Is this the end of Popcorn Time?
The original developers launched Popcorn Time in 2014 before taking it down almost immediately. However, because of its open-source nature, others picked up where they left off. Since then, Popcorn Time has gone through several cycles of going down and going back up again. Only time will tell if this is final, but something tells us that Popcorn Time might be calling it curtains for good. The app’s current developers recently posted a graph of how many people have searched for “Popcorn Time” since it was launched in 2014. According to the graph, Popcorn Time was quite popular back in 2015. Unfortunately, the graph shows a rapid decline in 2016 and the app’s popularity hasn’t recovered since. Bloomberg reports that the current group maintaining Popcorn Time announced the closure via email. Surprisingly enough, the developers did not mention if law enforcement was involved in the closure. Previously, and as you would expect, authorities have been involved with Popcorn Time. In addition to leading to the closure of the app, several Hollywood studios went as far as to sue individual users who used the app. Back then, the developers behind Popcorn Time defended themselves by saying that the app itself isn’t responsible for piracy. Instead, the app merely relies on its peer-to-peer sharing system. It just so happens that people use Popcorn Time to share illegal and pirated content. Ultimately, Popcorn Time’s closure, while unfortunate, is just a sign of the times. People are willing to pay for content these days, especially since legal streaming services have become so affordable and convenient.
