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[tha_con]

So I think my roommate or someone possibly leaching off of my Wireless network had downloaded some movies via torrent (I hadn't had a problem, so I left it open...smart move right?)

So, I check my email today, and here's the letter I get from my ISP:

We are writing on behalf of Cox Communications to advise you that we have
received a notification that you are using your Cox High Speed Internet service
to post or transmit material that infringes the copyrights of a complainant's
members. We have included a copy of the complaint letter. Pursuant to the
provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"), which is codified
at 17 U.S.C. � 512, upon receiving such notification, Cox is required to "act
expeditiously to remove, or disable access to" the infringing material in order
to avoid liability for any alleged copyright infringement. Accordingly, Cox
will suspend your account and disable your connection to the Internet within 24
hours of your receipt of this email if the offending material is not removed.

With these details listed below:

*pgp public key is available on the key server at ldap://keyserver.pgp.com
** For any correspondence regarding this case, please send your emails to
antipiracy@nbcuni.com and refer to Notice ID: 14-16491611. If you need
immediate assistance or if you have general questions please call the number
listed above.
Title: 40 Year-Old Virgin, The
Infringement Source: BitTorrent
Initial Infringement Timestamp: 26 Mar 2008 07:33:21 GMT
Recent Infringement Timestamp: 26 Mar 2008 07:33:21 GMT
Infringing Filename: The.40.Year.Old.Virgin[2005]DVDrip.h264.[Eng]-phrax
Infringing File size: 736730315
Infringers IP Address: REMOVED
Infringers DNS Name: ipREMOVED.fv.ks.cox.net
Infringing URL: http://tracker.torrent.to:2710/announce

Crazy right? Anyway, I've since then locked up my network, and *tried* to contact my ISP, but it is sunday. I had like 4 people leeching off my Wireless network, lol.

Scary stuff though.

 

[Hitokage]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Protected_Access

 

[tha_con]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Protected_Access

Yea, :lol I really hadn't cared before, because everyone who lived around me (in an APT complex) was, well...older. I'd gone like a year and a half without any issues, so I just never got around to it.

 

[Juice]

Call your ISP and tell them you know nothing of this and ask what phrax, BitTorrent, and h264 is.

Then a few minutes in, say you have wireless.

Then they ask if it's secured and you ask "what's that?" or something equally retarded like "yeah, it's in my house and I lock the door when I leave." Another great stupid question to ask is "does this mean it's on my computer, can I delete it? Where is it?"

That'll probably get them on your side pretty quick. You're not liable if you're retarded and leave your wireless router as it was OOTB.

 

[BakedPigeon]

That's so fucked up how they can do that.......

 

[Jamesfrom818]

I wonder if S1 is ever going to go after me for downloading Sora Aoi porn.

 

[Doytch]

Call your ISP and tell them you know nothing of this and ask what phrax, BitTorrent, and h264 is.

Then a few minutes in, say you have wireless.

Then they ask if it's secured and you ask "what's that?" or something equally retarded like "yeah, it's in my house and I lock the door when I leave." Another great stupid question to ask is "does this mean it's on my computer, can I delete it? Where is it?"

That'll probably get them on your side pretty quick. You're not liable if you're retarded and leave your wireless router as it was OOTB.

This. Having an unsecured WAP has gotten a bunch of people off, even when the RI/MPAA were being even bigger douchebags(possible?). Basically, they can't prove that it was you, at all, or even show that it was probably you.

 

[tha_con]

Call your ISP and tell them you know nothing of this and ask what phrax, BitTorrent, and h264 is.

Then a few minutes in, say you have wireless.

Then they ask if it's secured and you ask "what's that?" or something equally retarded like "yeah, it's in my house and I lock the door when I leave." Another great stupid question to ask is "does this mean it's on my computer, can I delete it? Where is it?"

That'll probably get them on your side pretty quick. You're not liable if you're retarded and leave your wireless router as it was OOTB.

Yea, it's just crazy man.

I'm scared to take a shit now, Universal and Paramount might be watching me :ninja:

On a different note...is it illegal to download anime from japan (i.e. Naruto etc)?

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

On a different note...is it illegal to download anime from japan (i.e. Naruto etc)?

Copyright law isn't that confusing.

If you have to ask, it's infringing.

 

[JKBii]

Copyright law isn't that confusing.

If you have to ask, it's infringing.

Is it illegal to tell you that's not true?

 

[Diablos]

haha, unsecured AND you have Cox. Cox is like the king of the Anti-P2P gestapo on the ISP end (along with Comcrap).

 

[Ceres]

Yea, it's just crazy man.

