▁a ▁startup ▁period ▁( F ebru ary ▁through ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 9 ). ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁Open Bit T or rent ▁tra cker ▁was ▁shut ▁down . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁case ▁against ▁The ▁Pir ate ▁Bay ▁by ▁many ▁major ▁Hollywood ▁stud ios . ▁Later ▁the ▁tra cker ▁came ▁back ▁online . ▁ ▁Open Bit T or rent ▁is ▁power ed ▁by ▁the ▁op ent ra cker ▁software . ▁The ▁Pir ate ▁Bay ▁also ▁used ▁the ▁op ent ra cker ▁software , ▁before ▁they ▁shut ▁down ▁their ▁own ▁tra cker . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 6 ▁July ▁to ▁ 2 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Open Bit T or rent ▁went ▁off line ▁protest ing ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁ad option ▁of ▁a ▁protocol ▁improvement ▁by ▁the ▁mak ers ▁of ▁u T or rent , ▁that ▁was ▁proposed ▁by ▁Pir ate ▁Bay ▁co - found er ▁Fred rik ▁Ne ij . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁protest , ▁many ▁people ▁had ▁trouble ▁downloading ▁files ▁on ▁Bit T or rent . ▁ ▁From ▁ 5 ▁December ▁to ▁ 3 0 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁Open Bit T or rent ▁website ▁and ▁tra cker ▁was ▁un re ach able , ▁this ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁arrest ▁of ▁Pir ate ▁Bay ▁co - found er ▁Fred rik ▁Ne ij . ▁ ▁On ▁ 5 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁the ▁Open Bit T