Re: DMCA Settlement letter from Video Protection Alliance Services, LLC

[Marty Hoag <marty.hoag () NDSU EDU>]

   It is probably amazing that crooks don't start flooding
people with similar offers. All they have to do is use similar
tools to what the RIAA or MPAA contractors use, send out
bogus settlement offers, and rake in the dough. So how does
a person validate a take down notice (maybe not as big a deal)
or settlement offer?

   marty

Kevin Garrett wrote:
> Here is link
> http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/video-protection-alliance-services-llc-c229646.html
> Ignore...is what they recommend.
>
> All the best,
>
> K
> --
> Kevin C Garrett
> VP Sales
> R3 Systems Inc
> H. 847.603.7950 x802
> O. 910.338.0373
> M. 910.297.1058
> kgarrett () r3si com <mailto:kgarrett () r3si com>
> http://www.r3si.com
> http://www.infosecuritystore.com
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 6:24 PM, Guy Pace <gpace () sbctc edu
> <mailto:gpace () sbctc edu>> wrote:
>
>     We got a couple settlement letters earlier this year from this
>     outfit. It was odd that we never got a "DMCA take down"  notice
>     prior to the settlement letters. I passed the information on to our
>     local campus and got back that the IP was a public access wireless
>     network (log long ago rotated and user no longer identifiable). So,
>     I responded appropriately and didn't hear back. Got a "second
>     notice" from them. I spent a little more time checking things out.
>     Turns out the material they are alleging was illegally shared is
>     being hosted on a Spanish language Torrents site outside the US.
>     Someone evidently linked to that site while connected to our public
>     access network.
>
>     The letter has a link that goes straight to a payment site that
>     wants $40 per item, and offers to take payment via credit card.
>     There is no other option on the site but to pay the settlement. The
>     alleged infringement is for a porn movie. The address at the bottom
>     (Cream Ridge, NJ, and ZIP, actually resolves to the Cream Ridge Golf
>     Club). I did call the phone number and it does ring into New Jersey.
>     But all I get is a voice message. I suspect that this is just some
>     porn producer scam to get money for his junk. It looks too much like
>     a front for identity fraud, and I just wouldn't feel right telling a
>     student to respond to this.
>
>     A few more minutes on the web and I found a couple references to
>     legal filings against RLD DISTRIBUTION, LLC. There is more if you
>     have the time and inclination.
>
>     I pulled together all the legal references I could get on state and
>     federal laws regarding this and our status as an educational
>     institution and sent a note back to them. I also copied our people
>     at the state capitol and am prepared to forward all of this to the
>     state attorney general if these guys don't cease and desist.
>
>     Guy L. Pace, CISSP
>     Security Administrator
>     Information Technology Division
>     WA State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC)
>     3101 Northup Way, Suite 100
>     Bellevue, WA 98004
>     425-803-9724
>     gpace () sbctc edu <mailto:gpace () sbctc edu>
>
>
>     -----Original Message-----
>     From: The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv
>     [mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
>     <mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU>] On Behalf Of Mayne, Jim
>     Sent: Monday, September 21, 2009 2:35 PM
>     To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
>     <mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU>
>     Subject: [SECURITY] DMCA Settlement letter from Video Protection
>     Alliance Services, LLC
>
>     We recently received a DMCA settlement letter from
>
>
>     Video Protection Alliance Services, LLC
>     PO Box 322
>     Cream Ridge, NJ 08514-0322
>     United States
>     +1-866-251-2631
>
>     Has anyone else received something from this group? We actually
>     received letters with two different from addresses, one
>     'copyright () videoprotectionalliance com
>     <mailto:copyright () videoprotectionalliance com>' and one
>     'copyright () getamnesty com <mailto:copyright () getamnesty com>'.
>
>     They have a professional web site with a ssl certificate issued by
>     Verisign but how can one really tell a legitimate letter from a
>     scam? How do you know they are really acting on behalf of a
>     legitimate copyright holder?
>
>     Jim