NationStates Jolt Archive

I got a real kick out of this story.

Leaked Media Defender e-mails reveal secret government project

Monday, September 17 2007 @ 10:23 AM PDT
Contributed by: Admin
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Lib Tech

Peer-to-peer (P2P) poisoning company MediaDefender suffered an embarrassing leak this weekend, when almost 700MB of internal company e-mail was distributed on the Internet via BitTorrent. The e-mails reveal many aspects of MediaDefender's elaborate P2P disruption strategies, illuminate previously undisclosed details about the MiiVi scandal, and bring to light details regarding MediaDefender's collaboration with the New York Attorney General's office on a secret law enforcement project. We have been reviewing the data for days and will have multiple reports on the topic.

Leaked Media Defender e-mails reveal secret government project

By Ryan Paul
September 16, 2007
ars technica

Peer-to-peer (P2P) poisoning company MediaDefender suffered an embarrassing leak this weekend, when almost 700MB of internal company e-mail was distributed on the Internet via BitTorrent. The e-mails reveal many aspects of MediaDefender's elaborate P2P disruption strategies, illuminate previously undisclosed details about the MiiVi scandal, and bring to light details regarding MediaDefender's collaboration with the New York Attorney General's office on a secret law enforcement project. We have been reviewing the data for days and will have multiple reports on the topic.

MediaDefender specializes in file-sharing mitigation—practices that disrupt and deter infringing uses of P2P file-sharing networks. Music labels and movie studios pay the company millions of dollars to temporarily impede the propagation of new releases in order to compel consumers to pursue legitimate commercial distribution channels. MediaDefender accomplishes this task by using its array of 2,000 servers and a 9GBps dedicated connection to propagate fake files and launch denial of service attacks against distributors.

The e-mail was leaked to the public by a group that calls itself MediaDefender-Defenders. In a text file distributed with the mail, the group explains how the e-mails were obtained and why they are being distributed. Apparently, MediaDefender employee Jay Mairs forwarded all of his company e-mails to a Gmail account, which was eventually infiltrated. "By releasing these e-mails we hope to secure the privacy and personal integrity of all peer-to-peer users," writes the group behind the disclosure. "So here it is; we hope this is enough to create a viable defense to the tactics used by these companies."

Read more (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070916-leaked-media-defender-e-mails-reveal-secret-government-project.html)

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/trackback.php?id=2007media-defender-emails

"By releasing these e-mails we hope to secure the privacy and personal integrity of all peer-to-peer users," writes the group behind the disclosure. "So here it is; we hope this is enough to create a viable defense to the tactics used by these companies."

So they read the guy's email and then distribute it to defend our privacy? How very noble. :rolleyes:

So they read the guy's email and then distribute it to defend our privacy? How very noble. :rolleyes:

It's like Robin Hood. But with dirty laundry instead of money. *nod*

It's like Robin Hood. But with dirty laundry instead of money. *nod*

What's greatest is that the very technology that MediaDefender tries to mitiage is what pwn3d it in this case. It tries to disrupt bittorrent, and bittorrent disrupted back.

I got a real kick out of this story.

MediaDefender got pwn3d.

I guess that's what they get for messing with people.

Denial of Service attacks?

Are they allowed to do that?

Denial of Service attacks?

Are they allowed to do that?No. Go download the mails. There's a lot of shit they're not allowed to do, but do anyway.

Denial of Service attacks?

Are they allowed to do that?

Of course not. I am wondering if someone dares to sue...

Of course not. I am wondering if someone dares to sue...Probably not. TorrentSpy recently tried to sue the MPAA for illegally obtaining TorrentSpy's private email communication. The MPAA were allegedly contacted by a 3rd party who sold them the emails, and claim they didn't and couldn't suspect the emails were obtained illegally. The court rejected the suit.

This, of course, makes the MD fiasco even more hilarious, but realistically, it's also a solid indication (and far from the only one) that the money is better spend on self defence, rather than the pursuit of justice. Equality before the law is a myth.

