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RIAA subpoenas information about two more stream-ripping sites
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 4 April 2022
The Recording Industry Association Of America is going after two more stream-ripping sites, having secured a subpoena from the Californian courts last week ordering internet services company Cloudflare to hand over any information it has about the people who operate mp3download.to and 320ytmp3.com.
Stream-ripping – where people can grab permanent downloads of temporary streams – has been the music industry’s top piracy gripe for some time, of course, resulting in various lawsuits, threats of lawsuits and web-blocking orders against various entities operating such services.
Actually suing those entities – rather than just getting ISPs to block access to their websites – requires knowing who is running said entities and where they live, which can be tricky. The starting point is usually seeking information from any internet companies that are providing the stream-rippers with services, such as Cloudflare. Though Cloudflare in particular is known to knock back requests for such information unless ordered to do provide it by the courts.
In the case of mp3download.to and 320ytmp3.com, the RIAA has that court order, though that doesn’t necessarily mean the record industry trade group will now get the information it needs. Not because Cloudflare won’t comply with the order – it almost certainly will – but, as Torrentfreak notes, “sites are known to sign up to the [Cloudflare] service using fake details”.
So it remains to be seen whether any actual legal action against mp3download.to and 320ytmp3.com follows. Although web-blocking injunctions in relation to the two sites, in those countries where such things are available, seem likely.
