Pirate streaming sites are a major problem for Hollywood and according to rightsholders, several of the largest sites are operated from Vietnam.
Vietnam has been a focal point for more than half a decade. It was also the home country for the 123Movies streaming empire before it was shut down in 2018.
Initially, little was known about the reasons behind 123Movies’ demise but after a few months, the MPA and ACE confirmed that the Vietnamese streaming site had been targeted in an international criminal operation.
Fmovies –> Fboxz.to Shutdown
In recent weeks, action targeting streaming sites appeared to flare up again. As discussed in previous articles, Fmovies suddenly threw in the towel while several ‘sister’ sites remained operational or redirected to ‘new’successors. That didn’t last.
A few hours ago Fboxz.to called it quits. This site, which was linked to the Fmovies cabal, received over 55 million monthly visits in recent months, mostly as a result of Fmovies shutting down.
Unlike Fmovies, which simply disappeared, a few hours ago Fboxz.to informed its users that the site is shutting down. A message posted on the site notes that “it’s time to say goodbye.”
“We’ve been providing links to movies and shows for a long time. Now it’s time to say goodbye. Thank you for being our friends and thanks for staying with us that long,” the notice reads.
Interestingly, the site’s operators appear to have had a sudden change of heart when it comes to piracy. After providing pirated movies and TV series to millions of people over many years, they now urge users to show respect for creators by paying for the content they consume.
“PS: Please pay for the movies/shows, that’s what we should do to show our respect to people behind the movies/shows.”
Familiar Message, Familiar Players?
The tone of the message stands out; those who have been following piracy news for a few years have likely seen it before. The exact same farewell message was also posted by the operators of 123Movies more than six years ago, as shown below.
The identical language is noteworthy. 123Movies shut down after an international law enforcement operation and then shortly after, Fmovies emerged as the new pirate streaming king. Now, Fmovies is gone, and its sister sites are shutting down too, with a message linking right back to the closure of 123Movies.
It seems likely that some type of enforcement action is behind these recent events but at the time of writing, there is no official confirmation. What can be said with complete confidence is that MPA and ACE saw the Fmovies sites as the largest piracy threat, and those concerns were discussed with Vietnamese Government officials earlier this year.
Just a few days ago, ACE and the MPA maintained the pressure by trying to uncover the identities of the people behind several Fmovies successors, including theflixtor.to, mov2day.to, and 2flix.to. All of these sites shut down overnight, but without any notice or farewell message like the others.
It’s perhaps not a coincidence that associated video streaming source vidsrc2.to is unreachable too.
AniWave and Others Wave Goodbye
As we were writing this article, another Fmovies-linked site disappeared. Aniwave.to, formerly known as 9anime, serviced a mind-blowing 170 million visits a month; that won’t be the case for long.
A message posted on the site suggests that with the arrival of improved legal alternatives, now is an opportune time to stop pirating.
“Now that everything has improved… it is also time for us to say goodbye…It is difficult to part with something we have invested so much effort and passion into, but it is something we need to do.
“Every game must have an end…and life is about experiences. Every mistake teaches us lessons that help us grow,” the AniWave team adds.
The team end with the same advice displayed on Fboxz, which urges people to choose legal alternatives from now on.
“If possible, please use legal paid services. It’s something we should do to show our respect for creators and content producers.”
AniWave’s shutdown announcement isn’t unique. The same message is posted on related sites including AnimeSurge.to and Anix.to. At this point, it is safe to say that if a few weeks ago the Fmovies empire was crumbling, today it’s showing all the signs of a collapse.
Given the impact of these shutdowns, it seems likely that more information will trickle in during the coming days. We will keep an eye on the situation and cover the fallout in due course.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
