After Xtream Codes Shutdown Now Also IPTV Smarters Was Removed From Google Play

Not that long ago, Xtream Codes was taken down as a result in a joint police task force from Italy and several other European countries under the Eurojust agency of European Union. And this case is really something we follow a lot since it’s complex nature. The platform, even though it can be used by “IPTV pirates” is totally legal and therefore it is very unique as a case. But following this case, another case of legal software related to IPTV has appeared, even though in a smaller action.

IPTV Smarters Pro, an IPTV related software that users can find on Google Play and Apple’s App Store was deleted from the Android App Store, aka Google Play. That was followed by a complaint that has not been specified yet. But what we know is that there is clearly a war on IPTV right now. While this is expected, what is strange is that the IPTV Smarters software is not related nor affiliated with any subscription based IPTV service.

What is IPTV Smarters Pro

IPTV Smarters is a video player that works on both Android and iOS devices. Unlike other video players that handle local media, this application handles online streams and streaming playlists. That is in plain words, live and video on demand streams. While this seems suspicious, the application does not supply or include any media or content. So, in order for the users to actually use it they need to provide their own content. One important thing to notice that makes the connection bigger among IPTV Smarters and Xtream Codes is the fact that the application supports Xtream Codes API.

IPTV Smarters Disclaimer

The company and developers behind IPTV Smarters is New Spark Technology and in order to avoid confusion had already placed a disclaimer as a popup on their website before this take down. That happened in order to explain they do not endorse or guarantee the use of their software by third parties for “streaming and subscriptions”.

New Spark Technology & WHMCS Smarters (We) does not endorse or guarantee the use of its softwares by third parties for streaming and subscriptions. We respects the Intellectual Property rights of others and does not endorse any of the Intellectual Property violation by third parties. Linking of New Spark Technology, WHMCS & IPTV softwares to any of the third party links or platforms does not constitute any of the its endorsement or sponsorships. New Spark Technology only provide software solution to its global clients under WHMCS & IPTV platforms. New Spark Technology is not liable for any misuse of its software by the third parties. For more details Click Here for Terms of Service.

IPTV Smarters Was Removed From Google Play

As far as we can tell, that didn’t stop the complaint for its removal. While such a take down has happened before, it is also suspicious the timing. Could it be just a coincidence? It may. But the matter of fact is that everything that has to do with Xtream Codes and IPTV is under the radar lately.

iOS Version Is Still Online

At the time of writing this article, the App Store version of IPTV Smarters is still online and therefore still installable on iOS devices. For more you can find it here. And generally Apple is more strict when it comes to reviewing and publishing third party application on the App Store. We shall wait and see if they will follow as well or in the meantime the Android version should reappear online.

Devs Are Confident To Be Back Soon

In response to the removal after the complaint the New Spark Technology company has commented that they are confident to be back soon. In their opinion and after consulting their lawyers this was a false complaint. To their knowledge this is the third time that a complaint was filled and they have already executed a procedure in order to clear the issue. And while we appreciate their confidence, fact is that the war on IPTV is still ongoing.

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Popular IPTV Smarters App Removed From Google Play Following Complaint


People who want to view IPTV services on their mobile or set-top devices need a software player with which to do so.

IPTV Smarters is one of the most impressive and popular applications in the niche and is used by large numbers of users on both Android and iOS-based devices.

Up until today, people could just head off to Google’s Play Store to download a copy. However, visitors to the page are now advised that the URL no longer exists, a pretty clear indication that IPTV Smarters has been deleted from the service.

The IPTV Smarters page before the deletion

Given the popularity of the software, TorrentFreak spoke with New Spark Technology, the company behind IPTV Smarters. Amanpreet Singh, who is listed as the person behind the Android app, says that the tool was indeed removed from Google Play following a complaint.

