TorrentSpy Closes
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)Posted by: RealitY
http://www.slyck.com/newspics/TorrentSpy.jpgTorrentSpy, one of the largest BitTorrent search engines, has ceased operations. According to Justin Bunnell, administrator and owner of TorrentSpy, the decision was made out of a desire to protect the privacy of its users - not because of any legal influence.
"We have decided on our own, not due to any court order or agreement, to bring the Torrentspy.com search engine to an end and thus we permanently closed down worldwide on March 24, 2008," a post on TorrentSpy.com reads.
"The legal climate in the USA for copyright, privacy of search requests, and links to torrent files in search results is simply too hostile. We spent the last two years, and hundreds of thousands of dollars, defending the rights of our users and ourselves."
TorrentSpy has been engaged in a protracted legal dispute with the MPAA since 2004. During this time, TorrentSpy has ventured down various avenues in an attempt to convey legitimacy. In early 2006, TorrentSpy considered (http://www.slyck.com/story1086_TorrentSpys_Quest_for_Legitimacy) opening an online distribution store. The proposed store would initially focus on files such as program updates, patches, and other smaller files. Eventually, Justin had hoped to integrate a music and movie distribution store with TorrentSpy.
TorrentSpy also attempted (http://www.slyck.com/story1509_isoHunt_and_TorrentSpy_to_Filter_Torrents) to appease the movie industry by automating their torrent delisting process. In a move that terrified many BitTorrent users and did little to settle the nerves of the movie industry, Bunnell opened FileRights, a tool which basically allowed rights holders to point and click to offending torrent files.
"With FileRights we used the community networking power of the Web to automate and aggregate the entire copyright filtration process," Bunnell said. "Torrentspy now uses the FileRights cooperative filtering process to filter search results on its popular search engine."
When the legal situation with the MPAA began heating up, TorrentSpy blocked access to US users. Bunnell justified (http://www.slyck.com/story1580_TorrentSpy_Blocks_American_Search_Requests) this move as an effort to protect the privacy of the end user, who he felt could be exploited by the movie industry if TorrentSpy were compelled to divulge any server information.
"If no searches are possible then there is nothing the MPAA can demand from TorrentSpy about searches that will breach user privacy," Justin told Slyck in August of 2007.
Despite the failed endeavor to woo the movie industry and a policy that blocked US access, TorrentSpy remained among the most popular BitTorrent sites. Like anything else, its day has come, and many BitTorrent users will undoubtedly look back fondly on their old TorrentSpy friend.
:source: Source: http://www.slyck.com/story1682_TorrentSpy_Closes
Posted by: ChelSea
thanks Reality , TorrentSpy was so helpful for me :)
Posted by: IdolEyes787
Sad news,but at least they can say that they went on their feet and not their knees.
Posted by: SAM
Sad news,but at least they can say that they went on their feet and not their knees.
so true.they left with dignity and we always remember them.
Posted by: Peanut
man i loved torrentspy they had everything but every since last year (hearing that they were logging in there user's isp or what ever) i never went back to it ...
i guess torrentleech and other's do fine for me lol
Posted by: DasFox
boy I use to surf them all the time in the day when I was using public trackers...
Posted by: esco123
RIP torrentspy, was a great public site, bak wen i was public user.
Posted by: RedluFF
Man, that's a big loss for the public users. I just hope they will find alternatives. But it's good that TS closed before it was too late.
Thanks guys for the good time you gave us :)
Posted by: escuoop
It was just a search engine, I am afraid the will close thepiratybay some day
Posted by: antonii
It was a great search engine,but now its gone.:( That always happen to the good things
Posted by: markupmaster
Sorry to hear that,Big loss for Public users..
:(
Posted by: ernestina
Thanks guys for the good time you gave us.......for all
Posted by: sch0k
That tracker didn't work good for me.
Low speed, and a lot of fake torrents, sorry.
Not going to cry ;(
But I'm afraid TPB etc. is next.
Posted by: susuk
R.I.P.
Sprnova, Lokitorrents, Demonoid, Oink, Torrentspy. I think tracker owners should care more and more about security ...
I can see a future with a lot more of small and private communities, trusted users, invites handled only by staff
Posted by: cook123
truly sad... my first public tracker!!!
Posted by: Tudor
i use to download some stuff but not for a while didn`t even saw it`s gone !
Posted by: MiniMalistic
goodbye torrentspy..:(
Posted by: M3nn0
one of the best public search engines....
RIP :(