Nearly 14% of all internet traffic worldwide is generated by Netflix, new data from Sandvine shows. This makes the streaming giant the dominant traffic source. BitTorrent is listed in fifth place, which is driven in large part by traffic from the Asia-Pacific region, where the file-sharing protocol even beats Netflix.
Most people have probably never heard of the BTV set-top box but it's one of many services currently accused of copyright infringement. A recent order, issued by a New York federal court, requires the associated company to pay over $6 million in damages. More concerning to the general public, however, is that the order also opens the door all sorts of blocking.
Google has been officially invited to become a signatory to the anti-piracy memorandum signed in Moscow earlier this month. During a meeting with government telecoms body Roscomnadzor on Wednesday, Google's recent violation of Russian law was also discussed. The search giant is facing a fine after it displayed links to permanently banned sites within its search results.
In a week which began with warnings from YouTube about the potential negative effects of the EU's Article 13 proposals, an interesting development is being reported by Julia Reda, MEP for the Pirate Party. The vice chair of the Greens/EFA group reports that YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has visited Strasbourg and now appears to be lobbying in favor of upload filters.
Theater owners in India are being wrongfully arrested when movies are illegally recorded on their premises, a film group claims. In a plea to the Madras High Court, the Film Exhibitors Association said that following complaints about illegal camcording, owners are being arrested by the police, without a proper inquiry taking place.
A group of 34 organizations and institutions have signed the 'Warsaw Declaration', hoping to increase international cooperation in the fight against online piracy. The signees, including prominent names such as the BBC, HBO, and NBCUniversal, believe that effective global collaboration is key to address the ongoing problem.
According to a study commissioned by the Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP), 45% of Internet-connected, online consumers in Thailand use a set-top box configured for piracy. CAP, which counts the MPA and other large media companies as members, reports that more than two in three of these consumers cancel paid subscriptions as a result.
Opponents of copyright trolling efforts in Finland scored a major victory last week. A local debt collection company, which came under fire after going after individuals with unpaid settlement letters, has announced that it has withdrawn from the piracy debt collection business.
Copyright holders would like domain name registrars and registries to take a more active anti-piracy approach. There was some serious movement in this direction last year when a new copyright arbitration process was proposed that put domains including that of The Pirate Bay at risk. However, the plan has since been canned, as various parties believe that it went a step too far.