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| @@ -93,60 +93,62 @@ | |||
| 93 | <br> | 93 | <br> |
| 94 | <p> | 94 | <p> |
| 95 | People pirate for a multitude of reasons, all unacceptable, but some more "valid" than others. Some of these reasons | 95 | People pirate for a multitude of reasons, all unacceptable, but some more "valid" than others. Some of these reasons |
| 96 | include:<ul> | 96 | include: |
| 97 | <li><b>Pricing</b>: The pirate may believe the copyrighted work is priced too high, or may be unable to afford a legitimate purchase</li> | 97 | </p> |
| 98 | <br> | 98 | <ul> |
| 99 | <li><b>"Trials"</b>: The pirate may wish to trial the copyrighted work, say in the case of software, to determine its "true" value</li> | 99 | <li><b>Pricing</b>: The pirate may believe the copyrighted work is priced too high, or may be unable to afford a legitimate purchase</li> |
| 100 | <br> | ||
| 101 | <li><b>"Trials"</b>: The pirate may wish to trial the copyrighted work, say in the case of software, to determine its "true" value</li> | ||
| 102 | <br> | ||
| 103 | <li><b>Availability</b>: The pirate may be unable to acquire the copyrighted work through legitimate means, and is | ||
| 104 | forced to pirate as a means to access the content</li> | ||
| 105 | <br> | ||
| 106 | <li><b>DRM Removal</b>: The copyrighted work may employ <abbr title="Digital Rights Management">DRM</abbr> as a | ||
| 107 | means to prevent pirates from exploiting their work, which may interfere with the legitimate use of the | ||
| 108 | software/media</li> | ||
| 109 | <br> | ||
| 110 | <li><b>Flagrant Disregard</b>: Some people simply disagree with the concept of copyright, and become pirates as they do not respect the law</li> | ||
| 111 | <br> | ||
| 112 | <li><b>Etc.</b>: Other <em>(still invalid)</em> reasons not mentioned for lack of time</li> | ||
| 113 | </ul> | ||
| 114 | <br> | ||
| 115 | <p>Again, none of these reasons are valid excuses to break the law:</p> | ||
| 116 | <ul> | ||
| 117 | <li><b>Pricing</b>: Many things are unaffordable to the average person, such as a jet carrier. Should I be able to | ||
| 118 | steal a jet carrier just because I selfishly believe the price I was given is "unrepresentative" of the | ||
| 119 | actual value of the jet carrier? No! That would be completely preposterous.</li> | ||
| 100 | <br> | 120 | <br> |
| 101 | <li><b>Availability</b>: The pirate may be unable to acquire the copyrighted work through legitimate means, and is | 121 | <li><b>"Trials"</b>: If a company wished to offer a demo of their software for the general public to trial their |
| 102 | forced to pirate as a means to access the content</li> | 122 | software and determine if they should purchase it, then they would simply offer the trial. Furthermore, |
| 123 | acquiring a full copy of a piece of interactive media such as software or a video game is NOWHERE near | ||
| 124 | a traditional "demo", as the entire content of the media is contained within the pirated copy. If the | ||
| 125 | pirate didn't wish to pay for the real product, but still wanted to use it, there would be nothing | ||
| 126 | preventing them from simply using the copy they already have</li> | ||
| 103 | <br> | 127 | <br> |
| 104 | <li><b>DRM Removal</b>: The copyrighted work may employ <abbr title="Digital Rights Management">DRM</abbr> as a | 128 | <li><b>Availability</b>: This is possibly the most understandable reason as to why someone would intentionally |
| 105 | means to prevent pirates from exploiting their work, which may interfere with the legitimate use of the | 129 | commit piracy, however it is yet again unacceptable. There is plenty of media that has been rendered |
| 106 | software/media</li> | 130 | exclusive to a specific piece of hardware, most notably game consoles. A game which is exclusive to Xbox |
| 131 | or Playstation should not be pirated just because it's otherwise exclusive! That's like saying you should | ||
| 132 | be able to steal one of the motors out of a Tesla brand car just because it has motors and your car doesn't!</li> | ||
| 107 | <br> | 133 | <br> |
| 108 | <li><b>Flagrant Disregard</b>: Some people simply disagree with the concept of copyright, and become pirates as they do not respect the law</li> | 134 | <li><b>DRM Removal</b>: DRM, or Digital Rights Management, is implemented in a piece of software or media as a |
| 135 | way to prevent pirates from stealing their product. However, sometimes the measures taken impact user | ||
| 136 | experience and simultaneously fail to prevent pirates from stealing. This is unfortunate, yes, but wouldn't | ||
| 137 | be necessary if it weren't for pirates in the first place! You can't seriously blame the inventor of barbed | ||
| 138 | wire for the injuries of criminals who can obviously see the danger and still cut themselves on it. It's an | ||
| 139 | even more preposterous action to blame him for the injuries of innocents when it's the installer's fault for | ||
| 140 | the faulty use. Don't blame DRM, blame the pirates. And if you can't blame the pirates for some reason, blame | ||
| 141 | the companies who implement DRM in ways that harm the consumer</li> | ||
| 109 | <br> | 142 | <br> |
