The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which represents many major gaming companies, submitted an overview of the infamous “Pirate Markets” to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
The ESA, which represents video game companies such as Activision Blizzard, EA, Epic Games, Nintendo, Sony, Square Enix and Ubisoft, hopes that the interests of its members will be taken into account.
Cyberlockers, Linking and Torrent Sites
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The overview mentions various problematic sites and services, such as 1fichier.com, knowncheats.me and 1337x.to. Additionally, highly skilled hackers, repackers, and cryptocurrency abuse are highlighted as emerging piracy issues.
Additionally, there are hookup sites that take advantage of the low compliance rate of cyberlockers, such as Megaup. These sites leverage the durability of Megaup's links to attract more visitors and increase advertising revenue.
Additionally, torrentsuch as 1337x.to are being reported. Game companies are expressing concern about the uncontrolled distribution of pirated content.
Continuing, the ESA cites websites that promote cheats and related information, such as mpgh.net and unknowncheats.me. These sites provide cheats and tutorials for many game titles and operate with advertising to generate revenue.
Finally, the ESA mentions unauthorized marketplaces such as playauctions.com and G2G.com, where in‑game items are sold, such as skins and virtual game currency.
The ESA review serves as a reference for USTR's annual review of piracy markets and influences the government's global copyright enforcement agenda going forward.
Scene Groups, Crackers and Repackers
The threats associated with piracy in the gambling space include the following main categories:
Scene release groups: These groups facilitate the distribution of pirated games by bypassing the protection measures in place. This allows illegal users to more easily access these pirated downloads, making them more accessible to the general public.
Hackers and copycats: “Hackers” are people who circumvent DRM protection restrictions on games, while “copycats” create pirated versions of games that are easier to distribute.
Cryptocurrencies and Malware (Malware)
Often, illegal purchases are made using cryptocurrency, which is harder to detect. Additionally, malware is used to mine cryptocurrency, while adware remains a problem.
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) hopes that recognizing these threats will encourage law enforcement, policymakers, and foreign governments to take action to address them.
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Source: torrentfreak.com
