KickassTorrents (commonly abbreviated KAT) was a website that provided a directory for torrent files and magnet links to facilitate peer-to-peer file sharing using the BitTorrent protocol. (Photo : YouTube/BNO News)
Kickass Torrents and Torrentz.eu remain offline and are unlikely to resume operations, and rumors persist that the best alternative for both sites - The Pirate Bay - is shutting down soon. In such an event, there are at least seven working and active sites that have been identified in a court filing as clones or mirror sites for KAT and TPB.
The list of KAT and TPB proxy sites (can be considered too as Torrentz alternatives) was submitted before the Australian Federal Court in relation to a case that will require Aussie ISPs to block Kickass Torrents and its multiple domains. But since KAT has already closed shop, rights holders instead furnished the court a collection of new sites that supposedly are operating as Kickass Torrents replacements.
Eight sites were revealed and TorrentFreak picked up on the list then checked on the websites' current status. The findings are found below:
- KAT.al - The site was established even before the KAT takedown in July and was known as a snapshot of the original Kickass Torrents. KAT.al remains in operation but according to TorrentFreak, what the site serves is significantly incomplete now that it is a KAT clone or mirror.
- Kattor.zyx - This site is certainly serving torrents but as a KAT proxy, it can be considered a bogus. When clicked, the Kattor.zyx domains redirect to an entirely different that is unrelated to Kickass Torrents.
- Kickasstorrents.immunicity.date - According to TorrentFreak, this site is quite similar to KAT.al in being a snapshot of Kickass Torrents.
- Kickass.cd - In an earlier report, TorrentFreak exposed that Kickass.cd is actually a clone of The Pirate Bay but operates using the familiar KAT user interface. And it remains the same until as Kickass.cd serves the same torrents found on TPB but with Kickass Torrents skin.
- Kickass.Ukbypass.download and Kickass.Unblocked.tv - These two sites are inspired by Kickass.cd, that is claiming to be KAT clones but in reality are mirrors of The Pirate Bay.
The list also included Kickass.ag and Kickass.pe but the websites have already folded up.
TorrentFreak also noted that a similar case to block TPB is being heard by the court and like in KAT's case, a number of sites were also mentioned as offering services identical to that of The Pirate Bay's. But among the names given as purported alternative to TPB, KAT and Torrentz only isoHunt remains in active status.
