Torrents

TorrentFreak

is a weblog dedicated to bringing the latest news about BitTorrent and everything that is closely related to this popular filesharing protocol.

We are not a news aggregator, but focus on unique and fresh stories. TorrentFreak is where news and filesharing collide.

We try to be the source of all the latest breaking news in the p2p world.

• Anti-Piracy Outfits Launch Attack on BitTorrent Protocol
  In recent weeks alarm bells sounded at Poland's Computer Emergency Response Team when it was discovered that an unknown entity is sending massive amounts of forged data packets and posing a threat to BitTorrent users worldwide. A detailed analysis reveals that anti-piracy outfits may be initiating these attacks to prevent movies from being downloaded. According to security experts, the legality of these attacks is doubtful.Source: Anti-Piracy Outfits Launch Attack on BitTorrent Protocol
• BitTorrent Inc Takes Legal Action Against Download Scammers
  BitTorrent Inc., the company behind the BitTorrent protocol and the world famous uTorrent client, has taken legal action against a company attempting to trade on the company's brand. In a lawsuit against a German-based company calling itself BitTorrent Marketing GMBH, US-based BitTorrent Inc. is claiming damages for trademark infringement, unfair competition and cybersquatting.Source: BitTorrent Inc Takes Legal Action Against Download Scammers
• US “Six Strikes” Anti-Piracy Scheme Delayed
  Soon the file-sharing habits of millions of BitTorrent users in the United States will be monitored as part of an agreement between the MPAA, RIAA, and all the major ISPs. Those caught sharing copyright works will receive several warning messages and will be punished if they continue to infringe. However, it now appears that the much-discussed July start date will have to wait until later in the year as the parties involved may fail to meet the provisional deadline.Source: US “Six Strikes” Anti-Piracy Scheme Delayed
• Pirate Bay Ban Rockets Pirate Party Website Into The Big Time
  The court-ordered ISP blockade of The Pirate Bay immediately backfired earlier this month when it massively raised awareness and caused the site to receive millions of extra visitors. Now, and as a direct result of the Pirate Bay ban, the website of the UK Pirate Party is benefiting hugely too. In just over three weeks it has jumped more than 100,000 places in the UK rankings and any moment now will become the 1,500th most-visited website in the country.Source: Pirate Bay Ban Rockets Pirate Party Website Into The Big Time
• File-Sharing Is Linked to Depression, Researchers Find
  A new paper published by researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology reveals that people with depressive symptoms are more avid file-sharers than those without them. The research in question was conducted among students whose connections to the campus network were monitored. Perhaps more worrying than the results themselves, the lead researcher suggests that it might be a good idea to monitor people's file-sharing habits for use as a diagnostic tool.Source: File-Sharing Is Linked to Depression, Researchers Find
• BitTorrent Piracy Boosts Music Sales, Study Finds
  A new academic paper by a researcher from the North Carolina State University has examined the link between BitTorrent downloads and music album sales. Contrary to what’s often claimed by the major record labels, the paper concludes that there is absolutely no evidence that unauthorized downloads negatively impact sales. Instead, the research finds that more piracy directly leads to more album sales. Source: BitTorrent Piracy Boosts Music Sales, Study Finds
• IMAGiNE Member Pleads Guilty to Criminal Copyright Infringement
  Last month the feds arrested four alleged members of the prominent BitTorrent release group IMAGiNE . One of them has struck a deal with the US Government and pleads guilty to one of the charges. The remaining three plead not guilty. Recent documents filed at court further reveal that the MPAA was the tipster that initiated the investigation.Source: IMAGiNE Member Pleads Guilty to Criminal Copyright Infringement
• Pirate Bay Under DDoS Attack From Unknown Enemy
  With court-ordered ISP blockades popping up all over Europe, The Pirate Bay is no stranger to being silenced. However, for the last 24 hours the site has been largely inaccessible world wide due to a completely different type of censorship. After the site openly criticized Anonymous last week for DDoS'ing UK ISP Virgin Media, The Pirate Bay itself is now under attack.Source: Pirate Bay Under DDoS Attack From Unknown Enemy
• IP-Address Can’t Even Identify a State, BitTorrent Judge Rules
