Netmovies, 1HD, and Other Pirate Sites Targeted by ACE/MPA

Netmovies, 1HD, and dozens of other pirate sites are now in the crosshairs of ACE and the MPA.

A new batch of DMCA subpoenas filed this week aims to unmask the operators behind these popular streaming websites, some drawing tens of millions of visits monthly.

From long-running giants to quick-hit newcomers, the effort shows enforcement is heating up again in the fight against unverified streaming services.

Cloudflare, Tonic, and Zenlayer in the Crosshairs

Three different DMCA subpoena applications were submitted this week. The largest one is directed at Cloudflare, covering 52 different domains.

Six of those are also named in a separate subpoena served to Tonic Corporation, the .to domain registry known for its light-touch registration policies.

A third subpoena was aimed at Zenlayer, requesting details about the team behind MAGIS TV v7.1.2—an app suspected of hosting copyrighted movies directly on its own servers.

These subpoenas have one purpose: expose the real identities behind these domains and apps. That kind of info is often hard to come by unless the companies holding infrastructure data are forced to cooperate.

Old Names Still in the Mix

The domain 1337x.to stands out from the list. It’s been around for more than ten years and remains one of the most visited torrent sites in the world. Since Google began tracking takedown requests, over 6.5 million URLs linked to 1337x.to have been flagged.

Other domains like netmovies.to and 1hd.to are newer to the scene, surfacing in 2022 and 2023 respectively. These haven’t attracted as many takedown notices yet, but they’ve grown quickly and now draw significant attention.

Even more recent entries like Freek.to and Binged.to are seeing explosive traffic growth. Freek.to alone pulled in over 24 million visits in December 2024, according to SimilarWeb, despite having almost no search engine visibility.

Built for Speed, Not Longevity

A major trend revealed by the subpoenas is how pirate streaming sites are becoming more disposable.

Unlike legacy platforms that aim to build long-term user bases, many of today’s sites are short-lived by design. They appear quickly, rake in traffic, and vanish once legal threats emerge—only to be reborn under a new domain.

It’s a rinse-and-repeat cycle. Content remains mostly the same, while the name and address change to avoid detection. Cloud hosting, cloned backend setups, and anonymous payment tools make this easy to pull off.

And while streaming free content from these websites is tempting, users need to very cautious of viruses/malware that can harm your device and privacy. We scanned the 1HD domain with VirusTotal and found five malicious files!

Using a reliable VPN can help protect your identity and secure your connection with these unverified platforms.

What Happens Next?

ACE and the MPA have been down this road many times. They understand the strategy these operators use. While some domains may vanish soon, others will rise just as fast to fill the gap.

The group’s enforcement approach will likely continue in cycles – identify, subpoena, and then apply pressure.

It’s worked in the past for taking down platforms like Gears TV and Nitro TV, but it rarely stops the overall trend.

Pirate services remain popular as long as traditional providers stick with high prices and restrictive models.

For more information on this story, refer to DMCA subpoena application (PDF) and the report from TorrentFreak.

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