NHL Cease and Desist Order
Tweet Posted by Mother Pucker on February 2nd, 2009Ok there have been a lot of people questioning me about my tweet that said “Just got hammered with a cease and desist order from the NHL.” I didn’t really have all the info I needed at the time so couldn’t really elaborate, but I managed to speak with legal representation at the NHL this morning, and now have everything cleared up. Here is a copy of the letter that they sent me:
I called Kelley A. Lynch this morning, and she told me that there was no issue with any content on this website, and it was strictly the links that I was posting to the streaming hockey games. She said that if I removed them there would be no issue, so I proceeded to do so.
So now, there are no more streaming hockey links available through this site. It’s a sad state for some I’m sure as I’ve had a truckload of emails coming in asking where they went, when they are coming back, etc… but now you know the reason they disappeared, and that they aren’t coming back. Sucks, I know.
Anyway, there you have it… it’s sad times for sure, but I guess legally it makes sense. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
DUDE!
What a buzz kill, sucks that it’s just a link you had to remove…I don’t think you were doing anything wrong.
Justin
I guess it is good that I bookmarked the website
Even better that the NHL provided a link to the offending website in their letter…
I think it is in the best interest of the NHL to allow this to stream, or they can simply buy the companies out and give us access to the games we want to watch anyway.
Also, the same channels that are broadcasted on these channels, are reaching lots more target audiences and can be bountiful for everyone.
Keep this Free, TV advertisers can capitalise on the online game viewer.
Keep the stream alive!
seems they’re really cracking down on this, every site i used to use for game streams has stopped streaming them, bummer since where i go to school there is an abysmally low number of games on tv, and would watch 2-3 games a night online. thanks, bettman!
Even though it was very handy to be able to watch these games for free from anywhere, the NHL *does* offer these same exact streams on NHL Gamecenter. atdhe.net just strips out Gamecenter video content and re-streams it. Yes, the NHL charges for this content, because they have to pay to acquire feeds from all the different networks out there – hence the the reason why they are trying to crack down on sites that are doing this.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t watch any games for free. I subscribe to the Center Ice TV package, but still don’t get NHL Net so if a game I really want to see is on that channel, I check out atdhe.net. However, I guess what I am saying is that if everyone just watched the streams illegally all the time, the NHL really doesn’t have much incentive to continue offering the Gamecenter service in the future.
It’s kind of hard for people to afford it too. I mean yes, you can pay your wireless internet bills, but in my case, my aunt pays for that, among various other things for my family. Also, I’m the only one in my family that is in love with hockey, and I’ve been wanting forever to watch other teams play. They want nothing to do with ordering anything to do with the NHL. I have FSN Pittsburgh, and Versus, and I watch what I can on there.
I hope that site continues to stay free for hockey obsessed fans in my situation.
Well MotherPucker, thanks anyways for providing the links and the feeds. You’ve become a folk hero in my office for providing the links (hehe) not just for local ppv games, but at least one co-worker has a kid away at college in a non-hockey place and they totally appreciated the links. I figured eventually that letter would make it’s way to you, but in the meantime you’ve made some fans and psuedo friends for offering it. Even if you are an oilers fan.
I actually went so far as to pen a letter to the NHL contact us link for Televison coverage – US/Canada with a link to the page posting the letter from the NHL. I brought up just about every point made here already and I agree that the advertising aspect alone should make the advertisers happy; they are expanding their market exposure. As for the rest and for those of us who are not able to easily afford the paid access are now left with…well, virtually nothing except tuning in on the internet radio; not an exciting prospect. At the same time we should understand where they are coming from, its a business after all, but I also pointed out that in the U.S. especially where the NHL is hardly on the map they need this kind of readily available exposure, at least in the short term. I kindly asked them to throw us dogs a bone on this one and leave us this one site. You never know, it may even get to Bettman, funnier things can happen.
this is total bullshit. i feel like i live in north korea
You fucking bastards got ADTHE ruined. GREAT FUCKING JOB IDIOTS!! Way to post your shit where everyone can see it. Fucking douchebags ruined the best site we all had to watch hockey on.
It’s unfortunate that someone in Kitchener Ontario believes that it’s this websites fault that ADTHE got shut down by the NHL… It was inevitable, so just be glad that we were able to watch while we could.
- guy guy
you feel like you live in North Korea because you can no longer watch games online (something you have to pay for) for free? God forbid you ever actually experience any kind of oppression.
I’m gonna go steal a car. What, I thought this was America!
Well, all I can say is thanks for the games! This was going to happen sooner or later sadly. It was great to get HD games once in a while.
I say once in a while because usually my broadband couldn’t handle the feed.
As for the high and mighty NHL, information property isn’t the same as physical property.We live in the information age, paradigm has shifted. Sorry. I would suggest getting a better business model; the games I watch online are not available on TV. An NHL package is too much money for what I would be able to appreciate; I’m a busy person, and I don’t have time to watch a crap load of games.
