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Winny P2P Software Creator Arrested

Posted by Hemos on Mon May 10, 2004 03:47 AM
from the cracking-down-on-the-software dept.
Privacy The Courts
News for nerds writes "The author of Winny, the Japanese P2P software with encrypted networking capability, similar to Freenet, has been today officially arrested for abetment of copyright violation, after the raid in the last December. He started its development in May 2002 and occasionally appeared on the web forum 2ch with his anonymous codename "47", but today turned out to be an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Tokyo in his 30s. Winny was so efficient and popular that it generated problems even at the Japanese police and the GSDF. As the Japanese police is the most advanced among the world in pulling P2P into criminal cases, outcry of users in Japan is expected."
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  • Arrested for... (Score:5, Funny)

    by brokenspark (777568) on Monday May 10 2004, @03:49AM (#9104681)
    Should be arrested for naming it whinny.

    You know you were thinking the same thing.

  • English language version of story (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 10 2004, @03:51AM (#9104685)
    ABC news [abc.net.au]

  • Well. (Score:3, Informative)

    by modifried (605582) on Monday May 10 2004, @03:51AM (#9104686)
    (http://0x80.com/)
    This isn't the first time. [cnet.com]
    • Re:Well. by quake74 (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @06:57AM
    • Re:Well. by mm0mm (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @07:00AM
    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
  • Oh no! by black mariah (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @03:52AM
    • Re:Oh no! by Anonymous Coward (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @03:57AM
      • Re:Oh no! by Salsaman (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @07:23AM

    • Re:Oh no! (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 10 2004, @03:57AM (#9104708)
      So you're saying that because software is used in a certain way, the author of said software is guilty of the same crime by implication?

      In that case, better lock up everyone who contributed to the design and development of TCP/IP right now!

      And I'm sure "the terrorists" have used MS software at some point as well ...
      [ Parent ]
      • Re:Oh no! by SFBwian (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @07:18AM

        • Re:Oh no! (Score:5, Funny)

          by Dimensio (311070) <[moc.uolgi] [ta] [ratskrad]> on Monday May 10 2004, @10:35AM (#9107240)
          What is the highest source of traffic through tcp/ip?

          Porn.
          [ Parent ]

        • Re:Oh no! (Score:5, Insightful)

          by black mariah (654971) on Monday May 10 2004, @01:55PM (#9109274)
          Hey! A non-moron replied! P2P apps show the hypocritical bullshit that Slashdot is infested with. The EXACT SAME PEOPLE will complain all day and all night about POSSIBLE abuses of RFID tags and how they should be outlawed because MAYBE someone will invade their privacy and do something illegal, then they'll turn around and defend P2P to the death, despite about 95% of all P2P traffic being ILLEGALLY traded items. The bullshit part is that they'll argue how you can't condemn a technology because of possible misuse, then they'll go and do exactly that with RFID.

          It's always been accepted that the posession and/or use of items that are used almost entirely for criminal purposes can be restricted. Brass knuckles, lockpicks, radar detectors, and other things have been restricted in some way practically everywhere. If P2P software developers don't get their shit together and come up with ways to get the illegal shit off their networks, the exact same thing will happen to them. The continued facilitation of LARGE-SCALE piracy does absolutely nobody any good.
          [ Parent ]
          • Re:Oh no! by LincolnQ (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @04:27PM
            • Re:Oh no! by black mariah (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @07:24PM
              • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
          • I don't think that. by Perianwyr Stormcrow (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @05:23PM
          • Re:Oh no! by RedBear (Score:3) Tuesday May 11 2004, @06:00PM
            • Re:Oh no! by corbettw (Score:2) Wednesday May 12 2004, @12:44PM
              • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
          • Re:Oh no! by black mariah (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @07:20PM
          • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
        • Re:Oh no! by jonbryce (Score:2) Thursday May 13 2004, @03:50PM
      • Re:Oh no! by bot24 (Score:1) Tuesday May 11 2004, @01:49AM
      • Re:Oh no! by JimFromJersey (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @12:02PM
      • 2 replies beneath your current threshold.

