File-sharers, beware: By July 12, major US Internet service providers (ISPs) will voluntarily begin serving as copyright police for the entertainment industry, according to Cary Sherman, chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The so-called “six-strikes” plan is said to be one of the most effective anti-piracy efforts ever established in the US.
The “gradual response” program works like this: ISPs will automatically monitor the Web activity of their customers. If a subscriber is found to be downloading copyrighted content illegally, their ISP will send them an “educational” notice saying such activity has been detected from IP addresses linked to their account. If that customer continues to download content illegally, the ISP will send “confirmation notices” to make sure they received the original notices. If copyright infringing activity continues still, the ISP then reserves the right to throttle Web access speeds, or cut off a subscriber’s Internet access altogether, at least until that user agrees to stop pirating copyrighted material. According to CNet, the ISPs have the option to skip these “mitigation measures,” and none have yet committed to completely cutting Internet access.
“Each ISP has to develop their infrastructure for automating the system,” said Sherman, at a CNet event in New York this week. This is required “for establishing the database so they can keep track of repeat infringers, so they know that this is the first notice or the third notice. Every ISP has to do it differently depending on the architecture of its particular network. Some are nearing completion and others are a little further from completion.”
While the RIAA, MPAA, and even the White House support this measure, many questions still remain. For instance, what about customers that get Internet access from smaller providers? Will those companies be pressured into jumping on the Hollywood bandwagon? Moreover, given the staunch public opposition to governmental efforts to impose restrictions on the Internet, how will people react if they lose their connection altogether? Our prediction: Dark days are ahead.
[Image via Leah-Anne Thompson/Shutterstock]
ROFL, OKAY “INTERNET POLICE”
incoming tides of lawsuits by the MASSES, as well as many protesters and backlash.
good luck.
Cut off my internet for visiting a website you don’t like?
#Litigation
Shit.
I believe that the majority of internet users don’t understand or are not aware of the possible ramifications of others collecting their personal data. It is important for those of us that do to help spread the word and educate those that we come into contact with. Sure, the technical people out there know how and can easily protect themselves. The rest are pretty much at the mercy of the ISP’s and anyone else who want to exploit their private and personal information. A really good way for the common and non-technical people of the world to protect themselves is to use something like hushtunnel.com.
If you want free music, films, programs, etc. go grab a guitar, camera or computer. Don’t steal other people hard work and jobs.
The Internet isn’t a free tool. someone somewhere is paying for it. Piracy isn’t free. Content creators are paying for the content, sites are being paid for by advertisers or downloaders paying for access. The Internet is business. Kim Dotcom wasn’t a freedom fighter fighting for the rights of anyone. He was a criminal and in it for the money.
Any measures that get the piracy element out of the profit mode is good.
All those complaining had best read their Dad’s contract with the ISP.
How about we just shoot anyone we suspect of being employed by the RIAA and MPAA, because obviously they are terrorists. If suspicion is good enough for them to fuck with out Internet access – and our lives – it’s good enough to treat them like the gangland thugs and terrorist they are.
Well this is fucking gay…
what is the price of a stamp, multiplied by, say, a few hundred thousand or even a million customers?!?! I mean, it is a VOLUNTARY program… how much are the ISP’s willing to gouge from their profits before they halt this practice?!?!
I was chosen :( what have you heard?
it has begun… brothers, prepare your arms and typing hands.
