A note to all SEKIREI fans

I stumbled across an interesting ANN news article that appears to suggest that Aniplex (the distributor of Sekirei) has engaged a company BayTSP to track, monitor and pursue fans of the Sekirei series who might use torrents to view this material. This company even has a mention in Wikipedia.

While I am uncertain as to what degree BayTSP has been engaged to monitor this series, I feel a need to mention this to other anime fans, so that they can be aware of this new situation.

Fansubs and the distribution of anime (or media-material) is illegal in almost every country. Being 'caught' engaging in such activity is 'criminal' and will likely result in a multi-thousand-dollar fine.

I will continue to monitor the situation and share with you what ever I can find. But in any event, I am concerned over the actions of ANIPLEX as it pits the anime fansub community against the producers and distributors - in a situation where both fans and fansub groups are certain to be found in violation of the law.

Torrents download programs and torrents are NOT private, secure or hidden. They can be easily traced and tracked. At this point in time, the only truly anomalous file-sharing service is something called IRC.

Please be aware of the risks of your actions and at worst, be prepared to be held accountable for your actions should you be contacted by your ISP.

Edited on 08/23/2008 05:03 PM.

In case you meant "anonymous", even IRC is forming its connections via an IRC server, and the download of files via IRC (using the xdcc mechanism) can be logged on that server (in terms of the TCP/IP addresses of all connected computers and all commands sent amongst them), thus making the tracking of all downloaded material even technically simpler (in case the police is allowed to get access to said logs). And of course the file transfer via IRC is no different from a file transfer via Torrent protocol - in both cases it's a transfer of data from one IP address to another one, and your ISP will always log the mapping between your IP adress and your telephone mainline that the IP connection runs over.

Nothing in the whole internet is "anonymous" per se. There's encryption and obfuscation in various flavors, but nothing even remotely similar to "safe".

Thank you, DD ... I stand corrected twice ...

For both the correction (anonymous) and clarification about IRC. My understanding is the IRC network (wiki) is perhaps the last wild west of the internet. The nature of network does not lend itself to 'easy' tracing of users and activities - which is why it is also known for haven for spammers, credit card hackers and people involved in illegal activity. Especially if one runs encryption on your connection, which will prevent anyone from sniffing out your packets and reading the content.

I was surprised to find out that Wikipedia also has a good writeup about the Singapore/ODEX situation that was mentioned in the ANN news article.

Edited on 08/23/2008 07:52 PM.

My perception is that there has been an aggressive change in how file-sharing is being addressed in Japan. Starting with the very public Winny police file leaks of last year and then we hear that someone was actually convicted of anime file-sharing and got 18months in prison last month.

I am just wondering if this whole situation is just a first step in an emerging trend addressing the international issue of file sharing. While Aniplex might not be the biggest Japanese anime production company, they do hold the license on a number of popular and successful titles.

I live in the US and I am uncertain as to how our local ISP will address this type of issue of international digital rights. I do know that that RIAA is agressively prosecuting people for infringement on their licensed digital music rights. Now there is a whopper in the UK, where a woman was fined some 16K pounds (or $29K dollars or $20K euros) for software and movie file sharing .... OUCH!!!

I am just wondering if the Japanese anime companies might not be angling to position themselves in a manner similar as RIAA. Well, in any event - we should probably just be aware of this situation and keep each other informed.

Edited on 08/23/2008 11:01 PM.

And oh ... DD ...

Seizing servers appears to be a very European (or German) type of event. As reported in a 2006 news article, the laws here in the US are a bit different. And we all know about the fiasco when the Pirate-Bay servers were seized in mid 2006 .... Well there is some hope on the horizon, especially when Pirate Bay shows an interest in developing new software.

Yah have to love those Swedes!!

PeerGuardian 2 is your friend. ^_^

http://phoenixlabs.org/pg2/

So, are you recommending that we download and install PeerGuardian 2? I am very uncomfortable with adding new programs when my computer is working just fine, but if two or three of you experts say I should do so, I will. I had just DL'd episode 8 of Sekirei yesterday morning!

Sounds like Devil Doll's against it.

ERRRRR .. I have a headache already ...

Yah ... proxy servers or gateways servers ... it operates on the principle that YES, I am doing something on this server and it probably is filesharing and is thus illegal, but can you prove beyond a shadow of doubt that I was actually downloading is the file/program/music/software/whatever that you are trying to protect? If you can't prove that you are specifically acting to protect 'your' (or your clients) interests and have proof that I copying 'your' product, then l leave me alone.