Singh says that he prefers not to share the details of the complaint, or reveal who sent it, because “it’s just a false complaint as usual.” The developer informs TF that this is the third time that the app has been deleted from Google Play and the company’s legal team is on the case.

“It’s normal [to receive such complaints] and [it has] happened three times so far. We had it sorted out last time and this time. We have executed the same procedure with the help of our lawyers,” he says.

The last time the app was taken down earlier this year it remained offline for 10 days. This time the company says it will “try to get it back as soon as possible.”

“As it’s just a video player, that’s why it will be back very soon,” Singh says.

While many people understand that IPTV Smarters doesn’t provide any content or IPTV streams to users, there are plenty out there who don’t seem to appreciate how it all works. They see IPTV Smarters getting recommended as a good IPTV-viewing solution and then expect the company to provide the streams as well.

In response, the company says it added a popup disclaimer to its site a few days ago, unconnected to the current disappearance of its app from Google Play, explaining that it doesn’t “endorse or guarantee” the use of its software by third parties “for streaming and subscriptions.”

“We respects the Intellectual Property rights of others and does not endorse any of the Intellectual Property violation by third parties. Linking of New Spark Technology, WHMCS & IPTV softwares to any of the third party links or platforms does not constitute any of the its endorsement or sponsorships [sic], it reads.”

“We put the disclaimer on our website because many users keep asking for a subscription ( username / password and url ), that is what we don’t offer,” Singh informs TF.

“Also, many customers keep asking us why their channels are not working blah blah blah. So, to prevent us getting unnecessary questions, we updated the disclaimer.” 

At the time of writing, the App Store variant for Apple devices is still online via the web and installable on iOS devices, suggesting that the problem is, at least for now, isolated to the Android variant.

Precisely when that will return for download is uncertain but Singh appears confident it won’t take too long.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and more. We also have VPN reviews, discounts, offers and coupons.





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Copyright Trolls Targeted Over 100,000 IP-addresses in Sweden


In the early 2000s, Sweden was considered to be a relatively safe haven for pirates.

The country was the home of the Pirate Bay, the birthing ground of the Pirate Party, and a place where for many citizens file-sharing was second nature.

Today, this safe haven has long disappeared. The Scandinavian country has prosecuted several torrent site operators, including The Pirate Bay’s founders, while lawsuits targeting individual BitTorrent users are a common sight.

In many ways, Sweden has become a copyright enforcement hotspot. This includes the ‘copyright-trolling’ phenomenon, in which movie companies target hundreds or thousands of alleged pirates hoping to secure monetary settlements.

The first wave of these lawsuits started three years ago but the practice has grown exponentially since. According to Swedish Internet provider Bahnhof, which has kept track of these cases since early 2017, the number of new cases has already broken a record this year.

During the first three quarters of 2019, a total of 78 new applications were submitted to the Patent and Market Court. This is up from 72 during the whole of 2018, and substantially more than the 27 applications that were filed a year earlier.

While the number of applications has grown, the cases target fewer IP-addresses in total. Last year over 50,000 IPs were targeted and the 2019 total so far is 26,274 IP addresses. Combined with the 2017 numbers, we see that more than 100,000 IP-addresses have been targeted over the past three years.

It’s worth noting that this exceeds the number of targets in other, much larger countries, including the United States.

This type of data is not something an Internet provider would generally release, but it makes sense considering that Bahnhof is an active anti-copyright trolling advocate. The company categorically refuses to share data with copyright holders, as it also makes clear in its press release.

While Bahnhof must retain IP-address logs by law, it operates separate databases. Data is only disclosed to law enforcement authorities for specific purposes and not for this type of copyright enforcement.

“This means that Bahnhof’s customers have not suffered from this type of extortion letter,” the Internet provider notes.

Looking at the targeted ISPs over the past year we see that most of the targeted IP-addresses belong to Telia subscribers, followed by Com Hem, and Telenor. The rightsholders who file these cases are represented by a variety of law firms, including the well known Njord Law.

