how-to block ads
|
Comments on news posted 2003-07-30 15:32:31: When stories begin to emerge about how your organization is legally threatening grandparents, privacy organizations are offering tips on how to steal your product, and legions of technology websites are filled with visitors flinging profanities at y.. ..
| |
 
HotRodFoto
Premium
join:2003-04-19
Denver, CO
| one HECK of a good read! Thought that I would share this article with u all....Kazaa lite with Peer Guardian isn't safe by any means.....
From »news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3104281.stm
Cyber sleuths hunt file-swappers
They have been described as Hollywood's digital detectives and they have a warning for anyone illegally trading music or movies: "You can run but you can never hide."
Mark Ishikawa, a former hacker, is the CEO of BayTSP, arguably one of the most recognised and biggest companies working in the business of patrolling the web to unmask violators of copyrighted music.
From his Silicon Valley base he told BBC News Online: "There is no lock that can't be picked and our technology ensures that there is not a rock in the world you can hide under if you are sharing files.
"If you have an active internet address or connection and you are actively sharing files, our spiders will find you."
With the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) turning up the heat on illegal file-sharing and issuing hundreds of subpoenas, the role of these copyright cops is central in that fight.
"We are very successful at what we do," said Mr Ishikawa, who says he is not working directly for the RIAA but does have three of the top five record labels as clients.
"We find between 1.5 million to two million copyright infringements a day and we have a very high effectiveness rate. About 85% of the people we send notices to go away and we never see them again."
Unique number
The RIAA claims that around 57 million people have downloaded music in the United States alone and as a result sales in the last four years have fallen 14% to $12.6bn
The process of finding the pirates is down to what the BayTSP's CEO calls "matching technology" and some old-fashioned electronic gumshoe work.
This involves launching robotic searches across the internet, on all major peer-to-peer networks, in 65,000 newsgroups, FTP sites, Internet Relay chat channels and auction and retail sites.
"Using our matching technology, we identify the user name, the protocol they're using, which file-sharing protocol if it's just a web protocol or not. But the most important piece of information we detect is their IP address," explained Mr Ishikawa.
"The IP address is unique at the given point of time that they're connected to the internet."
He says once BayTSP has collected all this information, the copyright holder can use the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to force an internet service provider (ISP) to reveal who is on that particular IP address.
Users charged with piracy, or ISP's refusing to reveal the identity of an IP address, could face lawsuits for damages from $750 to $150,000 under US copyright law.
Thinking of hiding behind nicknames like "hottdudeXXX" or "bluemonkey13" or even installing new software to cloak your identity? Think again, says Mr Ishikawa.
"We got an e-mail last week from someone saying 'How did you find me? I used Peer Guardian' and he thought that would save him from our spiders. There is nowhere to hide."
Mr Ishikawa says the company's "digital fingerprinting" enables BayTSP computers to identify songs and movies, even bad copies made with camcorders, based on 30 second snippets.
Films online
While most of the focus has been on trading music, Hollywood is becoming increasingly concerned about the number of movies now being shared illegally.
Two of the industry's top seven movie studios have engaged the sleuthing services of BayTSP, but because of contractual arrangements they can't be named.
A snapshot of illegal movie downloads by BayTSP's chief technology officer Evelyn Espinosa was revealing.
"This is just over a few hours and I have almost 14,000 records with a variety of different titles ranging from Daddy Day Care to Anger Management and Charlie's Angels."
She says the growing availability of broadband connections is the main reason movies are being targeted for illegal swapping.
"These connections are now so fast that you can download a whole movie in just a few hours."
Software infringement has also been described as ripe for abuse and the Business Software Alliance says it has increased by 20% the number of notices and warnings it issues.
For BayTSP's Mark Ishikawa, the illegal file-swapping sector has been good for his business. He says the privately traded firm is "cash-positive, venture-backed and doubling its revenue every quarter".
As well as making money, Mr Ishikawa's vision for BayTSP is to become a hi-tech version of Pinkerton, the legendary detective agency that protected presidents like Abraham Lincoln and hunted outlaws like Jesse James.
"We are just like a private detective firm. We have no law enforcement capability. What we do is capture the information to help bring down the bad guys," he said. | |
| | 
mrchris
We don't miss you Bush
Premium
join:2002-10-01
North Babylon, NY | Re: one HECK of a good read! Some hackers should start defacing BayTSP's website too
Damn moneygrubbing mothafuckas | |
| | pantalaimon
join:2002-11-28
South Jordan, UT | amen to that. | |
| | | 
Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY |  Re: The Onion's stats on digital music piracy
all the coffee that landed there after I choked on my coffee.
