RIAA's Nasty Easter Egg

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Slashdot | RIAA's Nasty Easter Egg

Slashdot | RIAA's Nasty Easter Egg 04/13/2004 01:57 AM
Record labels want to raise online mp3 prices to $3 per song .. RIAA's Nasty Easter Egg .. reports

slashdot.org/articles/04/04/11/2019235.shtml
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Are the RIAA's tactics working?

Are the RIAA's tactics working? 11/10/2003 11:12 PM
How much is the recent album sales upturn due to the RIAA's lawsuit activity? The RIAA says alot, Salon.com says it is a more complicated issue.

More On Microsoft DRM Loopholes; Little
On RIAA's Role

More On Microsoft DRM Loopholes; Little
On RIAA's Role 01/03/2005 06:04 AM
Last week, we got a ton of attention for our writeup raising some of the obvious questions brought to light concerning a loophole in the way Windows DRM works that was allowing certain media files to introduce spyware to unsuspecting users. Ed Bott was noticeably skeptical of our lack of skepticism on the story, believing that, perhaps, PC World had been confused by what happened. Bott later posted a followup detailing his tests on the files, noting that a properly patched system has little to fear, and that the loophole still requires users agree to install certain files -- but that these can be misrepresented. Considering that plenty of spyware products these days tricks users into "agreeing" to install, this isn't particularly comforting. Spyware researcher Ben Edelman finds the trick much more troubling, as he notes that when he tested out one of these files he was presented with a single pop up box telling him he needed to click yes to view the video file he was requesting -- and proceeded to find his computer "contaminated with the most spyware programs I have ever received in a single sitting." That's an impressive statement from someone who spends plenty of time messing around with spyware systems. What's still unclear about all of this, however, is who is paying Overpeer to put these infected files onto file sharing networks? That's a question no one seems to have investigated -- but one that seems to be quite important. Considering the entertainment industry keeps saying there's so many dangerous files on these networks, it would be quite an interesting discovery to find out they were paying Overpeer to put those files there. It wouldn't be a stretch, since the industry has paid the company in the past to put decoy files on file sharing networks.

RIAA's INDUCE Act letter deconstructed

RIAA's INDUCE Act letter deconstructed 07/15/2004 05:31 AM
The RIAA has sent a letter to Congress, calling on it to pass the iPod-criminalising INDUCE Act. Ernest Miller has deconstructed the letter line by line, countering its claims.

That taking has consequences, human and creative. [Some of the consequences are good, some are bad. Separating them, however, is a pain and may not be possible.] My companies make money almost exclusively from the sale of our creative product. [And they still can, they will have to make some adjustments to their business model.] We don't have a performance right on radio and therefore derive no income from radio play. [Welcome to the wonderful world of "when Congress tries to dictate business models." And so, the RIAA proposes a sequel.] We don't make money from artist tours or merchandise. [And why is that? Is there a law against it? If so, I would recommend it be repealed.] We don't make money from endorsements of other products. [Is someone stopping them from doing that?] We just sell recorded music. [You're free to structure business however you like.]

We take profits from sales – when we're good and lucky enough to get them - and plow money back into the search for that next great talent who will thrill music fans around the globe. [I guess the industry must have been bad these last few years.] When we think we have found that talent, we invest huge amounts to sign, nurture, promote and distribute their creative product. [And the RIAA is the only way talent can be found and promoted, because?] Our economic vitality is based on generating hits – finding special talents that enjoy strong commercial appeal. [And we should care about the hit-maker mentality, because?]

Link (Thanks, Ernest!)

Napster gags university over RIAA's
student tax

Napster gags university over RIAA's
student tax 05/12/2004 12:43 PM
No free music. No free speech

Microsoft Borrows from RIAA's Playbook
(NewsFactor)

Microsoft Borrows from RIAA's Playbook
(NewsFactor) 02/19/2004 04:48 PM
NewsFactor - Anxious to stop the spread of its purloined Windows code, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is sending letters to computer users who are downloading the intellectual property, requesting they stop. It is a move reminiscent of the music industry's early tactics to stem the sharing of copyrighted material on peer-to-peer networks.

Business Week Trashes RIAA's Strategy

Business Week Trashes RIAA's Strategy 01/26/2004 09:53 PM
Even Business Week, which you might expect to side with the big recording industry over the consumer, has an article suggesting that the latest lawsuits from the industry are their worst move yet, and things are only going to get worse for them. The article points out, as many people have been saying, that each move by the recording industry only drives those sharing music files further underground while making them even less receptive to any eventual embrace from the industry. While we've discussed this plenty of times, what's interesting here is the fact that a magazine like Business Week is coming to the same conclusion. For a while, the industry insisted that it was only a bunch of kids "stealing" music who were against the actions they were taking. However, when big name business publications start trashing the strategy as well, you'd think the industry might start to pay attention.