While Bahnhof is indirectly using these figures to promote its own business, the company hopes that these ‘copyright-trolling’ practices will eventually end, perhaps following an intervention from the Government. According to the company, the entire process is based on extortion.

“The success factor of the letters is partly that they can easily be mistaken for genuine invoices or fines, and the threat of a legal process that drives people to pay out of pure fear, even when they are innocent. The business model is thus based on regular extortion,” Bahnhof notes.

The Swedish Internet provider also maintains a dedicated website called Utpressningskollen where it provides additional details and information on Swedish copyright-trolling efforts.

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Epic Games and ‘Cheating’ Fortnite Kid Settle Copyright Lawsuit


Frustrated by thousands of cheaters who wreak havoc in Fortnite’s “Battle Royale,” game publisher Epic Games has taken several to court.

The game developer isn’t trying to bankrupt these people financially. The main goal appears to be to stop the cheaters and prevent them from encouraging and facilitating others to do the same.

In most instances, the alleged cheaters are eager to settle the cases. However, a YouTuber called CBV, who was sued by Epic Games this summer, started out by returning fire. Despite his relatively young age of 14 years old, he showed no sign of backing off.

The alleged cheater lawyered up and responded by filing a motion to dismiss at a North Carolina federal court. Among other things, his attorneys pointed out that the Court doesn’t have jurisdiction over this client and that requiring a minor to defend himself in another state would be unreasonable.

The games company, which hit the minor (referred to as C.B. in the complaint) with several claims, including copyright infringement and breaches of the DMCA’s anti-circumvention provision, wasn’t planning on letting CBV get away with it though.

Epic Games countered that it had a solid case, noting that the defendant’s cheating activity continued despite the lawsuit.

With both sides choosing not to back off, the lawsuit seemed destined for a drawn-out fight. But it didn’t get to that. Behind the scenes, the parties came together to settle their differences without court intervention. This has now resulted in a settlement that’s formalized through an order of approval by the court.

With help from pro bono attorneys and his mother Kari as a General Guardian, C.B. reached a confidential settlement with Epic Games. It’s unclear whether there is a damages amount involved, but both sides have dropped their (counter)claims, effectively ending the dispute.

“Defendant’s General Guardian and Defendant agree and are satisfied that the Settlement Agreement that is the subject of this Order is fair and reasonable. In particular, Defendant’s General Guardian and Defendant believe that the terms of the Settlement Agreement properly account for C.B.’s status as a minor,” the order reads.

From the Order of Approval (pdf)

As part of the settlement, the defendant likely agreed not to engage in any cheating activities. This includes uploading cheat videos on YouTube, which he initially continued to do on a new YouTube channel.

The defendant also continued to develop and sell cheat software, Epic Games previously said. After the lawsuit was filed he created a new website, NexusCheats.us, which was advertised through his YouTube videos. At the time of writing, this website is no longer online.

When the lawsuit was first announced (C.B.) CBV responded with some quite aggressive language on his YouTube channel, but since then the channel has gone quiet. The last upload dates back three months and, given the settlement, it’s unlikely that any new Fortnite cheat videos will appear there going forward.

For Epic Games, these lawsuits are the only way to remove some cheat videos from YouTube. If a YouTuber continues to dispute a DMCA takedown request, as happened in this case, YouTube will restore the video unless a lawsuit is filed.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and more. We also have VPN reviews, discounts, offers and coupons.





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Improve Your Travel Experience with a VPN

The average person who goes on one vacation per year might not be familiar with the advantages of a VPN. However, if you travel frequently abroad, you have probably experienced several internet connections inconveniences. Whenever you leave the country, your online freedom will be limited based on your location, but a good VPN service can prevent most of these inconveniences. These services are easy to use, and many of them are free of charge. In the following lines, we will detail what a VPN is, how it works and most importantly how it can improve your travel experience. 

