Cox Disconnects Alleged Pirates from the Internet. It has already led to a lot of frustration with Cox customers. One of them told TorrentFreak that he has been struggling for two days to. How To: Download torrents on the iPhone 2.0 or 2.1 How To: Download all media for free without google or torrents How To: Download a torrent for the first time. Jan 17, 2017 - How To Download Torrents Safely & Anonymously Without Getting. Your ISP can't know whether you are using torrent or watching video on.
Last time we did this, we were talking about software. This time, let's talk media. That is movies, music, TV shows, and everything else the copyright lawyers scream about.
How to Pirate Software Without Getting Caught
Pirating software you don't own is always illegal. But there are times when you do own…
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Before that, though, let's talk about the ground rules here. You should not pirate things you don't own. But ownership is a murky subject in content these days. Let's say you bought a DVD in 2002, and now your new laptop doesn't have a DVD player. You're screwed—unless you want to buy the same movie, in a different format. Or you can pirate it.
Technically, you're breaking the law. No way around that. But morally? It's harder to say. But this guide isn't here to debate morals. That's on you. This is just a toolbox for how to pirate stuff without getting caught.
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Low-Tech Hacks
This is really about the path of least resistance. And often, that is just using what's available to you. Let's go to the Game of Thrones argument. HBO won't shut up and take your money for HBO Go a la carte. Right. Well, if your dad subscribes, or your Great Aunt Betty who loves her talkies but doesn't work the computer so good, then you can take advantage of their subscription on HBO Go.
All you've got to do is log in with a subscriber's cable service online information. So: call your dad and ask for his password. Problem solved. Same goes for Amazon Prime. If you don't have the service, an account is permitted to cover multiple family members.
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For books, there is the little-used Public Library ebook lending option. And also, Project Gutenberg has an expansive collection of free public domain works. Many of the more obscure works aren't in the marketplaces, while some more popular books cost a nominal fee of $0.99 elsewhere.
Now on to the real stuff.
Protect Your Identity
First and foremost, take precautions against being found out. The methods explained in this guide are as safe as they get, but being a little safer is never a waste of time.
We went over using proxies and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) in the software version of the piracy guide, and you should do the same thing here. They're still the digital condoms of the internet, and are surprisingly easy to use.
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Additionally, you should never, ever, under any circumstances pirate media on your work network. It should be obvious, but you'd be amazed at how many nitwits get caught plowing through terabytes of downloads by their network administrators.
Finally, if you end up using torrents, you should enable outgoing encryption in your client. That's generally found in Preferences > BitTorrent > Outgoing Encryption. It won't do anything to hide your elevated bandwidth use from your ISP, but you'll at least mask what you're doing. It's like hiding a piano under a rug. They'll know something's going on, but they won't be able to definitively prove what it is.
Use Direct Download
When you think piracy, you probably think of torrents. Rightly so, since they're the most ubiquitious form, but you are still at risk of being targeted in a broad-brush lawsuit, like the Hurt Locker case. Instead, try direct download sites. You know, like Megaupload.
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A direct download site is one that let's you download directly from a server—no peer-to-peer involved. And here's the big advantage: The real sin of getting caught torrenting, or Napstering, or whatever else P2P has been called, is not stealing content. It's distributing it. That's how you end up paying hundreds of thousands in damages for a few dozen songs. With direct download, you don't run that particular risk. Kim Dotcom is the one locked up—not his users. That's why they're the safest way to download.
While the Megaupload direct download kingdom is in ruins, or at least tied up in court for a very long time, there are dozens of replacements waiting in the wings. Sites like Mediafire, Rapidshare, DepositFiles, 4Shared, Hotfile, Filehost, File4Sharing, and gazillions of others, offer an even more anonymous means of downloading than torrents.
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This also means you have to get used to the parlance of the pages. You almost never want to click the DOWNLOAD HERE buttons. Instead, scroll around for the 'Slow Download' button. After that, most sites will have a 30-60-second wait time before you can continue. There will be a Captcha test before or after the wait, and then finally you'll be able to download your file.