--
low Brass Rules! | |
| spectre5
join:2003-07-24
Mobile, AL
| RIAA websites cloaked as "download friendly" Since the Electronic Frontier Foundation has started offering a database of names that will soon receive subpoenas what sites have the RIAA started up that are designed to look like EFF's?
If one is not familiar with EFF's site (or any other simular site) it would be easy to trick users into going to a site that's actually owned and run by the RIAA and having them enter their IP addy or usernames in an effort to see if they're on the list.
Some will probably say "yeah right." But think about it. RIAA already used material from other's website sans prior approval. And most of all we're talking about the recording industry which is largely made up of "artists" and other like thinking beings. That should be a red flag in itself. | |
| | 
PunkGod
join:2003-02-02
| Re: RIAA websites cloaked as "download friendly" quote:
If one is not familiar with EFF's site (or any other simular site) it would be easy to trick users into going to a site that's actually owned and run by the RIAA and having them enter their IP addy or usernames in an effort to see if they're on the list.
I thought the same thing when I saw that on the EFF's site. I was thinking to myself "no way in hell am I going to give them my IP to see if i'm on the list". That would be the perfect way for the RIAA to get peoples info. | |
| | |
Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY | Re: crap check this out So are they going to start getting people for selling used
recordings on E-Bay. I mean there is protecting your copyrights, then their is just plain greed.
--
low Brass Rules! | |
| | | 
shstrang
join:2003-01-10
West Monroe, LA
| Re: crap check this out quote:
So are they going to start getting people for selling used recordings on E-Bay.
How is selling a used CD or DVD on Ebay different than selling at a used CD or DVD store?
Surely they mean bootlegs and not used original recordings.
[text was edited by author 2003-08-02 21:39:00] | |
| |
HotRodFoto
Premium
join:2003-04-19
Denver, CO | But But But.......WIMNX is NOT listed???! Interesting. | |
| | |
shstrang
join:2003-01-10
West Monroe, LA | Re: crap check this out quote:
WIMNX is NOT listed???!
It is now. Look beside "Morpheous." | |
| | pantalaimon
join:2002-11-28
South Jordan, UT | What network does winmx use? if it uses its own network you will probably be safe there for a while. | |
| | | 
phxmark
What Country Are We Living In?
join:2000-12-27
Glendale, AZ
| Re: Still haven't figured out said by barqsdrinker  :
I have one question that I can't seem to get a straight answer for:
If I actually own the disc, but still download the music tracks from the disc, have I violated any copyright laws?? For example, I own two copies of Peter Gabriel's "So" (one on tape and the other on CD). If I use Kazaa and download the tracks, will the RIAA come after me for violation??
PS: Before someone asks, yes, I do know how to rip and encode...
Yes, the RIAA would indeed like to talk to you.
In fact, they should be knocking at your door now.
--
Still living on Dial-Up. | |
| | 
cugino
join:2000-11-27
Brooklyn, NY
| said by barqsdrinker :
I have one question that I can't seem to get a straight answer for:
If I actually own the disc, but still download the music tracks from the disc, have I violated any copyright laws?? For example, I own two copies of Peter Gabriel's "So" (one on tape and the other on CD). If I use Kazaa and download the tracks, will the RIAA come after me for violation??
PS: Before someone asks, yes, I do know how to rip and encode...
Well, since you specified that you downloaded rather than uploaded those songs, then you're still in a low-risk category as far as the RIAA "coming after you" are concerned.
Then again, with the RIAA seeking to eviscerate all pre-existing rights of "fair use", I wouldn't be surprised if the subpoena fairy eventually does pay you a visit.
--
"90% of the game is half mental" ..Yogi Berra | |
| | | 
Da22in
Buck Fush
join:2002-06-10
Charlotte, NC
clubs: 
| Re: Still haven't figured out This must've been said before somewhere, but downloading mp3's of anything is perfectly legal as is the existence and use of P2P clients. I download all the time and will forevermore.
Those that are about to go to court v. RIAA (the uploaders), should just deny it to the very end. They can prove nothing. Just four octets, a user name, file name and sample of file. Could've been anyone.
--
"The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don't have it." - George Bernard Shaw | |
| | | |
|
Still haven't figured out