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-
-
- ****************************************************************************
- >C O M P U T E R U N D E R G R O U N D<
- >D I G E S T<
- *** Volume 1, Issue #1.09 (May 16, 1990) **
- ****************************************************************************
-
- MODERATORS: Jim Thomas / Gordon Meyer
- REPLY TO: TK0JUT2@NIU.bitnet
-
- COMPUTER UNDERGROUND DIGEST is an open forum dedicated to sharing
- information among computerists and to the presentation and debate of
- diverse views.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
- DISCLAIMER: The views represented herein do not necessarily represent the
- views of the moderators. Contributors assume all responsibility
- for assuring that articles submitted do not violate copyright
- protections.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- In This Issue:
-
- File 1: Moderators' Corner (news and notes)
- File 2: From the Mail Bag (Richard Duffy)
- File 3: Operation Sun Devil: Press Release
- File 4: Operation Sun Devil: Secret Service Statement
- File 5: News Excerpts about Operation Sun Devil
- File 6: Software Publishers Association Update
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- ***************************************************************
- *** Computer Underground Digest Issue #1.09 / File 1 of 6 ***
- ***************************************************************
-
- In this file:
- -- Operation Sun Devil
- -- FTP (Clarification)
- -- Dr. Ripco's Final Words
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
- ----------
- Operation Sun Devil
- -----------
-
- Operation Sun Devil, another phase in the crackdown against the computer
- underground, was begun May 8 (See this issue, Files 3 and 4). At least 28
- search warrants were served, and a number of arrests have resulted,
- although not all directly related to the May 8 operation. Judging from
- comments we have received, people are either quite angry about it or highly
- supportive of it. We will give our own views in File #3, but we urge you to
- send reasoned opinions on either side.
-
- One of the best commentaries of the entire crackdown can be in Emmanuel
- Goldstein's articles in 2600 MAGAZINE (May 15, 1990). People can contact
- 2600/M at:
- 2600@well.sf.ca.us OR
- 2600 EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
- P.O. BOX 99,
- MIDDLE ISLAND, NY 11953
-
- We will have an expanded article on Sun Devil in CuD #1.10
- ------------
- FTP SITE
- ------------
-
- DATE: FRI, 11 MAY 90 06:38 EDT
- FROM: <KRAUSER@SNYSYRV1>
- SUBJECT: FTP SITE (FILE TRANSFER PERSON)
- TO: TK0JUT2
-
-
- OK EVERYONE. THE "FTP" SIGHT IS REALLY REFERRING TO A FILE TRANSFER PERSON
- WHICH IS ME. TO REQUEST A FILE SEND MESSAGE CONTAINING THE FOLLOWING
- INFORMATION:
-
- 1. YOUR NETWORK ADDRESS
- 2. WHAT FILES YOU WANT (GIVE ME AN EXACT IDEA IE. ISSUES 1-12 OF PHRACK)
-
- AFTER RECEIVING YOUR REQUEST, I WILL SEND YOU A MESSAGE THAT I HAVE
- RECEIVED YOUR REQUEST. THIS WILL SERVE TWO PURPOSES, THE FIRST TO LET YOU
- KNOW THAT I RECEIVED YOUR REQUEST AND TO LET ME MAKE SURE THAT THE FILES
- WILL GET TO YOU.
-
- YOU SHOULD RECEIVE THE FILES WITHIN A 48 HOURS TIME PERIOD AND ALL PAST
- REQUESTS WILL BE SENT THIS WEEKEND. AT THIS TIME I HAVE ALL OF PHRACK
- (EXCEPT ISSUE 24 AND WE WON'T WANT TO SEND THAT ONE NOW WOUDLD WE), LOD
- TECH JOURNALS, AND P/HUN. I WILL BE RECEIVING THE REST OF THE ATI AND
- PIRATE ARTICLES SOON. ALSO IF YOU HAVE A LIST OF FILES THAT
- YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE, INCLUDE THAT LIST WITH YOUR REQUEST.
- HOPEFULLY THIS METHOD OF FILE TRANSFER WILL ONLY BE FOR A WHILE SINCE I AM
- IN THE MIDST OF HUNTING DOWN A FTP SITE.
