DMCA Complaints

Unfortunately, the Tor network is sometimes being abused for file sharing. This hurts the network, and Bittorrent over Tor isn't a good idea anyway.

If you run a Tor relay that allows arbitrary ports to exit, you sadly cannot stop this from happening. Many ISPs and data centers are scared over receiving automated notices by Bittorrent scanners like those run by MediaSentry (now Peer Media Technologies). Because anyone can file a DMCA complaint and send such notices, this leads to the absurd situation that you can force the takedown of almost any server, even outside US jurisdiction - and even though a Tor operator is perfectly protected thanks to DMCA §512(a) (and similar laws outside of the USA).

So far, we were out of luck about contacting MediaSentry about their reports. We reply to every single one of them, and we tried to get in contact with them over basically any email address we could find. For some funny reason, Peer Media Technologies still uses the name “MediaSentry” and the MX mediasentry.com.

DMCA Complaint Archive

DMCA Complaints 2011.04.07 - 2011.07.06: dmca20110407-20110706.zip

Example Full Report

From: MediaSentry Copyright Infringement <CBSCopyright@mc.mediasentry.com>
Subject: Case ID 13322xxxxx - Notice of Claimed Infringement
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; Boundary="--PTCP_0000528202563b07db"
Message-ID: <0000528302563c07db@[74.203.235.115]>
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:04:41 -0400

----PTCP_0000528202563b07db
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Monday, April 18, 2011

RE:  Unauthorized Distribution of the Copyrighted Television Series Entitled
       Navy: NCIS

Dear xxxxxx:

We are writing this letter on behalf of the relevant subsidiaries of CBS Corporation.

We have received information that an individual has utilized the below-referenced IP address at the noted date and time to offer downloads of copyrighted television programs through a "peer-to-peer" service, including such title(s) as:

	Navy: NCIS

The distribution of unauthorized copies of copyrighted television programs constitutes copyright infringement under the Copyright Act, Title 17 United States Code Section 106(3). This conduct may also violate the laws of other countries, international law, and/or treaty obligations.

Since you own this IP address (77.247.181.163), we request that you immediately do the following:

1) Remove or disable access to the individual who has engaged in the conduct described above; and

2) Take appropriate action against the account holder under your Abuse Policy/Terms of Service Agreement.

We also would request that you inform the individual who engaged in this conduct that legitimate copies of CBS content are widely available for viewing online, for example on www.cbs.com and many other sites that participate in the CBS Audience Network. 

On behalf of CBS, owner of the exclusive rights in the copyrighted material at issue in this notice, we hereby state that we have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by CBS, its respective agents, or the law.

Also, we hereby state, under penalty of perjury, that the information in this notification is accurate and that we are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the exclusive rights being infringed as set forth in this notification.

Please direct any end user queries to the following: 

CopyrightQs@mediasentry.com

Please include the Case ID 13322xxxxx, also noted above, in the subject line of all future correspondence regarding this matter.

We appreciate your assistance and thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Your prompt response is requested.

Respectfully,

D. Brewer
Enforcement Coordinator
Peer Media Technologies, Inc.
copyrightqs@mediasentry.com

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

INFRINGEMENT DETAIL
--------------------

Infringing Work: Navy: NCIS
First Found: 18 Apr 2011 20:26:43 EDT (GMT -0400)
Last Found: 18 Apr 2011 20:26:43 EDT (GMT -0400)
IP Address: 77.247.181.163
IP Port: 6881
Protocol: BitTorrent
Torrent InfoHash: 62E893EBC75376FEA8C5B19141F7D90019CB5CA6
Containing file(s):
NCIS.S08E17.HDTV.XviD-LOL.[VTV].avi.torrent (366,360,300 bytes)

----PTCP_0000528202563b07db
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="1332288144.xml"
Content-Type: application/octet-stream; name="1332288144.xml"
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----PTCP_0000528202563b07db--

Reply

Dear Peer Media Technologies, 

We do not keep customer usage information. As a German non-profit
organization, we are bound to the German Telemediengesetz
("telemedia law") which prohibits logging of customer usage data unless
required for billing purposes (TMG section 15).

Our systems do not host content and fall under section 512 of the DMCA
"Transitory Digital Network Communications" and similar laws. We do
not control or select the transmission, routing or provision of 
connections.

We are not interested in supporting criminal activity. To the contrary,
our networks are being used to run Tor exits. Tor is a research project,
funded by the National Science Foundation and previously DARPA (among
others). Its primary goal is to provide people from hostile environments
with encrypted and uncensored access to the Internet. For more than a
third of the worlds population, the Internet is being either filtered or
monitored. Every day, activists and bloggers are imprisoned or
threatened for what we in the western countries see as a Human Right.

There are usage stats on the www.torproject.org website that show that
more than 500,000 users from China, Iran and similar regimes use Tor to
access the Internet every day.

At www.torservers.net, we offer to run Tor nodes for people and
organizations willing to help monetarily.

You can find more information specifically about abuse scenarios and the
legal situation at http://www.torservers.net/abuse.html

Thanks for your understanding. If you have further questions, feel free
to contact us again.

Procmail Rules

:0 c
* ^To:.*abuse@example.com
* ^From:.*(mediasentry.com|copyright-compliance.com|copyright-notice.com|ip-echelon.com)
{
  REPLYTO = `formail -xFrom:`
  SUBJECT = `formail -xSubject:`

  :0 fhb
  | (/usr/bin/formail -r                    \
   -I"To: $REPLYTO"     \
   -I"From: Torservers Abuse Team <abuse@torservers.net>" \
   -I"Subject: Re: $SUBJECT" ;    \
   /bin/cat /home/user/dmca-autoreply.msg) \
  | /usr/sbin/sendmail -oi -t
}

:0
* ^To:.*abuse@example.com
* ^From:.*(mediasentry.com|copyright-compliance.com|copyright-notice.com|ip-echelon.com)
.Torservers.Abuse.DMCA/

abuse/dmca.txt · Last modified: 2013/01/12 12:29 by moritz

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Table of Contents

DMCA Complaints

DMCA Complaint Archive

Example Full Report

Reply

Procmail Rules