Researchers Outline Targeted Content Poisoning For P2P Data

Diomidis Spinellis writes "Two USC researchers published a paper in the prestigious IEEE Transactions on Computers that describes a technique for p2p content poisoning targeted exclusively at detected copyright violators. Using identity-based signatures and time-stamped tokens they report a 99.9 percent prevention rate in Gnutella, KaZaA, and Freenet and a 85-98 percent prevention rate on eMule, eDonkey, and Morpheus. Poison-resilient networks based on the BitTorrent protocol are not affected. Also the system can't protect small files, like a single-song MP3. Although the authors don't say so explicitly, my understanding is that the scheme is only useful on commercial p2p distribution systems that adopt the proposed protocol."

Comments

Who cares?

[Stickerboy]

First, the *IAA went after the file-sharing services. "Oh no!" The geeks cried. "File-sharing services have their 2-5% legal uses, too. Why can't they go after the illegal usage?"

Next, the *IAA went after the individual copyright violators. "Oh no!" The geeks cried. "You're being mean! And sometimes the computer owner isn't the actual violator."

And now it seems the *IAA wants to increase the noise-to-signal ratio on P2P to raise the difficulty of illegally downloading copyrighted content. "Oh no!" now the geeks are crying (from the comments prior to mine). "It's harder to get my free shit." (literally)

Seriously, out of the three options presented, I would pick #3 any day of the week... I have no need of the latest trash from the next star of American Drooling Idiot, and it's the least punitive measure they've explored.

If you guys really cared about putting the *IAA out of business, you would stop buying AND downloading their products and encourage others to do the same. Their entire business cycle depends on hype and publicity, it doesn't matter HOW they get it.

"But... but... what about [insert favorite author/performer/director here]? I love their stuff!"

Fuck it. Get some priority, and figure out what's more important to you - your self-gratification or putting them out of business. Unfortunately, everyone, including the *IAA, already knows what the large majority of sheeple will pick.

Re:kazaa=small BT=large

[mcgrew]

You're not confused, the "researchers" are.