ACE shuts down Argentina-based piracy operation Pelismart/Pelispop ring

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world’s leading coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal ecosystem and reducing digital piracy, has officially announced the closure of Argentina-based piracy operation Pelismart/Pelispop ring.

The Pelismart/Pelispop ring, comprised of seven domains, was taken down in early August, following an enforcement action carried out by ACE in late July. After completing the investigation, ACE discovered that all seven domains, including new ones that were on track to have extraordinary spikes in traffic, belonged to the same operator.

The four largest domains, pelismart.com, pelispop.me, pelispoptv.com and pelispophd.com, had a combined monthly traffic of over 27 million visits. The sites made available for streaming and/or download countless titles, including both films and television series, and offered two language options – Spanish or subtitled.

The operator has now agreed to take down the content, transfer the domains to ACE and enter into a settlement agreement.

“This is a huge win for the ACE team based in Latin America as we work to protect the legitimate digital ecosystem throughout the region,” said Jan van Voorn, Executive Vice President and Chief of Global Content Protection for the Motion Picture Association. “While there are larger services that continue to operate in the region, it is only a matter of time before we will shut them down and the operators will undoubtedly have criminal charges filed against them in the countries where they currently reside.”

All related Pelismart/Pelispop ring domains are now redirecting to the Watch Legally section on the ACE website.

The theft of digital content harms both local and foreign films and businesses, threatens jobs, undermines investment, reduces tax contributions to governments, and stifles creativity.