IFPI Announces Y2mate Stream Ripping Takedown in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo Credit: Tron Le

Looks like stream ripping is still a problem: The IFPI has decommissioned a dozen more sites that allegedly enabled users to download videos’ audio.

The IFPI confirmed the stream-ripping pulldowns, all stemming from a “targeted enforcement action in Vietnam,” in a brief release. As summed up by the organization, the 12 sites at hand shared a single operator, and that individual “agreed to shut down the” platforms and “to stop infringing IFPI’s members rights in the future.”

Though the enforcement action’s exact details are unclear, the results are apparent enough: The IFPI has assumed ownership of “most of” the domains, including Y2mate.com. Now, upon navigating to the latter, one is greeted by the IFPI’s logo and a message emphasizing that “THIS SITE HAS BEEN SHUTDOWN FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.”

“Stream-ripping sites that turn licensed streams into free downloads are illegal,” the text spells out. “Using or operating them can lead to serious consequences, including a criminal conviction.”

While at least three companies vehemently disagree with the “illegal” descriptor, the newest stream-ripping takedowns underscore, among different things, an ongoing focus on putting the providers out of business.

And to reiterate the obvious, that focus – besides demanding plenty of time and money – ties back to a goal of curbing piracy. Following the point to its logical conclusion, notwithstanding music’s widespread availability (including for free) via legitimate services and the comparative hassle associated with permanently downloading songs, stream rippers are still commanding sizable userbases.

Per the IFPI, Y2mate and the other nixed sites “collectively had in the last 12 months alone received more than 620 million visits globally.” Of course, that refers to cumulative traffic as opposed to visitors, and it seems safe to say that not all the stream-ripping activity targeted protected works.

Nevertheless, it’s a substantial total for just a dozen sites, and IFPI head Victoria Oakley in a statement described stream ripping as “one of the most prevalent forms of online music piracy.”

“This marks a major milestone in our ongoing work to tackle stream ripping, one of the most prevalent forms of online music piracy,” Oakley relayed. “It is a first of its kind success in Vietnam for the music industry, and we aim to build on this momentum to address other infringing services operated from the region. We will continue to tackle services which infringe our members’ rights, and to help protect the global music community.”

Despite these comments and yesterday’s court action against an alleged fake streams seller in Brazil, logic and evidence suggest that AI concerns (pertaining to straight scams and generative models alike) might be taking center stage for rightsholders.