AfterDawn: Tech news

Department Of Justice raids P2P users homes

Written by James Delahunty @ 25 Aug 2004 1:50 User comments (38)

Department Of Justice raids P2P users homes Today the U.S. Department of Justice launched an assault on P2P filesharing. Using search warrants, they searched five homes and the offices of one ISP. This is the first time the department has applied such drastic measures against file sharers and comes shortly after courts ruled that P2P networks cannot be held responsible for copyright infringement. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced the raids today saying that individuals from Texas, New York and Wisconsin were under investigation. The Operation has been named Operation Digital Gridlock and is targeting the illegal sharing of movies, games, software and music.
This is not surprising however, as the U.S. Government seems to always have sided with the entertainment industry in the fight against P2P trading. Even a comprehensive study at Harvard revealed that P2P doesn't have much of an effect on sales.

"When online thieves illegally distribute copyrighted programs and products, they put the livelihoods of millions of hard-working Americans at risk and damage our economy,” Ashcroft said. "The Department of Justice is committed to enforcing intellectual property laws, and we will pursue those who steal copyrighted materials even when they try to hide behind the false anonymity of peer-to-peer networks." Ashcroft did not explain what he meant by false anonymity. They believe the individuals and the ISP were operating five P2P networks known as, The Underground Network.



In this network each individual had to share a minimum of 100GB. Even a first time offender could receive up to five years in prison or a whopping $250,000 fine. The department also reminded citizens that illegal trading and piracy costs U.S. companies in excess of $19bn every year. This, of course, is coming without any study that's comprehensive enough to backup these claims. Even the entertainment industry itself refuses to make a study to see if P2P helps in any way. It seems this may have been a response to a decision made by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which backs up the legality of P2P networks.

The court had warned the DoJ and entertainment industry not to get in the way of the technological advancements of P2P. This ruling however, does not protect people sharing illegal files.

Sources:
The Register
News.com

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38 user comments

125.8.2004 15:18

DOJ is a pile of wank they waste more money on chasing the pirates no wonder they "claim" pirates steal the money... you idiots at DOJ waste so much and blame it on the pirates... how gay can you get?.....

225.8.2004 17:14

I think thats really pathetic that they have to go after people, they will never stop p2p file sharing and i dont care cos its the best way to get a app music or movie. i dont care and neither do alot of people....

325.8.2004 19:48

Wtf! What's this? Certified comunism Geroge Bush bullshit tactics? Money is the only one that's speaking here. Just hearing about this stuff makes me sick.

426.8.2004 06:46

I think there is an error in the article. The minimum is one to 100 GB.

526.8.2004 07:27

Sure glad I live in a free country. Rob I..AM CANADIAN

626.8.2004 08:15

I agree.. total bullshit.. If they keep this up the prisons will surely be over run by us computer nerds in no time..We B runnin thangs up in there.. networks and shit..3 free meals.. Just pimpin with free internet access from the state! Matt

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 26 Aug 2004 @ 8:19

726.8.2004 08:32

If this crap keeps up there will be a revolt against the government and the damn corporations that are funding this sh*t. THe governement is supposed to be for the people not the damn corporations!

826.8.2004 08:47

so piracy costs 19bn a year eh? ok what about the billions wasted on crap music and software. I'm sorry but no matter how many people worked on it, you cant tell me a 2mb program costing over $100 is justified. or the 1 or 2 good songs on a cd make it worth $17-20. If they come to my home, lets see what constitutional right is stronger, their right not to be pirated, or my right to bear arms and defend myself. With 2 child molesters and known drug dealers in my neighborhood, it makes total sense to come after me because i sent an mp3 to a friend of mine because he wanted to see if the cd was worth buying, gasp! Nazi bastards better pack a lunch if they're coming to my house, cause it's gonna be an all day job.

926.8.2004 10:26

Anyone who absolutely needs thousands of mp3's couldn't possibly listen to them all in an entire lifetime or they are just totally obsessed and should get professional help. Anyone else is probably an entertainer like a DJ that will make money from playing music and should not have a gripe about paying a small monthly fee to access songs. Solution: For $9.99/mo. subscribe to Real Rhapsody internet radio (or another service}. You can choose any song at any time and make your own play lists. If you need to copy, just record it to your hard drive. Sure it takes a few minutes to record however, by the time you weed through all the bad files you download for free, it will actually take less time. Good deal considering you could get 100's of hours of music for less than the cost of a few CD's.

