# Free Anonymous BitTorrent Becomes Reality With BitBlinder



## RootbeaR

"There can be little doubt that the provision of an effective and free service for BitTorrent anonymity would prove hugely popular. Today we bring you a detailed report on BitBlinder - a brand new open source project which promises to cloak your torrents, hide your browsing and get round many obstructive filters."
http://torrentfreak.com/free-anonymous-bittorrent-becomes-reality-with-bitblinder-090611/

Looks like this is going to turn into a radar>radar detector type competition.

In the long run, it will hurt Linux and Open Source Software the most.


----------



## Mr. Newton

Is it just me or am I missing something here? In Canada torrents are not illegal.The CBC television network even uses them,indie music artists use them,businesses use them,not that is a validation, but since torrents are not illegal here, then what is the issue .If I use a torrent site so be it.
Or are you starting from the premise that using torrents to disseminate information is illegal? 
I could never figure out this issue since it was a non starter for me.
What the heck am I missing,or is this just FUD?


----------



## Elvandil

Mr. Newton said:


> Is it just me or am I missing something here? In Canada torrents are not illegal.The CBC television network even uses them,indie music artists use them,businesses use them,not that is a validation, but since torrents are not illegal here, then what is the issue .If I use a torrent site so be it.
> Or are you starting from the premise that using torrents to disseminate information is illegal?
> I could never figure out this issue since it was a non starter for me.
> What the heck am I missing,or is this just FUD?


The use of torrents to download illegal software is just as illegal in Canada as in any other country. And, just like everywhere else, the majority of people using torrents in Canada are breaking the law. "Cloaking" basically obstructs the ability of the RIAA (and CRIA), MPAA, and ISP's to eavesdrop on the content of downloads and uploads to find offenders and bring them to court.

File-swapping lawsuits loom in Canada


----------



## Mr. Newton

So,I am not talking about doing anything illegal,I am still missing the point,is it like writing a letter and sending through the snail mail system and in that letter there may be instructions on how to bring down the financial network in the U.S. So your mail is read by someone other than who you send it to.I could write 1,000,000 letters and it would still be no ones business except my own or the person(s) I sent the message to.
I have never gotten the argument of some one else reading my mail.
But on the other hand,I do realize that whatever you transmit over the net is for public viewing at some point i time.
Nothing is safe using a computer.
The safest form of communication is by whispering in someone else's ear.No paper,No evidence to be used against you in a court of law.
I still don't get the torrent issue.
It is not illegal.


----------



## RootbeaR

Mr. Newton said:


> Is it just me or am I missing something here? In Canada torrents are not illegal.The CBC television network even uses them,indie music artists use them,businesses use them,not that is a validation, but since torrents are not illegal here, then what is the issue .If I use a torrent site so be it.
> Or are you starting from the premise that using torrents to disseminate information is illegal?
> I could never figure out this issue since it was a non starter for me.
> What the heck am I missing,or is this just FUD?


Torrents, to the best of my knowledge, are not illegal anywhere. What can be illegal is what you are downloading.

The only FUD regarding torrents is propagated by the **AAs' and others who don't understand the technology.

I download/upload Linux torrents daily.

Want some free legal movies?
http://www.publicdomaintorrents.com/

This is why I don't understand why a thread gets closed/locked just because someone says they have an .avi file they downloaded from the internet. Look in this forum for my posts and you will see where a few other movies have also been released, legally, via torrents.

Edit: http://forums.techguy.org/tech-related-news/834560-scanner-darkly-producer-puts-latest.html

From Elvandils' link:
"In December, the Copyright Board of Canada, the country's top copyright regulators issued a ruling in which they said downloading from file-swapping services such as Kazaa appeared to be legal under Canadian law, since the songs were intended for noncommercial personal use. Uploading, or sharing with others through such services, did not merit the same legal shield, they said"

This is because of our Recordable Media surtax. The RIAA got what they asked for.


----------



## Mumbodog

"there may be instructions on how to bring down the financial network in the U.S"
"and it would still be no ones business except my own or the person(s) I sent the message to"

Free speech is just that, free to say what you want, but is never free of the consequences of stupidity and the Law.

"What can be illegal is what you are downloading."

The real issue is "Sharing" copyrighted material, not necessarily downloading it. Kind of like the drug pusher and the user, they seem to have higher penalties for distribution.

What is illegal is what someone powerful enough can make a law to make it illegal, which is exactly what the RIAA and MPAA are trying to do.

If someone was taking $100 out of our/your bank account and sharing it with others, I think most opinions regarding it as "legal" would change fast.


