Warner Bros Threatens Canadian Grokster User

By Jon Newton, p2pnet.net (more articles from this author) 2002-10-08

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MediaForce, a hired Warner Net security firm which uses its mediaSentry to automatically scan p2p nets for "copyrighted works," has targeted a Canadian Grokster user for alleged copyright infringements.

mediaSentry trawls the Net looking for 'illegal' file sharers and when it finds one, shows the p2p app and sharers' IP addies. Address owners are then Whois-ed, MediaForce contacts the ISP or block owner involved and the downloader gets a 'Stop it or Else' notice. A very basic app, but good enough for MediaForce.

The Grokster user says, "I, like millions of others am simply using the internet to use services like Grokster, and Kazaa, otherwise, why have a computer? I simply download music and movies from other people, and share them as does everyone else. I have no desire to reproduce or distribute anything. I do this, I assume like most, for my own private use. This seems absurd that they can somehow hack into my computer to see what I am doing in the privacy of my own home."

When he logged in on October 1, he saw an email from Sympatic.ca, owned by Bell Canada, Canada's largest telecom operator.

Sympatico sells to more than six million business and residential customers in Quebec, Ontario and parts of the Northwest Territories.

The email to the Canadian Grokster user said:

From: "Sympatico Abuse"
To: <*****@sympatico.ca>
Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2002 7:25 AM
Subject: Copyright Complaint Received (KMM3****************)

Dear Member,

On ****, September **, 2002, Sympatico Member Services has received a formal notification from the Mediaforce inc. on behalf of Warner Bros. This company claims that copyright infringement took place on ** Sep 2002 from the following IP address: **.**.**.*** on the Grokster Network.

Please note that this specific IP address, at that given time, was assigned to your Sympatico HSE/Dial-Up account (User ID: ********). As such, we are informing you, as the account owner, of mediaforce objections towards the publication / distribution of copyrighted content sent via your Sympatico account.

We suggest you to communicate directly with this organization in order to reach a cordial and mutual resolution. Their contact information:

Ref#3*****
MediaForce, Inc.
New York, NY U.S.A
Phone: 212-925-9997
Fax: 973-543-5031
copyright@mediaforce.com

Should Sympatico Member Services receive any further notices regarding Copyright infringement from MediaForce.com and/or other legal entities, your Sympatico service may be suspended without prior notice as per Sympatico's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).

For further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us again. We thank you for your anticipated collaboration.

Chris Dover
Network Abuse Investigator
Bell Sympatico Member Services
abuse@sympatico.ca

EXAMPLE SUPPLIED BY MEDIAFORCE:

"Unauthorized Distribution of the Copyrighted Motion Picture Entitled *******
Infringement Detail:
Infringing Work:*******
Filename: [TMD]*******.****.(FTF).TS.(2of2).avi
First Found: ** Sep 2002 **:**:* EDT (GMT -0400)
Last Found: ** Sep 2002 **:**:* EDT (GMT -0400)
Filesize: ***,***k
IP Address: **.**.**.***
IP Port: 1214
Network: Grokster
Protocol: FastTrack
Username: *****@Grokster

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