DonTorrent, a particularly popular illegal download site in Spain, had fun quoting Jan van Voorn, head of global content protection at the MPA, as its administrator. If we readily suspect that the latter is not at the head of the platform, this little joke may not please the association of rights holders.
DonTorrent is one of the most popular illegal download sites in the world. With its few million users, largely located in Spain, it is an undeniable force in piracy and, therefore, one of the main targets of rights holders. This does not prevent him from having fun with the situation. For several weeks, the site has indeed displayed a photo of Jan van Voorn, accompanied by a text claiming that the man is the owner of the platform.
However, Jan van Voorn is not just anyone. Indeed, he is the head of global content protection at the Motion Picture Association (MPA), one of the most powerful rightsholder associations on the planet. Alongside the Alliance of Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), another coalition bringing together several streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+, the organization is behind several legal proceedings in various countries.
This illegal download site taunts rights holders
All this obviously does not seem to worry the real administrators of DonTorrent, who do not hesitate to reveal the address of Jan van Voorn – or at least, an address, which is not – not be the real one of the concerned. Indeed, the whole resembling a huge joke, it is likely that its authors simply wanted to push the plug even further.
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Still, the penalties to which the site is exposed are colossal. Sentences worth several million euros have multiplied in recent years, as have domain name blockings. Just like its counterparts, DonTorrent regularly changes its domain name to slip through the cracks of ISPs. “The film, television and streaming industry must be protected from piracy because it creates dreams, hope and happiness…it’s all magiccommented Charles Rivkin, leader of the MPA.