Movie Studios Target Newzbin Over Usenet File-Sharing

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 8, 2009 - 9:18am.

Los Angeles - Movie studio trade group the Motion Picture Association (MPA) has set its sights on U.K.-based Usenet newsgroup search engine Newzbin for copyright infringement litigation, in a case due to be heard late this year or in early 2010, TorrentFreak reported.

Usenet has long been a somewhat overlooked place to go for media downloads, perhaps because it is a bit more difficult for average users than BitTorrent or other services.

Newzbin made things easier with the release of its .NZB file format, which facilitates media downloads from Usenet newsgroups.

The MPA first sent cease-and-desist letters to Newzbin in May 2008, and by December the service said it had begun removing links to allegedly infringing files at the behest of the movie studios.

The MPA is now seeking an injunction against the site; TorrentFreak noted that no site similar to Newzbin has been brought up on copyright charges before, in the U.K. or elsewhere.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/figir (TorrentFreak)

http://www.newzbin.com

http://www.mpaa.org