Since the advent of file-sharing communities and networks like LimeWire and BitTorrent, the MPAA has been filing one lawsuit after another in an effort to stop consumers from downloading and sharing free versions of popular, first-run TV shows and movies.
According to Wired, four bit-torrent-related websites have shut down since March.
Wired's David Kravets argues that the MPAA is winning in the war against file sharing, though he added that a central legal argument is still hanging in the air.
"Unanswered is the central legal question of whether such sites violate U.S. copyright law for pointing to where users can download copyrighted works from others," he said.
TorrentSpy lawyer Ira Rothken agreed. In May, A federal judge in California ordered TorrentSpy to pay a $111 million penalty for its role in distributing copyrighted works. Rothken called the ruling a "Hollywood publicity stunt," arguing that it was not decided on the merits of copyright law.
Nevertheless, even in the adult industry, the fight against file sharing and video sharing continues. Last December, Vivid sued PornoTube's parent company, AEBN, for copyright infringement. Adult director Eli Cross told XBIZ that the industry is moving into an era where everyone expects content to be free. All Media Play President Jeff Mullen agreed.
"We really need to take [content theft] seriously," Mullen told XBIZ. "Everyone thinks 2257 is the biggest problem, but we need to stop the outright theft that's going on."