Pirate Pay Torrent Disruptor Prevents Downloading of Pirated Content

[engine]

Pirate Pay Torrent Disruptor Prevents Downloading of Pirated Content [bbc.co.uk]

A Russian company has developed software it says can disrupt and prevent people from downloading pirated content.

Pirate Pay has been backed by Microsoft and has so far worked with Walt Disney Studios and Sony Pictures to stop "thousands" of downloads.

The tool poses as real bit torrent users but then "confuses" peer-to-peer networks, causing disconnections.

An interesting development.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

The 'tool' poses a threat to freedoms as well by pushing further into 'control the internet' areas of application. The article wreaks of government speak, not just designer/company speak, imo.

Last month, the British Phonographic Industry won a court battle to force UK internet service providers to block its customers from accessing high-profile piracy site The Pirate Bay.

I dunno, that sounds an awful lot like kettling to me given that the court battle should have been fought against Pirate Bay on legal grounds instead of on the backs of everyone else... and now this new tool that could easily be altered to block anything/anyone.

I do not condone pirated software but I condone the loss of freedoms and increase in spying/tracking/controlling even more. It will be interesting to see where this leads given that Microsoft is at the root.

Who is 'officially' in control of using/monitoring this tool? Where is it being used? Who is being blocked and how do they find out from what? The tool claims to have blocked 'pirates' but in reality it blocks everyone, correct? This is a very slippery slope to be taking, Microsoft.

[jecasc]

Would be pretty risky in many countries to use such a tool. There is always the possibility of disrupting legitimate usage. Which would be considered computer sabotage where I live and could mean up to three years in jail.

[J_RaD]

do not like where all this is heading :-(

RIP - internet.

[engine]

It sounds to me like a supposedly legitimate denial of service system.

[grelmar]

What could possibly go wrong?

Whoever signed off on this at MS is going to be on the welfare rolls as soon as MS legal and marketing get wind of it. This is exactly the kind of thing that gets signed off on by some jr. Exec without thinking it through.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

It sounds to me like a supposedly legitimate denial of service system.

It's a tool and like any tool it depends on how it is used and for what purpose(by who is irrelevant).

According to the article Microsoft and the courts are working together to block your internet access? Are you a bad guy? Slippery...

[enigma1]

From what I read I don't see it as a new technology or something original. The idea behind is they establish a infiltration system that adds fake download sources to a network to reduce the chances of users finding the correct download in some way. And like every other mechanism can be used in many ways. I see no difference with malware attached to emails or downloaded over the net by tricking the user as something legitimate. It's the same concept.

If it becomes popular by having others releasing similar packages endorsed by corporations or governments, chances are to see more zombie nets. Besides, ideas how to damage competition is gaining vs being constructive lately.

[piatkow]

According to the article Microsoft and the courts are working together to block your internet access? Are you a bad guy?

The reference to the courts was not in connection with this software.

Like jecasc I suspect that use of this product would be illegal in many jurisdictions. It seems to be the electronic equivalent of burgling a thief's house to get your property back.

[np2003]

its just disrupting downloads of pirated content. So these big companies would target keywords or do a checksum CRC of the files being pirated and if the checksum matches a pirated file, it would disrupt/confuse the connections.

The only time you should worry is if you were DOWNLOADING an illegal copy of MS windows or a Disney movie.

[Shaddows]

The only time you should worry is if you were DOWNLOADING an illegal copy of MS windows or a Disney movie

Yeah. It's a good thing that there aren't legitimate uses for P2P. Like Linux Distros. Oh, wait. But...

At least Linux isn't a direct competitor to an MS product.. er, no.

Well at least MS doesn't have a track record of misusing one product to gain an unfair advantage in another product space.

Dammit, that isn't true either.

Still, I'm sure this will work out just fine.

[graeme_p]

Exactly, there have been lots of instances of legal measures being misused (fake copyright complaints, innocent sites being censored by filters, etc.) that a tool like this is definitely going to be misused.

Also, if I understand correctly, it will just waste bandwith with fake downloads, and will waste as much as the disrupter's bandwith as the targets.

[J_RaD]

yea the old nothing to worry about unless you are guilty mentality............................. doesn't get you far.