With close to a billion active monthly users worldwide, Telegram is one of the most used messaging services.

The communication platform helps to connect people from all over the globe, with optional end-to-end encryption providing improved security compared to some other players in the market.

Telegram can also be an excellent medium to broadcast messages to a wider audience. Through dedicated one-way channels, people can share news, status updates, and emergency alerts, for example.

Z-Library & Anna’s Archive

In ‘piracy’ associated circles, Z-Library has one of the most followed Telegram channels of all. The shadow library’s official channel amassed over 630,000 subscribers over the years, who were among the first to read site announcements and other key updates.

Z-Library previously had some of its messages removed due to copyright infringement. While it didn’t upload or directly link to infringing material on Telegram, rightsholders allegedly complained about the links that were posted to the Z-Library website.

In response, Z-Library chose to no longer include links to its own homepage on Telegram. Instead, it referred users to Wikipedia and Reddit , where the links were still available.

The same copyright awareness was visible at Anna’s Archive , a popular shadow library search engine. This channel was also careful not to post direct links to infringing material. After all, sharing or uploading copyrighted books would undoubtedly lead to trouble.

Telegram Disables Channels Without Notice

Despite the reported caution, the channels of both Z-Library and Anna’s Archive are no longer accessible today. Messages posted by these accounts were purged “due to copyright infringement”, as shown below.

Telegram didn’t limit its action to removing posts; the channels are now entirely inaccessible. Those trying to access the channels in the Telegram app receive a pop-up message stating they are “unavailable due to copyright infringement.”

The simultaneous removal of both channels suggests they are linked to the same complaint or decision. The specific complaint and alleged copyright infringements remain unclear. Telegram’s press contact didn’t immediately respond to our request for comment.

What Copyright Infringements?

An Anna’s Archive representative states that they are also unaware of the reason for the suspension. Telegram didn’t inform them about the channel suspension, and Anna’s Archive says that Z-Library – who they are in good contact with – was not informed either.

“We took care not to link to any infringing files or websites from the Telegram group,” Anna says, adding that they have no idea why this happened.

It’s possible that infringing links may have slipped through somehow and coincidentally raised ‘repeat infringer’ flags for both channels. Another option is an unreported legal complaint or proceeding triggering this action.

At this point, we can only speculate about the reason for the removals. But if it’s tied to legal action, India comes to mind.

Telegram was previously ordered by an Indian court to share user details . These courts also issue broad blocking orders against pirate sites, often affecting third-party intermediaries , so Telegram’s involvement is plausible.

What we do know is that the targeted websites remain readily available. Z-Library didn’t return our request for comment, but the site has launched a new Telegram channel, which already has a few hundred subscribers.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

With close to a billion active monthly users worldwide, Telegram is one of the most used messaging services.

The communication platform helps to connect people from all over the globe, with optional end-to-end encryption providing improved security compared to some other players in the market.

Telegram can also be an excellent medium to broadcast messages to a wider audience. Through dedicated one-way channels, people can share news, status updates, and emergency alerts, for example.

Z-Library & Anna’s Archive

In ‘piracy’ associated circles, Z-Library has one of the most followed Telegram channels of all. The shadow library’s official channel amassed over 630,000 subscribers over the years, who were among the first to read site announcements and other key updates.

Z-Library previously had some of its messages removed due to copyright infringement. While it didn’t upload or directly link to infringing material on Telegram, rightsholders allegedly complained about the links that were posted to the Z-Library website.

In response, Z-Library chose to no longer include links to its own homepage on Telegram. Instead, it referred users to Wikipedia and Reddit , where the links were still available.

The same copyright awareness was visible at Anna’s Archive , a popular shadow library search engine. This channel was also careful not to post direct links to infringing material. After all, sharing or uploading copyrighted books would undoubtedly lead to trouble.

Telegram Disables Channels Without Notice

Despite the reported caution, the channels of both Z-Library and Anna’s Archive are no longer accessible today. Messages posted by these accounts were purged “due to copyright infringement”, as shown below.

Telegram didn’t limit its action to removing posts; the channels are now entirely inaccessible. Those trying to access the channels in the Telegram app receive a pop-up message stating they are “unavailable due to copyright infringement.”

