17 July 2009

Gadzooks - it's ZookZ from Antigua

I've been following the rather entertaining case of Antigua vs. US for a few years now. Basically, the US government has taken a "do as I say, not as I do" attitude to the WTO - refusing to follow the latter's rules while seeking to enforce them against others. The net result is that plucky little Antigua seems to have won some kind of permission to ignore US copyright - up to a certain point - although nobody really knows what this means in practice.

That's not stopping an equally cheeky Antigua-based company from trying to make money from this situation:

ZookZ provides a new way to get pure movie and music enjoyment. We deliver unlimited, high-quality movies and music through a safe, legal and secure platform for one low monthly subscription fee.

ZookZ makes it simple for any to enjoy digital entertainment. Our user-friendly interface provides access to all our digital assets. We offer unlimited downloads of all movies and music for one low monthly price. Files are delivered in MP3 and MP4 formats that are compatible with most mobile devices and players so you can enjoy your entertainment when, where and how you want. ZookZ is changing the way people use and enjoy digital entertainment. Unlike other companies, once you download the file, you can view or listen to it on any medium of your choice­ –without restrictions.

ZookZ is not a peer-to-peer file sharing system and prohibits that use of its product. Customers directly download safe content from our secure database, not from an unknown third party. ZookZ guarantees that all our digital media is free from viruses, adware and spyware. We are dedicated to providing high-quality, safe and secure digital files.

ZookZ operates under the parameters of the 2007 WTO ruling between Antigua and the United States, and is the only website that can legally offer members unlimited digital entertainment.


The FAQ has more details.

I doubt whether the US media industries will sit back and let ZookZ try to implement its plan, and I suspect that this could get rather interesting to watch.
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8 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:11 pm

    They may not be a peer-to-peer network but their movies are obtained from torrent uploaders on this network (such as Klaxxon), as is all their music, and is sometimes of dubious quality and then they charge you for that! I have a lot of background information on the site and owners if you are interested. It is run by an American using an Antiguan company as cover; and a dubious twist of the WTO ruling to get around copyright laws. They also log all your details and downloads...

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  2. Glyn Moody9:23 pm

    thanks for that interesting background - I did wonder where they were sourcing their material.

    I'm not sure I'd be able to use the information you kindly offer: I'm not really a hot news site (well, not even a cold one), so those kind of things - although fascinating - are a little outside my remit, which tends to be fact-free pontificating....

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  3. Anonymous3:00 am

    About to be closed down any time now by the Government anyway.. Didn't last long.

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  4. Glyn Moody7:17 am

    Is it? Is there are source for that? Can't say I'd be surprised given the forces ranged against it...

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  5. Marlie Hall4:35 am

    The ZookZ.com website is back up. Our music and movie service is still unavailable but we are working to restore it. ZookZ has processed all customer refunds as of 07/21/09 so if you don't see the credit by 7/24/09 please contact help@zookz.com. We encourage you to check www.zookz.com or visit us on twitter @zookz or Facebook for continued updates.

    Marlie Hall
    Director of Corporate Communications
    ZookZ

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  6. Glyn Moody6:51 am

    Thanks for the update. I admire your tenacity.

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  7. Marlie Hall8:42 pm

    Glyn, we would like to thank you for being a valued customer of ZookZ. Please continue to check the site for updates. You can also follow us on Facebook and @ZookZ on Twitter.

    Marlie Hall
    Director of Corporate Communications
    ZookZ

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  8. Glyn Moody8:49 pm

    Thanks - although I wouldn't exactly term myself a *customer* as such, more of a consumer, albeit of your story, rather than of your service.

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