  The mass-BitTorrent lawsuits that are sweeping the United States are in a heap of trouble. After a Florida judge ruled that an IP-address is not a person, a Californian colleague has gone even further in protecting the First Amendment rights of BitTorrent users. The judge in question points out that geolocation tools are far from accurate and that it's therefore uncertain that his court has jurisdiction over cases involving alleged BitTorrent pirates. As a result, 15 of these mass-BitTorrent lawsuits were dismissed.Source: IP-Address Can’t Even Identify a State, BitTorrent Judge Rules
• .Pirate Domains Now Available Through OpenNic
  The internet is built of services. One of the core services, and a major choke-point for control, is domain name resolution. There have been some alternates come and go, but one of the strongest has been OpenNIC, and they’ve just launched a new top level domain - .pirateSource: .Pirate Domains Now Available Through OpenNic
• Open WiFi Owner Not Liable For Illegal File-Sharing, Court Rules
  Dependant on the side they're representing, lawyers around the world have taken opposing stances when it comes to liability for infringement via open WiFi. When representing plaintiffs they speak of 'a duty of care' to rightsholders and when defending Internet users they insist that holding individuals responsible for the actions of others is a step too far. In a landmark case in Finland, a court has just agreed with the latter.Source: Open WiFi Owner Not Liable For Illegal File-Sharing, Court Rules
• BitTorrent is the New Radio, Says Counting Crows Frontman
  American rock band Counting Crows have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, but this success hasn't caused them to overlook the changing landscape of the music business. Today the band releases four tracks from their new album for free on BitTorrent. Talking to TorrentFreak, Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz says BitTorrent is the new and improved radio.Source: BitTorrent is the New Radio, Says Counting Crows Frontman
• Pirate Bay Founder Takes Case To European Court
  Having being found guilty of copyright infringement offenses and subsequently denied the opportunity to be heard by Sweden's Supreme Court, one of the founders of The Pirate Bay is taking his case to the European Court. The lawyer of Fredrik Neij believes that the function of The Pirate Bay is protected by the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights.Source: Pirate Bay Founder Takes Case To European Court
• Top 10 Most Pirated Movies on BitTorrent
  The top 10 most downloaded movies on BitTorrent, '21 Jump Street' tops the chart this week, followed by 'Ger The Gringo'. 'The Avengers' completes the top three.Source: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies on BitTorrent
• Why Are People Resigning Before The Copyright Industries’ Will?
  Defeat in a single battle in the war over net liberty doesn't concern me too much. I know that the net freedom forces have the strategic and intellectual upper hand in this war over our freedom, but there is something else that concerns me gravely. Why are people seriously thinking that the copyright industries have the final say in shaping society?Source: Why Are People Resigning Before The Copyright Industries’ Will?
• Microsoft Funded Startup Aims to Kill BitTorrent Traffic
  The Russian based "Pirate Pay" startup is promising the entertainment industry a pirate-free future. With help from Microsoft, the developers have built a system that claims to track and shut down the distribution of copyrighted works on BitTorrent. Their first project successfully stopped tens of thousands of downloads.Source: Microsoft Funded Startup Aims to Kill BitTorrent Traffic
• eMule: A Decade of File-Sharing Innovations
  On May 13th, 2002 a new filesharing client called eMule entered into our world of sharing. Ten years later we’d like to take this anniversary as an opportunity to look back at some major technical achievements of filesharing applications since then and what might come in the years ahead. With further innovation, even the mighty BitTorrent can be improved to become impossible to shut down.Source: eMule: A Decade of File-Sharing Innovations
• Pirate Bay ‘Censorship’ Judge is Corrupt, Claims Pirate Party Founder
  This week yet another court order was handed down in Europe with the aim of censoring The Pirate Bay. The ruling forbids the Dutch Pirate Party from not only running a direct proxy, but also telling people how to circumvent an earlier court ordered blockade. However, according to Pirate Party founder Rick Falkvinge, the judge in the case has a history of corruption relating to another file-sharing case he presided over in the Netherlands.Source: Pirate Bay ‘Censorship’ Judge is Corrupt, Claims Pirate Party Founder
• MPAA: We’re No Pirates! You Are Thieves! Or?
