With the new update, Popcorn Time now lets users willing to play fast and lose with copyright law to run the application directly from an Internet browser instead of having to download and install the app on a device first. The movies don’t have to be downloaded to a computer, either – the content remains on Popcorn Time’s servers, while users simply reap the rewards.
The UI is also reportedly simpler now thanks to the new update, allowing the user to type the movie title into a search bar, then select it from the results, wait for the torrent, and stream away within the browser.
As with any such platform, however, user beware. There’s no VPN in place, which means potential users might not want to risk it without setting up their own VPN for protection. And even with a VPN in place, we certainly can’t endorse Popcorn Time, and viewers should use the service at their own risk — there’s a reason it’s called “pirating.”
The service may help users in some regions circumvent the law without actually breaking it: technically users aren’t storing, or even sharing, pirated movies, just watching them from a readily available source. It’s a wonder, though, how Popcorn Time itself has managed to skirt by in a day and age where pirating content online is increasingly under attack. Indeed, Popcorn Time was removed by its Buenos Aires-based developers last March following pressure from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). But the service quickly regrouped under new management and a new website.
Humorously, when the site was taken down in March, the creators noted that they had devised the concept in protest to the “ridiculous restrictions” placed on various markets by the movie industry. As an example, they noted that streaming providers in their home country of Argentina “seem to believe that There’s Something About Mary is a recent movie. “That movie,” they joked, “would be old enough to vote here.”
