Website knows what you've illegally downloaded

[DemonGeminiX]

It could be trouble for those who steal copyrighted music and movies.

By Matt Liebowitz

A new website that keeps track of everything you download from file-sharing sites could spell trouble for the scores of people who steal copyrighted music and movies.

The site, Youhavedownloaded.com, does exactly what its name implies: It keeps a huge database of millions of media files that have been downloaded to tens of millions of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses from file-sharing websites and services such as BitTorrent. When you visit the site, it automatically scans your IP address and reveals what, if any, files you've downloaded.

To date, Youhavedownloaded has a database of more 52,286,000 users and 110,800 torrents made up of 1,918,000 individual files. A glance at the homepage shows a small sample of what people have downloaded, including the film "Spy Kids 4," the AMC show "The Walking Dead" and season four of FX's "Sons of Anarchy."

The site was built as a proof-of-concept, Suren Ter-Saakov, one of its founders, told noted cyber security researcher Brian Krebs. As such, it stops short of parsing through "dynamic" IP addresses, which change and can be used to conceal one's online activities. The site's servers don't store timestamps or gather personally identifiable details either.

Despite its limitations and innocent nature, Youhavedownloaded.com still has the capability to scare — or shame — people into thinking before they blindly download pirated material.

Ter-Saakov said he received an email from someone who asked to have his information taken down "because he was downloading porn and was afraid his parents would be able to see what kind of files he downloaded."

Beyond calling people out, Krebs said the site highlights something that's important but often overlooked among casual Internet users, which is that file-trading networks "are an extremely common and easy way to spread malicious software."

Skipping the ethical argument about downloading copyrighted material, if you're on a file-sharing site, be very cautious about what you download. There is no guarantee the song or TV show you think you're getting is what it claims to be. Make sure your computer is outfitted with anti-virus software, and to protect yourself even further, run all downloads through a malware-scanning program.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45646527/ns/technology_and_science-security/t/website-knows-what-youve-illegally-downloaded/

[Teh One Who Knocks]

People who use torrents get what they deserve ;)

[RBP]

I DL'd a torrent recently... a fake file :|

[DemonGeminiX]

People who use torrents get what they deserve ;)

It's not just files downloaded by way of torrents that they're tracking.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It's not just files downloaded by way of torrents that they're tracking.

According to how I read the article it is


...from file-sharing websites and services such as BitTorrent....

To date, Youhavedownloaded has a database of more 52,286,000 users and 110,800 torrents made up of 1,918,000 individual files....

[Teh One Who Knocks]

And according to the website itself it's a torrent tracker


Hi. We have no records on you.

This means you are using a private torrent tracker or, of course, you may not be a torrent user at all! It happens. Please, entertain yourself. Feel free to see what other people have downloaded. The search box is on the top. If you have any friends who use torrents, use it to scare them off. We also have a widget that you can install in your website, blog or Facebook page. Or you can just send them a link to this site. They will see a table similar to what you see below. The only difference — they will see their downloads.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I DL'd a torrent recently... a fake file :|

Torrents are both worthless and dangerous

[RBP]

Torrents are both worthless and dangerous

jes

[DemonGeminiX]

file-sharing websites...

There are plenty of file-sharing websites that don't use torrents. Before I used any forum that does the same thing, I grabbed some TV episodes off of a open website that catalogs TV shows that are uploaded to megaupload and others. Occasionally, I grab an mp3 off of open mp3 sites like beemp3, mp3raid, etc, etc. I'm sure those could be included.

[DemonGeminiX]

file-sharing websites...

There are plenty of file-sharing websites that don't use torrents. Before I used any forum that does the same thing, I grabbed some TV episodes off of a open website that catalogs TV shows that are uploaded to megaupload and others. Occasionally, I grab an mp3 off of open mp3 sites like beemp3, mp3raid, etc, etc. I'm sure those could be included.

Ok, maybe not. The site said I was clean.

:lol:

[Loser]

Hi. We have no records on you.

This means you are using a private torrent tracker or, of course, you may not be a torrent user at all! It happens. Please, entertain yourself. Feel free to see what other people have downloaded. The search box is on the top. If you have any friends who use torrents, use it to scare them off. We also have a widget that you can install in your website, blog or Facebook page. Or you can just send them a link to this site. They will see a table similar to what you see below. The only difference — they will see their downloads.
Well, you are in the clear. But look what others do

I know ya don't ya daffy fuckers :lol:

BWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA :twisted:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

file-sharing websites...

There are plenty of file-sharing websites that don't use torrents. Before I used any forum that does the same thing, I grabbed some TV episodes off of a open website that catalogs TV shows that are uploaded to megaupload and others. Occasionally, I grab an mp3 off of open mp3 sites like beemp3, mp3raid, etc, etc. I'm sure those could be included.

Torrents have trackers, so they are trackable, it would be impossible for the site to know what you were downloading from filesharing sites unless they had software on your PC...download links from filesharing sites aren't trackable other than from the filehost itself

[DemonGeminiX]

Torrents are both worthless and dangerous

Like I said elsewhere, the only reason to use torrents is to grab linux/freebsd/solaris distributions. Torrents are the preferred method of obtaining the DVD images you need to install those operating systems, since it takes so little bandwidth to distribute them via torrents, yet takes so much bandwidth to host the individual image files on a site.

