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SCOOP: Slaying Comicslayer – The War Against Comics Piracy Continues

Published Sun, 21 Mar 2010 09:00:09 -0500

Last updated Wed, 24 Mar 2010 08:33:03 -0500

There's been a blow struck to illegal digital comics distribution this week. The normal run of books haven't been flooding through the normal sites such as PirateBay or IsoHunt as smoothly as usual. The files are there,. but the distribution is spotty.

It make have something do do with the taking down of the secretive Comicslayer site last Thursday, run by user tormenttheclown. After abandoning the Comicslayer.com URL years ago, then hiding themselves behind an invite-only dummy portal, they provided the initial direct download links for CPS, DCP and Minutemen comic book piracy rings. These linksm, using filesharing services such as megaupload, rapidshare or sendspace, would then get propogated out onto other sites and the files made available through bit torrent feeds.

With another prominent direct download link board, ID-AT run by slickenside also falling of late, could this be a much-anticipated assault on the piracy sector by the big boys, going after the initial network of distribution?

And the big question being asked in such circles, who do they have on the inside?

Comics piracy has been a major bugbear for many publishers, with the majority of comic books made available of illegal download within hours of publication. Pirates pride themselves on professional scans that are often of greater quality that the printed works, and believe that piracy only helps the industry by encouraging sampling, leading readers to buy the printed versions. Naturally the publishers and most professionals disagree. But there has been very little done of late to discourage it.

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