McAfee Patents Anti Piracy Application

Security software development firm McAfee, which is best recognized for popular antivirus software, is expanding  its development capability by getting into the anti-piracy game. The company was recently granted a patent on an application that was filed in October of 2012. The patent, issued as number WO2013055564A1 was recently noticed by the file sharing site, TorrentFreak , which is a blog that focuses on sharing information about BitTorrent and other closely associated file sharing protocols.

Features of McAfee Anti Piracy Application

The application is described as a system that detects and prevents illegal consumption of content on the web. It will be interesting to note the features of the application. It may be much more than a clone of duplicate copy search bots., and appears to have the ability to blacklist users who illegally download software, videos and music from files sharing sites.

As it is explained in the patent, the system is aimed at detecting and preventing users from directly or inadvertently using content illegally on the Internet. The application extends the capability of the present SiteAdvisor system, that alerts users to potential dangers at suspicious sites they are about to visit.

There are several different actions that can be followed if unauthorized content is detected:

• A warning can be issued
• Access to the site can be denied entirely
• Access to the site can be denied, while the user is directed to an alternate source where, payment for a legal download is allowed.

Benefits of the McAfee Patents

McAfee claims that the system can be of benefit to both consumers and copyright owners, by preventing illegal use of copyrighted material, that may be followed by expensive litigation procedures, if the decision is made to pursue for the infringements of copyrights. The software  may be well adopted and suitable for use in the company’s line of AV software to prevent the spread of malware, which can often accompany illegal downloads.

Risks Involved

There is an inherent risk involved with the publishing of the application,where users can claim ignorance. Even though the user may know that downloading copyrighted material is illegal, they can claim ignorance  as an excuse, because McAfee SiteAdvisor did not inform the user that the download was unauthorized.

Pursing illegal downloaders can be an expensive proposition, as the burden of proof can be tenuous, and evidence may not be strong enough for convictions. At many times and in many cases, it amounts to not much more than a list of IP addresses. It is lacking in information such as times, dates and downloaded material. In other cases, it can be worthwhile, when the quantity of downloaded material is considered as being excessive.

Other excuses that can be offered include the operation of open hotspots or public Wi-Fi connections where anyone can download material can be introduced in court cases to challenge the validity of cases of the prosecution to make it even more difficult.
Throughout the history of the company from the founding to the present time, McAfee has always been recognized as a leader in the industry, and it is very likely that competitors will follow the lead.

We can expect and even hope that Anti-viral software of the future will include many other features, in addition to protection against malware. The inclusion of  the capability to fight  copyright infringement, can be seen as only the beginning as consumers appear ready to accept the fact that order and controls of some sort may be needed on the web.

Authorities appear to be fighting a losing battle, when it come to fighting threats from malware, and it is up to consumers to do their parts, but help may be needed.

Inclusion of the ability to prevent copyright infringement, can be a step toward the right direction.

Victor Chambers is a computer expert specializing in software reviews and Windows tips and tricks, he is also a contributor to web site www.dailydeals4you.com, which provides ESET coupons. He has also investigated several AV applications and can recommend McAfee coupons.