Last year, Braflix was added to the ever-growing list of flix-inspired pirate streaming sites.
Reportedly operating from Brazil, the site offered a clean interface, relying on third-party sources to provide a gateway to pirated movies and TV shows.
The site had no obvious connections to other large streaming cabals, such as the massive Fmovies operation. This worked to its advantage initially, as most anti-piracy resources typically go into shutting down the largest threats.
Target: Braflix
When Fmovies was shut down this summer, these priorities changed. In June Braflix was targeted in a DMCA subpoena obtained by the MPA and ACE and in August, the MPA flagged Braflix as a severe piracy threat in an EU consultation.
“Braflix.video is a popular streaming site operated from Brazil that offers a large library of titles, including movies, TV shows, live channels, anime, and K-dramas subtitled in several different languages,” MPA informed the EU.
These and other enforcement efforts didn’t go unnoticed. The site, which had amassed over a million monthly visits by then, moved from its braflix.video domain to several new domain names in recent months.
In addition, Braflix was taken offline by its hosting provider following a series of DMCA complaints. The operator was able to host the site elsewhere, but the pressure didn’t fade. Switching to more new domains including braflix.ru and most recently braflix.is, didn’t help either.
Braflix Shuts Down
Early this morning, Braflix announced that it will throw in the towel. In its Discord channel, the site mentions that it received cease and desist notices from City of London Police and the MPA. No further details were mentioned.
“Braflix is officially closed. Thank you to everyone who participated in this incredible story, who helped us build a strong community,” the site writes.
At the time of writing the site remains online but, according to the Discord message, it is expected to shut down in a matter of hours. The operators say the domain transfer keys have been sent to the complaining parties, and they expect that it will soon redirect to ACE’s “watch legally” page.
“We are sorry that we can no longer continue fighting for our cause of free entertainment for everyone, but we have too much to lose, so the best option is to stop,” Braflix adds.
Braflix notes, under pressure, that producers and the broader movie industry should be supported. It remains to be seen whether the site’s users agree with this sentiment, as many are currently actively discussing alternative options.
Whack-a-Flix?
This is not the first time that a pirate streaming site has shut down voluntarily in the face of legal pressure. While this team is not likely to use the same brand in the future, others might still hijack it to lure former users.
While Braflix’s demise is a victory for rightsholders, it’s also exemplary of the seemingly unending pirate site whack-a-mole. There always appears to be new ‘teams’ eager to fill the void.
At the same time, not everything is always what it seems. While Braflix has promised to shut down, there are other sites that look near identical, using similar code, that remain online. We don’t want to draw any conclusions based on these observations, but the ‘Whack-a-Flix’ isn’t over yet.
Users of these sites are familiar with ‘the drill’ too. Where shutdowns of pirate sites used to be a big deal, they are a common occurrence today. Most pirates simply shrug their shoulders and movee on to the next streaming portal.
“Braflix has been my go to for months now! Damn, RIP – on to the next one,” one Redditor illustratively writes.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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