You can’t keep a good pirate down, something proved once again by the resurrection of Kickass Torrents this week.
The torrent site was banned by the US government in July, but now former employees have announced they’ve managed to raise the good ship KAT from the bottom of the ocean and launch Katcr.co.
After opening forums this summer, the ability to download torrent files has now returned to the site.
It’s slow going at the moment, but we can confirm the site is live.
In a statement given to TorrentFreak the site-runners said: “
“This shows the loyalty, dedication and real love for KAT that we all share. We have all our major uploaders on board, and they continued to share tirelessly even before the torrent engines returned. The torrent community can continue to expect to see uploads from all the names they know and trust.”
Related: Chrome and Firefox warn against Pirate Bay usage
Whether the new site will remain online remains to be seen. The US government arrested the alleged operator in July and could now turn its attention to the remaining staff and those “major uploads” mentioned.
It appears some folks already have it in for the new KAT, with server load affected currently by undisclosed “issues.”
The new site-runners said: “Servers Load have been affected, there are other few sources of this issue, it’s not just one. We are working to fix this as soon as possible. One thing is for sure, we are not going anywhere, even as much these behind this acts want us to. Cowards always choose the shadows to commit their acts, and I do personally hope they know how to pray, they will need it.”
Watch The Refresh: The best tech gossip and reviews every week
Is there still a place for torrent sites on the modern internet, given the affordability of streaming services and the unbundling of content? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.