    • Re:Oh no! (Score:4, Insightful)

      by OlivierB (709839) on Monday May 10 2004, @04:08AM (#9104742)
      Well Lindows for one offers a discount for their os when downloaded via BitTorrent.
      Also Blizzard Interactive should be offering game patches via BT as well. (couldn't bother to find the sources but you get the idea).
      Kazaa had announced an agrement a few months ago to distribute short films via it's network.
      A french movie producer recently introduced a "fake" bootleg version of it's movie on all p2p networks. What it was in fact was a Sort of Making of with exclusive interviewa from the actors. The tone was pretty much "you should rather support the movie by going to the theatre etc.." Was a great success from what I heard.

      But yeah I agree totally with you. P2p networks are 99% used in an illegal way.

      Yet philosophically I adhere to the idea of a self maintained network, not server reliant and thus not censurable.
      [ Parent ]
    • We might actually have to go back to using Usenet and the streets of New York for our bootleg videos and music! How could we do that?

      Easy. We could go to the streets of New York to download The Gangs of New York [imdb.com].

      Alternatively, we could go to the gangs of New York to download The Streets of New York [imdb.com].
      [ Parent ]

      • Re:Oh no! (Score:4, Funny)

        by LittleBigLui (304739) on Monday May 10 2004, @09:08AM (#9106325)
        (http://www.littlelui.de/ | Last Journal: Sunday June 22 2003, @05:38AM)
        Easy. We could go to the streets of New York to download The Gangs of New York.


        Alternatively, we could go to the gangs of New York to download The Streets of New York.


        You just used "download" as a synonym for "illegally obtain". We have a job offer for you, please send your CV/resume immediately.

        Best regards,
        the Record Industry Association of America.
        [ Parent ]
        • Re:Oh no! by alien_blueprint (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @09:33AM
    • Re:Oh no! by Kalak (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @12:42PM
    • Re:Oh no! by hunterx11 (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @02:32PM
    • 2 replies beneath your current threshold.

  • English Articles (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 10 2004, @03:52AM (#9104692)
    The article linked to the in headline is in Japanese. Here are some articles in English: /not karma whoring

    • English Translation (Score:5, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 10 2004, @04:01AM (#9104719)
      Here is a machine translation [altavista.com] of the original article [yahoo.co.jp]. (Yes, it does read a lot like an instruction manual for a consumer eletronics device.)

      Winny developer to arrest the Kyoto headquarters of police, 30 generation Tokyo University assistant domestic beginnings

      Assuming that file sharing software "Winny" of the personal computer which exchanges the data of the popularity movie and hit tune etc. () by the fact that it develops, the illegal copy of the movie and music was made easy the Kyoto headquarters of police high-tech crime measure room and five provision stations, in doubt of the Copyright Act violation one help, requested option accompanying from Tokyo large assistant of 30 generations of the Tokyo residence even in 10th morning, set the policy of arresting. As for , being free on Internet, the program software which is open. As for questioning the software developer to "the one help" of the Copyright Act violation the domestic beginning. Stand case in the criminal incident of the joint ownership software developer almost there is no example even in the foreign country.

      When the infringement of copyright which worldwide used the file sharing software has swaggered although you feel concern the administration of justice judgement even internationally for the illegal characteristic of the file sharing software has divided, it may call discussion centering on propriety.

      That the file sharing software where with investigation of prefecture police/policing, as for Tokyo University assistant, anonymous characteristic is higher than past, is difficult to be exposed by the police opening will be sent plan. The major bulletin board of Internet with "2 don't you think? as development program is announced the ", 2002 May, it released the software of to itself home page. Using , as for Tokyo University assistant with no permission, the doubt which makes exchanging the data which infringes the copyright of the movie and the game etc. easy has in the literary work authority e.g., the salesman of Gunma prefecture (41) the inside = and others of the trial releases the data of the popularity movie to the many and unspecified persons person illegal with crime of = Copyright Act violation.

