[0]: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07Z1V1LBQ?tag=duc12-20&linkCode=os...
Also, I am pretty sure that the person(s) behind popcorn have a copy of their code somewhere else (or at least they sync/backup to their machines every so often.
So they will be fine. I think that this is just a tap on the back so they know that someone is NOW actively chasing them.
It’s just that the studios have been forced by the pandemic to concentrate exclusively on online channels. See for example the latest Trolls movie, which just made $100m in his first week on streaming: that’s considered fantastic (and possibly a turning point) but it’s still half of what the previous movie made with a classic release in theatres a few years ago. Most “tentpole” releases are on hold and they have to keep pumping ads to keep the hype up. Cashflow must be fairly tight.
So the studios right now need all the help they can get, in order to squeeze money out of digital channels. Taking “off the board” alternatives like PopcornTime, even if just for the 2 weeks DMCA forces ISPs to obey, increases their chances. I would expect they’re ready to repeat the trick a few times from a few different entities, at least until the pandemic is over and people can go back to real (overpriced) popcorn.
Next up: Mandatory Registration and "licensing" for locksmiths. Because that becomes necessary if we start going down the path of legislating lock picking tools.
Take parking. You can only park Between 9-4 on weekend in the summer on the left side of this street only if you are not in front of a fire hydrate or a drive way. That's before you take into consideration hidden signs because of tree growth forbiding parking.
People fight tickets all of the time because of complex or gray situations.
The legislative branch makes laws.
The judicial branch interprets and applies those laws.
It's possible for reasonable people to read law and disagree about what is or isn't allowed, which is why case law is a thing.
There isn't some magical gray zone where someone can feel like something should be illegal and therefore the actions of someone else are illegal.