| 110 | <li><b>Etc.</b>: Other <em>(still invalid)</em> reasons not mentioned for lack of time</li> | 143 | <li><b>Flagrant Disregard</b>: I shouldn't need to comment on this, but I shall regardless. We depend on law and |
| 111 | </ul> | 144 | order to keep the peace in modern society. When someone willingly goes against law and order, they are naturally |
| 112 | <br> | 145 | enemies to society as whole and must be dealt with swiftly. While copyright infringement may feel like a |
| 113 | Again, none of these reasons are valid excuses to break the law:<ul> | 146 | victimless crime, it is far from one, and it really does harm the companies it affects. Furthermore, if someone |
| 114 | <li><b>Pricing</b>: Many things are unaffordable to the average person, such as a jet carrier. Should I be able to | 147 | is so willing to skirt the law when it comes to something like copyright infringement, what's preventing them |
| 115 | steal a jet carrier just because I selfishly believe the price I was given is "unrepresentative" of the | 148 | from skirting the law in other places? Pirates are already stealing, so what's to prevent them from shoplifting |
| 116 | actual value of the jet carrier? No! That would be completely preposterous.</li> | 149 | or snatching purses from frail old ladies?</li> |
| 117 | <br> | 150 | </ul> |
| 118 | <li><b>"Trials"</b>: If a company wished to offer a demo of their software for the general public to trial their | 151 | <p>There really is no reason to break the law and pirate. No rational one at least.</p> |
| 119 | software and determine if they should purchase it, then they would simply offer the trial. Furthermore, | ||
| 120 | acquiring a full copy of a piece of interactive media such as software or a video game is NOWHERE near | ||
| 121 | a traditional "demo", as the entire content of the media is contained within the pirated copy. If the | ||
| 122 | pirate didn't wish to pay for the real product, but still wanted to use it, there would be nothing | ||
| 123 | preventing them from simply using the copy they already have</li> | ||
| 124 | <br> | ||
| 125 | <li><b>Availability</b>: This is possibly the most understandable reason as to why someone would intentionally | ||
| 126 | commit piracy, however it is yet again unacceptable. There is plenty of media that has been rendered | ||
| 127 | exclusive to a specific piece of hardware, most notably game consoles. A game which is exclusive to Xbox | ||
| 128 | or Playstation should not be pirated just because it's otherwise exclusive! That's like saying you should | ||
| 129 | be able to steal one of the motors out of a Tesla brand car just because it has motors and your car doesn't!</li> | ||
| 130 | <br> | ||
| 131 | <li><b>DRM Removal</b>: DRM, or Digital Rights Management, is implemented in a piece of software or media as a | ||
| 132 | way to prevent pirates from stealing their product. However, sometimes the measures taken impact user | ||
| 133 | experience and simultaneously fail to prevent pirates from stealing. This is unfortunate, yes, but wouldn't | ||
| 134 | be necessary if it weren't for pirates in the first place! You can't seriously blame the inventor of barbed | ||
| 135 | wire for the injuries of criminals who can obviously see the danger and still cut themselves on it. It's an | ||
| 136 | even more preposterous action to blame him for the injuries of innocents when it's the installer's fault for | ||
| 137 | the faulty use. Don't blame DRM, blame the pirates. And if you can't blame the pirates for some reason, blame | ||
| 138 | the companies who implement DRM in ways that harm the consumer</li> | ||
| 139 | <br> | ||
| 140 | <li><b>Flagrant Disregard</b>: I shouldn't need to comment on this, but I shall regardless. We depend on law and | ||
| 141 | order to keep the peace in modern society. When someone willingly goes against law and order, they are naturally | ||
| 142 | enemies to society as whole and must be dealt with swiftly. While copyright infringement may feel like a | ||
| 143 | victimless crime, it is far from one, and it really does harm the companies it affects. Furthermore, if someone | ||
| 144 | is so willing to skirt the law when it comes to something like copyright infringement, what's preventing them | ||
| 145 | from skirting the law in other places? Pirates are already stealing, so what's to prevent them from shoplifting | ||
| 146 | or snatching purses from frail old ladies?</li> | ||
| 147 | </ul> | ||
| 148 | There really is no reason to break the law and pirate. No rational one at least. | ||
| 149 | </p> | ||
| 150 | <br> | 152 | <br> |
| 151 | <br> | 153 | <br> |
| 152 | <h3>Avoiding Piracy In The Wild</h3> | 154 | <h3>Avoiding Piracy In The Wild</h3> |
| @@ -160,12 +162,14 @@ | |||
| 160 | possible to be a pirate ignorantly, but the pirate must take some action to infringe on someone's copyright | 162 | possible to be a pirate ignorantly, but the pirate must take some action to infringe on someone's copyright |
| 161 | for it to be piracy. This is quite nice for us copyright respecters, as it means we don't need to worry about | 163 | for it to be piracy. This is quite nice for us copyright respecters, as it means we don't need to worry about |
