[JasonWatkins]

Originally Posted by Gort

That's what happens when you deal with the symptoms rather than the cause: the disease strikes back even harder.

Indeed.

[scruffpot]

The thing is I do not know if they can use the same excuse that people are downloading music and films, when you can stream latest blockbusters and tv shows for free on certain streaming sites and listen to latest albums on sites such as youtube.. all you need is an ip sniffer and a media downloader, quicker then any old torrent these days..
Sharing software maybe..but most software downloads on torrents tend to be full of virus or bugs... not that i know this.. nudge nudge wink wink....

Costing jobs? well most dvd/music shops have gone out of business or have moved online - but that's mainly due to a trend of how people buy their music these days and cheaper prices.
cinemas sooooo expensive £9 + for a movie plus most modern blockbusters are crap.You should for at least that price pay to see a movie and then on dvd release date be sent the dvd.

We shall just shop with our fingers and look else where for free stuff. Pirating ain't good and we have all done it in the past but blocking sites and saying NO you cannot go there is just wrong, what next blocking of midget porn!

[Stiggles]

Originally Posted by Keiō Line

Great news. Hopefully over the coming months more big name sites will be blocked.

All this nonsense about "its the the internet, we can do WHATEVER we like, WHENEVER we like, because its the INTERNET!!!!!!!!" simply shows arrogance . The golden age of theft is drawing to an end.

Actually, its utter stupidity.

This kind of ruling will only move people elsewhere and open new sites. 1 shut down, 10 open.

The arrogance is from the idiots who make these rulings who clearly are thick as shit to see downloading has absolutely zero impact on peoples jobs or artists wages.

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by tghe-retford

The Great Firewall of the UK has arrived. Linux (distros are primarily distributed by P2P), Google (accused of providing links to copyrighted material plus alleged fair use abuse), left wing commentators and other websites and people to be silenced next I fear.

I really hope that doesn't become the case

[zx50]

Originally Posted by Stiggles

Actually, its utter stupidity.

This kind of ruling will only move people elsewhere and open new sites. 1 shut down, 10 open.

The arrogance is from the idiots who make these rulings who clearly are thick as shit to see downloading has absolutely zero impact on peoples jobs or artists wages.

Completely agree. Judges who hand out these rulings probably have no idea about 'how the Internet works' at all.

[tghe-retford]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

I really hope that doesn't become the case

Individuals, campaign groups and organisations are going to have to stay alert to threats to freedom of speech under the guise of "preventing piracy". If the US Government can threaten trade sanctions against Spain unless it implemented SOPA like law in its country, the media conglomerates wish to regain the control and profit avenues they had in the past at the expense of freedom and the likes of Rupert Murdoch planned to sue Google and could still do so for their own vested interests, then anyone with a desire for freedom on the Internet needs to stay alert to these threats.

[Jittlov]

The mad thing about the whole thing is that The Pirate Bay does not host any files, instead they just tell you where you can find them, the same as Google or Bing.

A simple Google search such as:

intitle:"index of" songname.mp3

Will probably find me a song faster than if I had visited the Pirate Bay. I doubt that we will see Google getting blocked any time soon.

[johnnybgoode83]

It is very stupid for anyone to use sites like this without a proxy or VPN hiding what you are doing and if you do use these things to make your traffic appear as if it is coming from another country the block will not affect you in any way.

[Jittlov]

Originally Posted by johnnybgoode83

It is very stupid for anyone to use sites like this without a proxy or VPN hiding what you are doing and if you do use these things to make your traffic appear as if it is coming from another country the block will not affect you in any way.

Of course the weakest link is the VPN company themselves. There's no point in trying to cover your tracks if a simple request to the VPN host means they will spill the beans.

Many VPN companys claim that they don't keep records, but what they say and what they do in many cases is not the same.

There has been at least one case of a supposedly anonymous VPN company giving up the details of a member of well known hacking group.

http://www.h-online.com/security/new...r-1349666.html

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by tghe-retford

Individuals, campaign groups and organisations are going to have to stay alert to threats to freedom of speech under the guise of "preventing piracy". If the US Government can threaten trade sanctions against Spain unless it implemented SOPA like law in its country, the media conglomerates wish to regain the control and profit avenues they had in the past at the expense of freedom and the likes of Rupert Murdoch planned to sue Google and could still do so for their own vested interests, then anyone with a desire for freedom on the Internet needs to stay alert to these threats.

