back to article Copyright crimefighters FACT change tack after Hollywood calls The Terminator

British IP crimefighter FACT has "pivoted" after the Motion Picture Association cut half of the UK body's funding. The Federation Against Copyright Theft has been fighting TV and movie piracy on behalf of big audiovisual operations like Hollywood Studios and Sky, work that includes bringing private prosecutions. But earlier …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Is this why...

    Various torrent sites are slipping through the net on the UK torrent site ban?

    Ive been seeing a lot get through the net on client monitoring devices recently. Without the use of third party proxy sites.

    Or is the UK simply losing their unwinnable war?

    1. Jon Jones 73

      Re: Is this why...

      It not about winning the war. It's about FACT (a private registered, for profit company) paying the bills. And they are going to struggle now. The MPA provided 50% of their funding. It's now gone.

  2. Ralph B

    How Hollywood can police this more effectively from Brussels is a mystery.

    It's almost as if they don't believe Brexit will ever happen.

    1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Re: How Hollywood can police this more effectively from Brussels is a mystery.

      Looks like somebody didn't get the memo. It happens.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: How Hollywood can police this more effectively from Brussels is a mystery.

      Alternatively, they don't see any point in funding an organisation that will shortly be outside of the brussels office's jurisdiction.

  3. OliP

    not sure why but i can access the piratebay again from my virgin media connection

    presumed this is due to another new domain, and no new court order.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Blocked on VM here

      London SE25, can't access thepiratebay.org but proxybay.one is working just fine.

      Back to the story, I wasn't aware any movie or TV enforcement was even going on. Maybe they're inching ever closer to realising that the olde business model really is bollocksed for good?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    pirate service is much better than paid

    Until that changes, then I, and many others, will still use it.

    I have Netflix, and I love it. I watch all sorts of TV series, but it has huge gaps. I buy loads of DVD's and Blu-Rays with TV series and Films, but they can take months to become available to see things broadcast in another country "free to air", if they are ever released in the UK.

    Until the release dates and availability on the paid services match what can be found elsewhere for free, people will continue to use these as well, or in favour. I signed up for Netflix because I could watch a couple of their series much quicker and easier than through 'pirate' sites but most things are the other way around. Also I don't have to muck about with signing up to 5 different competing services that all host 1 or 2 shows I actually want to watch, and refuse to allow them on the others.

    The companies have dug their own graves by trying to be exclusive and grab subscribers from each other, the reality is that the customer wants a bit of what they all provide, in one nice convenient package.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: pirate service is much better than paid

      I agree..

      Until these streaming services have a better range of content and offer downloads (and I mean unrestricted ones, but digitally watermarked is fine) people will still torrent.

      right now, torrent sites STILL offer a better service than netflix, amazon prime or the many UV retailers...

      I spend a lot on blu-rays each year, but I also rip every one because I can't stream if I am travelling

  5. M7S

    Doing it from Brussels

    I don't know if this is the reason, or even valid, but if they have the option of exercising a European Arrest Warrant, which I think the PM is keen to retain regardless, the idea of languishing in a foreign cell whilst awaiting trial might make people keener to pay, regardless of any "justice"

  6. Suburban Inmate
    Unhappy

    TheBox.bz

    Way back in the day, it usually thrashed the kecks off iPlayer and co. in every way: Lead time, dl speed, file quality, choice of formats, no adverts, no DRM and arbitrary expiration. Most modern streaming services can't hold a candle to how good that place was the best part of a decade ago.

    1. Vince Lewis 1

      Re: TheBox.bz

      I missed that place. Not only that you could get shows that never saw the laser light of DVD or Streaming or long since vanished from of torrent sites.

      I had such high hopes when the Beeb said they'ed digitised their entire library. It was suppose to allow people access to all kind of shows. But instead its a piss poor money making machine that is releasing already available material at inflated prices.

  7. GrumpyOldBloke

    > How Hollywood can police this more effectively from Brussels is a mystery.

    No mystery. Hang around politicians and public servants, tell them tales of woe with $B's of economic hurt, rub hands in glee, get draconian laws passed, get tax payer funded law enforcement to do your work for you. Less cost and less risk of reputation damage than suing old ladies.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Brussels sprouts a new agency

    Hey Rocky! Watch me trek een konijn uit mijn hoed!

    Hé Rocky! Regardez-moi tirer un lapin de mon chapeau!

  9. Vince Lewis 1

    Games should be covered by FAST?

    Or has no-one cleared up the nonsense spread by Nintendo and VALVe

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