[cdg] Computer News - Anonymous file-swapping programmer arrested
- From: "Donny Duncan" <ravers_deelite@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <cdg@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 19:15:33 -0500
Pulled from NewScientist (www.newscientist.com)
Anonymous file-swapping programmer arrested
A professor at Tokyo University in Japan has been arrested and charged with
copyright offences after developing a computer program that promises to let
users share files with anonymity.
Isamu Kaneko, a 33-year-old academic, wrote a file-sharing program called
"Winny". This promises users the ability to share audio and video files through
a network built on top of ordinary internet traffic, but without revealing
network address of their computer to other users. Kaneko was arrested on
suspicion of offering copyrighted material for download through the program
himself.
In Japan, violating copyright law can be punished with a maximum sentence of
three years in prison or a fine of up to 3 million yen ($27,000). A survey
carried out by the Japan's Association of Copyright for Computer Software
suggests that Winny is used by around 250,000 people in Japan.
Outside of Japan, the best-known anonymous file-trading program is FreeNet.
This program uses encryption and clever routing to prevent an outsider from
determining who has requested a particular file or where it is stored but it
requires some technical expertise to use. Winny is easier to operate and
borrows some of the techniques implemented in FreeNet.
Read more here:
http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/tech/article.jsp?id=99994978&sub=Computing
Donny Duncan
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