s why. Unfair isn’t it?
It seems that Bulgarian authorities can’t find evidences on their own. And they beg civil organizations to do authorities work and to provide fabricated evidences. Or in other words it seems like civil organizations order authorities what to do maybe civil authorities paying their salary.
@43
“Nope, your so wrong. By your reasoning child porn should be able to be shared: after all, it’s only information right?”
How am I wrong? Did you read the part you quoted about the majority of people accepting those who casually download?
The majority of people in EVERY country does not accept downloading kiddie porn. Besides if that’s the only argument to the statement it’s a fairly weak one.
I still stand by my statement.
@36 Justice is blind refers to the entire policing process. For example, say I am a police officer and someone very close to me is murdered/robbed/whatever. I will not be part of the investigation team because I have a personal attachment to the investigation: I wanna find the bastard that did it. So its likely that I’ll think most, if not any suspect is guilty right away and my judgement would be clouded. Hell I might even tamper with evidence if I was certain enough that someone did it. Clear example of this is in cases of vigilante justice. A little while ago I think there was a case in which someone was murdered on a trail. The people of the town freaked out, went after someone that was near the area at the time, and I believe it ended in that person getting murdered. But they don’t know if that person did it. You see how personal feelings can cloud things in an investigation?
Here, the entire investigation was handled by the music industry, who has a personal stake in the investigation. They are certain torrent sites are taking billions from them (something that may or may not be true). And since every bit of information about the torrent sites came from them, they can easily mess with the information to make it seem worse than it is.
@43 You’re an idiot. Child porn is illegal. Having child porn is illegal. Therefore sharing child porn is illegal, and downloading child porn is illegal. It’s not JUST information, it’s illegal information.
Watching movies is not illegal. Having movies in your posession is not illegal. Making a copy of a movie and selling it for profit is illegal. Giving a song to a friend for free? Don’t believe that’s illegal, but I bet you’ll think otherwise. If anything, sharing music allows everyone to hear the music, which allows more people to figure out if they want to buy it. I don’t buy CD’s until I know I like every single song in there. If I like 1/12 of the tracks on there, why am I going to dish out $20 for it?
Oh, and everything I like to watch, is free. Everything I like to listen to is also free. And not free as in I can download it for free.
This is just another reason to recognize possession as the evil it is, and make it the next revolution after violence and killing.
lol, raided and shutdown by bulgarian red party cowboys
@24 — My my, aren’t we racist.
At the end of the day, it all boils down to were your hosting the site. Thats the only reason Mininova and ThePirateBay are still going. Quite obviously TorrentValley should choosen there hosting country more wisely
http://www.aquariumfish.me
wtf just for sharing jackson videos
i got a copyright infringement notice from sum organization
run by morons
the most funniest thing is my blog traffic is less dan 100 a day,i wonder how those suckers got to know abut my blog :O
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