Illegal Online Activity: At a Price

[Wii]

ISP's are now in control of illegal activity. They now have the permission (I guess always have...) to revoke your internet services or charge you for what you have downloaded illegally.

More than 75% of the teenage population in America use a file "sharing" utility or have downloaded music illegally. Look what lovely letter their parents may be recieving...

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/31678

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10127050-93.html

I personally don't believe they will be able to pull it off for long.
My real question is: are they really GOING to send this and take away internet services to MILLIONS of people worldwide?
What do you think?

[Mushroom_Farmer]

Have you ever read your ISP's TOS? Yes they can turn you off.

[expat]

I personally don't believe they will be able to pull it off for long.
My real question is: are they really GOING to send this and take away internet services to MILLIONS of people worldwide?
What do you think?

At the end of the day peer to peer file sharing is a legal piece of software that has a 99% illegal usage. Check out any of the sharing sites and it is all ripped software, music and porn, nothing else. The excuse that it could be used by people to distribute freeware, shareware etc is a none starter, websites very very rarely use this sort of distribution and personal data, well we have email for that. So if it means that a CD will cost me $10 rather than $15, as far as I am concerned they can shut down everyone of these sites and start pulling a few a accounts. Also it is not just music and software that is traded, but a major means of sharing child porn and that alone should be reason to act.

Matt

[Hagar]

It always amazes me that the people complaining the most about software piracy are the same ones that see nothing wrong with so-called "file-sharing". This is simply piracy under a different name & the sooner it's stopped the better.

[machineman9]

Seems about fair.

But they shouldn't ban the actual software, or condemn you just for having used it... As long as they do actually do this when you have been caught downloading bad material it is fine with me. The programs aren't illegal, just a large majority of the things you can get through them, are.

[Ivan]

Potential minefield topic


Anyway, in holland they taxed recordable cds (to cover copy losses) but they still go after the suppliers of files...

[Alejandro Rhodes]

Would be great , EVERYBODDY in the whole world download music thru Internet (Mp3) ,and francly is not fear to musicians, singer ,band,Record Company who work hard in this , This Curst born since the invention of the cd Burners and Mp3 format , in my times there were only Lp 33 ,there was no way you could possibly copy this format ,only into cassettes and it wasn't "Digital" this devices never last than a year so people rather to buy Lps.

I also blame the people that allow hardwares in other to destroy the rights of other , DVD-recorders ,CD.recorders ,millions of people lives from the work of others (PIRACY), and to chase and close SITES of downloading things ,if this doesn't stop in the next 20 years the only way to listen to music will ONLY in their concerts.

   

[commoner]

Bah!..Humbug!....now we'll all have to get rid of our NOCD patches or the nasty Mr.Web Policeman will come-a-calling...........

Grrr..........

[TSC.]

Check out any of the sharing sites and it is all ripped software, music and porn, nothing else.

True, too much software & music really.



TSC.

[Sir_Crashalot]

And how exactly are they going to find these people who download 'illegaly'? By tracking their IP address? [cough] IP changer [/cough]

Crash

PS. Just found out that the little piece of software I referred to doesn't work that well. I'm sure there are better ones out there...

[H]

...in my times there were only Lp 33-1/3 ,there was no way you could possibly copy this format, only into cassettes...

Not precisely so: Astatic (I believe) produced a portable record cutter about the size of an old standard portable record player. My mom had one from the days she and my aunt sang over the radio. That one only produced monaural; don't know if there was a stereo model.

8-)

[Wii]

And how exactly are they going to find these people who download 'illegaly'? By tracking their IP address? [cough] IP changer [/cough]

Crash

PS. Just found out that the little piece of software I referred to doesn't work that well. I'm sure there are better ones out there...

Exactly! I think the only people they will go after are the people that are downloading massive amounts of software. It's hard to control something that really has hardly any or even no regulations.

[JBaymore]

And how exactly are they going to find these people who download 'illegaly'? By tracking their IP address? [/cough]

Crash

Through your actual ISP.

IP spoofing only makes the address LOOK like it is coming from elsewhere.  The reality is that you are going through YOUR real account.  

The ISP you are actually going through for your data transmissiion has all that data pass through its portal.  THAT is the point of the legislation issues.  Allow THEM to monitor it.  If the ISP installs the "snooping" software that looks for the telltale signatures of the illegal payware and video and music software that it holds in its database...... BINGO.  They got you.  For every single item downloaded.

More power to them.  "File sharing" (euphemysm for "Theft") KILLED the music industry for artists, raised the prices for legal copies of everything, and taught a whole generation (or two) that it is perfectly OK to steal as long as a lot of people are doing it and you don't get caught.

Gee ....sort of like the whole "economic crisis" and folks at the top end that made off with a financial killing.    And we wonder how all THAT stuff happened.  

best,

........................john

[Ang2dogs]

How did it ever get so complicated? I'd buy an album, and if my friends liked it ( and I had the time ) I'd set up the recorder player ( rember those ), and than set up the cassette player, and make a copy as a Xmas, birthday, Holloween gift,  ;D      ;D     and rember trying to tape off the radio? Those were the day"S

[Mushroom_Farmer]

 Taping off the radio was actually legal, as was taping television shows (Still is but who knows for how long). I have some CDs that according to the fine print imply it is illegal to even 'lend' them. Seriously, how could they prove that, let alone enforce it?
 Who doesn't remember taking your favorite records, tapes and CDs to a party?