   How to p2p users get caught anyway?
  Okay first off... let''s set the record straight, I''m not thinking about using p2p programs nor am I use one, thanks .So, how is it that government agencies know when people are a. sharing a file illegally or b. downloading a file illegally. I mean it''s not as if they can download files from p2p programs to see if they are illegal software as they would there fore be downloading illegal software, and they obviously can''t just check by the name as the name can be anything. And that just begs the question of how they catch people downloading from p2p programs because if they share fake copies of illegal files then you aren''t really downloading something illegal.Obviously they can tap your internet connection but how on earth are they going to put together all the packets to resemble a file and therefore know if you''re getting an illegal file.Loosly translated htf do they do it? 
  Well, my guess is (such as kazaa, napster etc) they get the p2p program and track whatevers being sent. Then they tell everyone how much piracy is costing us and increase the price of cd''s and games by 20%. OOh, they don''t stop the people either, it''s just a way to increase profits.   Look, one of the few who hasn''t   asked Salsa for an Avatar.Nor do I follow the trend of putting "I don''t follow trends" in your sig.Wait... ;quote:Original post by RamboBones  So, how is it that government agencies know when people are a. sharing a file illegally or b. downloading a file illegally. I mean it''s not as if they can download files from p2p programs to see if they are illegal software as they would there fore be downloading illegal software, and they obviously can''t just check by the name as the name can be anything.First of all, it isn''t ''government agencies'' doing it, it''s private firms hired by the producers/distributors of the content in question. And I''m sure those producers have no problem with the firms they hired downloading the stuff. But anyways, they don''t download it, just verify that you''re offering it.quote:And that just begs the question of how they catch people downloading from p2p programs because if they share fake copies of illegal files then you aren''t really downloading something illegal.In tort cases such as copyright infringement, the plaintiff needs only to establish the preponderance of evidence in order to win. If you had a file shared called "Britney Spears - Slave 4 U.mp3" of the appropriate size with the appropriate ID3 tag, you would be hard pressed to mount a successful defense unless you had some really convincing documentation of what was being shared.   "Sneftel is correct, if rather vulgar." --Flarelocke ;  My mum (of all people) was kinda 'caught'She got a letter from her ISP, forwarding a letter they had received from an anti-piracy agency, can't remember what they were called.The letter told her she had a copy of Adobe Photoshop on her machine and it was being shared on Kazaa. This was true - my younger brother had put it there. The agency advised her ISP that in cases like this, education was considered the best approach, so they asked her to remove any offending files, and said don't do it again. That was the end of the matter.So that's how they catch you! [edited by - Starboy on February 12, 2004 6:14:27 AM];  You always have Freenet, where you are completely anonymous, but it is kinda slow (supposedly it gets faster if you use it a lot). ;  Freenet looks interesting. Not very efficient, but still interesting. ;quote:Original post by Starboy  My mum (of all people) was kinda ''caught''She got a letter from her ISP, forwarding a letter they had received from an anti-piracy agency, can''t remember what they were called.The letter told her she had a copy of Adobe Photoshop on her machine and it was being shared on Kazaa. This was true - my younger brother had put it there. The agency advised her ISP that in cases like this, education was considered the best approach, so they asked her to remove any offending files, and said don''t do it again. That was the end of the matter.So that''s how they catch you! [edited by - Starboy on February 12, 2004 6:14:27 AM]And chances are, the methods they used to figure out who your mother is are either: a) illegal, or b) easily blockable.  To block it, you just need to spoof an unrelated IP address, and change it daily.  This is what I do - not because I''m trying files through P2P, mind you (I don''t trade/download/upload), but because I don''t want anyone to have an easy time tracking my internet usage.  Of course, if someone wants to track you down, they probably can, no matter what you do: my computer has to connect SOMEWHERE, after all, to even get on the web.  