Forensic Investigator Outlines BitTorrent Detection Technology

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Forensic Investigator Outlines BitTorrent Detection Technology

Posted by timothy on Saturday July 7, 2012 @07:27AM from the vee-simply-attach-ziss-collar-to-each-bit dept.

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "In one of the many BitTorrent download cases brought by pornographic film makers, the plaintiff — faced with a motion to quash brought by a "John Doe" defendant — has filed its opposition papers. Interestingly, these included a declaration by its 'forensic investigator' (PDF), employed by a German company, IPP, Limited, in which he makes claims about what his technology detects, and about how BitTorrent works, and attaches, as an exhibit, a 'functional description' of his IPTracker software (PDF)."

8 of 193 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

IPTracker Based on Shareaza 2.4.0.0 by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-07 07:38 · Score: 3, Insightful

Wouldn't that mean that it is subject to the GPL since it is derived from a GPL based product? So, let's see the source.
1. Re:IPTracker Based on Shareaza 2.4.0.0 by Mashiki · 2012-07-07 08:55 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I dunno about that. If something is GPL'd and being used in the courts to prosecute me, hell, even if it's closed source I want to see the source so I can tell whether or not it's tampered with.
  We already do this with other forms of evidence gathering tools, it should be the same with data gathering tools.
  
  --
  Om, nomnomnom...
I2P/Freenet by nurb432 · 2012-07-07 07:41 · Score: 5, Insightful

Try tracking us there.
Good luck.

--
---- Booth was a patriot ----
1. Re:I2P/Freenet by girlintraining · 2012-07-07 08:08 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  It's still just extra obfusciation. You can't hide the fact that data leaves and arrives at certain times, and each node forwards data as it receives it... if you can monitor the traffic, you can derive from that who's talking to who, whether you know what the traffic is or not. And somewhere, either at the source, or the destination, is a decrypted copy. Since the US government already monitors all traffic that occurs domestically, this kind of analysis is already practical and being used right now.
  Don't assume that just because you can't do it, nobody can do it. That's arrogant, and it will come back to haunt you.
  
  --
  #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
Re:Hmm. Claims to get a screenshot. How? by girlintraining · 2012-07-07 07:57 · Score: 3, Insightful

How? I can't imagine that any of these P2P applications include such functionality.
They don't. This guy might be a programmer, but he's got bricks for brains when it comes to proper terminology.

--
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
Re:Hash Collisions by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-07 08:07 · Score: 2, Insightful

Doubtful. It doesn't fly in normal court and it won't fly here.
Re:private trackers solved this long ago by nurb432 · 2012-07-07 08:13 · Score: 5, Insightful

Only takes one person to sell out an entire private tracker.

--
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Re:Well by j00r0m4nc3r · 2012-07-07 08:39 · Score: 5, Insightful

the private copyright cops have no reason to lie or cheat

Sure they do. Since this is really just an elaborate extortion racket, the more IPs they deliver to their clients, the more they get paid. Their clients just file a bunch of John Doe lawsuits and hope for settlements. The more IPs they have, the more possible settlements -- false positives be damned.