1026.8.2004 12:21

wtf is this bullshit. it doesent matter how many homes the department of justice raids. peer 2 peer is 2 big 2 stop. if the government put a stop to this shit earlier it MIGHT have worked but now its just to fuckin big. approxmitly 2 billion peeple in the world use some type of filesharing or p2p networking. thats 33% of the world.fuck the department of justice, fuck the faggets that are against p2p or filesharing and fuck John Ashcroft and operation digital gridlock

1126.8.2004 13:06

that is carzy. They have gone to far. way to far

1226.8.2004 14:02
givincci
Inactive

I think the best way to stop all these crap is music companies or etc, run their own isp and offer high speed internet with the price of free downloading. this way they get more customer and charge sibscribers for using their service....

1326.8.2004 14:05
Ackbar6
Inactive

Meh... as I read the pile of flames, I stillw onder if I am the only one that thinks this is a good thing. It doesn't matter if "p2p is too big to stop", its a matter of right and wrong, Listen, if you download copyrighted material, its illegal. Its been spelled out millions of times. I read these flames and I just cannot beleive some people think there should be no implicaation for stealing. I don't care what you say, when it comes down to it, you are taking somehting that cost money to make and produce, and grabbing it with any compensation to the owners. Honestly, I did the whole p2p thing back in 1999, but any more, I just go out and buy my crap. If I don't like, wow, I am out $15. Too bad. I'd rather support the industry then see the world become stagnent of all files as piarcy gets so large the entertainment industry cannot stay profitable.

1426.8.2004 18:55
ellizit
Inactive

Personally I just see this as an example of how the government should have more important issues (and criminals) to deal with, rather than "music pirates"; but then again, that's just my oppinion.

1526.8.2004 20:03

Right on ellzit. And while they're at it, the government should get the hell out of the abortion issue, gay marriages, smoking bans and all the other stuff that they are wasting our money persuing ...

1627.8.2004 06:20

IMO this is not about whether DL'ing MP3's or movies is right or not, it is whether P2P is something the entertainment industry wants us to have. They are losing control over their customers, and I mean those who purchase the content and those independant artists who create their own and use the P2P networks to distribute their wares (free distribution model), this really worries the industry since this takes them out of the loop when it comes to creating and distributing the work of the artists. Beyond that, the industry is also attempting to get the government to help them squash this by disguising their intentions by claiming it is hurting them, and we all know this is basically BS. Do you recall the attempts by the RIAA to tax the blank media and the D/A converters? THis is nothing more than a ploy to get the public to subsidize the recording industry with the governments help and try to stem the tide of revolt aginst them and the crap they produce. Another point to consider is that our economy is turning from a manufacturing one to an information/service one and they ( the entertainment industry) want to migrate us to a pay per use model to keep milking the public. This is a chess game they are playing with the public and the government to get what they want, total control over what we see and hear and the fact that we must pay them to do so. The main fact is that the P2P model doesn't allow them to do this since they do not control it, it is "free" (a dirty 4 letter word to them), this mentality is similar to the SCO one where free is not they way it is supposed to be (according to them). Big Business is trying to lock in their right to milk us for as much $$ as they can. This is all about the ca$h. We must stop the tide of new laws that affect our rights otherwise we will lose them by inaction, the more the entertainment industry gets laws passed that favor their direction the sooner they can point to the fact that this law or that is already there and we lose. Once a law is in place it is harder to get it reversed. They are now getting laws passed that get the public to foot the bill for copyright infringement, this should be paid for by the copyright holder not the taxpayer. In addition to that the current law gives the monetary award to the copyright holder and does nothing to reimburse the governments expenditure (our money) for the law suit and related expense. Why are we subsidizing the entertainment industry is my question? They should sink or swim on their own like the rest of us. Just my .02

1727.8.2004 06:24

ur rite smaan, it is way to big to stop. but fuck the stupid RIAA losers they are money grubbing wankers!

1827.8.2004 06:47

strcruzer, you hit the nail RIGHT on the head! I remember reading in an interview in a Progressive Rock publication in the late 80's, they were interviewing an unnamed executive at a major label about how so many Progressive Rock bands were producing their own albums. (this was like 1988-ish, where hardly anyone was doing this. Back then you were either on a major label or you didn't exist) and basically the response was something like "They shouldn't be doing it. We are in place to control the input and output of all of the recorded music, and it's in the artist's best interest to go through us. Otherwise you have chaos, confusion and you loose structure, and we don't want that." he also said something to the tune of, for every person who buys an independant artist is one less record sale for the "people who work really hard to produce great music" And this was coming from a label that basically DUMPED all of their Prog artists! It's all a control issue. Also it will get to the point where the next technology, or the one after that, will be so secure no one would be able to control it (like cel phones or Palm Pilots, something so easy to use, any can do it.) It's like Tetris, the falling pieces are the technologies, the RIAA is the person rotating the pieces, fitting them into place so they disappear. But now they're at the point where so many new things are popping up, the screen is halfway full. Pretty soon the pieces will pile up to the top of the screen, then it's GAME OVER!

