- Newzbin
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Newzbin 
Newzbin logoScreenshot of main page
URL www.newzbin.com Slogan nzb search done right Available language(s) English Alexa rank 
10,714 (November 2011[update])[1]Newzbin is a British Usenet indexing website, intended to facilitate access to content on Usenet. The site has caused controversy over its stance on copyrighted material. Access to the Newzbin.com website was blocked by BT in 2011 following legal action in the UK by Hollywood film studios.[2]
Contents
Features
Newzbin indexes binary files that have been posted on Usenet, and offers the results through a search engine, and categories including "Movies", Music", "Apps" and "Books".[3][4] The site creates NZB files, which allow the files to be downloaded with a suitable newsreader.[5] NZB files are similar to torrent files, as they do not contain the file itself, but information about the location of the file to be downloaded.[6] The search results can be browsed free of charge after creating a user account, but access to the NZB files is restricted to premium members who pay a subscription.[7][3]
2010 legal action from Hollywood studios
In February and March 2010, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios Productions LLLP, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Paramount Pictures Corporation, Disney Enterprises, Inc. and Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. took joint legal action against Newzbin in the High Court in London, arguing that the site was encouraging widespread copyright infringement by indexing unofficial copies of films on Usenet.[8]
In March 2010, Mr. Justice Kitchin ruled that Newzbin was deliberately indexing copyrighted content, observing that Newzbin had a "sophisticated and substantial infrastructure and in the region of 700,000 members, though not all premium", and that "for the year ended 31 December 2009, it had a turnover in excess of £1million, a profit in excess of £360,000 and paid dividends on ordinary shares of £415,000".[8] Chris Elsworth, the main operator of Newzbin, had said repeatedly during the case that he had no knowledge of infringement occurring on the service, and that Newzbin's categories for "CAM," "screener," "telesync," "DVD,"R5 retail","Blu-ray," and "HD DVD" did not suggest any evidence of infringement. Kitchin was critical of Elsworth, stating that his evidence disputing the claim that the site's features did not encourage copyright infringement was "simply not credible".[5][8]
On 18 May 2010, the Newzbin.com site was temporarily shut down, displaying the message "Regrettably the Newzbin website has to close as a result of the legal action against us." [9]
By 2 June 2010, Newzbin was back online, under the name Newzbin2, but using the same code and database as its predecessor, and hosted in the Seychelles.[10]
2011 legal action and BT site blocking
In June 2011, the Motion Picture Association applied for an injunction to force BT, the largest Internet service provider in the United Kingdom, to cut off customers' access to Newzbin.[11] On 28 July 2011, the High Court ruled that BT must block access to Newzbin, using Cleanfeed.[12] BT announced that it would not appeal against the ruling.[13] The Open Rights Group was critical of the decision, saying that it could set a "dangerous" precedent.[14]
In September 2011, Newzbin released client software which aimed to circumvent the BT blocking.[15]
On 26 October 2011 at the High Court, Mr. Justice Arnold ordered BT to block its estimated six million customers' access to the website Newzbin2 within fourteen days, the first ruling of its kind under UK copyright law.[2] Attempts to access the site from a BT IP address are met by the message "Error - site blocked".[16] Newzbin claimed that the block was ineffective, and that 93.5% of its active UK users have downloaded its workaround software. A study suggested that the workaround involved encryption to hide communication between users and Newzbin2, including the use of the Tor network.[17]
Sky, Virgin Media and TalkTalk have been asked by the Motion Picture Association to block access to Newzbin, and have indicated that they would do so in response to a court order. The MPA has also asked BT to block access to The Pirate Bay.[18]
See also
References
- ^ "newzbin.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/newzbin.com. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
- ^ a b "BT ordered to block Newzbin2 filesharing site within 14 days". The Guardian. 26 October 2011. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/26/bt-block-newzbin2-filesharing-site/. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
- ^ a b Newzbin Review Retrieved 17 November 2011.
- ^ Newzbin.com site interface Retrieved 19 November 2011.
- ^ a b "Usenet curator Newzbin hammered by UK court for infringement". Arstechnica. 2010-03-30. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/usenet-curator-newzbin-hammered-by-uk-court-for-infringement.ars.
- ^ How to Get Started with Usenet in Three Simple Steps Lifehacker.com. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
- ^ Newzbin:NZB Guide Retrieved 18 November 2011.
- ^ a b c Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios Productions LLLP, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Paramount Pictures Corporation, Disney Enterprises, Inc., Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. v Newzbin Limited [2010] EWHC 608 (Ch) (1-3, 8, 10 February, 2, 3 March 2010), High Court (England and Wales)
- ^ Oates, John (2010-05-19). "Newzbin goes titsup". The Register. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/19/newzbin_shuts. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
- ^ Newzbin: What happens next? BBC technology news 29 July 2011
- ^ Film-makers seek injunction to block pirate site BBC technology news 28 June 2011
- ^ Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios Productions LLLP, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Paramount Pictures Corporation, Disney Enterprises, Inc., Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. v British Telecommunications PLC [2011] EWHC 1981 (Ch) (28-29 June 2011 with further written submissions: 15, 19 July 2011), High Court (England and Wales)
- ^ "BBC News - BT ordered to block links to Newzbin 2 website". BBC. 2011-07-28. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14322957. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
- ^ "Search Clinic – Court orders BT to censor Newzbin website". Searchclinic.org. 2011-08-02. http://www.searchclinic.org/2011/08/court-orders-bt-to-censor-newzbin-website.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
- ^ "Newzbin client aims to circumvent BT blocking". ZD Net. 16 September 2011. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/communication-breakdown-10000030/newzbin-client-aims-to-circumvent-bt-blocking-10024357/. Retrieved 18/09/2011.
- ^ Error message from browser Retrieved 17 November 2011.
- ^ Newzbin claims BT block 'not working' BBC News, 3 November 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
- ^ Sky, Virgin Media asked to block piracy site Newzbin2 BBC News, 9 November 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
External links
- Official website
- Full text of 28 July 2011 ruling by Mr. Justice Arnold
- Newzbin 2 site to be blocked by BT after MPA case ruling. Video from BBC News, 28 July 2011.
Categories:- Usenet
- United Kingdom copyright law
- Copyright law
- Copyright legislation
- Computer law
- 2011 in law
- Internet in the United Kingdom
- Copyright infringement
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