The simultaneous removal of both channels suggests they are linked to the same complaint or decision. The specific complaint and alleged copyright infringements remain unclear. Telegram’s press contact didn’t immediately respond to our request for comment.

What Copyright Infringements?

An Anna’s Archive representative states that they are also unaware of the reason for the suspension. Telegram didn’t inform them about the channel suspension, and Anna’s Archive says that Z-Library – who they are in good contact with – was not informed either.

“We took care not to link to any infringing files or websites from the Telegram group,” Anna says, adding that they have no idea why this happened.

It’s possible that infringing links may have slipped through somehow and coincidentally raised ‘repeat infringer’ flags for both channels. Another option is an unreported legal complaint or proceeding triggering this action.

At this point, we can only speculate about the reason for the removals. But if it’s tied to legal action, India comes to mind.

Telegram was previously ordered by an Indian court to share user details . These courts also issue broad blocking orders against pirate sites, often affecting third-party intermediaries , so Telegram’s involvement is plausible.

What we do know is that the targeted websites remain readily available. Z-Library didn’t return our request for comment, but the site has launched a new Telegram channel, which already has a few hundred subscribers.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

With close to a billion active monthly users worldwide, Telegram is one of the most used messaging services.

The communication platform helps to connect people from all over the globe, with optional end-to-end encryption providing improved security compared to some other players in the market.

Telegram can also be an excellent medium to broadcast messages to a wider audience. Through dedicated one-way channels, people can share news, status updates, and emergency alerts, for example.

Z-Library & Anna’s Archive

In ‘piracy’ associated circles, Z-Library has one of the most followed Telegram channels of all. The shadow library’s official channel amassed over 630,000 subscribers over the years, who were among the first to read site announcements and other key updates.

Z-Library previously had some of its messages removed due to copyright infringement. While it didn’t upload or directly link to infringing material on Telegram, rightsholders allegedly complained about the links that were posted to the Z-Library website.

In response, Z-Library chose to no longer include links to its own homepage on Telegram. Instead, it referred users to Wikipedia and Reddit , where the links were still available.

The same copyright awareness was visible at Anna’s Archive , a popular shadow library search engine. This channel was also careful not to post direct links to infringing material. After all, sharing or uploading copyrighted books would undoubtedly lead to trouble.

Telegram Disables Channels Without Notice

Despite the reported caution, the channels of both Z-Library and Anna’s Archive are no longer accessible today. Messages posted by these accounts were purged “due to copyright infringement”, as shown below.

Telegram didn’t limit its action to removing posts; the channels are now entirely inaccessible. Those trying to access the channels in the Telegram app receive a pop-up message stating they are “unavailable due to copyright infringement.”

The simultaneous removal of both channels suggests they are linked to the same complaint or decision. The specific complaint and alleged copyright infringements remain unclear. Telegram’s press contact didn’t immediately respond to our request for comment.

What Copyright Infringements?

An Anna’s Archive representative states that they are also unaware of the reason for the suspension. Telegram didn’t inform them about the channel suspension, and Anna’s Archive says that Z-Library – who they are in good contact with – was not informed either.

“We took care not to link to any infringing files or websites from the Telegram group,” Anna says, adding that they have no idea why this happened.

It’s possible that infringing links may have slipped through somehow and coincidentally raised ‘repeat infringer’ flags for both channels. Another option is an unreported legal complaint or proceeding triggering this action.

At this point, we can only speculate about the reason for the removals. But if it’s tied to legal action, India comes to mind.

Telegram was previously ordered by an Indian court to share user details . These courts also issue broad blocking orders against pirate sites, often affecting third-party intermediaries , so Telegram’s involvement is plausible.

What we do know is that the targeted websites remain readily available. Z-Library didn’t return our request for comment, but the site has launched a new Telegram channel, which already has a few hundred subscribers.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Excellent infrastructure and limited anti-piracy action made Malaysia a popular hosting location back when torrent sites were in their prime.

Then seemingly out of nowhere, in 2008/2009 the government began shutting down popular sites including Extremebits, Rapthe , Superfundo and later, LeechersLair . One BitTorrent tracker owner discovered to his surprise that a device was quietly gathering data from the site’s server.

