 | |
Screenshot  | |
Type of site | File-sharing |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | October 31, 2019 |
| URL | openload.co |
| Current status | Shut down |
Openload was a file-sharing website shut down in 2019 after legal action by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment. The site was highly-used before its shutdown, making most of its money from advertising and cryptojacking. The site was designated as a notorious market and often used for copyright infringement.
Openload was available as an open alpha in July 2015, [1] and fully launched as of October 2015. [2]
In 2016, Openload's domain was suspended by Namecheap due to the large number of DMCA reports they generated. The domain was later reinstated by Namecheap. [3]
In 2017, Openload was criticized for using their users' browsers to mine the cryptocurrency Monero, using code similar to Coinhive. [4] Openload earned an estimated $95,000 per month from the mining, while their suspected subsidiary Streamango earned an estimated $7,200 per month. [5]
In 2018, Openload was listed as a notorious market. [6] Openload accounted for more network usage than services such as Hulu. [7]
In February 2019, Reddit was found to be shadowbanning links to Openload. [8] In April 2019, Openload stopped paying uploaders as part of its affiliate program. [9] In June 2019, Openload's main domain name, openload.co, was suspended. [10]
In October 2019, Openload was shut down after the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) took legal action against them in Germany. [11] All Openload domains now redirect to a page stating that the site is no longer available due to copyright infringement, along with a warning against subscribing or using illegal streaming services. After ten seconds the page redirects to Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment's website. [12]
Streamango was a similar streaming website, long-believed to be operated by Openload. Streamango was shut down at the same time as Openload, with the same reasons given. [12] Streamango domains also redirect to ACE's website.
The Pirate Bay is an online index of digital content of entertainment media and software. Founded in 2003 by Swedish think tank Piratbyrån, The Pirate Bay allows visitors to search, download, and contribute magnet links and torrent files, which facilitate peer-to-peer, file sharing among users of the BitTorrent protocol.
Demonoid is a BitTorrent tracker and website founded in 2003 to facilitate file-sharing related discussion and provide a searchable index of torrent files. The site underwent intermittent periods of extended downtime in its history due to the occasional need to move the server, generally caused by cancellation of ISP service due to local political pressure.
The use of the BitTorrent protocol for the unauthorized sharing of copyrighted content generated a variety of novel legal issues. While the technology and related platforms are legal in many jurisdictions, law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies are attempting to address this avenue of copyright infringement. Notably, the use of BitTorrent in connection with copyrighted material may make the issuers of the BitTorrent file, link or metadata liable as an infringing party under some copyright laws. Similarly, the use of BitTorrent to procure illegal materials could potentially create liability for end users as an accomplice.
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1337x is a website that provides a directory of torrent files and magnet links used for peer-to-peer file sharing through the BitTorrent protocol. According to the TorrentFreak news blog, 1337x is the third most popular torrent website as of 2021.
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FitGirl Repacks is a website distributing pirated video games. FitGirl Repacks is known for "repacking" games — compressing them significantly so they can be downloaded and shared more efficiently. TorrentFreak listed FitGirl Repacks at sixth in 2021 and at ninth in 2020's Top 10 Most Popular Torrent Sites lists.
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