Monday, May 27, 2013

US Publishing Industry Might Soon Be Infecting eBook Pirates with Malware

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The Publishing industry in the United States may soon be infecting ebook pirates with Malware. A new report proclaims a dire need for new tools that would allow for the photographing of the pirate using his own system's camera, implanting malware in the their network, or even physically disabling or destroying the hacker's own computer or network.

The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property has just released a new report that paints a dreary picture of a very evasive campaign to wage war against people who pirate ebooks and other forms of media. Instead of going through the court system, which costs a copious amount of time, energy, and money, the document advises to go after the root of the problem, the end user.

One of the suggestions the document makes is, “If an unauthorized person accesses the information, a range of actions might then occur. For example, the file could be rendered inaccessible and the unauthorized user's computer could be locked down, with instructions on how to contact law enforcement to get the password needed to unlock the account. Such measures do not violate existing laws on the use of the Internet, yet they serve to blunt attacks and stabilize a cyber incident to provide both time and evidence for law enforcement to become involved.” In essence, a pirate commits theft and has to report the theft to the police in order for them to regain access to their computer and likely to pay a fine.

A number of countries currently employ similar tactics to cope with the problem of piracy, free speech and political movements. China, Iran, the UAE, Armenia, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Burma, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam all employ cyber warfare tactics against their own people and to exterior forces. It is not so outlandish to think that the US entertainment industry could legalize this, too. After all, SOPA was a precursor to legalize all of this and narrowly avoided being signed into law.

For the last decade, book publishers have been doing business with 3rd party companies to stem the tide of ebook piracy on the internet. They basically set up fake and legitimate book torrents and then contact the ISP to serve the user with a legal letter. This process normally run in conjunction with the six-stage warning system, that members of the MPAA employ. It basically zeros in on repeat offenders and a myriad of nasty consequences ensue, depending on what country you live in.

Torrents are often used for intelligence gathering by the 3rd party companies and then fed to the publishers. Book publishers are all too aware that their electronic offerings are being downloaded on a massive scale. In the UK, personal file-sharing is being monitored by the major labels and movie studios, but no one ever gets punished for doing so. 'Strike' warnings will often get sent out to repeat offenders, but usually result in no legal action for a private individual.

The next time you get the urge to bypass buying an ebook the legitimate way and instead download it from a Torrent website, think about the next stage in the game. Tracking cookies and your computer ID is already known to the publishers and in the not too distinct future, your computer may be hi-jacked, destroyed, or held hostage.

US Publishing Industry Might Soon Be Infecting eBook Pirates with Malware is a post from: E-Reader News

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