Finnish ISP Forced To Block the Pirate Bay

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Finnish ISP Forced To Block the Pirate Bay

Posted by Unknown on Monday January 9, 2012 @03:06AM from the if-you-can't-beat-them-ban-them dept.

Apotekaren writes "The Finnish ISP Elisa has been forced to block several domains leading to the infamous torrent-tracker site The Pirate Bay following a court case initiated by IFPI Finland... The Helsinki District Court ruled in favor of IFPI Finland in October, but the ISP resisted implementing the block until today because of the terms of the block not being specific enough. The ISP is calling the block 'temporary' and is appealing the court decision." Analysis from Torrent Freak shows that the block is probably easily circumvented.

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Not only domains by DCTech · 2012-01-09 03:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

The block was for IP's too, so you can't just change your DNS. You have to use some proxy service, or VPN, which makes it harder. And they also blocked one of EFF Finland sites as collateral damage.

Just as a side note, before all the usual "haha it's already circumvented" comments come in. They don't care about that, they just want to make it harder for casual people to pirate. That's what DRM does, too. It's why all those "DRM can always be cracked, somehow" comments are stupid too. The main purpose is to make it harder for casual people.
1. Re:Not only domains by Tanktalus · 2012-01-09 03:16 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  DRM doesn't stop casual people from pirating when they can go to thepiratebay (or wherever) and get the movie pre-cracked. The guys who get the original movie have to crack it, but once done, no one else has to care. Blocking the IP addresses are slightly more effective in that way.
2. Re:Not only domains by Vanderhoth · 2012-01-09 03:19 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  The problem is when "the casual user" buys something with a DRM that prevents them from using the product, maliciously disables their machine and they can't get any help from customer support.
  
  That's when "The casual" user learns to circumvent DRM by pirating everything before wasting their money to get the shaft after the fact. At least that was my story.
3. Re:Not only domains by LostCluster · 2012-01-09 03:19 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  DRM has already failed... the vendor-lock-in situations with iTunes and PlaysForSure and lack of compatibility with MP3-only devices brought it down. Now, almost all music stores are Watermarked MP3... you can copy it on your own devices all you want, you just can't offer it to others without your watermark that can be traced back to you being spread.
4. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:21 · Score: 0
  
  You can switch on TOR, though, as long as the exit node is not in Finland. Or doesn't this work?
5. Re:Not only domains by alphatel · 2012-01-09 03:26 · Score: 1, Redundant
  
  Blocking the IP addresses are slightly more effective in that way.
  It's still completely ineffective because IP addresses change, proxies like thepiratebay.ee will get you there as well, and private or tor DNS will always get you where you want to go.
  
  --
  When the foot seeks the place of the head, the line is crossed. Know your place. Keep your place. Be a shoe.
6. Re:Not only domains by Kjella · 2012-01-09 03:31 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Sure, but those convoluted circumvention techniques tend to get wrapped into simple point and click tools for the masses. Say for example small service for Swedes to run that'll proxy just TPB and share the proxy as a "seed" on a torrent and a Firefox plugin to pick a proxy at random to use just for that site. Let them try banning all dynamic IP ranges in Sweden, that'll go over well... just as an example.
  
  --
  Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
7. Re:Not only domains by countertrolling · 2012-01-09 03:36 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I doubt that blocking EFF was 'collateral' damage. Pretty sure sure it was intentional. EFF is an enemy of the (corporate) state.
  
  --
  For justice, we must go to Don Corleone
8. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:38 · Score: 0
  
  The main purpose is to make it harder for casual people.
  This is good. The casual people are a bigger voting block that the tech-savvy. What needs to happen is that quite a few of these casual people get pissed off enough to make this a point coming the next elections.
9. Re:Not only domains by na1led · 2012-01-09 03:38 · Score: 0
  
  The Movie Industries are worried because more people are switch from Cable to Internet TV, which can lead to more pirating. Once you purchase something like an AppleTV or GoogleTV device and learn that you can watch videos stored on your PC or Laptop. Lot's of people will start downloading and copying movies to play on your Streaming Set Top Box. Almost any idiot can download a movie using Bit Torrent, or they can find some kid to do it for them. Most of the folks I know who have teenagers already know how to do this.
  
  --
  -- By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
10. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:47 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  I bought a DVD with DRM and it would play in my DVD player but not on my computer so I returned it as defective. I'll keep doing that until they figure out that it costs them more to add drm than not.
11. Re:Not only domains by Smallpond · 2012-01-09 03:49 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  I bought the same mp3 twice from Amazon on two different accounts and compared them - bit for bit the same, so I guess this doesn't apply to all.
12. Re:Not only domains by dainbug · 2012-01-09 03:50 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Thank you! Ditto. I'm still trying to get legally purchased movies to run on my legally purchased equipment.
  
  As the entertainment industry tries to completely control every aspect of their product and how consumers can use them, more and more star systems will slip through their grasp.
13. Re:Not only domains by MacDork · 2012-01-09 03:52 · Score: 2
  
  The problem is independent film makers! If just anybody can distribute their movie online and make a forture, why would they sell their movie to Paramount for a pennance?
14. Re:Not only domains by KingMotley · 2012-01-09 03:54 · Score: 1
  
  TOR acts as a proxy, so yes.
15. Re:Not only domains by mcgrew · 2012-01-09 04:00 · Score: 1
  
  The Movie Industries are worried because more people are switch from Cable to Internet TV, which can lead to more pirating.
  How would the switch to internet TV lead to more pirating? Most people have the internet and cable; it's the cable companies that would worry, not Hollywood.
  I've been using my TV for a monitor for ten years using an S-Video cable (no, I don't have a hi-def).
  I posited to my 83 year old mother that the new TV they got recently had HDMI ports and she could plug her computer into it and ditch cable. There was no way to convince her -- and she's no luddite, she was using spreadsheets 35 years ago when she still worked.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
16. Re:Not only domains by ddxexex · 2012-01-09 04:10 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  But did you use a different credit card as well? A user account for Amazon can easily be filled with fake info, but credit card info is harder to make up, so I wouldn't be surprised if the watermarking was done by credit card or something.
17. Re:Not only domains by mcgrew · 2012-01-09 04:13 · Score: 1
  
  I don't think you said what you thought you said. You said "If just anybody can distribute their movie online and make a forture, why would they sell their movie to Paramount for a confession
  Did you mean pittance?
  Dew knot truss yore spill checker.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
18. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:15 · Score: -1
  
  Princess Leia: The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
  Governor Tarkin: Not after we demonstrate the capabilities of this station.
19. Re:Not only domains by Synerg1y · 2012-01-09 04:19 · Score: 2
  
  IP addresses are a limited commodity that cost $, granted a lot less if ipv6 ever rolls out, but until then, banning an IP is pretty damn effective to prevent the host from doing much, the browser (user) can still use a proxy to circumvent though. Also, once you hit the swarm w the torrent file, I doubt all those IPs are banned :) Finland is just trying to be like us (USA) w our SOPA bs. But what they don't realize is it's the blind (RIAA) leading the blind (congressmen) over here and nobody behind sopa can probably DE-acronym IP or DNS.
20. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:22 · Score: 0
  
  This seems like crazy talk. I have multiple cards and could pay for ANYTHING with ANY of these cards. Not to mention getting new cards are different numbers, so it is feasible to buy something and have a new card that night.
  Tying to form of payment seems like an exercise in futility.
21. Re:Not only domains by Smallpond · 2012-01-09 04:23 · Score: 1
  
  Not sure about the credit card. In any case, I've used the mp3's on 4 different devices with no problems, including Windows and Linux, so I am pretty sure there is nothing evil in them.
22. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:29 · Score: 0
  
  Amazon don't allow the same card on two accounts.
23. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:33 · Score: -1
  
  Yes. Thank you. Because no one on /. got the reference....
24. Re:Not only domains by JosKarith · 2012-01-09 04:34 · Score: 2
  
  "Not after we demonstrate the capabilities of this SOPA act."
  TFTFY (Though I'm not sure even the Empire would stoop so low...)
  
