ACE Targets Aniwatch.to, Successor to Zoro.to

The shutdown of Zoro.to earlier this year marked a significant victory for anti-piracy efforts led by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). However, this success was short-lived, as the focus of the investigation has now shifted to Aniwatch.to, which acquired Zoro.to shortly before its closure. Here’s a breakdown of the events:

1. Zoro.to Shutdown: ACE successfully shut down Zoro.to, one of the largest piracy sites, earlier this year. This was achieved through a deal struck with the site’s Vietnamese operator, who also managed the popular 2Embed service.
2. Acquisition by Aniwatch.to: Prior to its shutdown, Zoro.to was acquired by Aniwatch.to, another platform known for hosting pirated content. This acquisition raised eyebrows and drew the attention of ACE, as it indicated a potential continuation of copyright infringement activities.
3. New Investigation: Aniwatch.to now finds itself at the center of a new ACE investigation. The anti-piracy group is likely scrutinizing the site’s operations to determine if it is facilitating copyright infringement similar to its predecessor, Zoro.to.

Overall, the shutdown of Zoro.to and the subsequent acquisition by Aniwatch.to underscore the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between anti-piracy groups and piracy sites. As one site is taken down, others may emerge to fill the void, prompting continued efforts by organizations like ACE to combat online piracy.

The recent actions taken by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) illustrate the ongoing battle against online piracy. Here’s a breakdown of the events:

1. Success in Shutting Down 2Embed: ACE achieved a significant victory by shutting down 2Embed, a prominent pirate streaming service. Negotiations with the operator, based in Hanoi, Vietnam, led to the closure of the platform. 2Embed was known for providing access to a vast catalog of pirate streaming links for movies and TV shows.
2. Surprise Acquisition of Zoro.to: Around the same time that 2Embed was taken offline, Zoro.to, a major anime streaming portal, announced its acquisition by a new team. This move came as a surprise, especially considering Zoro.to’s significant user base and popularity in the piracy community. It was later revealed that the operator of 2Embed and Zoro.to were the same person, suggesting a coordinated effort in response to pressure from ACE.
3. Emergence of Aniwatch.to: Following its acquisition, Zoro.to redirected users to Aniwatch.to, a new streaming portal. Despite its sudden appearance, Aniwatch.to quickly gained traction and became one of the largest piracy portals online, with millions of monthly visits.
4. ACE Targets Aniwatch.to: Recognizing the threat posed by Aniwatch.to, ACE has made it a priority target. Through recent DMCA subpoenas issued to Cloudflare and the Tonic domain registry, rightsholders, including the Motion Picture Association (MPA), are seeking information on the individuals behind Aniwatch.to and other piracy sites.

Overall, these developments highlight the ongoing efforts of ACE and other anti-piracy groups to combat online piracy. Despite successes in shutting down individual sites, the emergence of new platforms underscores the need for continued vigilance and enforcement actions to protect the rights of content creators and copyright holders.

ACE’s recent actions to obtain personal details of the operators behind piracy sites underscore their ongoing efforts to combat online copyright infringement. Here are the key points:

1. Scope of Subpoenas: The subpoenas, requested on behalf of ACE members, target several piracy sites, including Aniwatch.to, Gogoanimehd.to, and Myflixerz.to. ACE aims to obtain personal details such as names, physical addresses, IP addresses, and payment information of the individuals operating these sites.
2. High Traffic Sites: While Aniwatch.to is the primary target, other sites like Gogoanimehd.to and Myflixerz.to also receive substantial traffic, with millions of visits each month. These sites represent significant challenges to ACE’s anti-piracy efforts.
3. Involvement of Domain Registries and Cloudflare: ACE is seeking information not only from the .to domain registry but also from Cloudflare, a content delivery network and Internet security services provider. This demonstrates ACE’s comprehensive approach to identifying and targeting piracy operations.
4. Continued Enforcement Efforts: Despite previous enforcement actions, including the shutdown of 2Embed, ACE remains committed to tackling online piracy. The ongoing efforts, though challenging, reflect the determination of rightsholders to protect their intellectual property and combat copyright infringement.
5. Long-term Strategy: While combating online piracy may seem like a game of whack-a-mole at times, ACE and rightsholders maintain a long-term perspective. By persistently pursuing enforcement actions and targeting key piracy operations, they aim to deter infringement and protect the interests of content creators and copyright holders.

Overall, ACE’s recent actions highlight the ongoing battle against online piracy and the multi-faceted approach taken by rightsholders to address this issue.