EZTV is dead as we know it, it was taken over by scammers

[Bouzoo]

Another sad day for pirating (not saying I'm doing it you know). But why did this happen? 

 

Popular TV-torrent distribution group EZTV is no more. After losing key domain names and data in a hostile takeover, EZTV founder NovaKing has called it quits. The group's retirement marks the end of an era in which the EZTV brand became synonymous with TV-torrents.

 

Facing a hostile takeover the group’s founder and main operator NovaKing has called it quits.

 

Initially it remained vague how EZTV’s demise came to be, not least because NovaKing could not be reached. However, with help from several EZTV staffers including sladinki007 we can now explain what happened.

 

The group’s troubles started earlier this year when the .IT registry suspended EZTV’s domain name because of inaccurate Whois information. A few weeks later the .IT registry put the domain back on the market and it was snapped up by scammers.

 

The people who took over the domain name came in well-prepared. They registered the UK company EZCloud LIMITED, which is the same company name as EZTV used. Initially the takeover wasn’t much of a problem, as EZTV had already moved to a new domain name at EZTV.ch, but things quickly turned from bad to worse.

 

Using the EZCloud company details and by faking the director’s name, the scammers also managed to take over the EZTV.se domain through the EuroDNS registrar. NovaKing tried to prevent this from happening by alerting the registrar, but according to an EZTV staffer he was told to get a court order if he wanted his domain back.

 

The .se domain was linked to the mailbox of EZTV founder NovaKing, which allowed them to access the domain registrar account and various other services for which they quickly reset all passwords. As a result, NovaKing was locked out, losing control of virtually all of his domain names.

Initially, there was also the possibility that the servers were compromised as well. This prompted a thorough security audit and a site lockdown last month.

 

Eventually, even the new EZTV.ch domain fell into the hands of the scammers, completing the hostile takeover.

 

What can I say. This is terrible. I hope it doesn't happen again... but the sad reality is that it will. 

 

Now, for the people using the site, be aware

The scammers, meanwhile, continue to operate both the .it and .ch domain names and are now distributing their own torrents (sourced elsewhere) with the hijacked EZTV brand. They pretend to be the real deal, sending out misleading and false status updates, but they’re not.

 

So of course, as brothers in arms, other torrent sites are warning their users about the situation

Having control over NovaKing’s email address the scammers even reached out to other torrent site operators, claiming that EZTV was back in business. However, most knew better not to fall for it and have retired official EZTV uploader accounts.

 

A Pirate Bay moderator informs TF that they have suspended the EZTV user account. Many of the older torrents are still on the site, but TPB has added a warning urging people to stay away from the compromised domain.

 

From Pirate Bay:

 

And KicKass:

 

I hate people like this, coming and taking what they didn't help building. So I really hope somehow they get what they deserve.

 

Source

[_ASSASSIN_]

There is no such thing as honor among thieves.

[Victorious Secret]

I don't have sympathy for pirates and thieves. They knew what they were getting into, they don't get to cry now that someone else did to them what they do to others. 

[euniqe]

I don't see how pirating TV shows is thievery?

 

Most of them are showed on free-to-air television. Just because I don't watch the channels' advertisements doesn't make me a thief.

 

Some australian channels show day-old re-runs on their websites, ad-free. How is pirating ANY different to that?

[Victorious Secret]

I don't see how pirating TV shows is thievery?

 

Most of them are showed on free-to-air television. Just because I don't watch the channels' advertisements doesn't make me a thief.

 

Some australian channels show day-old re-runs on their websites, ad-free. How is pirating ANY different to that?

 

EZTV uploading this weeks Game of Thrones episode isn't thievery? Eh? 

[Accursed Entity]

EZTV uploading this weeks Game of Thrones episode isn't thievery? Eh? 

 

I don't have HBO though... a lot of people don't.

[Victorious Secret]

I don't have HBO though... a lot of people don't.

And that gives you a right to steal content you don't legally own?

[Accursed Entity]

And that gives you a right to steal content you don't legally own?

 

But... I... need... to watch the show! I've read the books and I don't want to miss it!

 

Side note, you pay to have the HBO channel therefore you own Game of Thrones content? Ok. 

[Sidiox]

I don't have sympathy for pirates and thieves. They knew what they were getting into, they don't get to cry now that someone else did to them what they do to others. 