RIAA and MPAA are losing money cause of crappy products. Not piracy. Who wants to spend money on a movie that looks crappy or music that sucks? Hell something the RIAA and MPAA seem to forget that the internet was originally created to allow people to share data freely with each other. The files sitting on your computer and the ones downloaded are data. It is only when run with a proper program that they become videos, music, pictures and other things. “Piracy” as they like to call it has done more to help then it has to hurt. An example being anime. Anime wasn’t near as popular here in the US until people got access to the internet and was able to watch episodes of different anime from japan. This increased interest in Anime has allowed more anime to be brought over here for English releases (though many are edited badly), and even some released in japanese with english subs. . The same goes with the popularity of manga. Super Sentai has also increased in popularity due to “pirating”. Fansubs have made it possible to enjoy many past and present series. While none have been released here, there are fans from here and in other countries outside japan that order the merch over the net. These sales wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for “Piracy”. “Piracy” has also been responsible for helping to keep the Power Ranger series going. There are still many of the original fans left who enjoy the series but would have stopped long ago if it wasn’t for being able to rewatch some of their favorite episodes of the older series. Now that it is going decent again, Saban bought it back and they are talking about releasing the all the seasons on dvd. Now how is that for progress. Thanks “Piracy”. I guarantee most of the older fans that are left will buy these. As well people who used to be fans but stopped watching at some point. A lot of lesser known musicians wouldn’t have a chance if it wasn’t for the internet and “Piracy”. By going around the record labels and getting their music out there, even by free means, people are able to listen to their music and if they like them, they will likely go buy the cds if they can afford to. As for movies, people don’t download newer movies as much as you think. Sure some do just to see if it is any good. But there are lots of people who still rent the movies and others that watch them through netflix (a big bandwidth eater right there for those that use it all the time). If they like the movie they will usually buy it. Now for tv shows. A good portion of tv shows that are “pirated” are older shows that are harder to get on dvd. Many of times the quality isn’t too great either. As for newer shows, those are usually downloaded as someone get behind in episodes or their schedule doesn’t allow for them to be able to watch it on tv. They will either watch it via stream if available or download it, watch it and then delete the file. If it is a series they really like and it is out on dvd, they will likely buy it provided they can afford to. Some shows are affordable. Though there are some that are so overpriced it isn’t funny. Though many people with a higher income will still buy them if they can. The biggest problem though with this situation with the ISPs though isn’t the trying to stop piracy. It is that to do so they will invade our privacy. Do you want someone getting your personal info. Such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, debit card numbers, social security numbers, phone numbers, addresses, tax information and loads of other stuff. Do you want them knowing what perverted fetish you might have? They will know if they look at what porn sites you might visit. Then there is also the matter of what this is costing the ISPs that agree to do this. The cost will likely come out of the customers own pockets. Meaning higher bills. A lot of us can barely afford to pay the bills we got. Then we got grocery, gas and other prices constantly going up. Can we really afford high ISP cost? Then there goes money out of any entertainment budget we might have. Guess what IRAA and MPAA we can’t afford to buy your crappy cds or movies. Or even ones that might be good. So there goes even less money into their pockets. As for people who think “Piracy” is ruining the artist. The artist are getting ripped off by the record labels.. They make most of their money off concert sales not the cds. Record labels rake in most of the money from those. Lets face it if the band don’t suck and the people hear their music, “pirated” or not people will still pay to go see the concert if they can afford to. Though some of them ticket prices are so rediculas it isn’t funny. Sorry if this double post. I posted once but it isn’t showing up on here.
Let’s bring down big brother and news corp. the people who control what news receive on tv and iN the newspaper.
Ive been readying comments about using tor or ramdom public wifi. First the isps will never do it second all you will have to do is fire up utorrent go to options > require encryption.
Apologies for the double post.
How this is going to affect LEGITIMATE downloads is anybody’s guess.
Translation – they can shut you down if they even SUSPECT you’re doing something wrong. No trial, no chance for an appeal! Remember the DEAD woman they tried to claim had downloaded STYX music AFTER she was dead? How about the 80 year old woman who didn’t even own a computer? Toddlers?
I have officially HAD IT!!! It’s time to put a stop to the RIAA and MPAA’s reign of terror.
I refuse to buy ANY new music, videos, etc digitally OR hard copy from any of the major producers! I will avoid new movies at theaters and buy ONLY used from Amazon, Goodwill, Garage Sales, etc. I want to hit ‘em where it hurts! They think they’re losing money NOW? They will not get another PENNY from ME.
These are brainless middlemen who can’t think outside the tiny little boxes they’ve locked themselves into for over 100 years. They railed against people sitting around playing wax cylinders for their friends and relatives. They fought against people taping radio programs on Reel to Reel, they fought against people doing the same with video and audio tapes. They don’t want you to be allowed to give away, sell or even throw away your old CDs because you’re only RENTING the material.
You can’t even sing “Happy Birthday” anymore without breaking a stupid copyright law. You can’t have your radio on where someone else might hear it! Kids can’t even sing “Rudolph” in their Christmas pageants! This is pure BS!!!
Add to that John McCain wants the MILITARY to police the internet. That means they get to read EVERY e-mail you send. Every post you make on ANY website and take “appropriate” action. This will basically end the internet as we know it. It is the beginning of a witch hunt. They’ll come after “subversives” – which means anybody who says things they don’t like. So much for getting rid of “Big Government”
Welcome to 1984, folks. It’s about to get VERY ugly.