Question about security

[Septic]

Hi!

I have a question about security. I want do download videos from a site that you need to login on to get access to the videos.
Can the website/admin see that I'm downloading these videos?

I know that they can see that I'm veiwing them but can they see that im downloading them?

[GµårÐïåñ]

Hi!

I have a question about security. I want do download videos from a site that you need to login on to get access to the videos.
Can the website/admin see that I'm downloading these videos?

I know that they can see that I'm veiwing them but can they see that im downloading them?

Generally no, because as you watch them, they are transmitted via TCP (HTTP/HTTPS) and that traffic is undistinguished from the downloading that uses the same TCP traffic packet type to do it. So as far as they are concerned, you are just looking at it. To them traffic is traffic, unless the means why which you download gives something in the header or methodology that they can associate with a specific downloader type.

[Septic]

Ok, so there is no way to get caught downloading the streaming videos to my computer?
I don't want to get caught doing it since I need them on my studiocomputer that has no internet connection and I pay alot to be a member on that site, it's against the Terms of Service and don't want to get banned.

[therube]

> so there is no way to get caught downloading the streaming videos to my computer?

?

> it's against the Terms of Service

So they will allow you to stream all that you want, but specifically disallow download?
(As in then like you can view, but they don't want you to download, copy, redistribute?)


My thought would be that if they were specifically looking, they could tell, or at least surmise that you were downloading rather then streaming?

If "flashgot" were to appear (it may not at all?)? If your download manager identifies itself in some specific way, UA or whatever? If you are download using multiple threads? Perhaps something cookie or referrer related?

[GµårÐïåñ]

Generally speaking, NOPE. They can't tell. But if you want to be sure, tell me which downloader you are using to capture them and I will tell you if its leaking anything that might identifiable. Also keep in mind, most of these things get logged to server logs and depending on how much user traffic they have, those logs are ENORMOUS, INSANELY, trust me, I look at them all the time with my own servers, and unless they have filters to capture and limit the raw data in a useful manner, it will be lost in the shuffle, trust me on this. That's why I normally have my server logs (which are huge raw dumps) filter through certain criteria, like IP range, port numbers, destination folder/directory/files, specific users, etc, whatever is important to me and that way I don't spend MONTHS going through ONE day's worth of logs that are over 2 billion lines long. Get it? So unless they are looking for something specific, and your downloader is giving them that and they happen to be looking for it, unlikely they will know squat.

[GµårÐïåñ]

> it's against the Terms of Service

So they will allow you to stream all that you want, but specifically disallow download?
(As in then like you can view, but they don't want you to download, copy, redistribute?)

Irrelevant in my opinion. Even if they specifically disallow downloading, my logic is this: 1) he is paying for it, a shit load it seems, 2) he is downloading it for his own enjoyment, no redistribution, so no harm no foul. Personally on philosophical and even ethical grounds, I have no problem with this and even if it "violates" the TOS. The people who write those are greedy asses with narrow templates of legal jargon, means nothing to me. The best they can pull is a shrinkwrap defense and that has historically failed 99.9% of the time in any court in the land, so it means nothing to me frankly.

[Septic]

> so there is no way to get caught downloading the streaming videos to my computer?

?

> it's against the Terms of Service

So they will allow you to stream all that you want, but specifically disallow download?
(As in then like you can view, but they don't want you to download, copy, redistribute?)


My thought would be that if they were specifically looking, they could tell, or at least surmise that you were downloading rather then streaming?

If "flashgot" were to appear (it may not at all?)? If your download manager identifies itself in some specific way, UA or whatever? If you are download using multiple threads? Perhaps something cookie or referrer related?

Yeah, you can stream all you want and any video you want, no limits that way. Aslong as you log in and pay for the service. They dislike video downloading because to redistribute it in any way.

[Septic]

Generally speaking, NOPE. They can't tell. But if you want to be sure, tell me which downloader you are using to capture them and I will tell you if its leaking anything that might identifiable. Also keep in mind, most of these things get logged to server logs and depending on how much user traffic they have, those logs are ENORMOUS, INSANELY, trust me, I look at them all the time with my own servers, and unless they have filters to capture and limit the raw data in a useful manner, it will be lost in the shuffle, trust me on this. That's why I normally have my server logs (which are huge raw dumps) filter through certain criteria, like IP range, port numbers, destination folder/directory/files, specific users, etc, whatever is important to me and that way I don't spend MONTHS going through ONE day's worth of logs that are over 2 billion lines long. Get it? So unless they are looking for something specific, and your downloader is giving them that and they happen to be looking for it, unlikely they will know squat.