      In addition, as for prefecture police/policing the policy of starting the forcing investigation of several places such as Tokyo University graduate school information science and engineering type postgraduate course even on the 10th.

      Tokyo University assistant is special information processing engineering. It is called "47 people" with the net bulletin board, "the file sharing software which gradually can actualize anonymous characteristic appears and does not change the concept regarding present copyright the expectation which is stopped obtaining. It probably is about to try boosting the flow by your?", and so on with, development intention of had been explained.

      * Infringement of copyright, the judgement which cracks internationally

      The kitchen knife also and, can also be able cut the vegetable damage the person. Those where you accuse of a crime to the person are just the execution doer who kills and wounds. The handgun the person other than killing and wounding, in Japan the possession and production is prohibited with purpose. The Kyoto headquarters of police this time, the developer of the communication software, as for with "one help" of the Copyright Act violation it finishes stepping on in stand case, in the same software net society, it is equal to the development "of the handgun", that you probably can say that it judged.

      As for , as for the data which is exchanged the necessity for the user to register to the provider without, it is entirely encoded. As for the prefecture police/policing high-tech investigation room, Tokyo large assistant who was developed the major bulletin board of Internet to "2 don't you think? from the speech

      [ Parent ]
    • Re:English Articles by ColaMan (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @04:10AM
      • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
    • How utterly bizaare. by Arker (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @04:19AM
    • Re:English Articles by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @05:11AM
    • Re:English Articles by Ronald Dumsfeld (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @05:55AM
      • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.

    • Re:English Articles (Score:4, Interesting)

      by BJH (11355) on Monday May 10 2004, @09:16AM (#9106394)
      There's one article you won't see in English; the mail that hiroyuki (2ch's maintainer) sent out to the 2ch mailing list.

      According to what he says, at the time that Kaneko (Mr. 47, the developer of Winny) was supposed to have made his comments about Winny being developed for the purpose of anonymous breach of copyright, 2ch didn't keep IP logs (it does now).

      Which means the Kyoto High-Tech Crimes Division is going to have a tough time proving that it was him who made those comments...
      [ Parent ]
  • You know by Manip (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @03:53AM

  • Japanese legal system (Score:3, Informative)

    by evanbd (210358) on Monday May 10 2004, @03:54AM (#9104695)
    Is there a site with a good overview of the Japanese legal system, and how it is similar to / different from the US one, both in procedures and laws? I see occasional pieces about Japanese legal issues, but am always amazed at how little I know.

    Thanks

    • Re:Japanese legal system (Score:5, Funny)

      by trezor (555230) on Monday May 10 2004, @04:20AM (#9104779)
      (http://jostein.kjonigsen.net/)

      IANAL but I think that a very common form of punishment in Japan is to force people to sign up for japanese gameshows.

      Anyone who has seen just glimpse of those should get my point...

      [ Parent ]
    • Re:Japanese legal system by kubrick (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @04:44AM

    • Re:Japanese legal system (Score:5, Interesting)

      by subStance (618153) on Monday May 10 2004, @04:51AM (#9104840)
      (http://winstone.sourceforge.net/)
      I have a friend here who uses lawyers in Japan on a weekly basis for reviewing contracts etc, and his comment was that this will take years to even get to court, since Japan is one of the few countries in the world that actually has a lawyer shortage. If you needed any more reasons to move here ....
      [ Parent ]

    • Re:Japanese legal system (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 10 2004, @05:39AM (#9104981)
      Reading the words of the Japanese law, or the procedures, will leave you very misinformed. Although it is often the case even in the U.S. that the police will twist the perception of the law, or just blatantly ignore it, this is a much more frequent case in Japan.

      The sad thing is that the Japanese people don't seem to mind it, as long as the media seems to report it as "the right thing to do", and it is a well known fact that the major media outlets do a lot of ass kissing.

      There are exceptions of course, people that understand the severity of the issue, people that lobby against the blatant miuse of legal forces, and the occasional newspaper article that isn't worried about pissing off the gov't. Unfortunately, it's a pretty rare exception.