| 162 | infringing on anything in most daily activities. Piracy is <b>NOT</b>: | 164 | infringing on anything in most daily activities. Piracy is <b>NOT</b>: |
| 163 | <ul> | 165 | </p> |
| 164 | <li>Listening to music</li> | 166 | <ul> |
| 165 | <li>Watching a movie</li> | 167 | <li>Listening to music</li> |
| 166 | <li>Playing a video game</li> | 168 | <li>Watching a movie</li> |
| 167 | <li>Interacting with a copyrighted work through its intended means</li> | 169 | <li>Playing a video game</li> |
| 168 | </ul> | 170 | <li>Interacting with a copyrighted work through its intended means</li> |
| 171 | </ul> | ||
| 172 | <p> | ||
| 169 | Piracy in most daily scenarios boils down to the dissemination of material through improper channels and | 173 | Piracy in most daily scenarios boils down to the dissemination of material through improper channels and |
| 170 | without permission of the copyright holder. This means most interactions with pirates will take place at | 174 | without permission of the copyright holder. This means most interactions with pirates will take place at |
| 171 | the point of distribution. This may happen online or offline, in-person or from half-way across the world. | 175 | the point of distribution. This may happen online or offline, in-person or from half-way across the world. |
| @@ -175,16 +179,16 @@ | |||
| 175 | expect, they're probably pirating the magazine. If you're offered cheap software through some sketchy | 179 | expect, they're probably pirating the magazine. If you're offered cheap software through some sketchy |
| 176 | website, it's probably piracy. Really, just use common sense and stay away from those weird dark corners | 180 | website, it's probably piracy. Really, just use common sense and stay away from those weird dark corners |
| 177 | of the internet. Here are some examples of what piracy <b>IS</b>: | 181 | of the internet. Here are some examples of what piracy <b>IS</b>: |
| 178 | <ul> | ||
| 179 | <li>Using a YouTube video downloader to download a song</li> | ||
| 180 | <li>Torrenting movies, software, video games, etc.</li> | ||
| 181 | <li>Using ad-free versions of apps that normally require ads</li> | ||
| 182 | <li>Using an ad-blocker on a website that normally serves ads</li> | ||
| 183 | <li>Recording a movie or video with a screen recorder or camera</li> | ||
| 184 | <li>Giving or receiving a copy of a game to/from a friend</li> | ||
| 185 | <li>Redistributing or modifying media in any way that you are not given express permission to do so</li> | ||
| 186 | </ul> | ||
| 187 | </p> | 182 | </p> |
| 183 | <ul> | ||
| 184 | <li>Using a YouTube video downloader to download a song</li> | ||
| 185 | <li>Torrenting movies, software, video games, etc.</li> | ||
| 186 | <li>Using ad-free versions of apps that normally require ads</li> | ||
| 187 | <li>Using an ad-blocker on a website that normally serves ads</li> | ||
| 188 | <li>Recording a movie or video with a screen recorder or camera</li> | ||
| 189 | <li>Giving or receiving a copy of a game to/from a friend</li> | ||
| 190 | <li>Redistributing or modifying media in any way that you are not given express permission to do so</li> | ||
| 191 | </ul> | ||
| 188 | <br> | 192 | <br> |
| 189 | <br> | 193 | <br> |
| 190 | <h3>Links, sites, and tech to avoid</h3> | 194 | <h3>Links, sites, and tech to avoid</h3> |
| @@ -195,9 +199,11 @@ | |||
| 195 | to be a list of things to AVOID, NOT THINGS TO USE! I do NOT endorse piracy in any way, if I haven't made | 199 | to be a list of things to AVOID, NOT THINGS TO USE! I do NOT endorse piracy in any way, if I haven't made |
| 196 | that obviously clear so far. Do NOT use these "services" (crime facilitators) to subvert the copyright | 200 | that obviously clear so far. Do NOT use these "services" (crime facilitators) to subvert the copyright |
| 197 | protections of others. This is simply a list of things to AVOID!!!!<br> | 201 | protections of others. This is simply a list of things to AVOID!!!!<br> |
| 198 | <br> | 202 | </p> |
| 199 | <h4>Torrenting</h4> | 203 | <br> |
| 200 | <br> | 204 | <h4>Torrenting</h4> |
| 205 | <br> | ||
| 206 | <p> | ||
| 201 | Torrenting, or the use of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent" target="_blank">BitTorrent Protocol</a>, is not inherently illegal. It is perfectly legal to use | 207 | Torrenting, or the use of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent" target="_blank">BitTorrent Protocol</a>, is not inherently illegal. It is perfectly legal to use |
| 202 | the BitTorrent Protocol to share files with your friends or strangers, <em>GIVEN THAT THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER HAS | 208 | the BitTorrent Protocol to share files with your friends or strangers, <em>GIVEN THAT THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER HAS |
| 203 | AUTHORIZED THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE CONTENT!!!</em> For example, sharing Linux ISOs is perfectly fine because of | 209 | AUTHORIZED THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE CONTENT!!!</em> For example, sharing Linux ISOs is perfectly fine because of |
| @@ -207,32 +213,36 @@ | |||
| 207 | for that matter).<br> | 213 | for that matter).<br> |
| 208 | <br> | 214 | <br> |
