AfterDawn: News

Anime supplier sends threatening letters to BitTorrent users

Known for the distribution of anime to South East Asia, Singapore based Odex Pt. Ltd is responsible for handing out such acclaimed titles as Bleach, Full Metal Alchemist, Mobile Suit Gundam and Chrono Crusade to otaku in the South East. This year, a decision was made to target file sharing groups over BitTorrent after claiming sales had dropped some 70% in just two years.

Opex used a tracking system to collect the IP addresses of anyone known to be sharing their licensed works over the BitTorrent protocol. They then took this information and forced StarHub, and Internet Service Provider, to give them the information of 1000 BitTorrent users accused of infringing on their copyrights. Previously, a simliar ISP by the name of SingNet was also forced to reveal its customer details.



StarHub did, however put up a fight with attempting to keep its customer information private. The pressure from the court was found to be too great and they had agreed, in closed chambers, to hand over the information. Michael Sim, spokesman for StarHub said, "In the instance of Odex, they have satisfied the court of their need for the information. As such, we will comply with the court order"

Now that Opex has the information, their next step is going to be issuing threatening letters sent out to the list of names declaring that they've been caught beyond reasonable doubt for file-sharing copyrighted material and the only alternative to going to court is to pay a $3000 plus fine. In the letter, recipients are given 9 days to respond before legal action is taken.

Source:
TorrentFreak.com

Written by: Dave Horvath @ 16 Aug 2007 19:32

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• 20 comments

• Rikoshay

  O_O Oh snap.

  16.8.2007 20:46 #1

• Schwaber

  Are they crazy? I think its impossible to stop this because billions of people are watching animes via dl from torrents. If they really stop this, then I guess people all over the world will get piss and start rebelling. haha, don't be greedy people. :D

  16.8.2007 21:22 #2

• SGSeries2

  Well, duh, it's licensed in that area. If you can go to a local retailer and buy it legally, you probably shouldn't be downloading it. If they're charging something outrageous, like $200 for a 12-episode anime series, or, for some reason, licensed it in that region and are not distributing it anymore, then by all means, do what you think is most appropriate. Common sense, people. :)
  (Preaching to the choir. I know, I know. Just my 2 cents.)
  
  Oh, and Opex - good luck with that.
  *goes back to sleep*

  16.8.2007 21:54 #3

• DoomLight

  wahhhhhhh
  
  weak sauce.
  
  nothing can stop the internet!
  
  go home and cry to mommy. i just downloaded bleach and look forward to ur next dual audio rip :-D

  16.8.2007 22:32 #4

• Unfocused

  Maybe if the retailers didn't charge so friggin much for anime, people might actually consider purchasing the originals.
  
  Can't users counter sue StarHub? I think that I recall something similar a while back where Comcast divulged user information and they then were sued because that was a violation of the privacy agreement they had with their customers.

  17.8.2007 06:04 #5

• c1c

  It's all a matter of time my friends before your ISP has pressure put on them by big money hungry corporations. Your logs will be turned over and all of our happy little worlds will come to an end. Believe me, all the big name ISP's know what's going on.
  
  My question is, What happens to people that illegally download off of a wireless connection? Some people don't have password protected wifi, so what happens when my neighbor in the apartment next to me is downloading shtuff illegally on my air waves? Can they pin point it to someone else and not me?

  17.8.2007 07:25 #6

• OhCrap

  Originally posted by c1c: It's all a matter of time my friends before your ISP has pressure put on them by big money hungry corporations. Your logs will be turned over and all of our happy little worlds will come to an end. Believe me, all the big name ISP's know what's going on.
  
  My question is, What happens to people that illegally download off of a wireless connection? Some people don't have password protected wifi, so what happens when my neighbor in the apartment next to me is downloading shtuff illegally on my air waves? Can they pin point it to someone else and not me?
  
  Where do you live? I'll be there in a few.

  17.8.2007 10:29 #7

• Schwaber

  Am still hoping that all these threats that are being made are bluff. Maybe they are trying to scare us so that we will stop downloading things off bittorrents. Ahaha, joke!