      The only difference is this time, even the media's first announcements of the incident included some opinion on how this could be a very sticky situation. They specifically mention how the producer of fruit knives aren't arrested just because some dork decides to stab someone with it. The police have compared this to the production of a gun, which they say has only one use: harming people. Personally, I would say it is used for hunting, self defense, and thus has legitimate uses. All that said, the news papers have mentioned that even Winny has positive uses, and although it can and most often is used for the illegal distribution of copyrighted material, it is merely a tool.

      The assistant professor that created this piece has written in 2ch that he made it in order to challenge the way current copyrights work, and the business models behind them. I think his heart was in the right spot, but method was wrong. However, I STILL think he produced a very good package, and whether or not he is willing to believe his own story or not, there ARE positive uses.

      I am actually currently trying to get ahold of his attorney (more specifically, I'm trying to figure out who is attorney is) because I want to stand in court and testify for him. I am a member of a group that has ideas that are contrary to current laws. Our group is civil, we don't break any laws, and we are politically active in voicing our opinion. However, we are also very underfunded, and a majority of the members are scared to speak out in public or offer internet bandwidth for the transmission of materials, especially videos of our public events, because the Japanese police are notorious at using all the tricks in the books to supress free speech. The method we've taken? Winny.

      I would like to stress again that our political movements are NOT ILLEGAL, we do not participate in any illegal activities, and are strictly voicing our opinion. However, there is reason to be scared. I am one that has little to lose over going public, and have actually done so multiple times during various events. And I would like to stand in court and testify because the arrest of the Winny author is in direct contrast to our best interests, and we are an obvious case of legitimate use of the software.

      Many of you may laugh at how "backwards" Japan and it's legal system is. Watch out though, the situation is worsening every day in the U.S., and you may be seeing similar headlines "coming soon".
      [ Parent ]

    • Re:Japanese legal system (Score:5, Funny)

      by Ralph Yarro (704772) on Monday May 10 2004, @06:26AM (#9105147)
      (http://www.sco.com/)
      Why is this moderated as informative?

      10th day of the month. Even number userid. Post has 245 characters, starts with a vowel and ends with a consonant.

      He is asking a question!!!

      Doesn't mention that in the modding tables I use. Are you sure you've got the latest ones?
      [ Parent ]
    • 2 replies beneath your current threshold.

  • In other news ... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by rubicon7 (51782) on Monday May 10 2004, @03:55AM (#9104699)
    ... Black & Decker has been charged as an accomplice to many murders committed with their tools.

    <sigh> I guess I won't bother trying to write any decent software then, if the possibility exists that I'm to be arrested for it. What would the point be?

    • Re:In other news ... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by ColaMan (37550) on Monday May 10 2004, @04:48AM (#9104833)
      (http://www.ccimackay.com/~dgriffith | Last Journal: Tuesday May 31 2005, @01:29AM)
      Probably they're pissed because of this ...

      Japanese police blame document leak on virus
      Posted on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at 16:56 by Andy Holliday

      Japanese police announced earlier this week that data stored on a private laptop relating to a crime has been unwittingly circulated on the internet.

      The information was stored in 19 documents and even 'wanted' lists that had been compiled by a Police Officer and stored on his laptop.

      According the police, 11 names of actual persons were contained in the documents.

      The police suspect that a virus caused the leak and then the documents were circulated over the internet, probably over the Japanese Winny P2P network.

      The officer in question claims that he received permission to use his own PC for the work but is currently being questioned over the security breach.

      Detailed descriptions of the crimes were said to be included in the documents that were distributed.

      It Vibe [itvibe.com]
      [ Parent ]

      • Re:In other news ... (Score:5, Interesting)

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 10 2004, @06:23AM (#9105138)
        You may be more correct than you think.

        This Police mentioned in your story is the same Kyoto Police that WENT TO TOKYO to arrest Winny's author, a Tokyo resident.

        Think different states in the US. It is like hearing Chicago Police going to New York to arrest a New York resident. Something must have motivated them so much...