The RIAA's Push for an Audio Broadcast
Flag

The RIAA's Push for an Audio Broadcast
Flag 05/25/2004 02:41 PM

Does The RIAA's Silver Bullet Break
Wiretap Laws?

Does The RIAA's Silver Bullet Break
Wiretap Laws? 07/14/2004 06:35 AM
The RIAA has been running around the halls of Congress showing off Audible Magic as the "silver bullet" against file sharers. Audible Magic is a system that claims to be able to identify and stop file sharing of unauthorized files in its tracks. While some have accused the product of being vaporware, it certainly is getting plenty of attention. The EFF has taken a quick look and pointed out that for all the hype, there are some simple workarounds that would make Audible Magic ineffective very quickly. However, Ernest Miller raises an even more important question: does Audible Magic violate wiretap laws? After all, it's intercepting communications without the users' knowledge. He goes through the various exceptions and points out that Audible Magic doesn't seem to apply at all. Thus, it likely is an illegal wiretap. The one way to make it "legal" is if consent is somehow given beforehand. Then, of course, the problems get worse, because you've basically had someone agree to have all of their internet traffic open for snooping. Seems like an awful lot of effort for technology that doesn't even work.

EFF reply comments to RIAA's digital
radio proposal at the FCC

EFF reply comments to RIAA's digital
radio proposal at the FCC 08/03/2004 07:46 PM
EFF has just filed its reply comments in the digital radio broadcast flag docket at the FCC. My cow-orker Fred von Lohmann was in rare form with these, savaging the RIAA's goofy ideas about breaking the record button on tomoprrow's digital radios.

The RIAA’s biased and blinkered account of "copyright policy" cannot obscure the fact that copyright law expressly approves of digitalaudio home recording devices (including devices like the DAB receiver/recorder) and their noncommercial use by consumers.8 There isno copyright policy "gap" here for the Commission to fill, even if the Commission had the jurisdiction to do so. Where Congress has legislatedwith specificity, it is not for the Commission to countermand its legislative scheme.

120k PDF

RIAA's funny bookkeeping turns gains
into losses

RIAA's funny bookkeeping turns gains
into losses 05/14/2004 09:27 AM
This very good, short article shows the way that the RIAA cooks its books to create losses due to file-sharing when there's no indication that file-sharing is costing them money. Peter sez, "I'm an economist researching the issue too, and I've found the figures frankly unbelievable for a long while. Now I know why."

There is only one logical integration of all these statistics with the recent Soundscan data: even though actual point-of-purchase sales are up by about 9% in the US - and the industry sold over 13,000,000 more units in 2004 (1st quarter) than in 2003 (1st quarter) - the Industry is still claiming a loss of 7% because RIAA members shipped 7% fewer records than in 2003.

Forget the confusing percentages, here's an oversimplified example: I shipped 1000 units last year and sold 700 of them. This year I sold 770 units but shipped only 930 units. I shipped 10% less units this year. And this is what the RIAA wants the public to accept as "a loss."

I'll go a step further. This fact, that Sherman seems to confirm, should logically mean a smaller percentage of returns. But, shouldn't fewer returns mean higher profit margins and faster turnaround; and shouldn't that be good for both the retail and wholesale side of the industry? "Sure," admits Sherman today, "but I have no idea what US shipments looked like in the first quarter." Then how can he claim world-wide "losses" in his March speech to Financial Times New Media?

Link (Thanks, Peter!)

RIAA's fake cops harrass based on racial
stereotypes

RIAA's fake cops harrass based on racial
stereotypes 01/16/2004 11:31 AM

And even more racism...

Kevin Marks

RIAA's fake cops harrass based on racial stereotypes

LA weekly story:

'A large percentage [of the vendors] are of a Hispanic nature,' Langley said. 'Today hes Jose Rodriguez, tomorrow hes Raul something or other, and tomorrow after that hes something else. These people change their identity all the time. A pictures worth a thousand words.'

Langley is Western regional coordinator for the RIAA Anti-Piracy Unit.

I feel sorry for Sir Howard Stringer. I'm glad I don't have to hang out with people like the RIAA. (tech dirt on how Sir Howard might save Sony Music)

I wonder just how much racism in the name of "profiling" will be tolerated. Since the RIAA links piracy to terrorism, I suppose they'll expect us to tolerate a lot.

Nasty LKM

Nasty LKM 08/08/2004 07:03 AM
Check it out !

It's Jackson if You're Nasty

It's Jackson if You're Nasty 02/10/2004 02:45 AM

I watched the game, but wasn't impressed by the commercials and tuned out the half-time show about half-way through... then I read about this:

Stupid CBS... Bad idea... Bad execution...