  --
  'Don't worry' said the trees when they saw the axe coming, 'The handle is one of us.'
25. Re:Not only domains by Synerg1y · 2012-01-09 04:36 · Score: 1
  
  Sadly enough, Skyrim from tpb = no steam, Skyrim pre-order = mass steam. For those that don't know steam is a game launcher that likes to advertise whenever it feels like it, the equivalent of some of the android apps that use ads to make money, but a little bit more annoying. It's not a deal breaker, but better w/o. I'm sure there's a solution somewhere in all this mess ;)
26. Re:Not only domains by Taty'sEyes · 2012-01-09 04:41 · Score: 2
  
  I'm still trying to figure out what a "forture" is....
  
  --
  We show geeks how to get their dream girl at EyesOfOdessa.com
27. Re:Not only domains by synapse7 · 2012-01-09 04:45 · Score: 2
  
  Watching my brother try to play blueray discs on a PC looked like a bit of a science project. Among the issues he had with finding a compatible player, audio would only be output through HDMI and his amp/receiver does not have an HDMI input, so he was running audio out from the TV back to the amp. If the TV did not have an audio out, a "cracked" video may have been the only solution, besides buying new components.
28. Re:Not only domains by SuricouRaven · 2012-01-09 04:46 · Score: 2
  
  I submit the example of My Mother. She is a typical not-very-tech-savvy consumer. She isn't dumb - she's a university graduate, and very good at what she does - but just has no skill with technology or desire to learn. Right now she can't even handle plugging an HDMI lead into the side of her laptop - the notion of selecting an input on the TV confuses her. DVDs, though, she understands: You buy a disc, you put it in the slot, a movie comes on. She even has to get me to rip her (legitimatly-purchased) DVDs onto her iPhone.
  
  Now imagine Internet TV gets really popular. All those My Mothers with computers perminantly hooked up to their TV... suddenly, getting pirated media on the big screen is no harder than buying it legally. Actually, it's easier: No messing around with payments, or ratings, or time-limited deals. Internet TV would eliminate much of the technological complexity of playing pirated media, much as Videolan made it possible to just download and play just about any media file on a computer in seconds without having to become an expert on containers, codecs and plugins.
29. Re:Not only domains by PIBM · 2012-01-09 04:49 · Score: 1
  
  It's not evil; a watermark is something very hard to detect, and that is often tailored to the specific user it's sent to, so that those who made it know how to find it and detect it, thus if a copy is made, the watermark will still be there and by detecting it they can match it to the user who broke out with it. A good watermark will resist a lot of different changes. Check the one put on movie soundtrack, that prevents them from being played back on playstation 3 or such if it's copied.. They've showed that cutting through the sound at random interval, changing the pitch, degrading the quality a lot, inverting the channels, and such, would not prevent the watermark from being detected, and the playback stopped.
  Anyway, it's hard to believe they would go at that length on distributed mp3s, as those who share them the most are certainly not paying 1$ for them!
30. Re:Not only domains by Golddess · 2012-01-09 04:53 · Score: 1
  
  I have multiple cards and could pay for ANYTHING with ANY of these cards.
  Exactly. You have multiple cards. Or in other words, all your cards can be used to uniquely identify you. Not your spouse, your best friend, a co-worker, some random dude on the street. You.
  
  Not to mention getting new cards are different numbers, so it is feasible to buy something and have a new card that night.
  And some places allow you to request one-time numbers that can only be used at a particular place/time for a specific amount. But it would still link back to you.
  
  Now all that said, I don't know what all Amazon could/would do. Could they call up Visa and ask "hey, I need the info of the person who had this number on this date"? Could they block future transactions with that number? If it was a one-time number, is there a way to block all one-time numbers that link back to the same base account?
  
  And don't get me wrong, I can think of at least one method where watermarking based on form of payment would be futile (gift cards). But watermarking based on credit card used certainly isn't one of them, and would seem to be less futile than watermarking based on account.
  
  --
  "I'm not sure I like the fugnutish tone you used in your post!" -RogL (608926)-
31. Re:Not only domains by Pf0tzenpfritz · 2012-01-09 04:59 · Score: 1
  
  It does. And it is -besides pseudo-anonymization- exactly what TOR is made for. I guess TOR will gain a lot of popularity in certain parts of northern Europe soon.
  
  --
  Oh, the beautiful gloss of greality!
32. Re:Not only domains by Pf0tzenpfritz · 2012-01-09 05:02 · Score: 1
  
  I don't think so. Blocking EFF is likely to backfire. And don't forget that EFF was one of the initiators of the TOR project...
  
  --
  Oh, the beautiful gloss of greality!
33. Re:Not only domains by na1led · 2012-01-09 05:22 · Score: 1
  
  Cable companies control what content you get. Internet Boxes have a hard time with this because they just provide the box. Roku is a good example, with all the hidden channels, some can stream copyright content.
  
  --
  -- By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
34. Re:Not only domains by na1led · 2012-01-09 05:23 · Score: 1
  
  My two year old knows how to operate the Roku and watch shows she likes. It's the easiest thing to use.
  
  --
  -- By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
35. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 05:34 · Score: 0
  
  Exactly.
  The UAE has a China-like filter implemented.
  Nobody gives a fuck.
  Because everybody has a VPN. For $5 a month. Full speed of your ISP. Based wherever the fuck you want.
  My friend there even has two. And plans on getting a third one (Ok, they have a bit more money there.), because the countries they are based in started to censor too.
  He is not a computer expert. He is just your average gamer. Sure, you get some lag, but it's piss-easy. You order it online on a website that is inside the great wall. You pay via credit card. And they give you a program to download and install that does the rest. Your grandma could do it.
  That's what it will become like anyway: A darknet of VPN connections.
  Fuck the "content" Nazis! It's a war. And they will be exterminated!
36. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 05:46 · Score: 0
  
  I haven't bought anything more recent than Fallout New Vegas on Steam so maybe it has to do with new games, but I've never seen any ads from Steam.
37. Re:Not only domains by Luckyo · 2012-01-09 05:57 · Score: 2
  
  Blocking EFF is all but certainly collateral. The list was given by authorities, and they have a history with messing this stuff up in the past, such as blocking activist sites when making child porn block lists. In general, police around here prefers not to piss people off without reason, it's a cultural thing. Police is very respected here in Finland, in large part because it makes an effort no to abuse its rights.
  We're finns are far more confused as to why this blocking order went through in the first place as there is a known ECJ decision which specifically makes such block lists illegal and finnish courts take painstaking effort to be in compliance with ECJ. Sound like our justice system did something that it's known to do at times again - be slow as hell. We have several convicting judgments from ECJ in relation to "people not getting their business done in court in timely matter" unfortunately, and this seems to be one of them, as ECJ's decision came in the end of 2011.
38. Re:Not only domains by gl4ss · 2012-01-09 06:17 · Score: 1
  
  Ok now, since the context is Elisa it might be worth mentioning that elisa is actually a cable provider as well.
  their current product with most advertisement is "Elisa Viihde" (Elisa entertainment) which is 40 euros a month roughly, either a dsl or cable-modem. av license, 500mt of webspace, 5 email addresses etc etc meaningless stuff.
  and 5 TB of virtual tivo space(+clients for watching from android, iphone etc). that's a hosted digi-tv recording solution, what I think they do is that they just dump all channels to disc though and then just provide access to the parts you marked to be recorded.
  I wonder though if IFPI.FI is hacked. all it returns is "System". can't check who the fuck they think they're representing. problem is that finland has a shitload of recording industry etc lobbyists, way too many compared to size of population. and we're fucking paying already extra tax on recording mediums(hd's, empty dvd's, whatever) to these lobbyists(how is the money shared then? well, basically by how many times you get played on the radio. so a small circle of old farts pockets most of the money - and of course the lobbyists fund their operations from that as well).
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
39. Re:Not only domains by gl4ss · 2012-01-09 06:18 · Score: 1
  
  besides, they couldn't go prosecuting for that anyways. maybe your mp3 player got stolen.
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
40. Re:Not only domains by Vanderhoth · 2012-01-09 06:23 · Score: 1
  
  I hear ya.
  
