Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell • Hacker News Board

Re: Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell

#11

Post by Svenskunganka » Fri, Aug 05, 2016, 9:00 AM UTC

derefr wrote: post #8

Oh wow, what's going on with torrent sites lately? I feel like we're "running out" of them somehow.

It's a tricky business running a torrent site. Unless it is fully decentralized, it can be shut down fairly easily.

Starting a torrent site using the HTTP & DNS protocols is a lost cause. HTTP can be worked around, but DNS is very problematic. I think we'll see more and more torrent sites show up that leverages IPFS[1] or ZeroNet[2], but the second the main browser vendors adds support for something like IPNS (decentralized alternative to DNS), torrent sites will have won the battle with MPAA, RIAA and other IP and DMCA enforcers. Considering the grip that the movie studios has around the vendors, it is very unlikely that it will happen.

[1] - https://ipfs.io/

[2] - https://zeronet.io/

Re: Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell

#12

Post by known » Fri, Aug 05, 2016, 9:00 AM UTC

amariyappa wrote: post #2

any alternative aggregator ??

Google filetype:torrent

Re: Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell

#13

Post by drops » Fri, Aug 05, 2016, 9:02 AM UTC

amariyappa wrote: post #2

any alternative aggregator ??

qBittorrent client has an in-built search engine

Re: Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell

#14

Post by sschueller » Fri, Aug 05, 2016, 9:02 AM UTC

I hope we get a nice implementation of Riffle[1] sometime soon.

[1] http://people.csail.mit.edu/devadas/pubs/riffle.pdf

Re: Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell

#15

Post by Svenskunganka » Fri, Aug 05, 2016, 9:03 AM UTC

nothrabannosir wrote: post #9

Svenskunganka wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could be, but it doesn't seem likely considering torrents themselves are not illegal, it's what they point to that might be illegal. But then again, I wonder why trackers are seen as illegal? They're nothing more than what a router is.

Technological reality doesn't matter in law. What matters is whether you facilitate crime or not.

I agree, but the case with torrents and trackers is such a gray area. Shouldn't routers be illegal since they help facilitate crime? If not, why should trackers?

I'm just playing with thoughts, interested in seeing what people think.

Re: Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell

#16

Post by Freak_NL » Fri, Aug 05, 2016, 9:08 AM UTC

nothrabannosir wrote: post #9

Svenskunganka wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could be, but it doesn't seem likely considering torrents themselves are not illegal, it's what they point to that might be illegal. But then again, I wonder why trackers are seen as illegal? They're nothing more than what a router is.

Technological reality doesn't matter in law. What matters is whether you facilitate crime or not.

More cynically put; what matters is if you are perceived as a facilitator of copyright infringement and a threat to the business models of corporations willing to spend a lot of money on shutting you down.

Regardless of whether what Torrentz was doing legal or not; what you do doesn't even have to be actually illegal to be shut down if your opponent has bigger pockets.

Re: Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell

#17

Post by jjn2009 » Fri, Aug 05, 2016, 9:08 AM UTC

ENGNR wrote: post #10

The largest torrent search engine? No way, Google is still working fine for me

The double standard is incredible. Google would be well served defending the open web by supporting sites such as torrentz (via legal resources or otherwise), its unfortunate that the PR aspect prevents such a thing.

Re: Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell

#18

Post by Svenskunganka » Fri, Aug 05, 2016, 9:09 AM UTC

drops wrote: post #13

amariyappa wrote: post #2

any alternative aggregator ??

qBittorrent client has an in-built search engine

Do you know how it works? Does it use the DHT or is there a central tracker/index somewhere?

Re: Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell

#19

Post by dyml » Fri, Aug 05, 2016, 9:09 AM UTC

What would it take to build a secure & resilient torrent site?

I'm guessing fully decentralised and I've seen mentions of

* ipfs (https://ipfs.io/)

* zeronet (https://zeronet.io/

* Riffle (anonymous communication)

Couldn't we leverage bits of the blockchain technology?

Since it's a fully distributed shared database where writers don't trust each other and no middleman is trusted either?

(edit:formatting)

Re: Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell

#20

Post by pjc50 » Fri, Aug 05, 2016, 9:09 AM UTC

Svenskunganka wrote: post #15

nothrabannosir wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Technological reality doesn't matter in law. What matters is whether you facilitate crime or not.

I agree, but the case with torrents and trackers is such a gray area. Shouldn't routers be illegal since they help facilitate crime? If not, why should trackers? I'm just playing with thoughts, interested in seeing what people think.

This question was actually addressed in the EU copyright directive:

Article 5

Exceptions and limitations

1. Temporary acts of reproduction referred to in Article 2, which are transient or incidental [and] an integral and essential part of a technological process and whose sole purpose is to enable:

(a) a transmission in a network between third parties by an intermediary, or

(b) a lawful use

of a work or other subject-matter to be made, and which have no independent economic significance, shall be exempted from the reproduction right provided for in Article 2.

.. explicitly exempts the copies made by routers in the course of their operation.