At the time widely attributed to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, these physical shutdowns were followed in 2011 by something new. After previously promising never to censor the internet, the Commission announced the imminent blocking of a number of pirate sites, including thepiratebay.org, megaupload.com, megavideo.com, movie2k.to, putlocker.com, and several others.

Effectively a gallery of hand-picked Hollywood targets, in hindsight the list could’ve been seen as a statement of intent. Few of the sites survived long enough to experience much blocking, Megaupload in particular.

No Turning Back

With blocking increasingly common, in 2017 the MPA published a report, titled How Site Blocking in Malaysia Has Significantly Reduced Online Piracy . The study claimed that six months after the completion of six site-blocking waves, traffic to blocked pirate sites had decreased somewhere between 67% to 74%.

Despite the reported success against blocked sites, success against the unblocked sites quickly meeting demand required even more blocking. The next wave of success and the subsequent and inevitable rise of other unblocked sites kept Malaysian authorities busy; in 2019 (438 sites), 2020 (644), and in 2021 (347).

Whether some or all of these ‘sites’ were clones, mirrors, or proxies, or potentially just new domains, wasn’t revealed. In total 1,429 ‘sites’ were added to the blocklist, but that was only the beginning.

While pirate site blocking has been around for almost 20 years, key aspects of this enforcement measure never change. The history of site blocking in Malaysia shows the same pattern and may even provide a textbook example.

1. Initial Blocking Request Never a One-Off, But it Will Succeed

The SOPA disaster in the United States showed that acceptance of site blocking measures can’t be taken for granted. Opinions vary, but two key mistakes haven’t been repeated since: 1) encouraging mass opposition by demanding too much, too early and 2) misjudging the importance of timing.

After appearing on the USTR’s Priority Watch List in 2000 and 2001, Malaysia quickly showed “significant improvement” and was moved to the less oppressive Watch List a year later. For the next decade the USTR found no reason to change the status quo but after blocking some of the world’s most popular sites in 2011, Malaysia was removed from the Watch List the very next year.

The MPA’s 2017 report cited earlier suggested that subsequent site-blocking was another success for Malaysia. Failure at that stage would’ve been unthinkable and could’ve fatally dampened enthusiasm for any further blocking. After so much effort, that was never likely to happen.

Additional Requests Always Follow

The blocking of 1,429 additional ‘sites’ in 2019/20/21 suggests that ‘success’ in 2017 triggered a massive increase in blocking requests.

A study published by the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), which counts the MPA’s members among its own, reported significant ongoing success in 2020. The details appeared in a government presentation, Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Malaysia , and were just as impressive.

In summary then, we have a background of blocked pirate sites losing between 67%-74% of their traffic (MPA/2017), and a 64% decline in Malaysian consumers accessing pirate streaming sites in 2020. If we assume that new copyright law, providing for up to 20 years in prison for online pirates , acted as a deterrent following its introduction during 2021, Malaysia should’ve been well on its way to even greater success.

Unfortunately, the rule that success always leads to more blocking requests, was confirmed in a Malaysian government announcement this week.

Over 3,600 Sites Offering Pirated Content Blocked Since 2021

According to a Bernama report, the latest data made available by the Malaysian government show that a total of “3,682 illegal websites offering and spreading pirated content” were blocked between 2021 and November 2024.

Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, said his department (KPDN) carried out the blocking in collaboration the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and local ISPs.

“This is part of the ministry’s commitment to protecting local creative works from being exploited illegally,” he said. “KPDN will continue to strengthen cooperation with various agencies involved in efforts to address digital piracy issues.”

With the total number of sites blocked since 2019 now at 5,100+, the most important question is whether these considerable blocking efforts have had a positive effect and if so, what were they, and who benefited?

Based solely on the somewhat confusing figures presented above, in theory piracy should’ve been eliminated given the reported collapse in pirate site attendance. While that’s unlikely, a progress report on the stated aim of protecting local content shouldn’t be completely impossible.

In the meantime, a certificate of appreciation signed by the Premier League must count for something.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Excellent infrastructure and limited anti-piracy action made Malaysia a popular hosting location back when torrent sites were in their prime.

Then seemingly out of nowhere, in 2008/2009 the government began shutting down popular sites including Extremebits, Rapthe , Superfundo and later, LeechersLair . One BitTorrent tracker owner discovered to his surprise that a device was quietly gathering data from the site’s server.

