Comments on: IP addresses don’t identify people

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:54:44 +0000

Still can’t tell who’s typing at the keyboard, IP address or no IP address.

By: Tony Smith

Tony Smith — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:43:49 +0000

The ruling is okay as IP addresses only give information about the PC which is quite legitimate. There are no personal information shared through IP addresses. Tony Smith

By: Morten Skogly

Morten Skogly — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:09:56 +0000

But isn’t this a “good” thing. Doesn’t this mean that having an ip adress is not enough to get a conviction in piracy cases? Sort of having a security cam recording, but where the image is black.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:52:22 +0000

This is pretty funny. I have no doubt that if the shoe was on the other foot and Microsoft was suing people for using pirated copies of Windows, they would be arguing that IP addresses ARE personably identifiable. So the light at the end of the tunnel appears to be that if you give the industry enough rope, they’ll inevitably hang themselves with it lol.

My ISP uses DNS and used to rotate IP addresses among users quite frequently. My guess is that they wanted to prevent users from running any kind of server (HTTP, FTP, etc) which I believe is also in their ToS. Over the past two years I’ve noticed they rotate IP addresses a lot less. I can’t even release/renew anymore if I want a new IP address. Thankfully I use a router which has the ability to change it’s public MAC address. I’ve discovered through experimentation that the only way I can get a new address nowadays is if I release my current IP, immediately turn off the modem, change the public MAC address, then wait a few hours (the longer, the better). When I turn the modem back on I will have a new IP address. If I don’t change the MAC address, I’ll just get my old address back (which hints to the fact they may be keeping tabs on file sharers just in case). Occasionally I’ll get one that has a ton incoming connections, which I figure is either because the previous owner of that IP was being hit with a DoS attack, or more likely was using a P2P application, in which case I’ll try to force another IP address change. After all, I don’t want to end up in court for someone elses sharing. I also worry for the person who gets my old IP address, but what can one do?

By: EPiPH0N3

EPiPH0N3 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:29:09 +0000

“Corporations are slowly destroying the word for profit and we must stop this”

Actually people do it to themselves(sp?) w/o the need of corps. If it wasn’ for corps you wouldn’t be able to read this article. Use common sense. If you don’t want MS snooping on you use Auto Patcher. If you don’t want your IP in a swarm use a seedbox. It’s not that hard.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:24:16 +0000

âIP addresses donât identify peopleâ

Curious. When the RIAA sue people their IP adress is used to identify them although I don’t believe it is a relable way to id people. Double standard there?

Corporations are slowly destroying the word for profit and we must stop this.

By: Rafael Venegas

Rafael Venegas — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:20:14 +0000

“I guess phone numbers arenât personally identifiable either then.”

Then my street address and social security number and passwords next to my name is not personal information and thus cannot represent any potential fraud/theft damage or harm to myself? Nonsense.

Then again, thinking about the file sharing legal extorsions, a street address next to my names does not mean that if a criminal act was committed at that address any specific individual is the one who committed the crime.

To resume, a fixed (if such a thing exists) IP address may be personal information, but by itself cannot be used to identify a person who did something at that IP address. Ditto with a telephone number.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:19:11 +0000

“IP addresses donât identify people”

Deu!

By: Murray

Murray — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:59:12 +0000

I guess phone numbers aren’t personally identifiable either then. *rolls eyes*

By: Thomas Koltai

Thomas Koltai — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:45:49 +0000

Actually Robert, I have been spoofing my Mac address for about 10 years for exactly that reason.
Also HASH files will accept spoofed MAC addresses. Just a comment to the clue crew.

By: Jack from Nashville

Jack from Nashville — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:43:26 +0000

A federal ruling like this, could blow the big four apart. This might be a Godsend.

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:14:18 +0000

Interesting, so when they require you to REGISTER with PERSONAL info using YOUR computer which of course lets M$ know your IP/MAC and hardware serial number, and Windows serial number, they keep that information in a separate database?

Bullshit!

When they update your system they have to know that you have a legitimate copy of Windows, unless your hacked version is damn good.

M$ has all the personal detail once you register, that goes for Adobe, nVidia, etc… any one who requires you to register their product for a product key or activation has your personal information (that you provided which could be bogus I suppose) combined with your MAC/IP/serial info.