The aggressive pursuit of “rogue” Web sites by the U.S. government has caused another casualty – it was just self inflicted this time.
BTJunkie, one of the top five torrent sites since 2005, has shut down for good. The reasoning behind the shut down are mostly due to the legal scare caused by the shutdown of MegaUpload and other file sharing sites.
The site has posted a message to their users on their front page that details the heavy decision:
“This is the end of the line my friends. The decision does not come easy, but we’ve decided to voluntarily shut down. We’ve been fighting for years for your right to communicate, but it’s time to move on. It’s been an experience of a lifetime, we wish you all the best!”
Speaking to TorrentFreak, the founder said that the legal actions taken against other file sharing sites played a major role in voluntarily taking down their Web site. He says that seeing all the trouble his friends and colleagues were getting into was a constant source of worry and stress.
The owner, however, still wants a future for BitTorrents sites. He said that the war is far from over.
It’s important to note that the site was never directly targeted by copyright holders. It was simply listed as a rogue site by the MPAA and RIAA in a report to the USTR.
The site was one of the top five torrent sites with over a million monthy users. Those users will find other places to get their fix like always. It’s just sad to see major players in the torrent business, who do provide legitimate ways for artists to share their work, go the way of the dinosaur.