Afterward, a lot of places will require free users wait 30-60 minutes to download another file. Thankfully, if you are downloading more than one file, you can simply cycle to different sites. Alternatively, you can cherrypick the no-limit or high-limit sites (Mediafire and Rapidshare are good ones, in the absence of Megaupload), or just pay for a subscription somewhere.
These processes change from site to site, and some sites are just eternal loops of frustration for non-paying users. It's fine to make sure you're not the one screwing up, but know when to cut your losses, too. That's why it's important to know where to get your links.
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Find Your Links
Actually finding things to download is pretty much the main skill in knowing how to pirate stuff. But finding links to direct downloads is a lot different from finding torrents. You don't just join a community and use a torrent tracking search engine. It's more of a wild west.
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The easiest way to find what you are looking for is to just Google the name of what you are looking for, plus the name of a download site. So, 'Action Movie 0001 mediafire' would return pages with links to that movie. Or that episode of a TV show. Or whatever else you're looking for.
Beyond Google, you can use a metasearch site that scans all of the uploads on the direct download sites. FilesTube is a popular one. There, you can just search for your term.
TV shows are generally organized by S#E##. So, episode 12 of season 2 of Game of Thrones, for instance, would be 'game of thrones s2e12'. (Some releases also have a ## for season.)
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Another trick for finding a title that's just a common word is to add the year it was released to your search, instead of something broad, like 'movie.' So 'action 2007' works better than 'action movie'. Make sense?
Advanced Maneuvers
This relates to finding links, but more specifically, finding working links. That's necessary because the longer a link is up, the greater the chance that it's been removed for copyright infringement. Imagine that.
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Certain types of media are released on specific days. Comic books on Wednesdays, for instance. Albums are on Tuesdays.
The one exception is recently released movies, which are cam versions and take a few weeks to poop out something watchable most of the time.
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And if you're running into a brick wall trying to find what you're looking for, well, it probably isn't too common. That's when it's time to hit the message boards. Like private torrent communities, a lot of message boards are locked down. Some require you to participate in their community for a while; some are by reference only. But once you're in, requests, even obscure ones, can usually be fielded.
Download the Right Format
One boon to pirated media today is how easy it is to beam it right to your television. But not every device can play the same formats. Apple TV, for instance, can only take M4A and MOV files. So if you're going to be streaming to one of those, you should look for files that work on whatever you're going to be using. Likewise, if you've only got a 720p TV, or a similar resolution on the monitor you will be using, there's no sense downloading that 1080p file, is there?
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If you absolutely can't find the right format, there are free programs—like the beloved Handbrake—that will let you convert the file to what you need. But unless you've got a monster machine, you're going to spend more time encoding the video than you will watching it, and you're probably losing some resolution in the bargain, too.
For larger files, you might encounter multi-part downloads. Most of the time that's going to mean a multi-part RAR file. On OS X, you can compile and uncompress these files with UnRARX. On Windows, you can use the WinZip utility.
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Get into a Private Torrent Community
As an alternative to direct download, you can go the private torrent community route. We talked a little bit about closed communities in the software edition, but with media, the communities are a little more specific. Like, say, if you're only interested in movie torrents, you might want to get into a community that specializes in nothing but movies.
Here are the best, by category:
Movies: passthepopcorn.me
TV Shows: tvtorrents.com
Music: what.cd
The downside to wonderful content selection and well-seeded torrents is, of course, the need to maintain a good ratio. What does that mean? You've got to upload just as much as you download, or close to it, if you don't want to get kicked out. In addition to stressing your home network while you try to do other stuff, this also increases the chance that your ISP will come knocking. So it's a tradeoff: less work to get your content, but much more work and risk to keep your source running.
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It ain't easy to get into these communities, but if you hassle your nerdier friends, you'll probably be able to turn up an invite, or at least a lead on one. And even though one of our rules for general torrenting is 'Don't Seed,' you better seed your ass off once you're in, or you won't be in there for long.
