Record Labels Shut Down FileWarez, Brazil's Oldest Pirate Forum (torrentfreak.com) 12
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TorrentFreak: As far as we know, Brazil-based file-sharing forum FileWarez.com first appeared in August 2004, its domain name having been registered the previous month. The default language was naturally Portuguese and according to this image from the Wayback Machine, potential members needed a basic grip of the language to sign up. After all, Google Translate wouldn't exist for another two years. At some point in the years that followed, FileWarez shifted to a Netherlands .NL domain supported by filewarez.no-ip.biz, which may suggest a site regularly on the move. In 2008, unspecified problems saw the .NL domain dumped in favor of a new one. Riding out problems, various issues, and bouts of downtime, FileWarez.tv stayed in place for the next 15.5 years. Then two weeks ago, after establishing itself as Brazil's oldest file-sharing forum, FileWarez suddenly vanished.
In a press release Wednesday, global music industry group IFPI announced that "prominent illegal file-sharing forum, FileWarez," was shut down following co-ordinated action by record companies, anti-piracy body APDIF, and local cybercrime unit, Cyber Gaeco. "IFPI, the organization that represents the recorded music industry worldwide, alongside its Brazilian national group Pro-Musica, have welcomed the successful action against FileWarez.tv -- one of the most prominent illegal file sharing sites in Brazil -- by the Brazilian special cybercrime unit of prosecutor's office of Sao Paulo, Cyber Gaeco," the announcement reads. "FileWarez was the most established illegal filesharing forum in Brazil, dedicated to sharing illegal music content. While active, the site had more than 118,000 registered users with at least 24,000 monthly active users."
In a press release Wednesday, global music industry group IFPI announced that "prominent illegal file-sharing forum, FileWarez," was shut down following co-ordinated action by record companies, anti-piracy body APDIF, and local cybercrime unit, Cyber Gaeco. "IFPI, the organization that represents the recorded music industry worldwide, alongside its Brazilian national group Pro-Musica, have welcomed the successful action against FileWarez.tv -- one of the most prominent illegal file sharing sites in Brazil -- by the Brazilian special cybercrime unit of prosecutor's office of Sao Paulo, Cyber Gaeco," the announcement reads. "FileWarez was the most established illegal filesharing forum in Brazil, dedicated to sharing illegal music content. While active, the site had more than 118,000 registered users with at least 24,000 monthly active users."
Internet translators (Score:2)
Before Google Translate, there was Babelfish, which existed from 1997. It wasn't perfect, but it was useful.
A fun way to generate nonsensical sentences was to take some block of text, and iteratively translate it using Babelfish to different languages, and then back to the original one.
Re: (Score:3)
Apparently Chinese companies still do that when creating info text to their products on Amazon.
It's quite easy to spot the Chinese knockoffs simply by reading their info text. It's even more hilarious in languages other than English (try French or German for "smiling good success").
Re: (Score:2)
Apparently Chinese companies still do that when creating info text to their products on Amazon.
It's quite easy to spot the Chinese knockoffs simply by reading their info text. It's even more hilarious in languages other than English (try French or German for "smiling good success").
East Asian countries have a hard time with English, regardless. They can learn the grammar, but they have a hard time grasping meaning in English sentences. When I was traveling in the East many moons ago (pre-Internet), I noticed that in places like Busan, Hong Kong, etc, wherever clothing was sold, it had labels on them with an attempt at fashionable, witty English expressions. None of it was gobbleygook, but to Western eyes, it was still kind of a nonsensical. Stuff like a pair of jeans with a tag that s
Re: (Score:2)
I can only imagine it's like the various t-shirts sporting Kanji that probably say something along the lines of "opening the package requires purchase" or "this document cannot be found, please try again".
Credit where is due (Score:5, Informative)
The founders of FW gave up on their site on Oct 4, after a very close site admin had deceased. It was their sole decision of shutting down the site, not a record label or policy operation. The removal of all databases and almost all but a few email addresses for comm channels basically took away any obvious proof of misconduct.
Now authorities are claimed successful shut down of the site. Because there is nothing left, they can say the heck they want and celebrate "their victory over a dead body. Like, literally.
Re: (Score:2)
Not Brazilian authorities, though. All the news I find about Filewarez shutdown is in English.
A whole 24k users? (Score:2, Insightful)
Oh no, a small village was causing the collapse of multi-billion dollar industries. Whew... Now profit will soar!
Remember Radio Stations? (Score:1, Insightful)
All that free music. What piracy!!
Re:Remember Radio Stations? (Score:4, Interesting)
Radio stations pay rights to the record labels, and play unskippable ads to get profits.
However, if your point is that you can get free music through radio, vinyl records, cassettes, CDs, piracy, digital downloads, and now streaming are sought after because of all those songs that never play on the radio, and being able to play your music whenever your want.
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Blah Blah Blah. I go to concerts. Problem solved. Radio stations and streaming need not apply.