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Leaked Media Defender e-mails reveal secret government project

arstechnica.com — Internal MediaDefender e-mails leaked on BitTorrent reveal that the peer-to-peer poisoning company was providing information to the government as part of a secret project. The e-mails also provide new insight into the company's MiiVi scandal.

Who dugg this? Made popular Sep 17, 2007

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  • bg785, on 10/10/2007, -3/+103wow i just want to thank all those individuals who are exposing these disgusting practices. you guys are on the frontlines of freedom. thank you!
  • Ordos, on 10/10/2007, -4/+103Surprise surprise, underhanded tactics from the government!? Never!
  • fredricko, on 10/10/2007, -0/+82"The e-mails, unfortunately, also contain some highly sensitive financial information, including a spreadsheet with the salaries, Social Security numbers, and home addresses of individual MediaDefender software developers."

    I would be really freaked out right now if I were one of those people.
  • rabidmonkey1, on 10/10/2007, -0/+79"MediaDefender charges $4,000 for one month of protection for an album, and $2,000 for one month of protection for a track."

    Now if they were really smart, they would charge consumers for "protection" too and become the regular Don Mafioso of the internet.
  • ryanonfire, on 10/10/2007, -0/+70After a statement Saaf sent to Digital Daily was included in a blog entry, Saaf sent an e-mail to a handful of MediaDefender employees asking if it would be a good idea to post it to the Digg.com news site. He also suggested possibly having MediaDefender employees post comments. Referring to the Digg community, MediaDefender co-founder Octavio Herrera replied, "They aren't going to believe you."
  • denied, on 10/10/2007, -1/+67Ars- writes a good story, put a lot of the information out that was deleted from our comments here on digg to the original story.

    (I thought Digg was really going to quit after last time)
  • inobla, on 10/10/2007, -1/+57Damn. These guys are setting a record for the number of times a company can get owned in less than a week.

    http://www.media.defender.justgotowned.com/
  • Bricks, on 10/10/2007, -5/+541. Stealthily rename "MiiVi" to "Viide"
    2. Protect your trade secrets with a web mail service.
    3. ?????
    4. Profiit.
  • evilkat, on 10/10/2007, -8/+49pwnd!
  • inactive, on 10/10/2007, -0/+33They deserve this 100% Hopefully their own software developers are pissed that their personal info is out in the open. That's what they get for working for an underhanded company.
  • LegionX, on 10/10/2007, -2/+34Leaked mails in HTML format -> http://jrwr.hopto.org/
  • Unr3a1, on 10/10/2007, -0/+30Something I learned from hanging around the MDD irc channel today was that the hackers who did this were sitting on all these emails for a while. In fact, the conference call that was leaked today was the result of an email dated about a month ago revealing the phone and pass code for their teleconferencing network. I find all of it very interesting...
  • vidarino, on 10/10/2007, -1/+30Adding insult to injury;
    http://secure.wikileaks.org/wiki/Mediadefender-phonecall.mp3
  • ryanonfire, on 10/10/2007, -2/+28ahahah love these media defender stories
  • stklaw, on 10/10/2007, -2/+28At least they got that one right.
    I'm starting to believe that there are spies on Digg.
    Anyone want to track them?
  • DukeMojo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+25It's easy for the government can spy on their people, but it's much sweeter when we get to play the overseers.
  • idsjfoiewh3498, on 10/10/2007, -0/+22LOL
    __________

    Fanmail section!

    Sender: jon yards
    Subject: Email from the MediaDefender CEO

    I am the CEO of MediaDefender. We have begun our civil and criminal investigations into the stolen emails from our company. We are meeting with the FBI on monday. Your IP address has been logged. I hope it was worth the thrill.
  • cyssero, on 04/18/2009, -1/+23I had no idea comments were being deleted.. it reminds me of this interesting collection of images: http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7583/thebestma4xm4.png
  • vemerge, on 11/06/2007, -2/+24I'm not so sure I buy this. Actually, I don't buy this.
  • inactive, on 10/10/2007, -1/+22Not until we stop this project.
  • coheedcollapse, on 10/10/2007, -2/+21Oh, you know a lot of them are going to demonize the hell out of the people who picked up and distributed this information. I'm sure Mediadefender is going to get a *****-ton of sympathy from network news, and unfortunately, the viewers who have no ***** idea what's going on in that crazy internet world.
  • freshgrease, on 10/10/2007, -1/+20Silly asshat, tricks are for kids.

