If you’ve ever wanted to stream an episode of Top Gear, Top Gear Australia or Top Gear US online, you’ve probably swung by the FinalGear forums. As of last week, however, the website will no longer be linking to episodes of the world’s favourite car show following a takedown notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
By its own admission, FinalGear doesn’t link to any Top Gear torrents, but it does link to streams of the show so that people who can’t watch it quickly (read: Australians).
FinalGear has removed its stream links, while posting its own DMCA takedown notice:
Demand for Immediate Take-Down: Notice of Infringing Activity
Url: http://www.finalgear.com
Date: 03/07/14
Dear Sir / Madam,
BBC Worldwide Consumer Products, Soda Pictures has received information that the domain listed above, which appears to be on servers under your control, is offering unlicensed copies of, or is engaged in other unauthorized activities relating to copyrighted works owned by BBC Worldwide Consumer Products.
Identification of copyrighted works:
Copyrighted work(s):
Top Gear
Top Gear Australia
Top Gear America
Copyrighted owner(s):
BBC Worldwide Consumer Products
Statement of authority:
The information contained within this notice is accurate, and I hereby certify under penalty of perjury that I am authorized to act on behalf of BBC Worldwide Consumer Products, the owner of the copyright(s) in the work(s) identified above.
I have a good faith belief that none of the materials or activities listed above have been authorized by BBC Worldwide Consumer Products, its agents or the law.
We hereby give notice of these activities to you and request that you take expeditious action to remove or disable access to the material described above, and thereby prevent the unauthorized distribution of the work(s) via your companys network.
We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Yours Sincerely,
Peter O Rourke
Director Of Intelligence & Investigations Federation
Against Copyright Theft copyright@fact-uk.org.uk
T: +44 (0)20 8891 1217
F: +44 (0)20 8892 7845
For and on behalf of:-
BBC Worldwide Consumer Products
33 Foley Street
London
W1W 7TL
United Kingdom