Illegal Downloaders Face Internet Ban, OMG!

[Brandon]

LONDON (AFP) - Internet users in Britain who illegally download films and music face being banned from going online, according to leaked government proposals published in The Times on Tuesday.

According to the plans, the government "will move to legislate to require internet service providers to take action on illegal file sharing" which record companies and film companies say is costing them billions of dollars (euros) in lost revenue.

The proposals were included in a Green Paper -- the first step to changing a law in Britain -- on the creative industries that is due to be published next week.

The Times said that the plans would involve a "three-strikes" regime -- users would first receive an e-mailed warning if they were suspected of illegally downloading films or music.

They would then receive a suspension from their Internet service upon their second offence, and face a termination of their Internet contract if they were caught on a third occasion.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080212/ten-...-a56114e_1.html

The worlds going to end! lol

[Brandon]

Really too grand a scheme to work. Ban IIRC ~80% of the internet, great idea!

You being serious ?

[Alex]

They estimate about 6 million people download illegally, so if they actually succeeded ISPs would have 6 million fewer customers. Probably more actually, because they'd probably see me downloading a Linux distro ISO over bittorrent, and that would likely be grounds for "suspicion" that I was doing something illegal with current attitudes.

[Ed]

Why do they state 'illegal file sharing' yet then continue to say : "if they were suspected of illegally downloading films or music." -- make up your mind, to share surely you've got upload the content back and transmit it to another person, downloading is not sharing if you're not uploading it back.

So, does this only effect people using BitTorrent and other file sharing networks like Kazaa?

I know it's speculation but really... it's hardly very clear in which area they intend to restrict. I would love to know how they plan to police this... mp3's would be easier to pick up on, but videos? Are they going to have people watching every video to verify the content... sounds like a load of propaganda b/s to me.

[Trice]

I couldn't see something like this really kicking off. Why is it that they've only come up with this "Solution" now? When piracy has been an apparent "issue" with them for years?

But yeah, i'm sure they'd be having the ISP's checking specific ports, such as the ones used by the P2P's, when i used to use P2P's i would always opt the option for automatic hiding the files i had downloaded.

They'll probably make a few "examples" of people, and then it'll die out. That is if something comes to reality for this news.

[Cmain]

It will never happen since ISPs would ultimately be losing tons of money.

[Mark]

And then encryption becomes mainstream and we have the "problem" all over again. If these asshat corporations would hold the fucking phone for a second and actually think for a minute, maybe they would realize their customers are doing them a favor. Pirating music doesn't cut profits, it increases them.

[Trice]

I cant remember which tutor it was, i think it was my "Information Security" Tutor last semester that was talking about it, but don't quote me on it
Anyway, he swore blindly that the movie industries have given up on trying to secure normal dvds and hd dvds. What they're in the motion of doing is setting up more software that in the new version of hd or bluray (cant remember which) they'll have failsafes which, when people attempt to copy them, the drivers on that copying device will be disabled to never be used again.

There was more to it, but i didnt pay much attention

[Jack]

The thing is, our government is full of computer illiterate old "fuddy duddies" who are fed false propaganda from the "industry"; I guess what I'm saying is ... this new law would never work, but that won't stop the government from actually trying to enforce this law. As mentioned it would be near to impossible for ISP's to monitor EVERY single file that transfers between their network to the end users computer, and then actually prove it was copyrighted - just because I download Top-Box-Office-Movie.avi as a file name, doesn't mean to say the contents of the file is copyrighted (unless they employ a bunch of hamsters to watch and listen to every file). The "3 strike" rule amuses me, because its what we have here at University, and I have never been "busted" at all; there are so many easy ways to bypass and encrypt networked traffic. Last but not least the ISP's are trying their best for this not to happen, not only will they potentially lose customers, but it will put a huge financial burden having to enforce the law (which will include monitoring every customer, sending out "bans", and even having to deal with the courts on certain cases).

This also makes me angry (that we live in a surveillance society): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6108496.stm

[Trice]

The thing is, our government is full of computer illiterate old "fuddy duddies" who are fed false propaganda from the "industry"; I guess what I'm saying is ... this new law would never work, but that won't stop the government from actually trying to enforce this law. As mentioned it would be near to impossible for ISP's to monitor EVERY single file that transfers between their network to the end users computer, and then actually prove it was copyrighted - just because I download Top-Box-Office-Movie.avi as a file name, doesn't mean to say the contents of the file is copyrighted (unless they employ a bunch of hamsters to watch and listen to every file). The "3 strike" rule amuses me, because its what we have here at University, and I have never been "busted" at all; there are so many easy ways to bypass and encrypt networked traffic. Last but not least the ISP's are trying their best for this not to happen, not only will they potentially lose customers, but it will put a huge financial burden having to enforce the law (which will include monitoring every customer, sending out "bans", and even having to deal with the courts on certain cases).

