Police Raid Usenet Service, Arrest Operator, Seize Data

[ARMOUR]

Usenet (newsgroups) is a server-based sharing system that usually requires a subscription to access. Users download files (binaries) directly from servers run by their Usenet provider and no peer-to-peer sharing takes place. This means that downloads are very secure, almost immune from snooping, and generally very fast.

 

A France-based Usenet provider says that his service has been raided and shutdown by the police. The 5,000 user 'Newsoo' service appears to have been a labor of love for its owner, but all data is now in the hands of authorities after he was arrested. A long-standing complaint by anti-piracy outfit SACEM appears to have been the trigger.

When it comes to file-sharing news, torrent sites usually grab most of the headlines and have done so for the last decade or more. However, a much older method of file-sharing continues in the background, one which facilitates the spread of huge amounts of copyrighted material every day.

 

Certain prominent cases aside, Usenet providers have largely avoided prosecution but for one company in France the show is now over. Following a complaint filed by anti-piracy outfit SACEM two years ago, France’s largest independent Usenet provider Newsoo has just been shut down by the police.

 

Source:

Torrentfreak.com

[straycat19]

I was a huge fan of Usenet back in the 90s, so much so that my computers were literally transferring files 24 hours a day, downloading data and information, sharing virus files and security information, and just generally having access to the largest depository of information in one place that you could ever want.  Over time it just became a nightmare with fake posts and misinformation and it fell by the wayside.  Can't believe they are wasting so much time taking down one usenet provider of only 5000 users,

[steven36]

France invented  the strikes system law were copyright trolls report you back to you're isp on p2p  . Some of the USA  Isps adopted it  but its not a law . They were the ones that made VPNs famous  .  Most people in France  now use Usenet  and filelockers again. So of course there going to go after it. Its just like when the FBI  busted Megaupload   most  all Filehost  moved offshore or became very strict . And many in HongKong closed too because they Helped the USA . Most Usenets  have a rating system and comments and people report if its fake . You can still find good  stuff on there that dont show up on p2p  if you're looking for something .

[tiliarou]

15 hours ago, steven36 said:

France invented  the strikes system law were copyright trolls report you back to you're isp on p2p  . Some of the USA  Isps adopted it  but its not a law . They were the ones that made VPNs famous  .  Most people in France  now use Usenet  and filelockers again. So of course there going to go after it. Its just like when the FBI  busted Megaupload   most  all Filehost  moved offshore or became very strict . And many in HongKong closed too because they Helped the USA . Most Usenets  have a rating system and comments and people report if its fake . You can still find good  stuff on there that dont show up on p2p  if you're looking for something .

This is quite inaccurate: although France implemented the strikes law system (not sure they invented it), it is managed by a state authority called Hadopi, which indeed receive complaints from rights'holders of multimedia content. Then Hadopi strikes in 3 waves: 1st wave is a warning received by traditional mail and email, then 2nd wave if you get caught again you will receive a registered and traceable mail (delivered with signature), and finally the 3rd wave if you reiterate your illegal content sharing is to present you to a judge and you will most likely go to trial with the rights'holders.

Moreover, like most European, French are downloading mostly through bittorent or direct dl filehost with links posted on blogs. Usenet is barely known nor used, and it requires most of the time to pay a monthly or annual fee to get the same level of service as torrent.

I agree that it is tricky for filehosters to avoid shutdown except moving offshore (then how to insure a correct level of service and speed?), and also with the fact that you can still get good content easily on usenet, there are many nzb generator with powerfull search engine and rating system to avoid fakes.

[steven36]

9 hours ago, tiliarou said:

This is quite inaccurate: although France implemented the strikes law system (not sure they invented it), it is managed by a state authority called Hadopi, which indeed receive complaints from rights'holders of multimedia content. Then Hadopi strikes in 3 waves: 1st wave is a warning received by traditional mail and email, then 2nd wave if you get caught again you will receive a registered and traceable mail (delivered with signature), and finally the 3rd wave if you reiterate your illegal content sharing is to present you to a judge and you will most likely go to trial with the rights'holders.

