Demonoid Torrent Site Shut Down as Favor to US Gov

Demonoid Torrent Site Shut Down as Favor to US Gov

torrentfreak.com

A source inside the Interior Ministry has informed Kommersant that the raid on Demonoid was timed to coincide with the very first trip of Deputy Prime Minister Valery Khoroshkovsky‘s trip to the United States. On the agenda: copyright infringement.

(visit the link for the full news article)

For those of you up on the torrent scene, this is potentially big. The DDoS attack likely wasn't coincidental and, despite likely not breaking any laws in the Ukraine, was shut down....at the behest of United States authorities.

The MPAA, SOPA, etc. doesn't need to pass, because these guys will do what they want, when they want.

torrentfreak.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Damn it...... So that is what happened to it. I have been wondering what was going on with demonoid.

reply to post by samcrow


Hmm another torrent site hosted in a country where it is NOT illegal to host torrent sites, EVEN if they link to copyrighted material... Taken down as a "favor" to the U.S ?

reply to post by samcrow


Will they ever learn?
They can shutdown every torrent site in the world and we would just find another way.

ya know, this just reeks of the fact that everyone thought the DDoS attack was a government operation to begin with... makes you wonder now eh?

wait till they finally close down pirate bay...oh well, there is still usenet and mirc.

Originally posted by Juggernog
reply to post by samcrow

 

Will they ever learn?
They can shutdown every torrent site in the world and we would just find another way.

About 5 years ago I was the proud recipient of a nice, registered letter from Fox regarding three episodes of the Sarah Connor Chronicles (which aired on a cable channel to which I subscribed...I just didn't set the DVR). They wanted $125,000, or I could 'settle' for $2500. But, my ISP at the time (Cox), had been getting a bunch of grief from the MPAA and even though they had initially provided Fox with my information, reversed and sided with me...demanding subpoenas, etc. The studio dropped the suit with the agreement that my connection would be monitored by Cox for P2P activity from that point forward. So, I laid off on the downloading for a year or so until I moved and then switched ISPs.

On a more humorous note, not too long ago a researcher went through and tallied up all of the money the RIAA and MPAA have claimed in 'lost profits' due to piracy. The number was higher than all the money in existence worldwide. In other words, these guys are claiming that they lost more in profits than actually exists in the first place.

These actions are the last desperate breaths of a dying business model. Good riddance.

Originally posted by MidnightTide
wait till they finally close down pirate bay.

You don't talk to me like that!

No! If TPB goes, then I go!

But seriously - TPB has been up for a long time and has stood up for a lot. I would hate to see it go.

Originally posted by MidnightTide
wait till they finally close down pirate bay...oh well, there is still usenet and mirc.

The cat is out of the bag, so to speak. For every one of these they shut down, two more pop up but with better security, more private trackers, etc.

The amount of bad PR this creates for the studios and groups like the MPAA & RIAA trying to fight this, however, should not be underestimated.

All they need to keep TPB going is a server, some solar panels and an internet connection and they can stick it anywhere in the world - like on an island perhaps that cares not for copyright laws.

Not like it matters if they shut it down or not. I have not downloading anything since a friend of mine got a notice from our service provider that he service would be cut off if he continued to download.

So one way or another, they will get people to stop.

It's about time these torrent sites and illegal downloading of copyrighted material is stopped. It costs taxpayers more to combat and makes the prices go up for the material for those of us who are hardworking and decent people. I'm expecting a backlash, which is fine. I just don't agree with the attitude that stealing from people is right. I read time and time again about these people who have earned lots of money. The key word is "earned". Just because they have lots of money is not justification to download their albums, films, etc illegally.

Here comes the backlash.

reply to post by ProfessorT


How about some of that stealing that occurs in government, banks and too big to fails? You can be sure that costs every single one of us.

Stay away from public torrent sites.

Get invites to private networks.

Problem solved.



reply to post by ProfessorT


Very few people would be downloading free torrents if the prices weren't so damned outrageous to begin with. .99c for a song? Seriously?

Naw, the problem lies with these huge corporate production companies taking out too big of a chunk.

The way forward is to decentralize the whole damned industry. We have the tech to produce awesome art without spending bookoo's of monies like in past decades.

Today a talented artist can self promote, start their own website with a donations link, and record in the privacy of their own home if they want to.

The only way forward is by consent (donations), and not force.

Originally posted by ProfessorT
It's about time these torrent sites and illegal downloading of copyrighted material is stopped. It costs taxpayers more to combat

Taxpayers? How are taxpayers paying for private entities to sue downloaders?

and makes the prices go up for the material for those of us who are hardworking and decent people.

