Demonoid shut down by Ukrainian authorities following DDoS attack

Demonoid, the Internet's largest combined BitTorrent site and tracker, has been shutdown in one of the biggest BitTorrent-related busts in recent times, according to TorrentFreak. ColoCall, the Ukrainian datacenter who hosts Demonoid, was forced to relinquish Demonoid's data to local authorities and terminate service for the site.

Just prior to the bust, the semi-private tracker and site had essentially been inoperative for more than a week due a massive DDoS attack. Demonoid's admin recently confirmed the site had been hacked in addition to the DDoS attack, but vowed the site would be brought back to life despite recent difficulties. He admitted though, it may take awhile to address the site's underlying issues. Unfortunately for Demonoid, local authorities may make the site's brief intermission a permanent one.

The timing is interesting; and not just due to the concurrency of the DDoS, hacking and investigation, but because of recent political events as well. TorrentFreak points out that the bust happens to coincide with the very first trip taken to the United States by Ukraine's newly appointed First Vice Prime Minister, Valeriy Khoroshkovsky. Curiously, while he visits the U.S., Khoroshkovsky will be discussing a very familiar topic: International copyright infringement. 

The First Vice Prime Minister’s visit follows a purported promise by the Ukrainian government to step up International copyright protection. With that and the timing of events in mind, TorrentFreak's sources theorize that Demonoid may have actually been a Ukrainian "gift" to show the U.S. that the country is serious about protecting intellectual property.

Apple pays $60 million for iPad brand name rights in China

country. According to an announcement by Chinese-based, Hong-Kong registered computer display maker Proview, the two parties reached a settlement during mediation.

This removes the last obstacle preventing the Cupertino firm from selling its popular tablet in the Chinese market.

"The iPad dispute resolution is ended," the Guangdong High People's Court said. "Apple has transferred $60m to the account of the Guangdong High Court as requested in the mediation letter." The amount was paid into the courts account so that Proview's creditors can receive the money they are owed, according to the Telegraph.

The dispute started in 2010, after Proview, a Chinese technology firm demanded Apple cease using the iPad brand name in the Chinese market, claiming they owned the rights. Apple ignored Proview's request and a legal battle ensued, which culminated in November last year when the Intermediate People's Court of Shenzhen ruled in favor of the Chinese firm.

In February, Proview then sued Apple $1.6 billion over copyright infringement, filed a temporary restraining order and demanded a formal apology. Now that settlement has been reached, Apple's latest iPad could be made available almost immediately to consumers, especially since the country's certification authorities already approved the device back in May.

"The settlement is great news for Apple. It just allows them to get on with business and stop being distracted. The new iPad has been so late to the China market that if they drag it any longer, Apple will stand to lose quite a bit more," said Teck-Zhung Wong, a Beijing-based analyst at IDC.

By Apple's standards it's a relatively small amount, which does suggest that Proview was influenced by the court or its creditors as its well known to be struggling financially. It also reflects Chinese Courts' preferences for encouraging disputing parties to reach a settlement rather than force a ruling, according to Stan Abrams, a US lawyer who teaches intellectual law to students at Beijing's Central University of Finance and Economics.