The Best Place to Watch Free Movies Online - Putlocker

The initial website for Putlocker originated in the United Kingdom and can be dated back to around 2011. Once an alternative site was shut down going by the name of Megaupload, Putlocker experienced millions of daily page views from people looking to watch movies and so on. A UK High Court order in 2016 blocked access to the Putlocker website. It has also been reported as a significant piracy threat by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

Yet, in a bid to stop the blocks and bans, Putlocker's domain address has changed multiple times over. Various URLs used by the brand have been suspended and/or seized over the years. That being said, even if the original domain is no longer active, there are more than fifty mirror or proxy websites of Putlocker providing the same services to users.

One would automatically think that copyright law would restrict Putlocker from being able to provide such a service. However, no one has really been charged with copyright infringement as far as Putlocker goes, due to the fact that it works more so as a search engine for people to visit masses of other online websites providing the streaming of movies and TV shows. Therefore, while it is directing people to these sites, it isn't really hosting them so much itself.

Is Putlockers Illegal?

It could definitely be said that Putlocker and all associated alternatives can be considered illegal. Just like other online sites such where you have been able to view movies free - 123, for example - Putlocker pretty much enforces the ability to make copyrighted content available via a streaming service for free. Putlocker does not own the rights to this content, meaning that it is in breach of copyright law, generally speaking.

Users utilising the Putlocker service don't pay any money to the site and, subsequently, no payment is made to the copyright owner for these movies of TV shows. Furthermore, there's little chance that these copyright owners gave Putlocker or other streaming sites the right to host their content for free. Therefore, it's pretty much illegal for it to be hosted in such a way.

Copyright infringement is dealt with differently throughout the world, though. So, depending upon where you're located, the consequences of being discovered streaming one or more movies/TV shows will differ. So, for example:

In Poland, Spain and Switzerland, pirating is actually a legal action for personal use. In comparison to countries like Australia, Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Portugal and the United States, pirating is considered an illegal activity.

You could also look at countries like Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Israel, Singapore, the Philippines and Slovenia, where pirating is illegal, but individuals found to be doing so are not actively prosecuted.

Keep in mind that streaming sites and the content provided on such is not considered legal in most countries around the world.

Instances of People Being Prosecuted for Using Putlocker

While several instances of people being prosecuted for utilising Putlocker and other associated sites have come to light, one that stands out is the case of Trevon Maurice Franklin. In June of 2018, Franklin of Fresno, California pleaded guilty to violating federal copyright law two years prior. It was at that time that he downloaded the superhero film Deadpool from the Putlocker website and proceeded with uploading it to Facebook just eight days after it was released in cinemas throughout the United States. This led to the film being viewed more than 6 million times for free. The total value of those copies was estimated to be around $2,500.

Franklin missed his September 27 sentencing date in court, and so was sentenced in October to 24 days in federal detention. That was followed by a year of supervised release, and he had to complete 20 hours of community service every week for that time period, too.

Is 123Movies Shut Down?

The short answer to this question is yes, but there's a lot more to it than that. It remains active in some format by clone sites.

Basically, 123Movies was part of a network of streaming sites that included MeMovies, GoMovies, GoStream and 123movieshub. It operated from within Vietnam, and like with Putlocker, it allowed its users to watch movies and TV shows for free. At one point, it was labelled as "the world's most popular illegal site" by the MPAA.

123Movies was shut down by the Vietnamese authorities midway through 2018. This came following talks between the US ambassador to Vietnam, Ted Osius and the local Minister of Information and Communications, Truong Minh Tuan. Their conversation focused on illegal video streaming sites, and 123Movies was brought up as one of those in need of attention in specific.

In October of 2017, the MPAA went forth with listing 123Movies as part of its Online Notorious Markets overview to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Within, it stated that while 123Movies was technically hosted from Ukraine, it takes various steps to hide the identity of the operator. However, there was still strong reason to believe the operator remained active within Vietnam, stating that numerous content is uploaded from email accounts originating from Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

According to the MPAA, 123Movies received a total of 98 million visitors every month. On March 19 2018, the 123Movies and all associated websites announced their shutdown. At the same time, it urged users of the site to "respect filmmakers by paying for movies and TV shows."

Is It Legal to Use 123Movies?