1927.8.2004 08:21

Progrockt, the only difference now is that they are trying to do this without anyone getting wise the their actual adgenda, total control over the music, the MPAA is jumping on the band wagon since the next ones on the "hit list" are movies. Just look at all the websites popping up and providing/creating their own videos. So they (RIAA/MPAA)think in order to survive is they need to hamstring the independent artists or at least get a piece of their pie (taxation of the D/A converters and blank media, etc...). I still say most of this is a smoke screen to drive their hiddden adgenda.

2027.8.2004 08:31

EXACTLY!

2127.8.2004 10:31

Then again,,, maybe everyone is missing the boat. If there are really that many p2p users out there,, band all of them together and start e-mailing Bush and ask Him if he wants our vote or should we vote for Kerry. A whole lotta votes we control. It is an election year,,,

2227.8.2004 12:03

It all seems a bit crappy to me the way the US goverment are going on about this.The US make shit loads of dosh out of selling guns in shops which in some shape or form legally purchased or not finds its way to the gun criminals.Its gun city in the US compared to other countrys and it is having a knock on effect around the world.The UK looks more like the Bronx every day.Don't get me wrong i live in the Uk but i probably would not if it was not for the US backing every war we have been in.We owe alot to the US and i love the us people.But like darthnip says i think they get the prioritys wrong in the US.But there again thats what you get when you have a baboon in control.When you look at our top guy and the US top man getting together its like looking at chimp city.I think the US last top man was much better even if he had a bit on the side he is only human.At least he knew more than just how to win a fight he was a real diplamat.If i lived in the US i would be looking else where in the up and coming election.At least you have choice in the US in the UK it is which baboon to choose next i may run myself. John179 John179

2327.8.2004 13:07

the solution is sooo simple. move to a country that dont ass-grab. and if you really wanna blame someone ITS THAT DANG LARS ULRICH AND HIS CRYBABY NAPSTER PROBLEMS. bottom line is this, how many million people p2p share? well...count all those votes for Kerry, cuz you know they wont support hitl..er..bush. i dont p2p share because im now to afraid of getting in trouble. it worked, by the same token i refuse to pay money for any cd NOT by the dixie chicks (dont like the music, but love what they did) so they lose out sales because previously my wife would buy album after album. not now, if we like it, i grab it off mtv or satelite sirius tivo, and pull it over to my pc and make an album. next you know they will come after us for recording tapes of the radio. i wish i could move to canada...i really do. and if you live in canada, tell me how to move there lol.

2427.8.2004 13:40

Totally agree with gsuscrazy bush has to go because he is a plonker.Last night i taped a programe on my vcr which i intend on watching at a later date.The problem is i might get in trouble.So ban the lot and give us all our money back on these things we purchase which everyone wants to restrict are use of.I do not agree with people backing up for fianacial gain but for your own use.Get stuffed i will back up anything i want as long as i own it and i will let all my mates watch it for free in my own home if i please.The film industry and the goverments all make me sick.Yeh the limo you got your backside sat in is paid by us you heep of s_it_.If we want to back up anything we own go and f__ck youself coz i'm gonna do regardless the sh_t you make law.To be honest no one is risking anyones jobs.All you are risking is these big f_t t_a__ profit who work no harder than the normal working man. Sorry about the swearing i just hate these guys John179

2527.8.2004 16:41

Quote:
I think the US last top man was much better even if he had a bit on the side
'He did not have sex with that woman.!

2627.8.2004 19:39

agent-k who cares if he did or did not the fact is he was a much better president.We should not judge on our sexual acts as he his human like the rest.He did a better job than Bush so who cares what he did with his private life that's his life. John179

2728.8.2004 00:33
amberel
Inactive

Man ole man what is happening to this country???? I was under the assumption that our for fathers fought and alot died just so this country could have freedom...am I wrong here or what??? We shouldnt have to go to "court of appeals" just to be able to share with others. Personally I believe that if they wouldnt waste the 1/2 and 1/4 million dollar salaries on the " elected officials" this country wouldn't be in the shape its in right now....oh but wait if they raise our taxes some more then all will be fine, they can still sit around and sip 30yr old scotch while the working class ppl are paying for it, now most of the working class ppl are living from paycheck to paycheck barely getting by and they wanna through a hissy fit over file and software sharing. I'm sorry to me thats just down right ignorant. If I made the salary that they get i would not have to file share, neither would anyone else because we could afford it.

