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RLSLOG: Pirate Release Blog Pioneer Throws in the Towel After 15 YearsAndy Maxwell, 21 Sep 06:47 PM Founded in 2006, RLSLOG.net was one of the pione

RLSLOG: Pirate Release Blog Pioneer Throws in the Towel After 15 Years Andy Maxwell, 21 Sep 06:47 PM Founded in 2006, RLSLOG.net was one of the pioneers of the 'release blog' format. When it first launched, visitors were able to read about the latest pirate releases, who had placed them online and, importantly, what the files were called. Unlike so-called 'pre databases' that displayed only raw information, new releases on RLSLOG were presented in an article format with comments on the quality, source (such as DVDSCR or the now largely defunct Telecine), runtime, IMDB rating and format (Xvid, for example). Music was also broadly covered along with apps, games and other pirated content. These articles also linked to Scene 'NFO' files but where the site broke relatively new ground was the addition of links where the files could be found on torrent sites including the long-dead Mininova. This information was welcomed by millions of pirates and in one stand-out moment, was even appreciated by a prominent filmmaker. In November 2007, Eric Wilkinson, the producer of the independent film 'The Man from Earth', wrote an email to RLSlog in which he thanked them for the free promotion the site gave him. "In the future, I will not complain about file sharing," he wrote, "When I make my next picture, I just may upload the movie on the net myself!" More than 10 years later, however, Wilkinson was describing pirates as an "existential threat" to all creators. That position was also held by the broader entertainment industries a decade earlier so, with growing numbers of visitors to RLSLOG, the site received plenty of attention from copyright holders. RLSLOG Reported to the USTR While a particularly unwelcome status, any site reported to the United States Trade Representative by copyright holders can consider itself well and truly on the map. In 2010, RLSLOG was reported to the USTR by the RIAA, labeled a 'notorious market' worthy of enforcement action. At the time, RLSLOG had grown into the world's most popular release news site, a position not lost on the music industry. "www.rlslog.net has thousands of pre-release or recently released music titles available on the site. For each title there are multiple one-click download links known as 'mirrors'," the RIAA told the USTR. "Due to the speed of which content and mirror links are added, this site enables users to download pre-release titles quickly but also request new links if older links have been removed." Copyright Pressures Mount During the same year as the RIAA filed its complaint with the USTR, RLSLOG was pulled offline by its German hosting company following a takedown request from Universal Music. A couple of months later it was down again, this time kicked out by its new Netherlands-based host. Even greater pressure lay ahead. Late 2012, RLSLOG received threats from the prominent law firm Wiggin LLC acting on behalf of the Hollywood studios. They claimed that around 94% of all content listed by RLSLOG was material to which they owned the copyrights. RLSLOG's owner contested that but nevertheless considered action in response, including the removal of third-party download links. In the following February, RLSLOG confirmed that all direct links to movies and TV shows would be removed. However, these were replaced with pre-filled Google searches, enabling the search engine to direct people to content instead. The Beginning of the End For many of the years that followed, RLSLOG continued to serve its userbase while mostly staying out of the headlines but with millions of users turning to legal services such as Netflix, the site's position in the overall market changed. The site still enjoys considerable traffic even today but this morning RLSLOG founder Martin revealed that the site had shut down for good. Martin informs TorrentFreak that the time was right to step away. "There is no big reason behind the announcement, we simply decided to focus on other projects and move on, to close this amazing chapter," he explains. "We have been and we will always remain the very first and also the most visited filesharing blog in the world with hundreds of thousands of loyal readers. For 15 years in a row we provided the fastest and most comprehensive information about the scene and non-scene releases." Martin also cites the changes in the supply of content as a factor, noting that today's emphasis on streaming played a part in his decision to shut RLSLOG down. "The filesharing environment has changed a lot in recent years with more and more users paying for content through Netflix, Amazon Prime and other services, or switching to online streaming, which also played a role in our decision. Anyway, beautiful memories and strong friendships will prevail after this amazing chapter and RLSLOG will always be a part of the filesharing history." According to a post on RLSLOG, the site is currently for sale. Whether any prospective buyer will attempt to pick up where RLSLOG left off is unknown but they will have big boots to fill and a long history that in today's environment will be all but impossible to replicate. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. Appeals Court Revives Canadian Reverse Class Action Against BitTorrent Pirates Ernesto Van der Sar, 21 Sep 11:45 AM Movie studio Voltage Pictures has gone after alleged movie pirates for many years now. The company and its subsidiaries have filed numerous lawsuits against alleged pirates in the United States, Australia, and Europe, which likely brought in substantial revenues. Last week, we reported that Voltage just launched a new legal campaign in the UK. At the same time, there is news coming from Canada as well, where Voltage hopes to hold alleged pirates responsible through a novel strategy. Reverse Class-action Against BitTorrent Pirates In Canada, Voltage is attempting to obtain the personal details of a large group of copyright infringers through a reverse class-action lawsuit, which is relatively rare. The movie company argued that this is a cheaper way to target large numbers of infringers at once. The lawsuit in question was initially filed in 2016 and has dragged on for years. The case revolves around a representative defendant, Robert Salna, who provides WiFi services to tenants. Through Salna, Voltage hoped to catch a larger group of infringers. As the case progressed it garnered the interest of the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC). The group, which is connected to the University of Ottawa, eventually intervened in the Federal Court proceeding to represent anonymous defendants. Case Dismissed This intervention helped to get the case dismissed in 2019. At the time, the Federal Court concluded that the case deals with multiple infringers which will all have different circumstances. Reverse class-action lawsuits are less suited to this scenario. "A class proceeding is not a preferable procedure for the just and efficient resolution of any common issues which may exist. The proposed proceeding would require multiple individual fact-findings for each class member on almost every issue," Judge Boswell wrote at the time. This was good news for the large group of anonymous defendants, who had yet to be named. However, Voltage was not planning to let the matter go. The movie company appealed, and not without success, as the Federal Court of Appeals has just reversed the lower court's judgment. Court of Appeals Revives Class-Action Justice Rennie set aside the 2019 Federal Court ruling and pointed out several reversible errors. For example, the argument that the reverse class-action is a novel approach should not be a reason to dismiss the matter. Voltage should get the chance to test its arguments in court. The Court further notes that the criteria to join two or more defendants in a class action has a low standard, and it sees no reason to prevent the case from moving forward on that ground. In the order, Justice Rennie writes that there is not enough evidence to determine whether a class action is the preferable procedure and whether Mr. Salna is a representative defendant, so this question was sent back to the lower court. The ruling further clarified that copyright holders can use the "notice-and-notice" regime to send litigation updates to accused subscribers. These notices will be forwarded by ISPs, a practice that was barred by the lower court. Minimizing Costs The ruling once again puts thousands of alleged movie pirates at risk. If Voltage wins the lawsuit it can go after a large group of defendants while minimizing its legal costs. Interestingly, Justice Rennie notes that the reverse class-action approach can be beneficial for accused pirates as well. They will be able to pool their resources to fight the matter. While the ruling is a clear victory for Voltage, the Federal Court has to review the matter once again, so it's far from clear that the movie company will eventually get the green light to go after thousands of alleged pirates. If Voltage fails, the company still has other options. As we have previously reported, more traditional copyright lawsuits have also been effective against hundreds of alleged pirates. They may be a bit more expensive but, as long as they're profitable, they will probably not go away. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. ©2021 TorrentFreak | Office 21338 PO Box 4336 Manchester, North West M61 0BW United Kingdom Web Version   Preferences   Forward   Unsubscribe     Powered by Mad Mimi®A GoDaddy® company