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Books
Books get their own header, here, because they are a little different than the other formats. Why? Well, they are not uploaded with as much aplomb, for one. So while just about every movie ever filmed can be downloaded somewhere, there are no ebook copies of a lot of books. And the ones that are out there are often not up for download. It's true: No one reads anymore. Especially pirates, it seems.
You won't find many books on the direct download sites, but there are tons of torrent packs—every Pulitzer Prize-winning work of fiction, for example—and the good news is that book files are super light. So, if you want to reproduce every book on your bookshelf on your Kindle, it won't take much time to download them at all, if you can find them. Then you've just got to get them on your reader.
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That's the easy part. Calibre is an ebook sorting app that also doubles as a Kindle-cracking hack machine. What makes it so great? It converts any ebook, no matter its format, into formats any ereader can use.
For example, the Kindle is the most locked-down ereader. It only accepts Amazon's proprietary AZW format and MOBI files. Calibre can take an ordinary EPUB file, or even a plain text file, and turn it into a MOBI file that you can load right onto your Kindle.
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The Overkill Method
Have you ever heard of Usenet? Maybe in passing, but chances are you've never sunk your teeth into it. Basically, it's a group of decentralized servers that host content. And a lot of it's pirated content.
Here's our explainer on Usenet from a few years ago. It remains a mostly unmonitored, hyperspeed playground with early access to downloads and content. It also remains an esoteric horror show for the average user.
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How To: Kick Your Torrent Addiction With Usenet
Usenet: Everyone's heard of it, nobody uses it. This is ridiculous. Not only is it a fantastic …
Read more ReadUnlike the other methods, you do have to spend some cash. Clients are free, but access to a service—think subscribing to Rapidshare, only if Rapidshare had access to what was uploaded to every direct download site—that'll cost you. Some have a free trial, while others are just $15 per month, or so. Then you'll also have to track down a service to search through files called NZBs—basically, the index of what's actually out there.
Not that simple, but worth it if you can wrap your head around it.
But Seriously, Don't Be a Dick
Yeah, there are legitimate reasons to download things illegally. But the more common case is just a lazy sense of entitlement. While we support you rising up and saying, 'Hey, I already bought this damn movie—three times!' it's pretty dickish to, say, download the entire discography of every indie band you heard about sohpomore year because man did you SEE the girl who put you onto them? You can use Spotify for that. Or at least buy a damn concert ticket afterward.
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If we left out your favorite trick, or if you just think we got something wrong, let us know in the discussions below.
Until recently, I’d never actually met anyone that had received a copyright infringement letter for downloading films on the internet. Their Internet Service Provider contacted them directly, informing that they would be taken them to court unless they agree to pay a set fine.
My friend was culpable and not wanting to risk a court appearance as well as a large fine, settled with his ISP and the copyright holder.
Receiving a copyright infringement notice is worrying. What happens if you receive a copyright notice? How does your ISP know about your copyright infringement?
“We Are Writing to Inform You…”
“We are writing to inform you that [your ISP] recently received notification from a copyright owner of a copyright violation that appears to involve [your ISP account]. The work(s) identified by the copyright owner in its complaint are listed below.
We are contacting you because our records indicate that the internet Protocol (IP) address provided to us by the copyright owner was assigned to your service on the date and time identified by the copyright owner.”
A letter containing those words is usually a precursor for a series of negative events. Copyright infringement is a serious crime that ISPs have a duty to investigate. After all, their network is the focal point of the copyright infringement.
Your ISP is tracking your every movement online. They can see the sites you visit, when you visit them, how long you lurk there, and more. Your ISP can also see your download activity, including any peer-to-peer services (torrenting, for instance), which they will link directly to your IP address.
“Please note that we have not provided any of your private information to the copyright holder at this time. [ISP] will not provide your identifying information without a lawful subpoena or other lawful process. However, upon receipt of a lawful subpoena or other lawful process [your ISP] will release your information to the copyright owner.”