2828.8.2004 01:09
indienemo
Inactive

To Arms! Anarchy, compatriots!!

2928.8.2004 06:30

Orwellian Nightmare coming to fruition.

3028.8.2004 07:22

here's kinda the way i look at it: let's say you buy a car. you can't take all the measurements, and start selling your own production version of that car because it's been patented by the company that made it and they will sue your ass off and you'll go to prison. however, you can let your wife, or husband, or teenage kid, or friends drive the car (especially if your realllllyyy drunk). They can use the property you paid for, it's in you legal rights to share. you simply can't start selling your own version for your profit without permission from the company that mde the product originally.

3128.8.2004 09:00

Raids.... wow. They're really goddamn desparate. Since programs like PeerGuardian and other software has been developed, their access has been limited some how, and even more during the last few rulings. So now they resort to violence. Let me tell you, nothing short of a .45 can stop a raid. And that's probably what's going to happen: "Sir, we have a search warrant issued by the Government to raid your house, look at your collected porn and then get onto the illegal stuff" "Shut up and go fuck yourself" *BLAM*

3228.8.2004 12:41

the problem is that since the government stopped free napster, they think they can stop any other filesharing or p2p network. thats not tru. theres other 5000 p2p networks and over 2500 filesharing networks and when you put all the shared files together in all those programs it meens that thers over 100 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 files being shared in illegal networks. they government should use money to help the homeless, cure diseases and shit NOT to make softwares that stop fileshare. i dont know wut the fuckin problem is. all those famous simgers are already rich they got a life everyone dreams of and there gettin pissed off cuz they lost 1/1000 of there fortune in fileshare.

3328.8.2004 14:52
signal
Inactive

no the problem is that people dont want to pay for things becasue they have already had the taste of gtetting things for free, and knoiw that people are being called on it, they dont like it. Well lets see if you dont want to get into trouble then quite breaking the fu!@#$% law. OR IS THIS A NEW CONCEPT FOR PEOPLE.

3428.8.2004 19:44

signal, your blind thinking is leading to a migraine. its not that we want to get something for free, your missing the point. fact is, why police some 15 yr old kid with a 4 point gpa in school because he downloaded an eminem song? is he a criminal? is he going to harm you? no. is there a terror crisis in america? yes. is there real theives that break into stores and steal merchandise? yes. is there rampant drug use in america because we cant stop the influx of dealers shipping cocaine in from columbia, or that they cant track down meth labs out in rural areas? why...by george theres no profit in it. but if you go after joey the high school kid because his mom wont allow him to buy the record feel free, because a multi billion dollar company says so. secondly, mp3 players, dvd burners, dvd recorder systems for television. these things are marketed with the main purpose of piracy(regardless how the "word" it.) to make a movie you need a computer (500 dollars) a dvd burner (200 dollars) media (2 dollars each) so its not getting something for free, we still pay, we just pay a company other then the record label because at least we get something worthwile out of it. not to mention that the markup on a record in the US and UK is 5 times the cost of the rest of the world. FOR THE SAME RECORD. the price gouging caused the drastic support for p2p not the "wanting to get something free". even .99 cent downloads is a rip off, and they PLAN ON RAISING THE TARIFF ON THAT!!! its stupid silly. dont call a downloader a criminal just because they dont have enough money to change the law, or sidestep it. REMEMBER SLAVERY WAS LEGAL AT ONE TIME TO, BUT WAS IT RIGHT TO ENFORCE IT?!? meaning just because someone somewhere says its right, it dont make it right. my point: if you believe that the RIAA is right, then you believe in slavery. (not black america slavery, but slavery of any form)

352.9.2004 19:55
signal
Inactive

as a matter of fact it does effect me. By people downloading stuff off the internet. for one will not help put CDs on sale, it will only help the prices go up. especially in taxes. It costs money to sue people and the goverment dosnet pull money from their ass. Huh, and you had the odacity to tellme im blind the blind. And dont even try to compare the problems of the country with people who are downloading off the internet. How can you even think of comparing the illegal things people are doing to freekin druggies and terrorists. and another thing if people can afford and i quote. "secondly, mp3 players, dvd burners, dvd recorder systems for television. these things are marketed with the main purpose of piracy(regardless how the "word" it.) to make a movie you need a computer (500 dollars) a dvd burner (200 dollars) media (2 dollars each)" then that person can afford a freekin CD. I give you that the CDs are over priced, but that does not give anybody the right to steal. Thats just like saying "oh since i dont have any money, ill go rob a store or bank." and yes i do think that the RIAA is right to a degree. I think that they are right in that they are trying to stop theft, but I dont not agree with the tatics they are using. and how are you comparing slavery to the RIAA. oh the poor children, getting cought in a moral dilemma. it is theft, plain and simple. know, i think that it is ok to A copy of YOUR OWN stuff for YOUR PERSONAL use and NOT to PUT ON THE INTERNET for people to take.

