how do they catch people doing illegal stuff on limewire?

Question

just curious

how often do they catch the average joe

oh and what if you clear your history and delete the file

Answer 1

ip addresses.

they (the mpaa, riaa or whoever) have software which will automatically make a list of the unique computer IP addresses of people who are downloading or uploading copyrighted material on the gnutella network, then from that they backtrack your IP to your ISP and name and address etc are handed over.

this is how you're never truly anonymous on the internet and if you download or upload songs, movies, programs you shouldn't be then you can't cry too much if you get caught.

the mpaa and riaa are notoriously random about who they get to the "legal letter" stage where you get a letter to your door saying they're gonna sue/jail you. even then a successful prosecution is rare. but with each year that passes, and as illegal downloading increases they issue more and more of these legal proceedings.

normally, and financially, it makes more sense to try and nail the people who are offering for upload thousands of copyrighted files, rather than 1 person who downloaded 1 file 1 time - why spend $10,000 sending someone to jail for the sake of a $2 song track? and this is normally what happens - they go for the big guys.

but don't be complacent, illegal downloaders are increasingly being cracked down upon and the potential consequences are very high.

if you download a file (and are recorded doing so) and then delete the file, it makes no difference - you still broke the law and they have the ISP records to prove it.

don't forget to 'accept' this answer if it helped.

Answer 2

They monitor each an every activity which is not natural. Then they check the IP address and get hold of the same. In IT terms it is known as cyber policing