Hollywood sounds alarm as streaming video websites enable a new wave of piracy

Streaming video is the most visible sign of how Internet piracy has evolved since the days of Napster and its imitators. The new digital black market combines "cyberlockers," such as Megaupload and Hotfile, which piracy experts say hold stores of pilfered content, with linking sites such as TVDuck and TVShack.cc, which act like an underground version of TV Guide, helping people locate bootlegged TV shows and movies.

Some of these linking sites even contain reviews and recommendations that lend a patina of legitimacy. The growth of streaming pirate sites has been nothing short of arresting. One independent measurement service documented a 42% jump in the number of infringing sites with streaming capability from July to August, sounding alarms throughout Hollywood. "Accessing stolen content by streaming has become increasingly widespread," said Rick Cotton, general counsel for NBC Universal. "So the challenge of reducing digital theft online now has a second major focal point."