A software pirate has been told that he can no longer use his computer with an Linux OS
Court orders pirate to use Windows
/v3-uk/news/1960106/court-pirate-windows
24 Aug 2007, Iain Thomson , V3
A man convicted of illegally downloading an episode of Star Wars has been told that he can no longer use his computer with an Ubuntu Linux operating system.
Scott McCausland pleaded guilty last year to 'conspiracy to commit copyright infringement' and 'criminal copyright infringement' by downloading Star Wars: Episode III illegally.
He served five months in prison and is now on probation, but has been told that he cannot use his Linux computer.
"I had a meeting with my probation officer today and he told me that he has to install monitoring software onto my PC. No big deal to me; that is part of my sentence," he wrote on his Lost and Alone blog.
"However, the [monitoring] software doesn't support GNU/Linux. So he told me that if I want to use a computer, I would have to use an OS that the software can be installed on.
"Which basically means Microsoft and monitoring software or no computer. I use Ubuntu 7.04 now, and they are trying to force me to switch."
McCausland, also known as 'sk0t', was the first person to be jailed for BitTorrent use and was a member of the Elitetorrents site that was shut down by the FBI in 2005.
He claimed that he is not trying to subvert the restrictions placed on him, but does not see why he should have to buy a new operating system to do so.
"The terms of my plea state: 'I consent to period checks of my PC by my [probation officer] and/or the installation of software to monitor my internet activity,'" he wrote.
"I am consenting to all of it, but it just so happens that the OS I use might not be supported by the software they use to monitor. So I do not feel (neither does my lawyer) that the government can force me to switch OS."
McCausland has now started an appeal on his website to cover the cost of buying Windows.
McCausland was arrested after the Elitetorrents site posted the latest Star Wars film before its cinema release. This brought the site to the attention of the Motion Picture Association of America which helped the FBI to shut down the site.
© Incisive Media Investments Limited 2010, Published by Incisive Financial Publishing Limited, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4RX, are companies registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 04252091 & 04252093
Do you agree?
uploading, not downloading
He was sued for *UP*loading Star Wars III, not downloading it.
Uploading means distributing it to others; downloading does not.
Posted by DAR, 24 Aug 2007
Court orders pirate to use Windows
OS X is out, too? OS X doesn't support monitoring software? This is good news for Mac owners? I can haz cheezburger?
Posted by Loonesta, 25 Aug 2007
doh
Windows to Ubuntu? Very cruel indeed. Might as well not use a computer at all. Zing.
Posted by rand0m, 25 Aug 2007
maybe...
just get a friend to burn him a copy, how about his laywer? lol now that would be funny
Posted by fanman, 25 Aug 2007
civil vs criminal
> He was sued for *UP*loading
> Star Wars III, not
> downloading it.
He was not sued at all. He was charged with a criminal offense, not a civil offense.
Posted by Michael Smith, 25 Aug 2007
pioneers or criminals
43 years ago pirate radio stations broadcasting from boats in the North Sea gave listeners the first experience of free music radio sponsored by advertising. They lost the battle three years later BUT did not lose the war!
BBC monopoly was broken and commercial radio was established. My prediction is that while the film and music industry win battles - they will lose the war and eventually provide entertainment free (as it should be) to everyone through sponsorship and advertising - It may take 20 years but eventually people ,and the industry, will win over the selfish profit takers who want to preserve status quo
Posted by gbswuk, 07 Sep 2007
Ideaology
Strikes me as a bit like making (as one example) Jews eat pork. If you don't use Windows because of innate decency on the monopolies front it really is not a fair and just punishment.
Posted by alex, 08 Oct 2007