AfterDawn: News

LokiTorrent shut down by MPAA

BitTorrent trading site, LokiTorrent.com has been shut down by the Motion Picture Association of America. LokiTorrent was gathering a legal fee to battle an MPAA lawsuit and gathered about $40,000. The MPAA obtained a $1-million judgment against LokiTorrent. The owner of the site Edward Webber agreed to pay the MPAA a substantial fine, shut down the site and also agreed to hand over any logs of illegal user activity on the site.

"You can click but you can't hide" is the new title on the LokitTorrent.com homepage. Head of the MPAA's anti-piracy effort, John G. Malcolm was delighted with the result, especially that the MPAA were to obtain any logs of activity. "These records could lead investigators to tens of thousands of people who distributed and downloaded unauthorized copies of digital goods," he said. He claimed the site had more than 750,000 registered users and helped distribute more than 35,000 movies, songs and other items. The homepage of LokiTorrent goes on to spread more MPAA propaganda...

This website has been permanently shut down by court order because it facilitates the illegal downloading of copyrighted motion pictures. The illegal downloading of motion pictures robs thousands of honest, hard-working people of their livelihood, and stifles creativity. Illegally downloading movies from sites such as these without proper authorization violates the law, is theft, and is not anonymous. Stealing movies leaves a trail. The only way not to get caught is to stop.

The owner of the site has been under scrutiny since news circulated that the site was put up for sale. Webber later claimed this was just an experiment to find out just how much the site would be worth to somebody. However an experiment like this seems like the wrong kind of experiment to try when you are asking for donations in the first place.

If LokiTorrent was keeping any logs then I am very shocked that a BitTorrent site would. Whether they were or not the MPAA has attempted to scare BitTorrent users off future trading in their press release...

The MPAA's efforts to date have resulted in a 40 percent reduction in the number of servers that continue to operate. One such site that will no longer exist is LokiTorrent--one of the largest BitTorrent host servers. The operator of that site, Edward Webber, agreed to not only pay a substantial settlement with even greater financial penalties for any further such actions, but by Court Order must provide the MPAA with access to and copies of all logs and server data related to his illegal BitTorrent activities, which will provide a roadmap to others who have used LokiTorrent to engage in illegal activities.

Thanks to Mista_C for submitting this news to us first using the News Submission page.

Source:
LA Times

Written by: James Delahunty @ 10 Feb 2005 23:53

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• 35 comments

• Rosco404

  What can i say... Busted!! I wonder how much he made, if any?

  11.2.2005 00:19 #1

• lajr1980

  Folks need to stop fakin' like they don't dl illegal movies, software, music, etc.

  11.2.2005 00:42 #2

• tony_2501

  Pity to see it go, sure the guy made some bad chioces, but hopefully he learned and will shift the site to another country.

  11.2.2005 00:57 #3

• domie

  what ? are you blind ? read the article !!!!
  "The owner of the site Edward Webber agreed to pay the MPAA a substantial fine, shut down the site and also agreed to hand over any logs of illegal user activity on the site"
  he´s a piece of slime and not only that, he tried to sell the site while asking for donations (and had $ 40,000) he´s even lower than the MPAA and RIAA in my book if this is true !
  
  and you want him to open up again somewhere else ?

  11.2.2005 03:48 #4

• rdevanat

  Looks like the MPAA is winning.

  11.2.2005 04:07 #5

• Pop_Smith

  Quote:but by Court Order must provide the MPAA with access to and copies of all logs and server data related to his illegal BitTorrent activities, which will provide a roadmap to others who have used LokiTorrent to engage in illegal activities. If i read this right, that means that the 'major uploaders'(the people who uploaded high amounts of working, highly distrubuted torrents, could get sued by the MPAA/RIAA :(

  11.2.2005 04:12 #6

• lcarbutt

  http://www.torrentreactor.to
  
  This ones still up and you dont have to register.

  11.2.2005 05:06 #7

• desosav

  what will happen with people who have downloaded? i mean the owner of the site had promised that he will never give to MPAA logs and any information of the registered users! but according to the above article he did...