| 209 | Some examples of illegal torrenting sites / trackers include: | 215 | Some examples of illegal torrenting sites / trackers include: |
| 210 | <ul> | 216 | </p> |
| 211 | <li><b>The Pirate Bay</b> <a class="bad" href="https://thepiratebay.org/" target="_blank">thepiratebay.org</a>: A public | 217 | <ul> |
| 212 | torrent tracker which provides the .torrent files required to download files illegally. Curiously | 218 | <li><b>The Pirate Bay</b> <a class="bad" href="https://thepiratebay.org/" target="_blank">thepiratebay.org</a>: A public |
| 213 | enough, <abbr title="The Pirate Bay">TPB</abbr> doesn't host any copyrighted material, they only facilitate the act of copyright | 219 | torrent tracker which provides the .torrent files required to download files illegally. Curiously |
| 214 | infringement by offering a safe haven for pirates to congregate</li> | 220 | enough, <abbr title="The Pirate Bay">TPB</abbr> doesn't host any copyrighted material, they only facilitate the act of copyright |
| 215 | <br> | 221 | infringement by offering a safe haven for pirates to congregate</li> |
| 216 | <li><b>1337x</b> <a class="bad" href="https://1337x.to/" target="_blank">1337x.to</a> <a class="tor" href="http://l337xdarkkaqfwzntnfk5bmoaroivtl6xsbatabvlb52umg6v3ch44yd.onion" target="_blank">l337xdarkkaqfwzntnfk5bmoaroivtl6xsbatabvlb52umg6v3ch44yd.onion</a>: | 222 | <br> |
| 217 | Another very popular torrent site that provides .torrent files and magnet links without being a tracker. | 223 | <li><b>1337x</b> <a class="bad" href="https://1337x.to/" target="_blank">1337x.to</a> <a class="tor" href="http://l337xdarkkaqfwzntnfk5bmoaroivtl6xsbatabvlb52umg6v3ch44yd.onion" target="_blank">l337xdarkkaqfwzntnfk5bmoaroivtl6xsbatabvlb52umg6v3ch44yd.onion</a>: |
| 218 | According to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2020-200105/" target="_blank">TorrentFreak</a>, | 224 | Another very popular torrent site that provides .torrent files and magnet links without being a tracker. |
| 219 | it is the 2nd most popular torrent site of 2023 </li> | 225 | According to <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-popular-torrent-sites-of-2020-200105/" target="_blank">TorrentFreak</a>, |
| 220 | <br> | 226 | it is the 2nd most popular torrent site of 2023 </li> |
| 221 | <li><b>BTDigg</b> <a class="bad" href="https://btdig.com/" target="_blank">btdig.com</a> <a class="tor" href="http://btdigggink2pdqzqrik3blmqemsbntpzwxottujilcdjfz56jumzfsyd.onion" target="_blank">btdigggink2pdqzqrik3blmqemsbntpzwxottujilcdjfz56jumzfsyd.onion</a>: | 227 | <br> |
| 222 | A torrent search engine that uses the Mainline DHT as a way to find and serve magnet links. Unlike other | 228 | <li><b>BTDigg</b> <a class="bad" href="https://btdig.com/" target="_blank">btdig.com</a> <a class="tor" href="http://btdigggink2pdqzqrik3blmqemsbntpzwxottujilcdjfz56jumzfsyd.onion" target="_blank">btdigggink2pdqzqrik3blmqemsbntpzwxottujilcdjfz56jumzfsyd.onion</a>: |
| 223 | sites it is neither a tracker nor an index as it does not store any information about magnet links, it | 229 | A torrent search engine that uses the Mainline DHT as a way to find and serve magnet links. Unlike other |
| 224 | simply traverses the Mainline DHT to find torrents for pirates to download</li> | 230 | sites it is neither a tracker nor an index as it does not store any information about magnet links, it |
| 225 | <br> | 231 | simply traverses the Mainline DHT to find torrents for pirates to download</li> |
| 226 | <li><b>rutracker</b> <a class="bad" href="https://rutracker.org/" target="_blank">rutracker.org</a> <a class="tor" href="http://torrentsru5dbmqszbdinnz7cjiubxsjngq52qij6ih3fmp3gn7hwqqd.onion" target="_blank">torrentsru5dbmqszbdinnz7cjiubxsjngq52qij6ih3fmp3gn7hwqqd.onion</a>: | 232 | <br> |
| 227 | The largest Russian BitTorrent tracker to date. Tracks an enormous number of torrents, and is often used | 233 | <li><b>rutracker</b> <a class="bad" href="https://rutracker.org/" target="_blank">rutracker.org</a> <a class="tor" href="http://torrentsru5dbmqszbdinnz7cjiubxsjngq52qij6ih3fmp3gn7hwqqd.onion" target="_blank">torrentsru5dbmqszbdinnz7cjiubxsjngq52qij6ih3fmp3gn7hwqqd.onion</a>: |
| 228 | by non-russians due to the sheer volume of content stored there</li> | 234 | The largest Russian BitTorrent tracker to date. Tracks an enormous number of torrents, and is often used |
| 229 | </ul> | 235 | by non-russians due to the sheer volume of content stored there</li> |
| 236 | </ul> | ||
| 237 | <p> | ||
| 230 | There are far more torrent trackers that I could have listed, but they'd pale in comparison to these 3 titans. Generally, you'll know if a | 238 | There are far more torrent trackers that I could have listed, but they'd pale in comparison to these 3 titans. Generally, you'll know if a |
| 231 | website is a torrent tracker because it won't be shy about telling you. If it IS shy about telling you, it's a private tracker, which you | 239 | website is a torrent tracker because it won't be shy about telling you. If it IS shy about telling you, it's a private tracker, which you |
| 232 | aren't getting invited to without doing a lot of torrenting (which you wouldn't do, because you're not a pirate!)<br> | 240 | aren't getting invited to without doing a lot of torrenting (which you wouldn't do, because you're not a pirate!)<br> |
