PWTorrents recieves C&D Email from WWE

[Farquall]

[news=http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/5585/pwt2hg14ar.jpg]The site is down until further notice. It is a damn shame to see the best WWE/WCW/ECW/Indy wrestling torrent site go down. Apparently XWT is next on the hitlist among others.


Quote:

April 18, 2006

By email ([email protected])

Re: Unauthorized Use of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. Intellectual Property: WWE IMAGES/Footage

Our File: WWE USA INF 442


Dear Mr. Baily:

As you know, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is the exclusive owner of numerous trademarks, service marks, and copyrights, including numerous copyrights for the images of its talent, and show footage. As owner of numerous copyrights, we vigilantly protect our copyrighted works and will not tolerate any infringement of the same.

WWE has recently acquired evidence that you are, AGAIN, infringing our copyrights, specifically, by posting WWE copyrighted images, and/or footage on your www.pwtorrents.net website. Your actions constitute actionable copyright infringement. Under U.S. Copyright law, we may be able to obtain actual damages plus any additional profits you made on the infringing products, or statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work infringed, counsel fees and costs (17 U.S.C. §504, 505). In addition, under U.S. Federal Criminal law, you may face criminal sanctions, including imprisonment and fines (18 U.S.C. §2319).

In the interest of avoiding costly legal proceedings, we demand that you:

1. immediately and permanently cease posting any WWE images and/or footage on your www.pwtorrents.net website, and agree not to post any WWE copyrighted works, now or in the future;

2. immediately remove WWE copyrighted images and footage from your www.pwtorrents.net website;

3. confirm in writing that you have complied with all of WWE ’s demands by signing and returning a copy of the Acknowledgement and Agreement included below.

The demands made herein are not made to the exclusion of other remedies to which WWE is entitled and WWE specifically reserves the right to seek all remedies available to it under federal law and state law as a result of your infringing activities.

If we do not hear from you by April 19, 2006, we WILL take further legal action.


Sincerely,

Stacy L. Papachristos

Associate Counsel

End Quote.


Source: http://forum.pwtorrents.net/viewtopi...er=asc&start=0

Hope this doesn't break any forum rules I just thought others might like to know what is going on in the pro wrestling torrent world.[/news]

[Busyman™]

Tell me do you think the WWE is wrong for doing this?

[Cheese]

That's a shame. I used to use PWTorrents last year, they had the wrestling torrents up the fastest but the high traffic meant the download would take all day.

alt.binaries.pro-wrestling is where I get all my wrestling now, takes a little longer to come on but it's downloaded in about 10 minutes when it does.

[Farquall]

well I know the WWE is only protecting their investments but they have hurt a lot of their fans who can't get wwe any other way (because their local or cable providers offer either a highly edited international version or nothing at all).

I don't believe what they are doing is wrong but I do believe it is a poor decision. Some of the speculation (due to the timing of the notice) is due to a dark match (untelevised house match) being made available on the site which can be a spoiler for future storylines (and due to the nature of this particular match, having superstars from competing brands smackdown and raw) the wwe is probably more pissed off that a fan cam was leaked and is trying to prevent this from happening again.

[moh11]

Well we know that WWE is protecting its investment by doing this, but the site was class for latest stuff and old stuff, truly great, and to me unbeatable, its a shame, but all torrent sites have this risk, it was a great site and it may continue to if they get rid of the WWE/WCW/ECW stuff it may workout, who knows.

[Busyman™]

well I know the WWE is only protecting their investments but they have hurt a lot of their fans who can't get wwe any other way (because their local or cable providers offer either a highly edited international version or nothing at all).

I don't believe what they are doing is wrong but I do believe it is a poor decision.

Torrent sites don't just cater to those that are not in televised markets.

It would be a slick marketing strategy if there could overseas targeted torrents for out-of-market content. They then can gauge downloads and see if it would be profitable to enter new markets.

Over these parts, TV is about ratings, not necessarily good shows. Most good shows translate to good ratings but a show can win all the Emmy awards it can muster. If doesn't get good ratings, the network will flush it.

All in all, it works out in the American market.

[Farquall]

There is an update from Sarge the owner of PWT.

PWT Will be back online with the next hour, however:

WWE footage/material will have been removed from our tracker except for WWF, WCW and ECW tagged materials until we get further instruction from World Wrestling Entertainment.

Whilst you people are enjoying downloading most indy and TNA shows off PWT, you can go to either XWT or FCZ for your WWE Fix.
For the next week, I will be trying my hardest to get WWE material back on the tracker so chill for a little bit.

Thanks to the mods of PWT for helping me out through this, always appreciated.

[Cheese]

There is an update from Sarge the owner of PWT.

PWT Will be back online with the next hour, however:

WWE footage/material will have been removed from our tracker except for WWF, WCW and ECW tagged materials until we get further instruction from World Wrestling Entertainment.

Whilst you people are enjoying downloading most indy and TNA shows off PWT, you can go to either XWT or FCZ for your WWE Fix.
For the next week, I will be trying my hardest to get WWE material back on the tracker so chill for a little bit.

Thanks to the mods of PWT for helping me out through this, always appreciated.

As I'm sure you are aware, WWE owns all the WCW and ECW stuff as well (and the WWF stuff obviously) so it would be strange if WWE allowed/wanted them to continue tracking that stuff. I guess it all depends on where the servers are and where this Sarge chap resides as to what the WWE can really do.

[morley34]

There is an update from Sarge the owner of PWT.

PWT Will be back online with the next hour, however:

WWE footage/material will have been removed from our tracker except for WWF, WCW and ECW tagged materials until we get further instruction from World Wrestling Entertainment.

Whilst you people are enjoying downloading most indy and TNA shows off PWT, you can go to either XWT or FCZ for your WWE Fix.
For the next week, I will be trying my hardest to get WWE material back on the tracker so chill for a little bit.

Thanks to the mods of PWT for helping me out through this, always appreciated.

Whats the web address for FCZ

[Farquall]

Not sure. Never used them myself.