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!