        [ Parent ]
    • Re:In other news ... by eggstasy (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @04:53AM

      • Re:In other news ... (Score:5, Insightful)

        by 10Ghz (453478) on Monday May 10 2004, @05:08AM (#9104882)
        Anyone but a hypocrite can tell you that most P2P apps are indeed made for trading copyrighted material, much like emulators are made for running copyrighted roms.

        Claiming that they have a lot of potentially non-infringing uses is just an excuse.


        Couldn't you say the same thing about guns? Guns are designed to kill. Pistols particularly are made for just that (do you go hunting with your 9mm Beretta?). Sure you could use them for target-practice and such, but that doesn't change the fact that killing is what they are meant to do.
        [ Parent ]
        • Re:In other news ... by Beautyon (Score:3) Monday May 10 2004, @05:14AM

          • Re:In other news ... (Score:5, Insightful)

            by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 10 2004, @05:25AM (#9104933)
            Guns are designed to shoot bullets efficiently. You can use them to shot anytying, including people. The choice to shoot people is yours, and has nothing to do with the utility of the gun. And you know that.

            Um, yes? That was, you know, his entire fucking point?

            Filesharing apps are designed to share files. You can use them to share anything, including pirated movies. The choice to infringe copyright is yours, and has nothing to do with the utility of the application.

            See? He was agreeing with you.

            Man, you gun nuts are almost as paranoid as BSD users...
            [ Parent ]

          • Re:In other news ... (Score:5, Insightful)

            by Tarpan (114764) <jonas@fallman.org> on Monday May 10 2004, @05:25AM (#9104934)
            (http://jonas.fallman.org/ | Last Journal: Friday February 28 2003, @04:47AM)
            Guns are designed to shoot bullets efficiently. You can use them to shot anytying, including people. The choice to shoot people is yours, and has nothing to do with the utility of the gun.

            Filesharing applications are designed to share files efficiently. You can use them to share anything, including copyrighted material. The choice to share copyrighted materials is yours, and has nothing to do with the utility of the application.
            [ Parent ]
          • Re:In other news ... by inkblot69 (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @05:31AM
          • 2 replies beneath your current threshold.

        • A peak in the japanese news... (Score:4, Interesting)

          by germano (7833) on Monday May 10 2004, @05:20AM (#9104921)
          The article in japanese says that that's one of the reasons that guns are illegal in japan: can only be used to kill people.
          47 wrote the software, and according to the comments on 2ch the police decided that the motives behind writing Winny were purely copyright infringement, so it is not considered as a knife which can be used for good means, but as a weapon which can only be used for crimes.
          [ Parent ]
        • Re:In other news ... by trawg (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @06:45AM
        • Re:In other news ... by quake74 (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @07:02AM
          • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
        • Re:In other news ... by Sithgunner (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @07:11AM
          • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
        • BitTorrent is the often the only way to get Slackware ISOs nowadays... and it's perfectly legitimate.

          When I used to use Sega Genesis emulators, it was mostly because I would compile things with gcc-68k and then see if I could talk to the Genesis video processor and get it to do what I want.

          *shrug*

          But then again, I usually drive <=55 in a 55 MPH zone. Most people around here don't.

          Does that make me a "pussy"/"fag"/"asshole"/buzzword-of-the-week?

          (Apologies to any females or homosexual men who read this post; I just needed to prove a point)
          [ Parent ]
        • Re:In other news ... by kabocox (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @08:40AM
        • Re:In other news ... by lordmage (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @09:00AM
        • Re:In other news ... by timeOday (Score:3) Monday May 10 2004, @01:56PM
        • Re:In other news ... by Geoffreyerffoeg (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @07:16PM
        • Re:In other news ... by Rogerborg (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @12:04PM
        • Re:In other news ... by Rogerborg (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @12:06PM
        • 6 replies beneath your current threshold.

      • Re:In other news ... (Score:4, Insightful)

        by -noefordeg- (697342) on Monday May 10 2004, @05:10AM (#9104893)
        "If shoplifting was as harmless and easy to get away with as trading copyrighted material is, you can sure as hell bet I would get myself some free candy every day, and so would millions of other people."

