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19 Charged in Alleged Software Piracy Plot
Brainsur writes "
A federal grand jury has indicted 19 people on charges they used the Internet to pirate more than $6.5 million worth of copyrighted computer software, games and movies.The indictment outlines an alleged plot by defendants from nine states, Australia and Barbados to illegally distribute newly released titles, including movies like "The Incredibles" and "The Aviator," and games like "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005."
A warez group.
Not some super secret terrorist organisation out to destroy america's economy.
perpetually dwelling in the -1 pits
What is that 6.5 million based on? Is that the retail price of the product normally? Or is it that $250,000 per infringement copyright thing?
...my favorite trumpin'-up charge.
Excellent! Now that RISCISO is out of the way, WAREZCO can sweep in and fill the void unopposed. I keep reading the history of Al Capone, its so easy, I didn't even have to line these guys up and mascacre them in a fake police sting!
Long live darknets! A thousand more spring up...
I guess that means the other 50 cracking groups are all quaking in their boots now doesn't it?
~S
we don't make that distinction.
"AFP/File Photo: Computer connected to the internet."
Just in case, ya know... You didn't know what a computer connected to the internet looked like.
"And then I visited Wikipedia
I have no idea how they managed to pirate $6.5 million in software. Assuming the average price of a movie is $7, they would have needed to pirate over 900,000 movies. And to think that they can only be given up to 5 years of prison. They should have to pay for all that stolen software, which is quite a figure even when divided by 19.
It's people like these who make it more and more difficult just to use software because of the security features they add. I can't tell you how many times iTunes has spontaniously wiped all the files on it.
- Nick
Their "Computer connected to the internet" picture is one of IE saying there is no connection.
that these pirates can hold in their ships. What they don't say is if that's per ship or per fleet. I don't know. If you don't stop them, they'll get bigger and faster ships, and who knows how much software they can pirate then!
Parent article misses the major problem here - the US DOJ is going to spend boatloads of cash extraditing two of the kids in this case, one from Australia and one from Barbados. Warez is justification for extradition? The DOJ even admits in its press release that profit was not an issue here. This makes it wide-scale file sharing, and a waste of John Q. Public's tax dollars. Good job FBI/DOJ/assorted alphabet organizations wasting funds and following orders from bribed politicians... oh sorry, those were "campaign contributions" from the movie and software industries...
As a shareware developer, I could care less about kids cracking my software, but I'm getting damn sick of the charade going on as the BSA cries (to its own benefit only) about the evils of piracy.
From the article:
"Online thieves who steal merchandise that companies work hard to produce"
I though he was saying:
Online thieves who steal products that companies work hard to merchandise
Way to go Feds! 19 down, 19,999,981 to go. You guys rock!
-Arthur
Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules
I thought of doing that, selling warez cds and dvds on ebays (even tho its prohibited and they watch for that, people still do it anyway). Guess what. There is no market.
Take a look at used software for sale on ebay. Thousands of used titles with no takers. The bottom has fallen out of software business long ago. Next to go was the music business, and then the movie business. Its not even worthwhile to duplicate them and list them.
There is such a flood of media and digital data, that its very hard to sell such a thing anymore. Ask any music artist or band trying to sell their cd. There just are no takers. Its gone long ago.
To think that PGA Golf and The Aviator are items in hot demand is laughable... me thinks we are being baited.
Anyone care to explain why conspiracy attracts a harsher sentence than the actual crime? I mean, leaving aside the whole moral quagmire surrounding the criminalization of copyright infringement, how can thinking and talking about doing something carry a harsher penalty than actually doing it. Does this type of duality apply in traditional crimes like assault, murder and larceny?
Be careful. People in masks cannot be trusted.
We can all sit back and relax once again.
The frustrating/disappointing thing about all these lawsuits and 'victories' over piracy is that with every win, groups like the MPAA/RIAA only feel more firmly that their new business model (CRUSH, SUE, EXTORT, EXTERMINATE!) is a successful and long term one. Each time a major 'piracy bust' hits the news it only further propagates the myth that Piracy is what's driving declines in Movies, Music, Software and Games. When the real culprit (though, obviously Piracy does play some part) is Quality, Price, and the Media (DRM disks, copy once CDs, Theaters, Star-Force, ect).