Based on our guide, you can check out our free VPN services list of recommendations and choose the most convenient VPN for your needs. 

What is a VPN

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. These networks were initially designed for business use, but given their practicality, they are now available to any consumer. A private network works as a tunnel, protecting the information that you send and receive. This applies to all the data that you use online, whether we are talking about your e-mails, the sites you use, login information, your location and much more. Everything is kept private with the use of a VPN. 

VPN advantages for travelers

A virtual private network is extremely useful in any situation, as we all value privacy. However, it is significantly more useful for people who travel abroad. Here are its main advantages:

  • Security – Due to high roaming costs, when traveling abroad, you might need to connect to public networks. As convenient as they might seem, public networks are very unsafe. They lack security options and they can expose you to viruses or information fraud. With a VPN, you can excess any private network without and keep your online activity away from prying eyes.
  • Access to any website – Many websites restrict their content based on location. For example, certain countries have censorship laws that block certain websites, and there are websites that only offer free browsing for certain locations. A virtual private network masks your real location and can connect you to servers from all over the world, making it seem as if you are in a different location. 
  • Prevent having your bank account blocked – If you forgot to notify your bank that you are leaving the country when you use the card abroad your account might be blocked for unusual activity. To prevent this from happening, use a VPN and connect to a server from your home country in order to access your bank account.  
most convenient VPN

Tips for choosing a quality VPN

While their basic principles are the same, the quality of a VPN can differ based on the extra features that they offer. Here’s what you should look for in a good VPN:

  • Multi-device use – Most people use VPNs for laptops, but it pays to invest in a private network that can be used on several devices simultaneously. Make sure to choose a network that is compatible with the operating systems of all the smart devices that you own. 
  • Worldwide coverage – A good private network should have servers all over the world. However, some countries have security measures that prevent the use of VPNs. Read reviews and check with the VPN protocol to make sure that you will be able to use the network in your next travel. We advise you to download and install the VPN before leaving your home country, as some countries can restrict access to VPN providers. There are also movie streaming websites such as Netflix that use VPN blockers so if you plan on using a VPN to keep up with your favorite TV-shows look for a VPN that is guaranteed to bypass the geo security measures of your favorite websites. 
  • Speed – Due to the fact that it filters your data, any VPN will decrease the speed of your connection to a certain degree. Nonetheless, how much this speed is decreased depends on the quality of the network. Our advice would be to ask for trial versions of different networks and perform some speed tests before paying for a subscription.  
  • Security – Not all VPNs offer the same level of security. Most VPNs often offer basic security features that can easily be hacked. Our advice is to opt for a network with 256-bit encryption. There are also other features that add extra layers of safety. For example, a kill switch option will automatically stop all traffic coming in and out of your device in the unlikely event that you are disconnected from the VPN service. 
  • Support and ease of use – A VPN should not be a complicated software that can only be used by tech-savvy people. In fact, good VPNs are as easy to use and install as software from an app store. Last but not least, no service is perfect, so make sure to opt for a VPN with 24/7 online and telephone support. This way, if you experience any difficulties, you can count on the support team to fix them, no matter where you are in the world. 
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Landmark Russian Anti-Piracy Agreement Extended Until End October 2019


Last year, leading Russia-based content companies and distributors plus Yandex, Rambler Group, Mail.Ru Group, vKontakte, and RuTube signed up to a landmark anti-piracy memorandum.

It would see search engines voluntarily query a centralized database of allegedly-infringing content before deleting links to the same from their search results. However, while waiting for the terms of that agreement to be written into law, last Monday the time-limited memorandum expired.

As reported last week, content companies hoped that search engines would continue the deletions, despite the agreement expiring. It now transpires that following further negotiations, the parties have agreed to an official extension of the memorandum.

According to sources cited by Vedomosti, leading search engine Yandex didn’t disappoint rightsholders since it continued to delete ‘pirate’ links even after the expiry date. One of the signatories to the agreement added that the parties now intend to carry on with the terms of the memorandum until the end of October 2019.