At the time widely attributed to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, these physical shutdowns were followed in 2011 by something new. After previously promising never to censor the internet, the Commission announced the imminent blocking of a number of pirate sites, including thepiratebay.org, megaupload.com, megavideo.com, movie2k.to, putlocker.com, and several others.

Effectively a gallery of hand-picked Hollywood targets, in hindsight the list could’ve been seen as a statement of intent. Few of the sites survived long enough to experience much blocking, Megaupload in particular.

No Turning Back

With blocking increasingly common, in 2017 the MPA published a report, titled How Site Blocking in Malaysia Has Significantly Reduced Online Piracy . The study claimed that six months after the completion of six site-blocking waves, traffic to blocked pirate sites had decreased somewhere between 67% to 74%.

Despite the reported success against blocked sites, success against the unblocked sites quickly meeting demand required even more blocking. The next wave of success and the subsequent and inevitable rise of other unblocked sites kept Malaysian authorities busy; in 2019 (438 sites), 2020 (644), and in 2021 (347).

Whether some or all of these ‘sites’ were clones, mirrors, or proxies, or potentially just new domains, wasn’t revealed. In total 1,429 ‘sites’ were added to the blocklist, but that was only the beginning.

While pirate site blocking has been around for almost 20 years, key aspects of this enforcement measure never change. The history of site blocking in Malaysia shows the same pattern and may even provide a textbook example.

1. Initial Blocking Request Never a One-Off, But it Will Succeed

The SOPA disaster in the United States showed that acceptance of site blocking measures can’t be taken for granted. Opinions vary, but two key mistakes haven’t been repeated since: 1) encouraging mass opposition by demanding too much, too early and 2) misjudging the importance of timing.

After appearing on the USTR’s Priority Watch List in 2000 and 2001, Malaysia quickly showed “significant improvement” and was moved to the less oppressive Watch List a year later. For the next decade the USTR found no reason to change the status quo but after blocking some of the world’s most popular sites in 2011, Malaysia was removed from the Watch List the very next year.

The MPA’s 2017 report cited earlier suggested that subsequent site-blocking was another success for Malaysia. Failure at that stage would’ve been unthinkable and could’ve fatally dampened enthusiasm for any further blocking. After so much effort, that was never likely to happen.

Additional Requests Always Follow

The blocking of 1,429 additional ‘sites’ in 2019/20/21 suggests that ‘success’ in 2017 triggered a massive increase in blocking requests.

A study published by the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), which counts the MPA’s members among its own, reported significant ongoing success in 2020. The details appeared in a government presentation, Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Malaysia , and were just as impressive.

In summary then, we have a background of blocked pirate sites losing between 67%-74% of their traffic (MPA/2017), and a 64% decline in Malaysian consumers accessing pirate streaming sites in 2020. If we assume that new copyright law, providing for up to 20 years in prison for online pirates , acted as a deterrent following its introduction during 2021, Malaysia should’ve been well on its way to even greater success.

Unfortunately, the rule that success always leads to more blocking requests, was confirmed in a Malaysian government announcement this week.

Over 3,600 Sites Offering Pirated Content Blocked Since 2021

According to a Bernama report, the latest data made available by the Malaysian government show that a total of “3,682 illegal websites offering and spreading pirated content” were blocked between 2021 and November 2024.

Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, said his department (KPDN) carried out the blocking in collaboration the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and local ISPs.

“This is part of the ministry’s commitment to protecting local creative works from being exploited illegally,” he said. “KPDN will continue to strengthen cooperation with various agencies involved in efforts to address digital piracy issues.”

With the total number of sites blocked since 2019 now at 5,100+, the most important question is whether these considerable blocking efforts have had a positive effect and if so, what were they, and who benefited?

Based solely on the somewhat confusing figures presented above, in theory piracy should’ve been eliminated given the reported collapse in pirate site attendance. While that’s unlikely, a progress report on the stated aim of protecting local content shouldn’t be completely impossible.

In the meantime, a certificate of appreciation signed by the Premier League must count for something.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Excellent infrastructure and limited anti-piracy action made Malaysia a popular hosting location back when torrent sites were in their prime.

