Why Suprnova went down

[jef195]

It looks like the MPAA is about to drop the hammer on Bittorrent and eDonkey by cutting users off at the pass.

According to an Associated Press report, the MPAA will begin filing suit against server operators - the folks that bring you Bittorrent "trackers" and eDonkey services.

This does not bode well for sites such as Suprnova, regardless of legality. Napster managed to essentially escape the wrath of the RIAA legally, but was crushed by the legal bills that accompanied their defense. There's nothing to indicate that this situation will be any different.

There's no real difference between the Napster case and any number of others here, as those technologies were also just providing "links" to the files. Still, you can expect sites like Suprnova to move operations to locations that won't prosecute them - or you can expect sites like Suprnova to disappear completely.
http://techfocus.org/comments.php?catid=6&shownews=4727

[bcn_246]

I know, try going on the IRC :eek:

[Crabbyappleton]

We have long known that the MPAA has an entirely different tolerance of file sharing than the RIAA. Like zero. This is a coordinated effort across several countries involving multiple legal entities and it is definately putting a dent in the BitTorrent system. The tracking servers are being looked at in the same light as so called "supernodes" that were targeted by the RIAA in Napster type P2P file sharing situations. I am afraid that the MPAA has come up with a strategy that will stop the illegal sharing of these copyrighted works. As far as moving the sites, I would suspect that this wont happen. There is no money to be made so why would anyone bother?

Having said that, even if you are not running a tracking site, anyone that is using BitTorrent to obtain illegal copyrighted materials that thinks that they can't be caught had best pulll there heads out of the sand too. The Register has done a study of BitTorrent and they revealed that they have a script that will harvest 95 percent of downloaders IP addresses in an automated fashion complete with file information.

I don't think that this system is going to go unnoticed by the MPAA. If they don't have such a script already.

[ckin2001]

goooo exeem.