The official four-week extension has been put in place so that the draft law can be finalized and introduced to the State Duma before the end of the month.

If this happens as planned, the anti-piracy memorandum will receive an automatic secondary extension until the end of the year, telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor reports.

“The memorandum has been extended until October 31, 2019. If the bill is submitted to the State Duma no later than October 31, 2019, the memorandum will be automatically extended until December 31, 2019,” a spokesperson told TASS.

While the extra month’s worth of breathing space will be useful, there is still no news of agreement on the issue said to have played a key role in the delay.

Rightsholders and content companies have demanded the introduction of a so-called ‘repeat infringer’ clause, which would see sites permanently removed from search results if they are continually flagged as hosting or linking to ‘pirate’ content.

Internet companies are strongly in opposition so a compromise may be needed, especially if the end-of-the-month deadline is to be met.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and more. We also have VPN reviews, discounts, offers and coupons.





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RIAA Believes The Pirate Bay Blocks US Visitors, But it Doesn’t


The Pirate Bay is without a doubt one of the most blocked websites around the world.

The first court-ordered blockade against the site was issued in Denmark, more than a decade ago, and dozens of other countries have followed since.

We have come to a point where ‘yet another’ Pirate Bay blockade is hardly newsworthy, but this week something quite unusual appeared on our radar. Apparently, The Pirate Bay itself jumped on the bandwagon by starting to block US visitors, its largest userbase, out of the blue.

This revelation comes from the widely respected music industry group RIAA, which keeps a close eye on the popular torrent site.

A few days ago the group sent its latest overview of “notorious markets” to the US Trade Representative. As usual, The Pirate Bay was prominently featured. It is the single most popular BitTorrent index site in the world, the RIAA says, then adding that for some reason the site no longer accepts American visitors.

“Earlier this year, thepiratebay began blocking U.S. IP addresses. However, the site remains easily accessible using a free proxy service that makes it appear the user is accessing the site from another jurisdiction,” the RIAA writes in its submission to the USTR.

That’s odd, to say the least. While the site has had some (localized) connectivity issues, perhaps due to routing problems, we had never heard of such a blockade. Interestingly, The Pirate Bay team itself has no clue what the RIAA is referring to either.

TorrentFreak reached out to a TPB moderator, who wasn’t aware of any US visitor ban and through a trusted source we learned that the people running the site are not blocking anything.

This makes sense, as we spoke to several people who can still access the site just fine from the US. Also, the United States remains the top traffic source for the site by far, as SimilarWeb data shows. That certainly wouldn’t be the case if US visitors were not allowed.

We have no idea why the RIAA believes otherwise. Perhaps the group was confused by an earlier outage that mainly affected US visitors, but it can be ‘assured’ that this is definitely not intended by the Pirate Bay team.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and more. We also have VPN reviews, discounts, offers and coupons.





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The Day Shall Come…When Content Companies Address the Streaming Farce


Image result for chris morris
Credit: Petr Novák

British writer, director, and satirical genius Chris Morris has been body-slamming the media and establishment with biting dark, satirical comedy for decades in the UK.

With his groundbreaking The Day Today series and the polarizing but brilliant Brass Eye, Morris has established himself as a force to be reckoned with.

For those out of the loop, this is a man who managed to convince Conservative MP David Amess – who was later appointed chair of the Psychoactive Substances Bill Committee – to bring up the horrors of a new street drug in a Parliamentary debate. The drug was a giant dinner plate-sized yellow pill called ‘Cake’ and it didn’t even exist.

Adding to his notoriety, Morris also flashed a message containing one of the world’s most offensive words during the eventual TV airing of a show canceled by the UK’s Channel 4, declaring the channel’s then-chief executive to be that four-letter uttering. Morris is scared of no one, and that’s why people love him.

