3 Count: Torrentz Downpour

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1: Torrentz Has Died, But it Won’t Take Torrenting With It

First off today, Brian Barrett at Wired reports that the BitTorrent search engine Torrentz has shuttered, bringing an end to one of the most popular BitTorrent-related sites and one of the longest running, with a 13 year history.

Torrentz was a meta search engine that would search multiple BitTorrent sites to find files of interest. Though the site had been threatened multiple times, the insulation from the actual downloading process seemed to protect it.

However, now the site is shuttered but it appears to be a voluntary action taken by the site’s admins. The domain remains active but the search function no longer works and a statement on the site refers to itself in the past tense. The move comes shortly after the alleged owner of Kickasstorrents, the most popular torrent site, was arrested in Poland and his site shuttered.

2: KickassTorrents Domain Goes Up for Sale

Next up today, Andy at Torrentfreak writes that one of the domains associated with Kickasstorrents is listed as being for sale but that buying it may prove difficult.

Kickasstorrents was the world’s most popular BitTorrent site until it was shuttered in July and it’s suspected operator arrested. However, while most of the domains associated with the site now redirect to anti-piracy warnings, some of the domains, including kat.cr, are dormant.

Kat.cr, formerly the site’s main domain, is listed as being up for sale for $230. However, the registration information for the domain indicates that transfer is not possible and that the domain can not be renewed. As such, it’s unclear how a buyer would take ownership of the domain.

3: Fake Replicas of Classic Designs Banned Under New Copyright Ruling

Finally today, Sara Dawood at Design Week reports that a change in copyright law in the UK means that unauthorized replicas of “works of artistic craftsmanship” can no longer produced and their sale will be barred after January 28, 2017.

Under the new law, any 3D designs that require special training and skill to make and is seen as a work of art, by the designer’s intent, is copyright protected for the life of the designer plus 70 years. This came from a repeal of section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

Designers that don’t qualify for the new protection can continue to register their design rights if they wish. Registered rights last for 25 years and unregistered rights last for 15 years after production.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today. We will be back tomorrow with three more copyright links. If you have a link that you want to suggest a link for the column or have any proposals to make it better. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to hear from you.

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