 | |
 Screenshot of Putlocker's homepage, 2016 | |
Type of site | File hosting index (or cyberlocker)[1] |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom United States |
| Revenue | Advertisements |
| Registration | None |
| Current status | Offline (clones and copy sites available) |
Putlocker is a file hosting index website used for streaming entertainment media, particularly films and television series, for free. The initial website originated in the United Kingdom in 2011, and grew to receive millions of daily visitors after the shutdown of Megaupload. In May 2016, the website was blocked in the UK by a High Court order,[2] and at its peak prior to a temporary closure in late 2016, Alexa Internet listed Putlocker as ranking among the top 250 most-visited websites worldwide.[3] Putlocker has been reported by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) as a major piracy threat.[4]
Putlocker's domain address has changed multiple times throughout its history, with a number of URLs bearing the Putlocker name being suspended or seized. It is not publicly known whether an official Putlocker website maintained by the original team remains available online, but at least fifty mirror or proxy websites, many of which use the Putlocker name, have been identified.
- ^ Scaria 2014, p. 33.
- ^ Bolton, Doug (26 May 2016). "Putlocker blocked in the UK by internet service providers after High Court order". The Independent. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ibewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Prabhu, Vijay (17 October 2016). "Yet Another Video Streaming Service Bites The Dust, Putlocker Shuts Down". TechWorm. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.