RIAA Sues Another 482

[Dollie]

Link to the article:

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=5484693

Question: Has anyone had to deal with P2P downloading at work, and if so, how did you handle it?

I'm curious to see how many more grandparents will end up on this list, but I'm also curious to see if any companies will have to defend themselves because of a rogue computer user.

 

[jrbarnett]

Not P2P directly, but downloading via websites/FTP. Academic environment - postgraduate student, reasonably computer literate (non IT subject), was surprised that we were able to track the larger than usual amount of data downloaded to her login ID, and also wondered why the P2P applications wouldn't connect when I confronted her about it(PC had WinMX and Kazaa installed, but neither could connect out because of the firewall configuration).
She was actually quite surprised when I explained that this was a breach of the agreement for academic internet use as well as being illegal, and she wondered if there was a fault with the internet connection because the P2P apps wouldn't work, rather than a problem with the network.

John

 

[sleipnir214]

Yeah, I've had to deal with this, too.

I'm one of the network administrators for a public school system's network. We hadn't paid that much attention to P2P because we have an appliance on the network which stops access to certain websites -- among them all sites from which you can download any of the P2P software.

One student then downloaded the software from home and burned it to a CD. He then installed the software on a computer in his school. We found out about it when we got a nastigram from the MPAA, pointing out that "Jackass the Movie" was available on P2P from a site in our network.

We now have our web-blocking appliance configured to block all P2P file-sharing activity.

The fun thing (in terms of providing entertainment to me and my fellow admin by frustrating users who are trying to use the network for inappropriate purposes) is that the appliance doesn't block all P2P activity -- just file-transfers. Users can search the various P2P networks and get results, but all downloads and uploads fail.



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TANSTAAFL!!

 

[SemperFiDownUnda]

I know a few large companies need to look at their networks. I know 1 large company that is investigating royalty payments because they have a central server where people dump up music to listen to via Windows Media Player. Ie bring in your CD from home. Burn it up to the network so everyone can enjoy it. They want to keep the service for their employees without breaking the law.


Hope I've been helpful,
Wayne Francis

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