Then seemingly out of nowhere, in 2008/2009 the government began shutting down popular sites including Extremebits, Rapthe , Superfundo and later, LeechersLair . One BitTorrent tracker owner discovered to his surprise that a device was quietly gathering data from the site’s server.

At the time widely attributed to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, these physical shutdowns were followed in 2011 by something new. After previously promising never to censor the internet, the Commission announced the imminent blocking of a number of pirate sites, including thepiratebay.org, megaupload.com, megavideo.com, movie2k.to, putlocker.com, and several others.

Effectively a gallery of hand-picked Hollywood targets, in hindsight the list could’ve been seen as a statement of intent. Few of the sites survived long enough to experience much blocking, Megaupload in particular.

No Turning Back

With blocking increasingly common, in 2017 the MPA published a report, titled How Site Blocking in Malaysia Has Significantly Reduced Online Piracy . The study claimed that six months after the completion of six site-blocking waves, traffic to blocked pirate sites had decreased somewhere between 67% to 74%.

Despite the reported success against blocked sites, success against the unblocked sites quickly meeting demand required even more blocking. The next wave of success and the subsequent and inevitable rise of other unblocked sites kept Malaysian authorities busy; in 2019 (438 sites), 2020 (644), and in 2021 (347).

Whether some or all of these ‘sites’ were clones, mirrors, or proxies, or potentially just new domains, wasn’t revealed. In total 1,429 ‘sites’ were added to the blocklist, but that was only the beginning.

While pirate site blocking has been around for almost 20 years, key aspects of this enforcement measure never change. The history of site blocking in Malaysia shows the same pattern and may even provide a textbook example.

1. Initial Blocking Request Never a One-Off, But it Will Succeed

The SOPA disaster in the United States showed that acceptance of site blocking measures can’t be taken for granted. Opinions vary, but two key mistakes haven’t been repeated since: 1) encouraging mass opposition by demanding too much, too early and 2) misjudging the importance of timing.

After appearing on the USTR’s Priority Watch List in 2000 and 2001, Malaysia quickly showed “significant improvement” and was moved to the less oppressive Watch List a year later. For the next decade the USTR found no reason to change the status quo but after blocking some of the world’s most popular sites in 2011, Malaysia was removed from the Watch List the very next year.

The MPA’s 2017 report cited earlier suggested that subsequent site-blocking was another success for Malaysia. Failure at that stage would’ve been unthinkable and could’ve fatally dampened enthusiasm for any further blocking. After so much effort, that was never likely to happen.

Additional Requests Always Follow

The blocking of 1,429 additional ‘sites’ in 2019/20/21 suggests that ‘success’ in 2017 triggered a massive increase in blocking requests.

A study published by the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), which counts the MPA’s members among its own, reported significant ongoing success in 2020. The details appeared in a government presentation, Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Malaysia , and were just as impressive.

In summary then, we have a background of blocked pirate sites losing between 67%-74% of their traffic (MPA/2017), and a 64% decline in Malaysian consumers accessing pirate streaming sites in 2020. If we assume that new copyright law, providing for up to 20 years in prison for online pirates , acted as a deterrent following its introduction during 2021, Malaysia should’ve been well on its way to even greater success.

Unfortunately, the rule that success always leads to more blocking requests, was confirmed in a Malaysian government announcement this week.

Over 3,600 Sites Offering Pirated Content Blocked Since 2021

According to a Bernama report, the latest data made available by the Malaysian government show that a total of “3,682 illegal websites offering and spreading pirated content” were blocked between 2021 and November 2024.

Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, said his department (KPDN) carried out the blocking in collaboration the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and local ISPs.

“This is part of the ministry’s commitment to protecting local creative works from being exploited illegally,” he said. “KPDN will continue to strengthen cooperation with various agencies involved in efforts to address digital piracy issues.”

With the total number of sites blocked since 2019 now at 5,100+, the most important question is whether these considerable blocking efforts have had a positive effect and if so, what were they, and who benefited?

Based solely on the somewhat confusing figures presented above, in theory piracy should’ve been eliminated given the reported collapse in pirate site attendance. While that’s unlikely, a progress report on the stated aim of protecting local content shouldn’t be completely impossible.