But then again, I'm preaching to the choir here...
I think that this headline, and even the beginning of the article, truly works as a scare tactic for the MPAA. No, I'm not thinking of a conspiracy, but think about how this situation worked in reality-
The defendants, many of whom worked in high-tech jobs, were members of "RISCISO," a "warez" community founded in 1993, according to the indictment. Warez groups are underground associations that use the Internet to illegally distribute copyrighted software.
Okay, right. A warez group got busted. Great. But the headline reads 19 Charged in Alleged Software Piracy Plot. Piracy plot? And the worst part, by far, is the opening of the article- A federal grand jury has indicted 19 people on charges they used the Internet to pirate more than $6.5 million worth of copyrighted computer software, games and movies. To the untrained eye, this seems just like every day Bob who downloaded a film or two...
I think it's a scare tactic. I don't like it. But then again, maybe I'm paranoid and stuff...
- dshaw
While I'm as big a fan as anybody of bootleg software, I still couldn't understand why the comment "I hope they throw the book at them." was modded down as FLAMEBAIT? I've noticed that the moderators seem to have an agenda and typically mod counter opinions down... Not very sportsman like is it? Ok... go ahead, mod me down too .....
Stuff like this makes me happy I use open-source that is free of cost :).
also we did not worry about drinking and driving because they rummer was there was no law against it as the police had no breathalyzer equipment.
Anyone else find it ridiculeous?
While the slashdot crowd may boo and bitch about cracking down on people downloading or uploading a copy of something, it is a real problem.
Certainly, it should be pretty low on the priority list as far as the FBI or any government agency is concerned, but that doesn't mean it should be ignored when hard evidence can be brought against large-scale criminals, as these 19 supposedly are.
The problem with warez is that it's easy. While cracking DRM and copyright may not be simple, once that's done, it's easy for anyone and everyone to download it. It isn't even limited by speed- a fairly patient person could download, say, a Doom 4 ISO if they wanted.
Because of this ease, and the much lower risk of being caught (hence its prevalence), it is biting into income of companies. The numbers that they throw out may or may not be exact, but you can just shrug them away and say it hurts noone.
However, the penalties placed against some of these people are a bit odd. A slap on the wrist and a $100 fine doesn't really cut it for large distributors, but some of the jailtime and fines that I've read about seem unrealistic. After all, they are copying something, not taking it, so they aren't depriving the original owner of anything (assuming that the original owner didn't intend for the download.) Downloading a CD should bring far less of a penalty than stealing a physical CD from a store.
It is rightfully modded down because it's not bringing any new ideas to the table and is just making a rather inciting comment. In other words, trying to start a flamewar.
Bring a good, detailed argument about why non-profit copyright violators should be punished to the fullest extent of the law and then we can have a more reasonable debate.
Its just a thought, and I'll probably be modded down as flamebait or worse, but after all the money that the US government has spent on anti-terrorism, and trying to find Bin Laden, perhaps this is just a result of the Republican Party telling groups they have some control over (no wanting to start that as an argument) that they better show some kind of progress for all the money spent...
All the money spent by the US government lately has achieved exactly what? There just have been no successes in all this, and I think that they (you know who 'they' are) are looking for successes as the election nears. I know that the *AA will be proud of how their 'campaign contributions' were spent... I am just wondering what the American public will think of how the dollars were spent... hunting down grandmas and wiretapping anyone and everyone...
Makes me think there just might be a conspiracy in here somewhere?????
Support NYCountryLawyer RIAA vs People
Why the US DoJ doesn't hurry up and name itself "Ministry of Profit" already. The pretence is tiresome.
``Ragnarok
add upto 6.5mil?
I didn't know there was that much current software in existence.
