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Dutch anti-piracy organisation Brein has taken down 6 Dutch websites which offered the popular illegal streaming software Popcorn Time. The websites were hosted in the Netherlands and include popcorntime.nl, popcorn-time.eu and popcorntimefiles.nl, according to Brein on its website. The websites now show a notice from Brein explaining why the sites have been shutdown.

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The disappearance of the sites has no effect on Dutch Popcorn Time users, it will only be harder for them to find the software. According to Brein the organisation has indentified the website administrators and settled with them which includes payment of an undisclosed fee.

The Popcorn Time software uses torrents to download video files and make them available to others. Therefor the software is illegal according to Dutch law. Uploading of copyright protected content was already illegal in the Netherlands but since April the country also adopted a law that prohibits downloading of copyright protected content from illegal sources.

Brein previously announced it would not go after individual users but after services and websites providing access to pirated content. The websites taken down by Brein show a message in which the anti-piracy organisation explains the Dutch copyright law forbids downloading and uploading of copyright protected content. The message also includes recommendations of several legal alternatives to Popcorn Time.

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In August last year about 1.3 million Dutch devices contained Popcorn Time software. The Netherlands has a population of about 17 million.