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

[Kevin Garrett <kgarrett () R3SI COM>]

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
http://www.r3si.com
http://www.infosecuritystore.com


On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 6:24 PM, Guy Pace <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
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:
> SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU] On Behalf Of Mayne, Jim
> Sent: Monday, September 21, 2009 2:35 PM
> To: 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' and one '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