Virus Threatened to Kill File-Sharers, Creator Arrested for Copyright Infringement
Written by enigmax on January 24, 2008The author of a bizarre virus which threatened to kill file-sharers has been arrested in Japan. Has he been arrested for making death threats? No! For writing the virus? No! This is the 21st century. He’s been arrested for copyright infringement, of course.
Early March 2007, we reported about a bizarre virus circulating on the Winny network. It was quite unique, in that it taunted file-sharers, threatened to report them to the police and even threatened to kill them.
“This is a visit from the prevalent Piro virus! Stop P2P! If you don’t I’ll tell the police!” it exclaimed, while another message threatened: “Ah, I see you are using P2P again……if you don’t stop within 0.5 seconds, I’m going to kill you!”
Graham Cluley, a consultant for Sophos said of the virus: “This is one of the most bizarre pieces of malware we have seen in our labs for quite some time, but it’s data-destroying payload is no laughing matter.”
Now, the Japanese police say that they have apprehended the three man gang responsible for the creation and distribution of the virus. One man wrote the code, they say, and the others placed it on file-sharing network, Winny.
However, due to Japanese law, it’s going to be tricky for the police to nail someone for creating the malware. They have a trick up their sleeve though, explains Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos: “It isn’t illegal to write viruses in Japan, so the author of the Trojan horse has been arrested for breaching copyright because he used cartoon graphics without permission in his malware.”
The virus creator is a a 24 year old graduate student from Izumisano City in Osaka. It’s claimed he illegally used copyrighted images from an anime television show to create the virus.
The other two members of the group - a 39 year old man from Osaka and a 35 year old man from Hyogo - were also arrested for copyright offenses, unrelated to the virus. The men are suspected of uploading anime episodes onto the Winny network.
One of the images from the virus includes a song about fish-shaped pancakes stuffed with jam, which makes about as much sense as arresting a virus creator for copyright infringement. But hey, this is the 21st century - what did you expect?
Previously: Alchemist Author Pirates His Own Books
Next: Torrent’Em, a Flashy BitTorrent Search Engine
63 Responses (Add yours or TrackBack)
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First response!
lol, just lol…
gold, that is so funny
uh… well whatever works I guess.
well that just shows how stupid copy-right laws are
you wont get arrested for creating malicious code but as soon as you try to use a copy right pic boom they got yah.
though im glad to see these guys get caught even if they arent being arrested for the real reason.
[quote comment="271220"]lol, just lol…[/quote]
You just summed up the thoughts in my mind.
It’s not about 21st century. It’s about Japan.
Well they got Al Capone for tax evasion! so this makes sense ;)
Well, it is Japan. They’re obsessed with their anime so much, who cares if somebody writes a virus.
Thought it was funny. Know your history.
http://web.archive.org/web/20051125034418/http://www.torrentfreak.com/
CLANNAD virus ftw!! or not…
Thats jokes… I kind of feel sorry for them lolm I hope all the winny users etc feel their wrath… Shouldn’t we all be using bit torrent anyways lol?!
Strange people in the world.
Anyone this much against P2P has some serious mental issues.
One word: lol
i want some “fish-shaped pancakes stuffed with jam”!
Who would use a kanon screenshot for a virus? They could at least use something bloody like school days or gantz.
Actually, quite a few countries, including Sweden, have laws that don’t make it illegal to create malware, only spreading it.
Epic
The fish-shaped pancakes are actually a delicious food called “Tai-yaki”. They’re made with waffle batter, and poured into a fish (Tai) shaped iron, and yes, stuffed with azuki (red bean) filling. They’re very good.
Lol!
Oh, the irony. :D
He got arrested? Someone actually bothered to put cuffs on the guy and arrest him? Physically? What the hell is wrong with this world, don’t the police have real criminals to catch? Rapists and the like, there has to be plenty in Japan. Give the guy a fine and let the poor bastard write his lowlife legal viruses for the winny network.
fair use??????????????
gues not.. loL!
Rant…
Sorry Garrot, I’m glad he got arrested. Punks who create malicious mal-ware, and the likes of, are scum. It is of my opinion that scum should have their arms, legs, and balls cut off, then thrown into the ocean to drown in the abyss.
You say give the punk a fine, a.k.a., a second chance?!! Fugg that!!! I hope some scum-bag gets a second chance, and ruins your PC with that chance. Maybe then you’ll realize that people who write malicious code are criminals to.
May all malicious code writers die a slow, brutal, painful death. The same goes for those rapists you mentioned, as well as those who steal physical property, mug, car jack, and murder. May they all rot in hell, taking it up the rear for eternity
Rant over
The biggest crime here is abusing the lovely Kanon characters >.<
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