  The MPAA is outraged and offended by "The Pirate Bay and their apologists" who "seek to justify profiting from digital theft" by referring to Hollywood's founders as pirates. Not true, they claim. Instead, the early inhabitants of Hollywood were independent filmmakers who were censored by a copyright monopoly. They were freedom fighters who saw no other option than to infringe patents for the sake of creativity.Source: MPAA: We’re No Pirates! You Are Thieves! Or?
• Verizon Refuses to Identify Alleged BitTorrent Pirates
  In its lawsuits against hundreds of alleged BitTorrent users, book publisher John Wiley and Sons has met unexpected resistance from Internet provider Verizon. For a variety of reasons including privacy concerns, the ISP is refusing to comply with a subpoena which orders the company to hand over the personal details of subscribers who are accused of pirating "For Dummies" books. Source: Verizon Refuses to Identify Alleged BitTorrent Pirates
• Pirate Bay Founder Peter Sunde Requests Pardon
  After being found guilty of copyright offenses in connection with the operations of The Pirate Bay, site co-founder Peter Sunde should now be beginning an 8 month jail sentence in a Swedish prison. However, in a last-ditch attempt to maintain his freedom, Sunde has asked the Swedish government for clemency citing health and business concerns.Source: Pirate Bay Founder Peter Sunde Requests Pardon
• Court Forbids Linking to Pirate Bay Proxies
  The Court of The Hague has handed down another ruling that restricts access to The Pirate Bay website. The Court has forbidden the Dutch Pirate Party from linking to, operating or listing websites that allow the public to circumvent a local Pirate Bay blockade. The political party is further ordered to shutdown its reverse proxy indefinitely and block Pirate Bay domains and IP-addresses from its generic proxy. Source: Court Forbids Linking to Pirate Bay Proxies
• Five More Dutch ISPs Given 10 Days To Censor The Pirate Bay
  Following an earlier court ruling that ordered two of the largest ISPs in the Netherlands to block subscriber access to The Pirate Bay, today anti-piracy group BREIN has scored another success. The Court of The Hague has just ordered a further five ISPs to block TPB IP addresses and 20 domain names. Failure to do so within 10 days will result in fines of up to 250,000 euros.Source: Five More Dutch ISPs Given 10 Days To Censor The Pirate Bay
• Iconic Piracy Suit Against Google Dismissed, Despite $25,000 Bounty
  After 8 years the legal battle between Google and adult magazine publisher Perfect 10 has been put to rest. The latter accused the search giant of a variety of copyright infringement breaches which included Google's use of cached images. In a final attempt to save the case, Perfect 10 offered a $25,000 bounty to anyone who could prove wrongdoing on Google's part but the initiative failed. The case has now been dismissed without the option for further appeal.Source: Iconic Piracy Suit Against Google Dismissed, Despite $25,000 Bounty
• Streaming Site ‘Admin’ Freed, But Agrees 1 Year Hiatus With HBO
  Following a complaint made by HBO, an administrator of a popular streaming TV show and movie portal was arrested by authorities in Chile during March this year. The 26-year-old student was subsequently charged with breaches of copyright law and forbidden from leaving the country. Now he's been set free due to lack of evidence but is banned from accessing his former site and has to give copyright lectures in schools.Source: Streaming Site ‘Admin’ Freed, But Agrees 1 Year Hiatus With HBO
• The Pirate Bay Partners With Academic Researchers to Counter Propaganda
  The Pirate Bay has partnered with the Cybernorms research group at Sweden’s Lund University to carry out the second round of the largest file-sharing survey in history. Through the survey the researchers examine the norms of file-sharers, and how they respond to increased censorship and tougher laws. One of the main goals of the research project is to give a counterweight to entertainment industry propaganda.Source: The Pirate Bay Partners With Academic Researchers to Counter Propaganda
