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Microsoft Patents Flagging Technology For 'Repeat Offenders' Of Pirated Content (torrentfreak.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the clouds-are-just-other-people's-servers dept.

An anonymous reader quotes TorrentFreak's report on Microsoft's newest patent: Titled: "Disabling prohibited content and identifying repeat offenders in service provider storage systems," the patent describes a system where copyright infringers, and those who publish other objectionable content, are flagged so that frequent offenders can be singled out... "The incident history can be processed to identify repeat offenders and modify access privileges of those users," the patent reads. [PDF] The "repeat infringer" is a hot topic at the moment, after ISP Cox Communications was ordered to pay $25 million for its failure to disconnect repeat offenders...

As far a we know, this is the first patent that specifically deals with the repeat infringer situation in these hosting situations, but it's not uncommon for cloud hosting services to prevent users from sharing infringing content. We previously uncovered that Google Drive uses hash matching to prevent people from sharing "flagged" files in public, and Dropbox does the same.

9 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Encrypt everything, everything, everything. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If people would use end-to-end encryption even on their "private" cloud file storage, none of this fingerprinting would be possible. It's pretty simple, really.

    If sharing files, send the decryption keys out-of-band to the intended recipients.

    Mass sharing to unknown anonymous recipients is somewhat problematic, but if one is of the eyepatch-wearing, shoulder-parrot-hosting type, I'm sure there are plenty of common drinking holes on which to post such shared decryption hints.

  2. You don't own your own computer.... by JWW · · Score: 3, Insightful

    if it's operating system spies on you and reports you to the authorities...

    1. Re:You don't own your own computer.... by dwywit · · Score: 3, Insightful

      In such a hurry to get first post, user fails to read article, consequently posts irrelevant complaint.

      "Disabling prohibited content and identifying repeat offenders in service provider storage systems"

      IOW, not about things done on your own computer.

      --
      They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
    2. Re:You don't own your own computer.... by AHuxley · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The "service provider storage systems" is the cloud for now. How soon before the desktop computer gets a free scan too?

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  3. I've patented... by Gabest · · Score: 2

    ... repeated masturbation. If you do it more than once, you have to pay me.

  4. *OTHER* objectionable content? by wierd_w · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I see your piracy desire there MS, but please, DO elaborate on this "OTHER objectionable content" of which you speak. Do you mean things like kiddie porn, or do you mean things like "Donald Trump does not like that picture of him kissing Putin" ?

    Because the technology to track either of the first two, can be used to track and punish the latter as well. Just wondering if you are willing to directly assert that you will never do this latter thing, and do so publicly.

    Doubt you will, but hey, it never hurts to ask.

    1. Re:*OTHER* objectionable content? by wierd_w · · Score: 2

      I don't consider it tinfoil hattery when people in a western country can still be brought on charges for something as dumb as "blasphemy."

      http://www.independent.co.uk/n...

      Or, should regulatory authorities in various more infamous countries decide that they can track any "objectionable" content they might take offense over, say pictures of Mohamed the prophet with a bomb shaped hat, or satire of the king of Thailand.

      THIS is the stage to object to it at-- NOT when they have already decided that it is a perfectly normal (and essential) business tool.

  5. Re:Question. by dwywit · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yes, you're correct, but there are other ways to identify infringing material. If you're silly enough to store the original extracted material without a quick pass through ffmpeg to process it through a different codec, and maybe a little compression, you deserve to be "flagged". Of course, as another poster mentioned you can always encrypt it.

    I'm more concerned that the terms of service allowing the provider to inspect your content will be accepted by many.

    --
    They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
  6. Liability by currently_awake · · Score: 2

    1-If you actively screen users for illegal activity then you are liable for any crime you let through. 2-ISP's won't be able to screen for copyrighted material because it's patented.