| 233 | <br> | 241 | <br> |
| 234 | <h4>Torrenting Peripherals</h4> | 242 | </p> |
| 235 | <br> | 243 | <h4>Torrenting Peripherals</h4> |
| 244 | <br> | ||
| 245 | <p> | ||
| 236 | Because of how the BitTorrent Protocol was written, it exposes your IP address to anyone else who's torrenting | 246 | Because of how the BitTorrent Protocol was written, it exposes your IP address to anyone else who's torrenting |
| 237 | a file you're uploading/downloading. This is great news for us pirate haters, because this means copyright | 247 | a file you're uploading/downloading. This is great news for us pirate haters, because this means copyright |
| 238 | holders can get a pirate's IP and report them to their <abbr title="Internet Service Provider">ISP</abbr> for | 248 | holders can get a pirate's IP and report them to their <abbr title="Internet Service Provider">ISP</abbr> for |
| @@ -240,59 +250,129 @@ | |||
| 240 | visit from our boys in the FBI. Unluckily, most pirates know about this and use things to circumvent this<br> | 250 | visit from our boys in the FBI. Unluckily, most pirates know about this and use things to circumvent this<br> |
| 241 | <br> | 251 | <br> |
| 242 | Some of these services include: | 252 | Some of these services include: |
| 243 | <ul> | 253 | </p> |
| 244 | <li><b><abbr title="Virtual Private Network(s)">VPNs</abbr></b>: A piece of software used to mask your IP, | 254 | <ul> |
| 245 | which can be used to circumvent a copyright holder's request to shut off your WiFi. Not all VPNs allow | 255 | <li><b><abbr title="Virtual Private Network(s)">VPNs</abbr></b>: A piece of software used to mask your IP, |
| 246 | torrenting, however there are VPNs that are built entirely for piracy. VPNs in and of themselves are | 256 | which can be used to circumvent a copyright holder's request to shut off your WiFi. Not all VPNs allow |
| 247 | perfectly legal, it's just that some people decide that they can commit crimes if it's harder for their actions | 257 | torrenting, however there are VPNs that are built entirely for piracy. VPNs in and of themselves are |
| 248 | to point back to them </li> | 258 | perfectly legal, it's just that some people decide that they can commit crimes if it's harder for their actions |
| 249 | <br> | 259 | to point back to them </li> |
| 250 | <li><b>Meshnets</b>: A special form of internet that requires special software to access. Meshnets tend to | 260 | <br> |
| 251 | bounce internet traffic between multiple different computers in an attempt to make it nigh-impossible to | 261 | <li><b>Meshnets</b>: A special form of internet that requires special software to access. Meshnets tend to |
| 252 | track any individual user. Again, these services in and of themselves are not illegal, but people tend to | 262 | bounce internet traffic between multiple different computers in an attempt to make it nigh-impossible to |
| 253 | do illegal things while on them. Some of these services include: <a class="tor" href="https://torproject.org" target="_blank"><abbr title="The Onion Router">Tor</abbr></a>, | 263 | track any individual user. Again, these services in and of themselves are not illegal, but people tend to |
| 254 | <a class="i2p" href="https://geti2p.net/en/" target="_blank"><abbr title="Invisible Internet Project">I2P</abbr></a>, | 264 | do illegal things while on them. Some of these services include: <a class="tor" href="https://torproject.org" target="_blank"><abbr title="The Onion Router">Tor</abbr></a>, |
| 255 | and <a class="bad" href="https://www.tribler.org/" target="_blank">Tribler</a></li> | 265 | <a class="i2p" href="https://geti2p.net/en/" target="_blank"><abbr title="Invisible Internet Project">I2P</abbr></a>, |
| 256 | </ul> | 266 | and <a class="bad" href="https://www.tribler.org/" target="_blank">Tribler</a></li> |
| 267 | </ul> | ||
| 268 | <p> | ||
| 257 | The earlier links that ended in .onion are links to Onion Sites, special sites hosted using <a href="https://torproject.org" target="_blank"><abbr title="The Onion Router">Tor</abbr></a>. | 269 | The earlier links that ended in .onion are links to Onion Sites, special sites hosted using <a href="https://torproject.org" target="_blank"><abbr title="The Onion Router">Tor</abbr></a>. |
| 258 | To access an Onion Site, one must use the <a href="https://www.torproject.org/download/" target="_blank">Tor Browser Bundle / Tor Browser</a>. The more tech savvy may know that sites hosted | 270 | To access an Onion Site, one must use the <a href="https://www.torproject.org/download/" target="_blank">Tor Browser Bundle / Tor Browser</a>. The more tech savvy may know that sites hosted |
| 259 | using Tor are on the <b><em>Dark Web</em></b>; By the way, <a href="https://geti2p.net/en/" target="_blank"><abbr title="Invisible Internet Project">I2P</abbr></a> counts as the Dark Web too! | 271 | using Tor are on the <b><em>Dark Web</em></b>; By the way, <a href="https://geti2p.net/en/" target="_blank"><abbr title="Invisible Internet Project">I2P</abbr></a> counts as the Dark Web too! |
| 260 | If that's not enough of a reason to avoid them, I don't know what is!<br> | 272 | If that's not enough of a reason to avoid them, I don't know what is!<br> |