 

Yes  they invented the bill it was presented to the French Senate  by the government on June 18, 2008.  This was years before  some USA ISPs adopted it.. not many places have the law . Most have laws to block websites  though a DNS/ISP  level but still there being watched  when they p2p.

 

Study of French “three strikes” piracy law finds no deterrent effect

Quote

The study found some evidence that determined pirates who are more well-informed about the law may have shifted away from using P2P networks and towards other methods of illegally sharing content, like "direct downloading" sites and newsgroups.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/01/study-of-french-three-strikes-piracy-law-finds-no-deterrent-effect/

 

And 5000 people on Usenet  can upload a whole lot  files to filelockers  for direct downloading and this could slow things down things for french content some. i dont make up what i told you, I read it in the news they do. 

 

In France its a law if you get 3 warnings you get fined, so only someone not smart would keep using p2p without a VPN  . In the USA the ISP that do it give 6 warning and Ive yet to know  them to do anything yet its  more of a educational program that does no good. I think its dumb  to p2p without a vpn no matter  were  you live because there's trolls watching you . and its safer to direct download with a vpn because some governments have been caught  spying on filelocker users  too   .

You dont know who a filehost gives access  to them , many were caught working with the governments.

 

Also I read its best in France  to avoid downloading mainstream french stuff from p2p  this will get you a warning more fast . But why risk it when you can use a vpn or direct download ?  I tell you why people still risk it lack of education on laws.

 

I read some say in France

Quote

If you happen to get one warning (which is rather rare) lay off torrent downloading for a while then get back to it few months later if you want.The number of people who actually get prosecuted is extremely low anyway so :

How ignorant were im from my isp dont send out warnings but that dont mean some media company cant take you to court anyways and fine you because they been doing this longer these laws and  educational programs existed . I never had a warning or letter in my life and i used a vpn since 2011 and i prefer direct download over p2p anyday many just ask for trouble and put there self and family at risk over something that can be avoided for a few dollars  a month or for free via direct downloading .

 

Then when they get caught  and fined maybe even jail  they wonder why . Ignorance is bliss

 

French Anti-Piracy Regime Breaks 5 Million Warning Barrier

https://torrentfreak.com/french-anti-piracy-regime-breaks-5-million-warning-barrier-150720/

 

They done sent out over 5 million warnings in 2015 its most likely 6 million of more by now and some still recommenced to keep doing it without a vpn no wonder laws keep getting harsher and now there going after Usenet.  

 

[tiliarou]

Yes I believe that more people are turning away from P2P, that's true. But in France only a few minority knows about usenet and even less people are actauly using it for downloads

The law is too easy to overcome: after 6 months passed after receiving the first letter your status will be reset and you can restart downloading on P2P. And yes it's easier to get caught if you download French content as the rights'holders are in the same country: it's easier to sue the people.

And it's true that VPN solves pretty much everything but to get a decent speed you need to pay a good VPN. And I don't know if you can catch up to the fastest speed available in France for non professional which is 1Gb/s, which gives 125 MB/s : can the VPN providers maintain this speed after you go through their servers ? For me the easiest is direct download from reliable sources, VPN is extra protection but it depends if it lowers the speed too much or not.

I agree with the conclusion that it's ineffective, it costs tax payer money for almost no result...

[FunBoy87]

I just tired of seeing raid but they probably want to get paid just like humans does but Entertainment is the one brought it up about 'Piracy' so viewers gonna get away with it anyways so it is same apply as 'Rise of Ad Blocking Is the Ad...' so if Entertainment promoting about pirates then it's Entertainment's fault though.  If People or Gov't talking about Pirate Bay but how they know? it's all about People with different kind of jobs... so It doesn't make any sense if they raid u out just because you don't know anything so unless someone giving them inside information so that's obviously come from source... ain't nobody in Gov't know something unless there's mole or inside information that lead them to raid to places that likely bully their ways in.  that gonna make pirates to find another ways to avoid that happen so one out of zillion...

 

[Jaley]

Not many people heard about usenet its quite geeky since majority of the users around the globe would be using mainstream protocol like bitorrent