Popcorn Time, an app that was essentially the Netflix of movie torrents, is no longer available. (Update below.)

The app made it incredibly easy for users to watch any movie they wanted. It removed the confusion torrenting files can bring, and made streaming movies as easy as clicking a button. It turned into an instant hit which is why, the founders claim, the project had to end. 

“Popcorn Time is shutting down today," the Popcorn Time team wrote on its website. "Not because we ran out of energy, commitment, focus or allies. But because we need to move on with our lives."

The legality of Popcorn Time was questioned, given users were streaming movies without paying for them - something studios in Hollywood never like. Still, the founders claim the project was legal from the start, and that law didn't cause for Popcorn Time's shutdown.

Read: Popcorn Time is the Netflix for illegal movie torrents

Perhaps ironically, perhaps by design, Pocket-lint noticed that the download installation file for Popcorn Time was hosted on Mega - the cloud service launched by Kim Dotcom after his previous venture Megaupload was taken down amid copyright infringement claims.

Popcorn Time's installer is no longer available from its website. However, it's an open source project available on GitHub. Developers could take advantage of the open source nature to bring it back to life, which we assume is exactly what will happen.

"You know what’s the best thing about Popcorn Time? That tons of people agreed in unison that the movie industry has way too many ridiculous restrictions on way too many markets," the Popcorn Time team wrote.

Update: Well, that was quick. Popcorn Time has been picked up by a new owner - BitTorrent site YTS. 

“The YTS team will now be picking up the Popcorn Time project and continuing on like previously,"" a developer told TorrentFreak. "We are in a better position copyright wise as for us, because it’s build on our API, it’s as if we have built another interface to our website. We are no worse off managing the project than we would be just supplying the movies.”

An installer will be available shortly.