• Major Cyberlocker Movie Pirate Faces 5 Years In Prison
  Later this month an individual who allegedly uploaded thousands of movies and TV shows to cyberlocker services will face trial and a possible 5 year prison sentence. The 29-year-old, who was also the moderator of a warez forum, committed the alleged infringements over a period of more than 4 years. The movie industry claims he cost them nearly $4.2m but the Pirate Party reject the damages calculations as "simply ridiculous."Source: Major Cyberlocker Movie Pirate Faces 5 Years In Prison
• The Avengers: Why Pirates Failed To Prevent A Box Office Record
  Despite the widespread availability of pirated releases, The Avengers just scored a record-breaking $200 million opening weekend at the box office. While some are baffled to see that piracy failed to crush the movie's profits, it's really not that surprising. Claiming a camcorded copy of a movie seriously impacts box office attendance is the same as arguing that concert bootlegs stop people from seeing artists on stage. Source: The Avengers: Why Pirates Failed To Prevent A Box Office Record
• Pirate Bay Slaps Pathetic Proxies and Scammy Copies
  During the past several weeks, with blockades of The Pirate Bay biting in both the Netherlands and the UK, sites which facilitate access to the world's most famous torrent site have been popping up in their dozens. However, not all of these sites have users' best interests at heart. Several, flying in the face of the very fiber of The Pirate Bay, have had the temerity to do the unthinkable - charge for free downloads.Source: Pirate Bay Slaps Pathetic Proxies and Scammy Copies
• File-Sharing Church Weds First Couple
  Earlier this year the Church of Kopimism was approved by the authorities as an official religion. Since then, the movement has gathered thousands of believers across the world and two of them have now entered into a "Kopimist" marriage. The Church encourages the newlyweds to "copy and remix some DNA-cells and create a new human being."Source: File-Sharing Church Weds First Couple
• Top 10 Most Pirated Movies on BitTorrent
  The top 10 most downloaded movies on BitTorrent, 'This Means War' tops the chart this week, followed by '21 Jump Street'. 'The Avengers' completes the top three.Source: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies on BitTorrent
• Unblocking The Pirate Bay The Hard Way Is Fun For Geeks
  Now that The Pirate Bay is being blocked by ISPs in the UK, millions of people have a new interest in accessing the site, even if they didn't before. The reasons for this are simple. Not only do people hate being told what they can and can't do, people - especially geeks - love solving problems and puzzles. Unlocking The Pirate Bay with a straightforward proxy is just too boring, so just for fun let's go the hard way round.Source: Unblocking The Pirate Bay The Hard Way Is Fun For Geeks
• The Lengthening Arm of Uncle Sam’s ‘Pirate’ Justice
  File-sharing was firmly on the agenda when the head of the US Department of Homeland Security touched down in the Australian capital last week. The four new agreements - promptly signed before Secretary Janet Napolitano flew back out of Canberra - were less about sharing season two of Game of Thrones and more about sharing the private, government held information of Australian citizens with US authorities.Source: The Lengthening Arm of Uncle Sam’s ‘Pirate’ Justice
• BitTorrent Set To Rebrand Itself As Gyre?
  When the latest alpha version of uTorrent was released earlier this week several users spotted something unusual in the 'about' window. For years the uTorrent client belonged to BitTorrent Inc., but all of a sudden ownership was being credited to an unknown company named Gyre Inc. The uTorrent team was quick to fix this 'coding mistake,' but they couldn't wipe out a trail of evidence suggesting that BitTorrent might rebrand itself in the near future.Source: BitTorrent Set To Rebrand Itself As Gyre?
