Tufts Tells Judge, We Can't Tie IP To MAC Addresses

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "Protesting that Tufts University's DHCP-based systems 'were not designed to facilitate forensic examinations,' but rather to ensure 'smooth operations and to manage capacity issues,' the IT Office at Tufts University has responded to the subpoena in an RIAA case, Zomba v. Does 1-11, by submitting a report to the judge (PDF) explaining why it cannot cross-match IP addresses and MAC addresses, or identify users accurately. The IT office explained that the system identifies machines, not users; that some MAC addresses have multiple users; that only the Address Resolution Protocol system has even the potential to match IP addresses with MAC addresses, but that system could not do so accurately. For reasons which are unclear, the IT department then suggested that the RIAA next time send them 'notices to preserve information,' in response to which they would preserve, rather than overwrite, the DHCP data, for the RIAA's forensic benefit."

Comments

hehe

[Hougaard]

Next hot network thing: RIAA approved DHCP ;)

Re:hehe

[Sophia Ricci]

Nobody is addressing real problem. Students are facing hard time downloading music.

The universities should provide a server within campus to download music. Problem solved.

Re:hehe

[tristian_was_here]

We should address the real issue here and provide porn to all students!

Re:hehe

[Paolone]

We should address the real issue here and provide sex to all students!

Corrected for you.

Re:hehe

[Gerzel]

I think you have it backwards. I think it is largely the students that provide porn to us.

Re:hehe

[Gerzel]

No I think he's aiming a bit lower.

Re:hehe

[Anonymous Coward]

In soviet Russia you are provided to porn.

Re:hehe

[Anonymous Coward]

In North Korea, only old people err... Nevermind that. Definitely TMI.

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth

IP To MAC Addresses?

[houghi]

Anybody have some MAC addresses from the RIAA? That way people can use those in some semi-random rotating system and they can sue themselves.

After all if the IP can be linked to the MAC, the MAC can be linked to the user, so anybody with that MAC will be guilty.

Re:IP To MAC Addresses?

[Carthag]

Maybe the RIAA is already spoofing *our* MAC addresses so they have random people to sue!

Re:What, me change MAC address? I wouldn't do that

[Ratbert42]

One of the IS guys at work came by, checked the number on my ethernet port, then asked if I was the f*cker that changed my MAC address to DE:AD:BE:EF:CA:FE. Yes I was. B00B1E5.

Re:And the judge understood it?

[caluml]

How do you define a car? Is an SUV a car? What about a pickup - they're more or less the same size? Is a pickup really a truck?

The answer, of course, is programmatically.

public class SUV extends Vehicle implements PoorFuelEconomy,DangerToOtherRoadUsers {
private int lengthCms;
private int heightCms;
private boolean isPickup = false;
}

Re:Also

[Just Some Guy]

Out of curiosity, what did you perceive as the difference?

Re:Also

[nizo]

I wonder how hard it would be to find out what the MAC addres of the provost's pc is? Let the spoofing hilarity begin!

And all this time, I thought it would be difficult

[hyades1]

"For reasons which are unclear, the IT department then suggested that the RIAA next time send them 'notices to preserve information..."

So based on the university IT department's willingness to accommodate, I should maybe send Natalie Portman a "Notice That I'd Like A Date", and I could have a reasonable expectation of spending an evening in geek ecstasy?

If all it takes to persuade a major university that it should bend over and drop trou is a freakin' notice, there MUST be hope for me.