Microsoft Envisions a Blockchain-Based Bounty System to Catch Pirates (torrentfreak.com) 59
A new paper (PDF) published by Microsoft's research department proposes to tackle piracy with a blockchain-based bounty system titled "Argus." The system allows volunteers to report piracy in exchange for a reward. It uses the Ethereum blockchain and is transparent, practical, and secure, while limiting abusive reports and errors. TorrentFreak reports: Argus is a transparent system built on the Ethereum blockchain that allows people to anonymously report piracy in exchange for a bounty. Pirated content is traced back to the source through a unique watermark that corresponds with a secret code. When a pirated copy is reported, the status of the source (licensee) is changed to "accused." The system provides an appeal option, but if that fails, the accused status changes to "guilty." Argus is an open system but there are various safeguards to prevent abuse. Reporting the same pirated work multiple times under different aliases is useless, for example, as that will only reduce the reward.
The system relies on several checks to ensure that the system is open, while avoiding false accusations at the same time. And according to the researchers, the costs of utilizing the blockchain are relatively low. "We effectively optimize several cryptographic operations so that the cost for a piracy reporting is reduced to an equivalent cost of sending about 14 ETH-transfer transactions to run on the public Ethereum network, which would otherwise correspond to thousands of transactions. "With the security and practicality of Argus, we hope real-world anti-piracy campaigns will be truly effective by shifting to a fully transparent incentive mechanism," the researchers add.
Whether Microsoft has any plans to test the system in the wild is unknown. It theoretically works with various media types including images, audio and software. That said, it's unclear how effective it will be. The researchers "assume" that the watermarking technology deployed is tamper-free, which isn't always the case today. The paper and the Argus system will be presented at the upcoming 40th International Symposium on Reliable Distributed Systems, which will be held virtually at the end of September.
The system relies on several checks to ensure that the system is open, while avoiding false accusations at the same time. And according to the researchers, the costs of utilizing the blockchain are relatively low. "We effectively optimize several cryptographic operations so that the cost for a piracy reporting is reduced to an equivalent cost of sending about 14 ETH-transfer transactions to run on the public Ethereum network, which would otherwise correspond to thousands of transactions. "With the security and practicality of Argus, we hope real-world anti-piracy campaigns will be truly effective by shifting to a fully transparent incentive mechanism," the researchers add.
Whether Microsoft has any plans to test the system in the wild is unknown. It theoretically works with various media types including images, audio and software. That said, it's unclear how effective it will be. The researchers "assume" that the watermarking technology deployed is tamper-free, which isn't always the case today. The paper and the Argus system will be presented at the upcoming 40th International Symposium on Reliable Distributed Systems, which will be held virtually at the end of September.
And why is this a blockchain? (Score:4, Insightful)
How is a blockchain of value here? What does it give that just reporting to a central authority (or the company itself) won't provide? Nothing? Yeah, I thought so.
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The added value is the buzzword: MS is the first company to have a BLOCKCHAIN anti-piracy feature; Woah!
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Nobody wants to use Microsoft software anymore.
This must totally be the reason Microsoft software sales, revenues and profit grow basically every year.
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The number of people saying "I just can't wait until Windows 11 comes out" is still larger than the number of people saying "Adapting to the handful of changes Microsoft rolls out every so often is hard. I think I'd rather throw everything I know away and start learning a new operating system. That sounds much easier!"
Until there's an alternative that offers a lot of things Microsoft doesn't, inertia will ensure Windows remains the most commonly used PC OS.
Re:And why is this a blockchain? (Score:4, Informative)
The blockchain provides a permanent sequenced public record of the infringement report.
There is no dispute about who made the report or who made it first.
That makes it harder for a company to deny a reward to the snitch.
Re:And why is this a blockchain? (Score:4, Funny)
The blockchain provides a permanent sequenced public record of the infringement report.
There is no dispute about who made the report or who made it first.
That makes it harder for a company to deny a reward to the snitch.
It will also identtify the snitch, so the pirates can find them and make them walk the plank.
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A blockchains contains a record but they don't have any inherent concurrency control as to who put it there first.
The purpose behind why cryptocurrencies are mined is (supposed to be) for a consistency protocol: first to mine wins. Some few cryptocurrencies are centrally controlled, where a central authority decides.
What is the consistency mechanism here?
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Because then Microsoft can create their own cryptocurrency for them to pay with, which means it doesn't cost them anything.
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> How is a blockchain of value here?
Blockchains make everything better!
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Yes, also the best way to deal with pirates is just end copyright entirely.
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I don't know their motivation, but mine is that I can call it the Blockwart [wikipedia.org]. Its job is pretty much that.
Snitches Get Stitches with an public record of the (Score:2)
Snitches Get Stitches with an public record of the pay outs
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Indeed. The entire concept relies on people telling on other people. It does smack of Gestapo or Stasi information gathering - which is probably why MS insists on the reports being anonymous. It is quite disgusting at core I have to say.
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Neighborhood watch isn't the same thing: it's neighbors with a common interest defending each other's properties.
Here, Microsoft is proposing to turn you into a paid informant. And you're paid to do this of course because, at heart, you don't care about protecting Microsoft's interests.
It's just like police informants. The problem is, nobody likes police informants, really. You might admire someone who testifies against a mobster or some criminal organization at the risk of being whacked for the good of the
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People weren't paid to report people to the Gestapo/Stasi, they did it because right or wrong it's what they believed in.
Not necessarily. While the Gestapo may not have paid the informant directly, the informant could still profit.from the person being taken away. Especially if the suspicions were correct. See someone hiding Jews, report them, they get taken away, you can go grab their stuff.
