Anti-Piracy Lobby Gains Power Over Internet Subscribers
Written by Ernesto on August 03, 2008The deals between ISPs and anti-piracy organizations are a worrying trend. In just a few months entertainment industry representatives managed to convince ISPs and governments that they should have the right to accuse and warn Internet subscribers, without solid proof. The question that remains unanswered is whether these warnings will have any effect.
The power of the entertainment industry and anti-piracy lobbyists is growing rapidly. In the UK, six major ISPs have teamed up with the music industry to start mass warning filesharers. France has gone even further, recently adopting a law that will enable the entertainment industry to disconnect alleged pirates on their third warning. Similar methods are proposed throughout the rest of the world.
It’s quite scary if you think about it. In France the right to access the Internet now rests on the shoddy evidence of anti-piracy units, evidence that is known to be inaccurate. Christine Albanel, the French Minister for Culture recently quoted research that allegedly found that 97% of all file-sharers will stop downloading copyrighted content when they receive a warning, but this seems to be very unlikely.
Unfortunately, the minister failed to name the resource for the study, but it does raise some interesting questions. All these new agreements and policies have strong faith in the deterrent function of these so called warnings, but thus far there is no evidence that these actually have any effect. That’s right, millions of people are now receiving warnings (sometimes even threats), and they may very well lead to nothing.
You would think that the government would at least get some solid proof of the deterrent effect of these letters but, perhaps even more importantly, check the validity of the anti-piracy evidence before they allow the entertainment industry to start contacting millions of citizens with intimidating letters. It might turn out that thousands of users receive a letter for something they didn’t do, and that wouldn’t be the first time that had happened. On the other hand, even those who are correctly accused might not change their behavior so easily.
Warning letters will most likely make most pirates more cautious, and they will find ways to get what they want more anonymously. Whatever happens, it wont stop the most of them from getting what they want. As Justin Milne of Telstra BigPond, Australia’s largest Internet provider put it: “There’s no one thing that you can do that is going to fix the problem (but) when people think about this area, they often look to ISPs to provide the silver bullet.”
So how can “pirates” be stopped then? This is not an easy question to answer. Right now, 50% of all BitTorrent traffic is generated by people who download TV-episodes, something that’s available for free in most countries, but not available on demand. It might be a good start for the entertainment industry to rethink their outdated business models, experiment and use peer-to-peer technology to fulfill the ever growing demand for media online.
Previously: ‘Song of the Year’ Winner Says Downloading is “Amazing”
Next: Most Downloaded DVDrips on BitTorrent (wk31)
58 Responses
Its a dirty shame.., but little can actually be done because ‘pirates’ are so badly organized compared to the sons of bitches who run/bribe things.
But nothing to get REALLY riled up about…. its just the next stage in the cat and mouse game thats been going on for ages.
Cheers!
Joe
http://www.ezee.se
AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE LISTEN TO THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They’re really going the wrong way with this issue.
What ever happened to the ‘interests’ of the consumer. They obviously have a giant ‘demand’ for TV shows, however there’s no ’supply’.
Instead of trying to imprison the people who download your shit, make money off of them by offering some super cool on-demand system.
well….. doo doo on a stick
I bring back my own point i’ve mentioned before. We need our own open survey to be set up, something that can show the true facts, all these peices of ‘research’ are most likely fabricated.
A full survey on consumer attitudes to entertainment prices and their piracy habits could help shut up the anti-pirates.
It’s a boring project but it needs to be done.
@2 What are you talking about?
“…check the validity of the anti-piracy evidence before they allow the entertainment industry to start contacting millions of citizens with intimidating letters.”
Are you dreaming? Since when do politicians seriously listen to the rather small part of their voters, the file sharers?
It would be great if that was true but sadly it isn’t, and that’s how completely unreliable (and thus, unmentioned) sources spit out such research results, speaking of – WTF!? – 97% stopping their sharing behaviours when warned…
If they warned me without evidence whether I had downloaded anything “infringing” or not I’d just say “prove it”
You need proof to prosecute people. Threatening me changes nothing.
@7 , you mean you used to need proof. Democracy died some time ago now, the world is loving the new Chinese model.
I have set up a forum where this (& other P2P issues) may be discussed.
Feel free to visit & vent your spleen:
http://torrentfreakspammingtwat.com/forums
Time to tick the box in Azureus to only enable encrypted traffic I guess…
we need a properly organised consumer organisation to represent filesharers
httoP//www.h33t.com where life is a beach with a peach
#10: You really think that’s going to save your clue-free arse?
#12: No, but every little bit helps. Just like there’s no silver bullet to kill piracy, there’s no one way to keep it under the radar.
I think that the biggest problem is what they teach in schools. For example, I have once heard of a school in North Carolina where there is a “computer class” in which they teach that “piracy is unethical and illegal.”
Now, this really needs to change. They need to start teaching the opposite.
@ Izumi-sense:
(I have once heard of a school in North Carolina where there is a “computer class” in which they teach that “piracy is unethical and illegal.”)
And? It _is_…
Perhaps you meant to say [filesharing] “is unethical and illegal”
Now _that_ woulda been plain wrong.
