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The Pirate Bay Takes Over Anti-Piracy Domain

Posted by kdawson on from the heads-will-roll dept.

palpatin writes to let us know that The Pirate Bay has now taken up residence at IFPI.com, a domain once owned by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. The Pirate Bay says the site will now promote the International Federation of Pirates Interests. IFPI can still be reached at ifpi.org. Torrentfreak has up a brief interview with Brokep, one of the administrators of The Pirate Bay, who says: "It's not a hack, someone just gave us the domain name. We have no idea how they got it, but it's ours and we're keeping it."

25 of 212 comments (clear)

  1. Let me be the first to say by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr!

    1. Re:Let me be the first to say by clickclickdrone · · Score: 5, Funny

      Is this the first time a first post/anonymous coward combo has got anything other than an offtopic? Well done Sir!

      --
      I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
  2. Legality? by CRCulver · · Score: 5, Interesting

    While I admire The Pirate Bay for taking advantage of Swedish law to freely host torrents, I wonder about the legality of this. How has Swedish law generally treated trademarks and domain names?

    1. Re:Legality? by v1 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Makes one wonder what the legal mechanisms are for domain names and other international property like this if they are "unrightfully transferred"? I recall that the owner of sex.com was so worried about his domain that he had it on file at his registrar that they were not to transfer it without written request from the owner. Someone spoofed a letter and got it transferred anyway. He wasn't without the domain for very long, but just goes to show you that things like this are hard to make bulletproof.

      If by chance, someone managed to get say, riaa.com, transferred to another registrar that was like the hosting we read about recently in Russia, where they don't care as long as they get paid, just how hard is it to get your domain back? I seem to recall "unlock codes" being required and there not being any by-legal-force way to get this. (remembering the recent fiasco of godaddy.com not providing unlock codes) I could picture such a transfer being irreversable if the thief was stubborn and knowledgeable enough. Or is there an angle?

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    2. Re:Legality? by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Informative

      If I got it right, they founded the "International Federation of Pirate Interests" or something like that, which has (a happy coincidence, no doubt) the letters IFPI as its acronym.

      You can have a trademark all you want, if someone has at least the same "reason" to have a domain, you have no case. Ferrero lost a case for the domain "kinder.at" (with "kinder" being their trade mark, before German legislation made trademarking common words illegal ("kinder" means "children" in German)) against (IIRC) some youth organisation. The court's decision was explained with the fact that there is no danger that the domain holder (the youth organisation) could be mistaken for Ferrero (a company making chocolate products).

      Now, if the IFPI wants to claim that they could be mistaken for a bunch of 'pirates', this could be different...

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re:Legality? by MoonFog · · Score: 5, Informative

      Interestingly enough, this comes as a porn site was forced to give up acdc.com and give it back to the band. Here's an article

    4. Re:Legality? by monkeyboythom · · Score: 5, Funny

      If by chance, someone managed to get say, riaa.com,

      You mean, if The Pirate Bay got a hold of it?
      well, sir, they would of course have it default to the Arrrrrrr-iaa.com site.

    5. Re:Legality? by somersault · · Score: 5, Funny

      Damnit, where am I meant to find my Asian Cutie Drunk Chicks now?

      --
      which is totally what she said
    6. Re:Legality? by Crayon+Kid · · Score: 5, Informative

      He wasn't without the domain for very long, but just goes to show you that things like this are hard to make bulletproof.


      "Not long"? It took Kremen 5 years to get the domain back and 10 to finally see Cohen in a US prison (for other reasons, granted) where he could no longer escape his dues.
      --
      i ate crayons when i was a kid and now i have two braincells and the blue ones taste nicer
  3. So Pirates have their Interests Protected... by snipingkills · · Score: 5, Funny

    What about those of us who are ninjas? Where is our coalition for the protection of our interests?

    1. Re:So Pirates have their Interests Protected... by tygerstripes · · Score: 4, Funny
      There are actually over 250 ninja-coalition domain names on the Interweb.

      You just can't see them.

      --
      Meta will eat itself
    2. Re:So Pirates have their Interests Protected... by daeg · · Score: 5, Funny

      Only because Pirates get better recognition. I live in Tampa, which happens to have a pirate celebration every year. I get to dress up as a pirate and I'm not seen as 'weird', I'm seen as 'cool'. Try that with a Ninja costume and you'll get maced, beaten, and jailed after a cop plants drugs on you (also called 'Saturday Night' if you're from Detroit).