Did Spain actually implement SOPA-like law? I'm doing my best to stay alert to these threats as I think the internet should be kept free and open. Website blocking is just ridiculous and dangerous.

[Blackjack Davy]

Speak no, hear no, see no evil oh denizens of the 'net. Big Brother has spoken.

Originally Posted by Jittlov

Of course the weakest link is the VPN company themselves. There's no point in trying to cover your tracks if a simple request to the VPN host means they will spill the beans.

Many VPN companys claim that they don't keep records, but what they say and what they do in many cases is not the same.

There has been at least one case of a supposedly anonymous VPN company giving up the details of a member of well known hacking group.

http://www.h-online.com/security/new...r-1349666.html

Thats the same with all the so-called anonymous services including your ISP, they're anonymous as long as they don't receive a court order and then it's all over. Its in the small print, every single one.

[Jittlov]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

Did Spain actually implement SOPA-like law? I'm doing my best to stay alert to these threats as I think the internet should be kept free and open. Website blocking is just ridiculous and dangerous.

It was one of the leaked cables from Wikileaks that exposed the lengths the US government was willing to go to get their way:

“We propose to tell the new government that Spain will appear on the Watch List if it does not do three things by October 2008. First, issue a [Government of Spain] announcement stating that internet piracy is illegal, and that the copyright levy system does not compensate creators for copyrighted material acquired through peer-to-peer file sharing. Second, amend the 2006 “circular” that is widely interpreted in Spain as saying that peer-to-peer file sharing is legal. Third, announce that the GoS will adopt measures along the lines of the French and/or UK proposals aimed at curbing Internet piracy by the summer of 2009.”

It's been said that this very leak killed any prospect of new legislation in Spain, in fact recent court rulings have stated that indexing sites like The Pirate Bay are not breaking any laws since they don't host any material.

[Roush]

Originally Posted by Jittlov

It's been said that this very leak killed any prospect of new legislation in Spain, in fact recent court rulings have stated that indexing sites like The Pirate Bay are not breaking any laws since they don't host any material.

Your information is about 2 years out of date. New legislation has been on the agenda in Spain for quite some time and new laws came into force recently.

[flagpole]

Originally Posted by Jittlov

Of course the weakest link is the VPN company themselves. There's no point in trying to cover your tracks if a simple request to the VPN host means they will spill the beans.

Many VPN companys claim that they don't keep records, but what they say and what they do in many cases is not the same.

There has been at least one case of a supposedly anonymous VPN company giving up the details of a member of well known hacking group.

http://www.h-online.com/security/new...r-1349666.html

i have access to a box at prq. they do not keep records.

[alcockell]

OK - when are proper rights wholesalers going to be set up so that the retail side can do in the digital sphere what's done in the physical sphere - aka any-to-any legally?

[fmradiotuner1]

The PB is crap now anyway all it is is links to other sites which easily come up on google or other search engine.

[captainkremmen]

Originally Posted by Keiō Line

Great news. Hopefully over the coming months more big name sites will be blocked.

All this nonsense about "its the the internet, we can do WHATEVER we like, WHENEVER we like, because its the INTERNET!!!!!!!!" simply shows arrogance . The golden age of theft is drawing to an end.

Yes because such blocks worked wonders in Italy, Sweden and all those other countries that blocked the Pirate Bay. Italy was especially successful, with an increase in piracy being noted instead of a decrease as users found ways round the blocks and found alternatives.

Or France, where they have our proposed three strikes regime already. Worked well there, where a very large increase in encrypted traffic was noted, meaning the authorities now have absolutely no idea what a huge number of internet users are up to.

[Daedroth]

I think this block will be only on DNS...so if you have the IP, it will still work. Also, there are a couple of other TBP links that still work. (Other domains)

[flagpole]

I'd be surprised if the only block it at dns level. but we'll see i guess.

i would expect it to be a little more robust like the IWF based filtering.

[cat666]

Originally Posted by Keiō Line

Great news. Hopefully over the coming months more big name sites will be blocked.

All this nonsense about "its the the internet, we can do WHATEVER we like, WHENEVER we like, because its the INTERNET!!!!!!!!" simply shows arrogance . The golden age of theft is drawing to an end.

