Systems and methods for managing data assets associated with peer-to-peer networks
A system and method for targeting content to BitTorrent users is presented. The system searches torrent file websites for a torrent file according to specified search criteria and verifies that the torrent file corresponds to a media file containing the copyrighted work. The system obtains tracker server information from the torrent file and obtains the IP addresses of participants currently connected to the torrent file from the tracker server, attempts to establish a connection with a participant based on an IP address selected from the IP addresses and, if successful, receives a data piece with a cryptographic hash from the participant. The cryptographic hash is verified to correctly match with the torrent file. The system provides for correlation of information about participants in the peer-to-peer network and using the information to provide targeted campaign to each user based on the user's preferences.
1. A method for managing data assets associated with Peer-to-Peer network users comprising:
obtaining search criteria based for a copyrighted work;
maintaining a database of at least one torrent file website;
periodically and automatically scraping said at least one torrent file website in the database to locate at least one torrent file based on said search criteria;
verifying that the at least one torrent file corresponds to a media file containing said copyrighted work, wherein said verification is for eliminating trailers and previews from the at least one torrent file;
storing the verified ones of the at least one torrent file to a torrent file database;
automatically obtaining tracker server information from the verified ones of the at least one torrent file;
automatically receiving from said tracker server a plurality of participant IP addresses of participants currently connected to the verified ones of the at least one torrent file;
storing said plurality of participant IP addresses into an IP address database;
automatically establishing a connection with each of said participants and receiving a cryptographic hash, download completion status and capture time for the participant;
automatically determining if the participant is sharing the media file by verifying that said participant's cryptographic hash correctly matches with the at least one torrent file and said download completion status is a non-zero value;
determining at least one preference based on inferences from one or more attributes of said verified ones of the at least one torrent file for each one of said participants determined to be sharing the media file; and
displaying a targeted message to each one of said participants based on said at least one preference.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one preference is piracy and said targeted message is a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one preference is type of goods and services and said targeted message is advertisement for said goods and services.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one preference is type of goods and services and said targeted message is a survey configured to obtain additional preference information about said one of said participants.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the plurality of participant IP addresses by receiving a new plurality of participant IP addresses from the tracker server after a set period of time.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said eliminating trailers comprises determining that the at least one torrent file is not a trailer based on size of the torrent file.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said eliminating previews comprises determining that the at least one torrent file is not a preview based on size of the torrent file.
8. A system for managing data assets associated with Peer-to-Peer network users comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions;
a communication network;
a processor configured to execute said computer-readable instructions to:
obtain search criteria for a copyrighted work;
maintain a database of at least one torrent file website;
periodically and automatically scrape said at least one torrent file website in said database to locate at least one torrent file according to said search criteria;
verify that the at least one torrent file corresponds to a media file containing said copyrighted work by eliminating preview and trailer media files from the at least one torrent file, wherein said verification is based on size of the at least one torrent file;
store the verified ones of the at least one torrent file to a torrent file database;
identify a plurality of participant IP addresses of participants sharing the verified ones of the at least one torrent file;
store said plurality of participant IP addresses into an IP address database;
automatically establish a connection with each of said participants and receiving a cryptographic hash, download completion status and capture time for the participant;
automatically determine if the participant is sharing the media file by verifying that said participant's cryptographic hash correctly matches with the at least one torrent file and said download completion status is a non-zero value;
determine at least one preference based on inferences from one or more attributes of said verified ones of the at least one torrent file for each one of said participants determined to be sharing the media file; and
display a targeted message to said one of said participants based on said at least one preference.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said at least one preference is piracy and said targeted message is a DMCA notice.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein said at least one preference is type of goods and services and said targeted message is advertisement for said goods and services.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein said at least one preference is type of goods and services and said targeted message is a survey configured to obtain additional preference information about said one of said participants.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein said identify a plurality of participant IP addresses of participants comprises the steps of:
obtaining tracker server information from the at least one torrent file; and
receiving from said tracker server said plurality of participant IP addresses of participants sharing the at least one torrent file.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said steps further comprises updating the plurality of participant IP addresses by receiving a new plurality of participant IP addresses from the tracker server after a set period of time.
14. A method for managing data assets associated with Peer-to-Peer network users comprising:
obtaining search criteria for a copyrighted work;
maintaining a database of at least one torrent file website;
periodically and automatically scraping said at least one torrent file website to obtain at least one torrent file based on said search criteria;
obtaining Info Hash for the at least one torrent file;
verifying that the at least one torrent file corresponds to a media file containing said copyrighted work, wherein said verification is to eliminate previews and trailers from the at least one torrent file;
storing the verified ones of the at least one torrent file to a torrent file database;
performing network surveillance using the Info Hash to identify a plurality of participant IP addresses of participants sharing the at least one torrent file;
storing said plurality of participant IP addresses into an IP address database;
automatically establishing a connection with each of said participants and receiving a cyptographic hash, download completion status and capture time for the participant;
automatically determining if the participant is sharing the media file by verifying that said participant's cryptographic hash correctly matches with the at least one torrent file and said download completion status is a non-zero value,
determining at least one preference based on inferences from one or more attributes of said at least one torrent file for each one of said participants determined to be sharing the media file; and
displaying a targeted message to said one of said participants based on said at least one preference.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said at least one preference is piracy and said targeted message is a DMCA notice.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said at least one preference is type of goods and services and said targeted message is advertisement for said goods and services.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein said at least one preference is type of goods and services and said targeted message is a survey configured to obtain additional preference information about said one of said participants.