It was never legal to use the 123Movies site, and this is precisely the same circumstance surrounding Putlocker. TV series and movies are made using vast amounts of money, and the creators of such need to make that money back by people watching and buying the content. Therefore, sites like 123Movies, Putlocker, Los Movies and so on are directly infringing on that. At no point have any of these sites been considered a legal operation.

You'll usually see that rights reserved are put on such content, meaning that a site like Putlocker cannot readily offer such for free. Creators of such are losing out on money this way, so it's only natural that they would consider the 123Movies platform an illegal operation.

It's ubiquitous for a site like this to incorporate one or more pop-ups as well. Every time you load a movie or TV series up, a pop up will be displayed. These continue popping up on your screen several times over before you're actually able to view what the search function has brought back to you as results. And while the copyright laws are in place, some people have tried to get around having their IP address discovered by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This pretty much masks your IP address and makes it seem like you're accessing the internet from a different location entirely. However, even in this format, it cannot be claimed that 123Movies was a legal platform to use for streaming.

What is the New Putlocker Domain?

If you were to look back a few years, the domain name that Putlocker was operating under was putlocker.is, and it was there that it became quite the large entity. However, it was in 2016 that this domain started to become more and more inaccessible to people wanting to view free movies. With no one being able to access the site in the same way, Putlocker had to change things up somewhat.

Obviously, when someone is searching for their favourite television series to watch, and they can't access the Putlocker domain to do this through, they're going to get a little narked off. That's why streaming sites, in general, tend to alter their websites, moving them from one domain to another at frequent intervals. This also helps them to stay afoot of the authorities who are eagerly trying to have them shut down. Los movies have changed their domain name several times over the past few years, for example.

As of September 2020, Putlocker operates from the domain name of putlocker-is.org, and it hosts just as large a number of movies and so on as ever before. You can continue to disguise your IP address with a VPN if you need to, although it remains the fact that Putlocker is still an illegal service to utilise. Furthermore, it maintains the same pop-ups that have been present on all other domains it has used.

Various countries are still unable to access the website for movies and so on, though. Mirror and proxy sites have continued to emerge in a bid to get around this, but it remains the fact that all rights reserved goes to the content makers. So, it's still illegal to access it through these formats, too. These clones are merely trying to make things easier for anyone that has been blocked from accessing the main domain.

Alternatives to Putlocker

Due to the fact that various people have reported not being able to access the Putlocker site and its proxies, numerous other streaming services have come to light. And they're still popping up, even right up to September 2020. Of course, as with the Putlocker site, there's nothing to say that these platforms won't receive the same treatment in due course. For now, though, those alternative websites include:

Crackle - a top video entertainment network, offering original programming, movies and TV shows to select territories for free. Almost all genres and categories can be found at Crackle, from action and horror through to thrillers and comedy.

FilmRise - You'll find a great choice of classic films on FilmRise, as well as new TV programmes to watch, too. You won't need to register for an account when using this service, and it provides a vast library of titles for you to enjoy, making it one of the best.

Popcornflix - Free content has always been what Popcornflix is about, and there are original web series available at this platform. The streaming library on offer is enormous, and the search engine within makes it easy for you to find what you want to watch.

Pluto TV - This provides you with an internet TV service, capable of offering over 250 channels. Thousands of on-demand movies and television shows can also be found on the website. It's even accessible through Smart TVs, Amazon Fire, Roku and more.

Tubi - Again, you'll get thousands of movies, TV shows, documentaries and so on when accessing this online site. All of the content within comes from some of the world's top entertainment studios, including Paramount, MGM and more.

The Final Word

There's little doubt that Putlocker and all the other streaming sites hold a lot of appeal for internet users. And let's face it, who isn't an internet user these days? If you were given the choice of watching a movie or a TV show for free against paying to rent or purchase one, what's the obvious route to take?

However, it's important to remember that streaming content this way is still considered illegal in most locations around the world. And being found to be doing so is something that can come with punishment as a result. It's not specifically a safe way to watch movies online, and it's because of this that you should use a lot of caution when accessing these sites. A VPN will provide some assistance, but be aware that this may not always work, especially if you're accessing such platforms from a country with rigorous copyright and streaming laws. All we can say is that Putlocker and other associated sites are likely to be available for the long-run. Just be smart about how you access and use them.