  Unfortunately, I'm one of the idiots that trusted Sony with the Other OS on the PS3 when it first came out. I resisted updating the firmware because I use my PS3 as an alternate testing platform, which became more important to me than playing games. My cousin came over with a rented movie one night, I didn't realize he rented the bluRay version, and while I was upstairs making snacks my wife decided to start the movie. As soon as she put the disk in she was asked to update to the latest firmware, TO PLAY A F*#$ING MOVIE. Of course we had all been drinking so she didn't think about what the system was asking her and just clicked through everything. An hour later after the updates had finally finished we decided we were all too tired to even watch the movie.
  
  I won't be buying any BluRay movies or players in the near future. I knew that was a possibility with the PS3, but seriously, what do they do with BluRay players that aren't connected to the internet?
41. Re:Not only domains by Synerg1y · 2012-01-09 06:28 · Score: 1
  
  They advertise their own games usually, but it's a pop up in the middle of your screen while steam is running in the background stating news updates. Even it's steam relevant, it's still advertising.
42. Re:Not only domains by gknoy · 2012-01-09 06:33 · Score: 1
  
  Steam often has ads in the launcher that pop up (when I start steam, but not at random other times) advertising things like steam sales or new games on Steam. Other than that, I'm unaware of ads.
43. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 06:36 · Score: 0
  
  It's quite probable that eff was hosted so that they couldn't ban tpb easily by ip without banning it as well - which if you think about it is using eff as a shield for tpb, which is actually pretty smart way to demonstrate why banning like this is stupid.
  And the police abuses it's rights out of stupidity and politics all the time in Finland when it comes to either drugs or computers. The police could according to law let people go from smoking a joint with a warning or a fine, but they often don't. In those cases the police doesn't even respect the need to get warrants, the right to be present when search&seizure is done and so on. Depending on who the complaints for computer crime come from the suspects are assumed guilty even if they prove they weren't guilty, because the police lacks training in even determining what is a crime in that field(In other words the police is too trusting of other "official" people, this is established by police siding with state-officials statistically as well).
  It's pretty much only traditional crime, child abuse and violence cases where police is respected. unless it's the token drunk cop for the town, fact is most of the time the cops don't do anything but sort out drunk driving, drunk brawls, drunk stunts and domestic abuse cases.
44. Re:Not only domains by TheRealGrogan · 2012-01-09 06:44 · Score: 1
  
  Ads for new releases and games that are on sale on the Steam service. After you exit a game, Steam usually pops up an advertisement dialog. Useful advertisements, if you like to buy games. If not for those ads I probably would never know that a game I was mildly interested in was on sale for $9.99 etc. I have also bought games I've never heard of, because Steam advertised them and the screenshots, trailers and writeup looked good.
  Steam is probably the least evil piece of game controlling dictatorware out there. (Microsoft can eat a fat dick for Games for Windows Live and EA can go ride the baloney pony off into the sunset with their Origin client crammed down their own deep throats)
  But still... we can appreciate Synerg1y's point. A pirated copy of a game is usually more convenient than a legitimate one.
45. Re:Not only domains by FutureDomain · 2012-01-09 06:46 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  For those that don't know steam is a game launcher that likes to advertise whenever it feels like it, the equivalent of some of the android apps that use ads to make money, but a little bit more annoying.
  If you don't want to see them, there's a box in "Settings->Interface->Notify me about additions or changes to my games, new releases, and upcoming releases" that you can uncheck to disable it. Personally, I keep it on because I like to see what's being discounted. If they had a way to notify me when one of the items in my wishlist was on sale, I might prefer that instead.
  
  --
  Hydraulic pizza oven!! Guided missile! Herring sandwich! Styrofoam! Jayne Mansfield! Aluminum siding! Borax!
46. Re:Not only domains by TheRealGrogan · 2012-01-09 06:51 · Score: 1
  
  BluRay doesn't exist to me. The only time I see the word is in the filename of ripped bluray movies :-)
  I refuse to deal with such restrictive DRM.
  So fuck you, Sony Baloney. I automatically hate anything that has come out of Sony's rectum anyway.
47. Re:Not only domains by Synerg1y · 2012-01-09 07:00 · Score: 1
  
  I'll have to do that, thanks.
48. Re:Not only domains by slagish666 · 2012-01-09 07:41 · Score: 1
  
  I bought a Blu-ray external USB drive, and was amazed that I could find free software to rip and burn BR's, but not to *play* BR's (without spending > $100). So, I can circumvent copyright+DRM easier than I can play a legally-owned movie! Well done, media companies, well done.
  
  --
  "Consider the lillies of the goddamn field."
49. Re:Not only domains by cheekyjohnson · 2012-01-09 08:48 · Score: 1
  
  It's why all those "DRM can always be cracked, somehow" comments are stupid too. The main purpose is to make it harder for casual people.
  It's not much harder for casual people when only one person needs to crack it before you can just install the crack. I think all but the most idiotic users can follow a few simple instructions.
  
  --
  Filthy, filthy copyrapists!
50. Re:Not only domains by Jedi+Alec · 2012-01-09 08:58 · Score: 1
  
  But still... we can appreciate Synerg1y's point. A pirated copy of a game is usually more convenient than a legitimate one.
  In the case of Steam I'd disagree, I find Steam keeping a backup copy of both the game itself as well as my savegames massively useful, especially since I game on both a desktop and a laptop from physically different locations. Being able to fire up my laptop in a completely different country, installing a game without hassle and finding my savegames ready to pick up where I left off is a massive plus in my book.
  
  --
  
  People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
51. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 09:08 · Score: 0
  
  The site in question doesn't belong to EFFI, it just acts a proxy for it. And it's blocked because the site in question used to act as a proxy for TPB. After the blocking was announced, the administrator cleverly changed it to proxy EFFI instead.
  (Unfortunately archive.org doesn't have anything, so demonstrating that afterwards is tricky)
52. Re:Not only domains by harl · 2012-01-09 09:33 · Score: 1
  
  What about prepaid visa cards bought in cash at the corner store. Work just like a credit card. Completely anonymous.
  
  --
  I find being offended by me offensive.
53. Re:Not only domains by TheRealGrogan · 2012-01-09 09:40 · Score: 1
  
  I know, I love Steam. I buy all of my games through their service. (Moreover, fuck any commercial game that isn't available through Steam) They provide valuable convenience to me.
  I didn't always love Steam though. At first I highly resented it and get the great grandparent's point.
  My first exposure to Steam was Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. Even though I bought it on brick and mortar optical media, it still required this Steam shit and that made me angry. Steam probably suffered some growing pains with such a hugely popular title forcefully tied to steam no matter how it was sold, with so many users signing in at once, and there were a few instances where I got disconnected from the service and that further fueled my ire. The problems were few and brief. I soon started to realize that Steam was a great service.
  I started to realize that it was pointless to buy Steam games on DVD, or from Direct2Drive only for them to require Steam anyway. Soon, I started buying other games through Steam as well. I'll never go back to installing from optical media, or downloading and extracting big zip files only to spend time running setup after that.
  Yes, the fact that Steam always lets you re-download your products is a major consideration. This is one of the criteria that makes me shun EA's services, because they only allow you to download your product for one year after purchase.
54. Re:Not only domains by truedfx · 2012-01-09 10:24 · Score: 1
  
  I bought a DVD with DRM and it would play in my DVD player but not on my computer so I returned it as defective.
  Me too. The customer service lady made a big fuss about it, and was shocked that I would return a DVD in an opened box, and was even more shocked when the entertainment department told her to just give me my money back. She did so, but hesitantly, and it left me with a bitter aftertaste. I did not have a separate DVD player, so the disc really was completely useless for me.
  
