Whether or not the Megaupload battle is won by the Feds, they may succeed in the long-term. BTjunkie, one of the largest torrent databases, has shut down voluntarily.
“This is the end of the line my friends,” read a statement on the site. “The decision does not come easy, but we’ve decided to voluntarily shut down. We’ve been fighting for years for your right to communicate, but it’s time to move on."
There’s little doubt that recent events forced the hand of the site’s operators. Just last month, Sweden’s supreme court denied an appeal by the founders of torrent site The Pirate Bay to reduce their prison sentences and fines tallying in the millions.
BTjunkie was presumably next on the chopping block, with the RIAA and MPAA both citing the database as a “rogue site.”
[via Ars Technica]
