TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Little-Used Corner of Net Becomes Piracy Battlefield

Little-Used Corner of Net Becomes Piracy Battlefield

Monty Solomon (monty@roscom.com)
Sun, 12 Mar 2006 11:38:16 -0500

Movie industry sues companies that aid downloads on Usenet

By Hiawatha Bray, Globe Staff

An obscure data network technology called the Usenet has become the
newest battleground between the entertainment industry and digital
music and movie pirates.

Late last month, the Motion Picture Association of America filed its
first-ever lawsuits against Internet companies that help people
download illegally copied films over the Usenet. The association says
that the companies, NZB-Zone, BinNews, and DVDRS, provide a
Google-like search service for Usenet, one that lets its users find
thousands of pirated films, including recent hits such as 'King Kong',
'The Chronicles of Narnia', and 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin.'

The three companies did not respond to e-mail messages requesting
comment. Their websites do not list physical addresses or phone
numbers, and one of them, DVDRS, has apparently been shut down. Even
the lawsuits filed against the companies identify them as John Does,
and do not include contact information.

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/03/09/little_used_corner_of_net_becomes_piracy_battlefield/

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