  I'll keep doing that until they figure out that it costs them more to add drm than not.
  Other shops don't make me worry whether they'll let me return a defective product, they do, so they've lost me as a customer.
55. Re:Not only domains by steve_bryan · 2012-01-09 11:22 · Score: 1
  
  Use TOR for anonymous web browsing. If you use it for bit torrent it will probably fail if bit torrent is using UDP for file packet delivery which does not go through the TOR overlay which is for TCP packets. This may change eventually but it had not the last time I checked. Even if it does change the bandwidth requirements would make all the more important uses of TOR suffer as a result. Much better is to use an inexpensive VPN to a distant location. This has the added benefit of making all your internet activity opaque to big brother (or at least a lot less convenient).
56. Re:Not only domains by Golddess · 2012-01-09 14:28 · Score: 1
  
  Not so sure about that. I recently got a pre-paid Visa, and part of the documentation included with it said that if I wanted to use it online, I was required to register the card. But perhaps not all pre-paid cash cards are like that. And perhaps if I tried it without registering, it would have still worked.
  
  --
  "I'm not sure I like the fugnutish tone you used in your post!" -RogL (608926)-
57. Re:Not only domains by mcgrew · 2012-01-10 03:08 · Score: 1
  
  My guess was typo for "fortune", but how he hit a r instead of an n when they're so far apart on the keyboard is a mystery. Maybe he copied something someone had written by hand?
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
58. Re:Not only domains by MacDork · 2012-01-10 13:56 · Score: 1
  
  Why yes, yes I did. Thank you for pointing that out.
59. Re:Not only domains by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-10 23:18 · Score: 0
  
  And they also blocked one of EFF Finland sites as collateral damage.
  Actually, the domain in question (piraattilahti.fi) originally pointed to The Pirate Bay. It was switched to EFFI's website only after the block was implemented.
60. Re:Not only domains by harl · 2012-01-11 03:28 · Score: 1
  
  This card is registered to
  
  Bob Barker
  1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
  Mountain View, CA 94043
  
  --
  I find being offended by me offensive.
And so it begins... by elrous0 · 2012-01-09 03:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

I'm frankly surprised that you can still type in thepiratebay.org in the U.S. and still get anything other than "Sorry, this site has been blocked by your ISP due to legal requirements." Hell, I'm surprised it's still even legal to show it in a search engine. Years ago, I expected the blocking to start much sooner. It's still coming though. Of course, when it is blocked, this will just set off an arms race where proxy sites and government/ISP's battle it out for a while, possibly leading as far as proxy blocking and maybe even deep packet inspection. But it's nice to have it without having to hack around a block, at least for now.
And it's particularly sad to see a country like Finland, traditionally pretty strong on free speech and consumer rights, sink to this level. Of course, the Finnish reputation for has become somewhat tarnished in recent years, with the unfortunate prosecution of Jussi Halla-aho, and the government's increasing deference to the EU and U.S. on intellectual property issues.

--
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
1. Re:And so it begins... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:22 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  I fully expect the "Internet" to be a footnote in history when the people got out of their little box for a few years and were quickly re-contained. Unless a technology comes along to allow worldwide communication without a governable infrastructure, we're screwed.
2. Re:And so it begins... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:30 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  I fully expect the "Internet" to be a footnote in history...
  Dude, I've been saying for 20 years that the Internet is a fad that will be over in a week.
3. Re:And so it begins... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:39 · Score: 0
  
  Even Prince declared the Internet is dead ... That's gotta mean something!
4. Re:And so it begins... by countertrolling · 2012-01-09 03:42 · Score: 1
  
  Basically we're fucked.. until we can circumvent the ISP and create a true peer to peer internet
  
  --
  For justice, we must go to Don Corleone
5. Re:And so it begins... by Tyr07 · 2012-01-09 03:43 · Score: 1
  
  Eh, RIAA etc is mostly a media stunt. I'm sure 'derp' down they're using it just to scare people into making a bunch of purchases for awhile and don't care about actually blocking the sites as it still promotes their material.
  If they can have websites promoting people into using things for 'free', get used to it, comfortable with it, know it's worth paying for and really don't want to be without it, be it a game, music or otherwise, then SCARE all of them into purchasing the product, it's genius.
  Have some faith in capitalism people. They just figured out a clever way to make more money by crushing a few of the little people, but not all of them, as they want them to buy more.
  You'll probably notice a pattern where they'll be quiet for awhile, let people save their penny's, let people get more content and marketed to, then bam, another scare of buy it or else.
6. Re:And so it begins... by hene · 2012-01-09 03:48 · Score: 1
  
  don't worry, I hear they have this hacker satellite network coming. It will put man into moon and everything..
7. Re:And so it begins... by Smallpond · 2012-01-09 03:51 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I'm frankly surprised that you can still type in thepiratebay.org in the U.S. and still get anything other than "Sorry, this site has been blocked by your ISP due to legal requirements."
  This is absurd. There's no way that they are going to say they are sorry.
8. Re:And so it begins... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:52 · Score: 0
  
  > prosecution of Jussi Halla-aho,
  Since he got convicted, perhaps he did say something wrong. From reading the wiki, I would think he sounds fairly racist.
  I agree with you on the IP issues however.
9. Re:And so it begins... by elrous0 · 2012-01-09 04:00 · Score: 1
  
  Well, he is royalty after all.
  
  --
  SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
10. Re:And so it begins... by elrous0 · 2012-01-09 04:02 · Score: 1
  
  Free speech is when you can say something wrong without being prosecuted for it.
  
  --
  SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
11. Re:And so it begins... by Inda · 2012-01-09 04:04 · Score: 2
  
  I'm surprised too. I've been warning real life friends and internet associates for too long. They're probably past the point of believing me.
  
  I still download a movie a week. 3 times out of 4, I wish I hadn't. I wish I'd read a book or played a game instead. The wife and daughter go through phases with downloading music. I suspect they are dissapointed with their selections more often than not.
  
  We will give up music and movies if these blocks gain more traction. That's the bottom line. We'd rather do something else with our money.
  
  Blocking live sport is the thing that bothers me most. I watched a game at the weekend. The stadium is less than a mile away from my house but I couldn't get tickets. I ended up watching it on a Canadian TV station over 7,000 miles away.
  
  Something is truely wrong.
  
  --
  This post contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
12. Re:And so it begins... by Gaygirlie · 2012-01-09 04:15 · Score: 1
  
  And it's particularly sad to see a country like Finland, traditionally pretty strong on free speech and consumer rights, sink to this level. Of course, the Finnish reputation for has become somewhat tarnished in recent years, with the unfortunate prosecution of Jussi Halla-aho, and the government's increasing deference to the EU and U.S. on intellectual property issues.
  Well, atleast the ISp in question is prepared to fight the decision as long as it takes, that's gotta be worth something IMHO. In general ISPs are quite consumer-friendly here and often willing to pursue freedom of speech.
13. Re:And so it begins... by mcgrew · 2012-01-09 04:43 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  If everyone had a wifi router forwarding packets, the only people who would need corporate infrastructure would be those way out in the sticks. The genie is out of the bottle, and he'll be hard to put back in. One presient sci-fi writer saw the internet coming and the "dangers" of uncensored communication and information retrieval. A Logic Named Joe, 1946. Its text is on the internet, but Google seems to only point to where you can buy this public domain work (copyright expired, not renewed).
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
14. Re:And so it begins... by SuricouRaven · 2012-01-09 04:47 · Score: 2
  
  Start building. I suggest a shared-store architecture. Latency is hell, but it is much easier to administer without any central authority.
15. Re:And so it begins... by Mordok-DestroyerOfWo · 2012-01-09 04:48 · Score: 1
  
  I love watching American Football through an Australian feed. The commentators are more well informed than their American counterparts and the commercials aren't nearly as obnoxious. I do agree with you about sports needing to be streamed live. It's a money cow waiting to be milked.
  
