Once the world’s most popular BitTorrent tracker site, it’s now gone for good.
I can’t say that it wasn’t a big surprise to find out today that TorrentSpy had decided to close its doors permanently, for once it began “blocking” US visitors the handwriting was virtually written on the wall.
Once one of the world’s most popular BitTorrent tracker sites, it’s now relegated to the dustbin of history like EliteTorrents and other now defunct sites.
To quickly recap, it was back in 2006 that the MPAA accused TorrentSpy in a lawsuit of encouraging movie piracy. A federal judge then ordered the company last June to begin creating server data logs for the MPAA to track visitors to the site. It was the first time a judge had ever ordered a defendant to log visitor activity and then hand over the information to the plaintiff.
Rather than comply, TorrentSpy decided instead to simply cut off access to US visitors.
Undeterred, the MPAA asked the federal judge in the case to hold TorrentSpy in contempt for not observing its order to hand over its server log data.
Thus, last December the judge entered a default judgment against the BitTorrent tracker site after finding that it ‘engaged in widespread and systematic efforts to destroy evidence.’
In its decision, the court ruled that “although termination of a case is a harsh sanction appropriate only in extraordinary circumstance, the circumstances of this case are sufficiently extraordinary to merit such a sanction.” The court found that the evidence was “not deleted or modified negligently, but intentionally in direct response to the institution of this lawsuit.” Observing that defendants “already had been subjected to lesser sanctions in this case”, including a fine for $30,000 for violation of a court order, the court concluded that the “harsh sanction” of terminating the defendants’ case was the only appropriate remedy.
After it began blocking US visitors it really was only a matter of time before it would have to shut its doors, and today’s development sort of proves that.
What’s sad though is that it’s a FOREIGN OWNED and OPERATED site yet it was dragged through US courts even though it began blocking visitors from this country. It’s really sad to acknowledge that we allowed our country to enforce laws on people who don’t even live here.
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A moot point. (1) Other sites are out there and (2) even the major studios are coming to realize that giving old movies and TV shows away for free (Hulu.com) makes financial sense in the long term.
Oh well no big loss! I haven’t used TS since they started the US block anyway. wasn’t worth the slowness of going through a proxy just to find something I could get elsewhere.
‘Tis a pity but they gave it their best shot and they didn’t take accusations sitting down.
Good job guys thanks for sticking up for your users at your own expense I’m sure I speak for anyone on that list when I say it’s greatly appreciated.
Oh and yes…Thanks TS for the links to the files that I did aqquire way back when! It was fun