At the time, domain names were being seized left and right and the site’s operators feared that the U.S. based domain registry might do their same with theirs.
Finding a suitable alternative was easier said than done, however. After losing more than a dozen subsequent domain names, TPB decided to switch back to the .ORG domain a few weeks ago.
The domain shuffle has been watched closely by various copyright holder groups, who previously pressured registries to suspend new Pirate Bay domains, often with success. However, thus far the .ORG’s Public Interest Registry (PIR) has not been very receptive to these calls.
This has angered several rightsholders, not least because the responsible registry is operating from the United States. Thus far their frustration has been voiced behind the scenes. However, the Copyright Alliance, which lists MPAA, RIAA and many prominent rightsholders as members, has now taken it public.
Copyright Alliance CEO Keith Kupferschmid calls out the registry for allowing The Pirate Bay to use one of its domain names, and urges the organization to suspend the site’s .ORG domain.
“It is shocking that a domain name registry in the United States – one that is dedicated to ‘the public interest’ – is allowing a blatantly illegal site to have a home on the .org domain,” Kupferschmid says.
“This is especially disturbing given that the operators of The Pirate Bay have been found guilty of criminal copyright infringement, The Pirate Bay domain names have been seized or suspended around the globe, and even its co-founder, Peter Sunde, has walked away from it,” he adds.
The Copyright Alliance calls out the registry as hypocritical, noting that it clearly states on its website that they’re committed to “always do[ing] the right thing” and that abuse of .org domains will not be tolerated.
While suspending TPB’s domain name is the right thing in the eyes of many rightsholders, players in the domain name industry don’t necessarily agree. Voluntarily disconnecting domains without due process is a far-reaching measure, and a line not all are willing to cross.
Also, the registry is less hypocritical than the Copyright Alliance claims. For example, on its website PIR clearly writes that their abuse policy doesn’t apply to copyright infringement issues, pointing to ICANN’s domain dispute resolution policy instead.
The .ORG registry hasn’t commented publicly on the matter, but it is very likely that they don’t want to take any action without a valid court order. This is the most objective procedure and one that copyright holders are clearly aware of.
Why Hollywood or the major music labels haven’t tried this yet is unknown. Just last year the RIAA managed to take several domains offline with proper court orders, which were processed relatively quickly.
The TPB-crew can’t really be bothered by the pressure on the registry. Even if the .ORG domain name is suspended, the site will continue operating on another one.
“TPB is more than just a domain, it’s a movement, and taking down one domain will have zero effect on our inalienable right to share culture with our peers,” TPB’s Spud17 tells us.
“Their petty targeting of one domain shows how ignorant they are of how the world works,” she adds.
The Copyright Alliance nonetheless hopes that PIR will respond ‘appropriately’ now that they’ve taken the matter public, and urges the registry to voluntarily suspend the Pirate Bay domain.
“The fact that PIR is presently providing a sanctuary for The Pirate Bay to continue its criminal behavior is unacceptable and should stop immediately,” Kupferschmid concludes.
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