TVNZB, a website known for hosting NZB files for Usenet users to find their favourite TV shows has sold their domain to a new management.
Note: This is an article I wrote that was published elsewhere first. It has been republished here for archival purposes
The pressure against NZB websites after news circulated that the MPAA made unprecedented movements against such websites.
TVNZB was a website that specialised in NZB files that pointed to TV shows on Usenet. NZB acts similar in nature to a .torrent file on a BitTorrent network only UseNet doesn’t require a tracker like BitTorrent does.
Unlike BitTorrent, the NZB websites seemed immune to pursuit by the MPAA. An idea that was shattered when reports came of NZB sites being recipients of cease and desist orders.
Although TVNZB were not included as targets in the round of lawsuits, the MPAA press release was enough to shake the TVNZB administration. Jon of TVNZB decided to pull the plug on his free NZB service. Users noticed yesterday that all they could see was the following in the message:
“tvnzb is for sale.”
Expanding on this surprising message, Slyck.com caught up with “Jon”, administrator of TVNZB.com. “Yes [the news report] was mainly the cause,” Jon told Slyck.com. “We did not receive any lawsuit or notification, but, quite simply, it just wouldn’t be worth the trouble to move the server offshore we don’t have the resources to deal with any type of lawsuit.
“It was fun while it lasted, but as many of your readers are no doubt aware; this is the nature of internet filesharing. It evolves and changes. I am accepting offers for the site, maybe someone else will want to pickup where I left off.”
It didn’t seem to take long before someone decided to take the TVNZB torch. Jon later updated Slyck, “There is a buyer and we are in the process of transferring the site over. It should be done in a week max.”
The main website was then changed to, “TvNZB has been sold! The new owner should commence operations in a few days, so check back!”
What the new management plans on doing with the domain is anyone’s guess. However, the speed of the handover suggests that there is enthusiasm to continue where Jon left off. With this enthusiasm that new management brings, this may herald a brighter future for the site.
Drew Wilson on Twitter: @icecube85 and Google+.
