Bad Pirate! Walk the plank.

Bad Pirate! Walk the plank.

For a few weeks now two students in NC have been conducting a study on software piracy.

[links rmoved] that didnt take long!

using nutella they offered files that have warez type names for download which when run on the downloader’s machine contacts a server that records the ip address and the file name that was executed. Supposedly public information that is given by networks while the file is downloading. A message is also displayed on the downloader’s machine:

http://foi.homeunix.org/screen.png

“So, you think you can steal from software companies do you?, That's called theft, don't worry your secret is safe with me. Go thou and sin no more."

The software downloads a patch for itself which changes its id number so its progress threw the P2P networks can be tracked. Now they say:

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http://blogzine.net/wtpdustbunny.htm

“Some people think this is illegal. They think it's entrapment or we are
stealing data. They think this is some type of malware. It's not.

First, this can't be entrapment. We aren't reporting these people to anyone in
the law enforment field, even though we should be.

Second, it's not malware. It doesn't modify, add, or delete files other
then itself.

So, to the pirates out there who think this is in some way illegal, it's
not. However, what you do is illegal”
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However some have other opinions:

http://www.securityfocus.com/news/8279

"It's sort of an invasion of your computer, not much different from other malicious programs or spyware," says Schultz. "When you use file sharing to download an application, you're not giving the person who's sending you the file permission to run rampant on your computer. The fact that they're in some ways tricking you into running it may pose some real problems for them in court."

"I think there's an awful lot of presumptions going on about who's downloading these files and for what reason," Schultz says -- an attorney or a journalists might download software in an investigation, for example. "Even if it's the case that the people who download this are trying to get illegal files, two wrongs don't make a right."

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What do you think?

Personally Iiiiiiiiii like it!

Don't know if it is just me or what, but I can't get to the two(2) sites.
http://walktheplank.ath.cx/walk/display2.php
http://walktheplank.ath.cx/dustbunny/display.php
(using firefox or IE6)

yup your right they now resolve to 10.0.1.128. they were generated tables showing date/time, ipaddress, lenth of time program ran, (its amazing how loge folks would sit there looking at the pop up msg.)m pid and the name of the program thet thought they were running.


this was the links

http://walktheplank.ath.cx/walk/display2.php
http://walktheplank.ath.cx/dustbunny/display.php

I think its kinda interesting that software pirates have the balls to bitch about an invasion of privacy. I smell an ACLU case in the works

People fail to realize a serious issue here. There is always a risk when pirating software. There is always a chance you will get caught, and people say it is an invasion of privacy when they do get caught doing it. You download the ****, you take the risks.

Shitheads.

The thing is this... like the war on drugs, the war on piracy will a fruitless one unless they go for the sources, which they have been VERY effectve in doing. I remember the height of the HTTP warez scene and when it died. Nuke Pirates does a wonderful job and helped disband some of the biggest names in the HTTP piracy scene.

Then there is the even older and much more sophisticated kind of pirate... the guys like PWA, DoD and others who operate in IRC. IRC warez are very popular, and as soon as one goes down another channel is quick to take its place. I think some of you remember the Warez 4 cable bust, where the BSA sued end users (which BTW is VERY, VERY rare for the BSA to do). Then the FBI infilturating the PWA channels and Senitel FTP server.

See, those scinerios were not entrapment or anything. They pretended to be "one of them" which goes to show you can never trust anybody which is the downfall of p2p. People trust they have the goods, but alas, you never know, and guess what? You get a piece of software tainted, then you should of bought it, huh?

Hmmm....................can't quite remember the case, but I think our courts would follow the ruling that by visiting such a site and attempting to illegally obtain software "your intentions were not honourable", so you would have NO legal recourse.

1. No entrapment.............they found you of their own free will?
2. Nothing stolen?
3. No malicious damage (read the EULA.......even the paid for stuff can screw your box, and it is your problem?)

I would suggest that they would be clear in the UK and probably the rest of Europe.

Interesting thread :)

Cheers