TorrentSpy Closes to U.S. Users: A few minutes before midnight last night, TorrentSpy began blocking US-based IP addresses from using its search engine, says Ira Rothken, TorrentSpy's lawyer. The move is in direct response to a federal court order earlier this year requiring the search engine to begin logging users' IP addresses and activity.

Last year, the Motion Picture Association of America sued TorrentSpy, a BitTorrent search engine, for alleged copyright infringement by aiding users in trading pirated material through file-sharing networks. TorrentSpy maintains a privacy policy that promises users it will not collect any personal information about them without their consent. But a judge ordered the service to begin tracking users and hand over the data to the MPAA. She allowed, however, that the site could mask the IP addresses of users for the time being.

Rothken responded when the judgment first came down that TorrentSpy would likely cut off U.S. users rather than violate its privacy policy and hand over customer data. TorrentSpy is appealing the decision but made good on its word last night to protect the privacy of its users by blocking U.S. users.

'It's axiomatic that when you have a privacy policy which promises in essence that a search engine is not going to tie personally identified information to the searches that you do that you have the ability to honor it and that a court cannot usurp that promise, especially when users do not get proper notice and an opportunity to get heard,' Rothken told Wired News. 'We believe that the privacy rights of users in this context are substantially more important than issues related to secondary and possibly tertiary copyright infringement.'

As of this morning, US-based users attempting to use the search engine receive the following message:

Torrentspy Acts to Protect Privacy

Sorry, but because you are located in the USA you cannot use the search features of the Torrentspy.com website.Torrentspy's decision to stop accepting US visitors was NOT compelled by any Court but rather an uncertain legal climate in the US regarding user privacy and an apparent tension between US and European Union privacy laws.

We hope you understand and will take the opportunity to visit one of these other fine websites:

Daily Suture

Heavy Music

Massive Mating Game

WackyVids.com

Linkbucks.com

Hollywire.com

SearchAgent.com

Teenist.com (ADULT)

See Also:

• TorrentSpy Founders Create Copyright Filtering Company
• TorrentSpy Case Shows Privacy Policies and Practices Protect ...
• 'Independence Will Be Punished in the Name of Copyright Protection ...

(Read Original Article - Via Threat Level.)