You cannot know anything unless you pay for it first- and without a money back guarantee. You cannot listen to music, see theater, or learn unless you pay- and without a money back guarantee. If I buy a lemon, and it's core is rotten and infested- I can return it. If I buy a music CD and the music is complete crap complete with DRM so that I can't actually play it- not only do I not get my money back but I don't even own the said piece of crap. It's a rental.
Is this how humanity evolved? Is this how we will be able to retain knowledge in the future? What the fuck are libraries but mass piracy collectives?
Here is the truth of it, and it will piss off pretty much everyone in this non-manufacturing based economy.
You either know something or you do not. It is either secret or it is not. And in the end, all things are known.
You cannot own knowledge. It was never yours to begin with. The language I am speaking now was giving to me by thousands of years of other English speakers. It is not mine to own. The word "fkucherry" that I just made up does not belong to me. It is a contruct of what I've learned from others. It is knowledge.
When this understanding is realized, say after a catastrophic event, then Linux will no longer need the GPL along with all other proprietary software/entertainment data. And the data that will be able to survive at that point will be open data, as Linux is today. It will save our asses- mark my words. Windows and all those shit programs that those people copied won't be worth a drop of piss. Nobody will be able to modify it. It will be useless.
And so here is what I think of arresting very smart people in high end technical positions. Maybe they know something that you don't? Maybe they aren't paid by people that get their money from PAC funded politicians. Maybe they are archiving data educating more people than your broken government ever could. Maybe we should all think about what this means.
I have to tell you that the moment Intellect and Knowledge became legal property is the moment that you have no "lawful" rights to your own thoughts. That does not serve anyone and never has.
Actually I thought it was the money that we pay for oil that the arab governments then use to pay the terrorists off so they don't go after them.
"It's so convenient to have a system where everyone is a criminal" - A. Hitler
I think 14 TB each calculation might be a bit off...
they said 23,000 CD's, which are 700 Mb each... 23,000 * 700 = 16,100,000 Mb
Divided among all 60 people... 16,100,000 / 60 = 268,333.33
all being converted into Mb/Gb or whatever it ends up being around 262 gigabytes each person.... Personally, I know more than 10 people that have 200 Gb hard drives that arent even in the computer field.
one IT person could grab a couple 200 GB hard drives or a 400GB Hard drive and easily rack up 260+ GB in music/whatever...
One thing i find interesting is... did all 60 people download different music? if so... thats a crap load of music... I'm betting that at least 40% of all the music downloaded were duplicates of the same songs
my point altogether is, its not hard for people to get less than 300 GB each.. now, im sure those people didnt ALL have that much, some probably had alot more, but averaged out, its entirely possible.
"What happend to just paying for a product without being constantly nibbled to death by Credit Card Ducks?"
This article may be a recycle, the group mentioned "RiSCiSO" has been listed in previous cases. I would hope these guys wouldnt continue their practices, and even if they did that they would find a different name to use. Also, the DOJ has always posted press releases about their busts the same day as they happen on http://www.cybercrime.gov/ipcases.htm
"It is rightfully modded down because it's not bringing any new ideas to the table and is just making a rather inciting comment. In other words, trying to start a flamewar.
/.ers have a groupthink attitude that piracy is ok, and prosecution of it is a problem, since as I just mentioned the opposing opinion would not have been modded down. Therefore, moderating in /. is a form of censorship.
Bring a good, detailed argument about why non-profit copyright violators should be punished to the fullest extent of the law and then we can have a more reasonable debate."
But if he said, these guys got railroaded, it also brings nothing to the table but wouldn't have been modded down. As for a flamewar, you presuppose that
Vote for Pedro
Stop charging so much for software and you would see that $6.5 million drop down.
Ahhh, I see, but you didn't do it in the same mindset as the Feds. They chose CDs because it makes the number look really big, when the actual number of "stolen" items is actually much smaller.
A movie is only one DVD disc, but several CDs.
See how the game is played? The exact opposite of what you doing by fitting an appropriate form of data to the disk.
See how well it worked on you? You completely lost track of what the real issue was and started thinking in terms of analogous strawmen, even to the point of wondering about how they managed the logistics of that many songs.
