Did The MPAA Hire A Hacker To Break Into TorrentSpy?

from the the-law-only-applies-to-others dept

Thu, May 25th 2006 1:44am — Mike Masnick

I guess since the entertainment industry is building up their own police force while also getting the FBI to do its dirty work, it's no surprise that movie industry execs might believe they're above the law. TorrentSpy, the torrent search engine (not file sharing platform) was sued by the MPAA recently. As we noted at the time, TorrentSpy has wisely decided to fight back, as it appears they have a pretty strong case that they've done nothing illegal. However, TorrentSpy is now claiming that the MPAA is playing dirty -- and that they hired a hacker to break into TorrentSpy's corporate network to get whatever internal information possible for the sake of the lawsuit. The hacker ended up scoring financial information, internal emails and details about the company's technology. However, after all of this, the hacker felt bad and 'fessed up to TorrentSpy, who has now sued the MPAA for these actions. If this is proven true, it's a new low for the MPAA. Perhaps when you're used to treating your customers like criminals you start assuming that criminal activity is fine.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

23 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Zona, 25 May 2006 @ 2:24am

Law
Law is only for those who are too weak/poor to buck it. The strong/rich can and do get away with murder every single day. These intrest's make money off of divisions, metering out content. In stead of seeing file shareing as a universal radio of marketing, they are threatened cause you don't go through -their- stores and sites. Yet in the end the people are bigger than even the corporation. Untill they place us ALL in camps and moniter everyone. The pirates shall reign, and somehow, I think the artist's will survive, connecting to the fan/consumer directly rather than through a company.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- DittoBox, 25 May 2006 @ 9:24am
  
  Re: Law
  The rich get away with murder everyday, eh?
  
  Show me some proof. Any proof.
  
  I do believe in the so called "gold standard" (whoever has the gold sets the standard) but I don't believe that those really evil rich folks "get away with murder everyday". That's just retarded. There's a lot law abiding and very generous rich people out there, but as with every group the vocal loudmouths tend to be the jerks.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Dick Haliburton, 1 Jun 2006 @ 3:16pm
    
    Re: Re: Law
    Surely you are a shitwit!
    
    Do you walk around all day with a paper bag over your head? All you have to do is look at congress and the executive branch to see the rich getting away with murder...
    
    No bid contracts for Haliburton for billions of dollars--->Totally illegal--->Consequences?NONE whatsoever. Savings and Loan scandals of the 90s, billions of dollars stolen-->consequences?-->NONE. Microsoft skull-fucking its competitors for years-->results of Anti-Trust proceedings-->NOTHING.
    
    YOU'RE A FLIPPIN' PEA BRAIN. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE...
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Christov, 26 Jul 2006 @ 9:12pm
    
    The rich get away with murder every day
    Common you want a f-ing example all I have to give you is two letters. OJ but hell why not thow in Phill Spector or if you want to maybe get a little off the bandwagon take a look at all of the supposed Clinton Killings while he was in office. but dont stop there open your f-ing eyes and read the paper look at the facts dont try and say that the law is equel when we all know that it isnt. everything has its price you stupid twat.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
PopeRatzo, 25 May 2006 @ 4:14am

Innovators will always find ways to reach their audience. The current plantation system for creative artists (and inventors, by the way) won't stand in the liberating world of a free internet.

The reason the MPAA and other corporate raiders don't like this is because the truly good artists will flourish and the phoney-baloney ones like Ashlee Simpson et al will fade away. This upsets the delicate balance of The Entertainment/Industrial Complex.

That's why this is war.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- will, 25 May 2006 @ 6:16am
  
  Re:
  I think your getting the MPAA and the RIAA confused..
  
  MPAA = Motion Picture Association of America
  
  The same guys that made it their mission to throw a 15 year old kid in jail for as many years as they could get away with for cracking DVD encryption so he could watch DVD's on his Linux machine.. great people!!
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Mike C., 25 May 2006 @ 6:41am
    
    Re: Re: Confusion
    The analogy still holds. Remove Ashlee Simpson and replace with King Kong (2006).
    The reason I don't go to the movie theaters anymore is that there is nothing but poor quality remakes or sequels that are just trying to cash in on some gimmick or fad (remake of The Omen for 6/6/06 anyone?)
    Quality is what drives my purchasing decisions. If what is available is not of sufficient quality to entertain me, I won't buy it. Instead, I'll spend my money in an upscale restaurant and have some really good food for a change. At least the restaurant business still understands to some degree.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Michael Langford, 25 May 2006 @ 7:07am
      
      fight back!
      I say if they are going to bully and sue, which most of us cannot afford to fight, we take another route... stand outside a music store for a couple of hours handing out leaflets explaining how people can download the music they are about to buy for free, publicise torrents as much as you can, and don't buy any of the products that RIAA MPAA promote.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - DittoBox, 25 May 2006 @ 9:36am
        
        Re: fight back!
        You can still be nailed for doing this. TorrentSpy has a strong case because their service is "dumb". It goes around collecting links to .torrent files from loads of trackers. It recieves not human input and filters nothing. Some content is legal, some is not. It would be up to the searcher to know what's what and not download non-legal content.
        
