Two Pirate Bay founders are ready to respect copyright takedown requests.

They yesterday launched new one-click download site Bayfiles. Unlike The Pirate Bay, Bayfiles will directly host the content but will provide no search function; users must have a specific download URL to retrieve material. Such systems make it impossible for third parties to see who might be downloading specific filenames; if infringing links are located, only the uploader's information is on record.

Still, Bayfiles will respect any copyrighted files brought to its attention, removing them from the site and banning all re-uploads of the identical content. The company, based in Hong Kong, will also respect US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown requests so long as requests are made in English and comport with DMCA rules.

Bayfiles' terms of service ban child pornography, "racist or violence-glorifying works," unauthorized copyrighted material, and "instructions for criminal offenses against public order." Uploaders to the site will have their IP address logged, and if Bayfiles is later "legally obliged to turn over information about the origin of a file, we will fulfill that obligation." (Download IP addresses will not be stored.)

This represents quite a change from the old Pirate Bay approach of mocking anyone who requested the removal of copyrighted files from the BitTorrent tracker. For instance, when Apple objected to the release of Mac OS X "Tiger" through the Pirate Bay's tracker back in 2005, site admin Anakata publicly posted a response that said, "Instead of simply recommending that you sodomize yourself with a retractable baton, let me recommend a specific model - the ASP 21. The previous lawyers tried to use a cheaper brand, but it broke during the action."

Still, this doesn't mean the site won't be awash in copyrighted material; similar services like RapidShare have faced lawsuits over the massive infringement taking place using their services, but have largely avoided liability thanks to their copyright compliance.

Bayfiles offers 250MB of storage to unregistered users. Members (500MB) and Premium Members (5GB for €5 a month) get more space and a few extra tools.