This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Digital
Torrent usages still going up in US, despite six-strikes system
By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 5 September 2013
Usage of The Pirate Bay and other torrent sites in America has not been affected by the launch of the so called ‘six-strikes’ system in the country back in February, according to Torrentfreak.
As previously reported, the US Copyright Alert System is the result of a collaboration between America’s content industries and internet service providers, and, unlike in France and New Zealand (and in theory the UK), is not the result of legislation, but came about through a voluntary agreement.
The initiative is also less draconian than most other ‘graduated response’ systems, with up to six warning letters being sent to suspected shareholders before any action is taken, and generally undetermined final sanctions that would likely vary from ISP to ISP. After a few delays the venture went live in February, though no figures have, as yet, been published with regards how many warning letters have been issued.
Nevertheless, Torrentfreak has been reviewing Pirate Bay and torrent usage stats for the US since the system was launched, and says that there has been no drop in usage, indeed many sites, including the ever controversial Pirate Bay, are enjoying increases in traffic.
Based on figures supplied by TPB, Torrentfreak notes: “One of the first data points that stands out is the huge spike in traffic during March this year, the first full month after the Copyright Alert System started. Instead of a decline in traffic, The Pirate Bay nearly broke a record number of page views that month, only trailing behind September 2012. Compared to March 2012, the increase in page views is 31%, and compared to March 2011 this goes up to 113%”.
Conceding that that rise may have been a result of a backlash amongst prolific file-sharers to the launch of the Copyright Alert System, and that few letters would likely have been sent by that point, Torrentfreak goes on: “After the big jump during March this year there was a slight drop in traffic, but the number of page views generated by US visitors was still higher than last year”.
Read the full Torrentfreak piece here.