And this where the need for encryption comes in.

Well, the bottom line is that we are guilty of our own success .....

We are on a web site dedicated to calling attention to and discussing the anime. With over 1MIL hits per year on this site alone, that is a lot of interested parties. And our site is not alone - there are others as well. And it is only getting more popular

If Aniplex is serious at prosecuting people for infringement on their digital rights - then they will !! And hopefully it will be very public. Personally, I will not even consider downloading MUSIC or AMERICAN MOVIES, primary out of respect of RIAA's efforts in already prosecuting 20K people for this type of action. So - their actions are having the desired result and they are down to catching the unaware, the brain-dead and the absolutely clueless people.

If Aniplex is serous, then it is their right and I hope that they are smart enough to warn people first. Sekirei is a new series that probably only has a couple of hundred thousand fans worldwide. I have been in awe of the swarming activity that goes on around such well established series such as BLEACH or even D.Gray-man. It is probably too much for them to even consider attempting to prosecute. But if they are going to do it, then let them start and be public and we will have to stop - SIGH.

You know.... we are journalists! We are doing research and collecting new material to support a public news service dedicated to calling attention to new and emerging anime products in the pacific rim. Does not sound like much perhaps, but it is a lot better that average podunk who is just trying to get this weeks Bleach fix.

I did mention that we just need to be aware and be informed as to what 'they' are up to.

Edited on 08/24/2008 03:25 PM.

Here's the deal. Most people do not use PeerGuardian 2 or even know about it. Thus, the big companies don't really worry about trying to circumvent it.

Here's what I can tell you. I have never received a notification or anything from any company on any d/l I have ever made since I've used PG2. I have friends who get immediate notices when they would d/l the same something and they weren't using PG2.

Now, is PG2 foolproof? Of course not. It depends on keeping the block list updated (mine checks frequently for updates) so if one doesn't update the list, well...

Also, what DD suggests is true. A company could simply get some alternate means of trying to obtain the information to find out who's downloading what. What I can tell you is that PG2 plays things over-cautious on the blocking scheme when it comes to IP's. So if you use it to help filter you web-browsing (a feature it has), this site was blocked (don't know if it still is because I haven't checked). Basically, it blocks every possible IP it is aware of that has even a hint to do with entertainment (movies, music, TV, etc.), the government (any around the world), lawyers, and basically any IP that can be traced to people/organizations that have said anything that could suggest the remotest support of monitoring what people are doing on the Internet.

So yeah, using PG2 is not a guarantee of not being seen, but I think DD overestimates Big Entertainment (at least in the U.S.). The companies interested in catching people don't need to do much because the mass majority of people don't do anything to protect themselves. So something like PG2 is not something I see them worrying to much to bypass. Plus, while a company could get a different ISP package just for monitoring what people do, that's not very likely from my experience (short of hiring a 3rd-party to do it for you from another location). The other way a company could bypass things is to hire people to do the work from home on their own, private ISP (which would be the ultimate way of bypassing PG2 filters IMO). But like I said, I just don't see this kind of thing happening at the moment. As such, I won't torrent without using PG2 to at least improve the odds.

Edited on 08/24/2008 03:23 PM.

OK ... I think that ANB is making a good and interesting point ... which also ties into my earlier statement of - if you think that I am doing you wrong, please show me your proof.

After some research .. I stumbled upon this article...

Some of the IP ranges I noticed coming from BayTSP were: 154.37.66.xx, 63.216.76.xx, 216.133.221.xx. Sometimes, they make themselves really obvious on the tracker. For example, 154.37.66.xx and 63.216.76.xx will send 10 clients to the same tracker all claiming to listen on port 12320. Maybe trackers should block these folks

If your ISP forwards a DMCA notice from these guys, point them here. This research suggests that they have no evidence of wrong-doing. If ISPs learn that the folks sending them DMCA notices are not being completely honest, they may be willing to reconsider their position about how they respond to the notices. The people I work with at Carnegie Mellon seemed willing to reevaluate their policies given this evidence. I believe that ISPs should require that any peer-to-peer related DMCA notice include a statement regarding exactly what evidence of sharing was found. Ideally, the notice should contain evidence that could be corroborated with log files (for example, "we found that the client at 123.1.2.3 uploaded 1 MB of file X to 4.3.2.1". The ISP may be able to check that there was 1 MB of traffic between these two clients).

http://bmaurer.blogspot.com/2007/02/big-media-dmca-notices-guilty-until.html

And more info ... (suggesting ANB's peer guardian 2) ...

