Anti-Piracy Scam Emails Target BitTorrent Users

TorrentFreak
Written by Ernesto on September 07, 2008



A new trend is surfacing, as spammers have sent out millions of emails targeting BitTorrent users. The emails, that claim to come from MediaDefender, warn the receiver that he or she has been logged using BitTorrent and points them to an attachment supposedly containing evidence, but which is in fact infected with a virus.

Over the years BitTorrent has attracted some shady figures. We’ve reported on malware ridden BitTorrent clients and media players, a BitTorrent site that infects its users with spyware, and several other scams.

Although most scams can be avoided easily when a few simple rules are followed, they still manage to trick thousands of novices every day - and this is not going to end anytime soon. Since BitTorrent has become more or less mainstream, with millions of users worldwide, it also proves an interesting target for email spammers.

The latest scam, unlike the others we have reported on before, is one that is sent by email. The email is disguised as a message from the anti-piracy company MediaDefender (using their logo etc.), and warns the recipient that his or her download behavior has been logged. The email has a report attached with more details about the infringed material, which turns out to be a virus.

Read More

Last post made by: rastaX on Today, 07:10 AM

Michael Moore skips box office, film heads straight to 'Net

ars technica
By Jacqui Cheng | Published: September 05, 2008 - 12:15PM CT
Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore plans to debut his new movie entirely on the Internet, providing the entire work for free. The movie, named Slacker Uprising, will be available online for three weeks starting September 23 , and will be offered as a high-resolution stream and download through Blip.tv. After that, a DVD will be available for purchase on October 7.

Slacker Uprising details Moore's tour of 62 US cities in an attempt to rally young voters before the presidential election in 2004. Moore says that he originally considered releasing the movie in theaters, as he did with his 2004 film criticizing the Bush Administration, Fahrenheit 9/11. However, he decided to go the online route instead as a symbol of gratitude to his fans. "I thought it'd be a nice way to celebrate my 20th year of doing this," Moore told the Associated Press. "And also help get out the vote for November. I've been thinking about what I want to do to help with the election this year."

Moore's decision to go online-only for the movie's debut comes almost a year after Jackass 2.5 attempted to make headlines by doing the same thing. The ad-supported film was available online for several weeks before it was sold through various online video stores (like iTunes) and in DVD form. However, Jackass 2.5 ended up being less of a new film and more of a mashup of clips from previous Jackass movies, making it slightly less compelling. Others have actually introduced new work through the Internet, like independent filmmaker Edward Burns, who released his $4 million film Purple Violets exclusively through the iTunes Store last year.

Regardless, Moore fans are touting Slacker Uprising as the first "major film" to be released for free on the Internet.

More Here

Last post made by: rastaX on Sep 6 2008, 11:11 PM

Michigan law passed requiring MediaSentry to have PI license
ars technica
By John Timmer | Published: September 05, 2008 - 05:10AM CT

The RIAA's campaign against filesharers follows a standard procedure: find a computer offering files for download, get a court to force the ISP or organization that provided the computer's IP address to reveal the computer's owner, and then sue the owner. The group has contracted with MediaSentry to do the work of identifying the infringing computers, but that company's methods have been called into question in a number of states that have licensing requirements for private investigators that include the computer-based snooping required to gather the data. Michigan was one such state and, if there was any doubt about the licensing issue there, it's gone now: the state passed a law that specifically calls for computer forensics groups to be licensed.

To an extent, the law is somewhat redundant. Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Growth is responsible for licensing private investigators and, in February, it determined that the company was acting as an unlicensed private investigator. The Department recommended that the anonymous state resident that filed the complaint contact his local prosecutor if he/she wanted to press the matter. Despite this ominous warning flag, the RIAA's lawsuits in the state have continued apace.

But, if MediaSentry felt it could successfully challenge the Department of Labor's decision if called on it, its chances of doing so dropped precipitously. In May, with no apparent notice, Michigan enacted a revision to its licensing requirements, entitled "An act to license and regulate professional investigators." A reader of Recording Industry vs The People apparently did notice, and tipped off the blog; a copy (PDF) of the legislation is being hosted by intellectual property attorney Ray Beckerman.

The law is intended "to protect the general public against unauthorized, unlicensed and unethical operations by professional investigators."

More Here

Last post made by: rastaX on Sep 5 2008, 07:56 PM

Source: Afterdawn

According to an interview posted on Pocket-lint.co.uk, Samsung believes that the Blu-ray format will only have a 5 year life span from this point out before it is replaced by either HD downloads or a completely different physical media format.

"I think it [Blu-ray] has 5 years left, I certainly wouldn't give it 10", Andy Griffiths, director of consumer electronics for Samsung UK said in the interview. The 10 years mark is what Sony has committed to its Blu-ray playing PlayStation 3 console.

Griffiths does believe however that Blu-ray can be huge over the next year, and that 2008 is just the start.

"It's going to be huge", he added. "We are heavily back-ordered at the moment."

Griffiths cited cheaper prices for players and titles, as well as the format's victory over HD DVD as reasons why the format will be a winner, if only for a short period of time.

"In 2012 we will be in a true HD world. Everything from your television to your camcorder will be offering you pictures in high-definition, and we plan to offer you that HD world from all angles."


Posted by Andre "DVDBack23" Yoskowitz

Last post made by: Lion7718 on Sep 5 2008, 01:44 PM

Say Hi To Our Newest Community Mod...
Today, 07:55 AM
by Lion7718

The "Daily Thought" Thread
Today, 07:47 AM
by Crazy Horse

What is Lion listening to now?
Today, 07:16 AM
by Lion7718

Word Association
Today, 07:12 AM
by rastaX

Anti-Piracy Scam Emails Target BitTorrent Users
Today, 07:10 AM
by rastaX

Arctic becomes an island as ice melts
Yesterday, 10:54 PM
by Roadblock

Pic of the Day
Yesterday, 07:06 PM
by philgorp

Cartoon Of the Day
Yesterday, 05:47 PM
by rastaX

Demotivational Posters
Yesterday, 05:38 PM
by rastaX

No icons!
Yesterday, 01:31 PM
by RacknRail

View all new posts