Give me the ability to get the content I want, in HD, conveniently and reliably (which ATDHE didn’t do btw), and I -will- pay for it.
I have a propasl – I can put the links at russian message board (***.ru) – I don’t think that NHL can find links in ru-net… everybody can use that forum without register – so it’ll be very easy to get links…
Just write e-mail
that was devastated news for me that atdhe is no longer available for nhl…. i am outside of us/canada i would be really grateful if you can send me any kind of link where i can watch my blackhawks…….
There is always a way around stuff like this. Look at Napster, it gets closed down and then 20 other clones pop up. Unless you guys from ATDHE can come up with a viable solution quickly, I’m afraid you’ll lose your traffic to another site. I really liked ATDHE and always clicked on the ads to try and help cover some of the server costs. Anyway, goodluck.
Lexa23, explain that a lit bit more
NHL is already a dieing sport that was recovering, why they did this makes no sense to me. A plentiful amount of fans that just want to watch hockey when the games are on. Especially with the shitty US economy im sure a lot cant afford gamecenter. So all in all they can take their funds from gamecenter and shove it up their ass.
Maybe if half the games on my TV wouldn’t be blacked out I wouldn’t have to watch any games on the computer. Can anyone tell me how it benefits the NHL to blackout Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton games for me, someone who lives in southern Ontario? It’s not like I am going to fly across the country everyday to see any of these games in person, ever. I would think that the more exposure the NHL got the better it would be for them. Obviously the NHL brainless wonders are still living in some dinosaur era with their TV restrictions.
Another way for the NHL to alienate their fans. I’m going to watch more WHL and OHL games now.
how the heck am i going to watch my hockey games
can anyone tell me a site that still has plz! i need them
Not like it matters now that ATDHE isn’t showing hockey games anyway, but the NHL has a weak case against you regarding the copyright infringement issue. Read the language of the statute. How is posting links “facilitation” of transmission? You are in no way involved with the actual transmissions. Telling someone where they can buy drugs isn’t the same thing as selling drugs if you see my meaning. Consider the website watch-movies.net. They simply post links to videos hosted by other parties. Sure film studios can threaten them with legal action, but there is really nothing illegal about this. I suggest you put up a disclaimer something like the one watch-movies.net uses:
watch-movies.net is absolutly legal and contain only links to other sites on the Internet : ( rapidshare.com, megaupload.com, megashare(s), mega, dailymotion.com, myspace.com, ouou.com, stage6.com, tudou.com, veoh.com, youku.com, youtube.com and others.. ) We do not host or upload any video, films, media files ( avi, mov, flv, mpg, mpeg, divx, dvd rip, mp3, mp4, torrent, ipod, psp ), watch-movies.net is not responsible for the accuracy, compliance, copyright, legality, decency, or any other aspect of the content of other linked sites. If you have any legal issues please contact appropriate media file owners / hosters.
I understand it can seem intimidating to get a letter like that from the NHL, but don’t get bullied around. In the end that letter doesn’t represent the law…it’s just a legal argument based on their interpretation of the statute. Whether they want to spend time and money defending this interpretation is unknown. Most likely they’re just trying to push you around.
Dude, the reason those games are blacked out is because Sportsnet only has the rights to show regional games. TSN and CBC (and their affiliates) are the only Canadian channels with the rights to show games nationally. Unless you’re talking about Centre Ice, in which case you can ignore this.
Thanks for ruining it for the rest of us. That was supposed to be an underground thing that people found on their own, and here you were linking them like there’s no tomorrow. thanks.
As an FYI, this cease and desist order is actually illegal. Your allowed to have links to any and every website, as long the website permits. The website where you link are the only ones that can request such an order.
Several websites myp2p.eu recently won a court case against this injunction. Its more a hit and hope they comply kind of order.
This was the only way I could follow NHL in the Far East. “Get Game Center”, some people say. Try getting a Credit Card to do just that in a country that won’t give them out to foreigners unless they’re married. “Get Married”, some might say. To watch the Leafs clutch defeat out of the jaws of victory? Don’t think so. I look forward to the day we can all piss of bettman’s corpse after the fire has burnt him to death.
First it was the lockout. Then putting in shootouts which was equivalent of ending a baseball game with a home run derby (stupid). Then fixing the draft so failing Pittsburgh got the “new” poster boy of the NHL Sidney Crosby. Crosby has since gone on to be voted the whiniest diver by his peers. Then they add a second ref and make games almost unwatchable because it’s nothing but penalty after penalty after penalty. Touching a guy with your stick is NOT obstruction. Placing your stick in his gut and tugging IS obstruction.
I want the NHL from the 1980′s and early 90′s back. Please fire Bettman, oh wait Bettman is only a puppet of greedy owners who could care less about fans anyhow. Who the hell can afford to go to a game with their kids anymore anyhow.
