123MoviesHub, the network of movie streaming sites, including 123Movies and GoMovies, originated from Vietnam in 2015. It became a global hit and was even labeled as the most popular pirate site in 2018. But despite its popularity, the legal pressures and copyright issues led to its closure in 2018. The aftermath saw the rise of copycat sites while Animehub, a sister site, continued serving anime fans.
Origins and Development
The extremely popular network of movie streaming and downloading sites, which included 123Movies, GoMovies, GoStream, and MeMovies ( also known as 123MoviesHub) originated in Vietnam around 2015. This network captivated cinephiles, looking for free access to a major library of films like honey attracts bees.
Over the years, the sites underwent name changes, most commonly alternating between “GoMovies” and “123Movies.” These sites operated under various domains like 123movies.is, gomovies.to, gomovies.is, memovies.to, and 123movieshub.to. But site creators’ ambitions didn’t stop at movies. A few years later (2016-2017) they also expanded into the anime realm with the launch of Animehub.to.
Despite the operator’s location being in Vietnam, the site was suspected to be technically hosted in Ukraine [Wikipedia].
Rise in Popularity
The platform’s popularity soared in 2017. It boasted millions of visitors globally (an estimated 98 million monthly visitors). They had everything. They offered high-quality content, including HD, HD-RIP, and Blu-ray videos streamed via platforms like Openload and Streamango.
But although their free large library of films gave them a quick boost to fame, it also drew the attention of copyright watchdogs. Around October 2016, the MPAA listed these two sites in its Online Notorious Market. By March 2018 the MPAA, labeled 123Movies as one of the most popular illegal sites in the world.
It was a short-lived victory. Soon enough legal pressures and international efforts against copyright infringement started to quickly build up.
Closure and Legal Confrontation
The wheels of justice started turning against 123Movies when the US Ambassador to Vietnam called for the prosecution of its operators in March 2017. Later on March 19, 2018, a surprising announcement shook the online piracy community: 123Movies declared its own closure.
The platform urged users to support filmmakers by paying for content. This move also aligned with the introduction of stricter IP (Intellectual Property) regulations in Vietnam on April 10, 2018. The efforts paved the way for criminal prosecution for intellectual property infringements.
The closure was attributed to a Vietnamese criminal investigation, as revealed by the MPAA’s update on Online Notorious Markets in October 2018. Propelled by both Hollywood’s influence and domestic developments in Vietnam, the platform’s sudden shutdown was a significant victory against online movie piracy,
Aftermath and Copycat Resurgence
GoMovies and 123Movies’ shuttering left a void that copycat sites from at least eight other countries attempted to fill. Sites with similar domains but different owners and access to content, such as Gomovies-online, 123movies.sc, and gomovies.sx started to emerge. They were potential 123Movie and GoMovies alternatives but all were mostly redirects to sketchy platforms.
However, 123Movies’ sister site, Animehub, managed to survive the crackdown and remain operational, offering anime enthusiasts a refuge for their streaming needs.
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