So the deal is this;
Revision3 - content distributor using bit torrent to deliver licensed peer 2 peer content (eg their own or their partners content) eg. the good guys doing perfectly legal things.
Media Defender- anti p2p pirating company hired by the studios. They have massive server/internet pipes they use to do bad things to bad people to screw up illegal p2p sharing.
Last weekend (memorial day 3 day weekend) - revision3 find their servers being hammered- major problems, major alarm bells going off, normally wouldn't be noticed as long weekend but some staff were being alert.
Turns out Media Defender (who didn't answer their phones /emails all weekend while this was happening) had turned their 'big guns' onto Revision3's perfectly legal bit torrent streams.
They didn't hide their tracks well and revision3 worked out who it was behind this DOS attack and are now contemplating their legal options.
Great full length description here if you wanted it.
http://revision3.com/blog/2008/05/29/inside-the-attack-that-crippled-revision3
Needless to say if you walk around with a big gun, you need to be careful how and when you use it. If it goes off and hits someone accidentally then you are still liable for this and although manslaughter isn't on the table Media Defender are certainly going to be footing some pretty major lawyers bill in addition to politicians/prosecutors looking at their whole mode of operation.
Wont change the way pirates and pirate chasers are perceived but will make for some interesting legal precedent.
Cheers,
Dean
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