In the meantime, a certificate of appreciation signed by the Premier League must count for something.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Pirate streaming apps and unauthorized IPTV services have gained popularity globally in recent years.

Latin America is no exception to this trend but unlike other regions, one pirate streaming brand clearly stands out, MagisTV.

The MagisTV name is used by dozens of websites, many of which are reseller platforms. While some of these might be related, the name is also used by unrelated entities, simply because the brand has become synonymous for pirate IPTV.

A Notorious Market

Rightsholders worldwide are not pleased with the brand’s dominance and have worked hard to counter it. The Motion Picture Association and ACE have targeted MagisTV services for several years and local copyright holders have done the same.

This resulted in several referrals that reportedly resulted in criminal investigations in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. In addition, MagisTV-related websites have been blocked in several countries too.

Last week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative elevated the MagisTV concerns once again by adding the brand to its latest list of notorious piracy markets .

“MagisTV is one of the world’s most popular IPTV services and operates primarily in Latin America. The service provides unauthorized access to live sports streams, television channels, and on-demand movies and television shows to its customers for a monthly subscription,” USTR wrote.

U.S. Trademark Application

It’s clear that the brand’s popularity comes with both threats and opportunities. To seize the latter, Chinese MagisTV-linked companies reportedly applied for related trademarks in several countries, including Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, and Uruguay.

These applications have met resistance in some instances. In Ecuador, for example, the local football league LigaPro teamed up with Paramount Pictures and DIRECTV to successfully protest a trademark application.

In Ecuador, the Chinese company ‘Shenzhen Geshan Technology’ applied for the trademark. A company from the same region, ‘Shenzhen Huiyi Electronics’, recently did the same at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The application passed the first hurdle, as shown above, and a notice of allowance was sent to the registrant. However, there is still an opportunity for third-parties to object to the application. Considering the fierce opposition in Ecuador, there will likely be protests in the U.S. too.

MagisTV -> Flujo TV

Whether a trademark battle is needed at this point is questionable. More recently, several popular MagisTV services have decided to rebrand to ‘Flujo TV’ (Flow TV). This includes magistv.la and magistv-venezuela.com, which were both branded a ‘notorious market’ by the USTR.

The rebranding doesn’t appear to be directly related to the USTR listing, as it already started earlier. However, it is clear that the operators of these sites and services are eager to move away from the tainted MagisTV brand.

At the time of writing, many of the major MagisTV services have adopted the “Flujo” name. The reason for the rebranding is unknown. These services don’t care about copyright infringement, so any prospective trademark issues shouldn’t easily scare them either.

Perhaps those involved hope to evade being targeted in ‘dynamic’ domain blocking orders with a new name, at least for a while?

That said, a new name doesn’t make these pirate IPTV services any less ‘infringing’ so, if they continue, we will likely see many “Flujo TV” targeted enforcement efforts going forward.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Pirate streaming apps and unauthorized IPTV services have gained popularity globally in recent years.

Latin America is no exception to this trend but unlike other regions, one pirate streaming brand clearly stands out, MagisTV.

The MagisTV name is used by dozens of websites, many of which are reseller platforms. While some of these might be related, the name is also used by unrelated entities, simply because the brand has become synonymous for pirate IPTV.

A Notorious Market

Rightsholders worldwide are not pleased with the brand’s dominance and have worked hard to counter it. The Motion Picture Association and ACE have targeted MagisTV services for several years and local copyright holders have done the same.

This resulted in several referrals that reportedly resulted in criminal investigations in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. In addition, MagisTV-related websites have been blocked in several countries too.

Last week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative elevated the MagisTV concerns once again by adding the brand to its latest list of notorious piracy markets .

“MagisTV is one of the world’s most popular IPTV services and operates primarily in Latin America. The service provides unauthorized access to live sports streams, television channels, and on-demand movies and television shows to its customers for a monthly subscription,” USTR wrote.

U.S. Trademark Application

It’s clear that the brand’s popularity comes with both threats and opportunities. To seize the latter, Chinese MagisTV-linked companies reportedly applied for related trademarks in several countries, including Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, and Uruguay.

These applications have met resistance in some instances. In Ecuador, for example, the local football league LigaPro teamed up with Paramount Pictures and DIRECTV to successfully protest a trademark application.