-
- DARKMAGE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- -------------
- RIPCO
- -------------
-
- Ripco was one of the boards that went down on May 8. It was probably the
- longest running decent board in the country. Judging from our knowledge of
- the users and the content of the logs, less than 3 percent of the callers
- claimed to be identified in illegal activity, and of those, we'd guess that
- at least half were faking it. Given the nature of undercover operations,
- which include "infiltrating" boards, we also assume some were law
- enforcement agents. Ripco had a number of message sections, all of which
- were lively, generally intelligent, and invariably interesting. Raiding
- Ripco seems to be throwing the baby out with the bath water by intimidating
- sysops willing to allow provocative discussions. We repeat: THE BULK OF
- RIPCO'S USERS WERE NOT IN ANY WAY INVOLVED IN *ANY* ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, but
- now names are in the hands of agents. We have seen from past experience
- what can happen when they start generating "lists." We can see some
- aggressive hot-shot prosecutor now, about to seek political office: "I HAVE
- IN MY HAND A LIST OF 200 SUBVERSIVE HACKER SCUM....!" In our view, this is
- no long a computer underground issue, but one of First Amendment
- protections.
-
- We reprint Dr. Ripco's final message left to his users:
- ******************************************************************
-
- This is 528-5020.
-
- As you are probably aware, on May 8, the Secret Service conducted a series
- of raids across the country. Early news reports indicate these raids
- involved people and computers that could be connected with credit card and
- long distance toll fraud. Although no arrests or charges were made, Ripco
- BBS was confiscated on that morning. It's involvement at this time is
- unknown. Since it is unlikely that the system will ever return, I'd just l
- say goodbye, and thanks for your support for the last six and a half years.
- It's been interesting, to say the least.
-
- Talk to ya later.
- %Dr. Ricpo%
-
- *** END OF VOICE MESSAGE ***
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
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- + END THIS FILE +
- +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+===+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
-
-
- ***************************************************************
- *** Computer Underground Digest Issue #1.09 / File 2 of 6 ***
- ***************************************************************
-
- To: tk0jut2
- Subject: passwordless account argument in alt.security
- Date: Sun, 13 May 90 02:54:18 -0500
- From: Richard Duffy <zeno@zaphod.UChicago.EDU>
-
-
- There is currently a thought-provoking, ongoing argument raging in the
- Usenet group alt.security, concerning a user at St. Olaf College who
- deliberately maintains a null password on one of his accounts there. That
- newsgroup has been engaged in a detailed, continuing discussion of Unix
- security issues, especially concerning policies about user passwords
- (forcing users to change them regularly, forcing them to choose from a
- software-generated list of choices, etc. etc.) and the associated ideas
- about the general need for security measures. The user in question, Peter
- Seebach, takes the provocative but firmly held position that Unix is so
- insecure anyway that there's not even a point in having passwords for user
- accounts. He advertised in this highly public forum (Usenet) the fact that
- his own account lacks one, and a major flame-war has ensued, partly
- precipitated by the fact that someone, possibly a reader of his public
- admission, promptly logged in to Peter's account and gave it a password,
- thus temporarily locking him out of his own account.
-
- The resulting verbiage has a lot of the usual puerile, vindictive,
- posturing qualities associated with Usenet flame-wars, but in spite of all
- that, some interesting points about "hackers," privacy, ethics and trust
- are beginning to make themselves discernible through all the noise. I
- highly recommend it to those of you with Usenet access, for a little
- mind-bending on some issues you might have thought you were already
- completely decided on. It's also rather entertaining!
-
-
- =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
- + END THIS FILE +
- +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+===+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
-
-
- ***************************************************************
- *** Computer Underground Digest Issue #1.09 / File 3 of 6 ***
- ***************************************************************
-
- U.S. Department of Justice
- United States Attorney
- District of Arizona
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- 4000 United States Courthouse
- Phoenix, Arizona 82505
- 602-379-3011 /FTS/261-3011
-
-
- PRESS RELEASE
-
-
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Wendy Harnagel
- Wednesday, May 9, 1990 United States Attorney's Office
- (602) 379-3011
-
-
- PHOENIX--Stephen M. McNamee, United States Attorney for the District of
- Arizona, Robert K. Corbin, Attorney General for the state of Arizona, and
- Henry R. Potosky, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the United States
- Secret Service Office in Phoenix, today announced that approximately
- twenty-seven search warrants were executed on Monday and Tuesday, May 7 and
- 8, 1990, in various cities across the nation by 150 Secret Service agents
- along with state and local law enforcement officials. The warrants were
- issued as a part of Operation Sundevil, which was a two year investigation
- into alleged illegal computer hacking activities.