• India Orders Blackout of Vimeo, The Pirate Bay and More
  Continuing a recent trend, The Pirate Bay and other large BitTorrent sites are now being blocked by Internet providers in India. Visitors who try to access the sites are redirected to a banner which informs them that the Department of Telecommunications ordered a blackout. Torrent sites are not the only target, as the blockade also censors the video sharing site Vimeo, one of the largest communities of indie filmmakers.Source: India Orders Blackout of Vimeo, The Pirate Bay and More
• RIAA Behind US Government’s Failed Domain Name Seizure
  In November 2010, Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seized dozens of domain names allegedly connected to copyright infringement. One of them, hip-hop blog Dajaz1, lay in limbo for more than a year after its lawyer was stalled at every turn in his quest for information. Eventually the domain was given back, but why the delay? Unsealed court papers reveal that after effectively ordering the takedown, the RIAA failed to deliver any evidence of infringement.Source: RIAA Behind US Government’s Failed Domain Name Seizure
• 30% of UK File-Sharers Intend To Pirate More In The Next 12 Months
  According to a report from a leading UK law firm, nearly 30% of UK file-sharers say they intend to pirate more movies, music, games and ebooks during the next 12 months. The entertainment industries shouldn't be too disappointed though - 36% and 34% of paying music and movie customers say they'll consume more in the year to come.Source: 30% of UK File-Sharers Intend To Pirate More In The Next 12 Months
• Judge: An IP-Address Doesn’t Identify a Person (or BitTorrent Pirate)
  A landmark ruling in one of the many mass-BitTorrent lawsuits in the US has delivered a severe blow to a thus far lucrative business. Among other things, New York Judge Gary Brown explains in great detail why an IP-address is not sufficient evidence to identify copyright infringers. According to the Judge this lack of specific evidence means that many alleged BitTorrent pirates have been wrongfully accused by copyright holders.Source: Judge: An IP-Address Doesn’t Identify a Person (or BitTorrent Pirate)
• Pirate Bay Enjoys 12 Million Traffic Boost, Shares Unblocking Tips
  Last week the UK High Court ruled that several of the country's leading ISPs must block subscriber access to The Pirate Bay. The decision is designed to limit traffic to the world's leading BitTorrent site but in the short-term it had the opposite effect. Yesterday, The Pirate Bay had 12 million more visitors than it has ever had, providing a golden opportunity to educate users on how to circumvent blocks. "We should write a thank you letter to the BPI," a site insider told TorrentFreak.Source: Pirate Bay Enjoys 12 Million Traffic Boost, Shares Unblocking Tips
• Megaupload Prosecution Is Lawless and Unconstitutional, Law Professor Says
  Yet another law expert has slammed the US Government's decision to launch a criminal case against Megaupload. Law Professor Eric Goldman argues that the Megaupload prosecution is a "depressing display of abuse of government authority" that ignores basic constitutional rights in order to protect private commercial interests.Source: Megaupload Prosecution Is Lawless and Unconstitutional, Law Professor Says
• Comcast Praises Voluntary BitTorrent Crackdown Agreement
  Starting this summer millions of BitTorrent users in the United States will be tracked as part of a voluntary agreement between the MPAA, RIAA and all the major ISPs. Those who are caught sharing copyrighted works will receive several warning messages and eventual punishment if they continue to infringe. Commenting on the plans, Comcast Vice President Gerard Lewis praised the cooperation as a good model that safeguards privacy, while educating the public.Source: Comcast Praises Voluntary BitTorrent Crackdown Agreement
• Young File-Sharers Respond To Tough Laws By Buying a VPN
  A new survey has revealed that young people are responding to tough legislation and increasing levels of online spying by investing in VPN services. The study, carried out by the Cybernorms research group at Sweden's Lund University, found that when compared to figures from late 2009, 40% more 15 to 25-year-olds are now hiding their activities online.Source: Young File-Sharers Respond To Tough Laws By Buying a VPN
