
Feds Bust Cookie-Stuffing Code Seller - phsr
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/02/feds-bust-cookie-stuffing-code-seller/
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jrockway
So writing software to allow someone to cause a server to return the string
"Set-Cookie: " with the wrong unique ID after it is "conspiracy to commit wire
fraud" now.

I don't like people that try to scam affiliates out of their money, but I also
don't like the precedent that this sets. How long until the author of an open-
source web server is liable for the child-porn someone serves with it?

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ryanwaggoner
Probably as soon as someone creates a web server especially for child porn,
with a list of features designed expressly to help child porn traffickers, and
marketed as the best child porn server out there.

I'm not thrilled about this either, but this guy didn't write this software
for any other purpose or market it for any other purpose.

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jrockway
_Probably as soon as someone creates a web server especially for child porn,
with a list of features designed expressly to help child porn traffickers, and
marketed as the best child porn server out there._

Tor?

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otakucode
Interesting... especially since I consider paying for advertising "per click"
fraudulent as well. In what other form of advertising do you get the brand
recognition, message delivery, word of mouth, and all of the ancillary bits of
advertising that actually makes it work completely for free? No other method.
Because content producers and advertising companies in every single other
medium understand how advertising works, and understand that only paying when
the ad results in a direct IMMEDIATE sell amounts to them defrauding the
content providers. I can get my message seen by thousands of users and only
pay for a tiny little fraction of that? I can certainly see how that would be
an ethical challenge for a company, wanting to get 90%+ of an advertisements
benefit without paying for it, but it's pretty clearly unethical to rip people
off in such a way.

Call me if you see a magazine, TV, or radio ad that was carried for free and
agreed to only accept a payment when a customer shows up and specifically
mentions the exact ad that inspired them to make the purchase.

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dangrossman
Sounds like big case #2.

The other recent cookie stuffing case was last April when three people,
including the owner of the massive Digital Point forums, were charged with
defrauding eBay as well:

[http://www.courthousenews.com/2008/08/26/eBay_Sues_Alleged_C...](http://www.courthousenews.com/2008/08/26/eBay_Sues_Alleged_Cookie_Stuffers_.htm)

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Daniel_Newby
This seems like a good bust. If an affiliate contracts to advertise for
compensation, and they finagle payment without advertising, that's plain
fraud. The guy who helps them do it has aided and abetted.

