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Mininova Starts Filtering Torrents

Dreen writes with this snippet from TorrentFreak: "Just a few days before their court appearance, Mininova, the largest BitTorrent site on the Internet, has started to filter content. The site is using a third-party content recognition system that will detect and remove torrent files that link to copyright-infringing files."

11 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. Re:It makes them useless by patro · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well, I downloaded the latest Lost torrent from it yesterday without any problem (sorry, I can't wait until they decide to air it here in Europe), so the filter is apparently not very good.

  2. Re:Alternative? by Archon-X · · Score: 4, Informative

    Depends which category you fall into.

    Personally, I use NNTP.
    There are a few ways you can go here.
    I use www.bitnabber.com - for the monthly fee, I get the NNTP service, but also access to the download library - verified Music/Movie/TV/Games/Anime downloads, with full info (source, quality, reviews,etc) - makes browsing for a movie to download a breeze. Also supports streaming on downloading (try doing that on a torrent..)

    The other way is to get yourself a cheaper NNTP account: usenetserver.com / giganews.com are the best.
    From there, you can trawl NZB sites to get the NZBs for what you want to download.
    There are some good ones out there, the best being newzbin.com - but it's invite only, hence why I went w/ the top option.

  3. Re:Why Bother by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 4, Informative

    I think the Windows 7 Release Candidate was the only one

    I'm too lazy to double-check, but I would be mightily surprised if MS had consented to unregulated 3rd party distribution of any version of windows. Just because MS lets people freely download it from their own servers, and possibly those of a handful of designated 3rd parties, doesn't mean they've given permission for just anyone to distribute it.

    --
    When information is power, privacy is freedom.
  4. Re:It makes them useless by lilo_booter · · Score: 4, Informative

    FTA: Mininova co-founder Niek told TorrentFreak that the system will be tested for 12 weeks with only a few titles.

  5. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Informative

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  6. Re:Big Yawn by CRCulver · · Score: 5, Informative

    Let's face it, a torrent site without any "illegal" (under dutch law, downloading music & movies is LEGAL!) content is about as useful as a 3-legged, dead dog. With a nasty case of fleas.

    Downloading is in fact legal in many jurisdictions. But the problematic thing with Bittorrent is that it makes you an uploader as well, and that decidedly isn't legal in many jurisdictions.

  7. It's kinda funny... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.mininova.org/tor/2569928

    This is one of their "featured torrents". It's called "How to bypass mininovas copyright filter". I'm mildly amuzed.

  8. Re:Big Yawn by bami · · Score: 5, Informative
    citation

    I know it's a wiki, but it's a carbon copy of the real lawbook, it's just the only page I could find that allows me to directly link to the article.

    Let me translate something for you:

    "Als inbreuk op het auteursrecht op een werk van letterkunde, wetenschap of kunst wordt niet beschouwd de verveelvoudiging welke beperkt blijft tot enkele exemplaren en welke uitsluitend dient tot eigen oefening, studie of gebruik van de natuurlijke persoon die zonder direct of indirect commercieel oogmerk de verveelvoudiging vervaardigt of tot het verveelvoudigen uitsluitend ten behoeve van zichzelf opdracht geeft."

    Which you can translate loosly to:

    "It is not considered copyright infringement if a copy is made solely for the purpose of own practice or study without direct or indirect commerical gain, and when the copy is only meant for himself".

    If you want to read it yourself, here is a shoddy google translation: here

    In short, under Dutch law, it's legal to make copy's of copyrighted works (be it a movie, music or a piece of text), only if it's for yourself and does not give you a commercial gain. This rule was originally built to support people making back-up copies for them selves, but applies to the internet too. What you CAN'T do is upload copyrighted files (uploading = distribution), and this whole legal blurb doesn't apply to applications (uploading or downloading of software is both illegal).

    Your turn.

  9. Re:Why Bother by Animaether · · Score: 4, Informative

    Correct - usually these sites are targeted under a "facilitating [whatever]" type thing;

    "Hij benadrukt daarbij dat er, volgens hem, niets grijs is aan illegale torrentsites en trackers. 'Zij faciliteren de inbreuk en de torrents zijn ook een onmisbaar bestanddeel van de inbreuk. Dat is onrechtmatig, en een strafbaar feit,'" - citing Tim Kuik, BREIN (kinda like the riaa and mpaa and whatnot rolled into one).

    To translate..
    "He stresses that, according to him, torrentsites and trackers do not operate in a gray area. 'They facilitate the infringements and the torrents are a necessary part of the infringement. That is unlawful and a criminal act,'"

    So regardless of whether mininova hosts the data, or even hosts the torrent files, if BREIN so wishes, they can sue under Dutch law.. and they are suing (court case upcoming). Whether the judge will agree with BREIN is another matter - but realistically, he would, and the arguments would be more about what damages are to be awarded.

  10. Re:Coming up next by ThePhilips · · Score: 4, Informative

    You have to remember that Mininova was always something secondary/tertiary - before first SuperNova and then TorrentSpy both went under.

    It had became "largest" solely because RIAA/MPAA have eliminated already everybody larger than MN.

    TokyoTosho probably remains now sole source of anime torrents.

    --
    All hope abandon ye who enter here.
  11. Re:Coming up next by tagno25 · · Score: 5, Informative

    TokyoTosho probably remains now sole source of anime torrents.

    I use nyaatorrents and boxtorrents to get most of my anime.

    If you want a anime release search try baka-updates.com