Will Comcast Termionate Internet Service If You Download Torrents

AT&T volition begin sending out anti-piracy alert notices to subscribers caught downloading copyrighted content from torrent sites starting Nov. 28.

The new anti-piracy measures are part of a joint agreement between the Motion Movie Association of America (MPAA), the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and v major national ISPs to help curtail content theft.

TorrentFreak obtained internal AT&T training documents that outline how AT&T volition deal with customers suspected of illicit downloading. After a series of warnings, AT&T intends to cake access to websites suspected of copyright infringement until a customer successfully completes a course on online copyright law. Somewhen, those caught repeatedly downloading pirated movies and music could face legal activeness after AT&T turns over the identities of suspect customers. Gone from early typhoon proposals are suggestions that ISPs will throttle or suspend service altogether for repeat violators.

Belatedly reports indicate that other ISPs participating in the copyright enforcement action — Cablevision, Comcast, Fourth dimension Warner Cable and Verizon — will also launch their own programs on the same appointment.

Most at hazard are customers who frequent peer-to-peer file sharing sites. Tracking BitTorrent traffic is a priority for the newly-launched Eye for Copyright Data (CCI) — a joint venture run by the ISPs in coordination with the MPAA and RIAA.

While not all peer-to-peer file traffic consists of illicit swapping of copyrighted works, some high profile torrent sites are among the first choices for consumers looking for free movies or music. CCI believes its Copyright Alert System (CAS) is primarily an educational tool for consumers who may non realize they are stealing copyrighted content. With its "half-dozen warnings" policy, CCI wants consumers to take action to protect themselves, their Internet accounts, and home networks well before any legal activeness is taken.

The latest implementation of the Copyright Warning System has watered downwards some of its earlier provisions, which could take put a customer'southward Net account at risk of being speed throttled or canceled. For now, consumers will receive half-dozen warnings virtually whatever suspected copyright infringement:

The first 3 strikes comport no consequences and are intended to serve as informational warnings that the downloading of copyrighted content may exist taking place;
The quaternary and fifth strikes will trigger forced browser redirects to a copyright teaching folio and an online class on copyright constabulary that must be successfully completed before the customer tin can once once more visit doubtable websites;
Strike six means AT&T (and presumably other ISPs) volition plow over the IP addresses of repeat offenders and comply with whatsoever subsequent court orders requesting the identity of the client for possible legal activity. AT&T does not say information technology volition end the customer's account, only does remind customers to be mindful of its Adequate Employ Policy, which does allow them to terminate service for illegal acts.

Edward Stroz

Consumers defenseless allegedly downloading copyrighted content can protest their innocence, merely a $35 refundable filing fee is required to begin the arbitration process. If a consumer proves the files downloaded were non illegally obtained or that their business relationship was flagged in error, they can have the alarm canceled and get their filing fee refunded. But there are no penalties for CCI, its copyright tracking arm run by MarkMonitor, or the Internet access provider if the copyright tracking system gets it incorrect.

Critics of the copyright enforcement scheme claim it delivers too many benefits for CCI and its industry backers and bereft protection for consumers misidentified during copyright infringement dragnets.

For-profit copyright tracking companies have fabricated false allegations in the past, forcing CCI to hire an "independent and impartial technical expert" to verify the accuracy and security of the tracking engineering science used. CCI hired the business firm of Stroz Friedberg as their expert.

Critics charge Stroz Friedberg is actually a recording industry lobbying firm, who worked with the RIAA for five years, earning $637,000.

Eric Friedberg

"It'due south a disappointing selection, specially in light of CCI'south professed want to build public confidence in CAS and the fairness of its processes," University of Idaho Law Professor Annemarie Bridy toldTorrentFreak. "It would have been refreshing to encounter an bookish computer scientist or some other truly independent party appointed to fill that of import role."

Bridy calls CCI'south Copyright Alert Organization lacking in transparency and stacked in favor of copyright holders, not consumers.

Stroz Friedberg's appointment has also raised eyebrows among others that suggest their past lobbying violates the spirit of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by all parties requiring "independent and impartial" oversight.

"CCI'south option of a old RIAA lobbying firm makes it articulate that the copyright owner parties to the Memorandum of Understanding were more than interested in appointing someone they trust than in appointing someone the public tin can trust," Bridy adds.

Network World columnist Steven Vaughan-Nichols worries this is simply the get-go of another copyright enforcement overreach:

The name of their game is to monitor your network traffic, with the help of your friendly ISP. Their justification for this is the usual made-upwardly "facts" that content theft leads to "more than 373,000 jobs, $xvi billion in lost wages, and $2.six billion in lost taxes." Yeah, I'm also sure someone downloading copyrighted porn leads to cats and dogs living together.

One reason I can't buy into all this is that, as TorrentFreak points out, the Center's practiced who vouches that this all works is none other than Stroz Friedberg, a sometime RIAA lobbyist. Oh yep, he doesn't have bias for paranoid copyright protection companies.

What this ways for y'all is that if your ISP is AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner, or Verizon, they'll exist watching your use of BitTorrent and letting CCI decide if you deserve some warnings, an end to your Cyberspace service, or a full-out lawsuit.

[…] The RIAA, the MPAA, and other copyright "protectors" have never done annihilation for content creators. They're all virtually protecting the businesses stuck with old, broken, pre-digital business models. Even that wouldn't exist and so bad, except historically they've always vastly over-reacted.

We all know the stories of some poor slob who's been slammed with tens of thousands of damages for downloading a vocal. What you lot may not know is that all the powers that be take to do is to merits something is copyrighted, whether it is or not, and multiple websites can be closed in minutes or your entire digital library can be destroyed.

Does that sound like paranoid fantasy? I wish.

[…] Oh yeah, I feel really sure that the CCI and friends are going to exercise a good task. Welcome to the new copyright earth, same as the old, where you're always considered guilty rather than that quaint idea of being considered innocent before proven otherwise.

CCI admits sophisticated pirates will probably never get caught by its Copyright Alert System, because most of them are moving to secured Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology that effectively masks their identities. TorrentFreak notes sales for VPN's are skyrocketing, many headquartered far away from the achieve of the United States in exotic, subpoena-proof locations similar Republic of cyprus, the Republic of seychelles, Romania, and Ukraine.

[flv width="640″ height="500″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/RT Thom Hartmann Copyright Alarm System 3-20-12.flv[/flv]

RT's Thom Hartmann presided over a debate about online copyright theft control measures proposed earlier this twelvemonth past the entertainment manufacture and Net Service Providers. Appearing with Hartmann are David Seltzer, Chaser & Marker Bledsoe. (March 20, 2012) (12 minutes)