A Nasty Fix for Apple

A Nasty Fix for Apple 12/11/2003 02:27 PM
Business Week Dec 11 2003 1:37PM ET

Nasty new IE vulnerability

Nasty new IE vulnerability 12/09/2003 02:34 PM

Most people reading are probably aware of the common trick whereby spammers and other assorted ne'er-do-wells publish URLs with usernames that look like hostnames to fool people in to trusting a malicious site - for example, http://www.microsoft.com&session%123123123@simon.incutio.com . This trick is frequently used by spammers to steal people's PayPal accounts, by tricking them in to "resetting" their password at a site owned by the spammer but disguised as PayPal.com.

Today's new Internet Explorer vulnerability makes the problem a hundred times worse. By including an 0x01 character after the @ symbol in the fake URL, IE can be tricked in to not displaying the rest of the URL at all. Don't expect a patch for a while either; the guy who discovered the bug released it to BugTraq on the same day he notified the vendor.

PDA Viruses Could Get Nasty

PDA Viruses Could Get Nasty 07/29/2004 11:58 PM
Viruses that target handhelds can be even more dangerous than their cousins that attack PCs, spawning self-replicating programs that hide easily, a security researcher told an audience of security professionals at the Black Hat Briefings conference here this week.

The first virus aimed at Pocket PC handhelds, revealed last week, could be far worse if it were modified slightly to carry a harmful payload, said Seth Fogie, a vice president of Airscanner, which develops security software for the Window Mobile platform.

The benign WinCE4.Duts.A (or just "Dust") virus was created as a demonstration of threats against personal digital assistants. However, Fogie noted, such programs could spread stealthily, logging keystrokes on the Pocket PC's "soft keyboard," and sending data stored on handhelds across the Internet.

View: Complete Article
News source: PCWorld

Read full story...

Nasty new IE hole

Nasty new IE hole 12/09/2003 06:09 PM
A new MS Internet Explorer vulnerability is discovered. Most digerati already know about the spammer and lamer trick to publish URLs that look like legitimate hostnames to fool people in to trusting a malicious site. This trick is frequently used by spammers to steal people's PayPal accounts, by tricking them in to "resetting" their password at a site owned by the spammer but disguised as PayPal.com. Today's new IE vulnerability is significantly worse. By including an 0x01 character after the @ symbol in the fake URL, IE can be tricked in to not displaying the rest of the URL at all. Don't expect a patch right way, the guy who found the hole released it to BugTraq on the same day he notified Microsoft. (via Simon Willison)

Nasty telemarketers

Nasty telemarketers 06/05/2005 11:31 PM
Every so often we get a call from 888 858 9823. Sometime in the mid-nineties the phone number was the fax number of some small company here in Los Angeles, so when it just said "click [silence]" I thought it was a confused fax machine. Over the last weeks it's become more frequent. Every few days or so, maybe more. Grrh. Today I tried waiting a little to see if it was a telemarketer, but nothing happened. I tried looking...

Nasty AT&T Surprise

Nasty AT&T Surprise 07/02/2004 09:53 AM
AT&T Wireless hit me with an unpleasant surprise this month — a $268.68 cell phone bill, compliments of roaming and...

A Nasty Fix For Apple

A Nasty Fix For Apple 12/11/2003 12:30 AM
It didn't have to be this way. Properly trained support reps would have headed this problem off long before it blossomed into a subversive online antiadvertising campaign. And a better customer-support system in general could be a huge selling point for Apple, as users encounter increasing complexity in pulling together the various pieces of the digital lifestyle. By Alex Salkever (BusinessWeek via MyAppleMenu)

HAPPY PEOPLE ARE NASTY?

HAPPY PEOPLE ARE NASTY? 06/21/2004 07:48 AM
more» .. more

nytimes.com/2004/06/20/magazine/20WWLN.html
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Nasty 0.6 (Default branch)

Nasty 0.6 (Default branch) 04/13/2005 02:11 PM
Nasty is an advanced tool for recovering GPG private-key passphrases. It has multiple methods for brute-force attacking the passphrase (searching the whole space, random searches, and dictionary attacks using an external wordlist). It saves its state to a file so that it can continue from where it stopped the last time it ran.

---

Changes:
Now compiles and runs with version 1.0.2 of the gpgme library. A bug that could cause random crashes has been fixed.

Nasty 0.5 (Default branch)

Nasty 0.5 (Default branch) 04/05/2005 11:56 AM
Nasty is an advanced tool for recovering GPG private-key passphrases. It has multiple methods for brute-force attacking the passphrase (searching the whole space, random searches, and dictionary attacks using an external wordlist). It saves its state to a file so that it can continue from where it stopped the last time it ran.

IBM's battle with EMC gets NASty

IBM's battle with EMC gets NASty 04/06/2005 09:15 AM
IBM and Network Appliance on Wednesday announced a strategic storage relationship aimed at expanding both companies' product lines and offering a more united front against storage giant EMC.

