Popcorn Time, the Bittorrent-based movie-streaming service, has been reeling legally as of last month as some countries has started its clamp down on the app claiming it as an instrument of piracy, which everybody knows all along.

The freeware app has been under fire as of late because of its questionable legality and also because film studios are really hot on its tail and have been trying to block the service for quite some time now.

However, the shift to the Bittorrent-based distribution has allowed Popcorn Time to continue even as Hollywood film companies scramble to find a way to stop it.

With its continued provision of movie-streaming service to users, Popcorn Time has actually painted a large target on its back, particularly from film studios.

Last month, the judicial system of the United Kingdom has made the first official legal blow to Popcorn Time by restricting access to the original client of the freeware app.

On April 28, the UK High Court ruled that five of the country’s biggest broadband providers began blocking five websites offering the streaming service for download. These broadband providers include Sky, BT, EE, TalkTalk, and Virgin.

Disappointed

Following the court decision, the anonymous developers of Popcorn Time publicly expressed their disappointment with the UK judicial system and felt sorry for the citizens of England for trampling on the people’s basic rights like the freedom of speech and net neutrality being revoked so easily.

The developers expect to see some protest actions from the citizens of UK against the current order curtailing Popcorn Time.

They added that the move was pretty predictable and that they are also positive that it is not the last of it. The developers assured fans of the streaming service so that they will be working full force now to make Popcorn Time fully p2p. They also said that the software will not be depended on for any domain or centralized server to operate.

The Neflix of pirated movies

Popcorn Time has been referred to as the Netflix for pirated movies but it requires the installation of a desktop application before users can utilize and enjoy the download of movies, copyrighted or not.

True to the promise of its developers last month, they have made it easier for Popcorn Time users to stream a pirated movie with just a couple of clicks away.

Instead of being a desktop application that requires installation on the users’ PC or laptop, the developers of the freeware app has come up with a new website called ‘Popcorn Time in Your Browser’ which works much like the desktop version, remotely streaming torrent files from YTS through Coinado, details Tech Crunch.

Users no longer need to install anything because the torrent files are never stored on the PC or laptop. They just need to click on the title, wait for a few seconds, and a pirated movie starts playing.

The latest version of freeware app from the developers of Popcorn Time is a hit or miss because sometimes the files play and sometimes they do not. The ‘Popcorn Time in Your Browser’ uses a power combo of available services so it is likely that more sites would eventually appear sooner than later.

Popcorn Time has always thrived in a legal gray area. While the user is not technically downloading the pirated movie to his computer but he is still watching something that he clearly did not pay for.

It was expected that Popcorn Time would hit the browser because it is the next logical step for the open source project. Since it was launched last year, Popcorn Time has become a global sensation because of what it offers plus the fact that it is technically out of reach by Hollywood film studios due to its open source nature.