Parents....Worried About Illegal Music/Films On Your Computer?

Rex_Mundi

With the music and film industries getting tougher with people downloading stuff for free. Are you worried about any illegal material on your computer that you may not know about?

The music/film biz has released a program for free that will check your computer for any possible illegal material, and delete it if you want.

Digital File Check (DFC) helps to remove or block of any of the unwanted "file-sharing" programmes commonly used to distribute copyrighted files illegally. It also allows the user to delete copyrighted music and video files from the "shared folders" of the computer from where they are commonly swapped illegally on the internet. Finally, it goes through a simple inventory of all music, movie and picture files on the user's computer.

DFC is an initiative tool aimed at all computer users, as well as organisations. It could be especially useful for parents who want to encourage their children to enjoy music responsibly on the internet. It is free, voluntary and for private use only and does not tip-off any anti-piracy organisations.

Free download HERE

tim_n

it makes no distinction of "illegal" and "legal" files. Common filesharing apps like kazaa, bittorrent and edonkey can download legal stuff as well.

Bittorrent is on 24/7 on my machines downloading perfectly legal movies, iso's and mp3s.

tbh, it's far better to ask the object of your affection whether there is any illegal content and educate them about how wrong stealing is.

Or, alternatively you can load the computer up with keylogging software and show them how much you trust them by spying on them!

Anyway, if it's downloaded the damage is already done - the RIAA etc will proscute dead people, it's hardly going to stop at someone who's found the light.

Rex_Mundi

I'm sure the mother that was fined £2500 for her daughters downloads feels the same way as you do (not).

Yes P2P can be, and is used for perfectly legal downloads. The fact is though that the vast majority of it used mainly for illegal downloading.

For some people this program would be ideal. In lots of cases, children are far more computer savvy than their parents. This program could help them see if there is any downloading/sharing going on.

This thread was posted in the same spirit as all the other threads on the boards. It will be useful for some, and not for others. If you don't think this is useful for you, don't download it.

These boards are not the place to discuss the merits/drawbacks of P2P.

tim_n

Indeed - I'm not going into the merits and I agree whole heartidly about parents getting savvy to what their kids are doing!

however, I'd rather they were aware that when they hit the scan button and it pulls up a load of mp3's they don't just blindly click the delete button! Because the program makes no distinction, it could be legal music that the child has paid for going down the drain!

The best course of action is to ask first rather than bulldozering the issue with the delete button! But if the kid _has_ been downloading illegally, this program doesn't help if the RIAA is aware of the sharing having already taken place!

I'm not trolling! I just want people to be aware what this program does! :- )

Still a good post though! Is rex mundi from the Robert Rankin books?

Rex_Mundi

Don't forget also that this program can block P2P programs from the net. It can also be used to allow access only with a password.

Is rex mundi from the Robert Rankin books?

Armageddon The Musical. Funniest book ever written (apart from all his others lol). There's also a Hugo Rune on this site.

tim_n

hehe - I knew it wasn't a coincidence ;- )

//proud owner of all books except the book of ultimate truths - keeps disappearing o_0

Lipsticklady

Bit worried.....it might alert authorities to you having illegal stuf on your computer. Not that i have but, i wouldnt like to thing that worried parents were downloading this in good faith and then getting stung by anti piracy organisations!

Rex_Mundi

It does say specifically that it doesn't do this. I think they could open themselves up for a lot of trouble to make this claim, then to start reporting finds in the background.

Any decent firewall or antispyware should be able to spot these kind of actions anyway, and let you stop it immediately.

I think this program is a far better way for the industry to try to make people aware of what is happening on their computer. There are a couple of cases of software (virus) out there on P2P masquerading as music tracks that find all uncopyrighted music on your computer, and delete it giving you no choice.

webhamster

Simple , one should be monitoring ALL use by children anyway given the things that happen.....theres no excuse for not doing it and a paltry fine and column inches regarding that fact is very apt.Theres PLENTY of parental controls out there to do it , some free , but all need knowledge....but ONCE again the parent still has to actually DO SOMETHING instead of nothing....horse and bolt.

Can it be so hard to actually learn some controls to prevent p2p in hardware and software , and the oblivious have the pc in the living room , its as easy as putting powder into a washing machine for most people as its click and go?

If a parent has the time to watch any "soaps" thats enough time to safeguard both their finances and childrens wellbeing agains the peados....if you know more about the soaps characters lifes than what your kids are up to on the pc then they deserve to be fined .....and take some responsibility for anything that happens to kids through the use of chatrooms , p2p etc.

Most worringly is the amount of pcs out there with free and LEGAL hot "bars" , email trojans and spam zombies.....these arent kids machines neither...The problem is that people expect a computer to really be like a washing machine , no learning , no maintainance...no problems.It couldnt be ANY further from the truth.

easy life just add idiot.

rizla01

Would I be right in assuming that the authorities are only prosecuting those that allow the sharing of the Music in question? I.E with large databases of copyrighted music.

Those that copy from them are not being done?

tim_n

everyone who is downloading anything illegal is at risk of being sued - there is no reason legally why they couldn't - but it's a bit like drug dealers, you don't go for the end users, you try and stop the dealers first.

Fortunately we have the data protection act (rev 1998) that protects our records - officially I think they have to take it to court first, but I heard rumours that this had changed.

Bittorrent and similar programs shares automatically anyway - so you're a server in their eyes.