Update | Shooter.cn and YYeTs.com announce closure amid pressure from China's copyright authorities
YYeTs.com, famous for enabling Chinese subtitles, is now shutting down operations
China’s most influential pirated-video website closed down on Tuesday, citing legal risks to the operation.
YYeTs.com had allowed users to download a range of overseas films and television shows, most of which were pirated copies. Its popularity however, was rooted in the production of Chinese subtitles for much of the unauthorised content.
The website, asserting itself as a non-profit organisation, recruited volunteers to create Chinese subtitles for foreign television dramas.
However, a statement on the site today warned its community of translators to be wary of local laws and regulations and “be cautious in producing subtitle translations.”
“You are solely responsible for any legal risks,” the statement said.
The closure of YYeTs.com came just days after portal Shooter.cn, perhaps China’s first website to collect and provide Chinese subtitles for foreign media content, formally announced its closure.