FMovies, 123Movies Clones Keep Appearing Despite Recent MPA Takedowns
Published on October 16, 2024
- The Motion Picture Association seems to be fighting in vain, as pirate site takedowns are followed by endless clones.
- FMovies was recently dismantled, but the name still pops up via websites with similar branding.
- Pirate sites like FMovies and Aniwatch still attract hundreds of millions of visitors every month.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) recently achieved a major victory in Vietnam by dismantling one of the largest pirate streaming networks, FMovies. However, hundreds of sites with similar branding continue to attract millions of visitors, and the details of their operators remain elusive.
The MPA recently achieved a major victory by shutting down the world's largest streaming piracy network in Vietnam. Still, despite its relentless efforts to block infringing domains, the scale of the piracy problem is staggering.
The MPA raised concerns six years ago about Vietnam becoming a hotspot for piracy due to insufficient legislation and increased internet access. Platforms like FMovies and Aniwatch have shown the ability to draw massive traffic, leveraging Vietnam's complex political and regulatory landscape to operate relatively unhindered.
Most likely operated by the same group in Vietnam, 123movies shut down in 2018 and reappeared. Shut down by ACE while operating as Zoro in 2023, the anime giant rebranded to Aniwatch.
In a twist of fate, technical issues led to the sudden disappearance of FMovies in mid-July. This shutdown was later confirmed to be linked to MPA/ACE actions. Yet, history suggests caution; 123movies, another notorious site, reemerged stronger after a previous shutdown in 2018.
Soon after FMovies disappeared, Bflix, Soap2day, Sflix, and other related websites switched domains in late May.
While some domains have been successfully blocked, the sheer volume and fluidity of these sites pose a significant challenge. In the U.K alone, over 300 domains have been blocked in recent months, many displaying familiar branding linked to previous pirate sites.
Although FMovies was a prime target, the enduring appeal of brands like 123movies/movies123 highlights the persistent challenges rightsholders face.
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