| 261 | <br> | 273 | </p> |
| 262 | <h4>Non-Torrenting Piracy Sites</h4> | 274 | <br> |
| 263 | <br> | 275 | <h4>Non-Torrenting Piracy Sites</h4> |
| 276 | <br> | ||
| 277 | <p> | ||
| 264 | Not every piracy site uses torrenting to distribute their ill-gotten goods. Some sites distribute materials directly, | 278 | Not every piracy site uses torrenting to distribute their ill-gotten goods. Some sites distribute materials directly, |
| 265 | while others use other technologies to disseminate their illegitimate copies. Some of these sites include: | 279 | while others use other technologies to disseminate their illegitimate copies. Some of these sites include: |
| 266 | <ul> | 280 | </p> |
| 267 | <li><b>Scihub</b> <a class="bad" href="https://sci-hub.st/about" target="_blank">sci-hub.st</a>: Scihub mainly | 281 | <ul> |
| 268 | provides access to research papers, regardless of the copyright or licensing agreements held by | 282 | <li><b>Scihub</b> <a class="bad" href="https://sci-hub.st/about" target="_blank">sci-hub.st</a>: Scihub mainly |
| 269 | the paper's authors. Papers require <abbr title="Digital Object Identifier(s)">DOIs</abbr> to | 283 | provides access to research papers, regardless of the copyright or licensing agreements held by |
| 270 | access. I have personal experience with this site, as a (now fired, lol!) college professor recommended | 284 | the paper's authors. Papers require <abbr title="Digital Object Identifier(s)">DOIs</abbr> to |
| 271 | it to me (disgusting!)</li><br> | 285 | access. I have personal experience with this site, as a (now fired, lol!) college professor recommended |
| 272 | <li><b>Library Genesis</b> <a class="bad" href="https://libgen.li" target="_blank">libgen.li</a>: Another shadow library in the vein | 286 | it to me (disgusting!)</li><br> |
| 287 | <li><b>Library Genesis</b> <a class="bad" href="https://libgen.li" target="_blank">libgen.li</a>: Another shadow library in the vein | ||
| 273 | of Scihub, but this one offers books instead of research papers. Libgen is one of the more popular shadow libraries, as it | 288 | of Scihub, but this one offers books instead of research papers. Libgen is one of the more popular shadow libraries, as it |
| 274 | has been around since 2008 and sports a very large catalog of pirated material. LibGen is unique from the other libraries | 289 | has been around since 2008 and sports a very large catalog of pirated material. LibGen is unique from the other libraries |
| 275 | in that if offers downloads using the <a href="https://ipfs.tech/" target="_blank"><abbr title="Interplanetary Filesystem">IPFS</abbr></a>, | 290 | in that if offers downloads using the <a href="https://ipfs.tech/" target="_blank"><abbr title="Interplanetary Filesystem">IPFS</abbr></a>, |
| 276 | protocol another filesharing protocol similar to BitTorrent. Another funny fact is that LibGen came from the Soviet Union; only | 291 | protocol another filesharing protocol similar to BitTorrent. Another funny fact is that LibGen came from the Soviet Union; only |
| 277 | commies could bear such a terrible disregard of copyright law!</li><br> | 292 | commies could bear such a terrible disregard of copyright law!</li><br> |
| 278 | <li><b>Z-Library</b> <a class="tor" href="http://loginzlib2vrak5zzpcocc3ouizykn6k5qecgj2tzlnab5wcbqhembyd.onion" target="_blank">loginzlib2vrak5zzpcocc3ouizykn6k5qecgj2tzlnab5wcbqhembyd.onion</a> <a class="i2p" href="http://zlib24th6ptyb4ibzn3tj2cndqafs6rhm4ed4gruxztaaco35lka.b32.i2p/" target="_blank">zlib24th6ptyb4ibzn3tj2cndqafs6rhm4ed4gruxztaaco35lka.b32.i2p</a>: | 293 | <li><b>Z-Library</b> <a class="tor" href="http://loginzlib2vrak5zzpcocc3ouizykn6k5qecgj2tzlnab5wcbqhembyd.onion" target="_blank">loginzlib2vrak5zzpcocc3ouizykn6k5qecgj2tzlnab5wcbqhembyd.onion</a> <a class="i2p" href="http://zlib24th6ptyb4ibzn3tj2cndqafs6rhm4ed4gruxztaaco35lka.b32.i2p/" target="_blank">zlib24th6ptyb4ibzn3tj2cndqafs6rhm4ed4gruxztaaco35lka.b32.i2p</a>: |
| 279 | yet again another shadow library, but this one has been fully kicked off the clearnet and into the Dark | 294 | yet again another shadow library, but this one has been fully kicked off the clearnet and into the Dark |
| 280 | Web. Currently only accessible through either Tor or I2P (using the .b32.i2p link), Z-Library is possibly the most illegal site I've | 295 | Web. Currently only accessible through either Tor or I2P (using the .b32.i2p link), Z-Library is possibly the most illegal site I've |
| 281 | covered so far. It sports a similarly large catalog of books to LibGen, and can be seen as an alternative. | 296 | covered so far. It sports a similarly large catalog of books to LibGen, and can be seen as an alternative. |
| 282 | Not that anyone should be looking for alternatives anyway</li><br> | 297 | Not that anyone should be looking for alternatives anyway</li><br> |
| 283 | <li><b>Anna's Archive</b> <a class="bad" href="https://annas-archive.org/" target="_blank">annas-archive.org</a>: Anna's archive differs | 298 | <li><b>Anna's Archive</b> <a class="bad" href="https://annas-archive.org/" target="_blank">annas-archive.org</a>: Anna's archive differs |
