The recent suspension of several popular .to domain names by Namecheap has sent shockwaves through the online streaming community. With major players like Zorox.to and Upmovies.to facing the axe, the landscape of online piracy is rapidly shifting.
Namecheap's decision to suspend domains like Zorox.to and Upmovies.to signifies a significant crackdown on online piracy. These streaming portals, with millions of monthly visits, have long been a thorn in the side of content creators and rights holders.
Since .to domains don't support the conventional clientHold status code, their nameservers were changed, presumably in response to an Indian court order obtained by Netflix and several Hollywood studios. While several of these were registered through Namecheap, they remained online. A possible reason for this is that the .to registry doesn’t support the standard clientHold status code that’s used to suspend domain names.
The injunction, issued by the New Delhi High Court, requires local ISPs to block access to the domains. In addition, domain name registrars are also urged to take action. The reach of this Indian order expands far outside the nation’s borders. Several international domain registrars, including the American company Namecheap, complied with its instructions. Failing to do so, could harm the ability of these companies to operate in India.
While suspended sites may attempt comebacks using alternative domain names, the precedent set by the Indian High Court's action suggests a formidable challenge for pirate site operators. Hollywood's utilization of legal channels in combating piracy signals a potential shift in anti-piracy strategies moving forward.
The suspension of these .to domains marks a significant victory in the ongoing battle against online piracy. However, it also raises questions about the effectiveness of legal measures in curbing illicit streaming activities. As the dust settles, one thing remains clear: the fight against piracy is far from over.