Google had also been publishing an anti-piracy report for years claiming that it did not want to do business with “rogue sites specializing in piracy” and that the search giant was “succeeding in detecting and ejecting these sites from. This was remarkable given that YouTube had originally tried to block the site. This stream ripping site in particular stood out to me not only because of its massive traffic, but because it was making money with YouTube’s parent company Google by displaying Google ads on the site. In search of a subject to test out a theory on media attacks, somehow the “relationship” between Google and landed on my radar. One estimate claimed the site received 400 million visits per month. In fact, it was reaching a level that even some of the largest websites in the world could admire. But as quiet as the topic had been among the media, ’s traffic had been raging. The site’s creator had survived a confrontation with the German music industry and YouTube … one of the titans of the Internet.įor almost three years the story laid dormant, with only a few discerning outlets, including Digital Music News, questioning why no one was talking about stream ripping. However, at the end of the German court proceeding, with Matesanz reportedly agreeing to change this mode of operation, the site lived on. The site’s creator had survived a confrontation with the German music industry and YouTube … one of the titans of the Internet.Īs minor as this programming attribute seems, it made the argument that the site was involved in copyright infringement much stronger. It was a feature that dramatically accelerated the download process. That way, when another user wanted the same audio file, they wouldn’t have to wait for it to be converted. But instead of solely giving the file to the user, the site would also archive the file on its server. When a user entered a YouTube URL, the stream ripper would rip the audio from the video. But according to BVMI, was doing more than just making a single copy. In Germany, it is considered legal to make a copy of a song for personal use. After over a year of conflict, reportedly agreed to stop its mode of operation after it was revealed that the site wasn’t just acting as a cassette recorder. But BVMI, an association representing the German music industry, did – suing the stream ripper for copyright infringement. Over four million signatures later… eventually regained access to the videos. Instead of cowering to their power, the young software developer started an online petition campaign demanding YouTube lift its block. When he requested a meeting with the video-hosting behemoth to discuss the letter, Matesanz claimed YouTube answered by blocking his site. He argued that it was simply providing users a copy of a YouTube broadcast. At the time, Matesanz compared his site to a cassette recorder. Matesanz was given seven days to terminate his YouTube to MP3 converter service, or face the potential of legal action. The site’s public trouble started in June of 2012, when Matesanz received a cease and desist letter from YouTube. Within a few minutes, or even faster, the audio from the video is ready to be downloaded from the site. Then, simply paste its web address into the field provided on and press convert. To download a song for free, all you have to do is find the video on YouTube that has the music you desire. But behind the scenes, this stream ripping site - named after its ability to rip audio from streaming music - has been churning out perhaps billions of free songs to its visitors since its inception in 2009. With just a few banner ads and a place to enter a YouTube web address - the simple design presents a rather modest façade. This could be a major blow to the entire industry of stream ripping.įrom the outside, doesn’t look like much. And as of this writing, the site does not seem to be functioning. Philip Matesanz, the intriguing German programmer who created the YouTube to MP3 converter, has yet to respond to a lawsuit filed by the major record labels, a representative of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) tells me.
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