File-sharing services seem even more dangerous than torrent sites

Nov 2, 2011 13:40 GMT  ·  By

An internal Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) fact sheet reveals the organization's plans to go after the so-called rogue cyberlockers which they believe to be extremely profitable for the ones that run them.

According to TorrentFreak, the two-page document entitled “It’s All About the Money: The ‘Business’ Model of Rogue Cyberlockers,” gives an overview on the matter of file-sharing services considered to be a menace to the industry.

“Rogue cyberlockers aren’t just distribution hubs for stolen movies and TV shows – both the users who upload content and the operators who run the sites can earn money from doing so. As Internet video traffic grows, the threat from rogue cyberlockers that profit from stolen content is rising rapidly,” the paper reads.

This might be a good explanation why Rapidshare was not included on the list that the MPAA recently submitted to the government. Maybe they have a whole different plan for these types of services.

One of the things that seems to bother the association the most is the fact that everyone involved in these activities is in it for the money.

“Rogue cyberlockers feature ‘affiliate’ or ‘partner’ programs that pay uploaders cash for every thousand downloads of uploaded files. Putlocker.com exhorted users to ‘get paid for uploading good content that people want to see.’ Uploading.com promoted the ease of earning money by uploading files: ‘Now every time someone downloads your file you earn up to 2 cents. Relax and watch the money flow!’”

We will soon probably find out the official version for the existence of the document, however, it's clear that the movie industry will not let this slide. They now seem to be even more determined than in the case of torrent clients, which soon might be pushed out of the spotlight, their place being taken by these so-called money making factories.