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EZTree Shuts Down

Posted by timothy on from the under-pressure dept.

John3 writes "Easytree.org, a popular Bittorrent tracking site also known as EZT, shut down today after their ISP received threatening letters from attorneys. Unlike sites like Lokitorrent that have been shut down in the past, torrents on EasyTree were usually unreleased live musical performances rather than commercial product. Is a site that shares old Stevie Nicks, Frank Sinatra, and Ian Hunter live shows really that much of a threat to the music industry?"

3 of 497 comments (clear)

  1. Threat is irrevelent. It's about control. by Lead+Butthead · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Threat is irrevelent. It's about control. It's unthinkable to the music distribution industry that something distributed is done outside of its reach.

    --
    ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
  2. Shutting down Bittorrent one site at a time by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Obviously the **AA is going to shut down Bittorrent one site at a time. These people folded from a mere SLL (Scary Lawyer Letter). They were easy, low-hanging fruit. Every shutdown site puts more of a load on the remaining sites. What they can't get in the courts, they're going to try otherwise -- legal, or not.

    It is a true shame that lawyers aren't automatically disbarred when they commit illegal acts. And it is an illegal act to threaten someone with an expensive lawsuit when they haven't broken the law.

    --
    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  3. Guilty by Crim-Prof · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I worked on a study determining what impact the TpB would have on an individual's ability to engage in copyright violations. In a small random sample, we had about 350 students. (Much more information then this, just citing some key points) When given the choice between a napster clone and a torrent website in a scenario comparing the two mediums. They preferred the torrent version (they liked being anonymous (as it was perceived). However, when given the requirement that they needed to register with a valid email address, phone number, and place of resident which would be verified less then 18% would use such a service.

    Where did we get the "registration model" it has been proposed as a method to reduce the copyright infringement by the RIAA and MPAA to protect their interests. Goes back to the tried and true question many of my intro students point out. "If you have nothing to hide or done nothing wrong, why does it matter if they go and search your house?"

    After several classes going over the importance of the 4th Amendment, I inevitably out of frustration come back to It Just Does for those that simply do not get the issue at hand.

    It has become a very sad state of affairs when we assume that everyone is guilty and sadly when it comes to anything P2P or torrent related you are assumed guilty.