ISPs/Media Companies Join Forces Against Piracy Downloads

[Acturus]

I know that for a while, it's been the uploaders who get punished/pursued/sued for piracy, but it looks like a number of ISPs are joining in with some media companies to issue warnings and minor punishments to those caught downloading pirated material.


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http://www.adweek.com/news/technolog...lations-133253

ISPs Agree to Scold Users Suspected of Copyright ViolationsBut service cutoffs not on the table yet

By Kari Lipschutz

Illegal downloaders could see their Net access slowed, according to a new anti-piracy initiative implemented by Internet service providers at the behest of large copyright owners in the entertaiment industry. Comcast, AT&T, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, and Verizon have all signed onto the new effort, called the Copyright Alert System.

Unlike in past attempts to curb illegal downloading, the new initiative aims to make users think twice before using a file-sharing service like BitTorrent. But the process for making them do so remains undefined. Under the most likely scenario, suspected violators identified by outside contractors for the entertainment companies will receive email alerts from their ISP the first and second time a violation is detected. The third and fourth alerts will likely require the Internet subscriber to confirm they’ve received the notices.

If subsequent warnings are required, the ISPs have pledged to take some sort of action against the customer—although even that isn't clear. Reducing the speed of the user’s Internet connection is one option; suspending service altogether is another, although Comcast, for one, says it will not cut any customers off. Repeat offenders may also be redirected to an educational page about copyright infringement.

The effort is the first of its kind for ISPs, which have traditionally declaimed responsibility for policing their customers' traffic.

Civil liberties groups are already voicing concern that the initiative might limit users' rights to freely use the Internet. A fair and efficient mode of contesting claims has also yet to be worked out. The ISPs have pledged not to pass on the identity of suspected offenders to entertainment companies.

[This story has been updated.]

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[solanis]

eh. I'm honestly surprised the ISPs are coming so much to the defense of downloaders, i.e. not cutting off service or disclosing identity. this all sounds pretty fair to me, and I'm a terrible pirate lol

[Byrthnoth]

They aren't legally compelled to do so, as far as I can see, so coming down hard on pirates would open the market for a new provider who isn't so hard on pirates.

[*Shinzon*]

Optimum online has sent me two letters/emails about infringment and never taken a step beyond that. I've been told Fios users don't even get those letters from verizon.

[Dranio]

Optimum online has sent me two letters/emails about infringment and never taken a step beyond that. I've been told Fios users don't even get those letters from verizon.

Optimum is just now comming up here. just bought out Bresnan here in Montana. Never once have a received a letter from Bresnan. how good is Optimum up there? I'm assuming it won't be 'worse' the Bresnan here, but then again, Bresnan was always the ONLY GOOD option up here XD

[Priran]

edit: 10 seconds on wikipedia says that Cablevision bought Bresnan and renamed it Optimum West.

I've had Cablevision/Optimum since 2004, it's alright when it works but they will throttle your bandwidth if you torrent excessively.

[*Shinzon*]

You guys get optimum/cablevision up there?

Well as a disclosure I live in NYC and because it's so packed here usually problems get dealt with fast because service outages or problems create a lot of unhappy people. With that said the service is pretty good, and cable signal is more than adequate ( when the lines aren't taking in water). The lines around our house are old though and they wont change the lines so anytime it rains, we have their voice service for one phone line, we can actually hear the water in the lines and can't be heard or understand the phone conversations. That problem generally doesn't affect speed for net access though. Customer service is pretty good and they usually can either help you over the phone or will schedule next day appointments to solve the problem or whatever is convenient.

As a side note though net speed in my area is below average (because there is fios in the area and my mom doesn't want to change providers) and it stems from issues with the lines on our block. So assuming you've never had issues with the lines the service is good.

[Kipling]

Optimum online has sent me two letters/emails about infringment and never taken a step beyond that. I've been told Fios users don't even get those letters from verizon.

They don't. I'm on Fios at work and since my internet at home sucks I torrent like the wind here. Verizon dgaf. All my friends with it say the same.

[Souj]

Definitely not surprised providers wont cut off internet all together. They take no loss in money from illegal downloads. and they would actually stand to lose money any other way.

[Mafai]

They don't. I'm on Fios at work and since my internet at home sucks I torrent like the wind here. Verizon dgaf. All my friends with it say the same.

BS, I have FIOS and I got 2 notices. Since then I got a seedbox and haven't been bothered.

[Ezek]

I dunno, I've been using FiOS for the past 4-5 years and I've never ever gotten a notice.

[Priran]

I never got a notice from Optimum either, until I got one. This argument is dumb.

[Yuri-G]

serious question: do most porn companies give a shit about illegal piracy? because that is really what I download the most of, by far.

[Acturus]

serious question: do most porn companies give a shit about illegal piracy? because that is really what I download the most of, by far.

Oh yeah, a bunch of the AVN award winners this past year inserted (*snicker*) some comment or other about thanking people who pay for their porn.

[*Shinzon*]

With all the streaming porn websites that are on the net? I doubt it. It's gotta be only the TV/cable networks and butthurt music companies.

edit: actually they took down two huge porn torrent sites a few months ago didn't they? So maybe only for torrenting.

[hey]

I've had Cablevision/Optimum since 2004, it's alright when it works but they will throttle your bandwidth if you torrent excessively.

They stopped doing that years ago. I seed 24/7, have gotten one notice from them for a torrent, download 300~400 gb per month, and upload ~500. I've never once seen download speeds under ~23 mbps, or upload below 4 mbps (i pay for 30/5 mbps).

[Yuri-G]

hmm I never torrent porn, it's all p2p. hard to find good gay porn torrents honestly. so I won't worry. hopefully they don't tag me for the one or two music albums I download in a month.

also, obligatory "fuck comcast."

[Cream Soda]

Filestube 4 music/movies. Direct download ftw

[Kipling]

BS, I have FIOS and I got 2 notices. Since then I got a seedbox and haven't been bothered.

You're the first I've heard of. Never got one notice and had it quite awhile.

Ezek's post is the only response I've really heard from others with it.

[hey]

Filestube 4 music/movies. Direct download ftw

Eh, i usually prefer to download at 20+ mbps instead of 1-2.