I've tried using Downloadhelper and flashgot and with both downloaders I'm able to get the videos to my harddrive.
I understand, is there anyway to figure out if they are using these filters?

[Tom T.]

It seems some sites are able to prohibit saving the stream. When you upload your own mp3 to Soundclick, it asks you whether you want to:
Sell it
Allow free downloads
Allow free streaming only

I choose the latter, not because there's any money to be made, but because one enjoys seeing the hit counts (all four charted as high as #2 or #3 in their genre at some point) and the comments, if any.

Also, it's still an acknowledgment of copyright, which I own. Redistributors probably won't do that, and a British rugby club had posted one of my creations without author name, link to original, or notice of copyright. They gladly corrected that when asked, and the song got a large number of hits for several more months.

I just tried to "Save" my own produced mp3, as a user, not logged in as myself, and there is nothing in the Temp file that can be converted to a local mp3. (I tried). This is with normal means, not FlashGot or any other downloader other than the browser. Please try it yourself:
http://www.soundclick.com/player/single ... d=11471033

A lot of people upload commercially-published records to, say, YouTube.
YouTube invites copyright owners to complain if they object, and indeed some videos are removed. Repeated violators have their accounts deleted.

If the copyright owner doesn't complain, then fine. I wouldn't have bought the record anyway, and I don't re-sell it.
But I don't call someone nasty names because they spent a lot of time and effort and talent producing something for the commercial market, then see it being pirated -- and yes, that is the word. Some users may have bought it if they couldn't get it from YT, so that's loss of revenue.

GµårÐïåñ, would you like it if the sw you developed were pirated, with free copies all over the Net?
After all,

The best they can pull is a shrinkwrap defense and that has historically failed 99.9% of the time in any court in the land, so it means nothing to me frankly.

You feel that way when it's your paid project too, correct? -- that copyright or intellectual property rights are meaningless?

[GµårÐïåñ]

The two you mentioned won't give anything away, if they can grab it for you, go for it. If not give UnPlug a shot, it has the ability to use RtmpDump (free external tool) to even grab streaming stuff that Flashgot can't get from fixed resources. I am actually currently working on a patch to include such a feature for Flashgot, just have been short on time and need to get Giorgio's review and final blessing on it but it would serve the many requests we get on why can't I download this and us saying its RTMP/RTSP, etc.

[GµårÐïåñ]

Tom, If you read what I said, I SPECIFICALLY said as long as it is NOT REDISTRIBUTED and is for personal use only, you have paid for it you have a right to it. I would have no issue with that, even if my own content.

[Septic]

Thanks all!
I feel safer to download the videos I need now.

I will still pay my monthly fee on that site since it updates frequently, just download the things I need to use them in another location.
I aswell think that intellectual property is really important. I'm a struggling musician and I always buy cd's, I don't download. It's the reason the music bussiness is going down the drain.
I would never re-distribute the videos in any way, only me will be using them.

[GµårÐïåñ]

You are welcome and good luck. I respect that too, I buy CDs too, always been old school that way, but I do rip them so I have a digital copy in case the disc dies on me, I don't mind putting it on my Zune, my 3 laptops and phone to listen elsewhere other than a CD player and I don't feel that I am violating anything, because I paid for the music, how and where I enjoy it, is my choice. As long as I am not putting it online for people to download, then I haven't violated anything.

[therube]

Allow free streaming only

I choose the latter

Nonetheless it does not mean that someone cannot download your Born To Be Wild - easily.

[Tom T.]

Tom, If you read what I said, I SPECIFICALLY said as long as it is NOT REDISTRIBUTED and is for personal use only, you have paid for it you have a right to it. I would have no issue with that, even if my own content.

I'm referring to vids at YouTube, which you do *not* pay for.

As far as paid stuff, if the site's TOS says it's X dollars to join and Y for each d/l, then you agreed to those terms when you joined.

Allow free streaming only
I choose the latter

Nonetheless it does not mean that someone cannot download your Born To Be Wild - easily.

That is not my song. (It's Steppenwolf's. ) Mine was a parody of it, lampooning former Senator John Edwards.

Were you able to d/l and save the one in my link? If so, how? Maybe answer in PM or our private forum.