[textile]
via “PhotoMatt”:http://photomatt.net/
I was writing about BitTorrent a few times this pass week, and today I happened to read Ryan Duff’s “post”:http://www.duff-duff.net/archives/2004/11/18/knockin-on-my-door/ and WOW! The letter he got from his ISP and the MPAA(Motion Picture Associatio of America) reminds me of how easy they can catch you. The important bit in the MPAA letter is
We have received information that, at the above noted date and time, the IP address ##.###.##.## was used to *offer or to materially contribute to the offering of downloadable or streaming* copies of copyrighted motion pictures. The title(s) offered included:
SIMPSONS, THE – SEASON 2
SIMPSONS, THE – SEASON 1Specifically, we have identified the following material as infringing:
——————————
Infringement Detail:
Infringing Work: SIMPSONS, THE – SEASON 2
Filepath: Simpsons Season 02 – Complete [rl-dvd](1).torrent
Filename: Simpsons 02×01 – Bart Gets an F [rl-dvd].avi
First Found: 25 Oct 2004 11:22:53 EDT (GMT -0400)
Last Found: 25 Oct 2004 11:22:53 EDT (GMT -0400)
Filesize: 143,766k
IP Address: ##.###.##.##
IP Port: 52364
Network: BTPeers
Protocol: BitTorrent
Boldface is my own. Key points:
* They are nabbing peoples offering files for download, which in BT network is everyone. This must be partly because it’s harder to catch the downloader.
* To catch a seeder, the P2P cop need only to start downloading themself. Then they can easily see the IP address of people who are seeding. All details of the copyrighted materials, like they shown above, are in the .torrent files.
* Even before you completed the download, you are _contributing_ to the downloading of others. SO they could still nab you.
* Using non-starndard port doesn’t help one bit. It’s not the ISP who catch you, it’s the MPAA, whichever port you use.
* I have heard of BT client (or plugin) that has blacklisting feature against known P2P cop addressed. That could help.
P.S. My friend in school said the letter he got (from Symantec via the school) a few months back was also detailed, like Ryan’s. He’s gonna get it frames as many people think it was pretty cool. 😛