In Ecuador, the Chinese company ‘Shenzhen Geshan Technology’ applied for the trademark. A company from the same region, ‘Shenzhen Huiyi Electronics’, recently did the same at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The application passed the first hurdle, as shown above, and a notice of allowance was sent to the registrant. However, there is still an opportunity for third-parties to object to the application. Considering the fierce opposition in Ecuador, there will likely be protests in the U.S. too.

MagisTV -> Flujo TV

Whether a trademark battle is needed at this point is questionable. More recently, several popular MagisTV services have decided to rebrand to ‘Flujo TV’ (Flow TV). This includes magistv.la and magistv-venezuela.com, which were both branded a ‘notorious market’ by the USTR.

The rebranding doesn’t appear to be directly related to the USTR listing, as it already started earlier. However, it is clear that the operators of these sites and services are eager to move away from the tainted MagisTV brand.

At the time of writing, many of the major MagisTV services have adopted the “Flujo” name. The reason for the rebranding is unknown. These services don’t care about copyright infringement, so any prospective trademark issues shouldn’t easily scare them either.

Perhaps those involved hope to evade being targeted in ‘dynamic’ domain blocking orders with a new name, at least for a while?

That said, a new name doesn’t make these pirate IPTV services any less ‘infringing’ so, if they continue, we will likely see many “Flujo TV” targeted enforcement efforts going forward.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Pirate streaming apps and unauthorized IPTV services have gained popularity globally in recent years.

Latin America is no exception to this trend but unlike other regions, one pirate streaming brand clearly stands out, MagisTV.

The MagisTV name is used by dozens of websites, many of which are reseller platforms. While some of these might be related, the name is also used by unrelated entities, simply because the brand has become synonymous for pirate IPTV.

A Notorious Market

Rightsholders worldwide are not pleased with the brand’s dominance and have worked hard to counter it. The Motion Picture Association and ACE have targeted MagisTV services for several years and local copyright holders have done the same.

This resulted in several referrals that reportedly resulted in criminal investigations in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. In addition, MagisTV-related websites have been blocked in several countries too.

Last week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative elevated the MagisTV concerns once again by adding the brand to its latest list of notorious piracy markets .

“MagisTV is one of the world’s most popular IPTV services and operates primarily in Latin America. The service provides unauthorized access to live sports streams, television channels, and on-demand movies and television shows to its customers for a monthly subscription,” USTR wrote.

U.S. Trademark Application

It’s clear that the brand’s popularity comes with both threats and opportunities. To seize the latter, Chinese MagisTV-linked companies reportedly applied for related trademarks in several countries, including Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, and Uruguay.

These applications have met resistance in some instances. In Ecuador, for example, the local football league LigaPro teamed up with Paramount Pictures and DIRECTV to successfully protest a trademark application.

In Ecuador, the Chinese company ‘Shenzhen Geshan Technology’ applied for the trademark. A company from the same region, ‘Shenzhen Huiyi Electronics’, recently did the same at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The application passed the first hurdle, as shown above, and a notice of allowance was sent to the registrant. However, there is still an opportunity for third-parties to object to the application. Considering the fierce opposition in Ecuador, there will likely be protests in the U.S. too.

MagisTV -> Flujo TV

Whether a trademark battle is needed at this point is questionable. More recently, several popular MagisTV services have decided to rebrand to ‘Flujo TV’ (Flow TV). This includes magistv.la and magistv-venezuela.com, which were both branded a ‘notorious market’ by the USTR.

The rebranding doesn’t appear to be directly related to the USTR listing, as it already started earlier. However, it is clear that the operators of these sites and services are eager to move away from the tainted MagisTV brand.

At the time of writing, many of the major MagisTV services have adopted the “Flujo” name. The reason for the rebranding is unknown. These services don’t care about copyright infringement, so any prospective trademark issues shouldn’t easily scare them either.

Perhaps those involved hope to evade being targeted in ‘dynamic’ domain blocking orders with a new name, at least for a while?

That said, a new name doesn’t make these pirate IPTV services any less ‘infringing’ so, if they continue, we will likely see many “Flujo TV” targeted enforcement efforts going forward.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.