  --
  "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
16. Re:And so it begins... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 05:02 · Score: 0
  
  From the beginnings of the "Public" Internet I assumed it was a matter of months/years before everything would be blocked/paywalled/censored.
  (that's why I was compelled to download a bunch of stuff: store it and enjoy later when downloading is not possible anymore)
  I wouldn't say that after-all it's not the case, just that the corporations were slower than I expected ;)
17. Re:And so it begins... by SuricouRaven · 2012-01-09 05:04 · Score: 2
  
  Indeed. I would guess that the message would be 'This site has been blocked under US law section xxx.xx.xxx' followed by a suitably intimidating 'Your access has been logged.' Unless they just repurpose the child-porn filter to save money, in which case you wouldn't get any message at all, just a spoofed 404 or 403 page to make it look like the server is at fault.
18. Re:And so it begins... by mcgrew · 2012-01-09 05:08 · Score: 1
  
  ...don't care about actually blocking the sites as it still promotes their material.
  
  The RIAA would have embraced free downloads in order to sell hard copies (CDs etc) were it not for the fact that the internet also promotes their competetion, the independent artist. They have radio, independents don't.
  If they can have websites promoting people into using things for 'free', get used to it, comfortable with it, know it's worth paying for
  Most movies, music, and books aren't worth paying for.
  Have some faith in capitalism people.
  Sorry, I refuse to bow to your little green god.
  You'll probably notice a pattern where they'll be quiet for awhile, let people save their penny's
  The pattern I see is grade school teachers not doing their damned jobs well. Why do you guys put an apostrophe for a plural? It's pennies. Your spell checker dodn't catch it because "the penny's color is copper" is correct. I hope you're not a native English speaker, because "Count your penny's" makes you look like an uneducated, aliterate fool that only another aliterate fool would take seriously.
  And before someone jumps on "aliterate", look the word up in Webster's first.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
19. Re:And so it begins... by pixelpusher220 · 2012-01-09 06:35 · Score: 1
  
  I do agree with you about sports needing to be streamed live. It's a money cow waiting to be milked.
  They said the same thing about putting sports on live TV initially. Until someone invented the VCR/DVR which meant you don't have to watch it 'live' and so can skip commercials thus killing the 'money cow'.
  
  I sometimes enjoy watching a big boxing match but I'm not shelling out 50 bucks for a 5 minute knockout. I also know that it will be on youtube and other places very shortly after airing.
  
  Streaming today is simply live TV before the VCR. It will eventually be recorded at the destination and able to be replayed (or restreamed!).
  
  --
  People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
20. Re:And so it begins... by gknoy · 2012-01-09 06:37 · Score: 2
  
  Baen has it, it appears. I'm not sure if this is the full text.
  A logic named Joe
21. Re:And so it begins... by jones_supa · 2012-01-09 06:42 · Score: 1
  
  That would be a very interesting project.
22. Re:And so it begins... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 06:44 · Score: 0
  
  Unless a technology comes along to allow worldwide communication without a governable infrastructure, we're screwed.
  Who'd have thought that RFC 1149 -- IP over Avian Carriers -- would actually be useful one day?
23. Re:And so it begins... by Tyr07 · 2012-01-09 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  Most movies, music, and books aren't worth paying for.
  Okay, I can probably agree with that, but that's up to an individuals taste. (So?)
  
  Sorry, I refuse to bow to your little green god.
  Do you work? Do you pay bills? Do you exchange currency for any services? You bow every day. That statement
  is nonsensical at best. You can't boast a 'I'm not part of the system' statement' when you're just a cog in it.
  This isn't intended to be an insult even thought it likely comes across this way. I just don't understand what you're refusing to bow to
  or how in general. From the presentation of the statement and understanding, my above statement accurately depicts what you do daily.
  
  The pattern I see is grade school teachers not doing their damned jobs well. Why do you guys put an apostrophe for a plural? It's pennies. Your spell checker dodn't catch it because "the penny's color is copper" is correct. I hope you're not a native English speaker, because "Count your penny's" makes you look like an uneducated, aliterate fool that only another aliterate fool would take seriously.
  Alright, you got me. I can make excuses like, I haven't had my morning coffee or what not, but the truth is, I made a spelling mistake. Clearly anything else I've said is worthless now. Do I realize the mistake? Find it silly? sure. Do I know how to spell it correctly? You bet. Why didn't I? I don't know.
  Anything else is just up to speculation. So, I don't know what you were trying to accomplish more than a troll. If so, I tip my hat to you.
  P.S. It sounds like you spend a lot of time confirming fancy words you use by websters or likely just googling it. That's like completing an open book test. I wouldn't insult teachers so readily, less you be stricken of internet and your true capacity revealed.
24. Re:And so it begins... by tqk · 2012-01-09 08:33 · Score: 1
  
  And before someone jumps on "aliterate", look the word up in Webster's first.
  Meanwhile, you can look up "dodn't". Spell checkers don't help much, but proofreading can do wonders.
  
  --
  "Tongue tied and twisted, just an Earth bound misfit ..." -- Pink Floyd.
25. Re:And so it begins... by luther349 · 2012-01-09 08:53 · Score: 0
  
  if sopa passes that's what you will see. ad bring there is a massive bribe cough donation effort to get it passed despite having no public support it probably will. then it will be a massive clusterfuck legit sites getting blocked etc and even the same stupid shits supporting it losing money hand over fist until it goes to the supreme court and gets destroyed. that's pretty much how this is going to go down. they can bribe a law passed no matter how many rights it infringes on and total lack of support but then the public takes it to the courts where its shot down.
26. Re:And so it begins... by blop · 2012-01-09 08:57 · Score: 1
  
  Thank you for the link and the parent for the reference.
  It's the full text and was well worth a read !
27. Re:And so it begins... by stephanruby · 2012-01-09 09:03 · Score: 1
  
  I'm frankly surprised that you can still type in thepiratebay.org in the U.S. and still get anything other than "Sorry, this site has been blocked by your ISP due to legal requirements." Hell, I'm surprised it's still even legal to show it in a search engine.
  You can thank the US Supreme court for that. They're the ones that explicitly ruled against this practice. At the time, it was a tracker that was placed on trial for linking to torrent files, but the tracker won the case, to the US Supreme court, linking is considered free speech. Although, this didn't prevent the US government from pressuring foreign States to do internet blocking in the mean time (through various treaties and executive orders).
28. Re:And so it begins... by PoopCat · 2012-01-09 09:10 · Score: 1
  
  And before someone jumps on "aliterate", look the word up in Webster's first.
  What about "dodn't" ? ;)
29. Re:And so it begins... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 09:40 · Score: 0
  
  joe seems prior art to siri
30. Re:And so it begins... by peawormsworth · 2012-01-09 11:48 · Score: 1
  
  Yes yes yes! Why are we not using wifi routers to create public networks across urban areas? This is totally free and the bandwidth would be massive. I cannot find any location in my city where there is less then 10 routers in range. And usually there are 20, 30 or more routers. If these routers were simply programmed to pass on messages when they are not servicing the owners requests (which is almost all the time)... then we would have a massive powerful free shared network. Providing all the phone, email, chat services u can handle. Plus video streaming would be a snap. Why arent we doing this? We are already paying for the ability to do it by having routers plugged in all the time? Are we so convinced to be afraid of it by the corporate entities that only stand to profit from our ignorance? Are we so convinced to fear crime and abuse of it by the government agencies that only stand to use the current control and monitoring against us? Please someone figure out how to make this network live and start using this massive untapped bandwidth. Please write it as a virus sent from router to router... I cannot wait to have my router "infected" with access to this free community network.
31. Re:And so it begins... by pclminion · 2012-01-09 13:08 · Score: 1
  
  Sounds good, but it'll just be banned, and it's not like you can hide the fact you are doing it, since your wireless signal can be traced to your location.
32. Re:And so it begins... by Baki · 2012-01-09 19:46 · Score: 2
  
  Finland got a nationalistic right wing government after the last election, like in more countries in europe.
  People are afraid due to the uncertain economy. The reflex is to trust the political right more than the left in situations like this: fear often leads to xenophoby and calls for "law and order". As a side effect, all these right wing parties mainly serve the interest of the rich and vested interests, which leads to measures like limiting free speech and accepting all kinds of collateral damage in the name of "business friendly" policies.
33. Re:And so it begins... by mcgrew · 2012-01-10 03:56 · Score: 1
  
  You can't boast a 'I'm not part of the system' statement' when you're just a cog in it.
  
