New law In New Zealand Illegal downloading.

[Silverfern]

As of Sept 1 at midnight,there is a new law here In NZL that if anyone caught downloading copyrighted content illegally such as movies, songs and television episodes from websites or applications (Bit Torrent and Frostwire)
Beware!!!
The system works on a three step warning before legal action could be taken and is aimed at combating illegal file sharing, particularly repeat offenders.
Once someone has three strikes against them - ie three warning letters sent to them (The Account Holders) - they can be taken to the Copyright Tribunal which can make awards of up to $15,000 and have their internet cut off for 6 months.
Businesses, libraries and universities may also get warning notices leading to fines if illegal downloading happens on their internet connections.

 

[Silverback]

Government getting evermore greedier.

Let their avarice kill them.

 

[Romero]

I hate to hear this. I don't support piracy but I support the greedy corporations even less! And I fcking hate government for not protecting our privacy.

 

[cheezMcNASTY]

Well there's always ..... *ahem* <censored>.com.

Last I heard they haven't found a way to track that one very well...

 

[Romero]

What are they doing different that makes them so difficult to track?

 

[Silverback]

What are they doing different that makes them so difficult to track?

I wouldn't be suprised if it was run by the bloody Government. And then that same Government would make known that they are targeting these "pirates" just in order to make the public feel that the problems are getting sorted when it's just a secret harbinger for some illegal plan the Government has to get more money.

 

[cheezMcNASTY]

What are they doing different that makes them so difficult to track?

As far as I understand it, torrent traffic can be isolated pretty easily into just one entity (same with Limewire traffic). It could have a lot to do with how the programs each enable a very specific type of downloading that you wouldn't find anywhere else on the internet. I think p2p is what we like to call it these days.

Nowhere else on the internet will you find a type of download where little bits and pieces of the file come flying at you from as many as 30 other private PCs rather than a website's servers. That, along with the fact that everyone downloading the same file will be connected to everyone who is downloading or distributing it (from having used the same torrent file to begin with) which makes patterns within the torrent traffic start to show.

Now, when you get to *ahemm*<censored>, you're only using a regular download from the websites servers. Click, Save As, you know...what you always do to download stuff. When it comes down to it that's what everyone uses to download anything. There really is no monitoring a regular browser download like that without
1.) Redflagging the site to begin with and risking a lawsuit and
2.) Monitoring and profiling everyone who visits the website which risks multiple lawsuits and is still (thank god) considered invasion of personal privacy.
Currently your Internet Service Provider can sell you out on everything mentioned above, but they can't go selling out their customers else risk losing money.

That's how I understand it anyhow. Sorry if it got a bit lengthy.

 

[Angel]

Well I'm all for it. Three strikes is more than fair warning after all - it's not like it comes out of the blue and all of a sudden you're handed a massive fine.

Besides, that fine is peanuts compared to what you can get lumped with if successfully prosecuted to the max under UK law for copyright infringement...not that they ever seem to do it. If you want to pirate then grow a pair and take the consequences accordingly, imo.

 

[cheezMcNASTY]

Before I say anything else, everyone should know this is something that I have trouble shutting up about. I took the time to do a 10 page research paper on it a few months ago so I probably know a little too much about it all...

Well I'm all for it. Three strikes is more than fair warning after all - it's not like it comes out of the blue and all of a sudden you're handed a massive fine.

Besides, that fine is peanuts compared to what you can get lumped with if successfully prosecuted to the max under UK law for copyright infringement...not that they ever seem to do it. If you want to pirate then grow a pair and take the consequences accordingly, imo.

The main thing that the entertainment industry can't argue away is the issue of an Internet Service Provider, someone who you pay for the service of internet access, monitoring and selling your personal browsing history away to copyright holders. Granted if you're caught you're caught, and maybe your views on browsing privacy differ from mine, but doesn't that at least seem a little backwards to you?

It'd be like if I were to subscribe to the Oprah Winfrey Book Club (god forbid...my dignity would be in shambles) and they started sending me books with camera's and life-threatening booby traps. Now, as cool as that would be in theory, I'd rather be able to watch someone else hit a mouse trap on page 59 over the internet without having anyone see how sick my sense of humor is.

 

[Angel]

I agree with what you say about browsing history - it's not something I know anything about so my views on piracy are fairly blinkered; limited to "illegal is illegal mmkay" because that much I can talk about but nothing more.

I'd totally watch the mousetrap thing though...my inherent love of Jackass commands it

 

[Romero]

As far as I understand it, torrent traffic can be isolated pretty easily into just one entity (same with Limewire traffic). It could have a lot to do with how the programs each enable a very specific type of downloading that you wouldn't find anywhere else on the internet. I think p2p is what we like to call it these days.