I disagree. Their stuff got stolen, as in they no longer have it. What they were doing was copying stuff from others, or rather, enabling others to copy the stuff. 

So no, I don't think that it is very fair, under any circumstances, to say "well you did it as well so it doesn't matter that it happened to you". 

I will say however that it was simply the risk of what they were doing and that therefore they don't really deserve sympathy. 

 

As for the whole piracy thing, we've discussed this many times over now. You think it is wrong, with some others, and quite a few others think that sometimes isn't wrong, as do I. 

[Imabigmac]

I just find it fascinating. Once we there events that would share similarities to this happen on the streets now they happen in cyberspace. It makes me smile inside. 

[zacRupnow]

And that gives you a right to steal content you don't legally own?

It's not stealing if the owner doesn't lose possession, that's why copyright is separate from theft. Steal a car the owner doesn't have a car anymore, download a movie/show and the production company doesn't lose anything.

 

-though one could argue that a pirate would be a potential customer and therefore revenue loss - and then the counter argument is that a pirate can't represent revenue because they can't be assumed a potential customer.

 

(this not including the "pirates" who do it to get around region locks or censored governments, or even the ones who buy the show season box but download during the season because they don't have the channel or just no cable.)

[markymark]

There is no such thing as honor among thieves.

 

 

I don't have sympathy for pirates and thieves. They knew what they were getting into, they don't get to cry now that someone else did to them what they do to others. 

 

Why don't you come down from your high horses, the air must be thin up their.

 

Sad day for EZTV, Novaking and the team have done an amazing job, and as an Australian I sincerely do appreciate their work. People should also stay away from EZTV, I mean it's possible and highly like the site has been taken over by the MFAA who will be logging all downloaders.

[sgloux3470]

It's not stealing if the owner doesn't lose possession, that's why copyright is separate from theft.

 

And if you sneak into a half-empty theatre without paying for a ticket you're not technically stealing anything either.  That doesn't make it legal or right.  

 

Focusing on the semantic distinction between theft and copyright infringement ignores that at the base of it both are methods to get something without paying.  

[jaggysnake57]

I hate people like this, coming and taking what they didn't help building. So I really hope somehow they get what they deserve.

oh the irony

[Master Disaster]

It's not stealing if the owner doesn't lose possession, that's why copyright is separate from theft. Steal a car the owner doesn't have a car anymore, download a movie/show and the production company doesn't lose anything.

 

-though one could argue that a pirate would be a potential customer and therefore revenue loss - and then the counter argument is that a pirate can't represent revenue because they can't be assumed a potential customer.

 

(this not including the "pirates" who do it to get around region locks or censored governments, or even the ones who buy the show season box but download during the season because they don't have the channel or just no cable.)

Then why is identity theft a thing?

You take something you don't own its theft.

[LAwLz]

I am kind of glad they are gone. Their releases were horribly inconsistent quality wise, and if a group is already uploading a show it makes other groups not bother.

With them gone we might finally get some groups that upload high quality versions.

 

 

For the "piracy is wrong" discussion, I think there are plenty of scenarios where piracy is justifiable. "I want to watch GoT without paying for HBO" is not one of them.

[obi_wan]

ETTV still survives.Even if tv shows are aired on free to air television,piracy is still wrong since it violates copyrights,and bunch of other stuff.Argue as much as you want but piracy is wrong.

[Rohith_Kumar_Sp]

And that gives you a right to steal content you don't legally own?

nope, it doesn't totally agree, but, i'm also not paying to see censored content sorry.  i saw one episode of GOT on HBO and it was just 45 mins, i saw the premier of GOT season 1 ep 1, all the scenes censored and all the swear muted and the episode was 40 mins, for an episode that's 1 hour pilot 10-15 mins got chopped off. if i am paying a premium i better get what i'm paying for, if it's chunked content i'd rather not pay for it. that still doesn't give me the rights to pirate the show, but hey, i'm not the one creating the barrier b/w content and the consumer.

[Trik'Stari]

"The scammers were well prepared"....... Sounds like corporate shills masquerading as something else to get it shut down.

 

And that gives you a right to steal content you don't legally own?

 

We both know theft isn't the correct term. Theft implies the legal owner no longer has the original object.

 

Piracy is illegal redistribution, not theft.

[Master Disaster]

"The scammers were well prepared"....... Sounds like corporate shills masquerading as something else to get it shut down.

