Y2Mate, the largest YouTube stream-ripping service in the world, is currently being targeted by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for takedown. With piracy on the rise and coming fresh off a legal battle with the Russian stream-ripping service FLVTO.biz, the RIAA is on a mission to remove all YouTube stream-rippers from the internet. Furthermore, the Australian music industry has already banned all stream-rippers, initially taking down the site YouTubNow.
In a notice sent to the domain owners of YouTubNow, the the RIAA stated:
“The website associated with this domain name offers files containing sound recordings which are owned by one or more of our member companies and have not been authorized for this kind of use, including without limitation those referenced at the URL below.”
Will the RIAA Succeed in Taking Down Y2Mate?
The biggest factor in taking down a site like Y2Mate is legal fees. YouTubNow avoided costly litigation fees and simply shut down. Some sites have received support from The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), who filed an amicus brief actually defending FLVTO and stream-ripping sites stating:
“Like a web browser, photocopy machine, or video recorder, the converters at issue in this case are neutral technologies, equally capable of lawful and infringing uses.”
and speaking against the RIAA:
“Their practice is to file suit against foreign-owned websites, with default the most likely outcome. Then, as part of a default judgment, they request broad injunctions that purport to bind a host of intermediary companies, enlisting them to disable or block the website.”
With a massive 64 million unique visits last month, Y2Mate is globally ranked at 570, with site visits primarily from the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, India, and Spain.
To learn more about the case, read the full subpoena against the hosting site Cloudflare below.