FBI joins record industry to attack P2P networks

 

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Posted on 20 Feb 2004 at 10:24

The FBI has announced that it is to get tough on criminal gangs who pirate CDs and DVDs. It also gave a warning to users of P2P networks that they are breaking the law but distributing copyright material.

The movie, music and software industries say that they have lost up to $3 billion in revenues each year as a result of 'swiping music, movies, software, and games... and distributing them through websites, chat rooms, mass email, FTP, and peer-to-peer networks'.

The FBI's Assistant Director for Cyber, Jana Monroe, joined Brad Buckles of the Recording Industry Association of America, Ken Jacobsen of the Motion Picture Association of America, Keith Kupferschmid of the Software and Information Industry Association, and Ric Hirsch, Entertainment Software Association at a press conference in Las Angeles to announce their joint efforts to stem the tide of pirate material.

As part of the campaign to stamp out copyright theft, the FBI is publishing an open'Education letter' to the users of peer to peer networks warning them of the legal dangers of using such networks to download copyright material, as well as pointing out that P2P is also used to distribute child pornography and may lay the user open to attack by hackers. It has also produced a funky looking graphic (see picture) based on its 'seal' which is intended to 'act as a warning' to those tempted to distribute illegally. It expects to turn up on a CD or software near you soon.

Whilst piracy of digital material is undoubtedly big business for some criminal organisations targeting chat rooms and peer to peer networks seems a curious way to go about it. It's generally agreed that the big piracy operations have large pressing plants for distributing their own versions of software, CDs or DVDs which are then sold either in whatever the worldwide equivalent of car boot sales is or via spam email offers. As a rule, no money changes hands via P2P and chat room distribution.

Most likely the RIAA, the MPAA and SIAA have enlisted the FBI to put the frighteners on small file swappers who might be tempted to distribute Beyonce's latest single online but may be deterred by the thought of Elliot Ness kicking their door in.

Author: Steve Malone