Your ISP might not release your details immediately. The vast majority of ISPs release a warning similar to this after receiving a notice of copyright infringement. However, as the infringement warning states, if the ISP receives a lawful request, they have to comply. It is the law.
You cannot simply change your ISP to escape a copyright infringement notification, either. You might get a clean slate with a new ISP. But unless you are changing your address, and in reality, your name, that copyright infringement record will follow you around. As with many things relating to the law, it is difficult to run from your problems.
What Is Copyright Infringement?
When a studio releases a film or a musician releases an album into the public realm, the vast majority of the time, this content features copyright protection. It isn’t just music or films. Photographs, paintings, books, articles, podcasts, and countless other types of content carry copyright.
Copyright is a legal right that protects work, granting the original content creator exclusive rights over the ownership and distribution of the work. Copyright can and does expire. Most major copyright holders extend the copyright of important works to maintain their control over their original content (or over copyright purchased from other creators).
When you receive a copyright infringement notice from your ISP, it will contain the exact copyright allegedly broken on your network.
For instance, a Comcast notice of claim of copyright infringement will feature an email subject line such as “Notice of Action under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).” The email body explains Comcast’s obligation to notify the network user (you) that a copyright owner has found an infringement on your network.
The email will also list the copyright infringing work, usually using the exact file name, the infringing IP address, the infringement type (e.g., P2P, illegal stream, etc.), and the reporting copyright owner.
The following Comcast DMCA notice was sent after the original poster downloaded the original World of Warcraft 1.12 Client using a torrent program:
A copyright infringement notification one of my viewers received after downloading the Nostalrius/Elysium Vanilla WoW Client
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/8TA2oPHUse
— Zack (@Asmongold) January 5, 2017
Of course, it isn’t just Comcast that send DMCA takedown notices. ISPs are compelled by law to send the notice, regardless of their “stance” on pirating. Word to the wise, ISPs stance on pirating isn’t good.
The Google Fiber DMCA copyright infringement varies, depending on the “amount” of copyright infringement. However, the Google Fiber DMCA usually reads “Notice of Unauthorized Use of Copyrights Owned by [insert copyright owner].” Like the Comcast DMCA email, it instructs the network owner as to the copyright infringing work, the IP address, and so on.
Copyright infringement emails and letters from Verizon, Bell, Rogers, and other U.S.A. ISPs all follow a similar pattern.
AMC Issues DMCA Threats Regarding The Walking Dead
Copyright infringement isn’t always obvious, either. For instance, Season Six of AMC’s The Walking Dead finished on a massive cliff-hanger. Understandably, during the off-season, fan sites began speculating as to the outcome of the cliff-hanger (I’m trying hard not to include any spoilers here!).
However, AMC threated The Walking Dead fan site, The Spoiling Dead with legal action. If during their speculation regarding the cliff hanger they hit upon the correct outcome for the return to Season Seven, “AMC says they will sue us . . . Their stance is that making such a prediction would be considered copyright infringement.”
Game of Thrones IP-Echelon DMCA Notices
Certain titles attract higher levels of pirating. In recent years, Game of Thrones copyright owner, HBO, has sent tens of thousands of copyright infringement notices as fans pirate the latest Game of Thrones series. HBO teamed up with the anti-piracy company, IP-Echelon, to serve and enforce the copyright infringement notices.
However, HBO also took another step to reducing the amount of Game of Thrones pirating taking place. Instead of restricting Game of Thrones to cable-only, it first added each series to its on-demand streaming serviceThe Best HBO Shows of All Time and Where to Stream ThemThe Best HBO Shows of All Time and Where to Stream ThemFrom comedies to dramas, HBO's original series have won kudos and praise from viewers and reviewers alike. Here are the best HBO shows of all time and where to stream them.Read More, followed by allowing an Amazon Prime channel add-on subscription (albeit at a steep price of $14.99 per month). The result was less piracy, more engagement, and potentially a happier audience.
How to Avoid Copyright Infringement?