-
- The United States Secret Service, in cooperation with the United States
- Attorney's Office, and the Attorney General for the State of Arizona,
- established an operation utilizing sophisticated investigative techniques,
- targeting computer hackers who were alleged to have trafficked in and abuse
- stolen credit card numbers, unauthorized long distance dialing codes, and
- who conduct unauthorized access and damage to computers. While the total
- amount of losses cannot be calculated at this time, it is
- (MORE)
- estimated that the losses may run into the millions of dollars. For
- example, the unauthorized accessing of long distance telephone cards have
- resulted in uncollectible charges. The same is true of the use of stolen
- credit card numbers. Individuals are able to utilize the charge accounts to
- purchase items for which no payment is made.
-
- Federal search warrants were executed in the following cities:
-
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Detroit, MI
- Los Angeles, CA
- Miami, FL
- Newark, NJ
- New York, NY
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Plano, TX
- Richmond, VA
- San Diego, CA
- San Jose, CA
-
- Unlawful computer hacking imperils the health and welfare of individuals,
- corporations and government agencies in the United States who rely on
- computers and telephones to communicate.
-
- Technical and expert assistance was provided to the United States Secret
- Service by telecommunication companies including Pac Bel, AT&T, Bellcore,
- Bell South, MCI, U.S. Sprint, Mid-American, Southwestern Bell, NYNEX, U.S.
- West, and by the many corporate victims. All are to be commended for their
- efforts in researching intrusions and documenting losses.
-
- McNamee and Corbin expressed concern that the improper and alleged illegal
- use of computers may become the White Collar crime of the
- (MORE)
- 1990's. McNamee and Corbin reiterated that the state and federal government
- will vigorously pursue criminal violations of statutes under their
- jurisdiction. Three individuals were arrested yesterday in other
- jurisdictions on collateral or independent state charges. The
- investigations surrounding the activities of Operation Sundevil are
- continuing.
-
- The investigations are being conducted by agents of the United States
- Secret Service and Assistant United States Attorney Tim Holtzen, District
- of Arizona, and Assistant Arizona Attorney General Gail Thackery.
-
- END STORY
-
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- + END THIS FILE +
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-
-
- ***************************************************************
- *** Computer Underground Digest Issue #1.09 / File 4 of 6 ***
- ***************************************************************
-
- Assistant Director Garry M. Jenkins' Prepared Remarks
-
- Operation Sun Devil
-
-
- Today, the Secret Service is sending a clear message to those computer
- hackers who have decided to violate the laws of this nation in the mistaken
- belief that they can successfully avoid detection by hiding behind the
- relative anonymity of their computer terminals.
-
- In 1984, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Crime Control Act which
- prohibits, among other things, credit card fraud and computer fraud. Since
- 1984, the Secret Service has been aggressively enforcing these laws and has
- made over 9,000 arrests nationwide.
-
- Recently we have witnessed an alarming number of young people who, for a
- variety of sociological and psychological reasons, have become attached to
- their computers and are exploiting thier potential in a criminal manner.
- Often, a progression of criminal activity occurs which involves
- telecommunications fraud (free long distance phone calls), unauthorized
- access to other computers (whether for profit, fascination, ego, or the
- intellectual challenge), credit card fraud (cash advances and unauthorized
- purchases of goods), and then move on to other destructive activities like
- computer viruses.
-
- Some computer abusers form close associations with other people having
- similar interests. Underground groups have been formed for the purpose of
- exchanging information relevant to their criminal activities. These groups
- often communicate with each other through message systems between computers
- called "bulletin boards."
-
- Operation Sun Devil was an investigation of potential computer fraud
- conducted over a two-year period with the use of sophisticated
- investigative techniques.
-
- This investigation exemplifies the commitment and extensive cooperation
- between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and private
- governmental industries which have been targeted by computer criminals.
-
- While state and local law enforcement agencies successfully investigate and
- prosecute technological crimes in specific geographical locations, federal
- intervention is clearly called for when the nature of these crimes becomes
- interstate and international.
