Microsoft has been issuing takedown notices for publicly hosting its leaked
Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE) tool. The company sent off "Demand
for Immediate Take-Down: Notice of Infringing Activity" to companies hosting
websites that offered the tool. The e-mails all start with the following
standard statement: "Microsoft has received information that the domain listed
above, which appears to be on servers under your control, is offering unlicensed
copies of, or is engaged in other unauthorized activities relating to
copyrighted works published by Microsoft."
One of the websites that received legal threats from Redmond is Cryptome.org,
a great repository for information about freedom of speech, cryptography, spying,
and surveillance. According to e-mail correspondences posted on Cryptome,
Microsoft contacted Network Solutions, which hosts Cryptome, and since John
Young, the owner of the website, wasn't too keen on losing his whole website for
the sake of a single 15MB file, he removed the download link and sent Network
Solutions a notice of compliance.