BayTSP has been around since, what, 2002? Yes, the guy running it is a self-promoting dilweed who sees a "value-added service" niche to fill. Nothing new there. They burble up in the news every year or two. He talks like a swaggering righteous paladin because his clients love it.

The anidb post doesn't make a lot of sense (linkage and date, please? For all we know, the post is years old). edit: did a search of anidb for any use of the word "chihiro" or "cease + desist" or "Kentucky". No such post popped up with default settings.

Unless Chihiro runs their own trackers (they don't) there's no connection at all between who did a fansub and how one might get a D&C (desist&cease). It also doesn't sound like the poster was running with full encryption. Also, running by Chihiro's website reveals no unusual noises - they're recruiting translators.

Clue: run with full encryption, randomize your ports periodically, go offline occasionally, clear your torrents when you've done your torrential duties, oh.. .and run with Peer Guardian.

Lastly.... who is this "large number of ppl that have received DMCA" notices as of a few days ago? How many is that? Where was it reported?

Also went to the tokyotosho site .... a deep search of the forums showed no reports of torrent compromise. Information source for that?

What I'm basically saying is that this is mostly hearsay and arm-waving (FUD). Specifics are important in this sort of information.

http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=69784

GAAAAAAAA!!!!! Talk about following the threads on animesuki.com ....

One of the shinsen people has posted ....

mxs, the host of Scarywater contacted me today. He said that due to a DMCA notice by Aniplex, by the way of BayTSP, he's been asked to take down Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori. Other series that have been affected are Sekirei and Persona - Trinity Soul. This isn't a confirmed license, its a DMCA notice sent by Aniplex, not by any official licensee. We have no idea if this is a crack down on redistribution of their unlicensed shows as well, or whether they are going after the ones they know have licenses, but we don't. Anyhow, we will comply.

as per his 8-15-08 posting - http://forum.shinsen-subs.org/showpost.php?p=148273&postcount=1

Unfortunately, more and more IT stuff (whether servers, mainframes, or networks) are being supported out of India or Brazil. I no longer have a clue who the few SNI/Firewall/Network "Level 3" support people remaining in the U.S. are for my company. Even though the neworks and servers are in the U.S., most of the support is overseas and these people don't even have a clue.

If I were an employee of a media company then the odds are that I have a private DSL access already (and be that only to visit the website of my company while being out of office).

But would you have private DSL access on the company site? That's what I question. The company I work for handles some entertainment companies, including their entire network. We have our own Security Operation centers to monitor for intrusions on their networks and servers (in addition to the other support we provide for their servers, websites, etc.). There are no private networks going into these places from what I understand (though there obviously could be).

I understand what you are saying, DD, and that's why PG2 is not fool proof. But I can tell you from my own experiences that I've had friends receive warning letters about copyright violations for stuff I downloaded on the same torrent where they didn't have PG2 and I didn't have a problem. Said friends have not had another problem since installing PG2. That suggests to me that most companies monitoring aren't spending extra money for private Internet access to try to fool PG2.

Anyway, I do have a home laptop and I use a VPN client to gain access to my companies Intranet sites and tools. I'm not sure how that would effect my abilities to torrent while being on the VPN (my company's spyware software is always looking for unauthorized stuff being put on the laptop so I wouldn't even risk trying it). But how many people are home on their own ISP IP checking stuff? Unless they are hired to do so (and too many American companies have the mindset that you have to be onsite to work and on their network so they can monitor your activities), people don't work while at home.

Actually I wonder how any such business can even exist, as monitoring a torrent network is so simple that every media company should be able to do that on their own if they're willing to invest money and time for it.

That's the key sentence. Companies don't like spending money, which is why so many American IT jobs are being sent to India, China, or Brazil to cut costs (at least on paper). Besides, as I said earlier, very few people even know about PG2. They don't advertise. They let people like me, who've witnessed success with their product, speak for them. As I also said, I won't torrent any more without PG2 running. I do know it isn't fool proof and I'm under no illusions that I could receive a C&D letter (or worse). However, there's no doubt in my mind that at present, PG2 has significantly lowered the odds of my receiving a C&D should I be torrenting something.

