TorrentFreak - The controversy surrounding the attempted introduction of the Stop Online Piracy and Protect IP Acts may now be a fading memory for some, but in the corridors of power the 2012 fiasco remains a sensitive issue. Nevertheless, this week lawmakers in the U.S. will again be pushed to upgrade streaming from a misdemeanor to a felony, something that would not only please the UFC, but Hollywood and the RIAA too.
It was heard that a comprehensive law enforcement action targeted scene release group “SPARKS” and its associates earlier this month.
A company that sold Kodi-based software which accessed infringing TV, movie and sports streams has lost an interesting case featuring Dutch anti-piracy group BREIN. MovieStreamer claimed that it only provided a referral service to third-party content through a series of links but the court found that despite the convoluted process, it still communicated copyrighted works to the public.
US music and movie industry companies helped to get pirate sites blocked in many countries but on their home turf, legal action is surprisingly absent. For years we have wondered why local ISPs are being left alone and we now have an answer. Former RIAA executive Neil Turkewitz says that SOPA's ghosts have been a major stumbling block.
Allowing private entities the power to censor the internet is never a good idea. If pirates can get blocked, so can unpopular bloggers and political groups. There are good reasons why SOPA failed, and if that failure is still bearing fruit, I applaud it.
