AfterDawn: News

Update: RIAA fires MediaSentry

Yesterday we reported unconfirmed reports that the RIAA had fired their "investigative arm", MediaSentry.

Today the WSJ has confirmed that notion and says the trade group will replace MediaSentry with DtecNet Software ApS, a group it used before hiring MS.



MediaSentry was in charge of collecting evidence to be used against alleged pirates during a lawsuit brought on by the RIAA. Since 2002, over 35,000 lawsuits were brought against P2P users.

MediaSentry has been at the center of controversy for months now and has even been accused of investigating without a license, performing illegal searches and taps, and even destroying evidence.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 5 Jan 2009 1:05

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• 12 comments

• bryston

  I guess the US economic downturn has now reached Media Sentry.

  5.1.2009 02:46 #1

• squidge37

  This is good news, right?

  5.1.2009 15:28 #2

• XENON

  When RIAA has to Declare Chapter 11. (highly unlikely) Then THAT will be Good news!

  5.1.2009 17:57 #3

• thor999

  I remember a few times where, just sharing Linux distros, they would hit my connection constantly, trying to upload fake files, I guess...

  5.1.2009 19:30 #4

• lubricant

  Die, MediaSentry!

  5.1.2009 19:48 #5

• DXR88

  id rather have MediaSentry, than DtecNet ApS. Dtec will lie tooth and nail about there faking of files, and the fact that they had implemented nice virus that could lockout user from there own computers.

  5.1.2009 20:43 #6

• canuckerz

  I still don't get why the courts just don't go hold it, you're not starting that up again. At any rate peer guardian takes care of them, even though what they're doing is highly illegal its not hard to stop/avoid them.

  6.1.2009 05:37 #7

• Mez

  canuckerz, peer guardian was useless against MediaSentry. They used contractor/bounty hunters who used their own computers to get evidence. Peer guardian can only protect you from known threats added to the block list.
  
  We have to pay tribute to MediaSentry who with total disregard for the law has discredited the RIAA. The only viable option they have now is to change laws. P2P is illegal in three counrties. If they continue at this rate they will have the major markets plugged up in a decade. They ought to be running out of steam by that time. I wonder if they will be strong enough to continue the fight with the next wave of sharing?

  6.1.2009 09:07 #8

• Mr-Movies

  From bad to bad, no win here I see. Apparently Media Share wasn't doing the job well enough so now they are going with what the rest of their industry uses still employing somewhat illegal practices and shaky evidence to entrap the masses.
  
  From: MPAA Spy Parent software (2004 article on DtecNet Software ApS)
  "Panda Software CTO Patrick Hinojosa told NewsFactor, “unless I saw the code, I would not trust it. Many of these organizations’ past behavior has been borderline legal as they try to fight copyright infringement.”
  
  He also mentions blogs posted by people running p2p programs who realized servers traced back to the RIAA had been scanning their Web sites for user data through an open port. “It is doable,” Hinojosa says in the NewsFactor story.
  
  The MPAA doesn’t say whether or not Parental File Watch can tell the difference between bought-and-paid for software used for ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ downloads, or how, and under what criteria, the status would be defined.
  
  But whether or not the software rats out users, parents who use it will become little more than movie industry cops, finding ‘illegal’ movie and music files."
  
  Source:
  http://www.p2pnet.net/story/3057
  
  I suppose the RIAA & MPAA will both be blaming piracy strongly again as times are tough and they are still over charging for less then quality practices & products.

  6.1.2009 12:31 #9

• ee2skater

  Kinda interesting that to catch people doing 'illegal' actions they use illegal actions... I feel like something should cancel out here.

  6.1.2009 17:01 #10

• Mez

  That WAS the problem and why MM was fired. You can't use evidence obtained illegally in a court of law and it leaves you open to counter suits. You do better not to present that evidence. MM was useful as long as the victims rolled over and played dead. Once they stood up for their rights and hired lawyers things got ugly.

  7.1.2009 08:23 #11

• magrathea

  Too bad we won't see any ridiculous lawsuits anymore. They would have so much more entertainment value than the content they are about...
  
  The juiciest one I was waiting for would involve the artists whose songs were allegedly pirated, as co-plaintiffs or as witnesses for the defense. The latter would be delicious. A convicted pirate asking the artists for financial help paying their fines and punitive damages, only to hear that the artists don't see any of that money.

  9.1.2009 10:35 #12