I'm scared to take a shit now, Universal and Paramount might be watching me :ninja:

On a different note...is it illegal to download anime from japan (i.e. Naruto etc)?

Yes, especially if there's a company in the US paying for US distribution rights ala Naruto. Some Japanese companies let fansubs go because it sometimes can mean quick purchases by ADV, etc when it's really popular. Others will go after fansubbers.

 

[tha_con]

Yes, especially if there's a company in the US paying for US distribution rights ala Naruto. Some Japanese companies let fansubs go because it sometimes can mean quick purchases by ADV, etc when it's really popular. Others will go after fansubbers.

Ah, thanks. I suppose I'll have to limit it then...stinks though, as most transfers coming to the US suck, and rarely feature widescreen releases from the start (at least locally).

Thanks again.

 

[grandjedi6]

Yes, especially if there's a company in the US paying for US distribution rights ala Naruto. Some Japanese companies let fansubs go because it sometimes can mean quick purchases by ADV, etc when it's really popular. Others will go after fansubbers.

And some US distributers/localizers ignore it because it helps the fanbase grow. Hence why Funimation turns a blind eye to One Piece subs

 

[shuri]

Why the hell would you let anyone use your insecured access, especially with all the crusades against piracy? And that's not even mentionning all the pedos roaming around.

Lock your shit down, people.

 

[tak]

Yea, it's just crazy man.

I'm scared to take a shit now, Universal and Paramount might be watching me :ninja:

On a different note...is it illegal to download anime from japan (i.e. Naruto etc)?

I would not worry about letter, and I would not look into it further ( there is very little point since they're not pressing charges). They send out those letters to scare people into stop sharing a particular piece of content. My friend has received multiple letters from his ISP, nothing has come of them.

 

[BigJonsson]

Who uses public trackers? =/

 

[BobsRevenge]

This happaned to me after downloading the Office season 3...

yeah, scared the shit out of me. deleted it.

 

[xsarien]

WPA + MAC address filter + hiding the SSID.

The only downside is that my DS is basically permanently offline. :/

 

[commish]

I would not worry about letter, and I would not look into it further ( there is very little point since they're not pressing charges). They send out those letters to scare people into stop sharing a particular piece of content. My friend has received multiple letters from his ISP, nothing has come of them.

I cant' tell you how true this is. It's an automated form-producing program that finds and tracks these downloads and creates DMCA form letters.

 

[Xeke]

WPA + MAC address filter + hiding the SSID.

The only downside is that my DS is basically permanently offline. :/

That seems a little excessive. WPA is pretty secure unless you have people who are really really really trying for some strange reason.

 

[Flynn]

EDIT: I don't even want to get into this again.

 

[Thaedolus]

I'm really curious as to what the media companies do about people like me who don't pay for their cable/internet: it comes with my apartment as a package. As such, my IP is shared among 3 other guys, and possibly anyone else in the building since we only have a WEP-capable router. I know for a fact it's just the four of us since I can see the DHCP log and have MAC filtering...but who gets these e-mailed complaints if our IP is caught downloading? I know I've gotten some copyrighted stuff and my one roomie is doing it all the time. They but once it hits the router they have no idea who did it, so who gets fined?

Kinda makes me glad I'm out of here in about a month

 

[Phobophile]

On a different note...is it illegal to download anime from japan (i.e. Naruto etc)?

It's licensed in the US now as it's shown on Adult Swim. So yes.

 

[Chris R]

Who uses public trackers? =/

Big dumbdumb doodoo heads

 

[StopMakingSense]

That seems a little excessive. WPA is pretty secure unless you have people who are really really really trying for some strange reason.

Well, excessive in that MAC filtering and SSID hiding are worthless, and even more useless with WPA being used.

 

[KGKK]

Move to Canada

 

[loosus]

Well, excessive in that MAC filtering and SSID hiding are worthless, and even more useless with WPA being used.

Yep. MAC filtering should really be removed as a "security feature" in wireless APs. It's worthless in every sense of the word.

If you have an unencrypted signal, then anybody can see the MAC addresses that are in the clear (and thus, spoof them to get on your network).

If you have an encrypted signal, then they can't see your MAC addresses. If they somehow break your encryption, then MAC addresses will be the least of your worries because they can see your MAC addresses (once again) if they've decrypted your signal.

Even WEP is a better solution than MAC filtering.

"Hiding" the SSID is in the same boat -- and for the same reasons. There was a time when hiding the SSID gave some apparent, faux security because the built-in wireless-detection software in Windows XP didn't display wireless networks that didn't broadcast their SSID. Well, other devices did not follow this rule, other programs within Windows XP didn't follow this rule, and Vista does not follow this rule. So, whatever fake "security" it might've previously offered isn't even relevant nowadays.

