Anti-Piracy Company Wants to Sell Patents to Protect P2P
Written by enigmax on September 27, 2007Recently we reported that anti-piracy company Viralg is selling the patents to its technology on eBay for $1,000,000. Most people didn’t think it was value for money but Viralg have been in touch and they have a new idea - selling the patents to P2P’ers to help prevent some future anti-P2P technology.
When we reported on the sale of Viralg’s anti-p2p patents, not many people got excited by the offer.
However, after we published the article, Viralg responded to an email we sent earlier. It appears that they believe that the value of the sale doesn’t necessarily lie in the technology.
This section from the eBay auction gives a clue:
3. If your business is involved in developing and/or selling a P2P program, you can make it better and avoid any problems that this technology can give to your network.
A brief email from Viralg suggests that they feel that a ‘p2p related community’ might want to buy the patents - but why would p2p’ers want them?
Here are some details from the Canadian patent:
1. A method for limiting the use of unauthorized digital content in a content-sharing network in which digital content is distributed as files, wherein each file comprises content information and is associated with characteristic information and verification information, the method comprising:
(a) determining a first file whose content information is copyrighted;
(b) repeatedly distributing a second file in the content-sharing network, wherein the second file is associated with characteristic information and verification information that match the characteristic information and verification information, respectively, of said first file, and wherein the second file comprises content information that does not match the content information of the first file.
It seems that Viralg feel that their patent gives them the monopoly on a particular type of file corruption and that if these patents were bought by a pro-p2p outfit, they could get legal protection if anyone ever tried to use this technique against them.
Viralg told us: “Let say at some P2P related community buy those patent applications… after that no body can’t mess with hash codes…”
Maybe one million p2p’ers will put $1 each for these papers?
Ok, maybe not.
Previously: The Pirate Bay Details Charges Against Media Companies
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46 Responses
anything for keeping MAFIAA away ;)
(but wasn’t this little old technology…?)
ill throw in a buck if it really could give us some stance againt people putting those damn fake files up on the p2p networks. but if it doesnt work for BT, then it doesn’t really matter does it? since BT is the mainstream of p2p right now.
but if someone did buy it, could they turn around and make it open source? cuz if so, we could all just chip in a buck and then release it to the world.
but do they hold the patent to it truly? with all the patent lawsuits, with companies both having a patent for what is basically the same thing, and the lameness of software and intellectual patents these days, it wouldn’t be worth the paper it’s printed on.
These are worthless patents because anti-P2P companies that might violate the patents — like MediaDefender — operate completely underground. They sell a confidential service, but with their software, operation methods, and even identity kept secret to outsiders.
It’s now known that Mediadefender already violated those patents, but if not for the leaked emails and source code, no one would ever know.
It’s not easy to protect patents when violators like Mediadefender set up shell corporations and websites, hide behind proxies, falsify domain registration — and when caught, flat-out lie about everything they do.
It’s also questionable that an illegal act is even patentable.
I would give 1 dollar immidiately.
Fuck, I’ll give a dollar. Only in Canadian funds though. Fuck transfer rates. :P Sign me up!
Hey, we are PIRATES !!
We don’t BUY patents, we TAKE them !!
In fact, why should we even care about patents at all, we do what we want anyway …
Interesting on how many people actually are falling into this scam… Give it a few months and the truth of the “patent” they are offing will come to light. I feel sorry for all thoughs that actually do fall into this…
I smell a scam.
I can just imagine these guys collecting peoples money, and then finding out the IP addresses of those who donated, and then sending the MAFIAA after them.
Does anybody here REALLY want to trust an anti-P2P gang?
As shown from the release of the Media Defender emails, some anti-P2P gangs out there are not afraid to fight dirty.
Worthless
[quote]I smell a scam.
I can just imagine these guys collecting peoples money, and then finding out the IP addresses of those who donated, and then sending the MAFIAA after them.[/quote]
Are you joking?
“Uh, yes, RIAA, we collected some people’s IPs doing the horrible act of buying something we were selling on ebay. Sue them for that law that we have no proof they broke and has nothing to do with this sale!”
worthless
worthless.
[quote comment="175226"]Hey, we are PIRATES !!
We don’t BUY patents, we TAKE them !!
In fact, why should we even care about patents at all, we do what we want anyway …[/quote]
Worthless.
I’d put in a dollar. Hell I’d put in 10 bucks if we could prove it would actually help keep us safe. My real question though, is if they are even hinting that they might sell this patent to us, doesn’t that make them pro-p2p? I mean, even if they think they can make a buck off this, something really serious had to have happened to cause them to act like this. Maybe the MAFIAA rubbed them the wrong way. Either way, it’s an opportunity for us. But then again… if you think about it, if we could get together a million dollars to buy this… couldn’t we better use that to evolve our programs to a point that this wouldn’t be a needed investment? I mean, most programs pirates use are open source, and even if they are run by a commercial company, they are still operating on much less than even $10,000. But meh, that’s just my thoughts.
