The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has shut down Extreme-down, France’s second most popular illegal streaming and direct download site.
According to ACE, it identified and approached the operator in Houmt Souk, Tunisia, who subsequently ceased the illicit operations and transferred all domains to ACE.
It adds that the domains now redirect to the “Watch Legally” page on the ACE website. The service had more than 14 million visitors each month.
Commenting on the shutdown, Jan van Voorn, executive VP and global content protection chief of the Motion Picture Association and head of ACE, said: “Thanks to ACE’s rapidly expanding global network, we are in a better position than ever to act decisively against illegal piracy operators in all markets across the world.
“Extreme-down offered a large library of TV series and movies in French and original versions; we counted more than 40,000 movies and TV series episodes affecting ACE members. That library is now closed”.
ACE notes that French premium television channel providers and ACE members Canal+ and France Televisions worked closely with it and local authorities on this action.
Celine Boyer, global Head of Content Protection at Canal+ Group, added: “Canal+ Group has fought content piracy for years and, as a member of ACE, we are particularly pleased with the takedown of this notorious illegal website.
“The elimination of this website is a massive success for the protection of rights holders in French-speaking countries”.
Nathalie Bobineau, senior VP of international development for France Televisions, said: “The damaging effects of piracy cannot be overstated, especially for a global public service media company like ours.
“We applaud the efforts of ACE in their fight to defend copyright and successfully close down a piracy operation of this magnitude. ACE is currently the only organisation able to give powerful and efficient support to our relentless fight against piracy worldwide, and we will continue to work with ACE to combat illegal operations that threaten legal content creators”.