-
- (PAGE 1)
-
- On May 8, 1990, over 150 Special Agents of the United States Secret
- Service, teamed with numerous local and state law enforcement agencies,
- served over two dozen search warrants in approximately fifteen (15) cities
- across this nation.
-
- Several arrests and searches were made during the investigation to protect
- the public from impending dangers. In one situation, computer equipment
- was seized after unauthorized invasion into a hospital computer.
-
- Our experience shows that many computer hacker suspects are no longer
- misguide teenagers mischievously playing games with their computers in
- their bedrooms. Some are now high tech computer operators using computers
- to engage in unlawful conduct.
-
- The losses to the american public in this case are expected to be
- significant. The Secret Service takes computer crime very seriously, and
- we will continue to investigate aggressively those crimes which threaten
- our nation's businesses and government services.
-
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- + END THIS FILE +
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-
-
- ***************************************************************
- *** Computer Underground Digest Issue #1.09 / File 5 of 6 ***
- ***************************************************************
-
- These excerpts from media sources on operation Sun Devil were
- sent by various contributors.
-
- *************************************************************************
- Probe Focuses on Entry, Theft by Computers
- (From: CHICAGO TRIBUNE, May 10, 1990: p. I-6)
-
-
- PHOENIX--An interstate probe of computer invasions has uncovered losses
- that may reach millions of dollars and could be "just the tip of the
- iceberg," federal law enforcement officials said Wednesday.
-
- The investigation is focused on illegal entry into computer systems and
- unauthorized use of credit-card numbers and long-distance codes, said Garry
- Jenkins, assistant Secret Service director for investigations.
-
- No arrests for computer crime resulted, however, when 27 search warrants
- were served in 12 cities, including Chicago, by 150 Secret Service agents
- and police on Tuesday, officials said.
-
- In Chicago, federal agents seized computers and information disks at a
- business and a private home, said Tim McCarthey, chief of the Secret
- Service's criminal enforcement division in Chicago. Nationwide, some 40
- computers and 23,000 disks of computer information were seized.
-
- Secret Service officials declined to release an specifics, including the
- number of people targeted, saying the two-year investigation, code-named
- "Operation Sun Devil," is continuing.
-
- "The losses that we estimate on this may run to the millions of dollars,"
- said Stephen McNamee, U.S. Atty. for Arizona.
-
- Much of the alleged loss stems from unpaid telephone and computer access
- charges, officials said.
-
- They said it was possible that computer hackers had obtained goods or cash
- through use of unauthorized credit cards, but could not cite any instance
- of it.
-
- In addition to misuse of credit cards and phone lines the hackers are
- believed to have gained access to computers that store medical and
- financial histories, officials said.
-
- Under new computer crime laws, the Secret Service has jurisdiction to
- investigate allegations of electronic fraud through the use of access
- devices such as credit-card numbers and long-distance codes.
-
- Defendants convicted of unauthorized use of such devices can be sentenced
- up to 10 years in prison if they commit fraud of more than $,100.
-
- A similar investigation supervised by federal prosecutors in Chicago has
- resulted in several indictments.
- ********************************************************************
-
- AT&T NEWS BRIEFS via Consultant's Liason Program
-
- Wednesday, May 9, 1990
-
- HACKER WHACKER -- The Secret Service is conducting a coast-to-coast
- investigation into the unauthorized use of credit-card numbers and
- long-distance dialing as well as illegal entry into computer systems
- by hackers, according to sources. ... AP ... Authorities fanned out
- with search warrants in fourteen cities Tuesday in an investigation of
- a large nationwide computer hacker operation. Officials of the Secret
- Service, U.S. Attorney's Office and Arizona Attorney General's office
- scheduled a news conference Wednesday to release details of the
- operation.
-
- UPI, 5/8 ... A Long Island [NY] teen, caught up in [the investigation],
- dubbed Operation Sun Devil, has been charged ... with computer
- tampering and computer trespass. State Police, who said [Daniel
- Brennan, 17], was apparently trying to set up a surreptitious
- messaging system using the [computer system of a Massachusetts firm]
- and 800 numbers, raided his home Monday along with security officials
- of AT&T. ... [A State Police official] said that in tracing phone
- calls made by Brennan ... AT&T security people found that he was
- regularly calling one of the prime targets of the Sun Devil probe, a
- ... hacker who goes by the handle "Acid Phreak." ... New York
- Newsday, p. 31.
