Anti-Piracy Software from MPAA Draws Mixed Reviews

A free software program to help parents police illegal movie and music files on their household computers is garnering mixed reviews.

The application, called Parent File Scan, was unveiled last week by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) -- alongside an announcement of the organization's intent to file more lawsuits against people who illegally trade copies of movies over the Internet.

"We cannot allow people to steal our motion pictures and other products online, and we will use all the options we have available to encourage people to obey the law," MPAA President and CEO Dan Glickman said in a statement.

"We had to resort to lawsuits as one option to help make that happen," he continued. "But at the same time, we are making a new tool, 'Parent File Scan,' widely available to parents and other consumers."

Parental Tool

"This free and widely available program may be of particular use to parents, who may be unaware that their children have been using their computers to illegally download copyrighted material, exposing the family to lawsuits and other negative consequences," Glickman added.

According to the licensing agreement for the software, which is made by DtecNet Software, of Copenhagen, Denmark, the application searches a computer for well-known file-sharing programs and files in the most popular music and film formats. That doesn't mean, the agreement cautions, that the program will find all file sharing applications or music and film files on a computer.

"You must determine yourself whether music or video files on your computer were acquired legally or illegally," the agreement reads. "The SOFTWARE does not verify or report the source of files found. You must clarify this question yourself by discussing with the persons who have used the computer where the music and video files are found."

Moreover, using the software doesn't create a security blanket for parents worried about process servers knocking on their doors. "You are responsible for anything illegal taking place or stored on your computer," the agreement cautions. "Using the SOFTWARE may provide you an overview of how your computer is being used, but this does not imply any exemption of liability on your part."

Unexpected Kudos

Praise for the software came from an unusual quarter. "Parental oversight is a critical part of any young person's use of computers," Adam Eisgrau, executive director of P2P United, a Washington, D.C.-based group representing members of the file-sharing industry, told TechNewsWorld. "Any product that assists parents in defining the kind of computer use they'd like to find in their own homes can only be a good thing.

"The makers of peer-to-peer software have been criticized for somehow surreptitiously subjecting people to liability," he said. "Nothing could be further for from the truth.

"What the MPAA is doing," he continued, "represents a marketplace solution to a concern expressed by some that needs to be dealt with at the level of the individual household and consumer."

Better Alternatives

However, some critics cast doubt on the usefulness of the program to parents. Mike Sauter, in his Mike's Minutiae blog, wrote sarcastically: "[T]he program, called Parent File Scan, returns ALL media files -- including Windows' own event sounds -- as potentially illegal. This will be extremely helpful to parents (or 'rents,' as the kids say)."

What's more, another detractor noted, if a parent is really concerned about what their kids are stashing on their computers, there are more effective programs in the market than the MPAA offering.

"[I]t appears that the MPAA is trying to reinvent the horse," Jarad Carleton, an IT industry analyst with Frost & Sullivan in Palo Alto, California, told TechNewsWorld via e-mail. "Why use MPAA software if you are really concerned about what your children are downloading and viewing on the Internet. Why not use a more robust piece of software such as Cyber Patrol?"

Appeal to Last Allies

By releasing Parent File Scan, the MPAA is making an appeal to the only ally it has left in the marketplace, asserted Edward Webber, operator of Loki Torrent, one of several Bit Torrent hubs being sued by the movie industry.

"In making enemies with every P2P service out there, the only method of piracy prevention that remains is parents," he told TechNewsWorld via e-mail . "There are many [ways] peer-to-peer technology could be adapted to aid in the sale of MPAA title works; all they have to do is stop making new enemies long enough to listen to their rapidly shrinking consumer base."