Of course not. I am wondering if someone dares to sue...
If I recall correctly, no one can. That would require proof that DOS attacks were used against them by this company, which is of course impossible. Damn conservative judges and their "legislating from the bench."

Of course not. I am wondering if someone dares to sue...
I doubt it, at least not with evidence obtained by hacking an email account.

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand it's good that it gets out exactly how far these people are willing to go. On the other hand I feel sorry for them. They pissed off millions of people and now have their names, addresses and everything distributed to those people. There is nothing wrong with file sharing but hacking email accounts to get tons of private information and spread it to the world isn't nice at all.

If I recall correctly, no one can. That would require proof that DOS attacks were used against them by this company, which is of course impossible. Damn conservative judges and their "legislating from the bench."Since illegally obtained emails are admissable for the MPAA, why shouldn't they be for everyone else?

Heh.. Hehe.. HehehahaHAHAHAHAH! Aahh, sorry. Man the justice system sucks ass, eh

I doubt it, at least not with evidence obtained by hacking an email account.

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand it's good that it gets out exactly how far these people are willing to go. On the other hand I feel sorry for them. They pissed off millions of people and now have their names, addresses and everything distributed to those people. There is nothing wrong with file sharing but hacking email accounts to get tons of private information and spread it to the world isn't nice at all.

It is questionable whether the people distributing this were the hackers unless they admit it. There are all sorts of script kiddies and crackers try to steal people's emails. A better question was why was he forwarding business information to a third-party, online accessible email system like Gmail? I can ensure that is against any sort of company policy and he deserves getting fucked up because of it.

I doubt it, at least not with evidence obtained by hacking an email account.

You assume they will deny it is true ?

Of course, hacking is legal when you're backed by wealthy corporations.

You assume they will deny it is true ?They don't need to. It can't be used in a lawsuit. That is, unless you're the MPAA.

They don't need to. It can't be used in a lawsuit. That is, unless you're the MPAA.

That is definitely a serious problem. The MPAA should not be able to use these anymore than anyone else can.

Peer to peer systems are fantastic for distributional purposes...they've been used for a lot of pirated software, videos, audio, music, and so on, yes, but they've also been used for plenty of legitimately released music, artistic creations(such as, say, the fan series Star Trek: Horizon's episodes) and so on and so forth.

Thing is, it's come about so fast that companies haven't yet had time to fully realize the potential of peer to peer systems, because they're essentially a CEO's wet dream: a low cost distribution system that is self sustaining. There's been a huge backlash only because those who like to pirate things got to it first, realized the potential first, and immediately started using it.

I guarantee you, peer to peer systems will start being used for more and more legitimate purposes, and will eventually be considered a perfectly legal system, used by corporations and individuals freely.

That is definitely a serious problem. The MPAA should not be able to use these anymore than anyone else can.I'm sure most non-ruling class peoples agree with you.I guarantee you, peer to peer systems will start being used for more and more legitimate purposes, and will eventually be considered a perfectly legal system, used by corporations and individuals freely.I'm not the one you need to convince :)

The problem, I think, is that the most affected industries are pretty exclusively run by a bunch of old men who have just about as much of a clue as Ted "Tubes" Stevens. They can't grasp their old business model has gone extinct, because they can't understand how it's possible.

The beauty of capitalism is that thickheaded scum like that quickly go the way of their extinct business models. Unfortunately the ass-nasty mix of corporatism and state capitalism we all use, doesn't quite work that way. So instead we get decades of shit like the DMCA, copyright legislation that protects everything but IP, revenues and innovation, and obnoxious little shits in comfy NYC offices threatening 10 year olds in foreign countries with make-belief legal action. And much, much more... Did you, for example, notice a horde of blogs went *Poof* when they started blogging about the MD emails? ISPs all over the place were busy pulling plugs, for some unknown but rather obvious reason.

It's pathetic. And pretty fucking evil too.

It's certainly not right...ISPs should NOT be clamping down on blogs like that. I haven't noticed because I read all of zero blogs, but free speech is free speech. What, are they going to try to threaten Jolt too because we're discussing it here? I'd like to see them try.