This also makes me angry (that we live in a surveillance society): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6108496.stm

Isnt Britain the most watched country in the world?

[Jack]

The Times says “people who illegally download films and music will be cut off from the internet under new legislative proposals to be unveiled next week.” Actually, this story is complete balderdash. But the fact that this nutty proposal is getting anywhere at all illustrates how ignorant the powers that be are about downloading.

Let’s get a couple of things straight –

1. This proposal was a draft consultation green paper, defined as “a proposal without any commitment to action.” The government receives many of these on a daily basis. They are like junk mail at Number 10 Downing Street. The Prime Minister’s toilet paper is more important than most green papers, and both are usually filed in the same place.

2. This proposal is totally and completely unworkable in the real world. ISPs will not accept liability for the contents of packets (nor should they), and it would be impossible for them to open and check if every single download and upload was legal or not without the entire Internet grinding to halt. This isn’t in the best interests of the government, the ISPs or the voters. Banning customers and exposing yourself to billions in liability isn’t a good business strategy. Criminalizing six million citizens and inconveniencing the rest is not a vote winner.

3. It would be impossible to tell the difference between illegal downloading and legal activities such as downloading software patches, using torrents to share stuff legally, playing online video games, using VoIP, photo sharing, telecommuting, and many others. The resistance from the private sector would be as strong as it would from the general public.

4. The very idea of this goes against the ruling of the European Court, which says EU member states are not obligated to disclose personal information about suspected file sharers. It would also fly in the face of Article 10 of the European freedom of expression laws, which gives every European the “freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.”

5. WiFi piggybacking and encrypted packets make it impossible to tell who is downloading what in the first place. These techniques are only getting more sophisticated, while for the most part, the content industries collectively remain as dumb as a box of hair.

So in summary:

Insert Toilet Flushing Sound FX Here

This idea makes as much sense as trying to ban people from singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to each other over the telephone network, or burning down libraries to protect the publishing industry. But what’s frightening about such ideas is that they are still taken seriously all over the world by powerful decision makers in government and industry who have absolutely no clue about how the Internet actually works, or the damage such laws could do to democracy.

Before there is any more discussion about this, the music and film companies need to definitively prove illegal downloads cost them millions of dollars in lost revenues. CD sales are falling because nobody uses them anymore, and Hollywood is in rude health despite the pirates. There should be no more talk about changing laws and spending tax payer’s money on this ‘problem’ until someone proves there really is one.

Furthermore, if there is a problem, tax payers shouldn’t have to pony up in the first place. The content industries need to stop braying at governments to protect inefficient business models and look at the real solution that’s been staring them in the face for ten years.

http://torrentfreak.com/illegal-downloader...-uk-ban-080212/

[grumpy]

i don't think virgin media are gonna be too happy about that. plus, people will eventually find a way not to caught.

[EMOruffino]

people will eventually find a way not to caught.

already have, just got to play it smart.....

[golden]

isps will not rat you in.

[wozzym]

heh golden this is an old topic. but just while its open. i think its right for people to get caught when they excessivley download illegally.

[EMOruffino]

heh golden this is an old topic. but just while its open. i think its right for people to get caught when they excessivley download illegally.

exactly! but you spelled it wrong...

excessively

[SwintellSoft]

this is a stupid rule...thats a very big invade of people personal privacy....i mean theres gonna be plenty of ppl doing private stuff and wondering if theres some computer recording were they go...

[Jessica John]

I do not think that it is implementable because if that happens. then what happen to software companies that offer there trial versions including MS for test purpose. And above what would be formula of excessive download.

[Markmatt]

LONDON (AFP) - Internet users in Britain who illegally download films and music face being banned from going online, according to leaked government proposals published in The Times on Tuesday.

According to the plans, the government "will move to legislate to require internet service providers to take action on illegal file sharing" which record companies and film companies say is costing them billions of dollars (euros) in lost revenue.

The proposals were included in a Green Paper -- the first step to changing a law in Britain -- on the creative industries that is due to be published next week.

The Times said that the plans would involve a "three-strikes" regime -- users would first receive an e-mailed warning if they were suspected of illegally downloading films or music.

They would then receive a suspension from their Internet service upon their second offence, and face a termination of their Internet contract if they were caught on a third occasion.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080212/ten-...-a56114e_1.html

The worlds going to end! lol

If this going to be happen then good for industries but bad for Internet...and if government moving forward for this plan then what will they do for dynamic IP users. Even google is struggling with copyright issues and I'm sure if this will happen then its going to be big for industries. For more information go through www.americanrattan.com