Federal Government Shuts Down Movie Streaming Websites
Movie streaming sites beware
The ongoing fight against piracy by the entertainment industry has taken a new turn. The LA Times reported that the federal government has closed down a number of movie websites that has content available to download and stream. Piracy is a big problem on the net thanks to high speed broadband connections and search engines which make finding a movie simply a couple of mouse clicks away.
Last week the new Obama administration launched n initiative to stamp out piracy. This looks to be a first step with the feds shutting down nine websites responsible for streaming pirated movies to the world.
ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) chief John Morton trumpeted the bust as the beginning of a “long-term effort to turn the tables on these thieves.”
Federal authorities announced that they had seized domain names from nine websites engaged in the “criminal theft of American movies and television.” The websites include TVShack.net, PlanetMoviez.com, ThePirateCity.org and Ninjavideo.net. Combined, the sites drew 6.7 million visitors a month, authorities said.
Officials also seized assets from 15 bank, investment and advertising accounts and executed residential search warrants in North Carolina, New York, New Jersey and Washington, according to a statement from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which coordinated its investigation with the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies.
The crackdown, which involved 100 agents working in 11 states and the Netherlands, was part of a renewed campaign dubbed Operation in Our Sites by federal authorities to curb Internet counterfeiting and piracy. The announcement comes a week after the Obama administration unveiled a detailed plan on how to tackle global piracy, including targeting illegal websites.
The difference between this bust and previous ones is that the websites in question did not actually offer the movies for download, but instead streamed the movies and TV shows. Previously, movie crackdowns had concentrated on sites that distributed movie files.
So could this be the end of illegal movie and tv streams? Well, this is a drop in the ocean of sites that provide this kind of content, and with new ones appearing every day plus most of the streaming coming from China who are no assistance to the US authorities. Dont bet on a pirate free web anytime soon.
Latest TV searches:
megavideo, megavideo shut down, iphonemoviez net, videobb shut down, megavideo shutdown, megavideo closed, what happened to megavideo, what happened to videobb, putlocker shut down, megavideo downRelated News:
- Netflix Jump Into The Top 20 Streaming Websites List
- Worldtvpc Online TV Database Now Lists Over 2100 Free TV and Video Websites
- Watch movies and TV shows free. Search over 1,000 streaming websites at once
- Movie streaming becoming mainstream
- Virgin Media Launch Online Movie Streaming Service
most of these sites only provide links or embedded movies to/from video hosting sites (like megavideo) which means they were not hosting the videos, just being the middleman. providing links is not illegal. just like with the war on drugs, this will backfire. removing these sites will not remove the demand and there will always be someone to provide the product. btw piracy is not theft, it’s piracy. theft takes the original, piracy makes a copy
I’m British. I strongly disagree with this crackdown on streaming websites internationaly. If Barmy Obamma try’s the same in my country, we will remind him why his house in washington was painted white!!! That’s what happens when your colony rebels against the crown!!!
Very well said scouse! The federal government has nothing better to do than taking away people’s entertainment??
[...] But some analysts say illegal content is a major factor driving traffic to Internet TV and video sites and a taboo topic for the industry. Still, the analysts concede that Internet TV and video sites are gradually moving toward more original and licensed content, with some companies competing fiercely to buy popular Chinese and Korean television series. One thing is for certain, the federal government will not be shutting down any Chinese pirate streams anytime soon. [...]
then what??……..the minds kept distracted by free online streaming movies would get up off there buts and actually start thinking….grouping together becoming aware of there surroundings, then realizing what the governmental system is trying accomplish in there everyday lives as a mindless work slave ……..I smell rebellion ………..tisk tisk…GOV. i think your Slipping Up
Obama wants to know how to stop all of the excess spending and balance the budget? Yet- he uses ICE to shut down illegal movie streaming websites? REALLY? I am against theft- but I am also in FAVOR of going back to the US Constitution! Obama- you really screwed up on this one! Who are you listening to? Let’s get some real people in Washington and get rid of the professional politicians!
This is lunacy.The USA is being overan by millions upon millions of illegal people.I’m not picking on Mexico…There are about 50-75000 illegals here from Ireland.These people work in the northeast. Count in almost twice that number from Eastern Germany and the New Russia.
Now that the word is out that the US will only deport you if you commit a flagrant violation of the FEDERAL LAW…like shooting at a politician or flipping the bird at the Prez if he rides by we are being overan.,but somehow the fatcats in DC (sorta like DC comic books)can find an unexhaustable supply of cash to harras the working class.Those campaign envelopes from under the table are kicking in now.
Why do you dog these people like this? It is SICK off the scale of mentally sick to stab these out of work millions in the back…just so you can get a few million bucks in kickbacks from the LIBBYS in the tv industry. Remember who kicked us when we were down when it comes election time.
Taking away FREE entertainment / MOVIES / MUSIC, etc only promotes
ILLEGAL MONOPOLY OFFERINGS BY THE HUGE COMPANIES.
[anyone remember the lawsuit with MICROSOFT over their MONOPOLY of their OS around the globe years ago? AND the same thing can only happen when only the BIG COMPANIES EXIST... RIAA favores COMMERCIAL RADIO ONLY and they don't pay anything to play the music. ALL they do is to tell people where to find the music in some PAY TO OWN STORE. AND that is why the PRICES are SKYHIGH = Only the $rich$and$famous$ have the $$$ to buy the items.]
