YouTubNow Offline As Music Industry Scores Two Wins vs Stream Rippers

After months of court delays and losses to overseas based streaming ripping sites, the music industry is finally notching some wins. Ripping MP3's from YouTube, Spotify and other streamers is believed to be the #1 source of music piracy.

YouTubNow

As for Thursday morning, notorious YouTube stream ripping site YouTubNow was offline. "Sorry, the site is currently under maintaining," was the only message on the site after the RIAA obtained a subpoena to reveal the site's owners.

The RIAA believes that domain services provider Namecheap is hosting and harboring YouTubNow. “We believe your service is hosting [YouTubNow.com] on its network,” said the RIAA in a letter. “The website associated with this domain name offers files containing sound recordings which are owned by one or more of our member companies and have not been authorized for this kind of use, including without limitation those referenced at the URL below.”

A Win In Australia: 2conv, Flv2mp3, FLVto, Convert2mp3

In Australia, Sony, Universal, and WMG alongside the Music Rights Australia and the Australasian Performing Right Association, have obtained an injunction against four major stream-ripping sites. Australia's ISPs will prevent users from accessing streaming ripping sites 2conv, Flv2mp3, FLVto and Convert2mp3.

"Before last year’s amendments to Australia’s Copyright Act, obtaining an order to have these sites blocked would have been more difficult," according to TorrentFreak. "Previously, in order for a platform to be rendered inaccessible by ISPs, it would need to have a 'primary purpose of infringing.' Last November’s changes lowered the bar so that sites 'with the primary effect' of infringing or facilitating infringement can also be blocked.