----------



## Elvandil

Mr. Newton said:


> So,I am not talking about doing anything illegal,I am still missing the point,is it like writing a letter and sending through the snail mail system and in that letter there may be instructions on how to bring down the financial network in the U.S. So your mail is read by someone other than who you send it to.I could write 1,000,000 letters and it would still be no ones business except my own or the person(s) I sent the message to.
> I have never gotten the argument of some one else reading my mail.
> But on the other hand,I do realize that whatever you transmit over the net is for public viewing at some point i time.
> Nothing is safe using a computer.
> The safest form of communication is by whispering in someone else's ear.No paper,No evidence to be used against you in a court of law.
> I still don't get the torrent issue.
> It is not illegal.


It is very likely that every email you send and every instant message is scanned and possibly read by a third-party. IM's are stored for later access by anyone who may need to know what you talked about. That is the whole purpose of projects like Carnivore. Encryption is one way to minimize the loss of privacy on the net. That is what occurs when you access an HTTPS site and most people seem to like the idea that their communications may be read by only them and the recipient.

Those use torrents want the same thing--a way to prevent others from knowing what they are sending and receiving. That is the whole point. Especially since what they are doing is illegal 99% of the time.


----------



## DarqueMist

Elvandil said:


> ....
> 
> File-swapping lawsuits loom in Canada


ummm ... that's insanely old news that never panned out

you didn't read the date that article was written

*"*February 13, 2004 2:00 PM PST
* File-swapping lawsuits loom in Canada"*


----------



## bp936

all freeware is downloaded. Does it matter which way? what is torrent? a site, a program, a person, a network? 
I think if downloading music is illegal, then taping a cassette from the radio is also illegal, but I never heard of it. I can copy a cassette and give it to a friend. So now people download and share. Unfortunately 26 Kbps won't let you download anything and my phoneline would be forever plugged. 

On the other hand, if sharing is not allowed, then I want the cops to come to my house and arrest every booming car that blares in front of the house at any given time. Why are drivers allowed to share their music? And I am not trying to be funny


----------



## Elvandil

DarqueMist said:


> ummm ... that's insanely old news that never panned out
> 
> you didn't read the date that article was written
> 
> *"*February 13, 2004 2:00 PM PST
> * File-swapping lawsuits loom in Canada"*


The situation hasn't changed much since that article. There have been back and forths, but copyrighted material is still copyrighted material, even in Canada, a subscriber to international copyright treaties.

http://torrentfreak.com/isohunt-takes-on-the-cria-in-court-090311/


----------



## RootbeaR

Mumbodog said:


> If someone was taking $100 out of our/your bank account and sharing it with others, I think most opinions regarding it as "legal" would change fast.


Bad analogy.

The hundred dollars is gone.

Sharing a copy, does that mean I no longer have my copy? Or can I share it yet again?



Elvandil said:


> Especially since what they are doing is illegal 99% of the time.


What article is that from?
You would be more correct to say % (not 99) of the people as what I am doing is 100% legal. Even in the States.

Torrents are as legal as cars. Both can be used illegally.

Should we ban cars? Most bank robberies have a getaway car?

How many people are killed each year as a result of cars? Torrents?

Does the USA still sell radar detectors? What is their purpose and why are they necessary?

Studies indicate file sharers buy more music/movies than other internet users. They figure most people use it as "try before you buy."

Edit:
"Media Coverage of the Lobby Interference With Conference Board Study"
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4030/196/

Edit:
"The IIPA has been pushing for sanctions against Canada for years, despite no real evidence of any real problem in Canada, and plenty of evidence that unauthorized copying is a very minor issue in Canada. In fact, some of the stats on Canada seem to be based on little more than hunches."
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090612/1235555213.shtml


----------



## RootbeaR

"This new form of entertainment has gone far to blast maidenhood ... Depraved adults with candies and pennies beguile children with the inevitable result. The Society has prosecuted many for leading girls astray through these picture shows, but GOD alone knows how many are leading dissolute lives begun at the 'moving pictures.'

- The Annual Report of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 1909

The indecent foreign dance called the Waltz was introduced ... at the English Court on Friday last ... It is quite sufficient to cast one's eyes on the voluptuous intertwining of the limbs, and close compressure of the bodies ... to see that it is far indeed removed from the modest reserve which has hitherto been considered distinctive of English females. So long as this obscene display was confined to prostitutes and adulteresses, we did not think it deserving of notice; but now that it is ... forced on the respectable classes of society by the evil example of their superiors, we feel it a duty to warn every parent against exposing his daughter to so fatal a contagion.