 

[Blimblim]

On a different note...is it illegal to download anime from japan (i.e. Naruto etc)?

It's 100% illegal when you look at international copyright laws, but most anime companies around the world turn a blind eye over it because they consider it to be more or less free advertising. Some don't though.
And since the majority of these companies have no presence outside Japan, and are not that big in the first place, they couldn't really pay for the legal fees if they wanted to sue people.
In the case of Naruto though, the anime is licensed in about every countries in the world, so fansubs are more than frowned upon.

 

[IronicallyTwisted]

uTorrent has data encryption, so use it and stop getting dumb emails.

 

[Weenerz]

Just delete the files and don't call your ISP, they won't do anything to you. I've gotten 2 of those emails from Cox before, 1 for a Sopranos episode and another for some movie. It basically told me to stop sharing those movies or they will come after me. Find other ways of downloading your warez and be happy you aren't already in deep shit.

 

[tak]

Yep. MAC filtering should really be removed as a "security feature" in wireless APs. It's worthless in every sense of the word.

If you have an unencrypted signal, then anybody can see the MAC addresses that are in the clear (and thus, spoof them to get on your network).

If you have an encrypted signal, then they can't see your MAC addresses. If they somehow break your encryption, then MAC addresses will be the least of your worries because they can see your MAC addresses (once again) if they've decrypted your signal.

Even WEP is a better solution than MAC filtering.

"Hiding" the SSID is in the same boat -- and for the same reasons. There was a time when hiding the SSID gave some apparent, faux security because the built-in wireless-detection software in Windows XP didn't display wireless networks that didn't broadcast their SSID. Well, other devices did not follow this rule, other programs within Windows XP didn't follow this rule, and Vista does not follow this rule. So, whatever fake "security" it might've previously offered isn't even relevant nowadays.

Mac filtering and SSID hiding are worthless when confronted with a dedicated intruder; however, I still recommend to people to turn those items on. They represent another hurdle a intruder has to get over. It's not a large hurdle, but it gives an intruder another reason not to break into your network.

Security features like mac filtering and WEP are not full proof, they are just meant to make it harder to break into something.

 

[Fun Factor]

Companies send 1000's of these emails, just ignore it.

 

[BigJonsson]

The worst part about the e-mails is that they just note that you were connected to a torrent which allegedly has illegal files, they have no proof how much of the files were downloaded or if they even worked

I got an e-mail once and I was like uhhh, that torrent was shit so I went out and bought the game *smack*

 

[Tchu-Espresso]

If you're stupid enough to use public trackers then you deserve it.

 

[polyh3dron]

Who uses public trackers? =/

me, since the 'noid went down

 

[CowboyAstronaut]

If that's the case, then they are about to put me on Death Row :lol

 

[Weenerz]

me, since the 'noid went down

That site was just as public as the rest, just with 1 day a week registration :lol

 

[polyh3dron]

what's the secret to getting invites to these enigmatic private trackers?

 

[kozmo7]

what's the secret to getting invites to these enigmatic private trackers?

I am sure there are many in this private tracker searching collective but you don't want men in trench coats at your door or (very nice and merciful) Gaf mods after you. D:

 

[otake]

private trackers give users a false sense of security. listen to these facts:

nothing you do on the internet is untraceable.
tor does not protect you.
companies can prove the machine that was downloading the file.


read any book on tcp/ip and what's included in the headers of every packet you send. the only thing that protects users who download copyrighted material is the huge amount of people doing it.

 

[Goldrusher]

It's 100% illegal when you look at international copyright laws, but most anime companies around the world turn a blind eye over it because they consider it to be more or less free advertising. Some don't though.

It also depends on your country.

In The Netherlands, downloading is legal. Uploading, selling and sharing is not.
And in my country, Belgium, you pay over 100% "entertainment industry" tax on blank media. So a blank dvd costs twice as much as in any neighbouring country !
So I consider it legal here too. After all, why else would we have that tax ?

 

[polyh3dron]

I am sure there are many in this private tracker searching collective but you don't want men in trench coats at your door or (very nice and merciful) Gaf mods after you. D:

I am of course asking so that I can access the wealth of public domain content available on them. Like a copy of the 1st Ben-Hur movie or something. Partyv&, shmartyv&.

 

[Jamesfrom818]

I'd probably care more about the security of my WiFi if I didn't have a neighbor with an unsecured WiFi signal. Why try to crack mine when this nitwit leaves their's open?