Scratching Nasty Blogger

Scratching Nasty Blogger 01/16/2004 01:02 PM

After reading Mark Pilgrim's latest post in which he dragged XHTML into the bad feed handling discussion and tried to instigate a fight by making it look like Tim Bray insulted others, I felt pretty upset and my opinion of Mark dropped down a few notches.  Then this morning, I found out via Dave that Mark is blocking traffic coming from Dave's blog.  That drops my opinion of Mark down to the gutter so I removed him from my blogroll.

Put me on your blacklist too, Mark, because I finally had enough of your nasty antics.  No matter how much fancy Python script you write, you'll never be able to refill those holes if you keep digging like that.

EMC, IBM storage battle gets NASty

EMC, IBM storage battle gets NASty 04/18/2005 07:33 AM
EMC this week announced a new NAS system to its lineup, playing a tit-for-tat game with IBM in the storage market.

Nasty Malware Fouls PCs With Porn

Nasty Malware Fouls PCs With Porn 04/30/2004 04:52 AM
An especially evil new browser hijacker is sweeping the Net, spying on users of infected machines and pummeling them with truly vile pornography. Some folks are screaming for vengeance, but the problem is finding out who unleashed the vicious code. By Michelle Delio.

Acxiom playing nasty in Opt Out List

Acxiom playing nasty in Opt Out List 11/17/2003 05:27 PM
In what only can be described as an attempt to have there cake and eat it too, Acxiom is refusing...

nasty fixes for smbldap-tools

nasty fixes for smbldap-tools 12/07/2003 04:09 PM
A couple of things I had to do to make the cookbook smbldap-tools + howto work on my Debian system...

EMC, IBM storage battle gets NASty
(InfoWorld)

EMC, IBM storage battle gets NASty
(InfoWorld) 04/18/2005 07:42 AM
InfoWorld - EMC this week announced a new NAS system to its lineup, playing a tit-for-tat game with IBM in the storage market.

Nasty car wreck caught on live TV.

Nasty car wreck caught on live TV. 09/17/2004 10:22 PM
A dangerous intersection in Tampa... then, disaster strikes, on live TV. [note: Windows Media, high bandwidth, graphic]

Paid Search Battles Get Nasty

Paid Search Battles Get Nasty 06/01/2004 04:14 AM
It seems that paid search is getting a ton of interest these days, with the two big providers being Google and Yahoo. As competitors, though, the battle is starting to get a little nastier. Yahoo recently banned Shopping.com from advertising on their site, because the ads directed users to a page that included Google ads. Eventually, the two companies worked out an agreement to include some Yahoo ads as well. The article points out that this raises some questions about how companies will deal with being blocked from advertising on certain search engines if they do business with the other. To be honest, though, this policy from Yahoo seems shortsighted. It's not as if they don't get money from Shopping.com when people click through the ads - even if they then go on to click through more Google ads. Why should Yahoo care what the person does after they've clicked through the ad - so long as the ad results are relevant? Obviously, they want more advertising dollars (and getting another deal with a company is valuable), but this seems to be a case where the company was doing more to take business away from a competitor than make business better for themselves.

IBM's battle with EMC gets NASty
(InfoWorld)

IBM's battle with EMC gets NASty
(InfoWorld) 04/06/2005 09:21 AM
InfoWorld - IBM and Network Appliance on Wednesday announced a strategic storage relationship aimed at expanding both companies' product lines and offering a more united front against storage giant EMC.

Online personals business gets nasty

Online personals business gets nasty 06/16/2004 07:33 PM
Techzonez Jun 16 2004 11:21PM GMT

DoubleClick Inc receives a nasty DOS
attack

DoubleClick Inc receives a nasty DOS
attack 07/27/2004 11:18 PM

Direct and Related Links for 'DoubleClick Inc receives a nasty DOS attack'

InfoWorld reports that DoubleClick received a virtual server beating Tuesday thanks to the efforts from a DOS Attack (Denial of Service) originating from the Internet. Reports indicate the attack took place at about 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The attack was quite successful at crippling their website in addition to their ad servers. DoubleClick has indicated that their staff is working out a plan of defense in case this happens again,…

Porno bl0g spam turns nasty

Porno bl0g spam turns nasty 08/04/2004 08:22 AM
Smut attack via compromised military proxies

Collaborative Book Idea Gets a Nasty
Review

Collaborative Book Idea Gets a Nasty
Review 11/17/2003 07:44 PM
The work is to be a collaboration among his readers who "are encouraged to post their thoughts and reflections on what I write in this ongoing blog on Google ...

Games move into the nasty side of life

Games move into the nasty side of life 12/13/2003 05:56 AM
BBC Dec 13 2003 4:45AM ET
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RIAA's Nasty Easter Egg

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