Edited on 08/24/2008 05:53 PM.

There is the option of using a proxy service .. not that I have first hand experience using one, nor do I know if there might be bandwidth issues. But then again, it is just another server supported by a service which can be served up with legal papers to identify who you are.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Network-Tools/IP-Tools/Hide-My-IP.shtml

OK .. I got it ... managed risk ...

One person will download the 'risky' file, setup themselves up as with (password protected) FTP services, and then host private and discrete downloads. So one person risks being exposed, but can then support a dozen other 'approved and vetted' fans.

And if worse comes to worse, we can all dive into the IRC and dance in hell to our hearts content. Bit-torrents are too easy to use and too easy to trace. The IRC is an altogether different world of dark alleys, murkey servers and smoke-filled chat rooms.

Compare the costs of a private DSL access to the additional income from one (!) cease & desist letter.

But you're of course free to believe in a placebo if that makes you sleep better...

All I can tell you is what I have seen (and experienced) and for the moment it seems more than a placebo effect. ^_~ Besides, C&D letters do not generate any revenue. They simply tell people to stop their activities. Companies can (and do) send plenty of C&D letters based on the massive numbers of "fish" they catch without using a private DSL access.

Oh. Jan-Chan -- IRC isn't safe either. There have been plenty of people busted there (I seem to recall some CP traders getting busted using IRC).

Edited on 08/24/2008 11:39 PM.

The article linked by Jan-chan says: "Laws circumscribing online privacy rights in the EU are more strict than in the US." I would interpret this line such that it would be easier to seize a server in the U.S. as exactly those rights protecting privacy of the individual are what makes seizing a server a problem in the first place.

I've never heard of American lawyers being entitled to bill strangers for their own effort. I bet this has to do with European court systems generally charging whoever loses a case with paying the legal fees (both their own and their opponents') as well as whatever fines they may have wound up with. There have been suggestions that the US should adopt this system as well, to reduce frivolous lawsuits.

Why'd you remove all your posts, Devil Doll? There was no hostility against you here. This was a simple debate (in part). :-/

I was thinking that maybe DD had gotten scared that all these notes might draw attention from the people making the supposed crackdowns.

Myself as a "journalist", eh? I like that.

Hummm .... I think I understand why some of the posts may have withdrawn ...

Some of the analysis and comments were very inciteful and detailed - perhaps too much so. We joke about the ethics of lawyers here in the US. We understand their importance in the legal system, but I doubt we will go out of our way to 'help them take action' against others.

I have been cautious (and aware) of what I have been sharing on this public and open forum.

Let's say I am displeased with the way my postings made this thread go into a direction where I didn't want it to be.

Well, as long as you know that I wasn't attacking you or anything, that's cool I guess. I have a friend who has this tendency of removing his posts, blog entries, pictures, whatever from the Internet whenever people say something contrary to his opinion. I've always felt that doing such a thing is the wrong way to go, but that's just me. :-)

Still, this caused quite a stir in the forum that we haven't seen for a long time. ^_^ I suppose we do need to get back on topic though.

Picked up this posting at one of the distant forums to which I had posted a cautionary notice about Aniplex's agressive Sekirei policy regarding downloads.

(Now obviously the forum poster was not a strong English speaker/writer, but his comments from about ISP warning letters in Japan are interesting.)

Aaaa,i afraid i am sorry but i can't read your long sentence very much. but For attention i'll write here(?)lol

my friend who live in Japan was received a warning from ISP. The warning was ,,,about animetion of Sekirei!! So all Japanese friends of mine decided that "we will not watch that severe Anime!!"

Over.lol thank you for your reading,

Found something more - tis a bit techy, but still interesting ... (I copied this from a public forum) - someone downloaded three different episodes of Aniplex's Tetsuwan Birdy on the same day, which generated a complaint letter. I chopped off the header and local ISPs intro letter and am just posting the core of BayTSP's DMCA complaint letter.

Edited on 08/27/2008 12:26 AM.

Has anyone seen any backlash of the Sekirei dlding as of now? I only saw this yesterday and started to freak a bit.

I have been running PeerGuardian, and was able to collect episodes 7 & 8 without incurring any nasty emails..

Now remember that there are .. how many people? ... say a hundred thousand+ world wide who are downloading this series. And you are just a speck of sand on a big beach ... BayTSP is probably being paid for results (as in sending out warning notices.... ) which they can do easily ...

