Analysis of MediaSentry Wins Music-Download Suit

An anonymous reader writes "A Dartmouth professor's analysis of MediaSentry problems helped win a New Hampshire woman's RIAA music-download lawsuit. 'Since all of Plaintiffs' claims are based on the assumption that MediaSentry's software and computer configuration are trustworthy and free of errors, and this log clearly represents a failure of the MediaSentry software to perform the operation it claims to describe, the reliability and validity of the MediaSentry method should be questioned,' wrote professor Sergey Bratus in his report, dated May 30. 'In my opinion, these materials leave critical aspects of MediaSentry's evidence collection process undocumented. In my opinion, they express unwarranted assumptions regarding both software and network technologies involved, and attempt to create an illusion of evidence-supported certainty where it does not exist.'" The full report (PDF) is available online. It's worth noting that this victory was not the outcome of a court ruling; rather, a settlement was reached that did not require the defendant, Mavis Roy, to pay anything to the RIAA.

Comments

No computer, no crime!

[Geoffrey.landis]

Interesting, In this one, unlike the Misisippi case, apparently the person sued by the RIAA "said she didn't have a computer in the house at the time."

Whereas in the other case, the computer itself was not an issue.

Of course a settlement was reached

[RichMan]

Do you think the RIAA wants to get a Judge to rule on that evidence?

What would happen to the other cases/business model if media sentry's data collection was ruled not a secure chain of evidence path?

Cockroaches fear the light.

Legalese shenanigans always a mess

[h00manist]

Well, so now either the RIAA starts arguments that it needs to gain access to the address where the IP is registered to search the computer before the case, or everyone starts arguing they never had a computer, or that they had an open wifi access point, or other legal hairsplitting on either side. I'm all for beating the riaa in court, but I'd prefer that it _somehow_ led to a debate of the copyright and patent laws themselves, like the Pirate Party winning a seat on the European Parliament, or a debate on proper amount of punitive damages the US law allows for, the RIAA reputation, etc. The Jammie Thomas-Rasset case is being pretty helpful.