
Newzbin (paid usenet search engine) closes due to legal action - kacy
http://www.newzbin.com
======
Batsu
Since details seem very lacking between the link and the post in the link,
here's a short summary Newzbin via Wikiepdia:

"One of the main technologies produced is an XML-based file format called NZB
files, which contain a list of messageIDs that are related to specific
postings on Usenet. Through the use of these files, Usenet clients are able to
directly download material from Usenet without having to pre-fetch the headers
for the target group. Thus, the main benefit of the direct link is improving
the efficiency of Usenet binaries. It is technologies such as these that are
increasing the popularity of Usenet for file sharing."

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NewzBin>

It seems their crime is indexing binaries. This does nothing to stop file
sharing through Usenet, just ever so slightly impedes access.

~~~
cookiecaper
I don't know how they get away with this. Google links almost exclusively to
copyrighted content, but they're not shut down. Why is Google allowed to exist
and other indexes aren't?

~~~
benologist
Google linking to illegally distributed material is incidental - the only
similarity is that TPB/etc linking to legally distributable material is also
incidental.

~~~
chc
You're comparing Usenet to The Pirate Bay? One is one of the oldest
communications standards on the Internet and the other one is The Pirate Bay.

~~~
aw3c2
He is comparing torrent indexing sites to usenet indexing sites.

~~~
chc
Is there evidence that there was any effort on the part of Newzbin or its
users to focus the site's resources on illegal material? My impression of the
service was that it indexed a large swath of Usenet impartially. Compare this
to The Pirate Bay, whose users ask it to track illegal content more often than
not. Unless you have evidence that Newzbin specifically targeted illegal
material, he _is_ equating Usenet with pirated media.

~~~
benologist
Well there's the bit where a court found them to be guilty of doing just that.

Then there's the bit where as a messageboard it's long been superceded by
forums and other forms of communication.

Then there's the bit where according to wikipedia over 5 terabytes a day of
binaries get posted, and although I have no evidence somehow I don't think
that's linux isos.

Then there's popular culture which constantly touts it as some kind of
exclusive club 'the man' mustn't learn about because that way it'll stay
'safe' to use.

~~~
chc
A court did not find them guilty of doing just that. A court found them guilty
of knowingly profiting from copyright infringement. If I sell off my
grandfather's estate, which I know to include a fake Rolex, I would also have
knowingly profited from copyright infringement, but I don't think you would
say that an estate sale is also equivalent to The Pirate Bay.

------
Hates_
Very sad day indeed. One of the few online services I was more then happy to
pay for.

~~~
mistermann
nzbmatrix is excellent.

------
zenocon
<http://newzleech.com> \- I've always used newzleech. They were also shut down
for a while but they are back now.

------
emehrkay
Fuck. I love usnet, I hope this isn't the start of a trend

~~~
ellisd
the first rule of usenet... don't talk about usenet

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ebtalley
the second rule of usenet... don't talk about usenet. Thats what killed the
big H...

~~~
aiurtourist
The Big Red H? <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotline_Communications>