• UK ISPs Must Censor The Pirate Bay, High Court Rules
  The High Court has ruled that several UK ISPs including Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media must censor The Pirate Bay website. This means that millions of Internet users will be prevented from accessing the popular BitTorrent site in the weeks to come. The Pirate Bay say they aren't concerned by yet another court-ordered blockade, and point out that there are plenty of ways to circumvent such censorship.Source: UK ISPs Must Censor The Pirate Bay, High Court Rules
• Epic 6-Year File-Sharing Case Over Just 3 Songs Comes To An End
  A file-sharing prosecution that has been dragging on for six long years has finally come to an end. The original complaint, filed by the Portuguese Phonographic Association in 2006, targeted a then 17-year-old. Now 23, their target has just received a suspended jail sentence and a fine of 880 euros. None of this has helped the country's music industry - physical product sales nosedived more than 34% last year.Source: Epic 6-Year File-Sharing Case Over Just 3 Songs Comes To An End
• Top 10 Most Pirated Movies on BitTorrent
  The top 10 most downloaded movies on BitTorrent, 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' tops the chart this week, followed by 'Chronicle'. 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' completes the top three.Source: Top 10 Most Pirated Movies on BitTorrent
• The Net vs. The Power of Narratives
  The net changes the world's power structures in a much more fundamental way than changing the way a few groups of entrepreneurs are able to make money. The net is the greatest equalizer that humankind has ever invented. It is either the greatest invention since the printing press, or the greatest invention since written language. The battles we see are not a result of loss of money; they are caused by a loss of the power of narratives.Source: The Net vs. The Power of Narratives
• Copyright Troll Causes Chaos By Suing Fans Without Band’s Permission
  If further proof is needed that copyright trolls are only interested in money and couldn't care less about artists or their reputations, read on. A lawsuit, filed against fans of the band All Shall Perish, caused chaos in the past 48 hours when the horrified band revealed they know nothing about it. Speaking with TorrentFreak, the band's manager says they are "gutted" by the news and have no idea what is going on. Source: Copyright Troll Causes Chaos By Suing Fans Without Band’s Permission
• MPAA Boss ‘Forgets’ Hollywood’s Pirate History
  It's no secret that the entertainment industry can be rather one-sided in their views when it comes to piracy and copyright. This week, however, MPAA chairman Chris Dodd took this spin to the extreme. In a speech he referenced Hollywood's history to argue how important copyright protection is. But, he forgot to mention that the US movie industry was actually built by rogue filmmakers, 'thieves' and 'pirates'.Source: MPAA Boss ‘Forgets’ Hollywood’s Pirate History
• Megaupload’s Kim Dotcom Gets $750,000 Back
  Kim Dotcom booked a valuable victory this week when a court ruled that $750,000 in funds and cars should be returned to the Megaupload founder. Among other things, Dotcom regained possession of a $301,000 bank account and his Mercedes-Benz G55AMG. Other property that was seized based on an order from the US District Court remains in the hands of the New Zealand authorities for the time being. Source: Megaupload’s Kim Dotcom Gets $750,000 Back
• US Music Pirates Face New $150,000 Damages Claims
  In what appears to be the first action of its type since the RIAA abandoned its controversial anti-filesharing campaign, Internet users sharing music are again being targeted in the United States. In a lawsuit filed in Florida the identities of 80 individuals are being sought with one aim in mind - to threaten them with $150,000 damages awards in order to force settlement of a few thousand dollars.Source: US Music Pirates Face New $150,000 Damages Claims

Slyck News

Bittorrent news.