However, the fact that I don''t have a T1, and am using a DSL modem (1024 down, 512 up - pretty fast for a DSL!), actually makes it HARDER to track me: My computer (random IP #1)which connects to the world, which is running through a network hub (random IP #2), which connects to a firewall (random IP #3), which connects to my DSL modem, which then connects to my ISP''s dialup (random IP #4), which then connects to THEIR network (random IP #5), then firewall (random IP #6), and then goes out to the world.  That''s a LOT of hops to go through - and it doesn''t even take into account what servers I''m connecting to to get onto the WWW at all (not file/web site host servers).  Your mother is connecting in a similar way, but her IP is probably always within a certain range, whereas mine jumps all over the place on at least 4 of the hops, plus, when possible, I try to route through at least two copies of "anonymizer" software: my computer''s randomly assigned IP (that''s in a certain range) goes into one instance, gets a totally random IP, and then THAT IP goes into ANOTHER instance.  This type of software can be found all over the web, and is sometimes available in shareware - or even open source/freware - form.  The software I''m using was written by a programmer friend of mine for the same purposes I''m using it for, so it isn''t available (and no, I can''t send it to you).The illegal way?  Why, embedding spyware in apps you download, or even using the spyware Adobe itself installs - and THIS is probably how they REALLY found her.  It''s AOM.EXE - make sure it''s not running.  Your apps will still work, as mine do (and I paid - too much - for Photoshop, Illustrator & After Effects, the only Adobe software I use, unless you count Audition, but I''m still using the Syntrillium version from when it was called "CoolEdit Pro 2).   -Nick "digisoap" RobalikWeb & Print Design, 2D & 3D Illustration and Animation, Game Designhttp://www.digital-soapbox.comnick@digital-soabox.com;quote:Original post by Sneftel  quote:Original post by RamboBones   So, how is it that government agencies know when people are a. sharing a file illegally or b. downloading a file illegally. I mean it''s not as if they can download files from p2p programs to see if they are illegal software as they would there fore be downloading illegal software, and they obviously can''t just check by the name as the name can be anything.First of all, it isn''t ''government agencies'' doing it, it''s private firms hired by the producers/distributors of the content in question. And I''m sure those producers have no problem with the firms they hired downloading the stuff. But anyways, they don''t download it, just verify that you''re offering it.quote:And that just begs the question of how they catch people downloading from p2p programs because if they share fake copies of illegal files then you aren''t really downloading something illegal.In tort cases such as copyright infringement, the plaintiff needs only to establish the preponderance of evidence in order to win. If you had a file shared called "Britney Spears - Slave 4 U.mp3" of the appropriate size with the appropriate ID3 tag, you would be hard pressed to mount a successful defense unless you had some really convincing documentation of what was being shared.   "Sneftel is correct, if rather vulgar." --Flarelocke   In other words, there would be no way to track down somebody downloading illegal stuff?I don''t know anything about this, but are they really only looking for the people who give other people access to the files? ;  My self generated intepretation is that you could be caught by downloading a file from a host that the RIAA/cooperative agencies has set up to catch people.  Afterall, couldn''t the hosting computer simply do a netstat or similar operation and acquire the ip address of who was downloading from them?  This would probably work with them trying to download files off of you too; once a connection has been established, they could probably get your ip in a similar matter.This is just my uneducated opinion, though.   -=Peon=- : A Poorly Implement Forum Bot ------© Kordova, 2003(Avatar by Salsa);quote:Original post by Peon  My self generated intepretation is that you could be caught by downloading a file from a host that the RIAA/cooperative agencies has set up to catch people.  Afterall, couldn''t the hosting computer simply do a netstat or similar operation and acquire the ip address of who was downloading from them?  This would probably work with them trying to download files off of you too; once a connection has been established, they could probably get your ip in a similar matter.This is just my uneducated opinion, though.   -=Peon=- : A Poorly Implement Forum Bot ------© Kordova, 2003(Avatar by Salsa) That would seem to be how they do it. Here''s the letter my mum was sent: 