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ISPs ordered to block Popcorn Time sites

Written by James Delahunty @ 02 May 2015 7:55 User comments (3)

ISPs ordered to block Popcorn Time sites

A court has ordered Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to websites associated with the Popcorn Time software.
Popcorn Time (and its numerous forks) is a sort of dark rival to Netflix and other legitimate, licensed content streaming services. Essentially, Popcorn Time puts a simple interface over a BitTorrent backend. Once a user picks a movie to watch (and what resolution) it will torrent the content in the background and play it as it downloads.

Now, a UK court has decided that ISPs in the union must block access to five websites associated with Popcorn Time, including popcorntime.io, flixtor.me, popcorn-time.se, and isoplex.isohunt.to.

This order applies to Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin, BT and EE, who have previously been forced to block access to a large number of BitTorrent websites. The interesting difference in this case is those sites don't offer torrents or links to any pirated content, but instead offer downloads of Popcorn Time clients.

"It is manifest that the Popcorn Time application is used in order to watch pirated content on the internet and indeed it is also manifest that that is its purpose. No-one really uses Popcorn Time in order to watch lawfully available content," Judge Birss wrote.



"The point of Popcorn Time is to infringe copyright. The Popcorn Time application has no legitimate purpose."

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3 user comments

14.5.2015 03:09

as long (esp europe) as there is no real alternative these sort of sites wil rise again isp block ore not. Hollywood is making the same mistake as the record label does .esp in europetv series run a year behind the eu netflix has half the content and old as what the us has.

My idea get ride of the borders get more resent content on netflix ore other movie provider .get the series when the have aired in the us week later on netflix hulu ore others.i even wanna pay a little more for this service .

as long as hollywood stays like this i will watch werever i can get it from

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 04 May 2015 @ 3:11

24.5.2015 21:57

i doubt that the above new account is from england, or any english speaking country... the only thing that the main action will do is push more people to less secure sites with the intention of opening them up to more security breaches...

the broken english shown would need to be a five year old to not know how to spell OR (taught in first grade spelling)

as for blocking torrent sites, they already have work arounds, so if blocked, the popcorn will be popping in less than 24 hours afterwards

322.5.2015 17:52

I am not sure if this works for us here in the Republic of Ireland, are the isps blocked?

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