  17.8.2007 11:57 #8

• Davedough

  Originally posted by c1c:
  My question is, What happens to people that illegally download off of a wireless connection? Some people don't have password protected wifi, so what happens when my neighbor in the apartment next to me is downloading shtuff illegally on my air waves? Can they pin point it to someone else and not me?Normally, they would request information from your ISP for your personal information if it is suspected that your IP address was involved in the file-sharing, then would issue a subpoena to the name of John Doe. A general lawsuit would be drawn up while they gather information in which, if properly informed, you'd have 10 days to refute and disallow any of your personal information to be given out to a third party. Then, you'd receive a lawsuit in your name, or a letter stating an amicable solution, such as paying them more money then you've ever seen in your life and you'd have a court battle on your hands. Generally, in a good fight, IP address alone wouldn't be enough to stick it to you. If someone was connected to your wireless LAN and did something illegal, you could simply provide your MAC address, {Media Access Control) which is hard coded onto each network device from the factory and is unique to each individual device. No two network devices on the planet will have the same two MAC addresses. So, if the MAC address logged in their files doesn't match your machine, you're scott free. That is unless they try to use the angle of you need to exercise responsibility of your wireless network by securing it, therefore you're at fault.

  17.8.2007 13:10 #9

• faqman98

  i don't know about you guys but this has scared the living sh1t out of me that my privacy can be invaded like this then get sued for crazy amounts of money. i have a idea lets start a petition against this kind of invasion cuz for all we know pedophiles could have gotten some info on children in need of $3000 (if you catch my drift) or something else of that nature

  17.8.2007 17:27 #10

• Unfocused

  It is time to invest in a wireless card and some more external harddrives.
  
  See, no evidence on MY harddrive, it must have been those neighborhood hackers.......

  18.8.2007 08:26 #11

• jvwheel

  Is it possible to avoid identification by using an Anonymous Program of some sort???????

  18.8.2007 11:07 #12

• lilblitz2

  Originally posted by Schwaber: Are they crazy? I think its impossible to stop this because billions of people are watching animes via dl from torrents. If they really stop this, then I guess people all over the world will get piss and start rebelling. haha, don't be greedy people. :D
  
  I Agree. ^_^ even i watch torrent anime. lol XD

  18.8.2007 22:45 #13

• c1c

  Originally posted by jvwheel: Is it possible to avoid identification by using an Anonymous Program of some sort???????I believe Peer Guardian 2 can be used, great for a firewall, uses less resources than a Zone Alarm. But I'm not sure if Peer Guardian 2 really works.
  

  hp dvd 840, vaio pcg-frv27,Epson r260 Printer, Wacom Graphire 4x5, Verbatim 4X Printable DVD-R

  19.8.2007 08:44 #14

• ZippyDSM

  Three reasons why I do not buy Anime
  
  1.Localization
  It simply destroys the nuances and wit of the translation and dub to market to dimwit teens with no control over their pants.
  
  2.Translation
  Blantly ignoring music(song) is annoying enough but skipping subs altogether($kids) or watering them down to whatever market you are aiming at is enough for me to say NO not at 3-6$ a ep.
  
  3.Price
  At 20-30 a Disc I expect a level of quality in Subing/Dubing I do not see this quality thus why would I want to spend 80+ a sereis?
  When fansubs offer better subbing and more often than not better quality you have to ask yourself,gee maybe its because we are destroying the shows to try and sale to people who may or may not buy with whatever else mainstream crap they bath in.
  
  
  They also do not tell you that most of these shows are shown on TV gaining their profit once and then sold in THAT TV viewing regoin at almost 30-40USD a disc and sometimes for only 3 eps a disc at that,making their profit twice.
  
  Heres a thought since Cartoon next work is running free dubs maybe they see it and tape it or have seen and and decided they don't like it becusae of the crappy dub work...........
  
  I love the ignorance of the media mafia...NEXT!

  19.8.2007 15:13 #15

• Schwaber

  Originally posted by ZIppyDSM: Three reasons why I do not buy Anime
  
  1.Localization
  It simply destroys the nuances and wit of the translation and dub to market to dimwit teens with no control over their pants.
  
  2.Translation
  Blantly ignoring music(song) is annoying enough but skipping subs altogether($kids) or watering them down to whatever market you are aiming at is enough for me to say NO not at 3-6$ a ep.
  
  3.Price
  At 20-30 a Disc I expect a level of quality in Subing/Dubing I do not see this quality thus why would I want to spend 80+ a sereis?
  When fansubs offer better subbing and more often than not better quality you have to ask yourself,gee maybe its because we are destroying the shows to try and sale to people who may or may not buy with whatever else mainstream crap they bath in.
  
