Probably the most popular video streaming site around has been busted by UK authorities.
It’s a sad day for streaming video fans everywhere as news has been reported that TVLinks has been shut down and the owner, a 26yo man from Chelteham in the UK, was arrested.
Update: TVLinks alternatives
Update#2: TVLinks to Return ‘Soon?’
Though not hosting an actual content himself, and rather merely providing links to where particular titles can be found, he was nonetheless apparently charged for the “facilitation” of copyright infringement.
“Sites such as TV Links contribute to and profit from copyright infringement by identifying, posting, organizing, and indexing links to infringing content found on the internet that users can then view on demand by visiting these illegal sites,” said a spokesman for Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) today.
What makes the charges so odd is that he was again, only providing LINKS to pirated content, and never actually hosted anything. Can linking really be considered “facilitation?” If I link to TVLinks am I then a co-conspirator?
Here’s the TVLinks disclaimer:
TV Links is not responsible for any content linked to or referred to from these pages.
TV Links does not host any content on our Servers
All video links point to content hosted on third party webites. Users who upload to these websites agree not to upload illegal content when creating their user accounts. TV Links does not accept responsibility for content hosted on third party websites.
The notion of making linking a crime is ridiculous and completely out of line. How would anybody be able to discuss controversial sites or content if they first had to ensure the legality of the destination? Would we have to make it so that links were simply spelled out and not HTML capable(www.tvlinks.co.uk vs TVLinks)? Maybe this is the answer because I think then it could fall under the category of speech. Furthermore, it really shows that Google is getting away with bloody murder via sites like YouTube and Google Video.
FACT goes on to revisit the same old diatribe about how piracy is stealing food from form the tables of people who work in the film industry, but with guys like Brad Pitt reportedly getting $20million bucks to make trash like “Babel” who’s really robbing who? Couldn’t Pitt be paid a little less, say $15 million, and leave that other 5 for the “starving” film crew? I guess not
“The theft and distribution of films harms the livelihoods of those working in the UK film industry and in ancillary industries, as well as damaging the economy,” said FACT’s director general Kieron Sharp.
What’s even more surprising is that the move was part of an overall strategy to crack down on piracy, though all it does is target a middleman who tells you where to go. More importantly, will its demise really compel people to find content legally or to suddenly run down to their local cinema? I think not, and all it means, as is usually the case with piracy, is that people will just go elsewhere.
Either way R.I.P. TVLinks, it was nice while it lasted. Maybe once again we have a case where Sweden’s the only answer.
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Am I the only one who thinks that these copyright idiots are actually winning and therefore destroying the possibility of a new business model?
Um just out of curiosity. Why don’t the people that upload TV shows include the commercials? I know no one likes em but wouldn’t that prevent stuff like this from happening? If they get free advertising (and we all know thats what TV shows are on for not because TV is the be all end all of entertainment) wouldn’t they think twice about shutting places lie that down?
Just wondering why the TV companies haven’t used the internet to stream TV as it is. They really just too stupid to look at it as another form for advertising money?
You can use OVGuide to find many more online video sites which include watching videos from the networks that produce tham (assuming you live in a country that allows access).
OMGG just watched a movie yesterday with friends.. RIP Tvlinks 
I know I watched “eastern promises” …….this sucks indeed.
While I actually enjoyed Babel (a fairly powerful movie in my opinion) I completely agree that actors shouldn’t be paid nearly as much as they are. If anything though I’d expect the authorities to thank the maker of TVlinks because he gathered all of the locations onto one website.
I read the Article with dismay My Site NSR has one of the most comprehensive collections of free movie and entertainment sites available on the web.riptionrequired.blogspot.com/
http://nosubsc
[1] No Registration
[2] No Downloads
[3] No Fees
best regards
Norman Roberts.
Webmaster NSR
Free Movie Streams.
Ummmmnks kinda sucked tv-life was much nicer and i think it had much more li nks.
tv-li
http://www.tv-life.com
Google has links to all sorts of bad stuff I don’t see anyone arresting them.
There are a lot of sites that have just as much content as TV-links. But it’s so hard to find the good ones. So I created a list of the top 25 places besides tv-li nks to watch free streaming video online here;
http://blog.buttermouth.com/2006/10/top-25-sites-to-watch-free-movies-and.html
tvlinks was one of the best sources arround … you can now try http://www.66stage.com 66Stage is an updated collection of high quality streaming movies Tv Shows Documentaries Comedy Shows Anime Cartoons and more.
Next you will get arrested for linking to TV-li nks (or whoever) then whoever li nked to you gets arrested and so on and so on…
found a great replacement for tvlinks called http://www.boxsweeper.com
This is going to be a landmark case. FACT have picked on the smallest fish in the sea and may be using this case to push through a precedent. tv-links.co.uk probably do not have access to legal resources which youtube and Google have thererfore it may be a easy prosecution for FACT.
Please consider support these guys we have started a ChipIn to raise funds to assist in their legal defence. This case is about linking what can you li nk to and what can’t you. This issue should recieve proportional debate as it affects us all. tv-li nks.co.uk did not reach 182 in the Alexa charts on their own they had users and millions of them.
Perhaps we could all support them with more than just our blog posts.
Please consider supporting tv-links.co.uk’s case with more than just our blog posts:
http://humanopinion.org/support_for_tvlinks
Just to update the situation. The owner has been released with no charges pending further investigations.
http://humanopinion.org/support_for_tvlinks
I have made the following site so people can post news and comment on this subject all in one place and hopefully raise a good deal of support. Please check it out and tell people.nks.co.uk
http://www.save-tv-li
Anyone who has any ideas that would make this site more functional please get in touch.
Elton1
http://www.fnuz.com is a dedicated search engine for free streaming movies animes cartoons series
TV-link IS BACK!! its now call http://www.tv-li nks.cc
watch online tv channls and online movies Download movies
http://masti101.net
Watch And DOwnload All type Of Movie Collection http://www.fullhungama.com
There are a lot of sites that have just as much content as TV-links. But it’s so hard to find the good ones.
This one is good: http://www.ftaprofessionals.tv
I agree only few sites have good movies that are worth and also good content. http://movies-tube.net has good content a each day is updating. The movies have categorised really well. Soon teh site will be updated with a new script. Here yoou can find movies and tv series with very good quality and very hard to find in the web to watch online. Best of it they strive to keep the movies in only one part. Enjoy http://movies-tube.net
Great update on the site design for starters. Much better than the old one.
Anyway, back on topic. Just wanted to say thanks for all the people that added extra similar sites that i can check out.
I was a tech moderator on the forums for a month before TVLinks was shutdown. It’s a shame, because I worked so hard to earn it :\
Say what you want about TV links, but this is unfair. The guy posts links to some videos he found, and gets arrested? Without hosting any videos himself? I know this argument has been made before, but honestly, how is this any different than what Google does?
Almost 2 years have passed, now it seems that online video directories and video search portals are the big hit of the internet.
But TV Links still lives.