aXXo, Where Art Thou?
In what must appear like a lifetime to his loyal fans, the popular DVD ripper aXXo hasn’t uploaded any torrents for three weeks. As always, rumors surface that claim to explain the hiatus. Has aXXo been arrested, or transferred to one of the MPAA’s covert detention facilities? Did BitTorrent’s favorite uploader fall off a cliff?
The aXXo brand has achieved cult status and for some has become synonymous with quality. Over the years aXXo has grabbed the attention of scammers, the mainstream press and even documentary makers. So, when he goes silent it is quickly noticed and the demand from his fans for news or an update quickly grows.
This isn’t the first time that aXXo has taken a break from releasing. Last year there were no new releases for a full four months but eventually aXXo made a glorious return with the topical release of “I Am Legend.” Little is known about the reasons behind aXXo’s current absence, although he has not disappeared completely.
We can confirm that aXXo has been logging into his account at Mininova, which means that we can safely conclude that aXXo is still among us. When he plans to surface again is unclear, but time will tell.
It is fascinating to see how aXXo has gathered a following of millions of people in the years after he started uploading his first torrent. As always, opinions differ and controversy always surrounds aXXo. He is God to some, while others despise him for his lack of crediting ‘The Scene’ but it’s difficult to criticize his commitment or appreciate the pressure he is undoubtedly under on a daily basis.
Fact is, however, that every aXXo upload is good for a guaranteed entry in our movie download charts, adding up to millions of downloads in a few weeks. It may be Hollywood’s worst nightmare, but many independent film producers will dream of having their films ripped by aXXo, ensuring that they are associated with a global brand with an unprecedented reach on BitTorrent.
aXXo is the Internet alias of an individual[1][2] allegedly harassed by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for copyright infringement. aXXo became popular for releasing commercial DVD movies on the Internet for free download, often before their official release dates.[3] The resulting files can in turn be easily distributed through the internet and be viewed instantly on a computer.[4]
aXXo files are popular among the file sharing community using peer-to-peer file sharing protocols such as BitTorrent. Eric Garland, the CEO of download-tracking firm BigChampagne, found that 33.5% of movies downloaded, during a random sampling, were aXXo torrents.[5] The aXXo files gained popularity due to the fact that aXXo produces files of comparatively small size and consistent quality. File sizes are approximately 700 MB – the same size as a Compact Disc.[5] Because of aXXo's reputation for re-encoded quality, the aXXo name is sometimes faked as an identifying source by a variety of imitators.[5]
Identity
aXXo's identity is not publicly known so as to make it difficult for authorities to track it down. A number of individuals have claimed to be, or had their name attached to, aXXo.
In a purported interview of a person claiming to be aXXo, he describes himself as a single individual who has been ripping DVDs since he was a teenager.[6] It has been suggested that the MPAA is waiting for aXXo to reach the age of 18 to more effectively prosecute him than if he were a minor.[2][1]
Imitators
Due to its popularity in the file sharing subculture, the pseudonym aXXo is faked by a variety of individuals and groups to mimic the source identity as a disguise for their own uploads on file sharing websites. A portion of such decoys is made available by a range of companies in the field of copyright enforcement, such as BayTSP, MediaDefender, or MediaSentry, with the aim of constricting illegal Internet traffic. Downloading a faked file, or group of files, results in data containing typically useless and potentially malicious data. The type of maliciously fake files include RAR format files that require the user to download a trojan virus disguised as a codec needed to view associated AVI format files. Other fake files encourage the user to register on dubious websites or require the user install the DomPlayer software. Fake files may also contain malware with the capability to send the IP address of the user's computer to a private server.[7]
Copyright infringement
aXXo converts commercial DVD movies into approximately 700MB AVI files which are then used to create a .torrent file that is uploaded to Bittorrent Trackers allowing the movie to be downloaded.[8] On file sharing websites, aXXo files attract a large following, with over a million users downloading aXXo files each month.[6] Files released by aXXo follow the naming convention "name of movie[year]DvDrip[Eng]-aXXo.avi"[9] where "DvDrip[Eng]" implies it was ripped from an English-language disc and "avi" refers to the resulting file format. The video is encoded according to the MPEG-4 ASP standard, compatible with the Xvid codec. The aXXo postings also carry an attached text file that states, in part: "Be aware of bogus sites and lamers, download your aXXo files from aXXo accounts. Enjoy!"
In November 2007, aXXo deleted all of their files released after September 7, 2006 from The Pirate Bay, protesting that the site would allow harassing comments to be added to his torrents by "possible members of MPAA".[3] While past aXXo torrents remained available on other torrent sites, uploads of new aXXo files stopped on November 11, 2007.[3][1] After an absence of three months aXXo returned to uploading, starting with the movie I Am Legend on March 9, 2008.[1][10][11]
On December 15, 2008, aXXo's thousandth movie upload, a copy of the Kiefer Sutherland horror film MIRЯORS, appeared on an internet forum for the Darkside Release Group.[12]
Since March 11 2009, after uploading Punisher: War Zone, aXXo hasn't uploaded any torrents.[13]
