Fmovies, the largest pirate streaming operator in the world, has been shut down by Vietnamese authorities, according to the Motion Picture Association, which had been working with police in the broad sting operation.
The piracy ring was taken down by the Hanoi Police, who disabled hundreds of affiliated streaming sites. Fmovies launched in 2016 and included websites like bflixz, movies7, myflixer and heymovies.
The Vidsrc.to domain was also taken down, as the ACE describes it as “a notorious video hosting provider operated by the same suspects.” The syndicate attracted more than 6.7 billion visits between January 2023 and June 2024, according to ACE. With nearly 374 million monthly visits, the syndicate was the largest piracy ring in the world.
“The takedown of Fmovies is a stunning victory for casts, crews, writers, directors, studios, and the creative community across the globe,” Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE, said in a statement. “With the leadership of ACE and the partnership of the Ministry of Public Security and the Hanoi Municipal Police, we are countering criminal activity, defending the safety of audiences, reducing risks posed to tens of millions of consumers, and protecting the rights and livelihoods of creators.”
“We commend the Hanoi Police for working with ACE to shut down the world’s largest piracy ring and sending a powerful deterrent message in this milestone case,” Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the MPA Larissa Knapp added. “The takedown of Fmovies is a testament to the power of collaboration in protecting the intellectual property rights of creators around the world. We look forward to ongoing joint efforts with Vietnamese authorities, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of Justice International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) program to bring the criminal operators to justice.”
“Strengthening intellectual property rights is an important element of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership,” said U.S. Ambassador Marc E. Knapper. “These prosecutions demonstrate Vietnam’s commitment to intellectual property rights enforcement, contributing to an economic ecosystem where creators and inventors can thrive.”
Madam Ngo Phuong Lan, the Chairwoman of the Vietnam Film Development Association commended ACE for shuttering the piracy ring.
“To achieve fast and sustainable growth and integrate into the global film industry, it is essential that we follow the right path. Intellectual property rights protection is a crucial element for our industry’s success. The VFDA strongly applauds the efforts of ACE, in collaboration with Vietnamese authorities, to combat the serious infringing activities of the Fmovies operators. We believe this milestone will contribute significantly to the advancement of the Vietnamese film industry,” Lan said.
