Kickasstorrent, also known as KAT, was a website that provided a directory for torrent files and magnet links to facilitate peer-to-peer file sharing using the BitTorrent protocol. It was one of the most popular and widely used torrent sites worldwide, with millions of daily users and visitors. However, it was also one of the most controversial and targeted sites by the authorities, as it was accused of hosting and distributing copyrighted and illegal content. In this article, we will explore the history, features, and alternatives of Kickasstorrent and the legal and ethical issues surrounding it.
History of Kickasstorrent
Kickasstorrent was founded 2008 by Artem Vaulin, a Ukrainian programmer and entrepreneur who used the online alias “tirm.” He initially launched the site as Kat. Ph, changing the domain name several times to avoid censorship and seizure, such as kickass.to kickass.so, kickasstorrents.im, and kat.cr. He also operated the site under a company called Cryptoneat, which was based in Poland.
Kickasstorrent quickly rose to fame and popularity, offering a large and diverse collection of torrent files and magnet links covering various categories, such as movies, TV shows, music, games, software, books, and more. It also had a simple and user-friendly interface with various features and functions, such as search, filters, ratings, comments, requests, and community forums. It also had a loyal and active user base, contributing to the site’s content and quality.
However, Kickasstorrent also faced many challenges and threats, as it was constantly under scrutiny and pressure from the authorities, the media, content owners, and distributors. It was accused of facilitating and promoting online piracy, copyright infringement, and illegal downloading, which caused significant losses and damages to the entertainment industry and the economy. Many countries and regions, such as the UK, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Malaysia, and Australia, also blocked and banned it.
The final blow to Kickasstorrent came in July 2016, when the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it had seized the site’s domain names and servers and arrested its founder and owner, Artem Vaulin, in Poland. The DOJ charged Vaulin with four counts of criminal charges, including conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of criminal copyright infringement. The DOJ also claimed that Kickasstorrent was responsible for distributing over $1 billion worth of pirated content and earned over $16 million annually from advertising revenue.
Since then, Kickasstorrent has been offline and inaccessible, and its fate remains uncertain. Vaulin is still fighting extradition to the US. His lawyers have argued that torrenting is not a crime and that Kickasstorrent was merely a search engine that did not host or distribute content. Meanwhile, many clone, proxy, and mirror sites have emerged, claiming to be the new or original Kickasstorrent. Still, none of them have the same quality, content, or legitimacy as the original site.
Features of Kickasstorrent
A large and diverse library of torrent files and magnet links covering various categories, such as movies, TV shows, music, games, software, books, and more. Users could find almost any content they wanted on Kickasstorrent, downloading it for free and fast. A simple and user-friendly interface with various features and functions, such as search, filters, ratings, comments, requests, and community forums. Users could easily navigate and browse the site and find the content they sought. They could also rate and comment on the torrents, request or suggest new content, and join the community forums to chat and share with other users.