I hope the NHL folds.
just great..in Eastern Europe where I came from it was a fantastic opportunity to watch NHL..I thought it was too good to be true..hope to find another site…
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Now that atdhe is no longer streaming, where else can I find free streaming?
What to say, I’m really disgusted…I’m from Spain, we have NHL in pay-per-view system but only 3 games per week and delayed…and I used to watch NHL games everyday at midnight…I’m really angry to now that this website was posting links and for that reason I can’t enjoy NHL…
screw you for ruining THE best site to watch hockey on, greedy bastard.
Thanks for ruining a great website.
Word has it that you are the reason that Atdhe stopped streaming NHL games. I don’t know if this is entirely accurate but if you did try to profit from their streams by hosting them here then that shit is weak. I know it’s not something you wanted or even anticipated but if boned Atdhe by telling NHL that it was actually their streams and they got shut down because of it, that’s low. At least if you admitted it (assuming that’s what happened), maybe you’d have more respect. As of now, as far as I know, this site is getting reamed in forum discussions.
~Concerned fan
(R.I.P Atdhe)
You tried to make money out of someonelses website by posting the link everywhere you can and because of idiots like you it becomes easy for the NHL to find the sites that are streaming.
Now you idiot ruined for everyone not only hockey fans you are such an idiot!!
Do you realize that you ruined it for everybody?
It’s because of bastards like you we lost this!
You won an Oscar for The Greatest Idiot on the Web!
Hope you have restless nights! F***in’ moron!
You idiots think that the NHL had no idea that atdhe.net existed before it was linked here? Did you all fail grade 4?
You REALLY think, for one second, that the NHL doesn’t actively seek out violations of it’s copyrighted game broadcasts and look to shut them down?
Jesus. I weep for the state of our school systems if this is the extent of your logical abilities.
The sight mentioned had the games today posted…i wonder if they’re going to go ahead and stream the nhl games again?
Funny, the streams started showing up again on March 3rd, and there haven’t been any more bashing comments since then… funny how the internet works where everyone wants to throw the blame around, but when they realize that they sent it in the wrong direction they won’t man up and apologize.
mother pucker,
i’m sorry for bashing you. i love you man!
screw those new streams. They’re a poor replacement. If I wanted garbage streams I would have gone to justin.tv
atdhe always had high quality streams of every single game, and sometime two streams of a single game. You could always rely on a fast high quality stream of the game you wanted to be there.
The new streams are pretty crappy, hopefully they get better. The Flames/Flyers game last night was brutal. Dude kept flipping to Metallica and watching that for 5 minutes, watching porn for 5 minutes.
So, just because you failed 4th grade doesn’t mean you have to accuse others to have failed it too. This web site was the only way I could watch NHL games from work. There was only one rule it was to keep it under the radar. Thank you for screwing it up for everyone who needed it.
It’s Betteman’s fault, and the NHL marketing “cash grab” that he’s instituted, rather than choosing to deliver a product in all feasible markets, wherein you wouldn’t have all these cash-strapped and floundering Teams that have to buy tickets to their own arena just to make the minimum average attendance to be able to be eligible for the League payout!
I’ve been without traditional “TV” for a couple of years now, and have watched the NHL slice and dice anyone who tries to deliver any NHL content on the Net, outside of outrageously overpriced NHL(/Nike).com all along the way. I live in one of the healthy market areas… so finding a reasonably priced ticket is out of the question. Even if I had TV, what, do I wanna wait to watch CBC’s Hockey Night in Toronto (even though they say “Canada”) once a week? Or NBC’s really crappy coverage of boring, meaningless games? Or worse, pay stupid prices for cable TV just to maybe see a couple of games a week? Satellite, whether paid or pirated is just another way for pre-packaged garbage to enter your home…
Bravo Betteman, one more reason to hate your guts! As if I didn’t already have too many reasons!
By the way, as someone else pointed out to all the logic-impaired Mother-Pucker bashers out there… this wasn’t the fault of this Website for whatever happened to the site where it was linked.
Like I said in my message above, I’ve been watching NHL on the Net for years, and every year, two or three times a year, the NHL sends their legal beagles some bones, websites stop posting links to other sites, and other sites stop streaming… this is HARDLY a first for the NHL to seek out and destroy Web-streaming of NHL Games! Get a grip!
Can someone explain to me in grade 4 language how this sweden site (sweden protects sites) has stopped the feeds, I thought hosting in sweden made you immune to prosecution from the USA.
Bottom line forget motherpucker, why did atdhe.net drop the nhl feeds ????
Deep
What did NHL reach? LOL. Tons of streams everywhere.
Whoever is blaming this site is just plain moronic. What makes you morons think that ATDHE was some kind of secret. you all realize, that if you typed ‘watch free hockey’ into google, guess what came up?
but you’re right, i’m sure the fat cats of the NHL would have NEVER thought to type such a thing into google. get real.
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