{"id":360210,"date":"2010-02-24T19:54:38","date_gmt":"2010-02-25T00:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.readwriteweb.com\/archives\/_improper_use_of_copyright.php"},"modified":"2010-02-24T19:54:38","modified_gmt":"2010-02-25T00:54:38","slug":"microsoft-kills-watchdog-website-due-to-leaked-documents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/360210","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Kills Watchdog Website Due to Leaked Documents"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"microsoft spy guide\" src=\"http:\/\/www.readwriteweb.com\/microsoft-spy-guide.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"91\">Due to Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaints filed by Microsoft, whistleblower website <a href=\"http:\/\/cryptomeorg.siteprotect.net\/\">Cryptome<\/a> [link to a backup version of the site] has been disabled by its ISP, Network Solutions.<\/p>\n<p>The complaints were due to the fact that Cryptome published a 22-page Microsoft Global Criminal Spy Guide. Microsoft claimed copyright infringement, Cryptome&#8217;s editor refused to budge, and the site was taken down this afternoon. <\/p>\n<div style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px;\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">tweetmeme_url = 'http:\/\/www.readwriteweb.com\/archives\/_improper_use_of_copyright.php';tweetmeme_source = 'rww';<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/tweetmeme.com\/i\/scripts\/button.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>Cryptome has previously published similar guides from  Facebook, AOL, Yahoo and Skype; the site has been threatened but never before actually disabled.<\/p>\n<p align=\"right\"><em>Sponsor<\/em><br \/><a href='http:\/\/d.ads.readwriteweb.com\/ck.php?n=18434&amp;cb=18434' ><img src='http:\/\/d.ads.readwriteweb.com\/avw.php?zoneid=14&amp;cb=18434&amp;n=18434' border='0' alt='' \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Microsoft document was originally published on Feb. 20. Microsoft demanded that Cryptome remove the PDF, and when the editor refused, Cryptome&#8217;s ISP sent a warning: If the document was not removed by Thursday, the site would be disabled. However, the site was taken down Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>The reason Cryptome refused to remove the PDF of Microsoft&#8217;s so-called &#8220;spy guide&#8221; was that editor John Young believed its programs, which make it easier for law enforcement to obtain user data, showed &#8220;improper use of copyright to conceal [&#8230;] violations of trust toward its customers,&#8221; according to an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.geekosystem.com\/cryptome-leaks-microsofts-online-surveillance-guide-ms-demands-takedown\/\">interview<\/a> with Geekosystem.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Copyright law is not intended for confidentiality purposes,&#8221; he continued.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We think all lawful spying arrangements should be made public [&#8230;] Microsoft should join the others who openly describe [their] procedures.&#8221; Young named Cisco as one such company.<\/p>\n<p>Cindy Cohn of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.eff.org\/\">Electronic Frontier Foundation<\/a> said in a call today, &#8220;We find it troubling that copyright law is being invoked here. Microsoft doesn&#8217;t sell this manual. There&#8217;s no market for this work. It&#8217;s not a copyright issue. John&#8217;s copying of it is fair use. We don&#8217;t do this anywhere else in speech law.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>For example, in cases involving libel or trade secrets, said Cohn, &#8220;You go to court, you make a case and you get an injunction. You don&#8217;t just file a form. DMCA makes censorship easy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Cohn also noted she feels the reason Microsoft actually wants the document removed from the Web is because, for a large corporation with millions of users and an aggressive PR agenda, the document raises concerns and sparks conversations the company would rather not confront.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s part of a very intense political debate about the role of intermediary companies like Microsoft aiding surveillance for law enforcement. It&#8217;s embarrassing for Microsoft for their users to see how much the people who carry their email have arrangements with law enforcement. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;All of the people who carry our communications are an easy conduit for our government to spy on us, and a lot of people are unhappy about that. It&#8217;s a legitimate public debate, and Microsoft doesn&#8217;t want to be part of that debate.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>We hope that Microsoft does, in fact, release their stranglehold on Young and his site and take part in a conversation with their users about how their data can be accessed by others, including law enforcement. We&#8217;ve reached out to them for <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/shashib\/status\/9601222486\">comment<\/a> and will update this post if and when we hear back.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, let us know your thoughts in the comments.<\/p>\n<p>UPDATE: Still no word from Microsoft, but <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scribd.com\/doc\/27394899\/Microsoft-Spy\">here&#8217;s that document<\/a> they really don&#8217;t want you (or anyone else) to see. We hope to hear from a Microsoft representative soon to discuss the intentions and implications of this guide.<\/p>\n<p><em>Thanks to Glenn Davis of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.geekosystem.com\">Geekosystem<\/a> for the tip.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.readwriteweb.com\/archives\/_improper_use_of_copyright.php#comments-open\">Discuss<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~at\/zkbkGtGkGIlmkpc5Xb3SRQ8skd8\/0\/da\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~at\/zkbkGtGkGIlmkpc5Xb3SRQ8skd8\/0\/di\" border=\"0\" ismap=\"true\"><\/img><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~at\/zkbkGtGkGIlmkpc5Xb3SRQ8skd8\/1\/da\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~at\/zkbkGtGkGIlmkpc5Xb3SRQ8skd8\/1\/di\" border=\"0\" ismap=\"true\"><\/img><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"feedflare\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?a=Nb6G-43dCsk:vGd_AvQYuH4:FFnlKYwJmN0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?d=FFnlKYwJmN0\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?a=Nb6G-43dCsk:vGd_AvQYuH4:Ij26kaj3iuU\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?d=Ij26kaj3iuU\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?a=Nb6G-43dCsk:vGd_AvQYuH4:C2pbw5bZMiI\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?d=C2pbw5bZMiI\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?a=Nb6G-43dCsk:vGd_AvQYuH4:yIl2AUoC8zA\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?a=Nb6G-43dCsk:vGd_AvQYuH4:V_sGLiPBpWU\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?i=Nb6G-43dCsk:vGd_AvQYuH4:V_sGLiPBpWU\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?a=Nb6G-43dCsk:vGd_AvQYuH4:gIN9vFwOqvQ\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?i=Nb6G-43dCsk:vGd_AvQYuH4:gIN9vFwOqvQ\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?a=Nb6G-43dCsk:vGd_AvQYuH4:F7zBnMyn0Lo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?i=Nb6G-43dCsk:vGd_AvQYuH4:F7zBnMyn0Lo\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?a=Nb6G-43dCsk:vGd_AvQYuH4:OqabYuBsmOY\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/readwriteweb?d=OqabYuBsmOY\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~r\/readwriteweb\/~4\/Nb6G-43dCsk\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Due to Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaints filed by Microsoft, whistleblower website Cryptome [link to a backup version of the site] has been disabled by its ISP, Network Solutions. The complaints were due to the fact that Cryptome published a 22-page Microsoft Global Criminal Spy Guide. Microsoft claimed copyright infringement, Cryptome&#8217;s editor refused to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":553,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-360210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/553"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360210"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360210\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}