Dramacool Announces Ceasing Operations Amidst Legal Pressure and Copyright Concerns
Published on November 29, 2024
- Pirate website Dramacool ceases operations due to legal pressure stemming from copyright concerns.
- Its operator made the closure announcement on X (formerly Twitter) this week, saying goodbye to users.
- Several copyright holders have increased their efforts towards thwarting streaming websites that offer illegal content.
The popular pirate streaming platform Dramacool, known for hosting pirated Asian dramas, has officially shut down following mounting legal and technical pressures. This week, Dramacool’s team issued an official statement on social media platform X announcing their closure.
Since its emergence in the early 2010s, Dramacool has served millions of users with a vast collection of Asian media and related content, becoming a go-to destination for drama enthusiasts globally.
The platform, initially founded by a group of students with a passion for Asian entertainment, evolved into a multi-site streaming network that included Asianc, Watchasia, Dramanice, Runasian, and even an information portal, Asianwiki.co.
This network offered users a robust catalog of pirated shows while often battling domain blocks and other operational interruptions. However, earlier this month, many of these domains, including Asianwiki.co, became inaccessible, leaving users puzzled.
The Dramacool operators stated, “Due to the copyright, we cannot run the sites anymore. We apologize to every fan who has always supported and loved DRAMACOOL.”
While the message doesn’t explain the “copyright” issues in detail, recent developments shed light on the growing challenges faced by the platform. For instance, the Delhi High Court in India issued a dynamic blocking order three months ago, specifically targeting several Dramacool domains and any future domains they might register.
Hollywood studios, such as Warner Bros, Disney, and Netflix, who requested the order, ensured that blocking efforts were extended globally.
Local ISPs immediately implemented these blocks on domains like dramanice.la, asianc.sh, and runasian.net. Compounding the issue, domain registrars, such as Namecheap, began suspending Dramacool-associated domains—many of which are now flagged for abuse or placed under “clientHold status.”
Anti-piracy alliances such as the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) seem to have heavily contributed to Dramacool’s closure, even if they have not publicly taken full credit.
Despite the shutdown, industry experts believe that Dramacool’s closure is unlikely to signal the end of piracy in the niche of Asian dramas. Alternative pirated platforms with similar offerings will likely rise in its absence—a cat-and-mouse game that continues unabated in the digital age.
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