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Beware of File Sharing
By Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont TX; Radio Show Host

WEBSITE:
http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2005/063005operationsitedown.htm

Most of us have heard about the popular “Peer to Peer” or “P2P” file sharing networks.  Countless millions of computer users around the world routinely download copyrighted music, software, videos, and games on these computer networks, as well as from “alt.binaries” newsgroups where users upload complete commercial computer programs, and other intellectual property.  Ethicists have long bemoaned such behavior, and representatives of intellectual property right owners have long tried to shut down such activities with lawsuits and other forms of pressure.  Such pirates are alleged to have deprived the rightful owners of billions of dollars of revenue.  Legal challenges to such practices have met with some success, but the recent US Supreme Court ruling of MGM vs. Grockster has now opened up another avenue.  In a statement by US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, “… that those who actively induce or encourage the theft of copyrighted works may be held liable for their actions. … Our objective in this operation was to find and dismantle large-scale criminal enterprises that illegally obtain, copy, distribute, and trade in copyrighted software, music, movies, and video games.”

Recently, Attorney General Gonzales announced “Operation Site Down”, a coordinated international legal and criminal attack on cyber pirates, with law enforcement agencies from the US (the FBI), Canada, France, Belgium, Israel, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, and Germany participating in raids on computer file sharing networks, and arresting individuals allegedly engaging in such intellectual property theft.  It is noteworthy that two countries, reportedly the major centers of piracy, Russia and China, were not participating in the crackdown.

Operation Site Down, in its first series of internationally coordinated raids, shutdown or crippled several of the popular file sharing networks, and websites offering pirated materials referred to in cyber circles as “warez” (pronounced “wares”).  Among the networks and sites raided were RiSCISO, Myth, TDA, LND, Goodfellaz, Hoodlum, Vengeance, Centropy, Wasted Time, Paranoid, Corrupt, Gamerz, AdmitONE, Hellbound, KGS, BBX, KHG, NOX, NFR, CDZ, TUN, and BHP.  Over 70 search warrants were executed in the US, with several arrests reported, while additional raids and arrests were reported in the other cooperating nations.  These services were alleged to have been “first providers” who posted the first copies of pirated works, often cracking any copy protection or registration schemes integral with such products.  Once these services made material available, it tended to show up on warez sites around the world, where millions could then download the material using P2P networks, websites, FTP sites, and other online resources.  It is hoped that by raiding these primary sources of illicit intellectual property, that much of the supply of pirated content will be reduced.   Attorney General Gonzales stated, “By dismantling these networks, the Department is striking at the top of the copyright piracy supply chain - a distribution chain that provides the vast majority of the illegal digital content now available online.”

A variety of online resources have stated that the principles of many of the sites raided were directly behind the cracking and distribution of popular and expensive software such as products from Adobe, AutoCAD, Microsoft and other software publishers, as well as the distribution of recent movies, including “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”, and “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”.

"And by penetrating this illegal world of high-technology and intellectual property theft, we have shown that law enforcement can and will find -- and we will prosecute -- those who try to use the Internet to create piracy networks beyond the reach of law enforcement.", so said Attorney General Gonzales.

There is more to file sharing than just the legal, moral, and ethical considerations; P2P file sharing has also been a major source of computer problems, as they also often install spyware, viruses, and Trojans on unsuspecting computers.  KaZaA, Morpheus, and Grockster, three of the major P2P file sharing networks (there are actually thousands of such pirate networks), have frequently been cited as the vector utilized to infect computers, both with their requisite software, and by the content downloaded from third party participants.  Warez sites are also notorious for installing spyware that includes pop-ups with pornographic content, key loggers that can steal identities, dialers that connect to outrageously expensive international locations, and other forms of threatening malware.  Websites offering such content are often loaded with active-x based, Java enabled, or other content capable of installing unwanted software on the victim computer, hijacking browsers, redirecting searches and purchases, and other nasty processes.

Operation Site Down, and the MGM vs. Grockster case should put all of us on notice that behaviors that may have been common place in the past should now be halted, lest “we” become civilly and criminally liable for our online actions.  I know that many computer users rationalize such actions with excuses such as “(big name software publisher) is rich and won’t miss it”, or “(big name software publisher) has been ripping us off for so long that it is time for some payback.”  Just because a file is available in a newsgroup or a website to download does not mean that it is a legitimate “shareware” or “freeware” copy.  Most downloaders of such software, music, games, and videos are all too aware that the content is pirated, yet they participate in great numbers.

To the pirates reading this column, or to the parents of children illicitly downloading copyrighted music and other intellectual property, you have been warned.  The feds may be looking over your shoulder, and may not like what they can see.  All internet users leave an electronic trail that is easy to track; please, do not become a target of a federal investigation and prosecution.

There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as long as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author.  The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.