  You misunderstand me; I don't worship money like most do. To me it's simply a tool. As long as I have food, shelter, beer, transportation, I'm happy. I don't need a God damned Lexus or a McMansion. But people actually worship money as if it were a religion, and judge a person's worth by how much money they display having. I find the statement "he's worth fifteen million dollars" disgusting.
  Alright, you got me. I can make excuses like, I haven't had my morning coffee or what not, but the truth is, I made a spelling mistake.
  Lack of coffee excuses much in my mind -- I'm an addict, too. I was curiuous as to how that particular error came about, because I see it constantly. Hell, there are grocery stores with "Grocery's" on the sign; I have to excuse them because the sign painters are Saudis, and English isn't their native language. But where did it start?
  P.S. It sounds like you spend a lot of time confirming fancy words you use by websters or likely just googling it. That's like completing an open book test. I wouldn't insult teachers so readily, less you be stricken of internet and your true capacity revealed.
  The "open book test is a cheat" is quaint in the 21st century. And yes, I do google when I'm not sure of something or need a citation. As to "fancy words" I try not to use them unless I can't think of a shorter synonym (and coming up with synonyms gets harder the older I get). Maybe I should just use a thesarus... hmmm, what's the synonym for "thesarus"?
  If I were without internet, I'd use the library like I did for half a century before I had internet, and still occasionally do, although these days most of my library reading is fiction.
  As to the teachers, in my experience American public school teachers (at least in Illinois) are for the most part grossly incompetent. I had three good ones and several abysmal ones, and I don't think my kids fared nearly as well. One high school teacher actually failed a paper I wrote because she thought I made up the word "hierarchy", one science teacher gave ne an A because, as he admitted to me, he couldn't understand any of it!
  Part of the problem is administration. They have math majors teaching English, English majors teaching math, and folks getting a jock scholarship teaching science.
  College was a completely different matter; my college instructors knew how to teach and they knew their subject matter.
  I think the answer is higher pay for teachers. A better salary would attract better candidates.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
34. Re:And so it begins... by mcgrew · 2012-01-10 06:27 · Score: 1
  
  The corporate powers that be prevent me from leaving my connection open; TOS.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
35. Re:And so it begins... by Tyr07 · 2012-01-10 07:20 · Score: 1
  
  You could be right. I can't directly comment on teachers in America. I'm not American nor do I live in America.
  Probably should check that in the future before assuming it's a problem related to the American education system.
  Not everyone lives in America.
36. Re:And so it begins... by mcgrew · 2012-01-11 02:25 · Score: 1
  
  I think it's likely that we Americans have the very worst public education system in the developed world. From what I've read, much of what Europeans learn in high school, Americans aren't taught until college.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by LostCluster · 2012-01-09 03:14 · Score: -1, Flamebait

SOPA's an overreaching law, but the The Pirate Bay is one of the main reasons to justify international Internet black holes. SOPA could be called "IDMCA" with the "I" standing for International. It takes the same down-the-server approach as the original law, and the media industry has been successful in getting DMCA-like counterparts passed.
There's a lot wrong with SOPA, but something needs to be done to get rid of TPB.... they're a group of outlaws that has to be stopped.
1. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by DC2088 · 2012-01-09 03:20 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  No, they're a torrent tracker. I'm sure you could compile a list of individual users and bother them, though.
2. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:24 · Score: -1
  
  Sorry but Harry Potter made 1.3b at the box office, forgive me for not feeling sorry for those filthy greedy Jews in the film industry. TPB does very little harm to the film industry.
  As for the software industry last time I check Microsoft though got bitch slapped by the EU and so unfortunately DIDNT have the chance to literally takeover the world STILL isn't doing too badly.
  That's right there are lots of people out there brain washed into thinking that piracy takes jobs and funds organized crime.
3. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:48 · Score: 0
  
  You are nitpicking. If you accept that filesharers are outlaws, then sites specifically designed to make filesharing possible are criminal. Even if not by current laws, but in the common sense or morally, if you will. Either you declare file sharing morally OK, or you accept that both individual users and tracker sites are breaking the law. Otherwise your position is much like what everyone likes to hate — finding loopholes in the laws.
4. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by DC2088 · 2012-01-09 03:57 · Score: 1
  
  Filesharing is not inherently illegal nor immoral. I do not like the fact that the term "filesharing" is being used to mean "exchanging strictly proprietary media." If users utilize your service to exchange proprietary media, that is on them, not you. So, I'm not nitpicking, no.
5. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by ArhcAngel · 2012-01-09 03:57 · Score: 2
  
  So what you are saying is Blizzard and the UK government are criminal enterprises?
  
  --
  "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
6. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:58 · Score: 0
  
  And your playing semantics. Making needles don't make you responsible for the people injecting illegal drugs or the people who peddle them. A torrent site can be used purely for legitimate reasons.
7. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by DC2088 · 2012-01-09 04:01 · Score: 1
  
  Brief addendum to my response: Your complaint seems to be akin to "Car owners are speeding and street racing in your vehicles. If these are criminal acts, then so is your manufacturing plant."
8. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by stanlyb · 2012-01-09 04:03 · Score: 2
  
  Actually, in the common sense or morally, file sharing is MORAL. We share everything, we share air, food, language, knowledge, laws, expeience, etc.... EVERYTHING. And what is funny is if you go to elementary schools you will see this: SHARING IS CARING, so are we teaching our kids something IMMORAL? Nevertheless, instead of calling your common sense, there is actually pretty well documented and tried argument of why sharing is good, and why the copyright was introduced into society in the first place. Translated, just for once try to read some history, and stop "sharing" your half-baked immoral ideas.
9. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:03 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Right, and women are to blame for being raped, because they dressed provocatively, right?
  Whatever pirate bay did or didn't do is irrelevant. SOPA rapes the internet.
10. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:25 · Score: 1
  
  No idea about blizzard, but otherwise yes.
11. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by icebraining · 2012-01-09 04:34 · Score: 1
  
  Actually they're not even that, just a repository of .torrent files. The tracker has been offline for quite some time now.
  