363.7.2010 15:37
War Machine
Unverified new user

Originally posted by Ackbar6:
Meh... as I read the pile of flames, I stillw onder if I am the only one that thinks this is a good thing. It doesn't matter if "p2p is too big to stop", its a matter of right and wrong, Listen, if you download copyrighted material, its illegal. Its been spelled out millions of times. I read these flames and I just cannot beleive some people think there should be no implicaation for stealing. I don't care what you say, when it comes down to it, you are taking somehting that cost money to make and produce, and grabbing it with any compensation to the owners. Honestly, I did the whole p2p thing back in 1999, but any more, I just go out and buy my crap. If I don't like, wow, I am out $15. Too bad. I'd rather support the industry then see the world become stagnent of all files as piarcy gets so large the entertainment industry cannot stay profitable.
Stuff being copyrighted means it was made by that company or persons. It's not stealing. It's called downliading. Who made that possible huh? If I wanted something bad enough to call it mine I'd create it just like they do. Never said it was mine. Hell I'd be happy to see my products shared everywhere. No objectrions. You need your ass beat real good. You're lucky you got a job. Where'd you find that for sale??

373.7.2010 15:42
War Machine
Unverified new user

Originally posted by signal:
as a matter of fact it does effect me. By people downloading stuff off the internet. for one will not help put CDs on sale, it will only help the prices go up. especially in taxes. It costs money to sue people and the goverment dosnet pull money from their ass. Huh, and you had the odacity to tellme im blind the blind. And dont even try to compare the problems of the country with people who are downloading off the internet. How can you even think of comparing the illegal things people are doing to freekin druggies and terrorists. and another thing if people can afford and i quote. "secondly, mp3 players, dvd burners, dvd recorder systems for television. these things are marketed with the main purpose of piracy(regardless how the "word" it.) to make a movie you need a computer (500 dollars) a dvd burner (200 dollars) media (2 dollars each)" then that person can afford a freekin CD. I give you that the CDs are over priced, but that does not give anybody the right to steal. Thats just like saying "oh since i dont have any money, ill go rob a store or bank." and yes i do think that the RIAA is right to a degree. I think that they are right in that they are trying to stop theft, but I dont not agree with the tatics they are using. and how are you comparing slavery to the RIAA.
oh the poor children, getting cought in a moral dilemma. it is theft, plain and simple. know, i think that it is ok to A copy of YOUR OWN stuff for YOUR PERSONAL use and NOT to PUT ON THE INTERNET for people to take.
Too many little girls whining is what this is.

383.7.2010 15:45
War Machine
Unverified new user

Originally posted by signal:
as a matter of fact it does effect me. By people downloading stuff off the internet. for one will not help put CDs on sale, it will only help the prices go up. especially in taxes. It costs money to sue people and the goverment dosnet pull money from their ass. Huh, and you had the odacity to tellme im blind the blind. And dont even try to compare the problems of the country with people who are downloading off the internet. How can you even think of comparing the illegal things people are doing to freekin druggies and terrorists. and another thing if people can afford and i quote. "secondly, mp3 players, dvd burners, dvd recorder systems for television. these things are marketed with the main purpose of piracy(regardless how the "word" it.) to make a movie you need a computer (500 dollars) a dvd burner (200 dollars) media (2 dollars each)" then that person can afford a freekin CD. I give you that the CDs are over priced, but that does not give anybody the right to steal. Thats just like saying "oh since i dont have any money, ill go rob a store or bank." and yes i do think that the RIAA is right to a degree. I think that they are right in that they are trying to stop theft, but I dont not agree with the tatics they are using. and how are you comparing slavery to the RIAA.
oh the poor children, getting cought in a moral dilemma. it is theft, plain and simple. know, i think that it is ok to A copy of YOUR OWN stuff for YOUR PERSONAL use and NOT to PUT ON THE INTERNET for people to take.
Stealing huh? What a wussy. "Mommy, he took this from me!" Create a backup or have a copy and you'll still have it edited by ddp. Wow, you people are so weak.
This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 03 Jul 2010 @ 11:36

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