Computerworld: Movie studios unswayed by ‘search engine’ argument in anti-piracy case. “Legal counsel for a group of movie studios has dismissed an argument that an overseas-hosted site that links to videos but doesn’t host them does not fall afoul of Australia’s anti-piracy laws.”
piracy
CNET: Pirated streaming devices are filled with malware, researchers find
CNET: Pirated streaming devices are filled with malware, researchers find. “It seems there’s no such thing as a free show. Security researchers from the Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA) and Dark Wolfe Consulting looked into six streaming devices that offered free shows through pirated apps and found nearly half of them were packed with malware.”
TorrentFreak: Reddit’s /r/Piracy is Deleting Almost 10 Years of History to Avoid Ban
TorrentFreak: Reddit’s /r/Piracy is Deleting Almost 10 Years of History to Avoid Ban. “Under pressure from Reddit’s administrators over copyright issues, the site’s largest forum dedicated to piracy discussion has opted for ‘The Nuclear Option’. After voting by its contributors, all posts older than six months are now being deleted. That’s almost 10 years of data, the vast majority of it completely legal. The negative effects are already being felt.”
The Scotsman: Scottish authors unite against ‘book pirating’ website
The Scotsman: Scottish authors unite against ‘book pirating’ website. “Scottish authors have added their voices to a campaign against an ebook website which they say is stealing their work. The site, run by Vancouver entrepreneur Travis McCrea, who also led the now-defunct Pirate Party of Canada, publishes hundreds of books for readers to download for free in what he describes as a ‘digital library’.”
TorrentFreak: Piracy Is Driven By Availability & Price, People Prefer Not to Break the Law, ISP Study Says
TorrentFreak: Piracy Is Driven By Availability & Price, People Prefer Not to Break the Law, ISP Study Says. “A new study carried out by New Zealand telecoms group Vocus Group NZ has concluded that ‘piracy isn’t driven by law-breakers’ but by the availability of legal content and the ability to pay. With a small minority of consumers still engaging in piracy, Vocus warns that catering to their needs is a better option than site-blocking, which just won’t work.”
EurekAlert: The hidden treasure of digital piracy? Can boost bottom line for manufacturers, retailers
EurekAlert: The hidden treasure of digital piracy? Can boost bottom line for manufacturers, retailers. “Research analysis by faculty in Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and two other schools found that a moderate level of piracy can have a positive impact on the bottom line for both the manufacturer and the retailer — and not at the expense of consumers.”
Dirt-Cheap, Legit, Windows Software: Pick Two (Krebs on Security)
Krebs on Security: Dirt-Cheap, Legit, Windows Software: Pick Two. “Last week, KrebsOnSecurity heard from a reader who’d just purchased a copy of Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus from a seller on eBay for less than $4. Let’s call this Red Flag #1, as a legitimately purchased license of Microsoft Office 2016 is still going to cost between $70 and $100. Nevertheless, almost 350 other people had made the same purchase from this seller over the past year, according to eBay, and there appear to be many auctioneers just like this one.”
