MediaDefender Founders Leave Sinking Ship
Written by Ernesto on March 26, 2009After suffering humiliation at the hands of a hacker in 2007, the future of anti-piracy company MediaDefender is in serious doubt. The stock price of its parent company has plunged, and the two founders of MediaDefender have now left the sinking ship.
Founded in 2000, MediaDefender made a name for itself by polluting file-sharing networks and BitTorrent sites with fake files. Their methods were especially effective on sites that had little or no moderation and the company’s success didn’t go unnoticed.
In mid 2005, MediaDefender founders Randy Saaf and Octavio Herrera were paid $43 million for their anti-piracy company when it was acquired by ARTISTdirect. This seemed to be a good deal, particularly since the big movie studios were paying millions for MediaDefender’s services – but that situation didn’t last.
In August 2007 disaster struck when a database of MediaDefender’s internal emails leaked to the public. Every juicy detail of their anti-piracy campaigns were out in the open, including the tools they used. The hacker said that he initially didn’t plan to make the info public, but when he found out what MediaDefender were up to he was determined to “destroy them” – and so he did.
The emails were published on the web at MediaDefender-Defenders.com but now the site just diverts to The Pirate Bay. Despite the damage control efforts of MediaDefender, however, the emails are still available for download on some BitTorrent sites. This must have helped give the large movie studios the impression that MediaDefender is not the most capable company to entrust with the protection of their blockbuster titles.
MediaDefender Founders Randy Saaf and Octavio Herrera
A few months after the leak it became known that the data breach was proving exceptionally expensive, with MediaDefender’s parent company losing almost $1,000,000 because of the hack. As a result, their stock price plunged and is now valued at a measly two cents per share and the company’s activities have noticeably decreased. BitTorrent site administrators told TorrentFreak that MediaDefender are not as active as they used to be.
Many times we have predicted the downfall of MediaDefender but on paper the company is still alive. Its founders are no longer on board though. According to a SEC filing last month, MediaDefender has terminated the employment of Randy Saaf and Octavio Herrara.
Why the two left is not clear, but it’s the end of an era for sure. It wouldn’t surprise us if the company ceases to exist in the near future. Meanwhile, the two anti-piracy partners were elected to the Board of Directors of Jibro, Inc. a relatively unknown mobile entertainment company where they will continue to work together.
We wish them all the best.
Previously: TorrentBoy, Free Kids Book on the TorrentSphere
Next: EU Rejects ‘3 Strikes’ for File-Sharers
68 Responses
Yeah! ts about time! Saw it coming as soon as I saw them in the news. TBP FTW!!!!!
After all that they have done to attempt to destroy the pirate community it is nice to know that they have failed. Their tactics have been sketchy if not down right illegal. I just hope they face consequences for some of the things they have done.
Pair of wankers
Nice to hear.
Good riddance.
“We wish them all the best.”
And MediaDefender, and the MAFIAA, the worst. But also those two as well.
MediaDefender is and always was a joke. All they ever may have been able to catch were noobs that didn
‘t know how to avoid their tactics.
It’s actually Jirbo, not Jibro.
http://jirbo.com
Irony.
Company is bankrupted by the very system it’s trying to defend
annoying, I’m reading about this company going to hell since… omg 2 years ago, they should be HISTORY by now, something is not right..
Hey that white guy’s kinda cute… too bad he’s an anit-piracy douchbag. =/
For some reason I pictured anti-piracy people being un-attractive sexually frustrated old farts.
huh.
It’s kind of neat that one person can bring down a multi-million dollar operation simply by shedding light on their tactics.
TPB FTW!!
And for sure it is nice to hear that MediaDefender sinks a inch more each passing day…
good riddance to bad rubbish, those 2 guys suck big dogs…..Hack your way to justice.
Could that pose by them be anymore douchebag ish?
Can someone shop in a pair of fuzzy handcuffs for these two d-bags?
They look like two convicts. LOL
And Nothing Of Value Was Lost.
and for those who are looking for a another way to fight: http://www.yearwithoutdrm.com/
I found the website while surfing, I don’t care if you go to the site, basically it’s about making a resolution to not purchase DRM’d stuff for a year. I know, I know, just like most of you, DRM is one of the reasons I don’t purchase. (Heh, DRM leads to filesharing, wrap your head around that one, b!tc#es)
lol @ pic… they look like fags… no wonder they fail
Ha ha!
here *plays nearer my God to thee* while media defender sinks into bankruptcy xD
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/24/doj_supports_riaa/ tho I like obama, I think hes wrong on this one
When the winds of change blow, you can build a wall, or a windmill.