Once you receive a copyright infringement letter or email, you are on a list. (Aren’t we all on a list somewhere?) While you might not be able to have your name removed from that list, you can certainly ensure no additional copyright infringements appear alongside your name and IP address.
What measures can you take to make sure that there are no copyright infringements on your home network?
1. Stop All the Downloading (of Illegal Content)
It should go without saying… but stop downloading illegal content through illicit sources. If you are unsure what the copyright status of a file is, it is best not to download. Instead, you can head to the U.S. Copyright Office website and complete a search for whatever the file, film, album, or content is.
My tip is to use a keyword, rather than the exact file name.
The rise of Android-based Kodi boxes and other streaming services further complicate matters. Kodi boxes are sold openly in shops and online, but the streaming apps available on those boxes may well use copyrighted materials. Dan Price explains if it is legal to own and use a Kodi boxWhat Are Kodi Boxes and Is It Legal to Own One?What Are Kodi Boxes and Is It Legal to Own One?In this article, not only do we explain what Kodi boxes are, but also offer you a definitive answer on their legality.Read More.
2. Talk to Your Housemates About Copyright Infringement
If you are certain it was not you downloading the latest episode of Game of Thrones, go and chat to your family, housemates, or anyone with access to your internet connection. Hopefully, you can have an honest conversation about the issue of pirating illegal content, as well as the potential repercussions.
(You could show them a few legal download alternatives, tooHow to Legally Download Movies for Free to Watch OfflineHow to Legally Download Movies for Free to Watch OfflineOne of the best ways to stay occupied while traveling is watching movies. However, streaming sucks data, so why not download movies to watch offline instead? Especially if it's legal.Read More.)
3. Check the Letter for Details, Watch Out for Scams
If you meet a wall of silence, head back to the email or letter and check for details. Copyright infringement enforcement letters list the infringing content, including the file name and download method. If you see the file is the latest Kendrick Lamar album, chances are it wasn’t Great Aunt Ethel (but if she did, props to her).
Regardless, the information in the copyright infringement letter or email will help you narrow down who is downloading what on your internet connection. Talk to them about safe downloading, copyright infringement, and alternative sources.
The other thing to consider is if your copyright infringement letter is a scam. Some copyright infringement notices also contain a notice of payment, causing people to panic and pay without considering if the letter is real.
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For instance, scammers piggybacking on the HBO Game of Thrones IP-Echelon copyright infringement sent thousands of scam emails including a direct settlement fee of $150 for the alleged copyright infraction.
If you receive an email from IP-Echelon, Lionsgate, Rightscorp, CEG TEK, or any other copyright enforcement firm, don’t rush to pay. Do your research first.
4. Check Your Home Network for Intruders
If it really is no one in your household, even after you give the kids and Great Aunt Ethel the third degree, you should check your home network. Your first stop is your router. Your kids might not be pirating copyrighted material, but what if they gave the internet password to a friend?
How about a neighbor piggybacking on your internet, stealing your bandwidth and triggering the wrath of copyright holders?
Your router will show you any connections. Furthermore, some will even keep a log of recent connections. If there are more devices than you’re aware of, it is time to consider your options.
Use your web browser to access your router interface. The address varies by router, but many companies now print the default router address on the device. My connected device list looks like so:
I can account for all of those devices. If you cannot, you might have found your copyright infringing culprit. Unfortunately, finding out exactly which neighbor is piggybacking is a bit more difficult (and you might not want to cause a confrontation). In this case, your router will have some form of IP address or MAC address filtering or blocking that you can apply.
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5. Virus Scan
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The last tip is the good old virus or malware scan. While somewhat unlikely, there is a chance that a Trojan is exposing your hard drive to the internet, resulting in unauthorized file sharing. Unlikely, but possible. There are better things to do with remote access to someone’s computer than use it to download the Jumanji remake.
Use Legal Content Services to Avoid Copyright Infringement
I’m sure there are people out there that have never downloaded a copyright protected file in their entire life. I’m not going to lie: I’m not one of them. But as internet services become better, and cater to a massive range of useful things, the need to lurk potentially dangerous download sites to find obscure Indonesian drum and bass becomes less and less.