Way, way more copyright violations than are actually being dealt with here.
When looking at the numbers in these releases think very slowly and very hard, because they are, quite deliberately, out to mindfuck you.
KFG
3 kids have been mugged, and one girl raped in the last 3 months within 1 block from the collage my girlfriend goes to and lives by.
It Make her and myself feel so much safer knowing that the goverment(s) are spending millions of dollars a year to help these companies keep evil software pirates behind bars.
TruePunk | Games
What are they thinking?!? This is as petty as a crime gets! Don't they have anything better to do?
DOJ busts spammers for conspiring to find people's email addresses and send email to them
ROCK ON!!! Hang the motherfuckers! Burn them at the stake! It's too bad we can't bust them all!
Corporation infringes on copyright, redistributes modified GPL'ed work without source
Assholes! Somebody take them to court! Sue them for every cent they're worth!
Light a fire for a man and he'll be warm for a day. Light a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
It makes me sad every time I think about the porn industry getting screwed
mov ax, 4c00h
int 21h
My son is one of the 19 being indicted in this absurd case. When FBI raided him (with their guns drawn).....they found him in a hospital bed at his apartment recovering from 9 hour surgery the previous day to repair a broken neck. This 26 yr old "criminal" had spent the past 5 months completely bedridden from his injury and survived it by playing games and watching movies he got from that site. I hope they throw the book at him!! Thank God for the FBI and I for one sleep much better knowing I am safe from these vicious felons and that they spend my tax dollars guarding the modest profits of the motion picture industry and little guys like Bill Gates. "Look out Osama......cuz the FBI is on to your little scheme too" Ironically.....this kid was born on none other than 9/11.....that shoulda prolly been my first clue. Hmmm I wonder if thats where they got the whole terrorist connection theory?? I gotta go throw up now....peace out!
I've used tens of thousands of dollars worth of code over the years on a variety of platforms from the Tandy CoCo to my current PC which I simply could not afford to have bought at the time. I don't feel guilty about this in the slightest. Now that I'm grown up, I turned around and now provide a lot of content to the world which has also been borrowed by people who haven't paid. Gee whiz. Life goes on, and the wheels keep spinning and there's still food on my table. How many software makers are starving? I'm serious. --If people are good at what they do, if they produce with passion, then if their work doesn't sell, it has nothing to do with piracy.
I'd also be curious to know. . . How many of those people who today make movies and software haven't also pirated a few dozen software titles when they were kids at home with their C64s, or Amigas or whatever? I didn't know a single computer-owning kid who wasn't also a software pirate. Not one.
What comes around, goes around. That's Karma and everybody pays. It's the credit card system of the Universe.
See, I've also bought a lot of software, and unless you are a giant dork, so have you.
Now that I am an adult with an income, I particularly enjoy buying software from small companies similar to the ones I ripped off as a kid. Not out of guilt or any sense of repayment; Motivation is much more pleasing when it stems from passion rather than pain. --And I genuinely enjoy making on-line purchases and downloading cool and clever bits of code. I understand the creativity and work required to create something, and how much encouragement and joy comes from seeing a sale made. I think it's wonderful to encourage passion and wit and creativity and bravery in those individuals who are willing to buck the system and listen to their souls. It feels great!
Look at "Doom". The first version was free! And does everybody remember what the end result was? Did people lose jobs and starve? Goodness, no! --The excitement generated from creating something new and truly clever creates energy, enough energy to feed and employ thousands of people.
The trick is making sure that you stay connected to the loop. There's nothing wrong with that. Being willing to Give energy freely means nothing if you don't also allow yourself to Take energy freely. The conduit must not be stymied at either end of the flow. "Give and you shall receive," is one of the truly valid, really good sayings in this reality, but it needs one little addendum I think. . , "Give and you shall receive, --but don't be silly about it."
The "Information Wants to be Free" saying is also a good one. It's so very true, but it works in ways a little more clever and mysterious than the laws of direct commerce allow for.
-FL