    What they[The anti-piracy] forget is there are thousands of well trained and brilliant hackers out there. They are just picking a fight they can't win. Next thing you know the whole server-cluster will be destroyed and the 9gb/s line will be DoS'ed so much they will be litterly *****.

    How pathetic.
  • iancgi, on 10/10/2007, -4/+22lol makes u wonder what else they are involved in
  • vemerge, on 10/10/2007, -0/+16Some of the emails are dated as late as September 10th.
  • blaze03, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17AWESOME summary of all the drama, very thorough, great read. Thanks Ryan Paul.
  • knightboat, on 10/10/2007, -1/+16"There are people here who don't agree with you, you know."

    Common sense assumes that those people aren't included in the "we."
  • juicyj, on 10/10/2007, -0/+14okthxbye
  • cyssero, on 04/18/2009, -1/+15I never paid for their ***** before, but now I will just take pleasure in pirating more of their stuff. *****.
  • hiphoc, on 10/10/2007, -5/+18Speaking of universal music. I have personally been in the office of the president of Universal music and the ***** has Limewire open on his computer downloading songs to his iPod. Hypocrites all of them. Just another example of the elites of this country who run corporations and the government persecuting the people for rules and laws they themselves do not follow.
  • 2oonhed, on 10/10/2007, -0/+13WOW.......I grok......this stuff is wild. MediaDefender got caught, but this story makes me wonder how many others are out there are doing the same kinds of things.....and worse, such as, posing as honey pots & relaying info to law enforcement?
    Isn't that entrapment? That is just dirty, dirty business and altogether unnecessary.
    My hat is off to the black hats & snoops out there that keep these dirty bastards in check...... Thank you.
  • Jugalator, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12I agree. The names that should be dropped more are names like EMI and NBC Universal. That's the guys who're sending these people the work to do, essentially their employers. These music companies also work under an umbrella corporation to hide their names in media from bad publicity with a familiar name to many: RIAA.
  • idsjfoiewh3498, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12jay@mediadefender.com
    stefan@thezonie.org
    grodsky@mediadefender.com
    jonathan@mediadefender.com
    roka@mediadefender.com
    ben@mediadefender.com
    dylan@mediadefender.com
    hwang@mediadefender.com
    heath@mediadefender.com
    sujay@mediadefender.com
    octavio@mediadefender.com
    randy@mediadefender.com
    ivan@mediadefender.com
    tabish@mediadefender.com
    jeff@mediadefender.com
    dlee@mediadefender.com
    gmacias@mediadefender.com
    itsupport@mediadefender.com
    qatickets@mediadefender.com
    bittickets@mediadefender.com
    amaechi@mediadefender.com
    ty.heath@gmail.com
    steve@mediadefender.com
    projecttickets@mediadefender.com
    patrickpanz@verizon.net
    gerald@mediadefender.com
    gilberto@mediadefender.com
    anirudha.khanna@gmail.com
    jasper@mediadefender.com
    enrique@mediadefender.com
    emuletickets@mediadefender.com
    jose@mediadefender.com
    Jesse.Kanner@capitolmusic.com
    jperez@mediadefender.com
    pcortez@mediadefender.com
    daza@mediadefender.com
    DougKamin@ARTISTdirect.com
    jed@mediadefender.com
    benhui@mediadefender.com
    naineshsolanki@gmail.com
    mark@mediadefender.com
    andrew@mediadefender.com
    danny@mediadefender.com
    joshua@mediadefender.com
    Aaron.Markham@nbcuni.com
    sergio@mediadefender.com
    mmorales@mediadefender.com
    Andrew.Skinner@nbcuni.com
    Jeremy.Banks@ifpi.org
    Rosemary.Nolan@ifpi.org
    info@miivi.com
    ty.heath@mac.com
    cs@anonymizerinc.com
    gnutellatickets@mediadefender.com
    joel@mediadefender.com
    jmairs@gmail.com
    cgillis@mediadefender.com
    project_management@mediadefender.com
    mary@mediadefender.com
    vishalpa@usc.edu
    nsolanki@mediadefender.com
    Armen.Abelyan@nbcuni.com
    Michelle.Huynh@nbcuni.com
    iandrade@mediadefender.com
    rick@mediadefender.com
    Rene.Rousselet@ARTISTdirect.com
    fmenang@mediadefender.com
    ckeller@mediadefender.com
    abuse@mediadefender.com
    nsaxby@mediadefender.com
    David.Benjamin@umusic.com
    Michael.Potts@ARTISTdirect.com
    nlivingston@mediadefender.com
    jvd@aol.com
    hrach@mediadefender.com
    schwanky@gmail.com
    theskycat@gmail.com
    chris@zeropaid.com
    mekrob@gmail.com
    theshockwave@gmail.com
    christopher.bell@umusic.com
    sahuja@mediadefender.com
    Damien.Montanile@ARTISTdirect.com
    Bradley.Bartram@oag.state.ny.us
    mkoelsch@mediadefender.com
    akshay.singhal@gmail.com
    michael.mccartney@oag.state.ny.us
    tabishasan@gmail.com
    Ethan.Karp@umusic.com
    Peri.Kadanoff@oag.state.ny.us
    stockbesoffen@hotmail.com
    jlouie@mediadefender.com
    bmao@mediadefender.com
    manali.rane@gmail.com
    laranha@mediadefender.com
    dlai@mediadefender.com
    olivas@mediadefender.com
    miivi@mediadefender.com
    jgaspar@anonymizerinc.com
    sshah@mediadefender.com
    olchang@aol.com
    network@etp1102.etp.na.blackberry.net
  • zulfy26, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12This article was an excellent read. Good overview of the whole Media Defender situation.
  • inactive, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12Well, if no one gonna say it... ***** MediaDefender!
  • iirrkk, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12*****...
  • maninblac1, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12Yet, somehow, old ladies and people without computers get sued, just because you don't do it, doesn't make you safe. It just gives you a reasonable alibi, but when they treat every person like a criminal regardless, well, you kind of lost your alibi didn't you?
  • Pixelante, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12"I would be really freaked out right now if I were one of those people"

