Piracy is bad, mmkay? And while you think you may be covering your tracks, a new Russian website called YouHaveDownloaded.com shows just how easy it is for the litigation-hungry lawyers of entertainment companies to track what, where and when you download their content.
Visitors to the website will immediately be given a quick summary of the stuff they have downloaded over bittorrent recently. Mostly. The problem with the service is that it doesn’t factor in dynamic IP addresses, so if you’ve restarted your router since pirating the complete works of Metallica in memory of Napster, chances are the page will give you a completely unrelated list of torrented files. For instance, my IP address told me I’d downloaded 2.2GB of Ricky Gervais this month. At least that particular pirate has a good sense of humour…
That said, even though the site itself doesn’t track dynamic IP addresses, that doesn’t make your pirating safe. As one of the founders of the site, Suren Ter explained:
we don’t bother ourselves to separate dynamic IPs. The site is just for show. However we have time-stamps. 3.3.3.3 might be a dynamic IP – however it belonged to a certain person at 12:12am 12/12/2011. Besides DHT allows us to get a user’s machine fingerprint. So even if it’s a dormitory…
Still, it’s fun to check out what your kids/family members are downloading while you’re sleeping…
Timmahh
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 10:52 AMPitty WAT says it’s got a bad rep, eh?
Plus it’s apparently Russian, so there’s another reason to steer clear of it!
Be nice if you guys checked the sites you link us to…
Dem
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 10:53 AMThe website is total garbage. Most ISPs use proxy IPs so it will show you your entire ISPs download.
Gizmodo, stop posting fuckwit websites.
Glenn Mortimer
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:07 AMon a side note,
Authors of the site, Ruslan K…… could it be??
lichbane
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:39 AMApparently my phone has been working overtime downloading torrents. Hmmm … Methinks that site is REALLY reliable. :p
As a proof of concept it’s interesting. As a tool, it would be useless.
Mike
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:44 AMReading the “website producers” (as they called themselves” bios at the bottom makes me want to gag. What a pretentious bunch of wanks.
You have to provide them with a reason and all your personal information before they will remove you from the list. I believe this is dangerous, as the items listed on my results are absolutely not mine nor my wife’s downloads, yet if I request my IP to be cleared I’m literally attaching my name, address and email to those downloads. could be seen as a confession of guilt. Steer clear of this site and these 3 men.
Where’s anonymous when you need them?
doubleDizz
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:50 AMuuuh my curousity kicked in before my sense and I dropped my IP into the search. My ISP uses dynamic IP’s though.
Should I be worried…?
Mike
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 12:01 PMFirstly dynamic IPs dont make you anonymous on the web. If government depart or legal entity want to find you via IP even after it changes, they just check who had what dynamic IP at what time…BUT…
This site is a proof of concept, and would carry zero weight legally in court etc. The site is bogus, misleading and potentially illegal itself. So dont lose any sleep over it :)
Marck
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:55 AMIt doesnt work… I have downloaded movies using torrent but it said i am in clear…
Mike
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 12:02 PMDo you use a Peer or IP block program? The site says it only lists about 20% of all torrent traffic on the internet, maybe they missed you.
Anonymous
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 12:53 PM“Hi. We have no records on you.”
BROKEN WEBSITE.
Anonymous2
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 1:23 PM+1
InformedGamer
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 1:31 PMOld article is old.
Feel free to look at the bottom of the page for the “Don’t take it seriously” link.
InformedGamer
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 1:33 PMp.s. IP address for the Movie Rights Group
http://www.youhavedownloaded.com/?q=64.237.47.74
I see you there camping my LOTR
Mike
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 1:43 PMYeah they are hilarious. Piracy is a very serious game these days with people being sued for millions for downloading a single movie, and these guys feel they can name and shame people without due care or process.
Using IPs is as accurate as claiming someone is a criminal because they currently live where a crime once occurred.
Sam
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 1:36 PMIt only lists one of the MANY things I have downloaded this month.
Mark
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 2:16 PMahhh, i think the purpose of the website is to record what people have downloaded for their OWN purposes. It worked…..
Damo
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 2:50 PMLists none of the things i have downloaded recently and one thing i have not.
Strange and stoopid.
S0ULphIRE
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 3:38 PMPah, torrenting is sooo passé anyway
Drongo
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 1:18 AMso what is now?
Chad
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 7:18 PMOh great, now everyone gets to perv on what I’ve downloaded in the past! FUUUUUUU—