- ****************************************************************************
-
- [from risks 9.90]
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Tue, 8 May 90 09:46:06 -0700
- From: "David G. Novick" <novick@cse.ogi.edu>
- Subject: %Hacker' alters phone services
-
- The Spring, 1990, issue of Visions, the Oregon Graduate Institute's
- quarterly magazine, has an interesting article on a man who broke into
- telephone computers, creating the kinds of disruptions that have been
- discussed lately on RISKS. The programmer, named Corey Lindsly, lives
- in Portland, OR. He was eventually arrested and pled guilty to a
- felony count of stealing long-distance phone service.
- Here is an excerpt.
-
- --David
- **************************************************************************
-
- Confessions of a Computer Hacker
- by Michael Rose
- Visions (Oregon Graduate Institute quarterly magazine)
- Spring, 1990
-
- ...
-
- Perhaps the most disturbing part of Lindsly's adventures was his
- penetration of AT&T Switching Control Center Systems. These sensitive
- computers support long distance telephone service. System
- administrators for 17 of these computers spent over 520 hours mopping
- up Lindsly's damages.
-
- According to [AT&T New Jersey manager of corporate security Allen]
- Thompson, Lindsly could have "severely disrupted" the nations's
- telephone service.
-
- Lindsly, however, bristles at the suggestion of his doing potentially
- dangerous stunts. Anything beyond harmless pranks is "beneath the
- hacker ethic and uncouth," he says.
-
- He does admit to disconnecting phones, changing billing status, and
- adding custom calling features. He also likes to convert residential
- lines to coin class service, so when the unwitting homeowner picked up
- his phone, a recorded voice would tell him to deposit 25 cents.
-
- "Swapping people's phone numbers ... now that was great trick," he
- recalls, with obvious amusement. "You would have your next door
- neighbor's number and he would have yours, and people would call you
- and and ask for your neighbor, and vice versa, and everyone's getting
- totally confused."
-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- RISKS-LIST: RISKS-FORUM Digest Sunday 13 May 1990 Volume 9 : Issue 91
-
- FORUM ON RISKS TO THE PUBLIC IN COMPUTERS AND RELATED SYSTEMS
- ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy, Peter G. Neumann, moderator
-
- Contents:
- "Feds Pull Plug On Hackers" (James K. Huggins)
- <...other articles removed...>
- --rjc
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Fri, 11 May 90 12:26:08 -0400
- From: James K. Huggins <huggins@dip.eecs.umich.edu>
- Subject: "Feds Pull Plug On Hackers": Newspaper Article
-
- >EXCERPTED From The Detroit News, Thursday, May 10, 1990, Section B, p.1:
-
- FEDS PULL PLUG ON HACKERS
- Computer-fraud raid hits two homes in Michigan
-
- By Joel J. Smith, Detroit News Staff Writer
-
- Secret Service agents got a big surprise when they raided a Jackson-area
- home as part of an investigation of a nationwide computer credit card and
- telephone fraud scheme. They found a manual that details how almost
- anybody can use a computer to steal. It also describes how to avoid
- detection by federal agents. On Wednesday, James G. Huse, Jr., special
- agent in charge of the Secret Service office in Detroit, said the manual
- was discovered when his agents and Michigan State Police detectives broke
- into a home in Clark Lake, near Jackson, on Tuesday. Agents, who also
- raided a home in Temperance, Mich., near the Ohio border, confiscated
- thousands of dollars in computer equipment suspected of being used by
- computer buffs -- known as hackers -- in the scheme.
-
- The raids were part of a national computer fraud investigation called
- Operation Sundevil in which 150 agents simultaneously executed 28 search
- warrants in 16 U.S. cities. Forty-two computer systems and 23,000 computer
- disks were seized across the country. The nationwide network reportedly
- has bilked phone companies of $50 million. Huse said the Secret Service
- has evidence that computers in both of the Michigan homes were used to
- obtain merchandise with illegally obtained credit card numbers. He said
- long-distance telephone calls from the homes also were billed to
- unsuspecting third parties.