  4. dotcom by Klaidas · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Sure, but the .org one is still active.
    .com must have expired and was registered by someone - maybe it wasn't really that popular? (Um, popular as in "under heavy use"/"meaning something to someone")
    Hey, this IS funny - but not really such a big deal if examined closely.

  5. Let's face the facts... by DanielJosphXhan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ninjas don't need to have their interests protected. They protect their own interests with a combo of martial arts and awesome.
     
    Pirates are weak sauce with their "associations". Ninjas don't have associations. Ninjas have bloodbaths.

    --
    [ think ]
  6. Sweet RIAA Defense by Cryophallion · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's not a hack, someone just gave us the domain name. We have no idea how they got it, but it's ours and we're keeping it.

    Can I use that to explain the music on my computer?

    "Umm yeah, some guy gave me a cd of this music. I have no idea how he got it, but it's mine and I'm keeping it."

    Someone call Ray Beckerman - I think we have the new defense all worked out for him! I don't care if it was his to give or not - still my music as they gave it to me!

  7. Pity they announced it by hcdejong · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The Pirate Bay could have been rather more subtle about it:
    1. copy the content of IFPI.org
    2. change the content, subtly at first
    3. publish ever more outrageous claims
    4. wait for people to realize the site isn't owned by the IFPI.

    1. Re:Pity they announced it by MoonFog · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Right, because then they wouldn't have breached about a thousand copyright laws in the process and REALLY put themselves in the legal spotlight?

    2. Re:Pity they announced it by Andy_R · · Score: 4, Informative

      A nice idea, but that would be a violation of copyright, and (let's be very clear about this) The Pirate Bay does not violate copyright laws.

      --
      A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
  8. GO, PIRATES GO! by eiapoce · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The IFPI. I hate them. They tend to play in europe the same role as the RIAA in USA. With the difference that in Europe States have actual laws that private firms are bound to respect: trivial things like privacy and the concept that the State actually runs the law instead of mediadefender.

    So far their intimidating letters and scary tactics have fired back all the way. (I have seen one they sent to the guy at the Network managment of my uni a few years ago). I can just hail to the new domain!

  9. Nononono by themusicgod1 · · Score: 4, Informative

    (IANAL)
    "I'd let them buy it from me at normal cost"
    That course of action would lead you to be a criminal, or at the very least instantly lose your legitimate title to the domain. Do *not* under any circumstances offer a price. That's how microsoft got Mike Rowe, and how other large corporations worldwide have gotten many other domains. As soon as you name a price you are a domain hijacker. This isn't just an american law; it has happened pretty much worldwide with the same consistent results, afaik.

    --
    GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
  10. huh? it looks like it's still for sale by metroplex · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you actually go visit ipfi.com , it says it's still for sale: The domain name www.ipfi.com is for sale Prices in the region of US$4675

    --
    "Words of wisdom: drop that zero and get with the hero" -- Vanilla Ice
    1. Re:huh? it looks like it's still for sale by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      maybe you should visit www.lysdexic.com as well...

  11. Re:Ill gotten gain? by will_die · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well in the US if the owners of the cigarettes did that they are considered a gift, provided you had not requested them or they are mis-delivered, and you are free to keep them.

  12. Where's the theft? by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A domain was registered. This domain was transfered to TPB. Where is the theft?

    Who said that IFPI.com was ever owned by the IFPI?
    Who said that they still own it, provided they ever did?

    You have to register domains to have them. Having "your" domain isn't some sort of human right or part of your intrinsic rights when filing for corporation. Just because those four letters are some sort of acronym for your company/organisation/whatever doesn't mean you have all rights to those four letters and nobody else may ever create anything that could use that acronym and (god forbid) even register a domain name that consists of those four letters. There are actually only 26^4 ways to create four letter acronyms, and some (like ANAL or FUCK) ain't really useful. At least to most businesses.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  13. It looks like it expired, not stolen by AndroidCat · · Score: 5, Informative
    According to the whois:

    Creation date: 28 Jan 2007 19:02:24
    Expiration date: 28 Jan 2008 19:02:24
    This looks more like the phonographers let the domain expire at the beginning of the year and someone else registered it on January 28th. This happens all the time, especially by spammers and registrars that turn it into a "search page" for a while.
    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.