  --
  Dilbert RSS feed
12. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by ciderbrew · 2012-01-09 06:23 · Score: 1
  
  So do I blame the internet now. I'm confused?
13. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 06:57 · Score: 0
  
  No, my comment is akin to "running a disorderly house for the main purpose of taking drugs makes your a criminal". Yes, there are legitimate uses for filesharing, but I'd guess 90%+ usecases are illegal movies/music/software/porn.
14. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 07:04 · Score: 0
  
  Note that in my comment I never said it was immoral. I said if someone's position is that it is, then maintaining a tracker is no better than downloading stuff yourself (or even worse, simply due to magnitude). TPB and others specifically cater to illegal filesharers. If you sell a weapon to a guy you know will use it to kill someone, you are a criminal. Likewise maintainers of trackers that know that huge majority of tracked items are illegal.
  That's assuming file sharing is illegal/immoral or whatever; I argue that trackers cannot be exempt because of handwaving arguments like "bla-bla-bla, 3% of usecases are legitimate, so we are all clear".
15. Re:Pirate Bay to blame for SOPA by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 07:08 · Score: 0
  
  Yes. The Internet should have known better than to go out dressed like that.
I certainly hope they don't think.. by DC2088 · 2012-01-09 03:18 · Score: 5, Funny

... that the matter is Finnished...
1. Re:I certainly hope they don't think.. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:23 · Score: 0
  
  I just upgraded my Firefox to version 9.0.1
2. Re:I certainly hope they don't think.. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:38 · Score: 0
  
  Elisa has been forced to block several domains
  Is it because of forced to block several domains that you say the matter is Finnished?
3. Re:I certainly hope they don't think.. by Smallpond · 2012-01-09 03:53 · Score: 2
  
  ... that the matter is Finnished...
  Nor way is this over.
4. Re:I certainly hope they don't think.. by DC2088 · 2012-01-09 03:59 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Cripes, I can't think of any puns. That's what I get for Russian myself.
5. Re:I certainly hope they don't think.. by jovius · 2012-01-09 04:09 · Score: 1
  
  In Soviet Russia, puns think of you!
6. Re:I certainly hope they don't think.. by Smallpond · 2012-01-09 04:25 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  We should offer a bounty to Sweden the pot. Iraq my brains to think of puns, but Israel hard.
7. Re:I certainly hope they don't think.. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:32 · Score: 1
  
  Den mark this as Finnished cause although the ISP Es stoniaed, in the end, the judge will be kick in the Nether lands where the sun don't shine.
8. Re:I certainly hope they don't think.. by Mordok-DestroyerOfWo · 2012-01-09 04:51 · Score: 2
  
  Perhaps donating some money will Sweden the pot?
  
  --
  "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
9. Re:I certainly hope they don't think.. by Shompol · 2012-01-09 07:11 · Score: 1
  
  In Soviet Finland government controls commerce!!
as expected... by hene · 2012-01-09 03:26 · Score: 1

AnonFinland is attacking Antipiracy.fi and more is coming, they say.
1. Re:as expected... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:35 · Score: 1
  
  This will change everything
2. Re:as expected... by SuricouRaven · 2012-01-09 05:07 · Score: 1
  
  Or at least prove slightly amusing. Taking down a website wouldn't do much, but you know Anonymous's history of somehow getting their hands on confidential data... maybe something incriminating will leak.
Good by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:28 · Score: 0

At last something is being done, not just said.
people like you are our problem. by unity100 · 2012-01-09 03:29 · Score: 1

so the minority groups that are wanting to control the society for their own profit, want to remove activities of a certain group. and your solution for that is, removing that group ?

boy. i dont know what to say - lucky us, because people like you did not constitute the majority in enlightened segments of society in history so that we were able to progress............ or, stupid you, because you think that removing piratebay would make those minority groups stop trying to control you.

--
Read radical news here
...and a non-Pirate Bay related site got censored. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 03:37 · Score: 3, Interesting

One of the blocked addresses is http://piraattilahti.fi/ (piratebay.fi if you translate it directly). This address, however, does not direct to Pirate Bay. It directs to the same address as effi.org. This is the website of EFF's Finnish cousin, Electronic Frontier Finland.
If this hasn't changed recently, you can only ask how incompetent were the people who implemented the censorship here.
Unfortunately by Moheeheeko · 2012-01-09 03:39 · Score: 3, Informative

This will include those of us who dont torrent music/movies/games. Some of us torrent to correct social injustices, like having to buy a $100, 100 megabyte program to play blu-rays on the blu-ray drive I legally purchased.
Re:...and a non-Pirate Bay related site got censor by hene · 2012-01-09 03:44 · Score: 2

piraattilahti.fi is not blocked
Slightly OT but... by ArhcAngel · 2012-01-09 03:52 · Score: 1, Funny

Analysis from Torrent Freak shows
I more than LOL'ed but not quite ROFPIMP.

--
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
EU laws by Hentes · 2012-01-09 03:55 · Score: 3, Insightful

I'm curious about the legality of blocking another EU site, it is contrary to the single market.
A Finn checking in.. by blind+biker · 2012-01-09 04:11 · Score: 5, Informative

It appears that the block isn't functional yet. I can normally access thepiratebay.org. It's rather hilarious, as I am greeted with a demotivational poster featuring the "sponsor" of the legal action by IFPI.
By the way, if anyone in IFPI is reading: FUCK YOU IFPI YOU USELESS PIECE OF SHIT! HOPE THE INEVITABLE NEW TIMES WIPE YOU UNDER THE GROUND WHERE YOU ALWAYS BELONGED!
Thank you for reading. Also, if you do work for IFPI, please consider a more honourable profession, such as drug trafficking or prostitution.

--
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
1. Re:A Finn checking in.. by jones_supa · 2012-01-09 04:34 · Score: 2
  
  Another Finn. To me the ban seems to be active. The DNS won't resolve TPB.
2. Re:A Finn checking in.. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:36 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  I may be on a different ISP, but I'm getting a NXDOMAIN and a routing failure there. No sign of redirection to any web pages mentioning IFPI.
3. Re:A Finn checking in.. by blind+biker · 2012-01-09 04:41 · Score: 1
  
  I am currently in Aalto's premises. I don't know which provider they use.
  Fuck, this makes me sad :(
  
  --
  "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
4. Re:A Finn checking in.. by rahlskog · 2012-01-09 06:20 · Score: 1
  
  Checking in
  
  Anvia: works normally, as expected
  Saunalahti: works normally too, odd they are a subsidiary of Elisa
5. Re:A Finn checking in.. by dropadrop · 2012-01-09 10:07 · Score: 1
  
  It's effective. I have Elisa provided network at the office and when a friend working in their NOC said they turned it on, I could no longer access them. Also it's not just dns, the ip's are null routed. I have to say I'm surprised they also did it for corporate customers, but as the company said, the claim was too broad (and the ISP is trying to be compliant).
6. Re:A Finn checking in.. by Novus · 2012-01-09 19:49 · Score: 1
  
  Aalto University Internet access is through Funet, the Finnish University and Research Network. The block does not apply to Funet at all. However, my Saunalahti residential ADSL is provided by Elisa and has both DNS and IP traffic blocks active; traceroute shows packets failing to make the jump from the last elisa.net node to eunetip.net. In other words, Elisa seems to be filtering inbound and/or outbound traffic by IP.
7. Re:A Finn checking in.. by blind+biker · 2012-01-10 05:04 · Score: 1
  
  I have DNA at home, and nothing is blocked. But doesn't DNA use Elisa's Internet infrastructure also?
  