| 284 | from the other shadow libraries in that it is not a shadow library in and of it self, but a search engine for the rest of the | 299 | from the other shadow libraries in that it is not a shadow library in and of it self, but a search engine for the rest of the |
| 285 | previously mentioned shadow libraries. It does not host any copyrighted content, much the TPB, but facilitates piracy by making | 300 | previously mentioned shadow libraries. It does not host any copyrighted content, much the TPB, but facilitates piracy by making |
| 286 | it trivially easy to find media across the different libraries. Anna's Archive claims that they do not wish to hurt the authors | 301 | it trivially easy to find media across the different libraries. Anna's Archive claims that they do not wish to hurt the authors |
| 287 | of the content they link to, in their about page, but fail spectacularly by simply existing!</li> | 302 | of the content they link to, in their about page, but fail spectacularly by simply existing!</li> |
| 288 | </ul> | 303 | </ul> |
| 304 | <p> | ||
| 289 | Again, there are many more examples of non torrent-based piracy sites, but if I were to list them then we'd be here all day. Pirates regularly | 305 | Again, there are many more examples of non torrent-based piracy sites, but if I were to list them then we'd be here all day. Pirates regularly |
| 290 | have their domains seized and are forced to either go dark and take their site down or switch to another domain. It's likely that all the | 306 | have their domains seized and are forced to either go dark and take their site down or switch to another domain. It's likely that all the |
| 291 | domains I've listed will be different or defunct within a year (here's hoping!). Going on a pirate hunt is a lot like trying to kill the hydra, | 307 | domains I've listed will be different or defunct within a year (here's hoping!). Going on a pirate hunt is a lot like trying to kill the hydra, |
| 292 | kill one pirate and 3 more hop out of the hole you blasted through their ship. The only way piracy can end is if people are made aware of the | 308 | kill one pirate and 3 more hop out of the hole you blasted through their ship, each with a new domain to shoot down.<br> |
| 293 | harm they're bringing; only through willing refusal to pirate can piracy be defeated, and I hope that I've helped in achieving that. | 309 | </p> |
| 310 | <br> | ||
| 311 | <h4>Other Miscellaneous Piracy Techniques</h4> | ||
| 312 | <br> | ||
| 313 | <p> | ||
| 314 | Some methods of piracy do not use torrenting or some other random website, but instead use a piece of illicit software | ||
| 315 | dedicated to the goal of piracy. These pieces of software can be harder to shoot down by copyright holders due to legal | ||
| 316 | loopholes that allow them to skirt by. Hopefully organizations like the <a href="https://www.riaa.com" target="_blank"><abbr title="Recording Industry Association of America">RIAA</abbr></a> | ||
| 317 | can get these hideous blemishes on the books wiped from the record.<br> | ||
| 318 | <br> | ||
| 319 |  <b>- YouTube Piracy Tools</b><br> | ||
| 320 | YouTube, one of the largest video sharing platforms in the world, has a piracy problem. Not only are pirates | ||
| 321 | uploading content to YouTube without proper authorization, they're also creating tools to download videos as | ||
| 322 | .mp3/4's so they can redistribute those as well. Some of these tools include: | ||
| 294 | </p> | 323 | </p> |
| 324 | <ul> | ||
| 325 | <li><em>yt-dlp</em> <a class="bad" href="https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp" target="_blank">github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp</a>: | ||
| 326 | A command-line tool used to download YouTube videos as either video files or audio files. Supports many | ||
| 327 | different types of file format, and bypasses YouTube's rate-limit, enticing pirate who'd want to download | ||
| 328 | entire playlists at once. Often used by pirates to download videos and thumbnails either to reupload to an | ||
| 329 | unauthorized place -- such as another YouTube channel, or TikTok -- or to download massive amounts of music</li><br> | ||
| 330 | <li><em>YouTube Revanced</em> <a class="bad" href="https://github.com/ReVanced/revanced-manager" target="_blank">github.com/ReVanced/revanced-manager</a>: YouTube Revanced, or rather Revanced Manager | ||
| 331 | is an app that modifies a local installation of YouTube to add/remove features from the original app, such as blocking ads (piracy), automatically skipping in-video sponsorships (piracy), and | ||
| 332 | making it trivially easy to download videos (piracy). There are some interesting features that are available from ReVanced, but the piracy should be enough to put anyone off from ever using the | ||
| 333 | app in any capacity. This is one of those apps that uses a legal loophole to continue existing, as it is illegal to distribute a modified version of YouTube, but it isn't illegal to distribute | ||
| 334 | "patches" that would modify YouTube, and a "patcher" to actually modify YouTube</li><br> | ||
| 335 | <li><em>NewPipe</em> <a class="bad" href="https://newpipe.net/" target="_blank">newpipe.net</a>: NewPipe is a "free front-end" for YouTube that doesn't log into a Google account and allows its user to | ||