        It's just so very different. If you steal a car or candy, you are actually taking something which have been made by the use of several difference resources, which can -never- be remade/reclaimed and those in charge of making the things won't get anything in return.

        If I copy a file from one computer to the other, nothing, absolutely nothing have been wasted. There are no resources that have been spent. No one will go home emptyhanded because they didn't get paid. No one will lose anything on it.

        It's impossible for, lets say MS, to lose money on people copying WinXP opposed to someone making cars or mp3 players. Because, once you have made WinXP, it's there. The cost of making one or one billion copies of WinXP is the same. the cost of making you candy increases with every bit made. Same for cars or mp3 players.

        Tho I wish MS would enforce their copy protections, because the day everyone would have to pay for every copy of Office and Windows they use, will be the day Linux goes mainstream.
        [ Parent ]
        • Re:In other news ... by morie (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @05:26AM
          • Re:In other news ... by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @05:53AM
          • Re:In other news ... by NoMoreNicksLeft (Score:3) Monday May 10 2004, @07:38AM
            • Re:In other news ... by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @08:12AM

              • Re:In other news ... (Score:5, Insightful)

                by NoMoreNicksLeft (516230) <john.oyler@com[ ]t.net ['cas' in gap]> on Monday May 10 2004, @09:56AM (#9106824)
                (Last Journal: Saturday June 04 2005, @11:50AM)
                My own personal issue, is Apple II software. Most of the early stuff would have become public domain here in the next few years, and we could legally start to archive it before bitrot steals it from humanity forever.

                This is something that is impossible to do hiding in the shadows, because warez kiddies simply don't care about it. Add to that, trying to rescue obscure titles, when doing so would be illegal, and that can be a problem for some grandma that has that old disk in her attic. How much will be lost, and even if its 0.0001%, who knows if that will end up being important somehow?

                You, you'll drag out all sorts of lameass arguments though. Who cares about 30 year old software? Some authors are making it public domain (wow, 1 out of 100). No one uses these computers. You should buy it through ebay (better act quick, if you wait til June will summer heat finally flip that one bit?). Maybe you'll trot out the "sacrifices have to be made, to protect the greater Britney Spears albums" bullshit.

                As a grown adult, a taxpayer, and a human being with just as much right as any songwriter, you're damned straight I judge who should get paid for what. I have a brain that works, and when I see a elementary school teacher getting paid $19,500 a year, and an athlete playing a child's game 3 months out of the year for $50 million, not only am I allowed to say "What the fuck?", it would be wrong not to.

                On that note, maybe the issue of songwriting is a worthy one, maybe not. But it seems to me that it could be solved more fairly, more efficiently, without shackling me to eternal copyrights, database copyrights (did you know they were making a comeback?), and all the other stupid shit the corporate lobbyists can dream up.
                [ Parent ]
              • Re:In other news ... by clambake (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @10:05AM
              • Bright Tunes v. Harrisongs by tepples (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @11:01AM
              • Made an example of by tepples (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @12:09PM
                • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
              • Re:In other news ... by silicon not in the v (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @05:46PM
              • Re:In other news ... by argoff (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @07:29PM
              • 2 replies beneath your current threshold.
          • Re:In other news ... by Pig Hogger (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @10:30AM
        • Re:In other news ... by rimbaldi (Score:3) Monday May 10 2004, @09:03AM
        • Re:In other news ... by networkBoy (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @10:15AM

          • Re:In other news ... (Score:5, Informative)

            by finkployd (12902) on Monday May 10 2004, @11:30AM (#9107754)
            (http://homestarrunner.com/)
            Someone commented about recording artists... They are under the same guise. Concerts and tours (in general) are not large money making operations, they are advertising. That advertising results in album sales, which are the real revenue stream.

            Nope, the artists generally make their money with merchanise and concert sales. The record producer makes the vast majority of the money from the album sales.

