How The RIAA/MPAA Helped Catapult The Pirate Bay Into Being One Of The World's Most Popular Sites

from the nice-work,-guys dept

Tue, May 20th 2008 2:48am — Mike Masnick

It's been almost exactly two years since the entertainment industry had the US government push Swedish officials into shutting down The Pirate Bay. At the time, entertainment officials went on and on about what a "significant blow" the takedown was against all those folks using the site for unauthorized copies of entertainment content. Of course, as we all know, the site was back up within days -- and thanks to all the media attention about the raid and the takedown, the site's traffic shot upwards to the point that it's now considered to be one of the top 100 sites in terms of traffic. Quite a "significant blow," huh?

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Filed Under: bittorrent, file sharing, significant blow
Companies: mpaa, pirate bay, riaa

22 Comments

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Crosbie Fitch (profile), 20 May 2008 @ 3:19am

Grand Moff Tarkin: Princess Leia. Before your execution, I would like you to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the emperor now.

Princess: The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.

Just change the names to RIAA/MPAA and PirateBay and the way the story plays out makes it clear why their corporate qua imperial mindset forced them into contriving their own doom.
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Nate, 20 May 2008 @ 3:28am

Like kids...
It is kinda like when parents make too big a deal of keeping their kids out of the liquor cabinent. The minute you leave those kids alone, the curiousity is going to get the best of them... http://www.custompcmax.com
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some old guy, 20 May 2008 @ 3:42am

I'l attest to that!
Before the **AA decided to make TPB so popular, I never visited it. Nowadays, I check there first for just about all my download needs.

Why? ...cause the quality is better. Pirated good are inherently BETTER than retail goods. No DRM, no Spyware, No excessive cd spinning (that rapidly destroys drives..)

I actually have money, and don't mind spending it on things, but I will NOT pay to have my computer be victimized, nor will I fund the initiative to strip me of my rights.

It's a matter of principle.
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Chunky Vomit, 20 May 2008 @ 4:00am

Maybe the kind of "blow" they are talking about is of the "job" kind?

That is the sort of thing that shoots up my traffic. Maybe the same is true for the Pirate Bay? Judging by the goofy smile on their faces, I think so.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2008 @ 6:49am

Re: I'l attest to that!
I go there second, when I can't find a legal source for the content I want. Unfortunately (and maybe it's just user error), I haven't been able to find anything I want there, either.
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Anon, 20 May 2008 @ 6:50am

RIAA smells of updawg.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2008 @ 7:00am

arggggggggggggggggggggg matey
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Nosferatu, 20 May 2008 @ 7:42am

Re:
Haha...I heart SW analogies....
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BidMogul.com, 20 May 2008 @ 8:01am

"Buy and sell like a MOGUL!" TM
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I CAN HAS VICTORY?!, 20 May 2008 @ 8:30am

lulsauces
Software and entertainment piracy just makes sense. If you don't provide a way to acquire it legally, I'm going to download it. If you attempt to violate my computer with intrusive nonsense that screws up my other applications, then I'm going to pirate it as well.

Like BSG for instance... I don't have TIVO, I can't go to their website to view it like NBC's Heroes tv show let you do, and it's not out on DVD. Solution? Download it.

It's that simple.

It's not a tangible item and I'm not distributing it for money, there fore it's legal. Entertainment companies are just trying to squeeze blood from a stone. They don't need my 10 bucks when they're already making multi millions per weekend.
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J, 20 May 2008 @ 8:37am

Re:
What's updawg?
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Charlie Potatoes, 20 May 2008 @ 8:47am

How Do I Get Some of This?
My website is www.NewWorldEssays.Com Google and Yahoo won't take my ads, due to 'editorial content'. So.. How do I get the 'Entertainment Industry' to sue me and/or take down my site for a few days? Sounds like a winner to me.
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Sneeje, 20 May 2008 @ 8:59am

Riiiiiggght.
Two wrongs make a right, up is down and white is black. How about, if you can't afford something or more likely don't believe that the price is worth the value to acquire something legally, you do without? There's an idea.

I dislike the music industry and RIAA as much as anyone, but I can't accept the ethics of rationalization or "end justifies the means." This logic is too situational to be applied consistently.
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Melvillain, 20 May 2008 @ 9:15am

The writing is on the wall
Hey dinosaurs, that's one big-ass meteor headed your way.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2008 @ 9:15am

I would have never heard of pirate bay without the RIAA. Thanks for passing the word.
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Nitro, 20 May 2008 @ 9:51am

Pirate Bay? Hmm...
I had read about it once before here and blew it off. Now my interest is peaked and I too will have to take a look.
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MLS, 20 May 2008 @ 11:12am

Re: Riiiiiggght.
Your point concerning "ethics" is in my view on the money. Why pay for something when you can get a copy for free?

I am no fan of the DCMA and other similar legislation, as well as some of the copy-limiting technologies used by content providers. Even so, their existence and use is no excuse for thumbing one's nose at content providers. If people do not like what particular companies are doing, then buy something else.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2008 @ 12:45pm

Re: Re: Riiiiiggght.
Retard, take your views and fuck off. If it's out there it's free for the taking.
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MLS, 20 May 2008 @ 1:11pm

Re: Re: Re: Riiiiiggght.
Your reply sums up the problem, not to mention illuminating your perception of ethics.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2008 @ 2:17pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Riiiiiggght.
what ethics, they are for pussies like yourself
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Anon, 20 May 2008 @ 3:14pm

Re: Re:
Not much. What's up with you?
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plastic molding, 16 May 2009 @ 3:21am

moon?
How's China printing industry developed this years, who can tell us? China based plastic injection molding services with low costs and supeior quality Steel and aluminum scaffolding for construction is a very useful tool.
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