  11.2.2005 05:19 #8

• Kanakotka

  I doubt no one is stupid enough to keep the logs of people's IPs on their torrentsites XD
  Besides www.suprnova.tk is up and running, go ahead and use it.

  11.2.2005 06:26 #9

• swog

  So on one hand he's asking for donations to fight the fight on behalf of all Bittorrent supporters - a noble cause - which prompted me to respond. Whilst on the other, it appears he's working on a deal with the Authorities to save his ass.
  
  Everyones donations were given to fight, not to be used to pay off a personal fine.
  And how does he thank us ....... by turning us all in.

  11.2.2005 07:03 #10

• leestrada

  Do you think people who post mp3's on newsgroups will get the same treatment from the RIAA.
  
  I collect mp3's of oldies from the 50's and 60's, alot of stuff rare and out of print.
  I can't believe they are gonna bust people for trading material that can't even be purchased in stores due to being in a moritorium status, what about old movies...is there really a public domain anymore or will the RIAA and the MPAA suck the life out of all of us.

  11.2.2005 07:28 #11

• SGSeries2

  Money makes the world go 'round, or was that gravitational pull?

  11.2.2005 07:47 #12

• Mista_C

  Wow...I actually get recognition. Thank you so much Dela :)

  11.2.2005 08:09 #13

• MrGrimace

  Correct me if I am wrong but the MPAA is currently only looking into moive piracy right? So (at least for a little while) TV Piracy is unmonitored?

  11.2.2005 08:21 #14

• Ne007

  I wonder how the court can order someone to stop something that isn't illegal? Are they making up their own laws and rules? Are they serving the people or the almighty dollar?
  
  Someone should REALLY look into what court ordered this and question them on what authority they were acting.

  11.2.2005 08:51 #15

• captflint

  Ok, I've just gotta reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  I suppose everyone here has forgotten that the 2 giants, are actually UNION BASED, which brings this right back to US, I mean WE.
  In order to change things, VOTING MUST TAKE PLACE, to correct the proper changes, for instance: mpaa gets in the way of EVERY picture MADE, by making SURE that the film makers are practicing ACTUAL acting, film, and sound, THEY will not let CGI into film without THIER say so, AND how much.
  Every director has approached the mpaa to ASK permission to enter CGI, then they were given "THE RUNDOWN" of the 5 ?'s
  
  I for one, cant wait for those AGING F^(%r$ to DIE!!!!!!!!!
  

  Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.
  

  11.2.2005 09:02 #16

• Dela

  Quote: Wow...I actually get recognition. Thank you so much Dela :)Well you submitted it first before i noticed it online so you were basically my source :-)

  11.2.2005 09:22 #17

• Toiletman

  Sad.

  11.2.2005 11:24 #18

• billy3171

  I’m an IT graduate student studying security and I’ve followed the RIAA and MPAA struggle since Napster. I’m amazed. What are they thinking? Napster - P2P – BitTorrent; Is John Malcolm and his organization really stupid enough to think it will stop there? The jails and prisons are over flowing. The courts are backed up and under funded for the next decade. Is Steve Jobs the only one involved on that side with an IQ over 80?
  
  Oh, and by the way. I went legitimate last week. Signed up for Napster bought a few songs, felt really good about it; being I’m all grown up now and living within “RIAA’S rules”. Then I do a little reading about DMRs. I don’t think so. I’m so angry I can’t believe the feudal system that’s developed. So, I will purchase a streaming recorder tomorrow and not give it a second thought.
  
  Selfishness is the root of all evil.

  11.2.2005 13:35 #19

• marcuri

  napster is the worst of all of them. at least itunes you own the songs.
  
  as soon as you stop subscribing to napster.. guess what? no more songs...

  11.2.2005 14:31 #20

• nonoitall

  All I can say is this is absolutely disgusting. It's no longer a justice system; it's a legal system. It seems like they'll stop at nothing to keep everyone in the stone age and stop technology's growth.

  11.2.2005 17:00 #21

• Toiletman

  Mankind's evolution will ultimately lead to its own destruction.
  