 

We both know theft isn't the correct term. Theft implies the legal owner no longer has the original object.

 

Piracy is illegal redistribution, not theft.

So ID theft victims no longer have their ID? What about the term Copyright Theft?

Theft implies no such thing, Taking Without Owners Consent implies the owner no longer has the object, theft is defined as the act of stealing something and you can steal more than physical objects. At least in UK piracy is classed as theft.

[Thony]

Never used piratebay or any other torrent website.

I just really miss warez-bb :'(

[Trik'Stari]

So ID theft victims no longer have their ID? What about the term Copyright Theft?

Theft implies no such thing, Taking Without Owners Consent implies the owner no longer has the object, theft is defined as the act of stealing something and you can steal more than physical objects. At least in UK piracy is classed as theft.

Not sure what ID Theft is considered over here. But technically they still have their Identity, they just have to go through a long agonizing process in order to recover.

 

Not downplaying identity theft. Just clarifying.

 

Wikipedia defines theft as: n common usage, theft is the taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it.

 

By that definition, piracy is not theft, it's illegal "manufacturing" (copying) and redistribution.

 

(also, I'm not defending piracy, just pointing out that calling it theft isn't entirely accurate by the classical definition of theft)

 

Also, encyclopedia britannica:

Theft, in law, a general term covering a variety of specific types of stealing, including the crimes of larceny, robbery, and burglary.

Theft is defined as the physical removal of an object that is capable of being stolen without the consent of the owner and with the intention of depriving the owner of it permanently. The thief need not intend to keep the property himself; an intention to destroy it, sell it, or abandon it in circumstances where it will not be found is sufficient. Automobile theft, for example, frequently involves selling the stolen car or its parts. In some instances an intention to deprive the owner of the property temporarily also is sufficient, as in the case of stealing a car for a “joyride” and then abandoning it in such a way that the owner is able to reclaim it.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/590390/theft

 

If, for example, someone where to break into a company, and take a drive containing proprietary data (like a design for a product) and leave the company without a backup (depriving the owner permanently of the data) and sell that drive to another company, that would be theft, but it would also be industrial espionage as well.

 

It's a lot longer than that though, and I haven't the time to read all of it.

[ChineseChef]

I do love the mental gymnastics of  "It's not theft because I want it even though I am not paying for it because I don't think it should be that much money and I don't care about the rules because what I want is more important and I am so entitled that I can't see that I am taking things I didn't pay for which is still theft despite what you call it".

 

Just because you want it, doesn't mean you are entitled to it.  If it costs money where you are, and you don't pay for it, that is stealing.  No matter how you want to phrase it.  I pirate all kinds of TV and movies, but I am under no delusion that I'm not stealing.  I just feel the risk of getting caught is low enough that the reward of having all the stuff for free is worth it. 

[Trik'Stari]

I do love the mental gymnastics of  "It's not theft because I want it even though I am not paying for it because I don't think it should be that much money and I don't care about the rules because what I want is more important and I am so entitled that I can't see that I am taking things I didn't pay for which is still theft despite what you call it".

 

Just because you want it, doesn't mean you are entitled to it.  If it costs money where you are, and you don't pay for it, that is stealing.  No matter how you want to phrase it.  I pirate all kinds of TV and movies, but I am under no delusion that I'm not stealing.  I just feel the risk of getting caught is low enough that the reward of having all the stuff for free is worth it. 

Actually it's not theft because it doesn't meet the legal definition of theft.

 

Still wrong, still immoral, but not technically theft. See my above post explaining why.

[ChineseChef]

Actually it's not theft because it doesn't meet the legal definition of theft.

 

Still wrong, still immoral, but not technically theft. See my above post explaining why.

 

The only issue with the term theft in my opinion is that technology has changed faster then our legal terms.  Making perfect copies of something hasn't been a possibility for the entirety of human history until the last few decades.  The internet and computing in general have created situations we don't yet have legal terms for, so they fall under whatever term works best.  Your definition is cool and all, but I doubt it would even pretend to work as a legal defense.  Historically, when something new shows up that we don't have exact legal terms and case law for, it falls under whatever it most closely resembles.  It then gets hashed out and clarified via appeals and further legislation.

 

How I see this argument going for the "it's not theft" crowd.

Defendant:  Your honor, I can't be changed with theft because the definition of theft doesn't exactly fit word for word my actions.

Judge:  That's cool, still guilty, life still fucked.