Nonsense. The media companies are making record profits on their releases despite there attempts to cry poor and blame the downloaders. The proof is in their figures. Avatar, for example, was the most highly downloaded movie to date yet also made the most money ever from a movie release. They are hypocrites and liars.

Here comes the backlash.

No backlash, just correction of a false statement.

Torrents aren't a mainstream thing, as the "victims" of torrenting would make it out to be. Not many people know how to do it or what it is, and don't want to put the research into it.

The loss in "profits" that these companies claim is equivalent, put to scale, probably about $5 of the millions they make off everything else.

I'm more interested in how they describe the entire action here as a "favor," though. To me, that just says the government showed up at the doorstep with a small group of 10-20 armed men and "requested" the site be shut down.

I am in music and let me tell you one thing for those that don't know. Indie artists not affiliated with a major label are getting #ted on left and right. I'm sure few know that when you as an indie artist independently sell more than 1,000 units online by yourself you are then harassed by these RIAA goons trying to force you to "prove" your copyright. An injunction is filed, money is frozen, and the big fun of getting a lawyer starts. Then you have to prove you're in a music society like ASCAP and that they, not you, are collecting your royalties or else you have "stolen" someone else's music. If you are not in a music society forget gigging at local clubs; if you list your show dates the society agents will come out and put a bug up the club's ear about either 1. violating the said music club's rules about artists music getting played since major labels like Universal have exclusive deals with people like ASCAP that forbids allowing non union members in or 2. ASCAP reporting you to RIAA for not having membership. I have had videos on youtube taken off of original music because they violated "copyright" even though I could prove it was my own creation.

Another friend of mine does music strictly for public domain only. He legally releases all his titles like that and has a small following in Minneapolis. He is constantly harassed by RIAA thugs about "copyright infringement" and last time I talked to him they were trying to patent his songs since they were in "public domain".

It's all a hustle.

reply to post by unityemissions


Ignoring the fact that Demonoid was private....k.

reply to post by ProfessorT


Meh, I wouldn't really call this backlash, just a beginner's course in greed.

www.theroot.com...

Musicians make, on average, 13% of total record sales. And that is split up amongst not only the band but also the producer, lawyer, business manager, and personal manager. So when someone downloads an album they are indeed depriving the record label and distributors (be they iTunes, Best Buy, etc) but the musicians? About the cost of 2 packs of cigarettes. As we have seen in the past, when artists independently produce albums or offer them for whatever the public thinks is appropriate, they make money. A ton of cash, as evidenced by:

en.wikipedia.org...

and

www.brooklynvegan.com...

The band profited greatly, the fans loved the prices (King of Limbs drove vinyl sales through the roof), and everyone had a good smile at the end of the day.

Of course, this only covers music...we haven't even delved into film yet, which I will refrain from unless someone actually cares.

The point of this all? Pirating is what we do in response to outmoded business models and insane prices. Years ago I would visit the theater once a week...sometimes twice. Paying full price every time for a ticket to see a film. I would then eagerly await the DVD release and purchase it new once it dropped to the public. How did I do all of this, spend this excess on entertainment? I had a decent job with a livable wage. Now?

Now I deliver pizza for a local pizza joint. My career choice is out the window (medical billing for a variety of clinics of you are interested) and my entertainment fund surplus? Gone. In a given week, I don't see films in theaters. I own a handful of DVDs. I don't have cable access and I connect to the internet via my cell phone and tethering. If I don't have the cash to spend on entertainment, yet I download films I wouldn't otherwise pay to see...who loses money?

And that's the core of the argument.

When film studios release multi-million dollar films based on Hasbro board games, and the movie subsequently sucks...who pays to see it? Who buys the DVD? The same people who always have. I never intended to see Battleship in theaters and I never intended to purchase the film on DVD...so if I download it, who am I harming?

Pirating benefits society twofold...it brings us information that we might not otherwise have access to because yes, there are valid and entirely legal reasons for Demonoid and TPB to be accessible, and there are valid reasons for uTorrent to exist. The second reason is the kicker...when Hollywood and SyFy and Jive Records, etc realize people don't want to see, listen to, or read # they will respond by releasing the opposite. Not #.

No more capitalizing on the popularity of Twilight by releasing an untold number of crappy books, movies, etc that share the exact same, lukewarm thematic elements. And so on.

No anger towards you here, man, just expressing myself and my views...as you are welcome to do as well.

Thanks for reading.