• Newzbin - Peace Out America
  Even with SOPA and PIPA tabled for now, there remains considerable pressure on suspect websites, which, in the eyes of the entertainment industry, remain a bane of their existence. One such site, of course, is Newzbin.com, which is now in a position where it needs to change to Newzbin.es because of such pressure. Here's the latest from Newzbin.com...
• Newzbin2 Censorship Begins - But Workaround Already in Place
  It seems the day has come that British Telcom has begun censoring Newbinz2. Naturally, not a day goes by when netizen community doesn't already have a workaround in place. The Newzbin2 crew has already implemented a rather facinating client designed to defeat this block so as not to allow a reign of tyranny from consuming the web. From Team R Dogs:
• Dutch Court Forces News-Service Europe to Remove Binary Content
  There's a big ruling coming out of the Netherlands against one of the biggest newsgroup providers. A dutch court ruled against the Dutch based provider News-Service to remove all binary content, sans the regular non-binary content. If they fail to do so, News-Service may face a 50.000 Euro per day fine. This is by far one of the striking decisions against a Usenet provider since the community site FTD was forced to remove its indexing links. You can read the press release on this here.
• Newzbin2 Aims to Defeat Blocking Technology with New App
  As many already know, Newzbin2 is a venerable Usenet indexing/search engine site that has been around, in one iteration or another, for over 5 years. After an initial shutdown a few years back, it returned under new management. Many wondered if it would be able to further the technological accomplishments of its predecessor, or merely lay idle. Well in response to a potential blockage that threatens the ability of UK residents to access this site, Newzbin2 has developed an app to combat this potential threat. Check it out here.
• Anonymous Defaces BART Websites, Leaks User Data in Free Speech Statement
  The use of mobile devices, coupled with Twitter and other social networks, have transformed from conventional civilian use into weapons of war and civil unrest. One has to wonder just how well the Libyan rebels would be faring currently if they didn't have access to mobile devices or the Internet. Would they be able to effectively communicate or coordinate attacks? What about the successful civil revolution in Egypt, where 30+ year leader Hosni Mubarak was forced from power?
• Zeropaid Should Return Soon, Lulzsec Twitter Page Causes Traffic Surge
  Zeropaid.com was taken offline indirectly by Lulzsec - and quite inadvertently. The folks over at Zeropaid recently wrote an interesting article about how some ISPs are not so inclined to adhere to censorship demands, thanks to increased pressure by Lulzsec and organizations like it. Lulzsec tweeted about this article, and the mass traffic surge knocked Zeropaid.com offline.
• LulzSec Targets Arizona Law Enforcement in Massive Data Leak
  There's always been some questions about the motivation behind Lulzsec. Are they the good guys? The baddies? Or something in between? Of course, the answer to this question depends on your perspective. If your perspective happens to be that of Republican Governor Jan Brewster of Arizona, where LulzSec just leaked a treasure trove of intelligence, well then LulzSec is enemy #1.
• Coming to America: UK Gaming BitTorrent Lawsuits Arrive on US Shores
  Thanks to Anonymous, social upheaval and incompetent web hosting, P2P litigation in the United Kingdom is on the defensive. The most notorious of litigators, ACS:Law and Davenport Lyons, operated for years in the UK, attempting to withdraw hundreds and even thousands of pounds from alleged file-sharers. This method, known as copyright trolling, eventually caught up to ACS:Law, whose operation was shuttered and stomped offline. But the beat goes on...
• LulzSec Denies Reports that Leader was Arrested
  There's some conflicting information circulating around the Interwebs - surprise surprise. Several major news providers are reporting this morning that a member of LulzSec has been arrested by Scotland Yard in the United Kingdom. Conversely, LulzSec is reporting that no such event occurred.
• Weekly BitTorrent Lawsuit Update – 543 Does Sued
  In our weekly focus on BitTorrent lawsuits, we once again bring you the latest wrapup of all the copyright actions filed against alleged copyright infringers. There are no earth shattering revelations from this past week, however, a significant number of John Does were sued - 543 in total. Let's break it down.