BSA deploys imaginary pirate software detector vans

[Neil Johnson]

Wasn't there some articles some time ago about Microsoft doing research into
Tempest/Van Eck (sp) radiation ? It was speculated  at the time that they
were going include software to "broadcast" their serial numbers so that
illegal copies could be detected.

I wonder how the Supreme is going to rule on that case where the police used
an infrared camera to determine they had probable cause to go after a
marijuana grower based on the heat radiating from his house ?

Neil M. Johnson
njohnson at interl.net
http://www.interl.net/~njohnson
PGP Key Finger Print: 93C0 793F B66E A0C7  CEEA 3E92 6B99 2DCC

----- Original Message -----
From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah at shipwright.com>
To: <cryptography at c2.net>; <cypherpunks at cyberpass.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2000 7:05 AM
Subject: CDR: BSA deploys imaginary pirate software detector vans


>
> --- begin forwarded text
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>
> Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2000 10:13:26 +0000
> To: usual at espace.net
> From: Fearghas McKay <fm at st-kilda.org>
> Subject: BSA deploys imaginary pirate software detector vans
> Reply-To: "Usual People List" <usual at espace.net>
> Sender: <usual at espace.net>
> List-Subscribe: <mailto:usual-on at espace.net>
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> http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/14562.html
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> BSA deploys imaginary pirate software detector vans
> By: Kieren McCarthy
> Posted: 08/11/2000 at 10:57 GMT
>
> The Business Software Alliance aka The Pirate Busters is growing so
> frustrated in its hopeless efforts to cut down on software piracy
> that it has decided propaganda and misinformation is the way forward.
>
> Visitors to Glasgow Central Station yesterday were surprised to be
> confronted by a Ford Transit van with a small radar and rusty Sky
> satellite dish mounted on top. What was this apparition? Why, the
> BSA's latest weapon in the war against software-stealing scum.
>
> A wise reader asked one of the "consultants" what exactly the dishes
> were able to do and was informed they could detect PCs running
> illegal software. When pushed a little further, she admitted the van
> was "just a dummy" but the BSA still had a fleet of the real things
> rushing around Scotland detecting and nabbing unsuspecting criminals.
>
> Expressing incredulity, things turned nasty and our loyal reader was
> threatened. He'd "better watch out" because the BSA with its new
> super software-finding equipment will "get him easily". He quickly
> ran off and slid into the shadows before he was photographed and his
> face wired to Interpol and the CIA.
>
> Can you believe this? This has to be one of the most insane things
> we've heard in years. The BSA needs to take a valium and lay down for
> a bit. ®
>
> Related Stories
> BSA offers £10K bounty to catch software thieves
>
> --- end forwarded text
>
>
> --
> -----------------
> R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah at ibuc.com>
> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
> "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
> [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
> experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
>