So, after waiting nine long years for Morris to follow up on his daring and unflinching 2010 terrorism-farce movie masterpiece Four Lions, you might understand why the build-up to his new movie The Day Shall Come has been excruciating for his fans, especially those who want to financially support him.

“Based on 100 true stories, the explosive new film from Chris Morris (Four Lions, Brass Eye) is an emotionally gripping, laugh out loud thriller that exposes the dark farce at the heart of the homeland security project: It is harder to catch a real terrorist than it is to manufacture your own,” the movie’s homepage reads.

Sadly, I – one of Morris’s most enduring and fervent fans – will have to take his word for it. I shall indeed be in the UK when the movie goes on general theatrical release on October 11 but as I write this on Tuesday, Oct 1, frustration has set in like never before. And that really shouldn’t have happened.

On my regular news-tour of torrent sites I could see that the movie had already appeared online. It’s a so-called WEBRip release, meaning that it was ripped from a legitimate streaming service. Considering that Morris has built his celluloid history and fanbase, not to mention infamy in the UK, that means it must have been ripped from a UK source and available to buy, right?

Industry anti-piracy initiatives such as the UK’s GetitRight (from a Genuine Site) are 100% targeted at people who have the ability to pirate but might be persuaded to part with their money instead, so this was a great opportunity to test the system with something I actually care about.

So, with cash in hand, seeking out a source for a legitimate purchase, I headed off to the portal. It couldn’t help me directly and I was subsequently directed to FindAnyFilm.com, where the movie is indeed listed.

With options to ‘Buy to Own’ turning up nothing for Blu-ray, DVD, or Digital, the ‘Watch Now’ option (streaming) seemed the final but perfect option. Unfortunately, both ‘buy’ and ‘rent’ turned up absolutely nothing. No options whatsoever, with no idea provided when they might become available.

It’s not FindAnyFilm’s fault, it’s not GetitRight’s fault, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. I was already two websites into this mission and it was not going well.

A direct search on Amazon.co.uk did reveal a DVD listing for £10.00 but that was accompanied by a message stating that “This title has not yet been released. You may pre-order it now and we will deliver it to you when it arrives.” Even if I wanted a DVD, which I do not, no release date was provided. Which is absolutely useless. Three websites in.

After various inquiries it soon became clear that Amazon.com was the only straightforwardly obvious place where Morris’s new film might be streamed in the UK. So I tried to log in and surprise – Amazon.com didn’t like it one bit.

The company sent me a one-time validation code, to prove I am indeed me, which I used after receiving it via email. Once logged-in I tried to ‘rent’ the movie but of course, it was unavailable for purchase because I wasn’t in the United States and my payment method was apparently “invalid”. It wasn’t, I’d used it minutes earlier. Four websites in, and an email. No movie.

In my opinion, the steps taken above go way beyond reasonable. Exactly how many hoops do these companies, that combine to present these content distribution machines to the public, expect people to jump through to willingly part themselves from their money in order to support the industry?

For those who know Morris and appreciate his work, this is the kind of ridiculous situation he himself might dismantle with glee, particularly considering The Day Shall Come was in part funded by the UK National Lottery/BFI Film Fund. The citizens of that country, who helped to fund it, cannot see it online at the same time as their US counterparts.

There will be pirates out there laughing to themselves wondering why I didn’t click on the magnet link I saw earlier and simply download the movie, there and then, and save all the headaches. After all, that would’ve been one site visited, one movie watched. For free.

But for someone who actually wants to support Chris Morris and in industry-speak, “make sure he can make more movies in the future”, why shouldn’t I be able to pay if I want to?

The answer is simple: ‘they’ – whoever they are – won’t let me. The Day Shall Come when this nonsense gets sorted out but people’s patience may have run out by then, if they can be bothered to expend any at all. The content is available legally so for the sake of sanity, let us – the fans – buy it.

