BitTorrent Admin Monitored by US Government, Forced to Dump GNU/Linux
Written by enigmax on August 22, 2007Sk0t, an ex-administrator of the EliteTorrents BitTorrent tracker is to have his internet connection forcibly monitored by the US Government. If that wasn’t bad enough, the monitoring software is Windows based - which means he is being forced to ditch GNU/Linux - or face being barred from the internet.
Scott McCausland (sk0t), the ex-administrator of the EliteTorrents BitTorrent tracker isn’t having much luck lately. Back in September 2006, he pleaded guilty to two charges - ‘conspiracy to commit copyright infringement’ and ‘criminal copyright infringement’. Both charges relate to him uploading ‘Star Wars: Episode III’ onto the internet hours before the theatrical release, earning him 5 months in jail and 5 months home confinement.
Sk0t has now been released from jail but this doesn’t mean that everything is back to normal.
Back on 17 July, sk0t had to see his Probation Officer for the first time and two days later he had to have a special ankle bracelet attached. This monitoring device is there to enforce the terms of his release: Monday to Friday 08:30 to 21:00 he is free to do as he pleases. Weekends are more restrictive - freedom is allocated between 08:30 to 17:00. The one good thing about this device is that it will be removed before Christmas (Dec 19th).
According to a post on his blog, following another meeting with his Probation Officer, it seems sk0t is having more trouble:
So, I am getting shafted by the Justice Department again…”
sk0t was informed by his Probation Officer that he has to have special software installed on his PC so that the government can monitor his online activities. However, what is a more bitter pill to swallow for him is that the monitoring software is Windows only and as sk0t is an Ubuntu user, the Justice Department is forcing him to switch operating systems.
I had a meeting with my probation officer today, and he told me that he has to install monitoring software onto my PC. No big deal to me, that is part of my sentence. However, their software doesnt support GNU/Linux (Which is what I use). So, he told me that if I want to use a computer, I would have to use an OS that the software can be installed on.
Sk0t is left with a tough choice. Give in to the evils of the monitoring software, format his hard drive and install Windows - or be barred from using a PC completely.
Sk0t told TorrentFreak: “I think that this whole situation is just one more way that they can impose their will onto me. I have contacted my attorney, and we are going to fight this. It isn’t the fact that I have to be monitored that bothers me, it is the fact that I have restructure my life (different OS, different software on that OS) and that they would require (force) me to purchase software while I a currently unemployed and relatively unemployable with the 2 felonies that they gave me. It is just a ridiculous situation. Why should I conform to them when I am consenting to the software… they should have software that conforms to me.”
Unfortunately, thanks to the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act, some BitTorrent users are considered criminals these days, which means these unusual measures can be forced upon them. In a society where ‘the punishment should fit the crime’, you can’t help but think that somewhere along the line there’s been a big miscalculation when regular citizens are turned into criminals for sharing files.
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447 Responses
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wow theres a lot of comments on this, seriously everyone should get together and crush the legal system for this outrageous demand. SLASH AND BURN THEM ALL!
You been in jail asshole? For sharing a movie on the internet? Fuck you. This country is FUCKED.
[quote comment="150931"]Give me a break, pop another HD in the machine and set up a dual boot. It’s your own fault that you need to face the “hardships”.
It seems that people that have no compunctions about breaking the law scream the loudest when they have to pay for the crime.
Put on some Big Boy pants, Sk0t.[/quote]
I am amazed that some posters do not see “sharing” a movie as illegal. Especially one that was pre it’s release.
Where did he purchase his copy? Did he read the license terms? If you do not like the product, including it’s terms, don’t buy.
I do not have a problem with copying movies/music/software for my use. I paid for the license I should use it how I like, but that does not include “sharing” with someone else. If they like it, they should buy their own copy.
Who are we to say what the business dynamics are for theatre owners, musicians and others and decide they made too much money. Maybe someone will decide you made too much money and cut in to what you make.
Put windows in vmware, and hide the Ubuntu hop point using some routing & iptables magic (-j TTL –ttl-increase; always forwarding windows traffic).
Or, use a tiny windows router between Ubuntu and the cable modem. Then, use lots of SSL and IPSEC :->
Actually thinking about it, why not ask the neighbor to do NAT for you?
[quote]It’s fascist because he didn’t harm anyone. He didn’t steal anything. He just shared a movie online.[/quote]
Let’s see. He stole a product that wasn’t released yet and then shared it. Yes, that is a crime. Why can’t people like you understand that?
You know why we have all these stupid draconian copy protections and laws in place? It’s because people like you who have no respect for intellectual property.
people like here is our friend sk0t are not going to jail because he shared one single movie, he go to jail because he downloaded/uploaded who now how many terrabyte stuff. Guys like this NEVER download only 1-2 thing, they do mass warez, tons of dvds even in the wc everywhere in his house, all computer filled up with warez. So don’t be dumbass by protecting him everyone know he is dirty as hell. So pathetic minions go home and hang urselves.
[quote]I am amazed that some posters do not see “sharing” a movie as illegal.[/quote]
I don’t think it’s not illegal. I’m saying it’s not wrong and he shouldn’t be punished for it.
Legality has nothing to do with right and wrong.
[quote]He stole a product that wasn’t released yet and then shared it. Yes, that is a crime. Why can’t people like you understand that?[/quote]
I don’t know how he got the copy of star wars, if he got it from the scene and distributed it from there, or if he stole the actual copy from someone then that’s stealing. Sharing it isn’t.
[quote]You know why we have all these stupid draconian copy protections and laws in place? [/quote]
Because movie and music companies like control. Anyone with any reasoning ability knows that DRM doesn’t hurt pirates much, but it does hurt people who bought it.
[quote]It’s because people like you who have no respect for intellectual property.[/quote]
I have no respect for intellectual property because it isn’t real. It’s just a concept used by people to try and sell you something and still retain ownership over it to maximize profit.
If I made up my own property concept called external property, where I owned everything in the world, would you see it as valid? I hope not because it isn’t a real form of property.
Just because governments and corporations reconize this psuedo-ownership doesn’t mean I do.
Oh, and Property is Theft, Intellectual Property is Intellectual Theft ;)
Good - the guy’s a freaking loser moron anyway!!
What I find most revealing about the article is Mr. McCausland’s reference to “… the 2 felonies that they gave me.” Seems you got those all by yourself.
Hard to be sympathetic when you don’t seem willing to truly accept responsibility for your actions.
stop your whining…
I’d be amazed to see what kinds of jobs you people have in real life.. Especially after reading these gems:
“I don’t think it’s not illegal. I’m saying it’s not wrong and he shouldn’t be punished for it.”
“Maybe the law considers it theft, I don’t know”
The guy committed a crime and he now has to own up for it..
@NItrate Row: “I have no respect for intellectual property because it isn’t real.”
You, my friend, are an idiot.
[quote comment="151905"]America sucks. This is so stupid.[/quote]
Spoken like a true idiot.
[quote comment="152076"]Good - the guy’s a freaking loser moron anyway!![/quote]
Also, spoken like a true idiot.
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