Lawmaker: Let studios hack P2P networks
 

From News.com:
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-939333.html?tag=fd_top

A California congressman is preparing a bill that would let copyright owners, such as
record labels or movie studios, launch high-tech attacks against file-swapping
networks where their wares are traded.

Is it good or bad?
I guess its real bad, but hey:
If the bill is passed I think the devs will give a closer
look on the security. Isnt that good too?

is that senator insane?

1. what would allowing "industry" hackers to hack do if they weren't allowed to "damage or harm" the users' computers?

2. Wouldn't this also be a non-legal search, violating constintutional rights (unless these non-law-enforcement officers were to somehow procure legal warrants). Even if filesharing activity were labled "public," can't action against illegal activites only be carried out by law-enforcement agencies? Is he saying we create a legal vigilanty group?

3. If he thinks that filesharing networks "exacerbate piracy," wouldn't allowing copyright-infringed people to hack legally create a situation potentially allowing a ton of abuses?

4. Oops the bill does not propose legal "hacking" per-se, but instead proposes legalizing various, essentially, stalking and spamming, and other illegal harrasment.

Tactics proposed, include:

•* interdiction, in which a copyright owner floods a file swapper with false requests so that downloads can't get through;

•* redirection, in which a file swapper might be pointed to a site that doesn't actually have the files they're looking for;

•* and spoofing, in which a corrupt or otherwise undesirable file masquerades as a song, movie or other file that people are seeking.


We might as well allow private citizens to call someone who they suspect burgled them with an automated dialer, every 10 seconds so they can't plan any more robberies.

Yes
 

Fortunately, BearShare 3.0.0 Beta 64 defends against all of the industry attacks on the network (and more):

http://www.bearshare.com/forum/annou...php?forumid=50

God bless BS :D
(surreptitious advertising )

If the government can give a power, doesn't that mean they have that power?

So that means if the government doesn't like what you have to say, they can now ping and spam you till you give up. And watch out if you don't pay your car registration on time!

Are the ISPs going to charge them for excessive bandwidth use too?

The goverment always have power to do anything,
but they dont tell you and pretend to be so much democratic :)
I mean, hey, heard of Echelon, Carnivore and other stuffs?

There are too many things we don't know of :eek:

How To Do Something About It
 

Read the whole Text:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...-2002Jun25.html

The author of the Bill : Howard Berman's web page (read More)

http://www.house.gov/berman/

I thought "Denial of Service" was against the law. This bill if passed will allow the RIAA and MPAA to flood the net with false files, inturn slowing if not halting servers.

What can you do?

(1) If you live in the United States contact your local representative and your local congressman and voice your complaint.

(2) Copy and paste this message and email it to everyone you know and ask them to act!!!

How to contact your local representative:

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

How To contact your local congressman:

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

If you live outside the United States find out who represents you and your government regarding the use of the internet and let them know how big an issue this is. This effects everyone world wide.