You are totally wrong.

12 years ago there was little program called Napster which allowed users to share files. Loads of people used it and downloaded illegally. Like The Pirate Bay it had a huge following and also a huge group of people trying to get it shut down including metal giants Metallica. Eventually they suceeded in getting it shut down (well changed to a legal system) but all the users just went to Kazaa, Emule, or Limewire. From one services demise 3 more popped up. Since then 2 of those 3 services have also been shut down, yet piracy continues through Newsbin2, the Pirate Bay, Isohunt, TV Underground etc. etc. Now they are beginning to be closed, the pirates will just move onto a new website/software.

Shutting down Napster was meant to end piracy. This was 12 years ago and yet piracy is as rife today as it was back then. Probably even more so. It therefore stands to reason that blocking access to The Pirate Bay will have little to no impact on piracy. The pirates will always pirate, no matter what. If you went further back in time, you'd find them with cassettes copying there friends albums. It's a practice that will never ever be stopped.

[paulbrock]

Originally Posted by cat666

There are plenty of other sites just like The Pirate Bay which UK users will flock too, or people will just use proxies.

But then take Megaupload. It closed down, and other sites, like BTjunkie, knowing the game was up, voluntarily closed down.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/artic...haring_website

Originally Posted by Jittlov

I doubt that we will see Google getting blocked any time soon.

The difference is Google (and most 'reputable' sites) respect takedown notices, not childishly take the piss out of them.

Shutting down Napster was meant to end piracy.

Was it? i'm not sure that's the case. The aim is never to obliterate piracy, any more than greater law enforcement obliterates petty crime, or speeding, or driving without tax. The aim is to reduce it, and the fact that they still exist doesn't mean measures to reduce them are pointless.

The pirates will always pirate, no matter what.

Yes the hardcore that are ripping TV shows from broadcasts and uploading them via proxies and so forth, absolutely. The casual user who knows pirate bay for downloading the latest Glee episode from the States, which compared to a random google search of torrents is relatively safe and not full of malware ads and suspicious downloads, not so much.

Just look at the furore of the users when rnbxclusive was taken down. It wasn't "lol, I'll just use one of the 20 other bookmarks to similar sites I have." , it was "OMG whats going on why is the site down where can i get the tunes from now *cry* "

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by Roush

Your information is about 2 years out of date. New legislation has been on the agenda in Spain for quite some time and new laws came into force recently.

Did they actually block websites over there?

[Ed R.Marley]

Originally Posted by paulbrock

But then take Megaupload. It closed down, and other sites, like BTjunkie, knowing the game was up, voluntarily closed down.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/artic...haring_website



The difference is Google (and most 'reputable' sites) respect takedown notices, not childishly take the piss out of them.


Was it? i'm not sure that's the case. The aim is never to obliterate piracy, any more than greater law enforcement obliterates petty crime, or speeding, or driving without tax. The aim is to reduce it, and the fact that they still exist doesn't mean measures to reduce them are pointless.



Yes the hardcore that are ripping TV shows from broadcasts and uploading them via proxies and so forth, absolutely. The casual user who knows pirate bay for downloading the latest Glee episode from the States, which compared to a random google search of torrents is relatively safe and not full of malware ads and suspicious downloads, not so much.

Just look at the furore of the users when rnbxclusive was taken down. It wasn't "lol, I'll just use one of the 20 other bookmarks to similar sites I have." , it was "OMG whats going on why is the site down where can i get the tunes from now *cry* "

Megaupload didn't close - it was shutdown, rather dubiously, by the FBI

[paulbrock]

Originally Posted by Ed R.Marley

Megaupload didn't close - it was shutdown, rather dubiously, by the FBI

yes, sorry I meant it was closed down. BTjunkie, however, was entirely voluntary.

[Johnbee]

The whole thing is daft psychology. If it was called the keep your childten safe from abuse site, they would leave it alone. Because it is called the Prrate Bay it must be evil because pirates are evil.

I have got a few things from there, none of them at all illegal or avoiding royalties.

Youtube has more copyright material put onto it each day than the Pirate Bay has had since it started. Also more people watch copyright stuff on Youtube per hour than have looked at Pirate Bay stuff ever.