            Finkployd
            [ Parent ]
          • Re:In other news ... by -noefordeg- (Score:3) Monday May 10 2004, @12:57PM
        • Re:In other news ... by Caiwyn (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @05:50PM
      • In this case it was more like... by botik32 (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @05:13AM
      • Re:In other news ... by Omestes (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @05:20AM
      • Re:In other news ... by TyrranzzX (Score:3) Monday May 10 2004, @05:25AM

      • What I don't like about that argument... (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Kjella (173770) on Monday May 10 2004, @05:30AM (#9104944)
        (http://slashdot.org/)
        Anyone but a hypocrite can tell you that most P2P apps are indeed made for trading copyrighted material, much like emulators are made for running copyrighted roms. Claiming that they have a lot of potentially non-infringing uses is just an excuse. Black & Decker tools are made for construction, and in 99.99% of cases they are used for construction work.

        ...is that according to it, computers should be outlawed. Yes, you heard me. Most every computer out there is a vechicle for copyright infringement of software, audio, movies, pr0n (which is also copyrighted), used to facilitate communication between people or such traffic and so on. Nevermind the millons of PCs that are spamming or infecting others, or anonymizing illegal traffic because they're open relays. All used for crime.

        Same goes for everything running the network infrastructure. The Common Carrier status may protect them legally, but not in this context. They're all massively contrbuting to illegal acts. Right down to the computers running the Internet backbone itself.

        Both private individuals and corporations typically have some form of violation, if nothing more than expired software they use anyway, or more users than they're licenced for, or being zombified spam/virus boxes.

        Like P2P apps, computers in general have legitimate uses. But if you want to talk numbers, they too get drowned out by the fact that PEOPLE aren't law-obidient. That is neither the fault of computers nor P2P apps.

        Welcome to general purpose computing, and general purpose communication. If the majority want to use it for something illegal, what do you do? There's simply no way short of crippling a PC into an appliance, limited to only do pre-defined tasks. If you can program it (even within a DRM-ridden sandbox), you can make it general purpose. And then you're back to square one.

        Kjella
        [ Parent ]
      • Where to draw the line by dustmite (Score:3) Monday May 10 2004, @05:34AM
        • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
      • Re:In other news ... by alien_blueprint (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @06:14AM
      • Re:In other news ... by serviscope_minor (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @07:13AM
      • Re:In other news ... by Threni (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @07:21AM
      • So are amateur GBA developers hypocrites now? by tepples (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @10:53AM
        • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
      • Re:In other news ... by ChaosDiscord (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @02:22PM
      • 6 replies beneath your current threshold.
    • Re:In other news ... by Tuqui (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @05:40AM

  • Abating what exactly? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anubis333 (103791) on Monday May 10 2004, @03:57AM (#9104700)
    (http://chrisevans3d.com/)
    I don't understand, does this mean that if I develop a really great and cheap duffelbag that I can be arrested if it's used by a bank robber?

    Why not sue the computer manufacturers for abatement as well? There are any great uses for P2P, it is a great way to distribute music and video you have created, and I have distributed many animated shorts I have worked on via bit torrent etc...

    How long will it be before someone sues the makers of a web browser, FTP, or IRC app for 'copyright abatement'?

  • Winny (Score:5, Informative)

    by Inigo Soto (776501) on Monday May 10 2004, @03:57AM (#9104701)
    (http://www.inigosoto.com/)
    From pario (675744) in a previous article:

    [quote]
    Since Winny is pretty much unknown outside Japan, here is some background information for slashdot readers: Winny is a P2P file sharing program created by a Japanese programmer, who still remains anonymous to this day. It came out two years ago as an attempt to share copyright-protected materials "safely" when somebody was arrested for using another P2P program (WinMX). Since the application was extremely well designed and almost anything is available on its network, from movies to software, it has become immensely popular in Japan, so much so that there are a dozen book available on how to use it and network traffic in the country was down 20% after the news of the arrest broke. As for the reasons why the police was able to identify those two people who were arrested, they used an extra bulletin board feature, which does not guarantee anonymity unlike its file transfer feature, to distribute a list of warez videos. Therefore, I don't think this news has anything to do with the validity of Freenet's technology, or with that of Winny's for that matter.
    [/quote]
    • Re:Winny by LiquidCoooled (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @06:08AM
    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.

