London Police Seeks to Shut Down Torrent Sites

LONDON — A number of major torrent sites have found their domain names suspended by their registrars following formal requests from City of London Police.

Without citing a court order or a specific legal mandate, London Police this week have sent letters to registrars of dozens of domain names in efforts to help stomp out piracy through peer-to-peer networks.

Some of the domains that so far have been suspended include SumoTorrent.com, MisterTorrent.me, ExtraTorrent.com, Emp3World.com, Full-Albums.net and MaxAlbums.com, according to TorrentFreak.

London Police warn in the letters that the sites in question are allegedly infringing on copyrights.

“The owners of the aforementioned domains are suspected to be involved in the criminal distribution of copyrighted material either directly or indirectly and are liable to prosecution under U.K. law for the following offences: Conspiracy to Defraud, Offences under the Fraud Act 2006, Copyright, Design & Patents Act 1988,” the letter said.

“Should a conviction be brought for the above offenses, U.K. courts may impose sentences of imprisonment and/or fines. [The London Police's Intellectual Property Crime Unit] has criminal and civil powers in U.K. law to seize money, belongings and any property in connection with these offenses.”

Earlier this year, London Police started began working with copyright holders on a campaign to shut down the peer-to-peer network sites. But warnings mostly went unheeded.

Now, instead of targeting files-sharing site owners, London Police are contacting their domain registrars.  

Some of the affected sites that have been suspended have moved on to other top-level domain extensions. For instance, MisterTorrent.me is now MisterTorrent.cc and SumoTorrent.com is now SumoTorrent.sx.

London Police's letter recommends that registrars act expeditiously. It also asks registrars to send traffic of the torrent sites to a landing page with the City of London Police logo, as well as the logos of anti-piracy partners.

“Suspension of the domain(s) is intended to prevent further crime," the letter said. "Where possible we request that domain suspension(s) are made within 48 hours of receipt of this alert. In respect of the information provided by us, we respectfully ask you to consider your liability and the wider public interest should those services be allowed to continue."

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

TeamSkeet, MYLF to Launch New Website FamilyStrokes.com

Sister studios TeamSkeet and MYLF are launching a new website, FamilyStrokes.com.

AV Bulletin: Age Verification Hits the Mainstream, Ofcom Sets a Date

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the country. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, AV tech providers continue to tout their services, and legal challenges continue to play out in the courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

Segpay Names Kristi Greer VP of Sales

Segpay has promoted long-time employee Kristi Greer to the position of vice president of sales.

BranditScan Names Subgirl Newest Brand Ambassador

BranditScan has named content creator Subgirl its newest brand ambassador.

Arcom Reports Age Verification Enforcement Actions Against 5 Adult Sites

French media regulator Arcom released a statement Tuesday detailing recent actions to enforce age verification rules as set forth under France’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

Pineapple Support, Clips4Sale to Host Performers' Partners Support Group

Pineapple Support and Clips4Sale are hosting a free online support group for partners and family members of adult industry professionals.

FSC Mourns the Loss of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes

Free Speech Coalition has released a statement regarding the passing of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes.

Alexa Creed Launches New Paysite

Creator Alexa Creed has launched a new membership site through MyMember.site.

Choice Talent Management Launches Fan Platform 'ChoiceFilmz'

Choice Talent Management CEO Chris Crisco has launched a new fan platform called ChoiceFilmz.

Dredd to Launch Official Site

Dredd has announced his new website OfficialDreddXXX.com, launching April 20.

Show More