Furthermore, protecting yourself has become easier, too. MakeUseOf certainly does not advocate downloading copyrighted material. But a VPN is excellent for protecting your personal online privacy, downloading content or not.
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Explore more about: BitTorrent, Copyright, Online Privacy, Peer to Peer, Software Piracy.
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Hi. I just received an email from my internet company about someone filing a copyright infringement complaint yesterday. It says it’s about three files on a file sharing format p2p. Today I received a call from someone saying it has a civil complaint summons to serve. I guess it’s about this. I don’t recognize the downloads but it shows that they are less than 1% downloaded. They say they are copyrighted video games. But the names of the files can be interpreted as anything like a guide or just simply a presentation that could be free and legal and not necessarily identifies their file names as a game perse. It’s this winnable in court?
I'm Canadian and received infringement notices in October 2015. I then got a free VPN from VPNBook and have been infringement trouble-free until today (June 2018). I have just received more infringement notices regardless of my VPN (which is also on a Canadian server). So I have now switched to a European server, although I'm not sure this is enough to protect me. Does anyone know how or why these new infringment notices have come about, regardless of my VPN? My 'methods' online have not changed at all.
There are VPNs and there are VPNs! You say you got a 'free' VPN, and I think that is key. In order to be safe, you need a VPN which does NOT keep logs and which does not provide your info (Eg. your REAL ip address assigned by your ISP) when the dogs from the MAFIAA request it.
I am currently on the hunt for a VPN myself. I am considering one based in Panama, which is not under the laws of the country I'm in. I also think a paid VPN is the way to go, one which does not keep logs of one's activities, and which strictly keep the privacy of its customers.
I got an infringement notice from my ISP. After much questioning the members of my household, and research to understand what this is and how it happens, the incident does not seem to have been perpetrated by any of us. The ISP considers me guilty, there's no way to dispute it, and it apparently remains permanently.
Kind of freaking out... Apparently I’m a cave person and haven’t had a computer for 6+ years. I got really hooked on a specific show on Netflix and the newest episodes weren’t on Netflix or on demand so I did a google search and downloaded the 10 episodes I was missing. Is it illegal to download them to watch myself?? I’ve got 6 copyrite infringement notices and I’m so stressed out about it. Should I be concerned? Is there something I’m supposed to do?? Ahhhhhh.
I'm new to this and kinda freaking out, lol. Our notice is about a specific song (downloaded from frostwire) I'm pretty sure it was done by my 10 year old nephew and the song and app have been deleted. I ignored the first email and have now received a second. What should I do?
Just ignore that second email too.
What these trolls are doing is called bullying.
be more careful next time and use some other old school techniques, that you can't find in this article.
dont do any of that unless your doing the tunneling method tho, those alone dont save you, they just make the tunnel insufficient
oh yes, and disable ipv6 too!
first off, peer block does nothing AND PEER BLOCK DOESNT WORK with modern methods of filesharing, if your using old kazaa/napster its great, but not in this day and age.
for the smart among you, I offer the path- disable WebRTC, geolocation, and either get a virtual personal server to do the dirty work, or a tunnel to a server and use end to end encryption. Ive avoided the trade names for these things to keep the stupid in their place getting caught so I CAN KEEP DOING IT while your the low hanging fruit.
for the dumb, you are the low hanging fruit. I've offered the path, it is up to you to be able to utilize it. I considered writing a quick guide to privacy, but realized i need low hanging fruit like you to make myself more difficult to unmask. once they think everyone is doing it the smart way, and nobody is getting busted, they will begin looking at folks like me with new legislation that makes my methods either insufficient, or illegal.
right now, it works, and its legal/affordable.
*you're
'Stop downloading copyrighted materials. If you’re not sure if it is something that carries a copyright, you’re probably best off to not download it.'
You're confusing downloading copyrighted materials with copyright infringement. Downloading copyrighted materials isn't necessarily illegal. The copyright holder(s) may have chosen to make the material freely available (e.g., under a license like GPL) or the downloader may have purchased the copyrighted material (e.g., from iTunes).