This happened in my country in 1940 and after the war (when it was occupied by the USSR). Tell the authorities that you saw your neighbor "spewing anti-communist propaganda", the neighbor gets one-way ticket to Siberia and you can go to h
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Likely Microsoft clients:
Afghanistan under the Taliban, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Brunei, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kaz
It's good to want things, it builds character (Score:2)
I envision Blake Lively in a maid outfit picking up small things from the floors of various rooms in my house.
Shit in one hand, fart in the other... how does that go again?
How about a blockchain to catch dupes? (Score:5, Informative)
All that technology and energy expenditure (Score:2)
applied to solve exactly zero technological problem. It's sad.
And software to remove the watermarks in 3 2 1 (Score:2)
Seems like a solution looking for a problem to solve.
If you can strip silverlight/GDP/whatever you should be able to get rid of other digital watermarks pretty easily.
BSA (Score:2)
How is this different from a disgruntled employee calling the BSA other than 'blockchain'?
Assholes (Score:2)
I assume they won't use it to catch GPL violators
de ja vu (Score:2)
Use as a dupe detection system? (Score:2)
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with its ability to detect piracy (i.e. copying) perhaps /. can use it to detect dupes?
Everybody knows that Slashdot can't steal from itself. (Unless it has Multiple Personality Disorder - then the authorities might take an interest). Come to think of it, it might be time to call the Feds...
Corporate rights (Score:2)
It's still the US-ian model of 'prove your innocence', with money-grabbing corporations deciding what rights the accused has (that is, none).
sending about 14 ETH-transfer transactions ... (Score:2)
I'm not sure I fully get this, to quote:
So, I'm guessing that's a cost for *Microsoft*, not the end user?
Right now, 14 ETH transactions, will cost about $56 - at the moment I type this.
In a few minutes, it could be $100.
That's just insanity.
So, ANY report, regardless of whether it is bogus or not, is going to cost 14 ETH transactions?
T
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With dupes it'll easily be $102!
How about using Blockchain to catch monopolists (Score:5, Funny)
Defamation, libel and slander payouts forever? (Score:3)
Defamation, libel and slander laws differ in most countries and the truth isn't a defense in many of them. Getting falsely accused of piracy using this system could resulting an a nice annual payout until the block chain is gone.
Piracy should be stopped! (Score:1)
Don't worry, I'm qualified for immunity. (Score:1)
Why? (Score:2)
It's improvements are to be ignored as they add nothing useful for the average person.
UI is a mess of various versions of design.
Controlpanel/system: where is my stuff?
Why can't it even indicate exactly which part failed? (PCI path, etc)(in clear lettering)(when the mic of your HP laptop dies)
It's expensive for what one gets.
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> Because who even uses windoze anymore?
I dunno, I tried to use a couple chrome books and the keyboards kept breaking after a week or so. Seems a software problem since it happens to various hardware models. Hitting the 'e' key and seeing "quazimodo" get typed on screen is pretty depressing when you're just trying to enter your password to log in.
OSX was just too expensive and restrictive so I didn't try that option...
For those who need a "real keyboard" what other commercial option is there? (ok, Lin
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i have an 8 year old Chromebook that runs better than new, because I put Kubuntu on it.
Slashtoken, finally a killer blockchain app (Score:2)
Imagine if every story was assigned a special cryptographically secure Slashtoken. These tokens would track all stories in a blockchain for all to see. Editors can then look through this blockchain and NOT POST DUPES.
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They'll still find a way. They always find a way.
Microsoft pays good citizen to tell on neighbors (Score:2)
The Cobra Effect in digital form (Score:1)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
"The term cobra effect was coined by economist Horst Siebert based on an anecdote of an occurrence in India during British rule.[2][3][4] The British government, concerned about the number of venomous cobras in Delhi, offered a bounty for every dead cobra. Initially, this was a successful strategy; large numbers of snakes were killed for the reward. Eventually, however, enterprising people began to breed cobras for the income. When the government became a
Fails everywhere (Score:4, Interesting)
The system is packed with fail. So many that I will only hit the hilights here.
First, "leaking" a licensed work is not a crime. That is, you have done nothing wrong if someone steals your phone from your desk and torrents all your media files. Yet in this system, if someone gets a copy from the torrent (pirates the content) and reports it, YOU get marked as accused and the system has no idea who stole your phone.
Next up, the system is set up as guilty until proven innocent. You get accused of "leaking" (notacrime). You get to appeal the accusation. If you fail you get tagged as guilty. In a sane system, the accuser must prove your guilt or you are presumed innocent. Further, it offers no clue what happens if you decide to ignore the kangaroo court and neither appeal nor admit guilt. Does MS expect to be backed as a law enforcement agency or a court?
I don't actually care if the watermark can be broken. I hope it can be so this system fails at it's goal of setting neighbor against neighbor like the STASI. It would, however, be a problem if the watermark can be read and applied to another copy.
By rewarding turning in copies of licensed works, the system actually ENCOURAGES criminal activity. Imagine if you can get a cash reward for successfully copying media from someone's phone without their knowledge. So now, even if you hate the song in question, you still want a copy so you can turn it in for cash. In other words, the system should be outlawed for the same reason that fencing stolen goods is a crime.
May actually be the first valid use case (Score:2)
piracy is a fact of life (Score:1)
European Law (Score:2)
Where's my bounty, Microsoft? (Score:2)
I killed that Sansha's Butcher, so where's my 13,000 ISK?
Microsoft Priority ® (Score:1)
Implanting the snitch-ready unique identifiers (Score:2)