EZTV Closed After Hostile Takeover

TV torrent distribution group EZTV has been forced to close after the site domain was seized by scammers in what has been described as a “hostile takeover”. EZTV was born out of the ashes TVTorrents.tv and btefnet after they were taken down via lawsuit in 2005 and has been a popular source of the latest TV show torrents ever since.

The groups domain, however, was put under threat earlier this year after it was discovered that the site’s Whois information was incorrect. The domain was put up for auction again by the host, and a group of scammers posing as EZTV – who went so far as to register the UK company EZCloud LIMITED, the same company name used by EZTV, to legitimise their claim – bought the site name.

The scammers, posing as the real EZTV, were then able to take control of another related domain, EZTV.se, through the EuroDNS registrar.  EZTV owner NovaKing tried to prevent the seizure of his domains by changing the registrar, but was told that he would have to take the matter to court. Once the scammers took EZTV.se, they were granted access to NovaKing’s registrar account, for which they reset the passwords, locking NovaKing and other EZTV staff out. They were then able to take the EZTV.ch domain, which completed their hostile takeover.

NovaKing has since decided to retire the site, and wants to warn others that EZTV is no longer legitimate. The Pirate Bay, though still carrying EZTV torrents, warns that the domain is no longer to be trusted, whereas KickAss Torrents has banned all EZTV torrents.

Thank you Torrent Freak for providing us with this information.

Image courtesy of Zurb.