-
- There were no arrests, because it was not known exactly who was using the
- computers at the homes. Huse also said there was no evidence that the
- suspects were working together. Rather, they probably were sharing
- information someone had put into a national computer "bulletin board".
-
- *****************************************************************************
- "Computer Hacker Ring with a Bay Area Link"
- (From: San Francisco Chronical, May 9, 1990: A-30)
-
- The Secret Service yesterday searched as many as 29 locations in 13 cities,
- including the family home of an 18-year-old San Jose State University
- student, in an investigation of alleged fraud by computer hackers, law
- enforcement sources said.
-
- The 6 a.m. search on Balderstone Drive in San Jose sought computer
- equipment allegedly used to "deal in pirate software and electronic fraud,"
- San Jose police Seargeant Richard Saito said in a prepared statement.
-
- The nationwide investigation, code-named "Operation Sun Devil," concerns
- the unauthorized use of credit card numbers and long-distance dialing codes
- as well as illegal entry into computer systems by hackers, said sources.
-
- Saito said the probe centered on the "Billionaire Boys Cub computer
- bulletin board" based in Phoenix. A press conference on the probe is
- scheduled today in Phoenix.
-
- The investigation in Phoenix is also focusing on incidents in which
- copmputer hackers allegedly changed computerized records at hospitals and
- police 911-emergency lines, according to one source.
-
- The San Jose suspect was identified as Frank Fazzio Jr., whom neighors said
- was a graduate of Pioneer High School and lives at home with his younger
- sister and parents. Neither he nor his family could be reached for comment.
-
- "I've never thought him capable of that sort of thing," said one neighbor
- in the block-long stret located in the Almaden Valley section of south San
- Jose.
-
- Warrants were obtained by the Secret Service to conduct the search in San
- Jose, as well as in Chicago; Cincinnati; Detroit; Los Angeles; Miami;
- Newark, N.J.; New York City; Pittsburgh; Richmond, Va.; Plano Texas; and
- San Diego.
-
- Under new computer crime laws, the Secret Service has jurisdiction to
- investigate allegations of electronic fraud through the use of access
- devices such as credit card numbers and codes that long-distance companies
- issue to indivdual callers. Defendants convicted of unauthorized use of
- such "access devaices" can be sentenced to 10 years in prison if they
- commit fraud of more than $1,000.
-
-
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-
- ***************************************************************
- *** Computer Underground Digest Issue #1.09 / File 6 of 6 ***
- ***************************************************************
-
-
- In CuD 1.05 I discussed the Software Publisher's Association (SPA)
- toll-free piracy hot line and the less than informative response my call
- recieved. As an addendum here is some information culled from "PC
- Computing" March 1990, Page 80.
-
- Software Manufacturers Tempt Illegal Users to Change Their Evil Ways
-
- This brief article, written by Christine Triano, discusses "amnesty"
- programs offered by XTree, XyQuest, and Unison World where users could
- "register" pirated copies of XTree Pro, Xywrite, and Printmaster Plus
- (respectively) and recieve legitimate versions at a reduced cost. XTree
- reports that 5000 people took them up on their SAFE (Software Amnesty Fore
- Everyone) offer, but the other companies have so far declined to comment on
- the success of thier programs.
-
- Also discussed is the SPA's auditing process where the SPA asks companies
- that are suspected of being users of pirated warez to let the Association
- examine hard drives and software purchase records, in return for strict
- confidentiality of the outcome. The corporation then purchases legitimate
- copies of all the pirated programs found, and "contributes" an equal amount
- to the SPA's Copyright Protection Fund. Thus the software gets purchased,
- the SPA's coffers are lined, and the corporation stays out of court. To
- date "more than half a dozen" audits have been conducted.
-
- The article concludes with a short paragraph concerning the toll-free
- piracy hotline:
- "The SPA has also set up a toll-free piracy hot line (800-388-PIR8).
- According to SPA director Ken Wasch, the hot line receives 15 serious calls
- a week. Who finks? The majority of callers are unhappy or former employees
- serving up their own version of just desserts."
-
-
-
- Final Note: Perhaps the "Ken" I spoke to at the SPA is Ken Wasch, the
- director of the organization. If so, I wonder if he considered my call
- about a pirate BBS to be "serious"?
-
- GRM
- Internet: 72307.1502@Compuserve.com
-
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