YTS Closure Down to Deal Struck With Hollywood

YTS, the website that was home to the infamous YIFY torrents, closed for good last week, calling time on years of good quality, low file size HD pirated movies. YIFY, which was the primary source of content for popular pirate streaming app Popcorn Time, nor YTS revealed what had motivated its decision to cease operation, but it has now been revealed that the team responsible agreed to the closure in a deal with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in order to escape prosecution.

YTS was under legal pressure from the MPAA, as confirmed by its Chairman Christopher J. Dodd last week. “This coordinated legal action is part of a larger comprehensive approach being taken by the MPAA and its international affiliates to combat content theft,” Dodd said.

In response to legal action, the unnamed 21-year-old behind YTS – said to be a citizen of New Zealand, much like Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, who could face prison for similar deeds – signed a private settlement deal with the MPAA to close down the site and cease producing YIFY torrents in order to escape jail time, according to TorrentFreak. The YTS.to domain name was later signed over to the MPAA.

Given the similarities between the legal infringements by YTS and the on-going prosecution of Kim Dotcom, the German entrepreneur is understandably aggrieved by what he calls “a double standard”.

“I think our case has chilled law enforcement and Hollywood against pursuing the criminal route in cases such as this. Quick civil settlements seem to be the new way to go,” Dotcom told TorrentFreak.

Image courtesy of CurrentlyDown.