Viralg is a scam. His promise and his “fact” does not work. It is a retarded dude think he can cheat people to give him money. Viralg boy is a liar. Not that way sucker! Look at the “company” viralg. Testimonials has nothing to show you and contacts is just an e-mail. Fuck the assholes! Totally SCAM!
Count me on whit 20! Actually you don’t need to find MediaDefender it is enough to find Company who use this technology. If Film studio buy protection from MediaDefender and MediaDefender use patented technology Studio can be sue. If you have working movie hash and after downloading you get something else or nothing someone mesh whit hash. If Studio says at they only buy service and they don’t know at it violate those patents they must give up MediaDefender… and in second case even that don’t help.
Patent applications are very general like “verification information” can be some hash code but it can be something what not even exist yet.
Piratebay should buy this… I want to buy ticket in that law case :-)
Put donation site up I’m in.
[quote comment="175398"]Viralg is a scam. His promise and his “fact” does not work. It is a retarded dude think he can cheat people to give him money. Viralg boy is a liar. Not that way sucker! Look at the “company” viralg. Testimonials has nothing to show you and contacts is just an e-mail. Fuck the assholes! Totally SCAM![/quote]
Viralg “boy” can be what ever… but patent applications are real. You can see those in United States Patent and Trademark Office site as well as European Patent Office site. If you read those (and understand) you can see at effective antipiracy service can’t make without violating those.
Imagine buying the patents and then sueing organisations like MediaDefender for infringing on them.
Now who wouldn’t pay to see that?
It looks to me like their technology is on it’s way out.
They’re just trying to cash in before it’s completely obsolete.
Yeah, that sounds like a great idea - giving 1 mil to our enemies. Who knows what they’re going to invest that money in?
If the P2P community could raise a million dollars wouldn’t that money be better spent on our own ideas?
I don’t get how this is going to help us anyway? Detect fake files? Only idiots download fake files. Or are we going to sue the companies who are using this technology? As soon as they hear the P2P community has bought it, they’ll just switch to something else.
Don’t give these criminals a cent!
Idiots that think they are enemies, and that they will log ips of people who donated to buying something off of ebay…If their patent is held well, companies can no longer fuck with hash codes in torrents, and I think that is a very positive thing for the P2P community, if we all purchased it.
fire sale.
Oh sure, pay $1 a million times. Will you have another $25 to pay a million times to prosecute a patent lawsuit in the US? Didn’t think so~.
As others have said before: Worthless.
It is still possible to gather these money, people are buying football teams for 250 000 pounds , each paying like 5 pounds.
So it’s possible, we just need some real organization.
Scare tactics and blackmail mean nothing in a world where everything is nothing. See: http://wiki.offdev.org (not spam)
i cant believe Torrentfreak fall for some stupid shit like this.
*sigh* this site will post anything just for the sake of posting something, even if it is rumor (demonoid) or just plain stupid (this).
and btw patents are not law. with legislation any patent can be made useless.
whatever technology they reckon they’ve got, there will be a way round it. guaranteed. i wouldn’t pay a penny for that shit. viralg could give it to the RIAA for free for all i care, piracy will never die.
echo
‘worthless’
‘closing down sale’
add
‘anything to anybody for a buck’
’story ends in failure and gross humiliation’
zero entertainment value when a guy takes down his pants in public
[quote comment="175982"]whatever technology they reckon they’ve got, there will be a way round it. guaranteed.[/quote]
Technology and rights are two little bit different things. Patents give right to forbid to anyone else to do something (in this case playing with hash). If P2P’ers can say to all (studios, MediaDefender and so on) at they can’t use any technology that give wrong file with correct hash that makes them much weaker.
I don’t see why run when can fight. And
[quote comment="175922"]
and btw patents are not law. with legislation any patent can be made useless.[/quote]
maybe in Zimbabwe. In US patents have long traditions and I don’t know any case where legislation takes given rights away and let everyone use patented technology.
But bigger problem tham what can or can’t do with patent rights are that at P2P’ers can’t buy those.
[quote comment="175810"]So it’s possible, we just need some real organization.[/quote]
“Pirates” can write “worthless”, “we are PIRATES”, “scam…” but some real organization no way.
I love sharing
It will never die!
