EH-Net

I have no idea if this is true or not, but this is not ethical whatsoever and I don't think this will fly at all.  It is at least worth discussing though I think.

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/04/15/riaa-and-mpaa-call-for-government-mandated-spyware-on-computers-to-fight-piracy/ (http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/04/15/riaa-and-mpaa-call-for-government-mandated-spyware-on-computers-to-fight-piracy/)

I wouldn't be surprised if this was true.  The folks at RIAA are INSANE!   

If this is true, they are insane, if its not true they are still insane.

after they install spyware on our computer, nobody can guarantee that they wont do something they are not suppose to do. Power is often abused.

Insane, but not surprising, it's a failing system.

It did leave me with some questions:
1) how would it get installed
2) how long before it was reversed engineered and wormed
3) how do they define illegal? If I dl backtrack via a torrent will it be deleted before I can burn it?
4) what OSes would it work on?

5) if I as an ethical hacker teaches someone to encrypt and protect themselves from this, even for illegal usage (on their part) does that make me less ethical?

The fat cats running the movie and music industries refuse to adapt to the ever changing digital world.  I'm sorry but I refuse to shell out the cash to see these movies in the theater!  I will gladly shell out the buck to rent it from Redbox overnight or pay the 8.99 a month for netflix.  At least if the movie is disappointing I will really have wasted my time.  As for the music industry, well there are a ton of bands that are adapting well.  I have absolutely no problem paying for music if it is good quality!  So they really should stop their whining.  If anything they should go full digital and just toss CDs out.  At least they can lock down their music better through distributors like iTunes and Amazon.  Granted both are offering DRM free versions of music, but then again, that should be up to the record companies and the bands to offer.

Anyway, I am sure they will try to force the OS companies to include the spyware in some "important" patch.  Hopefully no one goes for this.  Then again it will only be a matter of time before someone figures out how to remove it and block it from being installed.

And in the case of RIAA, it almost certainly -will- be abused.

I -HATE- the RIAA, and their counterparts in my own country. Just a personal opinion ofc :)