Elite Torrents shut down

~~Hacking is a Felony~~ · 05-25-2005, 11:05 PM

U.S. shuts down network that leaked 'Star Wars'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcers said on Wednesday that they have shut down a computer network that distributed illegal copies of "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" before it appeared in movie theaters.

Federal agents executed 10 search warrants and seized the main server computer in a network that allowed people to download nearly 18,000 movies and software programs, including many current releases, the FBI and Homeland Security Department said.

The Elite Torrents network, found online at www.elitetorrents.org, relied on a technology called BitTorrent that allows users to quickly download digital movies and other large files by copying them from many computers at once.

The network signed up 133,000 members who collectively downloaded 2.1 million files, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Homeland Security Department.

Visitors to the Web site on Wednesday saw a notice that read, "This site has been permanently shut down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement."

The raid targeted administrators of the network and those who provided movies and other copyrighted material. Similar cases in the past have found that such "first providers" are typically entertainment-industry insiders, rather than outside hackers.

Agents executed search warrants in Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kansas, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. No arrests have been made, but the investigation continues, ICE spokeswoman Jamie Zuieback said.

Elite Torrents offered a "virtually unlimited" selection of material, ICE said. The latest Star Wars movie was available on the network more than six hours before it was first shown in theaters, and within 24 hours it was copied more than 10,000 times.

The Motion Picture Association, an industry group, helped with the investigation, ICE said. Movie studios are trying to avoid the fate of the music industry, which claims it has lost hundreds of millions of dollars worth of sales due to online file sharing.

Digital movies are about 50 times larger than music files, which makes them more cumbersome to download. New technologies like BitTorrent, however, and increased high-speed Internet use are closing the gap.

The MPAA has managed to shut down at least five BitTorrent networks through lawsuits and has also sued individuals who use them.

BitTorrent networks have caused headaches for software makers as well. Apple Computer Inc has sued three men for posting the latest version of its OS X operating system on a BitTorrent site six months before it was commercially released.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/crime_starwars_dc

DarkFalcon · 05-25-2005, 11:11 PM

Don't mess with the force.

Sam Arias · 05-25-2005, 11:40 PM

Just saw that story. It's sad for the filesharing community, but these sites have to realize they're flirting with disaster when they allow a high profile movie like Star Wars 3 to go out on their network.

DarkFalcon · 05-25-2005, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Arias

Just saw that story. It's sad for the filesharing community, but these sites have to realize they're flirting with disaster when they allow a high profile movie like Star Wars 3 to go out on their network.

I don't think they censor the material that goes on the network do they?

Sam Arias · 05-25-2005, 11:53 PM

They can configure the tracker to give them control.

Bit torrent is not like the old programs like kazaa where the people behind the sites have their hands tied over what is shared.

DarkFalcon · 05-26-2005, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Arias

They can configure the tracker to give them control.

Bit torrent is not like the old programs like kazaa where the people behind the sites have their hands tied over what is shared.

But with 18,000 movies and software programs don't you think that would be time consuming to try to go through every program? I just don't think it would be practical without a lot of resources.

**Sholiz** · 05-26-2005, 01:56 AM

... BitTorrent was a great program, I never did look at that site though. Shame

There is an elite group I know of that does something similar, $100 a year for access though

DarkFalcon · 05-26-2005, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sholiz

... BitTorrent was a great program, I never did look at that site though. Shame

There is an elite group I know of that does something similar, $100 a year for access though

Not worth it, you can get pretty much anything for free. For a $100 I could buy a lot of my favorite movies..lol.

**Sholiz** · 05-26-2005, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkFalcon

Not worth it, you can get pretty much anything for free. For a $100 I could buy a lot of my favorite movies..lol.

Not at 1gb per second download speeds :p

builtbeast · 05-26-2005, 04:07 AM

That movie was just asking for a government raid, way too much money and hollywood people involved.

But why is "Homeland Security" wasting resources on this?

Apootheosis · 05-26-2005, 04:10 AM

torrentspy's still up.

**** the government. This country's too ****ing democratic for its own good to begin with. Filesharing is a godsend.

Sam Arias · 05-26-2005, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkFalcon

But with 18,000 movies and software programs don't you think that would be time consuming to try to go through every program? I just don't think it would be practical without a lot of resources.

one site I had used last year had problems with people using their tracker to seed O/T files on other sites, so they reset the tracker so that all files had to be approved before being uploaded to the tracker. It was a busy site too. All it takes is the people to help out.

**The Chosen One** · 05-26-2005, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sholiz

Not at 1gb per second download speeds :p

No offense, but I don't think many people here are willing to spend 800 dollars a month on an uncapped T3 modem just for downloading movies at that speed. Not to mention the massive risk you are taking uncapping your modem.

**The Chosen One** · 05-26-2005, 10:13 PM

Anywho, I am confident that piratebay.org won't go down until after some new form of file sharing is devised.

AnabolicFreak · 05-30-2005, 10:45 PM

There are still plenty of other bittorrent search tools so I fail to see how this one bust is going to stop anything.

