Hotfile shuts down permanently after settlement with MPAA

By Konrad Krawczyk December 4, 2013

hotfile shuts permanently settlement mpaa rest in peace3 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

First, Hotfile and the MPAA reached an $80,000,000 settlement, and as part of the agreement, Hotfile had to agree to use digital fingerprinting tech in an effort to cut down on illegal file-sharing in its service. After Hotfile reportedly removed its premium plan offers, it was unclear whether Hotfile would continue or cease operations. Now we know the service’s fate.

Hotfile has decided to shut its doors permanently.

If you head over to Hotfile.com, you’ll be greeted with a blurred out site that lacks any clickable buttons, and instead, has been replaced with a statement, which reads:

“As a result of a United States federal court having found Hotfile.com to be in violation of copyright law, the site has been permanently shut down. If you are looking for your favorite movies or TV shows online, there are more ways than ever today to get high quality access to them on legal platforms.”

Sure there are, but the lure of free stuff and the culture of piracy is so strong that sites like Hotfile will likely never, ever go away. Instead, any bodies that pursue legal action against the Hotfiles of the world will just find themselves in a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. Knock one out here, two more pop up there. It’s just a fact of life, like auto traffic or the Yankees’ bloated payroll.

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Konrad Krawczyk

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…

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