In an initial order, a court in Vienna, Austria, has ruled that YouTube can be held directly liable for users' copyright infringements. The video service is not seen as a neutral intermediary and should do more to prevent infringing uploads. The ruling, which is not yet legally binding, is a win for local television channel Puls 4 but YouTube indicates that, if it stands, the company will likely appeal.
VPN provider Private Internet Access, which has a strict no-logging policy, has proven once again that it is unable to link online activities with a user's identity. The conclusion, which was revealed as part of a hacking trial in San Jose federal court, is the second time that the provider's claims have been successfully tested in public.
New research has revealed that 60 percent of all UK citizens have used pirate services to stream or download TV, films or music. However, the vast majority of these self-proclaimed pirates say they tend to find legal options first. These and other findings suggest that piracy remains an availability problem and that 'pirates' are among the most engaged consumers.
A new report published by The Software Alliance shows that usage of pirated PC software is decreasing worldwide. While this is a positive trend for the industry, piracy remains rampant in many countries. This includes Libya, where a massive 90 percent of all software is used without permission.
IPVanish, a VPN provider that for years claimed a strict no-logging policy, led Homeland Security to a suspect using a Comcast IP address, court papers filed in 2016 reveal. StackPath, the new operator of IPVanish, informs TorrentFreak that they won't speak on behalf of the former team who have long since left the company. Assurances of security have been promised for the future, however.
The EU's plans to modernize copyright law in Europe are moving ahead. With a crucial vote coming up later this month, protests from various opponents are on the rise as well. They warn that the proposed plans will result in "Internet filters" which threaten people's ability to freely share content online. According to Pirate Party MEP Julia Reda, these filters will hurt regular Internet users, but also creators and businesses.
Flight sim company FlightSimLabs caused controversy earlier this year after embedding malware in its software to tackle piracy. Now the company is at the center of a new storm after unhappy users on Reddit reported anti-piracy files being installed into Windows systems folders. In response, FlightSimLabs have threatened Reddit mods with legal action, for not doing enough to tackle 'libel'.
The top 10 most downloaded movies on BitTorrent are in again. 'Tomb Raider' tops the chart this week, followed by ‘Avengers: Infinity War'. 'A Quiet Place' completes the top three.