DarkFalcon · 05-30-2005, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnabolicFreak

There are still plenty of other bittorrent search tools so I fail to see how this one bust is going to stop anything.

I guess it's the same as when the shut down Napster. Hollow victory, actually shutting down Napster made piracy grow.

**Sholiz** · 05-30-2005, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LukeT

No offense, but I don't think many people here are willing to spend 800 dollars a month on an uncapped T3 modem just for downloading movies at that speed. Not to mention the massive risk you are taking uncapping your modem.

Ahh, you're wrong there. One of the great things about my ISP is that all servers directly connected to their loops are unlimited bandwith to the same ISP users AND unlimited download speeds. You can download as fast as the server can give the data.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LukeT

Anywho, I am confident that piratebay.org won't go down until after some new form of file sharing is devised.

Unless Sweedish law gets changed within the next 100 years

Testosterone · 05-30-2005, 11:18 PM

Are there any other sites like that? I usually use Ares or Kazaa etc. I didn't know there were websites like that.

05-25-2005, 11:05 PM	#1
~~Hacking is a Felony~~ I destroy property Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,105 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	Elite Torrents shut down U.S. shuts down network that leaked 'Star Wars' WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcers said on Wednesday that they have shut down a computer network that distributed illegal copies of "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" before it appeared in movie theaters. Federal agents executed 10 search warrants and seized the main server computer in a network that allowed people to download nearly 18,000 movies and software programs, including many current releases, the FBI and Homeland Security Department said. The Elite Torrents network, found online at www.elitetorrents.org, relied on a technology called BitTorrent that allows users to quickly download digital movies and other large files by copying them from many computers at once. The network signed up 133,000 members who collectively downloaded 2.1 million files, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Homeland Security Department. Visitors to the Web site on Wednesday saw a notice that read, "This site has been permanently shut down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement." The raid targeted administrators of the network and those who provided movies and other copyrighted material. Similar cases in the past have found that such "first providers" are typically entertainment-industry insiders, rather than outside hackers. Agents executed search warrants in Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kansas, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. No arrests have been made, but the investigation continues, ICE spokeswoman Jamie Zuieback said. Elite Torrents offered a "virtually unlimited" selection of material, ICE said. The latest Star Wars movie was available on the network more than six hours before it was first shown in theaters, and within 24 hours it was copied more than 10,000 times. The Motion Picture Association, an industry group, helped with the investigation, ICE said. Movie studios are trying to avoid the fate of the music industry, which claims it has lost hundreds of millions of dollars worth of sales due to online file sharing. Digital movies are about 50 times larger than music files, which makes them more cumbersome to download. New technologies like BitTorrent, however, and increased high-speed Internet use are closing the gap. The MPAA has managed to shut down at least five BitTorrent networks through lawsuits and has also sued individuals who use them. BitTorrent networks have caused headaches for software makers as well. Apple Computer Inc has sued three men for posting the latest version of its OS X operating system on a BitTorrent site six months before it was commercially released. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/crime_starwars_dc

05-26-2005, 01:56 AM	#7
Sholiz Soldier In Progress Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 3,431 Recipes: 3 Rep Power: 230	... BitTorrent was a great program, I never did look at that site though. Shame There is an elite group I know of that does something similar, $100 a year for access though __________________ You hear me before you see me, I got King Kong in the trunk

05-30-2005, 10:45 PM	#15
AnabolicFreak New Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 5 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	There are still plenty of other bittorrent search tools so I fail to see how this one bust is going to stop anything. __________________ 100% Anabolic 100% Freak

05-30-2005, 11:18 PM	#18
Testosterone Pro Stature Join Date: May 2005 Location: Probably eating oatmeal Posts: 235 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 6	Are there any other sites like that? I usually use Ares or Kazaa etc. I didn't know there were websites like that. __________________ Formerly S.C.

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05-25-2005, 11:11 PM	#2
DarkFalcon I've got a RAGING clue! Join Date: May 2005 Location: dnyc99's cleaning staff Posts: 11,511 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 299	Don't mess with the force.

05-25-2005, 11:40 PM	#3
Sam Arias Pro Stature Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 109 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 12	Just saw that story. It's sad for the filesharing community, but these sites have to realize they're flirting with disaster when they allow a high profile movie like Star Wars 3 to go out on their network.

05-25-2005, 11:53 PM	#5
Sam Arias Pro Stature Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 109 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 12	They can configure the tracker to give them control. Bit torrent is not like the old programs like kazaa where the people behind the sites have their hands tied over what is shared.

05-26-2005, 04:07 AM	#10
builtbeast Großer Moderator Join Date: May 2005 Location: In a very red state Posts: 1,430 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 94	That movie was just asking for a government raid, way too much money and hollywood people involved. But why is "Homeland Security" wasting resources on this?

05-26-2005, 04:10 AM	#11
Apootheosis Pro Stature Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 625 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 10	torrentspy's still up. ** the government. This country's too **ing democratic for its own good to begin with. Filesharing is a godsend.

05-26-2005, 10:13 PM	#14
The Chosen One Chief Web Master Join Date: May 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 905 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 668	Anywho, I am confident that piratebay.org won't go down until after some new form of file sharing is devised.