A law for US and a law for THEM
p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- Have P2Pers noticed the remarkable coincidental disappearance of the majority of fake files and malware ridden content since MediaDefender laid its little head down ?
And interestingly enough, it was the content industry that was paying them to infect our computers and waste our bandwidth.
They may deny these allegations, but a quote from their web pages speaks volumes »»»
Decoying and Spoofing are the most commonly known techniques that we employ. We send blank files and data noise that look exactly like a real response to an initiated search requests for a particular title. Pirated files will no doubt be on the networks, but with our protection applied it would be easier to find a needle in a hay stack than a real file amongst our countermeasures
And they obviously employed other companies computers to do this.
In any other world it would be called accessory to the fact. But that requires a policeman somewhere in the formula to carry out the arrest, and of course the police are busy with other things.
As evidenced by the story from Colin Jones of the Adelaide Advertiser, it would appear that there is a law for us – and a law for them »»»
Hundreds of police officers across South Australia caught using their work computers to illegally copy movie DVDs will escape prosecution.
The activity – strictly banned under federal copyright laws – was detected during an audit conducted by the information technology branch of SA Police.
Senior police, including Commissioner Mal Hyde, have been briefed on the extent of the problem.
An internal email to police management said the audit had “identified a number of instances where commercial DVD movies have been copied to the hard-drives of police computers which potentially had been burnt to blank DVDs”.
“This practice is potentially a breach of copyright and misuse of SAPOL equipment,” it said.
“Branch managers are requested to take measures to ensure this practice must not occur and to remind members (officers) of the policies relating to the use of SAPOL computer equipment.”
Police sources have told The Advertiser an official investigation, which could lead to criminal charges, will not be conducted because of the large number of police officers involved in copying DVDs.
AFACTS (the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft) said it would write to Mr Hyde to seek an explanation, but a search of the AFACTS site shows no reference to the matter.
Did it press for prosecution of the individual officers?
Did it receive a response from the Commissioner of Police?
Does its selective choice of prosecution targets have any bearing on the case currently before the courts in West Australia ?
These questions beg investigation by at the very least a senatorial inquiry committee.
Tom Koltai – p2pnet
[Koltai is an economist in Sydney Australia. He's been online for 26 years, has run several ISPs and, "lobbied governments in four countries to prevent Internet restrictive usage legislation from being enacted". He says he's a strong believer in P2P, "as being a technological requirement to fully exploit the convergence of telephony with computers and remove the last barriers to human communication and interaction".]
March, 2009
Use free p2pnet newsfeeds for your site. It’s really easy!
Subscribe to p2pnet.net | | rss feed: http://p2pnet.net/p2p.rss | | Mobile – http://p2pnet.net/index-wml.php
Net access blocked by government restrictions? Use Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto. Go here for details.
March 4th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
and if your at a private site YOU try that and get caught its game over BANNED
March 4th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Do as we say, not as we do.
March 4th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I recall reading about this last year. It ticked me off. They sent an Aussie kid (part of D.o.D. AKA Drink or Die) to the American’s for copyright violations. Why not these cops?
Truth be told AU Internet is pricey and has caps. These cops couldn’t download tons of movies at home because they would pay through the nose for it. So they did it at work. In the office where they have no “cap” and the speed is better.
So yeah, this was piracy, intent and corruption. Right under the “police management” noses and they get off scott free when caught.
Meanwhile some Aussie kid from DoD gets his life ruined financially and gets some years in the slammer.
“investigation, which could lead to criminal charges, will not be conducted because of the large number of police officers involved in copying DVDs. ”
I recall this story well. I haven’t forgotten about it.
“a law for us – and a law for them”
Yup. You called it right.
March 4th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I did a very fast search on the Aussie guy. There is more detail on the US dept. of Justice site:
May 2008:
Hew Griffiths, aka Bandido of Drink or Die fame. The man was caught up in Operation Buccaneer back in 2001. Who spent many years fighting an extradition order to the US, for a crime that would not have warranted jail time in home country of Australia. Was release from a US Federal Prison in Virginia the earlier in the year. Hew has since returned home to Australia and has conducted a television interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Lateline current affairs program.
Why weren’t these cops deported?
There should be an investigation and public inquiry.
Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. More so for the cops since they are supposed to set the standard to which peole look up to.
So when we tally it all up, I guess its ok to do warez according to the AU police. But ONLY if you’re a cop.
March 4th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
So, how many people who have received threats from the cartels were actually sharing junk files? And if they were junk, surely no crime has taken place. I bet this is a figure that doesn’t get out, despite their other massive failings.
Each day I don’t give them a penny, makes me a happier person, I know that.
March 4th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Ha ha ha, Police in Australia ARE a law unto themselves. nothing new here…..
Just this week it has been approved for NSW police to raid your home, without your knowledge, and they don’t have to tell you for up to 3 years. let us see if the MAAfia will make use of this little gem!!
Rights……what rights??? This is comunist Australia…. didn’t you know??
Mac.