    And rightly so. Finger slicing anyone?
  • ryanonfire, on 10/10/2007, -2/+13***** that would suck
  • Kidge, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11social security + matching name = identity the
    i really do feel bad for the lower people who probably are just doing a job to get paid and have no idea about what goes on
  • smellinator, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11Check this out: http://jrwr.hopto.org/msg03024.html
    Andrew's gettin screwed

    Developer raises

    * To: "Jay Mairs"
    * Subject: Developer raises
    * From: "Octavio Herrera"
    * Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2007 14:20:39 -0700
    * Cc: "Randy Saaf" , "Ben Grodsky"
    Do not give these to payroll until jay tells you he has told these guys.



    Ivan – 5% raise, bonus at end of year

    Ty – 5% raise, bonus at end of year

    Sergio – up to $74K

    Dylan - up to $77K

    Sujay - up to $71K

    Jed – up to $61K

    Andrew - up to $59K

    Nainesh - up to $70K

    Daeyoung- up to $62K



    Best,



    Octavio Herrera

    --------------------------

    President

    MediaDefender, Inc.

    310.956.3352


  • idsjfoiewh3498, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10DIGG ME DOWN BUT SPAM BOTS SPAM THESE EMAILS
    jay@mediadefender.com
    stefan@thezonie.org
    grodsky@mediadefender.com
    jonathan@mediadefender.com
    roka@mediadefender.com
    ben@mediadefender.com
    dylan@mediadefender.com
    hwang@mediadefender.com
    heath@mediadefender.com
    sujay@mediadefender.com
    octavio@mediadefender.com
    randy@mediadefender.com
    ivan@mediadefender.com
    tabish@mediadefender.com
    jeff@mediadefender.com
    dlee@mediadefender.com
    gmacias@mediadefender.com
    itsupport@mediadefender.com
    qatickets@mediadefender.com
    bittickets@mediadefender.com
    amaechi@mediadefender.com
    ty.heath@gmail.com
    steve@mediadefender.com
    projecttickets@mediadefender.com
    patrickpanz@verizon.net
    gerald@mediadefender.com
    gilberto@mediadefender.com
    anirudha.khanna@gmail.com
    jasper@mediadefender.com
    enrique@mediadefender.com
    emuletickets@mediadefender.com
    jose@mediadefender.com
    Jesse.Kanner@capitolmusic.com
    jperez@mediadefender.com
    pcortez@mediadefender.com
    daza@mediadefender.com
    DougKamin@ARTISTdirect.com
    jed@mediadefender.com
    benhui@mediadefender.com
    naineshsolanki@gmail.com
    mark@mediadefender.com
    andrew@mediadefender.com
    danny@mediadefender.com
    joshua@mediadefender.com
    Aaron.Markham@nbcuni.com
    sergio@mediadefender.com
    mmorales@mediadefender.com
    Andrew.Skinner@nbcuni.com
    Jeremy.Banks@ifpi.org
    Rosemary.Nolan@ifpi.org
    info@miivi.com
    ty.heath@mac.com
    cs@anonymizerinc.com
    gnutellatickets@mediadefender.com
    joel@mediadefender.com
    jmairs@gmail.com
    cgillis@mediadefender.com
    project_management@mediadefender.com
    mary@mediadefender.com
    vishalpa@usc.edu
    nsolanki@mediadefender.com
