Cyber Sleuths vs. Secret Networks

amnfinch writes "I saw this article on BBC news and frankly, I was blown away. Just another example of the relentless campaign to treat file swappers as criminals when their 'crime' is murky at best." Sir Haxalot provides an article on the flip-side: "CNN has a story on 'exclusive' Peer to Peer networks, that require 'knowing the right people and having a wealth of content on your hard disk to get into the clique.'"

Most Bootlegged Songs?!?

[burgburgburg]

Ignoring the implication of the phrase, I find this list really hard to accept:

Busta Rhymes: Pass the Courvoisier
U2: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Bon Jovi: You Give Love A Bad Name
Van Halen: Hot for Teacher

Going away

[henrygb]

"About 85% of the people we send notices to go away and we never see them again"

Especially if they have dynamically allocated IP addresses.

The digital detectives have it easy

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

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."

Hell, given that most computer geeks have trouble getting out of their chair, let alone run, I'd say they're in pretty deep trouble ...

Re:Most Bootlegged Songs?!?

[garcia]

don't worry, it's another RIAA tactic. Tell people on the Internet about the most popular downloads on P2P networks so that they can pinpoint you easily.

Only the idiots will believe this crap, they will go and download the files, and they will be able to quickly find you because NO ONE ELSE WOULD DOWNLOAD THAT CRAP.

Busta Rhymes my ass :)

Overblown Language?

[DogIsMyCoprocessor]

"If you have an active internet address or connection and you are actively sharing files, our spiders will find you."

Sounds like something the "Your computer is broadcasting an internet address" guys could use. It could link to a place selling Raid by mail.

Hi tech

[bytesmythe]

"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.

"Matching Technology"? Oh no! They've learned to use regular expressions to parse an unencrypted text stream! Good lord! Now no one will be safe swapping files online! However will the file sharers bypass the modern technological marvel of grep?

Re:They are criminals!

[El]

Damn straight! And anybody driving 1 mph over the speed limit should be treated like a criminal too! And people driving without wearing their seatbelts should be given the death sentence!

Remember, folks: if you go to the bathroom during the commercials, you are stealing that television broadcast!

Didn't we learn anything from prohibition? If half the population routine violate a law, then perhaps it makes more sense to change the law than to put half the population in jail.

Pinkerton?

[cosyne]

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 ...

Ok, that may not be the best example there, guys.

You may well be correct.

[James A. A. Joyce]

The thing is, though people may well be deterred, I think they will probably continue to use P2P after short time anyway when they see geeks carrying on like nothing's happened.

Joe Sixpack: Wow! I can download ten songs a day for free!
Joe Sixpack's friend: Cool! So am I!

One week later

Joe Sixpack: I got a letter from the record companies. They tracked me down, so I think I'll stop.
Joe Sixpack's friend: Wow, guess I'd better stop too.

They stop. One week later, Joe Sixpack and Joe Sixpack's friend see a Geek using a P2P service

Joe Sixpack: Dude, I thought the record companies sued you if you shared files.
Geek: Only a few people. They're just trying to scare everyone else straight.
Joe Sixpack: Really?

One week later

Joe Sixpack: Wow! I'm downloading more songs than ever before, and the record companies really haven't busted me!
Joe Sixpack's friend: Me too!

They all live happily ever after, except for the media giants which have to switch to a proper business model. The end.

I was using DECNET until I read this article

[Anonymous Coward]

I have been locked in my basement for the past fifteen years with my cluster of VAX systems happily running DECNET... ...until I read this article...
Now I discover this whole new world using the previously secret TCP/IP protocol!
How exciting.
I will be "FTP-ing" some files today!

Getting your VIP pass

[Anonymous Coward]

These private networks are the best. You get all best stuff pre 0-day. It is tough to gain admission, but you can sign up by including your email in one of those "2003 Warez" emails you may have seen forwarded in the newsgroups. Those lists are scoured looking for others deserving of such exclusive status. My exclusive invite along with my hard drive full of Carrot Top mp3s got me in. I'll never go back to paying for stuff again.

Re:uhhh

[glenstar]

What do you do for a living?

I am going to step out on a limb here and guess that that he/she is a HURD developer.

Damn spam

[Bizaff]

You know spam's getting to be too much when I see "Cyber Sl.*" and my mind immediately subs in "Cyber Sluts".

Re:What about Slashdot?

[Anonymous Coward]

and what if I said you need to go to the supermarket and stock up on more tinfoil

Re:Bluffing?

[Anonymous Coward]

Join RIAA Today!

RIAA (RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) is the first organization which gathers royalties on behalf of artists from all over America and abroad for one common goal: MAKING MONEY.

Are you MUSICAL?
Are you a MUSICIAN?
Are you a professional MUSICIAN?

If you answered "Yes" to any of the above questions, then RIAA (RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) might be exactly what you've been looking for!

Join RIAA (RECORDING INDUSRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) today, and enjoy all the benefits of being a full-time RIAA member.

RIAA (RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) is the fastest-dying RECORDING INDUSTRY community with THOUSANDS of members all over United States of America. You, too, can be a part of RIAA if you join today!

Why not? It's quick and easy--only 2 simple steps!

• First, you have to obtain a copy of a copyrighted song from kazaa and tell us the screen name and IP address of the person offering the download.
• Second, you need to support us whilst we sue 12 year old kids and unemployed old folks on your behalf.

If you have mod points and would like to support RIAA, please moderate this post up.

This post brought to you by a proud member of RIAA

| __________________________________________________ _____ |
| ______________________________________._a,________ _____ |
| _________________________.P2P._____aWY!400._______ _____ |
| ___________()___________#!-_P2P___.#!__W#0#_______ _____ |
| ___.p2p._____,_________j#,__#P2p___*P2P!_"#L,_____ _____ |
| __#g____`_____#0_______"4Lj#!_4#g_________"01_____ _____ |
| __oe___________*@_____________-!^_________________ _____ |
| ___lk___________{$________________________________ _____ |
| ____mw___________/P_______________________________ _____ |
| _____er___________________________________________ _____ |
| _________(c)_RECORDING_INDUSTRY_ASSOCIATION_OF_AME RICA_ |
| __________________________________________________ _____ |

Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted! Reason: RIAA suck more than GNAA.

Re:Deterrence is Ineffective & Farcical

[clambake]

You might as well try to argue that slander is theft.

You've stolen my line... YOU THIEF!