Our Shatner’s Bassoons – even without Cake – can’t take any more.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbq3kc29Tmg&w=560&h=315]

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and more. We also have VPN reviews, discounts, offers and coupons.





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LEGO Upsets Fans by Taking Down Homebrew 3D Print Designs


While the 3D printing revolution is still in its early days, people are already able to download and print pretty much everything imaginable, including houses and cars.

Larger and more complicated objects still require specialist tools and other parts, but smaller things that consist of easily printable material are reasonably easy to make.

Take LEGO bricks, for example, which have relatively easy shapes and usually consist of plastic. Pair this with a userbase of millions of ‘fans’ and it’s easy to see why these toys are popular among 3D hobbyists, if only for nostalgic reasons.

And indeed, while browsing through some of the popular websites where people share homemade 3D printing designs, we see hundreds if not thousands of LEGO ‘inspired’ designs. The associated STL files are generally available to other members of the public, who can download them for free.

While this seems like a relatively harmless niche activity, LEGO sees things differently. Last week we were alerted to various takedown notices the company had sent recently. Apparently, it sees some 3D blueprints as copyright and/or trademark infringements.

That’s also true for the “Customizable Wall Switch Plate +/- LEGO 2” Thingiverse user “Lucina” had uploaded. The design is question was targeted in a takedown notice and removed, as documented on Reddit. The original LEGO brick patents have long expired, so it’s not entirely clear what the alleged infringement is here.

The Wall Switch Plate which is now gone.

TorrentFreak spoke to Lucina, who actually had several designs taken down from Thingiverse and Cults3D, but never saw an actual complaint. Some people have since suggested that using the term LEGO in the designs could be an issue, but several other uploads that used that same term were not targeted.

To avoid any legal trouble Lucina chose to voluntarily remove all LEGO files from Thingiverse and Cults3D later did the same.

“They flagged two out of five of my Lego designs and prevented downloads. The other three were still active. Not wanting to be sued, I deleted all five. I later got an email from Cults3D saying that they deleted all of my Lego designs for me,” Lucina told us.

Earlier this week, the issue was picked up by 3D printing industry news site 3D Printing Industry which got in touch with LEGO, but without any real results. LEGO Group states that it sees 3D printing as a promising technology and is considering using it themselves, but the precise reason for the takedown remains a mystery.

It may take a while before LEGO’s motivations are revealed. The company’s Associate Manager Corporate Communications said that the company deals with a high volume of queries. As such, it might take weeks before it explains on what grounds it sent trademark and copyright takedown notices targeting 3D fan art.

Whatever the reason is, the creators and users of these homebrew creations are not happy. They just see their pastime as a fun hobby, but this fun swiftly disappears when files are taken down.

“This is absolutely ludicrous @LEGO_Group!! You’re getting free marketing with ZERO potential loss of revenue. Who is going to print any of these things instead of buying LEGOS?! Maybe focus on continuing to make awesome stuff instead of punishing your fans who promote your cause?” Twitter user Repkord notes.

Many others agree that, instead of protecting its brand, LEGO could actually be alienating its biggest fans.

“Thinking about what @LEGO_Group has been doing to their 3D printing and 3D modeling fans lately reminds me of how labels treated mp3 music and sampling a few years back or how print treated online. Stay in the past, die in the blast,” Twitter user jmtosses added.

The overall sentiment from 3D designers is that LEGO’s actions went too far. While it certainly might have a legitimate complaint, going after some of the biggers fans may not be the best strategy.

If LEGO’s goal was to stop people from sharing anything LEGO-related they have at least booked some success. Lucina is never uploading a LEGO design again.

“Personally I don’t think Lego should have come at me, a 3D printing hobbyist. I might design other compatible parts, but I will never share another LEGO design online,” Lucina told us

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and more. We also have VPN reviews, discounts, offers and coupons.