  Everyone is entitled to their own true opinion. Either respect that or don't.
  
  

  12.2.2005 07:12 #22

• MSTFreak

  lets get to the major issue here... the MPAA has all our info logged in their servers. what the hell is gonna happen to us? knowing the relentlessness of the MPAA, they'll probably sue us all one by one. im kidding, but seriously, what are they gonna do? put a list of ip's on the wall and throw a darts?
  
  bastards make you feel like your livin' in a communist country! who knows when their coming to drag ya away :)
  
  personally, i'm shocked to find out lokitorrent actually handed over the logs of activity. what the hell were they thinking?

  12.2.2005 08:05 #23

• marcuri

  well lets hope that the logs they agreed to hand over where nothing but the ips of people who visited the site.
  
  i can only hope thats the case after the community poured out easily over $60,000 of its own money.

  12.2.2005 11:27 #24

• daemonzx6

  only the IPs!?
  let's hope that there were no logs to begin with, or that it was just logs of when users log on and off, only showing usernames and times.
  I honestly can't believe that Loki would give up after asking for so much money, and getting it.

  12.2.2005 15:37 #25

• Slelneckr

  Look, Loki busted his gut and bankbook creating one of the best torrent sites ever seen. Have some faith in the guy. He's probably doing and saying what he has to do to stay out of jail or avoid total financial ruin. He can't come out and say "yeah, I gave them logs full of useless crap" or he's screwed. His life as he knew it is over - which is a lot more than most of us would put on the line for the scene. Maybe we'll find out the whole story someday. Meanwhile, if you're not mad enough, check out this article: http://yahoo.pcworld.com/yahoo/article/0,aid,119041,00.asp
  Afterdawn and the other video sites are the next target. Really pisses me off! They've got the last buck they'll every see from me!

  12.2.2005 17:42 #26

• Pop_Smith

  I found out an interesting fact the other day. I was at school and normally I can't access this site as it is "illegal" according to the school (as it contains ways to LEGALLY backup your movies, games, etc.) but, I can now and have been able to access it for about 4 months now. Maybe the creators of the web filter the school uses smartened up and saw that this site is PERFECTLY LEGAL. :D.
  
  Pop Smith

  12.2.2005 18:16 #27

• penroid

  I've been told that in canada,holland and the uk,information cannot be used as evidence against a user under the data protection act.Anybody know if that's right.

  13.2.2005 07:46 #28

• Toiletman

  After this, many people will probably not donate when a torrent site asks for donations. "Who knows if they'll screw us over?!?!"
  Quote: I've been told that in canada,holland and the uk,information cannot be used as evidence against a user under the data protection act. What they really mean is, "Information cannot be used as evidence against a user under the data protection act., if you don't have enough green." =)
  

  Everyone is entitled to their own true opinion. Either respect that or don't.
  
  

  13.2.2005 07:54 #29

• bbcaw2

  Hey guys i found this interesting check it out!
  http://www.slyck.com/news.php?story=665

  13.2.2005 15:00 #30

• marcuri

  thanks for the link bbcaw2

  13.2.2005 15:45 #31

• Pop_Smith

  Hey guys, you may also want to check this one out, its about that "First Source" project the MPAA tried to scare people with a while ago.
  
  http://www.p2pforums.com/portal.php?article=10311
  
  It says a few interesting things.

  13.2.2005 16:07 #32

• glitchead

  Hi Everybody
  
  It looks like the MPAA will get the Raspberry Award for Pissing Into the Wind. I had a hunch this would blow over. I hope it's true.
  
  Can't be said enough times: America is Dead. Murdered by the United States. People, get those servers out of Dodge.

  13.2.2005 22:04 #33

• BazNZ

  I say never sign up and register to any of these sites. Don't give out e-mails or any personal info. I never do. If you have to... falsify any info.

  14.2.2005 06:10 #34

• daemonzx6

  Lets hope that article was correct and that the only logs are of torrent downloading and that the other logs were purged every day. Good thing I haven't downloaded anything from Loki recently.

  14.2.2005 09:59 #35