| 336 | view YouTube videos without ads, along with enabling the downloading of videos. NewPipe is actually used by ReVanced to download its videos. NewPipe claims that it respects users privacy, but | ||
| 337 | without preventing piracy, what's the point?</li><br> | ||
| 338 | <li><em>GrayJay</em> <a class="bad" href="https://grayjay.app/" target="_blank">grayjay.app</a>: An app created by <a href="https://futo.org/what-is-futo/" target="_blank">"FUTO"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/rossmanngroup" target="_blank">Louis Rossmann</a>, | ||
| 339 | a notorious pirate who has outright advocated for piracy in many of his videos on YouTube. GrayJay provides an ad-free experience for several platforms, not just YouTube. Furthermore, it | ||
| 340 | provides an account system so pirates can leave comments on videos and chat with each other. What's even more heinous is that Louis and FUTO are charging for this app! | ||
| 341 | There has never been a clearer, textbook case of piracy to ever exist: A group of users seek to subvert copyright protections, and then charge for removing the copyright! Despicable!</li> | ||
| 342 | </ul> | ||
| 295 | <br> | 343 | <br> |
| 344 | <p> | ||
| 345 |  <b>- Ad-Blocking</b><br> | ||
| 346 | Ad-blocking is a form of piracy where the intrinsic social contract between the user of a site and the site | ||
| 347 | administrator of "User will watch ads to pay for the Administrator's site so that they may keep serving the user" | ||
| 348 | is broken by preventing ads from showing -- thus preventing ad revenue from being claimed by the site admin -- | ||
| 349 | while still loading the rest of the website. This is unacceptable, as running a website is not only difficult, but | ||
| 350 | costs money! (Trust me, it's both)<br> | ||
| 351 | <br> | ||
| 352 | Some of the most popular ad-blocking software includes: | ||
| 353 | </p> | ||
| 354 | <ul> | ||
| 355 | <li><em>uBlock Origin</em> <a class="bad" href="https://ublockorigin.com/" target="_blank">ublockorigin.com</a>: uBlock Origin is one of the most popular ad-blocker extensions across all the currently popular web-browsers. | ||
| 356 | uBlock offers a large list of different sites to block, and has a feature that lets pirates define their own blocking rules to prevent certain sites or even elements on a site from loading. Luckily for us pirate haters, | ||
| 357 | Google Chrome's implementation of <a href="https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/what-is-mv3" target="_blank">Manifest v3</a> should prevent ad-blocking from working at all! Manifest v3 will be | ||
| 358 | adopted by all current popular web browsers, however Firefox has stated that they will refuse to gimp ad-blockers. Sounds to me like they need to be taught a lesson by the copyright industry with a bankrupting lawsuit!</li><br> | ||
| 359 | <li><em>uMatrix</em> <a class="bad" href="https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix" target="_blank">github.com/gorhill/uMatrix</a>: uMatrix was uBlock before uBlock, and can do quite a few of the things uBlock Origin can currently do. It | ||
| 360 | acts like a built-in firewall that pirates can edit on the fly to block the elements of certain sites from loading. Luckily, uMatirx has been abandoned and deprecated by uBlock Origin. One less project to worry about!</li><br> | ||
| 361 | <li><em>Ghostery</em> <a class="bad" href="https://www.ghostery.com/ghostery-ad-blocker" target="_blank">www.ghostery.com/ghostery-ad-blocker</a>: Ghostery is another one of the more popular ad-blockers being used right now, and is | ||
| 362 | available for all platforms (unlike uMatrix). Ghostery claims that they block trackers and make your web browsing experience safer, but they're actively harming the job safety of the site admins that are having their ads blocked!</li><br> | ||
| 363 | </ul> | ||
| 364 | <br> | ||
| 365 | <p> | ||
| 366 |  <b>- Other notable apps/methods</b><br> | ||
| 367 | As it turns out, the internet isn't just YouTube! There are other platforms with their own pirate problems. | ||
| 368 | There are too many possible piracy methods for me to point out every single one, but I will occasionally | ||
| 369 | update this section with other notable apps or methods used to pirate, and which service the app/method impacts.<br> | ||
| 370 | </p> | ||
| 371 | <ul> | ||
| 372 | <li>xManager <a class="bad" href="https://github.com/Team-xManager/xManager/releases" target="_blank">github.com/Team-xManager/xManager/releases</a>: xManager is another app in the same vein of ReVanced Manager, an app that doesn't | ||
| 373 | outright distribute a modified version of Spotify, but distributes patches and a patcher to modify your local install of Spotify. xManager offers premium features without paying for them, which is a godsend from the filthy pirates | ||
| 374 | who'd stoop so low as to steal from starving artists. I was told about this app by a now former friend; former of course as I can not stand to be associated with pirates in any capacity.</li> | ||
| 375 | </ul> | ||
| 296 | <br> | 376 | <br> |
| 297 | <h3>Closing Remarks:</h3> | 377 | <h3>Closing Remarks:</h3> |
| 298 | <br> | 378 | <br> |