Winny P2P users are arrested in Japan developers home raided
Posted by Dan Bell on 03 December 2003 - 14:47
GristyMcFisty used our news submit to tell us that The Register is reporting Japanese police have arrested two users of the "Winny" anonymous file-sharing network. Investigators also raided the home of the developer of the software application.
Japanese police have arrested two users of a supposedly anonymous file-sharing network. Investigators also raided the home of the developer of a software application, called "Winny", used by the duo in a unsuccessful attempt to shield their identity. The arrested pair are suspected of using the Winny P2P network to distribute a pirated film (the Russell Crowe flick A Beautiful Mind) in one case and computer games in another. The suspects are Katsuhiko Kimotoa, 41, from Takasaki in central Japan and a 19-year-old from Matsuyama in southern Japan, who can't be named for legal reasons, The Mainichi Daily News reports. It's unclear how police traced the suspects. The arrests are believed to be the first of their kind in Japan. The Winny P2P network has around 250,000 users. Police have shut down a web site offering the Winny application for download.
Winny is a filesharing client that is very popular in Japan. It's based on a completely distributed network without any central servers and also includes encryption. My understanding was that it would be very dificult to eavesdrop on any traffic. If this story is accurate, it's going to be interesting to see how these two were singled out for litigation. It is also the first time I have read that the software developer had his house raided. But, I am not familiar with the laws in Japan
