Thread: Torrentleech infiltrated by MPAA?

Ok so maybe the title of this thread is a little sensationalist :p. But, I just got a warning email from my ISP about a movie my brother download off of torrentleech recently (it was Shutter Island R5). I've gotten these warning emails about movies before for those downloaded off of pirate bay/other pub trackers, so that's why I stopped using pub trackers.

Even though I live in Canada, where to my knowledge nobody can do anything (legally speaking) about me downloading movies other than send complaints to my ISP, I am wondering how it's possible that the MPAA/whoever found out about my connection being used to download something off of a private tracker? Is the only possibility that they are also on torrentleech, and therefore saw my IP in the swarm downloading it? Or is there another explanation that I haven't thought of?



If TL is indeed "infiltrated" then I will have to switch to using someplace else to get my movies.

I did some quick Google searching and discovered some articles circa May 2009 about an antipiracy group affiliated with the MPAA called BayTSP infiltrating Torrentleech. It was posted on Filesharefreak but is no longer there.

I also dug up this thread from T-I that discusses the issue: http://www.torrent-invites.com/bittorrent-discussion/35830-torrentleech-scare.html

Given the size of TL's userbase, this really doesn't surprise me but I would suggest that U.S.-based TL users tread carefully in case the MPAA is stepping up an enforcement campaign.

Thanks for the link/background info. I'm really surprised nonetheless-sure, TL has a large userbase, but TL seems pretty hard to get into and I figured the MPAA was too stupid to know how to sign up to private trackers. I guess its safer to use sites that require ratio proofs etc-I'm assuming the MPAA is not going to go through the effort of making accounts and building up ratios at a bunch of private trackers just so they can get in to more ratio-proof invite-only trackers and catch people. At least one would hope not.

Originally Posted by OrangeArmy

Thanks for the link/background info. I'm really surprised nonetheless-sure, TL has a large userbase, but TL seems pretty hard to get into and I figured the MPAA was too stupid to know how to sign up to private trackers. I guess its safer to use sites that require ratio proofs etc-I'm assuming the MPAA is not going to go through the effort of making accounts and building up ratios at a bunch of private trackers just so they can get in to more ratio-proof invite-only trackers and catch people. At least one would hope not.

They should get the MPAA's IP and get the tracker to report they downloaded a shit load of torrents then have a legal battle against them and fuck them over. Come on I am calling for the whole torrent world to try and fuck them all over. Hack there PC's put kiddy porn on them, what ever you have to do!!!!

TL ( for example, when U mentioned it ) is a very popular and invite only private tracker and surely, among few hundred thousand members, there are some users who in fact represent the authorities, the law whatever... We should all know that just a few years ago most of torrent traffic was concentrated on public trackers... today, private trackers, due to several factors like security, quality etc., are the main places where torrent users spend their time and it's quite normal for me that authorities are infiltrated there too... after all, they represent the law... btw, aside from their infiltration, did U ever think about the possibility that there are some members who are in fact insiders and who are giving the informations to authorities ? I have...

Originally Posted by Takayama

did U ever think about the possibility that there are some members who are in fact insiders and who are giving the informations to authorities ? I have...

they should make it in the agreement to join private trackers and T-I that any evidence of P2P is to be void as it is under the agreement that if you join/register you must not give track IP's, or be a part of any authority to stop P2P, get what I mean?

If random people like you and me can join "private" trackers what makes you think anti-piracy companies can't? I think people get a false sense of security from downloading through private trackers, and if someone was logging info and reporting it no one would be able to find out who it was. I'll bet this goes on a lot more than anyone knows.

This is not anything new, I have read about other users on the TL forums getting emails from there ISP about downloading movies, unfortunetly this type of thing is going to happen when you have a tracker with so many users, and is going to be very difficult to find the traitors there.
This is why I feel much safer using a seed box.

Originally Posted by Zoee

This is not anything new, I have read about other users on the TL forums getting emails from there ISP about downloading movies, unfortunetly this type of thing is going to happen when you have a tracker with so many users, and is going to be very difficult to find the traitors there.
This is why I feel much safer using a seed box.

thats why I am hurrying my current client along so i can finsih it all seed for 72 hours uninstall utorrent and get a seedbox.