- The Times of London, 1816."
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090612/1530595217.shtml


----------



## RootbeaR

Elvandil said:


> The situation hasn't changed much since that article. There have been back and forths, but copyrighted material is still copyrighted material, even in Canada, a subscriber to international copyright treaties.
> 
> http://torrentfreak.com/isohunt-takes-on-the-cria-in-court-090311/


" I am reminded of the time when Senator Leahy and I worked together on the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988, which made the United States a party to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. Passage of this law extended copyright protections beyond our borders to the worldwide coverage by the multilateral treaty.

And we are all worse off for it. Many scholars who have noticed the damaging effects of agreeing to the Berne Convention standards are quite concerned about what that has done to copyright. It has extended it well beyond reason. It has gutted the important public domain. It has hindered the ability of creative efforts. It was a horrible mistake by almost any measure."
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090612/1235555213.shtml


----------



## bp936

doesn't "copyright"mean, I cannot claim your writings as mine? But if it is written, it will be shared, or else keep it at your place and don't let the world know about it.
and
I love your quote RootBear about the waltz from 1816


----------



## RootbeaR

bp936 said:


> doesn't "copyright"mean, I cannot claim your writings as mine? *But if it is written, it will be shared, or else keep it at your place and don't let the world know about it*.
> and
> I love your quote RootBear about the waltz from 1816


Excellent point.

"Fleet Foxes Thank Piracy For Their Success
Indeed, many BitTorrent trackers dedicated to music are populated by thousands of artists, who share their own work and that of others. Most famously, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor was a proud member of the now defunct OiNK tracker."
http://torrentfreak.com/fleet-foxes-thank-piracy-for-their-success-090612/

"How Piracy Opens Doors for Windows
Microsoft Corp. estimates it lost about $14 billion last year to software piracy -- and those may prove to be the most lucrative sales never made."
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/apr/09/business/fi-micropiracy9


----------



## lotuseclat79

RootbeaR said:


> "There can be little doubt that the provision of an effective and free service for BitTorrent anonymity would prove hugely popular. Today we bring you a detailed report on BitBlinder - a brand new open source project which promises to cloak your torrents, hide your browsing and get round many obstructive filters."
> http://torrentfreak.com/free-anonymous-bittorrent-becomes-reality-with-bitblinder-090611/
> In the long run, it will hurt Linux and Open Source Software the most.


Hi RootbeaR,

How will BitBlinder hurt Linux and Open Source Software either short run or long run?

The piracy M$ experiences is that their OSes are physically copied onto media which is sold cheaply (affordable) to those whom cannot afford the full-tilt boogie retail price - that is piracy.

The so-called piracy claimed by the *AA entities, is more hypothetical based on the assumption that users of torrent sharing/downloading music tracks would otherwise pay for a retail CD of the same music instead of deciding to spend their $$ otherwise. This is a highly specious argument at best.

The difficulty of claiming an "act" like downloading is a crime perhaps may be defined in commercial law where if it is done for moneyi, i.e. to subsequently sell the downloaded item, then it is a crime, and if the materials are illegal such as information related to identity theft. Obviously, as technology - e.g. computer technology, progresses faster than new laws can be legislated for it - use of the new technology does not necessarily mean that a crime has occurred - it depends on whether someone profits from it, or if fraud is involved or if the material is illegal or if the downloaded object was stolen - e.g. a cracker breaks into a well known vendor and downloads software without paying for it.

There are many legal uses for torrents, such as distributing software patches to internal networks that comprise 1000's of computers for which they are very efficient.

-- Tom


----------



## JohnWill

RootbeaR said:


> This is why I don't understand why a thread gets closed/locked just because someone says they have an .avi file they downloaded from the internet. Look in this forum for my posts and you will see where a few other movies have also been released, legally, via torrents.


The reason is really simple. The vast majority of torrent requests received here are indeed related to illegal downloads. As such, Mike has decided that we don't assist with P2P here. Case closed.

Note that the folks that use P2P legally typically are able to solve their issues without help. Most people that are downloading Linux distributions hare a decent computer skillset.


----------



## RootbeaR

lotuseclat79 said:


> Hi RootbeaR,
> 
> How will BitBlinder hurt Linux and Open Source Software either short run or long run?
> -- Tom


I meant the competition of detect, avoid detection.

It will get too technical and be too much of a pain in the butt to use easily.

Linux and OSS Devs rely on torrents to help keep costs down.


----------



## Elvandil

JohnWill said:


> The reason is really simple. The vast majority of torrent requests received here are indeed related to illegal downloads. As such, Mike has decided that we don't assist with P2P here. Case closed.
> 
> Note that the folks that use P2P legally typically are able to solve their issues without help. Most people that are downloading Linux distributions hare a decent computer skillset.