It will never end, they just want to do fines and get money, is not even illegal to share stuffs, if you can do it in real life without repercussions, sharing what you want, is not illegal in internet, some stupid countries make it that way, that is different.
I think this is a load of bullshit. There is no legit reason to take away entertainment from us.we have been judged and unjustly grouped with criminals. It is assumed that we use these websites for anything BUT innocently watching the movies and media available. This is no different than a bailout for everyone who demands money to stream. Note that many of these people do not have copyright permission to charge for the material. Leave it to this ignorant,stupid ass obama douchebag to fuck up the few things in this country that ARE going well.there was a time when the constitution meant something.the American flag is said to be the face of freedom,liberty,and power.it is really a symbol of abortion,idiocy,and corruption.never once have I been proud to be an american.
STILL NOT FORGETTIN !!!!
Who stabs the working class out of work millions in the back when we are down.Let us not forget a lesson in politics. Recently the worst human since Hitler was put out of our misery by the Navy SEAL team and a classified ARMY unit.Unfortuneately a secret piece of our military technology was made public(STEALTH helicopter). The powers in the WHITE HOUSE and some of the same lunatics that stabbed out of work working Americans in the back here have been in the media beating their chests and their gums like it was them personally that went to Pakistan and took the “MADMAN of the Deset Millionares Club Down”. I remember back when Geo.Bush Sr. was ridin high from a recent 4 day mini battle in the desert. A year later people were saying George Who??? at the election poles. You started stealing the middle class wealth from Jan.20,1981 until today. I don’t vote republican nor democrat because you are all prostitutes that have sold your souls a long time ago and abandoned the growing millions of victimized middle class Americans.Yea have been warned again,….
I still think its funny because for every site they shut down, 10 more pop up. this problem cannot be stopped by stealing peoples domain names, it cannt be stopped by using the US government as your enforcer (<– to the movie companies). When I buy something, I own it. I will share it how I please. Same as my car.
This stop sites that just have links to vids on other sights, next stop Hulu, Netflex, and Blockbuster… then maybe next stop all public broadcasting, then the evil evil cable networks, and you can’t forget those greedy radio stations lets shutdown those next…
Seriously if the US government can shutdown one multimedia, legal or not, who’s to say they can’t or won’t shutdown anything they don’t like… it is suppose to be up to the companies who own the media to sue the sites for illegal distribution and either make the sites pony up some airing rights or shutdown, its not the governments job to go over the heads of the private sector let alone go over another one of its branches heads basically the executive branch making the judicial branch obsolete which is definitely not suppose to happen.
Well Here in America.. I as an American hate that my President is doing this….But No need to attack him…Its the Dammed Congress and Senate that really call the shots with there dirty deals made with lobbyist for more campaign contributions towards there hunger at and in GREED POWER and CONTROL…WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE IN AMAERICA CALLED GREED…And the Rich Cable Companies along with the rich Hollywood types and all the contracts and envelopes handed here and there in dark places love to horrid it all…
We the People !!! ??? …Fucken place hasn’t been that in many,many,many years.But this shit along with all of the other issues like taxing, fucked up Mortgages,Financial Aid For Schooling,Wall Street Bail Outs,War on this and that just to Monopolize and control soon it will have to stop !!! It has begun to boil over and our bigger worry is IRAN and just how many of these ” WE THE PEOPLE TYPES ” that are pissed off at the fucking CONTROL,GREED and FORCE (By Its Government’s & BIG BUSSINESS) of the day to day peoples affairs while they all line there pockets as if once the Bomb hits you dumb asses will have a place to hide…LMAO You’ll get what you should have from the beginning…You sold your soul for a fucking BUCK BITCHES and the Innocent American People who pirated Copied !!! (NOT STOLE) movies,music and porn ??? because the shit got to expensive to purchase for there Kids,there Families or there own personal use. While you were slipped some hush money for another deal to pass a law to lock them up & make ‘em pay more….. Now from the POWER OF THE BOMB, BURN WITH YOUR MONEY IN YOUR GREED….
[...] Shack was shut down along with a number of other streaming websites, back in the summer of 2010. The move was part of a crackdown on online piracy, as finding an [...]
so I get that it is illegal and all that, It’s just a pain because I watch a number of tv shows that a teenager shouldn’t be watching, for example, avatar the last airbender and young justice…
The president is taking a real silly stand at a crucial time, why is it real criminals aren’t as important but somehow victimless video streaming needs ICE….this might single-handedly cause him the election, pity
This is absolutely disgusting.
It’s like censorship. I supported Obama, but if he keeps going with these laws INTERNATIONALLY and his opponent was against such laws, then I would probably support his opponent.
Technically anything broadcast on public satellites such as music and Tv shows/movies are free for the public, its the start of this ACTA shit already, what happened to America being a free country for men?
Fuck The Government!
All of these federal, international or whatever agencies need to be out there “in the field” cracking down on real criminals or is that to much like real work…LOSERS !!!
[...] to the industry though, with the main one described as the ‘emergence’ of online movie piracy and illegal downloads across the past few years. This development is said by Global Industry Analysts to be the result of [...]