PirateBay launches OscarTorrents

Author: Wil Harris
Published: 12th February 2007

OscarTorrents has an Oscar statue with a handy pirate hat, just in case you were in any doubt.

In an outrageous move, PirateBay has launched a new Torrents site - OscarTorrents. Tagged as 'The Future of Oscars, Today', it offers all the nominated films for download via Torrent.

It's a pretty in your face move to the motion picture industry. The site offers its reason for existence:

"To all intellectual property landlords: we are aware that OscarTorrents might annoy you -- but contain your righteous indignation for a while, and think: we're only linking to torrents that already exist. Face it: your membrane has burst, and it wasn't us who burst it. Your precious bodily fluids are escaping.

You haven't beaten us, so why not join us? Think of a new business model that doesn't involve overpriced pieces of plastic and skanky cinemas hawking cheap carbohydrates while relying on $6/hr projectionists who can't keep a film in focus -- not to mention insulting your audiences by (to pick a few examples) surveilling us with nightvision glasses, searching bags, 30 minutes of commercials and bombarding us with ridiculous anti-piracy propaganda. Take a look at yourselves. Is it really any wonder we're winning?"

The site is also offering an unofficial Oscar vote - download the films, vote for your own winners, and OscarTorrents will publish the public's list of winners alongside the official jury vote.

Rather than linking all the torrents back to PirateBay, the download links point to a number of sites, including BTJunkie and IsoHunt. Presumably to spread the love?

TPB is surely running a fine line between sticking it to the man and pushing the man over the edge! What do you make of this latest inflammatory move? Let us know over in the forums.