Generally speaking, no configuration or knowledge of torrents is required by those apps that use torrents legally, either. Those Linux distros, for example, that update through torrents don't require that the user do anything to set it up. They simply use torrents as a protocol. I'm sure that one of the original intents of torrents, the easy distribution of material over corporate networks world-wide without server-loading, is similarly implemented and no knowledge of torrents is required by the users.

"Note that the folks that use P2P legally typically are able to solve their issues without help. "

This seems a general truth, that people with the knowledge also gain a sense of moral responsibility.


----------



## RootbeaR

Elvandil said:


> Generally speaking, no configuration or knowledge of torrents is required by those apps that use torrents legally, either. Those Linux distros, for example, that update through torrents don't require that the user do anything to set it up. They simply use torrents as a protocol. I'm sure that one of the original intents of torrents, the easy distribution of material over corporate networks world-wide without server-loading, is similarly implemented and no knowledge of torrents is required by the users.
> 
> "Note that the folks that use P2P legally typically are able to solve their issues without help. "
> 
> This seems a general truth, that people with the knowledge also gain a sense of moral responsibility.


When I first started, it took me hours to download a distro.

After researching, learning how to use them, I can download a distro in @ 15 minutes.

Required more research to learn how to upload. With all the reading, I found it easier to download the distro again via torrent, then just keep seeding it.

As to the moral responsibility, I think it is an age thing as well.

Lots of kids shoplift, how many adults do?

People downloading legal torrents are not getting corrupt files or other crap either. I haven't had a problem in 2+ years.



JohnWill said:


> The reason is really simple. The vast majority of torrent requests received here are indeed related to illegal downloads. As such, Mike has decided that we don't assist with P2P here. Case closed.


I was referring to .avi files not torrents. Case still closed though.


----------



## JohnWill

Yep, case still closed.


----------



## RootbeaR

RootbeaR said:


> After researching, learning how to use them, I can download a distro in @ 15 minutes.


Getting Fedora 11 at the moment.

Download time is doubled as I have downgraded service from my ISP.


----------



## RootbeaR

JohnWill said:


> The reason is really simple. The vast majority of torrent requests received here are indeed related to illegal downloads. As such, Mike has decided that we don't assist with P2P here. Case closed.


I think I found as simple an answer as to why people pirate. Edit: Post #4
http://forums.techguy.org/multimedia/834815-problem-viewing-dvds.html#post6752933

This would turn me off of buying if I only had my PC to watch movies on. Not necessarily pirate, but definitely quit buying.

I already quit buying after my sony rootkit fiasco and I have convinced my better half to only buy used. Even new releases hit the used stores pretty quick.


----------



## Mr. Newton

JohnWill said:


> The reason is really simple. The vast majority of torrent requests received here are indeed related to illegal downloads. As such, Mike has decided that we don't assist with P2P here. Case closed.
> 
> OK.That says it all.


----------



## RootbeaR

Mr. Newton said:


> JohnWill said:
> 
> 
> 
> The reason is really simple. The vast majority of torrent requests received here are indeed related to illegal downloads. As such, Mike has decided that we don't assist with P2P here. Case closed.
> 
> OK.That says it all.
> 
> 
> 
> Here is some Canadian facts on the subject.
> 
> "The Impact of Music Downloads and P2P File-Sharing on the Purchase of Music: A Study for Industry Canada"
> http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ippd-dppi.nsf/eng/h_ip01456.html
> 
> Note that it is a Government site, not a blog or a newspaper article.
Click to expand...


----------



## RootbeaR

RootbeaR said:


> Mr. Newton said:
> 
> 
> 
> Here is some Canadian facts on the subject.
> 
> "The Impact of Music Downloads and P2P File-Sharing on the Purchase of Music: A Study for Industry Canada"
> http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ippd-dppi.nsf/eng/h_ip01456.html
> 
> Note that it is a Government site, not a blog or a newspaper article.
> 
> 
> 
> And in addition too:
> 
> "Richard Pfohl of CRIA has taken on Prof. Michael Geist in a letter to the Editor published in The Star on June 12, 2009 in response to Geist's column on file sharing myths published June 8, 2009 The Star."
> http://excesscopyright.blogspot.com/2009/06/more-myths-about-myths-about-file.html
Click to expand...


----------



## Mr. Newton

I follow Michael Geist.I subscribe to his RSS feed and have been reading his posts for quite some time.I originally saw him interviewed on The Lab with Leo .I get his newsletters sent to me and that is who I get most of my information from.So I am aware of the myths surrounding file sharing.His newsletters come every day or two.


----------