  
  They also do not tell you that most of these shows are shown on TV gaining their profit once and then sold in THAT TV viewing regoin at almost 30-40USD a disc and sometimes for only 3 eps a disc at that,making their profit twice.
  
  Heres a thought since Cartoon next work is running free dubs maybe they see it and tape it or have seen and and decided they don't like it becusae of the crappy dub work...........
  
  I love the ignorance of the media mafia...NEXT!Totally agree with you. The reason I won't buy animes in american retail stores or watch them in cartoon network/YTV is because of the crappy dub that they do! Honestly, thats why most people in Central and Northern America hates animes because of the voices. Instead of appreciating the story and the conspiracy of a certain anime, they begin to stop watching as soon as they hear the voices being dubbed. Anyway, Fansubs are still the best and they are fast as well! :D
  
  I hope that at a certain point, these people will get tired of catching people trying to download it off torrents and just drop this case.
  

  
  

  19.8.2007 20:06 #16

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by Schwaber: Originally posted by ZIppyDSM: Three reasons why I do not buy Anime
  
  1.Localization
  It simply destroys the nuances and wit of the translation and dub to market to dimwit teens with no control over their pants.
  
  2.Translation
  Blantly ignoring music(song) is annoying enough but skipping subs altogether($kids) or watering them down to whatever market you are aiming at is enough for me to say NO not at 3-6$ a ep.
  
  3.Price
  At 20-30 a Disc I expect a level of quality in Subing/Dubing I do not see this quality thus why would I want to spend 80+ a sereis?
  When fansubs offer better subbing and more often than not better quality you have to ask yourself,gee maybe its because we are destroying the shows to try and sale to people who may or may not buy with whatever else mainstream crap they bath in.
  
  
  They also do not tell you that most of these shows are shown on TV gaining their profit once and then sold in THAT TV viewing regoin at almost 30-40USD a disc and sometimes for only 3 eps a disc at that,making their profit twice.
  
  Heres a thought since Cartoon next work is running free dubs maybe they see it and tape it or have seen and and decided they don't like it becusae of the crappy dub work...........
  
  I love the ignorance of the media mafia...NEXT!Totally agree with you. The reason I won't buy animes in american retail stores or watch them in cartoon network/YTV is because of the crappy dub that they do! Honestly, thats why most people in Central and Northern America hates animes because of the voices. Instead of appreciating the story and the conspiracy of a certain anime, they begin to stop watching as soon as they hear the voices being dubbed. Anyway, Fansubs are still the best and they are fast as well! :D
  
  I hope that at a certain point, these people will get tired of catching people trying to download it off torrents and just drop this case.I swear I nearly sht in my pants when I heard the dub of Saiyuki so fcking wrong.........
  
  
  If domestic dubbers do what fan subbers do,translate with the show in mind not 200% marketing, they could also easily sub songs but no they wont.
  

  
  
  FIGHT THE M.A.F.I.A.A.
  

  20.8.2007 02:12 #17

• borhan9

  Quote:Opex used a tracking system to collect the IP addresses of anyone known to be sharing their licensed works over the BitTorrent protocol. They then took this information and forced StarHub, and Internet Service Provider, to give them the information of 1000 BitTorrent users accused of infringing on their copyrights. Previously, a simliar ISP by the name of SingNet was also forced to reveal its customer details.the whole aspect that they are forcing ISP's should prove to courts that they are pushing them to break the privacy law in the first place.

  21.8.2007 21:16 #18

• Unfocused

  @Zippy
  
  You are 100% correct. If they focused on the anime consumer and not perceived dollars to be earned, they could put out a much better product and make more money than they originally thought they would.
  
  Greed. It does wonders.
  
  Hell, they haven't done that many good dub jobs of movies. The last one that I really thought was dubbed well was Brotherhood of the Wolf.

  22.8.2007 19:12 #19

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by Unfocused: @Zippy
  
  You are 100% correct. If they focused on the anime consumer and not perceived dollars to be earned, they could put out a much better product and make more money than they originally thought they would.
  
  Greed. It does wonders.
  
  Hell, they haven't done that many good dub jobs of movies. The last one that I really thought was dubbed well was Brotherhood of the Wolf.Seen that it was a good dub LOL
  
  ya its the same with gaming lets focus the product for the most users and implode everyones intest in it because tis badly made ><
  

  
  
  FIGHT THE M.A.F.I.A.A.
  

  22.8.2007 19:19 #20