        You on the other hand are advocating full on copyright infringement, you're even providing the means to that end: links to the content.
        
        I say just support indie artists who have said "screw you" to he RIAA or indie film companies/actors who've done the same to the Screen Actor's Guild and to the MPAA.
        
        Many times, though the visual effects aren't as good, the movies are better and so is the music.
        
        We need to overcome the RIAA and MPAA peacefully. We need to overcome the RIAA and MPAA lawfully, by using our free market choice.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Chris Longley, 26 May 2006 @ 6:42pm
    
    Re: DVDs on Linux
    hey it was their stuff on the DVDs, what gives him the right to watch their stuff on his Linux machine? Also, he didn't keep it to himself for his personal use. Maybe I could get my old Amiga to play DVDs, if I go out and steal some boxes to bolt on to it (it's my right, right?)
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Louis, 25 May 2006 @ 4:32am

The law does not apply to Rich Corporations
So this is what Bernards says:

"Torrentspy is trying to obscure the facts to hide the fact that they are facilitating thievery. We are confident that our lawsuit against them will be successful because the law is on our side."

Yes, the law is on their side, because they have the money to buy it. So, yes, they are above the law.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- SearchIsNotThievery, 25 May 2006 @ 5:27am
  
  Re: The law does not apply to Rich Corporations
  In the same way the VCR did not break the law, neither does the search engine. You gonna sue Google because I can find web pages with cracks on it? How about Microsoft because their Media Player let's me burn CDs? You creeps are jokes and are thrashing because your business model is out of date.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 25 May 2006 @ 6:37am

Yeah, soon when you go to rent a movie or into the cinema they'll be asking, "Can I see your papers please?".
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Dead Head, 25 May 2006 @ 7:29am

Idiots
Bernards is an idiot. I use a Bit Torrent client daily. I have never downloaded any commercially released movie or a single commercially released song. I listen to a LOT of hippie jam bands, and they encourage taping. There are also a lot of videos of these same bands floating around, and these guys are smart enough to realize the following:
1) They make money from touring, not records.
2)Play well and people will come
3)Free tapes of these shows floating around kills bootlegger profit and brings more people to the shows. It also raises fan dedication to higher levels (look at the Grateful Dead. Sellout show after sellout show, for decades, with only 1 top ten hit in 35 years.)

So no, bit torrent DOES NOT encourage breaking of the law. I hope the MPAA is convicted of conspirace to commit an act of terrorism. If it wah the FBI they hacked, thats what the charge would be....
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 25 May 2006 @ 4:13pm
  
  Re: Idiots
  Exactly.
  
  All music here is granted from the bands. Its free and legal and you can put it in any format you want.
  
  http://www.archive.org/details/etree
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
You Avg. Citizen, 25 May 2006 @ 8:00am

!
DOWN WITH THE MPAA. I HOPE THEY ALL CATCH A NASTY VIRUS!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Spine, 25 May 2006 @ 8:30am

Turning our own against us....... at least the young lad came back to us. I hope the MPAA is aware that hacking is illegal. Breaking the law to catch someone breaking the law is still breaking the law.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Bob-O, 25 May 2006 @ 9:22am

Just remember
Two wrongs don't make a right... but three lefts do.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Uncommon sense, 25 May 2006 @ 9:55am

LIES
Look money makes the world go around.

All else sounds and looks clever but who cares.

Laws are in place to serve and protect the interests of money.

In MONEY we trust and to hell with GOD!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Alex, 25 May 2006 @ 10:21am

eminem and other failures
basically the mpaa should spend more time suing fakers and posers like eminem, xtina, and brittany spears and stop messing with the poor ignorant losers who BUY those albums. its not their fault.. they are too stupid to realize they can download the albums!

that didnt make any sense. i just thought it might be cool to razz on eminem, xtina, and brittany since they are all posers and have no talent. thank you!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
James, 25 May 2006 @ 12:58pm

Criminals?
That last line there was a good one--and very cold, too. I know of no other consumer-oriented industry that can sue its consumer base and get away with it. Like I said, even though that line is very true, it was still very cold!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Bangy, 25 May 2006 @ 4:19pm

No more PC
It's the "international banker" types who have had a death grip on just about all forms of media for the past 100 years. They created a system of exploitation that can take advantage of musicians, actors and the like and reap huge profits by controlling the production and distribution of the material. bittorrent has torn down this 4th wall leaving these modern day cockroaches to scamper from the light of truth that THEy are the ones who have been theiving and exploiting to fill their own pockets. lets stop being politically correct and call out these parasites once and for all.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 27 May 2006 @ 1:50pm

What we really need is some MPIAA exec address's so I can go give one of em something to sue me about...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]