| Cult of Mac

Apple accused of ignoring ‘massive’ music piracy on iTunes

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100 Greatest Big Hits of the 1920's, Vol. 3 continues multipolar examples of music piracy on Apple iTunes.
100 Greatest Big Hits of the 1920's, Vol. 3 on iTunes allegedly includes seven pirated recordings of songs by one composer.
Photo: Apple

Lawyers representing a group of music composers from the 20th century have accused Apple of being “recklessly indifferent or willfully blind” to the actions of a company that operates a “massive music piracy operation” on iTunes.

Popcorn Time, the Netflix of piracy, returns just in time for COVID-19 binging

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Popcorn Time is back!
Photo: Cult of Mac

One of the easiest ways to pirate movies and TV shows is back just in time for the great stay-at-home coronavirus quarantine party of 2020.

Popcorn Time, the legendary app that was basically a Netflix for privacy, announced its return Tuesday on Twitter, saying its newest build, called “Love in the Time of Corona Version 0.4,” is available for download.

Grab it while you can.

Windows Store proves Apple’s strict guidelines are a necessity

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Windows Store movies
Windows Store has an illegal movies problem.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple is often criticized for its strict App Store guidelines that prevent all kinds of titles from being approved. But the state of the Windows Store proves strict guidelines are a necessity.

Microsoft’s marketplace is currently littered with apps that allow users to illegally stream movies and TV shows for free. There’s also a range of titles that provide access to pirated music.

Chrome browser bug makes movie piracy even easier

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Stealing movies is simple with Chrome.
Photo: David Livshits/Alexandra Mikityuk

A worrying flaw uncovered in Google Chrome makes it even easier for pirates to download movies and TV shows from the web. Google was made aware of the issue a month ago, but the company is yet to release an update that fixes it.

Game dev creates the ultimate troll for Android pirates

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If you want to beat Shooting Stars, make sure you buy it.
Photo: Noodlecake
If you want to beat Shooting Stars, make sure you buy it. Photo: Noodlecake
If you want to beat Shooting Stars, make sure you buy it. Photo: Noodlecake

App developers are fighting what seems like a losing battle against software pirates, but some of them are finding new ways to deter users from downloading their latest titles illegally.

Noodlecake, the publisher behind games like Super Stickman Golf and Mikey Shorts, has created the ultimate troll for those who choose not to pay for its newest game: a pirate version that’s impossible to beat.

Popcorn Time’s new website makes piracy easier than ever

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Piracy hasn't been this easy since the days of Blackbeard.
Piracy hasn't been this easy since the days of Blackbeard.
Photo: Popcorn in Your Browser

In news that is likely to cause all manner of headaches around Hollywood, Popcorn Time — the streaming torrent service often described as “Netflix for pirates” — is now easier to access than ever, thanks to a new website.

But how long will it last?

Netflix calls Popcorn Time, the ‘Netflix for pirates,’ a direct competitor

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The Popcorn Time app on Android. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The Popcorn Time app on Android. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Popcorn Time, the app for Mac and jailbroken iOS devices that allows you to stream movie and television torrents from the cloud, has often been heralded as “Netflix for pirates,” thanks to its easy-to-use interface and huge selection of content. Turns out that’s enough for Netflix to consider Popcorn Time a direct competitor.

Only 5% of Monument Valley installs on Android were paid for

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One of the biggest reasons why many app developers continue to snub Android is piracy. The platform’s “open” approach, which allows applications to be downloaded from third-party sources and installed manually, makes it incredibly easy for users to circumvent Google Play and obtain paid apps completely free.

Piracy on Android is so rampant right now that just 5 percent of installs of Monument Valley — one of the best mobile games of 2014, which is currently priced at $3.99 in the Play Store — have actually been paid for.