We the people will unite and become even stronger! Long live p2p!
vivi la revolution!:)
you know, just my 2 cents, after reading much into this matter, and not ever posting anything, I have read both sides of the issues, and am a frequent downloader myself. Mostly only tv shows. But if these companies like mediadefender get out there and put out corrupt useless data on networks, then my thought on that is that im not actually downloading any good content as it is already corrupt, so therefore not a real copy of what I am looking for, and therefore, since it is useless anyways, then what can they come out and sue for? useless/corrupt data? I know there are many more aspects to both sides of the arguments, but I don’t think that I saw this minute point brought up at any time. Just adds to the side of the downloaders out there, who pay good money to their ISPs to at least be able to get proper true info off the web, in a secure environment. Which is another point, Id be more worried about the virus programmers and stuff than to be targeting people who at least are trying to get good and useful materials off the web.
BT uses hash values for files to verify they aren’t tampered with, hash values are next to impossible to fake, therefore this technology doesn’t even work really, seeing your client will detect mismatches and block IP’s of those that seed it automatically.
Also trackers obviously can block IP’s of mediadefender and pals anyway.
And if they ever find a way to fake hash values the BT protocol can simply invent a new way to calculate hash values.
This patent is only worthwhile for mediadefender because they use this rather ineffective method and so are being illegal if it’s patented.
You people are all gang-busters gung-ho on “protecting file sharing,” “we are the revolution…” You seem like a bunch of kids. It’s stupid and unnecessary to shout this over a public forum: File sharing is here to STAY. Regardless of your “revolution.”
Yes, buying a patent similar to this would give you the ability to disseminate anti-P2P orgs that use this patents premise..
The Anti-P2P company can just think like a standard human being:
1) Stop doing it.
2) Where is it legal?
3) Fight.
Number 2 is always going to be easiest, and they will move to somewhere where your patent means nothing.
It’s just a fact.
There is no revolution. It’s just a bunch of people, wanting to be a part of something.
P2P doesn’t need your help until the moment it is said to be outlawed; in which so would all of the internet.
And those with supposed technological minds “there’s gotta be a way around it, there’s gotta.”
YOU DON’T NEED TO MENTION THAT.
You’re not elite. You’re not cool.
If you use the word “backdoor” all too regularly you’re a porno film titler, or a wannabe hacker.
Just reading some of the comments here make me sick.
Sounds like a very stupid idea… spend a million dollars on some patenents or how about spending $500,000 on developing a better system or how about spending $0 and show them that pirates don’t care about patents.
[quote comment="175272"]I smell a scam.
I can just imagine these guys collecting peoples money, and then finding out the IP addresses of those who donated, and then sending the MAFIAA after them.
Does anybody here REALLY want to trust an anti-P2P gang?
As shown from the release of the Media Defender emails, some anti-P2P gangs out there are not afraid to fight dirty.[/quote]
Sorry I may be stupid but why someone want finding out the IP addresses those who donated???
If someone want to see who upload some file like:Transformers[2007]DvDrip[Eng]-aXXo.3816672.TPB.torrent
Up loaders list is really long but here is short sample (maybe 1min. old).
122.52.32.242
124.170.56.121
149.169.151.40
193.24.200.135
201.221.35.104
212.76.50.180
222.153.7.208
60.50.55.78
66.177.152.180
68.19.89.163
70.51.117.83
71.203.175.136
71.83.197.245
72.79.16.238
75.80.183.51
76.246.198.168
79.114.81.240
79.66.179.14
80.108.25.214
80.202.57.188
82.173.89.128
82.27.198.19
82.36.66.57
82.71.31.46
85.167.115.206
86.140.61.46
86.155.210.171
86.41.100.122
86.82.201.121
87.205.211.207
87.207.183.208
88.104.37.91
89.102.186.105
91.152.96.227…
So if bad guys want some IP’s it takes just few seconds.
I’m confused what is going on here?
[quote]So if bad guys want some IP’s it takes just few seconds.
I’m confused what is going on here?[/quote]
Some people are a little stupid for thinking they will just try to take IPs from an ebay sale.
You are much more stupid for posting people’s IPs here.
IP’s don’t give the information about who uses them, but IP’s linked to a creditcard makes all the personal data readily available, and without warrant, yay for the patriot act and the sleezyness of banks.
Not that buying patents is illegal in any way of course, but that was pointed out already.
I’d donate a buck.
But only if we can treat my one-millionth as a share. So if we sue a company we all get a return.
This sweetens the pot and makes for a bigger laugh at those Corp. Dr. Evils
I’ll donate two bucks. No, make that three. /sarcasm
Software patents are not even enforceable in the courts in most of europe. So in europe these are just worthless paper.
And even if the patents are enforceable in some other jurisdictions, why bother buying them from the enemy. Just break the law.
BitTorrent technology is currently immune to this method. Only affects Kazaa and other near-dead networks.
I’ll keep my dollar. :)
Fanatics of the P2P super power gave birth to the devil.
It is the strongest P2P file sharing system Share NT.
And, Because UDP is used, even the band limiting that the internet service provider does is exceeded.
Reference
Share (P2P) - Wikipedia
Share NT - 2ch.ru
1 references to this post
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