[Loser]

Like I said elsewhere, the only reason to use torrents is to grab linux/freebsd/solaris distributions. Torrents are the preferred method of obtaining the DVD images you need to install those operating systems, since it takes so little bandwidth to distribute them via torrents, yet takes so much bandwidth to host the individual image files on a site.

Exactly.

The only thing I've ever torrented is Linux Distro's.

[Deepsepia]

Torrents are both worthless and dangerous


http://picload.org/image/rgaaldp/wordtoyourmother.jpg


I actually have seen some egitimate software distributed this way -- folks who sell very big media application with a lot of content (like Luxology's Modo) use Torrents as a way to get updates out more efficiently . . . when a new update drops, everyone wants it, and the traditional server side distribution slows to a crawl. Bittorrent is actually in this instance . . . much faster download for the user, much lower server bill for the vendor.

But that's a rare exception . . .

[DemonGeminiX]

Like I said elsewhere, the only reason to use torrents is to grab linux/freebsd/solaris distributions. Torrents are the preferred method of obtaining the DVD images you need to install those operating systems, since it takes so little bandwidth to distribute them via torrents, yet takes so much bandwidth to host the individual image files on a site.

:-s

I guess you missed this.

[deebakes]

:hills:

[DemonGeminiX]

:hills:

:-k


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Qrj0VV_VY

[Acid Trip]

Or you can spoof your IP address and/or bounce it off so many servers they have no clue where you are at.

[Hal-9000]

Here's my rebuttal if someone sends me a note saying - hal, we've traced your IP and you have downloaded The Twilight Movie (for example)..

I have read both the agreement with my filehost and all of the text on the site that supplied me the links for the movie.There we NO instances telling me that I was committing an illegal act in either case.
Since I have registered with what appeared to be a legal filehost and used a site for the links that hosts a variety of movies and TV shows without warning, please fuck off.I have 18 seasons of South Park to watch, adios assholes.

[Godfather]

Here's my rebuttal if someone sends me a note saying - hal, we've traced your IP and you have downloaded The Twilight Movie (for example)..

I have read both the agreement with my filehost and all of the text on the site that supplied me the links for the movie.There we NO instances telling me that I was committing an illegal act in either case.
Since I have registered with what appeared to be a legal filehost and used a site for the links that hosts a variety of movies and TV shows without warning, please fuck off.I have 18 seasons of South Park to watch, adios assholes.

There's that, and BMG Canada Inc. V John Doe (& " " Appeal) where attempts by the industry to halt peer-to-peer in Canada utterly failed. :lol: Not only was action against Canadians for downloading ruled down, the courts found that file sharing in Canada is all together legal. That is precedent and hasn't been touched in 5 years. It was soon followed by the RCMP saying they're not interested in enforcing any peer-to-peer copyright laws in Canada anyways.

[Acid Trip]

There's that, and BMG Canada V. John Doe (& " " Appeal) where attempts by the industry to halt peer-to-peer in Canada utterly failed. :lol: Soon followed by the RCMP saying they're not interested in enforcing any peer-to-peer copyright laws in Canada anyways.

RCMP = Royal Canadian Mounted Police? Like Dudly Do-Right?

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Torrents are not secure. Like rapidshare for example. So downloading from a host as opposed to a torrent makes these things worthless

[Godfather]

RCMP = Royal Canadian Mounted Police? Like Dudly Do-Right?

:lol: Yep... they're the police force in most cities and municipalities across Canada (although some cities have developed their own departments instead ie. Vancouver PD)

[Hal-9000]

Torrents are not secure. Like rapidshare for example. So downloading from a host as opposed to a torrent makes these things worthless

Confused.....torrents are peer to peer with each user seeding or leeching a portion of the file.

Rapidshare is a file host with a server where one guy uploads the whole movie for example and provides links to that specific file from the server.


Is that what you just tried to say? :lol:

[Hal-9000]

RCMP = Royal Canadian Mounted Police? Like Dudly Do-Right?

And the entity that created VICLAS, which was the predecessor to other major law enforcement agencies linking databases to share info about criminals on a worldwide level.

Don't let the red serge fool you...those guys aren't slouches in the law department

[Jezter]

YAY!

http://i.imgur.com/x0dxL.png


Also, silly website. Do not want.

[redred]

clean as well

[Goofy]

:woot:

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/144/easycapture1ml.png (http://img836.imageshack.us/i/easycapture1ml.png/)

[Muddy]

You guys are nuts for even going there...

[Jezter]

You guys are nuts for even going there...

Why? Good to know Im clean.

[Muddy]

Maybe they are tracking your IP and selling the info?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

All they can track is an IP addy that visited the site, that alone is meaningless unless you are a torrent user

Plus, with NoScript on FF being active, they can't run anything on my PC from their site

[Muddy]

Yeah I dont know... Im just posing the question...

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Confused.....torrents are peer to peer with each user seeding or leeching a portion of the file.

Rapidshare is a file host with a server where one guy uploads the whole movie for example and provides links to that specific file from the server.


Is that what you just tried to say? :lol:


When you go to rapidshares website the connection is secure
https://www.rapidshare.com/ notice the s in https, the s means secure. That means the traffic is encrypted and network sniffers cant read whats being downloaded.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_Secure

Torrents on the other hand are not secure, so a network sniffer can read exactly what it is you are downloading ;)