Posted on 03/11/2006 3:12:58 PM PST by Drew68
An obscure data network technology called the Usenet has become the newest battleground between the entertainment industry and digital music and movie pirates.
Late last month, the Motion Picture Association of America filed its first-ever lawsuits against Internet companies that help people download illegally copied films over the Usenet. The association says that the companies, NZB-Zone, BinNews, and DVDRS, provide a Google-like search service for Usenet, one that lets its users find thousands of pirated films, including recent hits such as ''King Kong," ''The Chronicles of Narnia," and ''The 40-Year-Old Virgin."
The three companies did not respond to e-mail messages requesting comment. Their websites do not list physical addresses or phone numbers, and one of them, DVDRS, has apparently been shut down. Even the lawsuits filed against the companies identify them as John Does, and do not include contact information.
A successful action against the three firms could lead to more lawsuits against other Usenet index sites, such as Newzbin.com and Nfonews.com. ''A common misconception among people who use networks like these is that they're in a group that is above the law," said movie industry association spokeswoman Kori Bernards. Indeed, she said the popularity of the Usenet as a place to swap illegal files has grown recently, perhaps because the music and movie industries have successfully shut down several distributors of peer-to-peer software, the most popular means of file swapping.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Obscure? I remember fondly days long ago and spending long hours on alt.drunken.bastards and alt.tasteless with my IBM 486 33mhz desktop and 3.2kbps modem. Must've been around 1994. In time I upgraded to a whopping 14.4kbps modem and was able to access the web and my days on Usenet were over. Haven't ventured to that neighborhood in a long time. Surprised to learn it is still around.
Who could possibly be unaware of alt.wesley.crusher.die.die.die?
"obscure data network technology" LOL!!!!
Google groups / Deja News is more useful than web search in a lot of cases.
they will spread around enough campaign cash - to get government approval to force ISPs to drop their usenet feeds.
Usenet is how I found Free Republic.
I always check usenet whenever I'm researching on line.
Those were the days.
I'm not suprised that usenet is still around. The servers are ubiquitous, and the service is darn near impossible to stop.
It's obscure, the way that NYC sewers are obscure. No one knows exactly where they are, but they still move a lot of.... stuff.
/johnny
LOL! Now you're really bringing back memories! I'm tempted to stroll google's archives and see if some of my drunken online ramblings from my college days still exist.
Its only obsecure to techno idiots like Hiawatha Bray, who is uniformly reviled for his cluelessness on the net.
Got an answer to my parents air conditioning problem on alt.hvac, found antenna ideas on rec.radio.amateur.antenna, etc.
Gave up on alt.fan.art-bell, and a number of others.
Please be VEWY, VEWY quiet about this!
It's >one< of the last of the orignal internet places you can >sorta< bask in the glow of
prisoner6
I've been NetFlixxing STtNG Season 1 and had a "Crusher" episode on in the background at the same moment I read your post.
God, I hate that little dork.
I was using Usenet when the "web browser" was still an experimental concept. Back then, the internet was pretty much just email and Usenet.
Plus, I had to FTP uphill both ways in the snow.
This just in -- an obscure data network technology called Telnet is allowing hackers everywhere to access remote computers without using a GUI! My God, what will they think of next?!?!
I loved Usenet. I loved Dejanews before it became into Google.
"Plus, I had to FTP uphill both ways in the snow."
Haha nice. They want to stop Usenet because thats where the pirate groups release their work, then it gets posted to bittorent and p2p groups. MY university doesn't allow access to alt.bin groups so i can't use it to trade illegal stuff anyway. Theres always good old bittorrent!
Usenet is alive and well and a total anarchy. These sharks don't know who they're messing with.
alt.lawyers.sue.sue.sue
Beautiful. It is nice to hear this. Sadly, my internet surfing time is quite limited these days to FR and bill-paying but those were some heady times in college when I first discovered Usenet and a whole new world opened up for me.
Conspiracy Nation: Illinois -- "The Land of Skolnick"
Anybody remember Orlen Grabbe?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.