@21 yeah read that article guys it should be posted here on TF
shit those two look SO cash
MediaDefender may go down but there are still many other companies that are doing the same things. Let MD be an example to the corporate enemy of bittorrent but there are still companies like MediaSentry and many others outside of America who do the same work.
“We wish them all the best.”
No we don’t!
Next, bust a cap in Web Sheriff’s ass!
/me waves and what the article then misses is the leaked software of the same bunch a twits company YUP
ALL YOUR SOFTWARE ARE BELONG TO US
goodbye douchebags!
send them a message ;)
http://jirbo.com/resources/php/sendcomments.php?email=lol@tpb.com&message=raff%20and%20herrera%20lick%20balls
How about posting some of the emails for ole times sake?
MediaDefender/MediaSentry
And all ilk like them could be looked into for internet wiretapping By the likes of The Electronic Frontier Foundation or others.
Don’t forget about when MD attacked the Revision3 servers.
time to go and blackmail the Mafiaa.
Wow, they sure look liek couple o turrists. Effective? haha… might have slowed me by an hour once or twice. These assholes are just modern day abbulance chassers.
Haha… So Randy and that other clown are going to sell Mahjongg for my mobile…? Great career!
Hope you do as well in the future years as you’ve done in the past…
For some reason, looking at that picture makes me very angry…
Can say I’m sad to see them go.
The Sarah Connor Chronicles CONFIRMED Cancelled 04-10-2009
http://digg.com/television/The_Sarah_Connor_Chronicles_CONFIRMED_Cancelled_04_10_2009
Media Defender’s Alive?
A human being can be brain dead and be declared alive. I think that is the case with Media Defender. It’s brain dead, but still breathing.
At sarah conner being cancelled, who give a shit the show was crappy.
Look at them bloody criminals
let hope there hunted down just like the Nazis and tried with crimes against human right and humanity.
Oh just in case any body is think of investing in any other of there snake oil companies just look at what a EPIC FAIL media defender was.
Its a real shame that it publicly know they broke the law but still nothing is done about.
I Wish our friends at logistep a similar fate.
let hope Karma catches up with them.
LIVE FREE OR DIE!
Jibro, Inc. eh? I shall avoid that company like the plague.
see ya later lahey and randy xD
Yee Haw!! Best news I have heard in a long time!
May their doucheyness procede them for the rest of their lives.
jajajaja….pair of SUCKER
Hah finally got rid of those terrorist..
Funny how hackers can fight terrorists better than North America in IRAQ..
they look like friggin homos
???
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jibro
They left to pursue a career in Gay Porn..
Good riddance to the fucking lot of them.
lol its funny too how the movie industry actually paid these people. Wonder where they get their millions from.. HMM!
Bye jerks!
Bye Jerkoff
But..but …but dont delete it! The one on the right has got bombs in his shoes….looook
Tee hee hee
what a bunch of loosers. “hey lets start an anti-p2p company”
it failed
MDD: 1
Asstunnels: 0
HAW HAW HAW! Pure PWNAGE!
DA SHIP BE SINKIN’ O NOEZ! FOUNDERS FIRST, LADIES AND CHILDREN LAST!
Arrr! Aye Matey’s ‘Tis the Era of a new Dawn! One in which information be free! Let the anti-piracy companies walk the plank! To victory!!!!
I look forward to the night I catch one of these douche rags in a pub.
can any one out there pls offer help to me, a new user? i cant seem to be able to delete a short cut on my desktop of a movie whose download went wrong? ? ?
Serves them right, it was always a matter of time before someone took them out, happy days :)
I can’t believe they paid $43 million dollars for a lame infantile technology. These guys are nothing but script kiddies. Oh well I guess suckers born every minute.
i think THEY took the riaa to the bank. These guys are awsome hackers.
who do they think they are going against the world with just 2 people.
9 references to this post
Responses are closed
All remaining responses will continue to be archived. Use the TorrentFreak forums if you want to discuss something.