MobiTV threatens to Shut Down HowardForums!!
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*UPDATED* MobiTv and HowardForums and why HowardForums might not be available for a while BTW sorry for using flashing text but this is important Hey everyone, looks like this company has taken the next step (I'm not talking about them adding any sort of security). They've contacted my webhost so we might be going offline soon. I encourage you to give this guy a call to let them know what you think. Josh Andrews Corporate Counsel 6425 Christie Avenue, 5th Floor, Emeryville, CA 94608 phone 510.450.5279 mobile 415.971.1886 fax 510.868.6412 email jandrews@mobitv.com web www.mobitv.com Read and comment about it here: http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...765304 post #49 if you don't feel like clicking (global net access is the place where Howardforums is hosted): Quote:Originally Posted by mobitv To Global Net Access, LLC Abuse Department: Attached please find a letter sent to Global Net Access via Federal Express today concerning infringement of MobiTV’s intellectual property by a website hosted by Global Net Access. Your immediate attention to this matter is appreciated. Best, Josh Andrews Corporate Counsel ============ Thread can be found here: http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...93#post10764293 Here's the contents if you don't want to read the thread: Hey everyone. Just so you know HowardForums maybe experience difficulties in the next few days. Basically this is what happening. It turns out Mobitv stores links to their feeds in a plain text file that anyone with internet access can view. Apparently viewing this text file is considered 'hacking'. These feeds do not appear to be protected in an anyway and it appears anyone with a compatible phone can view them. I'm sure Mobitv's content providers would be very interested to know that mobitv is broadcasting their intellecual property while taking such measures to protect it. It's like they're a movie theater with see through walls. If you walk by you can see what's going on but they don't want you to. Anyways Mobitv is asking us to remove the link to this text file. If we do not they are threatening to contact ICANN and HowardForum's host to get the site pulled down. ======================================== ========== ========= Below is the converstaion I'm currently having with them: Quote:Originally Posted by mobitv Dear Mr. Chui and Inforium Interactive Inc., I am Corporate Counsel at MobiTV, Inc. Attached is the cease and desist letter we sent to your attention yesterday regarding the post located at http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1332161 which allows and facilitates unauthorized access to MobiTV’s proprietary service. As further discussed in the attached letter, MobiTV demands the immediate and permanent removal of this post on www.howardforums.com. Please send this to Howard Forum’s legal department immediately and also confirm your receipt of this email. Regards, Josh Andrews Corporate Counsel 6425 Christie Avenue, 5th Floor, Emeryville, CA 94608 phone 510.450.527x mobile 415.971.188x fax 510.868.641x email jandrews@mobitv.com web www.mobitv. Here's my response: Quote:Originally Posted by howard Can you be more specific? All I see are people linking to your webpage mobitv.com. I was expecting to find people posting zip files containing software with cracks. Howard Chui Quote:Originally Posted by howard The post on this page - http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1332161 – is all about getting MobiTV (or Sprint TV) for free, at least on your desktop if not on your phone. This thread needs to be removed. Quote:Originally Posted by mobitv I don't understand the question. If you go to this link - http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1332161 - it's pretty clear. It gives step by step instructions of how to obtain MobiTV (Sprint TV). I am cutting and pasting the language below: _____________________ "Well, I found this in the Sprint forums and here we go: qtv.mobitv.com/sprintTVlive.mcd 1. Copy and paste that link into the address bar. 2. Don't run it but save it to your computer. 3. Find it on your computer and OPEN it up. Select to open it with Internet Explorer or the browser of your choice. 4. There will be a whole bunch of links. Choose the channel you want to watch... 5. Get your LG Voyager and start up the browser. 6. Type one of the links into your Voyager and press OK! There you go, live TV... Ask more questions if you need help." Quote:Originally Posted by howard That's just a link to your company's website "here we go: qtv.mobitv.com/sprintTVlive.mcd" I have no control over what information is posted at mobitv.com Quote:Originally Posted by mobitv You have control over the step-by-step instructions that are below that link. That's the information I am referring to. This is not a link, but in fact some sort of file users can download and then use to access our service. Please remove the instructions. Quote:Originally Posted by mobitv Howard - All of the links on your page are links to our live feed and they facilitate the unauthorized use of the MobiTV service. All of them need to be removed. We will take further action if this is not done. Thank you for your quick response. Quote:Originally Posted by howard So let me get this right; The Mobitv security is setup such that anyone that knows the url to the feed that's located on your firm's website can access it? Or in other words; "You can go to mobitv.com to watch TV". How can use be unauthorized if that's all people have to do? Quote:Originally Posted by mobitv Howard, there is now another link on your site that needs to be removed. Please go to: http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1333804 As I mentioned before, these are not publicly available links. Nowhere on Mobitv.com are any of these available. It takes a hacker and debugging by your users to get this information. Please confirm your removal of this and the thread/link we discussed yesterday. We are attempting to resolve this matter amicably. Thanks. Josh Quote:Originally Posted by howard How is it not publicly available? ANYONE with a computer can view the file that has all the url's on it. It's not like someone stole this information from your business and posted it. It's available on your site for anyone to read. How is that protecting your intellectual property? Is there really no security in place to prevent this? Quote:Originally Posted by mobitv The url "qtv.mobitv.com/sprintTVlive.mcd" is not publicly available, nor is it posted anywhere on our website for viewers to access. The only way to access the links is through this url, and the only way to obtain this url is through hacking/debugging. "Anyone with a computer can view the file" - Actually, only people who have access to this url that was obtained in violation of our IP rights (hacking is a violation) can view it. We are going to contact ICANN as well as your host to resolve this matter if you refuse to remove these threads. Please confirm by the end of business today (Pacific time) that you have complied.  |
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Originally Posted by Baldilocks
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