Nowhere else on the internet will you find a type of download where little bits and pieces of the file come flying at you from as many as 30 other private PCs rather than a website's servers. That, along with the fact that everyone downloading the same file will be connected to everyone who is downloading or distributing it (from having used the same torrent file to begin with) which makes patterns within the torrent traffic start to show.

Now, when you get to *ahemm*shmediafire, you're only using a regular download from the websites servers. Click, Save As, you know...what you always do to download stuff. When it comes down to it that's what everyone uses to download anything. There really is no monitoring a regular browser download like that without
1.) Redflagging the site to begin with and risking a lawsuit and
2.) Monitoring and profiling everyone who visits the website which risks multiple lawsuits and is still (thank god) considered invasion of personal privacy.
Currently your Internet Service Provider can sell you out on everything mentioned above, but they can't go selling out their customers else risk losing money.

That's how I understand it anyhow. Sorry if it got a bit lengthy.

I don't know much about how it works as I have never downloaded anything, but I thought torrents was secure because they are fragments of the file.
I wonder if The Pirate Bay use the same torrent technology and thus their users are easy to track?

I said I don't support piracy, but that is a truth with modifications. Yes ideologically I'm against piracy, but the way the music and film industry treats their customers have pushed me over to the other side. I personally don't do anything to support piracy - I do purchase everything the legal way - but my sympathy is with everyone but the industry.

 

[cheezMcNASTY]

I don't know much about how it works as I have never downloaded anything, but I thought torrents was secure because they are fragments of the file.

You could be right about how that would make it more secure, I can see how it would make sense. I know that it can be monitored. The media companies have hired third party companies to track down people, that's the only real way people get caught torrenting. What methods these companies use to catch people, the ethics of said methods...those are all a mystery to me. I was reading this article a few months ago and towards the end it alludes to "other technologies". Well, the only other way I know of outside of Limewire (which is no more last I checked) I've said far too obviously in above posts. In fact, I'm gonna go blip those out because I don't want anyone reading all this and thinking "oh, so this is how I can do it". I'm trying to keep this more focused on the ins and outs of how it works.

I wonder if The Pirate Bay use the same torrent technology and thus their users are easy to track?

I do know enough to say that sites like pirate bay only serve to create a library of torrent files, each only a couple of kilobytes in size. I could try to download a music album from from a torrent file from pirate bay, with you on some other site trying to get the same album, and we could wind up with the same .torrent file (therefore downloading from all the same sources). There are multiple .torrent files for most things each varying in file format, quality, or even a certain release that was only available in some countries. The only technology differences would exist in the programs that create and run .torrent files, and when the sites like pirate bay go down so will they.

It's the main reason that sites like pirate bay have survived so long. None of the content is on their servers, though crucial to people getting access to the content, is the content its self. It's the torrent programs running the .torrent file which actually open it and use it for its intended purpose. It would be like if I had a book that had imprints of the front door key to every house in my city. Rather than use it myself, I declare it public information, put it on my doorstep, and look the other way. It's my property, so I have a right to put it anywhere I want, and it's not my fault if someone walks by and glances at it.

 

[Romero]

I have read in the news that Google can be used instead of TPirate Bay. I don't remember how to search for torrent files only, but I guess anyone interested can find that out by searching with Google how to use Google for this purpose. Funny that no one are suing Google....

I've said far too obviously in above posts. In fact, I'm gonna go blip those out because I don't want anyone reading all this and thinking "oh, so this is how I can do it".

You've not posted links or a step-by-step guide, so I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[Angel]

the only thing I would add here in terms of the media industry is that having worked in the music area of this as an artist for a time (albeit a very short time but enough to see what actually happens) when people pirate music the artists actually do lose out because of it thanks to the blood-sucking manner of most companies and managers. So whilst I understand in part the defence of pirating such items, people need to remember that someone, somewhere is being penalised for it and that someone is usually the person who created the content in the first place.

Some artists offer their stuff for download for free anyway to get a bigger fanbase, to reward current fans or just because it cuts out the expensive middle man and gets their product out there to everyone for next to nothing. Now I know there are some out there who argue about files and goodness knows what else which goes over my head but when it comes to the crunch, little artists get screwed over by the industry and pirates. If you're a massively famous band then it doesn't matter so much aside from the principle, I suppose, but for every major player there are a load of little guys who suffer. And then the price of the product shoots up to counteract the lack of legitimate purchases, more pirating occurs because it's so expensive and then even less money gets to the artist once everyone else has taken their share.

I probably wouldn't care so much if it hadn't happened to me and some friends I know - you work damn hard knowing your percentage won't be that high but it's a start and then a bunch of tight-fisted gits take your stuff without paying and leave you with nothing. Does kind of get to you after a while.