  • What has he done again? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by ducklord (770855) on Monday May 10 2004, @03:57AM (#9104702)
    Well, maybe I didn`t quite get it right, but in what way exactly is what he`s done illegal? Or is it just because he made it difficult for them to crack the network he`d created that they wanted even more to "crack him", as an example? Believe you me, maybe that will be the start of a new row of attacks from RIAA and MPAA towards program creators.

    • Rule 1: Don't brag about defying the law (Score:5, Informative)

      by achurch (201270) on Monday May 10 2004, @05:40AM (#9104988)
      (http://achurch.org/index-e.html)

      Or is it just because he made it difficult for them to crack the network he`d created that they wanted even more to "crack him", as an example?

      That's the major theory currently doing the rounds in the media, but it's also been reported that when he released Winny, he gave as his reason for developing it "to demonstrate why current copyright laws are wrong and help to change them". While I think he has a valid point about copyright [uh oh, are they going to come after me now?], openly showing disrespect for the law isn't calculated to put you in law enforcement's good graces.

      It also seems [yomiuri.co.jp] [Japanese] he's telling police that he "created Winny to foster copyright violations and destroy content companies who are bent only on legal action and don't try to find new business models to protect their copyrights". Take that as you will . . .

      [ Parent ]
    • Re:What has he done again? by pla (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @11:02AM
    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.

  • See Also (Score:4, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 10 2004, @03:57AM (#9104704)
  • Nice job, Slashdot! by alexmogil (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @03:57AM

  • Controversial (Score:5, Insightful)

    by watanuki (771056) on Monday May 10 2004, @03:58AM (#9104712)
    His arrest is controversial since there was no mention that he participated in sharing files, only for writing (and updating -- an argument used by the police that his act was deliberate) the software that enabled file-sharing.

    • Re:Controversial (Score:5, Insightful)

      by watanuki (771056) on Monday May 10 2004, @04:02AM (#9104722)
      Also it is reported that there are magazines and books that teach people how to use file-sharing software. It can probably be argued that if creating the software is guilty, teaching people how to use it is guilty also.
      [ Parent ]
      • Re:Controversial by Undefined Parameter (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @03:12PM
      • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
    • Re:Controversial by Sithgunner (Score:1) Monday May 10 2004, @07:22AM
      • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
  • Army Papers? by Trailwalker (Score:2) Monday May 10 2004, @03:58AM

  • Who invented FTP? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by trezor (555230) on Monday May 10 2004, @03:59AM (#9104714)
    (http://jostein.kjonigsen.net/)

    He should be arrested as well. I mean c'mon! Who haven't had a private FTP-account long before the P2P-concept were even thought of? Or Gopher? I am sure some copyrighted literature has been made availble by gopher!

    If creating technology that allows material to be pirated is a crime, I suggest all manufaturers of CD-R(W)s, DVD+-R(W) with associated burnes, harddisks, floppys, floppydrives, tapes, tapeplayers, dats, lossy as well as non-lossy data-compression technologies, not to mention microphones and every single net-capable electronic device be arrested pronto.

    After all they're facilitating copyright infringement. Even digitally one might add for most of them!

    /think's more and more these days that law-enforcements agencies are wankers.

    • Re:Who invented FTP? (Score:5, Informative)

      by MooCows (718367) on Monday May 10 2004, @04:16AM (#9104768)
      Actually here in the Netherlands, if you buy a recordable medium (CD-R for example) you pay extra for it.
      It's called (rough translation) the "home copying foundation".
      It requires every recordable medium to have a special kind of 'tax' which is divided among copyright holders.

      This might sound bad.
      However, this also makes it legal to copy anything as long as you don't give/sell the copies to others. (so for now, no DMCA here. hurrah)
      [ Parent ]