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Thread ID: 75986	2007-01-17 00:15:00	Hotlama Question	SurferJoe46 (51)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
516661	2007-01-17 00:15:00	I went to c:\ in Firefox browser as I do from time to time, and found a new entry called Hotlama that installed itself on Jan07, 2007 at 14:25:33. Now, I know what I was doing at that exact moment...I was watching a dvd from a rental place. Has anyone seen this or knows what it is? I Googled it and don't get a lot of info whether it's friend-or-foe. I suspect it is a baddie and want to remove anything that came in of it's own volition. :mad:	SurferJoe46 (51)
516662	2007-01-17 00:33:00	I suspect a typo - is this (http://www.hotllamaplayer.com/) what you are looking for? It has two 'L's in Llama. This (www.softpedia.com) may also set your mind at ease a little. Further Update: You can be confident that your identity will always remain anonymous. The HOTLLAMA Player has successfully passed anti-spyware reviews from companies such as McAfee, TrendMicro, Symantic and Softpedia. Your anonymous usage and habit information will only help our clients provide you with what you are really looking for - more compelling and relevant content so that you, the consumer, can have more fun!It appears that the player repost usage stats back over the internet, including what content you are watching and what features on the disk you access. Not technically 'spyware' (it's a 'feature'), but damn close IMO.	Erayd (23)
516663	2007-01-17 01:07:00	I suspect a typo - is this (http://www . hotllamaplayer . com/) what you are looking for? It has two 'L's in Llama . This ( . softpedia . com/progClean/HOTLLAMA-Media-Player-Clean-31818 . html" target="_blank">www . softpedia . com) may also set your mind at ease a little . Further Update: It appears that the player repost usage stats back over the internet, including what content you are watching and what features on the disk you access . Not technically 'spyware' (it's a 'feature'), but damn close IMO . Thanks . . . this puppy didn't show up in HJT or Spybot . . . but I found it using the " c:\ " command in Firefox browser . I used the SEARCH command for it and it never showed there either . . so I suspected it was bad . Went back to c:\ and deleted it there . . . . . . then ran CCleaner and got the trails/crumbs out . I don't like things snooping on what I do or don't .	SurferJoe46 (51)
516664	2007-01-17 01:23:00	BTW: I used Spybot's shredder to totally destroy it.....it's easier than doing a registry search and destroy.	SurferJoe46 (51)
516665	2007-01-17 05:08:00	Surely HOTLLAMA Media Player requires someone to click downland file, followed by installing the executable? You saying this program managed that by itself? :confused: I doubt Softpedia would of given it a clean bill of health if that were the case .	Jen (38)
516666	2007-01-17 06:25:00	Surely HOTLLAMA Media Player requires someone to click downland file, followed by installing the executable? You saying this program managed that by itself? :confused: I doubt Softpedia would of given it a clean bill of health if that were the case. If admission of what I did isn't gonna get me in trouble: I was trying to rip a movie I rented..I have an original but badly scratched copy of "Cars" and wanted to get a copy into my hdd...so I tried to rip it..and I ain't telling how...but I kept on getting cyclic redundancy errors in DVD Shrink. But...and here's where it got strange...I got that little jewel of spyware by just allowing it to play in Power DVD...and I thought that Power DVD would not allow any DRMs to get into a system...thinking here of the Sony Rootkit that would set up housekeeping in your puter and make it impossible to remove without killing your DVD-rom etc. Anyway...I just let it go and play for fun when I couldn't get a rip off from it and that's the whole story...next thing I find is the little nasty in my c:\. I think it is on the DVD as a form of spyware...phoning home to tell about rips and hacks etc. I Googled it and found that the last time this HotLlama was around was a few years or so ago...well boys..IT"S BACK! "Cars" is a fairly new movie..... If I remember correctly, and I don't say I do, it might've been a Sony/Pixar DVD too. I just checked after this last reboot...and HotLlama isn't back..so I know I killed it but good. There isn't any place for it to hide actually...no system restore or bookmarks at all. I am just feeling urinated upon by it not showing up in HJT, which the other site with info on HotLlama said would find it every time...it just ain't there! I like HJT...but it failed this miserably...makes me think there's a different way of loading or installing it now...other than actually seeking to get it yourself.	SurferJoe46 (51)
516667	2007-01-17 13:00:00	...so I tried to rip it..and I ain't telling how...DVD Shrink. LOL	Rob99 (151)
516668	2007-01-17 19:09:00	OK . . . I apologize for what got out as information and to what I did . . . but DVD Shrink is legal here in the US as a "Use-By-Proxy" device and I didn't think about the NZ doctrines . . sorry . . . and DVD Shrink didn't work anyway . This may be a problem with a site that is indeed, international in scope as F1 is, and although not an excuse, is a reason for the situation . Sometimes I feel youse guys are right next door . OWNING a copy of a DVD in the US makes it legal to copy for personal archival purposes as long as the owner of that DVD still is in possession of that DVD and that the owner is the first person to view the copied DVD on whatever source it is sent to . Of course, copying for commercial, group viewings or use in a place of commerce is illegal . We cannot even play a broadcast radio in a auto repair garage that a customer could possibly hear without being fined for such activity . I DID however, err in the c/p that I used for the answer as to the spyware capacity of HotLlama, and for that I just Googled an answer and did a c/p of that same answer . . . . not realizing that I had alluded to a warez site . . . the error was totally mine . In retrospect, I admit however that their answer was at least informative . . . not that I suggested using a warez site for anything . It was just a reference that I did not check thoroughly . . . I still believe that HotLlama is a baddie .	SurferJoe46 (51)
516669	2007-02-13 17:29:00	Hi there, I created the HOTLLAMA Player, and I assure you that we did not force ourselves onto your computer. We come bundled on some major motion picture DVD's, and could not stay in business if we were malicious (Since it's the major studios that are paying our bills...) So sir, someone in your household inserted a DVD that we are on, saw the prompt to install the HOTLLAMA Player, and did so. The HOTLLAMA Player isn't going to compete with your 'Paid' player, but rather it allows you to view protected exclusive content provided on the DVD that is not viewable from a regular DVD Player. The fact that we can also play the DVD's is only added as a convenience. That is all. Lastly, as to the accusations of Spyware...the studios want to know what features their viewers are interested in, and that's all. The features cost them a lot of money, and if a director's cut for example is of no interest to the viewer, why add the feature then? Our tracking is no different then when a user visits any website, ANY website...completely safe and anonymous. Hope this helps... HOTLLAMA CTO	HOTLLAMASupport (11780)
516670	2007-02-13 20:59:00	Anonymous it may be, but does that make it ethical? How would you feel if your computer suddenly started connecting to a remote site, for no apparant reason and with no warning, and started giving away details of your movie-watching habits? It is common courtesy to ask first. Our tracking is no different then when a user visits any website, ANY website...completely safe and anonymous.Rubbish. The only tracking websites can to is through sessions, user accounts and cookies. Sessions are limited to the current site only, large-scale user accounts such as msn passport / google are opt-in, and cookies are under the strict control of the user's browser, with the option of disabling them completely and/or periodically removing them. HOTLLAMA on the other hand appears to proactively make connections to your servers without obviously asking for consent.	Erayd (23)
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