    Armen.Abelyan@nbcuni.com
    Michelle.Huynh@nbcuni.com
    iandrade@mediadefender.com
    rick@mediadefender.com
    Rene.Rousselet@ARTISTdirect.com
    fmenang@mediadefender.com
    ckeller@mediadefender.com
    abuse@mediadefender.com
    nsaxby@mediadefender.com
    David.Benjamin@umusic.com
    Michael.Potts@ARTISTdirect.com
    nlivingston@mediadefender.com
    jvd@aol.com
    hrach@mediadefender.com
    schwanky@gmail.com
    theskycat@gmail.com
    chris@zeropaid.com
    mekrob@gmail.com
    theshockwave@gmail.com
    christopher.bell@umusic.com
    sahuja@mediadefender.com
    Damien.Montanile@ARTISTdirect.com
    Bradley.Bartram@oag.state.ny.us
    mkoelsch@mediadefender.com
    akshay.singhal@gmail.com
    michael.mccartney@oag.state.ny.us
    tabishasan@gmail.com
    Ethan.Karp@umusic.com
    Peri.Kadanoff@oag.state.ny.us
    stockbesoffen@hotmail.com
    jlouie@mediadefender.com
    bmao@mediadefender.com
    manali.rane@gmail.com
    laranha@mediadefender.com
    dlai@mediadefender.com
    olivas@mediadefender.com
    miivi@mediadefender.com
    jgaspar@anonymizerinc.com
    sshah@mediadefender.com
    olchang@aol.com
    network@etp1102.etp.na.blackberry.net
  • inactive, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10$5 bucks says we'll have Diggscanner by mid December.
  • sorbix, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10Well, at least we can all rest assured that dumbasses are running these programs. You can't outsmart us!
  • sv2k, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8So I guess sharing a CD with a friend is also illegal too huh? Letting someone else hear music coming from your boombox? jailtime.
  • IceCreamMatt, on 10/10/2007, -5/+13Here's a picture of his son before going to urgent care.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/10998060@N00/1040976473/
  • cyssero, on 04/18/2009, -0/+8Protection against Media Defender? I think MediaDefender-Defenders are organising that.
  • amsterdamordeth, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7perlfu: do some historical checking on who has come out of the NY attorney generals office, and his statements may seem more accurate
  • maninblac1, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Okay, you obviously have no idea what you're talking about.
    "physiological" WTF!?!
  • idsjfoiewh3498, on 10/10/2007, -2/+9http://digg.com/security/A_list_of_torrents_being_watched_by_the_authorities
    http://digg.com/security/MediaDefender_Banned_And_Blocked
    http://digg.com/tech_news/The_Biggest_Ever_BitTorrent_Leak_MediaDefender_Internal_Emails_Go_Public
    http://digg.com/offbeat_news/MediaDefender_leaks_phone_calls_as_well
    http://digg.com/tech_news/MediaDefender_Phone_Call_and_Gnutella_Tracking_Database_Leaked
    http://digg.com/tech_news/Leaked_Media_Defender_e_mails_reveal_secret_government_project
    http://digg.com/tech_news/Media_Defenders_Emails_Leaked_HTML_Format
  • badtz, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8*yawn*
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