| Host | Outcome in the test | Notice no. | Published handling |
|---|---|---|---|
| PrivateAlps | Cut off by a copyright notice, recorded as a suspension; last of the nine to fall | 8 | Claims “Fully DMCA Ignored”; no copyright policy |
| HostSailor | Cut off by a copyright notice; exit type not recorded | 6 | Reserves the right to terminate; no deadline, designated agent or counter-notice |
| FlokiNET | Cut off by a copyright notice; exit type not recorded | 2 | Law of the server’s country; each notice checked against legal conditions |
| AlexHost | Cut off by a copyright notice, recorded as a suspension | 2 | 72 h for intellectual-property reports; no counter-notice |
| 1984 Hosting | Cut off by a copyright notice; exit type not recorded | 1 | No copyright policy |
| HostHatch | Cut off by a copyright notice; exit type not recorded | 1 | Suspension or termination without notice or refund; no counter-notice |
| Shinjiru | Ended after a phishing report, not a copyright notice | 1 (phishing report) | Signed takedown request; counter-notice possible |
| Njalla (njal.la) | Suspended over the domain name, in under 2 days | Before any notice | No copyright policy |
| Bit.Hosting | Suspended before any notice arrived | Before any notice | Reply announced within 1–48 h; immediate suspension without notice on a critical or repeated complaint; no counter-notice |
| Active at the end of the test: TLDBunker, HushVPS, VPSDEN, NimbusVPS, XmrCloud, EchelonVPS | Still active on September 1, 2026; TLDBunker’s commercial opening unconfirmed | No cut-off | VPSDEN, NimbusVPS, XmrCloud: action only on a court decision, with site exceptions at VPSDEN and NimbusVPS; EchelonVPS: 24 h to reply and a counter-notice; TLDBunker, HushVPS: no copyright policy |
Where the notices came from, and how many arrived
The testers sent no notices. Copyrighted material was published without authorisation on each VPS, then rights holders and their automated systems sent their own notices to the host: real third-party complaints, not a simulated test. Over the full period, March 1, 2026 to September 1, 2026, a VPS received 80 to 100 notices; services cut off early received fewer. Per-host counts were not recorded, so the measure is the rank of the notice that ended each service.
Cut off, not always suspended
The record labels two of the six copyright cut-offs as suspensions, at PrivateAlps and AlexHost; for the other four, it does not say whether the service was suspended or terminated. At FlokiNET, the first notice had no effect and the service fell at no. 2. PrivateAlps held out longest and was the last of the nine to fall; it is also the only one of the nine that claims “Fully DMCA Ignored”: one case, not a rule.
Three exits stay out of this ranking because no copyright notice caused them. Shinjiru’s service ended after a phishing report. Njalla suspended the VPS over the domain name in under 2 days, before any report about the content. Bit.Hosting suspended it before any notice arrived, which the testers attribute to a content review by the host.
What each host publishes about handling a notice
These are published intentions, not observed behaviour, read on September 7, 2026. VPSDEN acknowledges a notice within 24 hours, forwards it to the customer with the complainant’s details redacted and takes no action without a local court decision, except in Malaysia and at its European Union locations in Amsterdam, Bucharest and Sofia, which have a reporting channel under article 16 of the Digital Services Act. EchelonVPS gives the customer 24 hours and a counter-notice window before any action. XmrCloud acts only on a decision of a competent court in Iceland or Romania, in a policy marked as a draft. NimbusVPS forwards without action at four locations absent a local court decision, and examines notices on the merits at its three European Union locations.
The fallen hosts’ pages were read after the test and may differ from those online during the rental; no data links a procedure to the rank of the notice that ended a service. AlexHost announces 72 hours for intellectual-property reports and no counter-notice; its contract (article 9.3) provides for giving the subscriber’s name, address and contact details to the complainant, with no such disclosure recorded. Bit.Hosting announces a reply within 1 to 48 hours; its terms allow immediate suspension without notice on a critical or repeated complaint, definitive and without compensation on a repeat offence. HostHatch reserves suspension or termination without notice or refund.