You will have to decide yourself if collecting any of the ANIPLEX's titles is worth a slap on the wrist in the form of a warning notice.

I don't know if it will do any good, but while I still DL them, I have adopted the practice of removing Sekirei and Birdy Decode from my uTorrent list pretty much as soon as they are complete. In the past (and present, for all other shows) I left them on my list until the next episode came along, making them easier for others to DL. The theory is that BayTSP might be more interested in people who are involved in far more uploads and downloads than me. Or have I "sold out" my fellow fansubbers?

I was also "freaked" somewhat, because I had always assumed that the internet was completely anonymous and nobody could ever trace a download all the way to my e-Mail address. Otherwise, why hadn't something like this been done much earlier?

It costs money to track down people on the internet and send out warning letters or initiate legal proceedings. Even in the Singapore Odex situation in which fines of $3K were handed out, it was estimated that the fines only covered some 20% of the actual costs of tracking down the downloaders,

Sorry to tell you Stretch ... but your anime habit is breaking the law. Now, just don't get into American music or movie downloads, as the risk of being noticed is FAR higher, and they are pushing for fines rather than warning letters...

For more info, see AnimeSuki's comments on this type of activity.

FYI, I always reboot my PC (and get a new IP address assigned from my ISP) when ever I dare to think about doing something like this. And then I reboot again afterwards ... But there is still the ethics of sharing (uploading as much as you download) so I have taken ownership of a couple of off-the-wall and orphaned series and have been acting as a seeder to keep the torrents alive.

Edited on 09/02/2008 04:51 PM.

Are you saying that I should restart the computer before beginning a download and afterwards as well? Do you do this for every download or just ones like Sekirei? I don't understand this IP address and ISP business.

Just for Sekirei (or any Aniplex series). I am playing a hunch and guessing, but I suspect that BayTSP is sending out notices to individuals who are downloading multiple titles. Every time you reboot (or reconnect) to your ISP (internet service provider), they will assign you an IP address using something called DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). You can disconnect from your ISP and reconnect a second later and you will be assigned a different IP address.

The only way that BayTSP can trace you is by your IP address. They then contact your ISP with a letter of complaint and then the ISP looks in their records to see who was using the IP address at that time, and then they forward the letter on to you.

There is no real way to hide from this type of tracking, but you can take steps to make it more difficult to track you down or notice you.

Edited on 09/02/2008 06:42 PM.

Here's the thing that I picked up from a site that I use. "If you only download unlicensed anime you are unlikely to get into trouble however. Note that none of the files on ** belong to companies associated with the MPAA or RIAA, so you can't get in trouble with them for anything listed on **." Now is that a loophole or is that just an oversight seeing that someone already got in trouble with BayTSP since that person was tracked up to his optimum online account?

I've actually got in trouble by my own ISP, but that was for an actual US movie. So I basically got the same "slap in the wrist" as well. Of course, I haven't done that for quite a while so hearing this kinda makes me wonder.

Edited on 09/02/2008 06:54 PM.

Thanks.

I can't possibly try to decipher how in depth this little discussion is. I tried reading it and didn't make it too far. LOL

Just give me the final verdict. Is it ok to watch or not? I don't use torrents so is it ok? My website only has 12 episodes so far. Is that about right for any non-torrent users or did they cancel it or something.

I'll start reading this forum again while I wait for a response.

Thanks in advance.

I am sure that there are some ardent fundamentalists who are certain that you will burn in hell for watching Sekirei, but viewing it online from a youtube-like service will 'probably' NOT be noticed by BayTSP. And oh, pls don't mention the site that you are watching at - as Aniplex has been policing youtube and crunchyroll regularly and taking down any postings of their copy-righted material.

My site is the best so i'm sure i'll be alright. Youtube is a joke by the way. LOL

Thanks for the OK.

I stand corrected .... Aniplex has NOT been monitoring YOUTUBE ... (I am at a complete loss of words) ... It appears that all of the fansub episodes have been up on youtube for over a month ... GAH!! What is Aniplex really doing?

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=SEKIREI&page=2

Anime fans in Germany can rest a bit easier .....

