IsoHunt launches Kickass Torrents replacement to fill piracy gap

REMEMBER WHEN KICKASS TORRENTS was shut down and its administrator arrested? Well, any celebratory parties held at the US Department of Justice (DoJ) have probably just turned a little sour and any cakes a little mouldy.

The DoJ and a range of police enforcement people shut down Kickass this week. The site's alleged administrator was arrested in Poland and given a potential one-way ticket to the US.

However, a user of IsoHunt, a search engine for the kind of litter that Kickass put out, has relaunched the site in a kind of tribute.

Unlike the original, the new version of the site has not yet been blocked by UK internet service providers. We understand that it looks and feels like its predecessor, and performs a very similar service.

If anyone from HBO is reading (we assume such sites are blocked at the broadcaster's offices) we can tell you that Game of Thrones is on there despite all your best efforts.

The DoJ said that Apple played a role in helping to find 30-year-old Ukranian Artem Vaulin, who is thought to be the administrator of the site that has parted cocaine, profits and ego from media companies to the tune of $2bn, according to the charge sheet.

The full criminal complaint (PDF) is 48 pages long, so make a cup of tea and get comfy if you want to read it.

Facebook also played a role, according to the DoJ, because it was an IP address and an email used with an Apple account that tracked Vaulin to his location and led to his sudden popularity among government agents.

"On July 31st 2015 records provided by Apple show that the me.com account was used to purchase something on iTunes. The logs show that the same IP address was used on the same day to access the Kickass Facebook page," reported Engadget.

"After Kickass began accepting bitcoin donations in 2012, $72,767 was moved into a Coinbase account in Vaulin's name. That bitcoin wallet was registered with the same me.com email address."

We have asked Apple and Facebook if they have anything to say about their apparent roles.

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2465720/isohunt-launches-kickass-torrents-replacement-to-fill-piracy-gap