Technically, practically anytime you view a web page your browser is automatically downloading copyrighted materials...
It's not the downloading of the copyrighted material that is illegal. It is the sharing of said material with others that is illegal. That's why the copyright infringement notices all allege the infringer shared the material - which often may not be the case - and which the issuer of the notice may not be able to prove (but arguing you only downloaded and did not share may well be a losing argument which you do not wish to lose). For the trolls, it is enough it appears you may have shared the material.
Guy,
I feel compelled to point out that the step you outline in your forth point only gives one a false sense of security. MAC address filtering is a very common myth when it comes to wireless security. Those with the knowledge can easily circumvent the MAC filter by spoofing the MAC addresses of the clients connecting to your wireless router. All it takes is less than 5 minutes and a program like kismet to pull them out of the air.
The best way to secure one's wireless router is to take the time to configure it and not leave it set at defaults. WPA2 should be configured if it's available. If it's not, WPA will suffice. If all that's supported is WEP, it's time to get a new wireless router.
Not false, just incomplete. Those with the knowledge to spoof a MAC address may very well have the knowledge, or at least inclination, to crack your WPA2 security. That information, and the applications to do it, is available on the Web.
I also pointed the user to another MakeUseOf.com article on strengthening their WiFi router's security.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - there is no such thing as secured, only an acceptable level of security.
So my little brother uses my computer some times and apparently he got into it with some people on youtube. They got his email, tracked his myspace, and MY I.P. address too (most likely). They're saying they will get more information about him but in reality it's my computer, I use it for work, he only uses it to play around. Should I be worried about this? Is is possible for them to hack my computer if they have my I.P.? would PeerBlock help at all? If someone can answer my questions please, I will really appreciate it.
If I were you, I would make sure that I have a decent firewall. Not Windows Firewall, but something else. Check elsewhere on MakeUseOf.com for good suggestions.
You can also change your IP address. Go to whatismyipaddress.com. That will tell you what your IP address currently is. Now, go shut off your modem for a few minutes and then turn it on. Go back to whatismyipaddress.com and check what it is now. It should be different.
Overall, I wouldn't be that worried. Getting hacked by someone you flipped off on the Internet is unlikely. It just isn't worth the effort for them to do that.
wow, thanks Guy, that was quick and will follow your advice. Cheers!
how did the isp knew the email in first place?
When you sign up for Internet service, they usually assign you an e-mail address or ask you to give them one to contact you with.
If not, they do need your phone number and home address, so they could just call you or send you a letter, too.
this article is over 9000
What does that mean?
It's a stupid internet meme. Feel free to delete it.
Great point about 'sharing' folders and viruses ... something I'm not sure most people would even think about in regards to these infringement issues. Food for thought, thanks for sharing! =)
I got the same letter from Verizon about 18 months ago. I downloaded a program called Peer Block (formerly Peer Guardian) and now they never even know I'm downloading the stuff. It acts as a personal firewall that blocks all known RIAA/MPAA/Media Sentry/etc IP addresses from attempting to download anything from you when your torrenting. The list of known IP addresses is updated almost daily.
Informative post.Very helpful..
Excellent material here. Downloading, and most definitely sharing, copyrighted material is a risk most people don't associate with potential financial and legal consequences. But it seems lately that the groups that represent copyright holders are getting more and more aggressive in protecting their clients. I guess, as the saying goes, don't do the crime if you can't do the time. More importantly, understand what constitutes a crime and try not to cross that line...
In Canada, there seems to be some confusion about the legality of downloading. One judge did rule that it was okay to download copyrighted materials because we pay an extra fee on all recordable media, which goes to the movie and music folks to help defray the lost revenue by people taping or saving the music and movies.
In Canada, a judge can make law by making a ruling like this. However, I think it has since been overturned.
In any case, if you think it might be illegal, unethical or immoral - just don't do it. Good life rule, really.