Sharing (less than) 2999 Songs, 199 Movies Becomes ‘Safe’ in Germany
Written by enigmax on August 14, 2008

Prosecutors in a German state have announced they will refuse to entertain the majority of file-sharing lawsuits in future. It appears that only commercial-scale copyright infringers will be pursued, with those sharing under 3000 music tracks and 200 movies dropping under the prosecution radar.

http://torrentfreak.com/sharing-2999-songs-199-movies-becomes-safe-in-germany-080814/

This only refers to North-Rhine Westphalia, one of the 16 counties of Germany. Furthermore, it's not a law and not even a guideline for the prosecutors, it's merely a "suggestion" of how the prosecutors "might" handle cases like this in order to keep themselves out of trouble. So "safe" clearly is the wrong term here.

Does anyone have any thoughts regarding this ad which appeared in my e-mail this morning? Would it do any good to "cover my tracks" with regard to downloads of Sekirei?:

Evidence-Blaster 2008! Your computer stores more information than you think. Every site you visit, every file you open, every person you e-mail... is logged. SOMEWHERE. You may clear your history and empty your Recycle Bin. But a simple browse through a few key Windows files will soon uncover your habits.

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Erase entire directories using Government-strength removal techniques
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And what else is stored you don't know about? Did you know that the hidden Windows INDEX.DAT file stores details about the sites you've visited, even after you've cleared your history?

Windows is LOGGING Everything You Do! Every Site You Visit, Every E-mail You Write, Every Person You Contact... IS STORED.

Right Now, Your Habits Are EXPOSED.

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"Stop identity theft" and "Much more" sound like advertisement speech blabbering. None of the above has anything to do with file sharing directly, it's all about the HTTP network ("the Web", including your visit at the site where you got the Sekirei torrent files from) and the (temporary) files on your PC.
And "stored" by no means equals "exposed", as who would have access to that hidden "index.dat" file? As long as I don't intend to sell my PC I wouldn't worry that much about this file (unless you expect the police to confiscate your PC and look what you've done recently...), and if I'd do that I'd rather format my hard disk and install Windows from scratch than leave any hidden file on the machine.

Most of what this software would do you can do manually in Windows resp. in your browser with a few mouse clicks (I use some Firefox plugin to make some of that easier to handle, and I don't use the MSIE in the first place so that I don't need most of the mentioned actions... but even MSIE 7 makes the "cleanup" procedure much easier compared to earlier versions). And then, blindly deleting everything and then some would mean you might lose things you actually want, such as your permanent login at CAR (which is done via a Cookie) or the different coloring of visited links at CAR (which is done via the Visited URL list). And you would load all the images etc. of your frequently visited web sites again (after purging your browser cache). It's not wrong to use such a tool after running a PC for months or even years without maintenance, just don't expect it to perform miracles.

I prefer to understand all of the above, and do the reasonable subset manually (which includes finding and manually cleaning temporary Windows directories every couple of months, probably the most boring job of what this software would do). Firefox 3 even allows me to manually delete subsets of the Visited URL list now, meaning that I can delete all visited URLs except those at CAR... which is what I'm doing every other month whenever I see (via the Windows Task Manager's process list) that Firefox is eating up too much RAM on my PC. And the whole E-Mail handling I don't have on my local PC, I'm using a free provider to take care of that for ten years now.

Although I definitely don't understand all of the above, my impression is that this program would complicate things without doing much good, and cost $ too, so I'll pass on it. Thanks for the advice.

Yup it's just spam.

What it REALLY does is hide the fact that you are surfing porn from your Computer savvy wife. Who would recognize this program running in a second! haha.

Oh and on a side note I have stopped torrenting Sekirei, I stream with from Veoh and Anime-DS now.

Edited on 09/12/2008 01:18 PM.

Stretch, the program would in fact simplify a few things but only if you're doing them manually already (which you obviously aren't) and if you're aware of the consequences (which wouldn't hurt in any case).

What's the difference between streaming with/from Veoh and Anime-DS versus conventional torrenting?

The program would only help if I'm aware of the consequences of not doing something (manually) which I ought to be doing? Or if I'm aware of the consequences of getting a cease and desist e-mail? I don't understand.

When you're torrenting a file then each of the (hundreds of) computers you trade this particular file with can see (and log) your IP address (and one of these may be BayTSP themselves).

When you're streaming the file from Veoh directly then the only one who will see your IP address (and all the IP addresses of other folks streaming this video from them) is Veoh. As long as Veoh won't (be forced to) tell anyone about your IP address it's not like BayTSP would (be able to) know what you're doing.