  --
  "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
8. Re:A Finn checking in.. by Novus · 2012-01-11 08:55 · Score: 1
  
  I have DNA at home, and nothing is blocked. But doesn't DNA use Elisa's Internet infrastructure also?
  DNA has always been a competitor to Elisa with its own network. However, DNA recently acquired Welho.
9. Re:A Finn checking in.. by VJmes · 2012-01-11 15:19 · Score: 1
  
  Working for the IFPI is akin to prostitution with all the morality and ethics associated with child prostitution.
So does this mean... by mknewman · 2012-01-09 04:20 · Score: 0, Redundant

That they are Finnished?
1. Re:So does this mean... by need4mospd · 2012-01-09 05:05 · Score: 2
  
  I don't know, but this joke sure is...
google translate bypasses the blockade by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:38 · Score: 1

Funnily enough if you use google translate and enter thepiratebay.org it'll work just fine. Even translated to finnish as a bonus.
Expect them to block google next...
Easily bypassed by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:46 · Score: 0

All of these "blockages" are easily bypassed by using either commercial or free VPN's that are located in a country that isn't blocking the sources. What happens is that the clueless (lawyers, judges, media conglomerates) just make it a bit more inconvenient for everyone.
1. Re:Easily bypassed by luther349 · 2012-01-09 09:05 · Score: 0
  
  block the ip we change/proxy/vpn it. block the dns we make a new one. the Chinese do it all the time to get around there own government garbage. spoa will be yet another law they can never enforce just like the dcma. yes they try all the time but even they have picked up on no matter how many you sue or how many sites you take down 10 more take its place. it will be the same story with sopa maybe just in a faster rotation. all this will do in the end is push the net to change from dns to using something else they cant control maybe torrent style network for getting websites.
This is a good thing! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 04:57 · Score: 0

I'm sure Lady Gaga and Tom Cruise will see HUGE increases in their paychecks, now that all Elisa customers are in line in front of Anttila, to buy culture on CD!
I accidentaly switched to Sonera last month, so I still have hope :D
HOSTS "hardcodes" SHOULD "blow by" DNSBLs by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 05:56 · Score: 1

"The block was for IP's too, so you can't just change your DNS. You have to use some proxy service, or VPN, which makes it harder." - by DCTech (2545590) on Monday January 09, @10:06AM (#38637358)
IF this is implemented via DNSBL (DNS Block Lists) in addition to DNS request logs, then, this MAY work also, to "get around it":
DATA FOR HOSTS RESOLUTION of DOMAINS/SUBDOMAINS, FROM -> http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-shows-futility-of-domain-and-dns-blocks-120109/
---
1.) "Ping" each of these:
www.piratebay.am, piratebay.net, www.piratebay.net, www.piratebay.no, piratebay.no, piratebay.se, www.piratebay.se, suprnova.com, www.suprnova.com, themusicbay.com, www.themusicbay.com, themusicbay.net, www.themusicbay.net, themusicbay.org, www.themusicbay.org, thepiratebay.am,www.thepiratebay.am, www.thepiratebay.com, thepiratebay.com, thepiratebay.gl, www.thepiratebay.gl, thepiratebay.net, www.thepiratebay.net, www.thepiratebay.se, thepiratebay.se, www.piraattilahti.fi, piraattilahti.fi, thepiratepay.org.nyud.net
To get their correct IP address...
2.) Then embed them "hardcoded" thus, in a custom HOSTS file, like so (e.g. with 1st one):
194.71.107.15 www.piratebay.am
(That's the IP address I get back from "pinging" them, your result MAY vary... so, test to be more sure!)
---
* That SHOULD work, depending on HOW they block it actually, such as DNSBL's (but, there's various methods OTHER than DNSBL too)...
APK
P.S.=> However, IF this is going on & NOT by DNSBL blocking filtering (data from SAME link above):
IP addresses to be blocked:
194.71.107.15
194.71.107.19
194.71.107.18
Then, HOSTS will not work either (they only work for host-domain names/canonical names for sites, not IP addresses), BUT, alternate DNS's still may though I'd suspect, @ least if DNSBL's are used for the blocking!
(That is, until the alternate DNS', legit ones that is, get what I suspect is being put into place in DNSBL's), or TOR etc. ...
* Still, it's BEST to NOT "pirate" music, film, etc. from online, imo @ least...
... apk
1. Re:HOSTS "hardcodes" SHOULD "blow by" DNSBLs by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 06:03 · Score: 0
  
  Hey, moron:
  You're on Slashdot. Hostsfile entries are our version of being able to button your own shirt. You're not being informative. There are plenty of sites on the Internet where you could post this and someone might actually learn something. Plus it would let you maintain your delusion that knowing this very simple thing actually makes you the expert you so desperately wish people to see you as.
2. Re:HOSTS "hardcodes" SHOULD "blow by" DNSBLs by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 08:48 · Score: 0
  
  Don't speak 4 all of us. I didn't know about hosts files n I use slashdot.
3. Re:HOSTS "hardcodes" SHOULD "blow by" DNSBLs by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 09:09 · Score: 0
  
  How would u know his thoughts? U project u think he's expert w\ that.
4. Re:HOSTS "hardcodes" SHOULD "blow by" DNSBLs by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 11:43 · Score: 0
  
  Not projecting anything, kid. He does this at pretty much every opportunity.
5. Re:HOSTS "hardcodes" SHOULD "blow by" DNSBLs by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 11:54 · Score: 0
  
  That's not what I see. I learned about hosts files today from him. It's a good thing so far because I found mvps.org's host file and I am surfing noticeably faster already on most websites after installing it. You seem to perceive and yes project you think he's smart. On hosts he's right on the money from what I have seen already in only an hour or so of installing the mvps host file here and surfing faster in firefox.
Same Finn checking in from home... by blind+biker · 2012-01-09 05:58 · Score: 1

in my previous post (parent of this) I mentioned that I had still access to TPB. Well that was from our academic network - not sure who the provider is.
Now I am at home, and we use DNA (which, apparently, isn't quite the same as Elisa), and I still can access TPB without issues.
This is strange, because I was under the impression that almost all providers (DNA included) use Elisa's WAN network infrastructure.

--
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
Re:...and a non-Pirate Bay related site got censor by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 06:00 · Score: 0

Technically not, but piraattilahti.fi doesn't resolve using Elisa's name servers.
Re:...and a non-Pirate Bay related site got censor by marsu_k · 2012-01-09 06:13 · Score: 1

It is here at least (Elisa customer myself). But no matter, the block is trivially cirmuvented.
PCI? by phorm · 2012-01-09 06:15 · Score: 1

If that were the case, I'd imagine that the PCI folks would have something to say about that.
Using a customer's CC # for anything other than payment is likely to cause trouble.
distribution of a hosts file by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 07:05 · Score: 0

ergo
piratebay.org NEWIP.HERE.STUPID.MPAA tards
insert into hosts file enjoy
this gets awful expensive for them to keep up with
Isn't Finland in the EU? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 07:15 · Score: 0

I thought the precedent for this sort of thing was already dealt with via the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg? eg. http://blog.operationreality.org/2011/11/24/eu-court-of-justice-rules-against-censorship-and-forcing-isps-to-block-file-sharing/
Is there something somehow inherently different that I'm missing about this case than the one involving the Belgians?
What's the point of EU court rulings if apparently they don't mean anything? Or do they?
Oh no! by toriver · 2012-01-09 07:19 · Score: 1

Now some Finns have to use one of the multitude of other Torrent trackers. Or add "type:torrent" to a Google search. Oh the humanity!
Time to stand up to our governments. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 08:25 · Score: 0

The isp should have simply refused to cooperate.
Time to rebel!
SOPA by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 10:13 · Score: 0

Don't worry, your law makers are rushing to fix it as we speak. Enjoy your SOPA.
Why not just... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-09 10:38 · Score: 0

Going along with this kind of thinking: we should just ban all of the network gear manufacturers from making equipment because they also enable piracy !
Religious Persecution by peawormsworth · 2012-01-09 16:32 · Score: 1

This isnt about copyrights. Its about preventing the spread of Kopimism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missionary_Church_of_Kopimism, which is now an official religion in Sweden. Its about stopping the growth of "Pirate Parties" as in Germany, where the Piratenpartei Deutschland (Pirate Party) took 8.9 percent of the vote in Berlin's recent election.
Squiggleslash = My ac stalker troll by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-10 20:03 · Score: 0

http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2610194&cid=38641004
APK
P.S.=> You're "busted" goof, & sooner or later, I always catch idiots like yourself (even when you stalk & harass me via AC posts) because sooner or later, you "talk/brag" about it usually (just like you did there & were caught red-handed)... and, you called ME a 'moron'? LMAO... jokes on YOU! apk