Spinrilla, a popular hip-hop mixtape site and app, is refusing to share its source code with the RIAA. The major record labels want to use the code as evidence in their ongoing piracy lawsuit against the company. Spinrilla notes, however, that handing over its "crown jewel" goes too far, while stressing that the RIAA's piracy claims are overblown.
Users of the popular media player Roku receive a stark warning when they install channels outside of the official store. While these private or "non-certified" channels are still permitted, the company says that copyright-infringing channels may be pulled without prior notice. The news follows a few weeks after Roku was dragged into a piracy lawsuit in Mexico.
Anti-piracy outfit BREIN will get a witness hearing against the operators of Ecatel, a hosting provider with a reputation for taking on customers other hosts prefer to avoid. BREIN says that Ecatel and associated companies host copyright-infringing websites and ignore takedown demands. The operators say that BREIN's complaint amounts to a fishing expedition.
Four people have been arrested in connection with the leak of the fourth episode of Game of Thrones' latest season. The leak, which took place early August in advance of its commercial release, carried the watermark 'Star India'. All four men will be detained for a week while an investigation gets underway.
The people behind the HBO hack have released a new series of breached data to the press. The new batch of leaks includes episodes from the highly anticipated ninth season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," as well as other titles including "Barry,” "Insecure" and “The Deuce.” While there's no shortage of media coverage thus far, the actual leaked files are hard to find.
This weekend the Premier League began a new round of actions targeting illegal streaming. Reports reveal disruption at many IPTV providers, with some indicating that using VPNs is now a must for UK IPTV subscribers. Interestingly, however, sources at some providers claim to have already mitigated the threat.
The top 10 most downloaded movies on BitTorrent are in again. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' tops the chart this week, followed by ‘The Mummy'. 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' completes the top three.
The latest MPAA tax filing shows that the revenue generated by the anti-piracy group has stabilized after a few rocky years. The group's main income sources are major Hollywood studios, which contribute $65 million a year. The filing further reveals that MPAA boss and former Senator Chris Dodd earned an income of more than $3.5 million.