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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446 Responses
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Sk0t if you want any form of life, after you’re finished with probation I suggest you leave the country. They will never leave you alone.
I suggest somewhere in Europe, maybe UK or Sweden ;)
sk0t,
I have one question. Do you have to have the monitoring software installed for a short period or the rest of your life? If it is for rest of your days maybe consider going over seas.
Kevin Mitnick fought back when he was not allowed to use a computer. He now can access the Internet through a judge ruling in his favor. I have not seen anything about his computer being tapped as yours soon will be. Good Luck, Long Live Linux.
A lot of people have to do way worse stuff when they are on parole. I’m sympathetic to “copyright infringers”, but he just needs to deal. ALSO, you need to pretend to be remorseful and thankful after you get busted so bitching about some little lame thing they make you do is a give away that you aren’t broken. Breaking the person is the whole point of all this shit, otherwise they would have to keep people locked up for a long time instead of shock sentences.
If it all wasn’t supposed to be some large secret, the court could just acknowledge that his internet use is already being monitored along with the rest of us. In addition to that the RIAA/MPAA etc. already monitor for everything the court is interested in which is how he got busted in the first place. Forcing him to install the courts silly software is ludicrous on its face for any real world effectiveness but then the court is quite likely to be making money from the process.
In my state the prisoner has to pay substantial fees covering both the bracelet and the monitoring service. Last I recall that cost was approximately $15/day plus the prisoner had to install a dedicated (wired) phone line if not otherwise available. Like phone calls and commissary from jail/prison, all such prices are hyper inflated and the court/police garner a hefty cut from providing the feedstock into these various prison industries which are also co-joined with a multitude of vertical up sells.
If a person or family has the money, this modicum of additional freedom might be worth the expense but those without the necessary resources simply get to sit it out. Such is not the preference of county governments and municipalities which far prefer to make money from prisoners via work release and or the bracelet for simply incarcerating them in traditional jails is far less lucrative.
OK, use winblows chunks, install their POS monitoring toolset, install virtualbox, and reinstall Ubuntu under virtualbox, profit!
Why not to buy vista, latest office, visual studio and charge it all to the justice dep. then ask for a refund for m$ and run the monitor software with wine?
Its part of his probation? Probation is not mandatory he can choose to go back in jail, correct? What’s his problem?
Probation has tons of limitations, its part of the deal you make to give up some rights to stay out of jail. If part of his probation was he had to attend some sort of counceling usually there is a list of places he can go, he can’t choose any random one he finds… if none of the places are local and he can’t afford bus fair or a car then thats his problem… go back to jail if he can’t handle it. Same with this, you can’t afford a Windows OS? Don’t use any. Still not happy? Go to jail. All choices. He started all this making his inital decicsion to break the law. COnsequences are a bitch.
Well… Might as well start seeding the torrent again… can’t be charged for the same crime twice can you? Not sure if that applies but it might just be funny enough to look into it.
“Well… Might as well start seeding the torrent again… can’t be charged for the same crime twice can you? Not sure if that applies but it might just be funny enough to look into it.”
You are so clever and smart. When a rapist gets out of jail he can continue to rape the person as he can’t get charged again! YEA! THAT WOULD BE FUNNY, LOL.
I suppose you think they should have OS X and Solaris clients as well?
I’ve done very well in life by not being under someone else’s thumb as much as possible. I think that if you’d tried harder to avoid getting caught, you might have room to complain.
This is bullshit.
Millions of Americans work with felonies. Don’t let that be an excuse - just let it be what it really is: an Experience that you have walked through.
Monitoring software?
Surely their issue is network rather monitoring desktop use, so why use software to begin with?
I would trust a hardwired network monitor/logger more than software.
First (though I’m not surprised) I’m amazed at all of the self serving holier than thou crap comments.
sk0t, unfortunately this is the way it goes. While you may not agree with today’s copyright laws (and nor do I) this is what happens when you get caught breaking a law. Eventually (hopefully) they will be lifted, and you should definitely fight it. You knew the consequences when you broke the law and it eventually caught up to you. That doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference, it just means life is going to suck for a while.
Playing the “this law sucks” card isn’t going to work for you, you need to be as professional as you can be about this. Suggest changes and maybe compromises and show you are willing to work with the legal system instead of against it. This doesn’t always work but you never know. If you can, fight it and let them know in a professional matter why you use Linux and that its not some ‘copyright infringement hacker tool.’ Provide solid reasoning and you might be surprised of the outcome.
You may be innocent in the moral (though subjective) sense but you are not in the legal sense, and that was proven by the sentencing.
Don’t listen to the ‘use a VM’ and comments of the like. You don’t want to rock the boat. If they say ‘use windows’ and you skirt by using something else however creatively, it will be viewed as a violation of your probation. Remember, your not dealing with smart IT guys and in a lot of cases, you already have a mark against you as ‘that hacker kid.’ It doesn’t happen as often as it use to but it still does.
Good luck.
This is the RIAA having it’s way!!
If you want it to stop, protest and boycott the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
boycott the RIAA’s offices and stop buying CD’s and DVD’s and going to the Movies!
The only way it will stop is if it hurts their pockets!!
Oh poor f*ckin boy.
You break the law and now your bitchin because you are made to use Windows.
Something about making your bed and laying in it.
Boohoo.
Would this kid stop crying?
Maybe try this skOt…
Use a porting program, install it on the windows computer thats connected to internet with the listening program, thats allows your computer to share its internet connection. This way you can run Linux on your next computer and they monitor all they want, isn’t it? *would be fun to send encrypted data from Ubuntu in this situation…*
sk0t, your an idiot. You’re getting exactly what you deserve.
If windows is supplied along with their monitoring software, then I’d probably say he has to deal with it. But no way should he have to buy windows in order to comply.
Still, to have to agree to the windows EULA would suck.
[quote]I second the VMware idea. Keep using Ubuntu, and setup a Win98SE guest running the monitoring software and ICS (Internet Connection Sharing).
Then all your Ubuntu originated internet traffic will be routed through the Windows guest. The processor/memory overhead of Win98SE should be pretty low, plus you could also install Peer Guardian in it.[/quote]
Peerguardian? You expect someone to use torrents while being monitored by fascists?
[quote]go back to jail if he can’t handle it. Same with this, you can’t afford a Windows OS? Don’t use any. Still not happy? Go to jail. All choices.[/quote]
Well now isn’t that a lot of choice…
[quote]I suppose you think they should have OS X and Solaris clients as well?[/quote]
Well, if the government was to serve the people, then that would be a good idea. BSD too (though if the government served the people then people wouldn’t go to jail for sharing). But this is the time of people serving government, it’s not gonna happen…
I would refuse to install the software and simply tell them shut off my internet for 5 months. Thats all his probation is right? after that he can do what he wants. I would rather have no internet for 5 months than put up with this.
FYI what he did WAS criminal and he should and was properly punished for it. (sorry facts are facts no matter how much I hate the MPAA etc..) but a FELONY it is not and should never be. This should be a CIVIL matter AS WAS INTENDED buy original copyright laws. Remember the DMCA is NOT LAW. its illegal and was null and void the moment it was signed. The problem is the law has no real meaning. ENFORCEMENT is everything and even though the DMCA is not lawful and null and void its ENFORCED. See the problem ??
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