No host publishes a notice count
None of the 15 hosts publishes how many copyright notices it receives over a defined period, and 5 publish no copyright policy: TLDBunker, HushVPS, 1984 Hosting, Njalla and PrivateAlps. The stated position did not separate active services from those cut off. Among the 6 active at the end, VPSDEN, NimbusVPS and XmrCloud claim non-action on notices, while TLDBunker, HushVPS and EchelonVPS reject the “DMCA ignored” label. Among the nine that fell, PrivateAlps claims to ignore notices; HostSailor, HostHatch, AlexHost and Bit.Hosting announce acting on them; FlokiNET and Njalla are ambiguous; 1984 Hosting and Shinjiru state no position.
The test measures continuity of service, not the legal effect of each notice. A United States notice must contain 6 elements under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3); one that does not substantially comply is disregarded when assessing the provider’s knowledge. In EU law, a notice gives rise to actual knowledge only if a diligent provider can identify the illegality without a detailed legal examination (Court of Justice, 22 June 2021, joined cases C-682/18 and C-683/18). A service may have stayed online because notices fell short of that threshold or because the host did not act on notices that met it; the test cannot tell the two apart.
After the cut-off: refunds and restoration
The record documents the aftermath for four of the nine exits. 1984 Hosting refunded the testers but refused to restore the service despite an offer to remove the material; FlokiNET refused restoration after the same offer. At AlexHost, the testers recorded a double charge and obtained no refund; at PrivateAlps, no refund for the remaining months. Refund and restoration were not recorded for HostSailor, HostHatch, Shinjiru, Njalla and Bit.Hosting, and no amounts paid were recorded for any host.
Frequently asked questions
How many DMCA notices does it take for an offshore host to cut off a VPS?
In our 6-month offshore VPS test it depended on the host: copyright notice no. 1 at 1984 Hosting, no. 1 at HostHatch, no. 2 at FlokiNET, no. 2 at AlexHost, no. 6 at HostSailor and no. 8 at PrivateAlps. Of the 15 hosts, 6 were still active at the end.
How many copyright notices does an offshore VPS receive?
In our test, a VPS kept for the full period, March 1, 2026 to September 1, 2026, received 80 to 100 copyright notices, all sent by third parties; services cut off early received fewer. Per-host counts were not recorded, and none of the 15 hosts publishes its own notice volume.
Can a host cut off a VPS before any DMCA notice?
Yes. In our 6-month test, Bit.Hosting suspended the service before any notice arrived, and Njalla suspended it over the domain name in under 2 days, before any report about the content. At Shinjiru, the service ended after a phishing report, not a copyright notice.
Can a single DMCA notice be enough to lose your offshore VPS?
Yes. In our test, 1984 Hosting and HostHatch ended service at the first copyright notice, without the record saying whether it was a suspension or a termination. HostHatch’s policy, read after the test, allows either without notice or refund. EchelonVPS, active at the end, publishes 24 hours to respond and a counter-notice window before any action.
If an offshore host stays online despite copyright notices, does it ignore DMCA?
Our test cannot tell. A VPS kept for the full period received 80 to 100 notices, but a notice gives rise to actual knowledge only if a diligent provider can identify the illegality without a detailed legal examination (Court of Justice, 22 June 2021, C-682/18 and C-683/18), and the record does not show which notices met that bar. Among the hosts active at the end, VPSDEN, NimbusVPS and XmrCloud claim non-action on notices.
Which offshore host took the most DMCA notices before being cut off?
PrivateAlps, suspended at copyright notice no. 8, the last of the nine to fall. It is the only one of the nine that claims “Fully DMCA Ignored”, and the testers obtained no refund for the remaining months. HostSailor came next, cut off at notice no. 6.