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As RIAA Targets Yet More YouTube-Ripping Sites, Here’s the State of Play


Over the past few years, users ripping music from sites like YouTube has been portrayed by the industry as a bigger problem than torrent sites.

According to stats published by industry group IFPI last year, 32% of all Internet users were stream rippers, up from 30% in 2016. This, according to the group, made it the leading form of music piracy.

Last week, however, a new report revealed that the practice is actually on a downward trend, with 23% of those surveyed admitting to using stream-ripping services. Despite the big decrease, the RIAA isn’t likely to step away from its enforcement efforts anytime soon, as evidenced by a new application filed at a US court.

The application for a DMCA subpoena filed in the District of Columbia targets three sites that are either directly or indirectly linked to YouTube-ripping.

In common with several previous applications, this one also requires domain registry Namecheap to hand over the personal details of their operators, providing names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, payment information and more.

The first, YouTubeMP4.biz, recently suffered a drop in traffic according to SimilarWeb stats but that blip aside, has been pulling in up to 1.2 million visits per month throughout 2019. It is most popular in the United States, followed by the UK, Thailand, India and Turkey.

Next up is Keepvid.ws, which at around three million visits per month is the most popular in the application. Perhaps unusually given the close interest of the RIAA, the YouTube-ripping platform is most popular in South Africa, with around 16% of its traffic coming from the region. India and the United States follow with around 10% each.

The last of the RIAA’s latest targets is HDMP4.net, which on the surface seems different from the rest. When accessing the site’s URL directly, visitors are greeted with a blank page, which is unusual for a stream-ripping platform.

Furthermore, Google reveals that HDMP4.net has had just a handful of DMCA notices filed against it over the past several years, the last in 2015, with none coming from the music industry. However, checking in Google’s indexes reveals that the site isn’t indexed, so that makes sense.

The RIAA does mention some specific URLs carrying its content, including tracks by Cyndi Lauper and ZZ Top, which raises the question of whether other sites are using it in some way. Indeed, checks using various resources indicate that the site, which only gained significant traffic in June this year, seems connected to a number of other ripping services.

The big question remains whether the raft of DMCA subpoenas obtained by the RIAA against companies such as Namecheap and Cloudflare are having any direct effect on the operations of these platforms. While things are probably going on behind the scenes that we don’t know about, in the main most previously-targeted sites seem unaffected.

In May, the RIAA tried to extract the personal details of huge ripping site Y2Mate.com from Cloudflare and Namecheap. At the time the site had around 60 million monthly visits and despite the efforts, remains stubbornly online today.

The only real difference now is that SimilarWeb reports the site enjoying in excess of 130 million monthly visits, more than double the traffic reported back in May. The company recently changed the way it calculates traffic but it seems unlikely to have had this much of an effect, particularly since other online measurement sites also show a big upward trend.

On the flip side, a separate effort in May to unmask the operator of YouTubNow.com, a site with 15 million monthly visits, may have paid off. The site currently carries a “maintenance” message and its traffic has tanked to almost zero. That can probably go in the success column for the RIAA.

Back in June, the RIAA homed-in on 10Convert.com, Amoyshare.com, AnythingtoMP3.cc, IMP3Juices.com, BigConverter.com, YouTubeMP4.to, QDownloader.net, GenYouTube.net, Break.TV, DL-YouTube-MP3.net, ConvertBox.net, and Downloaders.io.

At the time of writing, only ConvertBox.net seems completely down while BigConverter.com might have resorted to blocking UK traffic for reasons unknown. The rest are operational, which doesn’t sound like a notable success rate. That being said, the RIAA may have other goals in mind so the bigger picture may play out in time.

By the industry’s own accounting, stream-ripping is on a downward trend but whether that’s attributable to the RIAA’s takedown efforts remains open to speculation. That being said, the RIAA will argue it has to do something, so the pressure is likely to continue.

The latest DMCA subpoena granted by the court can be found here (pdf)

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