I think the file sharers are decentralized and disorganized will work in their favor because these fools will send warnings to people who won’t heed as much to them and they will end up catching only the small fish while the big fish swims coolly in the ocean.
Regarding Europe i think only 2-3 countries host big names like Sweden was having TPB but now they too have moved their servers to unnamed locations and they won’t be able to catch them.Also pirates should start shifting their base from central Europe to east European countries like Ukraine,Hungary ,Romania where internet is cheap and they don’t have that much stringent laws regarding piracy.
“France has gone even further, recently adopting a law that will enable the entertainment industry to disconnect alleged pirates on their third warning. Similar methods are proposed throughout the rest of the world.”
Sadly New Zealand already had this implimented back in 2005. But no one cares about New Zealand.
Welcome to the New REgime! Heil Bush!
JT
http://www.FireMe.To/udi
@16
It would work in favor for file-sharers in file-sharing, but not politically.
Here is what is needed:
decentralized file-sharing
centralized political activity
As you can clearly see, political activity and file-sharing are two completely different things.
It is not about catching fish – it is about the fish getting together to become a powerful force.
@15
I don’t know, but it was something along the lines of “downloading without paying for it is wrong and you shouldn’t do it.”
They teach these kinds of things in schools all over America, and this must be stopped. I think that there might be something we can do about this.
People are actually paying for these downloads. Cost involve of downloading a file over the net includes:
1)Payment to ISP
2) Payment to power company
3) Payment to vendors for PC related hardware
4) Payment to telecom company for the line lease
5) Payment to government for various taxes.
No matter how you look at it, the people is always getting screwed over and over by the so called public servants (Government).
I can’t believe private organizations such as RIAA and MPAA has powers that transcends countries, borders and governments.
This is totally screwed!
Someone needs to stop the power hungry RIAA. I’m all for copyright laws and having artists compensated, but instead of wasting millions of the artists money suing the people that are buying your music (even the file sharers buy music or music related products, sorry), why don’t we at LEAST use the money to develop new systems and new ways of integrating music into modern society that compensates the artist while identifying stronger with the fans. The old system is dead, and eventually the old guard will go out of business, and the new innovations will rise to the top.
http://www.nettwerk.com/terrysblog/
That guy knows the future of the industry.
@Kiro
Can you give us links about “disconnection of pirates after 3 warning” in New Zealand thanks.
Looks like the Piracy War will join the Drug War in “failed propagandist crusades”. Not unlike the DEA, the RIAA used to be decent and useful.
In Communist Bushland, RIAA pirates YOU
I think that the biggest problem is what they teach in schools like “illegal downloading is unethical.” This needs to be turned around.
I would recommend a site called http://www.writetothem.org where you cn write to your MP, MEP and your local councillor.Its as easy as copy and paste.
Now if only people could compose some decent letters with talking points from a legal internet user so that we can copy and paste them on writetothem.org.I would recommend that each of you modify the letters and personalize it.
Beleive me I have found this useful as you will notice on the site that MPs dont receive enough letters.So even if 1% of the P2P community participate this should
cause an huge impact.
My points would be
- Assault on civil liberties.
- lack of consultation.
- No evidence base.
- One sided approach.
- Threat to net innovation.
- Outdated business model of MAFIAA.
- ALso suggestion that MAFIAA be windfall taxed.
- Have been your supporter so far but Will vote LibDem if I dont see progress.
Cheers
ANy1
Anti-piracy organizations being able to convince ISPs and governments is definitely a worrying and a disturbing trend. How could they so readily agree to let warning letters be sent without solid proof ? I smell something fishy here…
Could the writers among us post some carefully drafted letters please.
Do people really think that politicians are going to read your letters, or give a damn? I can see it now: “Lying, bribed-by-RIAA politician does a 180 on file sharing due to a brilliantly-worded letter from Joe Idiot of Bumfuck, Kansas”. Politicians care about two things: money/power and election time. I challenge anyone to cite ONE instance where letters did a damn bit of good. Save your dignity and find better ways to act.
By the way, thanks for making us wait for you to approve comments with naughty words, TorrentFreak. Please, whatever you do, don’t take away my recess time in the playground next! Why don’t you listen to your users and cut it out with the censorship?
In an effort to try and distance my home connection from any downloading I have setup a seedbox with a remote host. I can then grab my files from it via sFTP.
So all they have done have increased the speed at which I can seed.
Well done….
Wow, in America it’s ok to teach about filesharing as a negative point but contraception is a big fat no.
When I was at school I used to sell CDs for like £1 (It was a round to figure that paid the cost of a disc + case). Every so often I even suppied teachers with music for free.
Better yet as a kid I used to get tons of software downloaded, like our coursework required MS Access, its not a ’student software’ so it costs over £200 to get. Everyone needed a copy to which I supplied demand. There’s something wrong with education if there teaching with software that pupils aren’t likely to ever own.
Not good news as always.
http://www.lookpic.com
@ #23 – lololol
http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentPage____2862.aspx
Quote:
“ISPs should have obligations where an issue has been brought to their attention (e.g. to investigate, seek advice, or take action to remedy), even where the ISP is not sure whether there is a breach. ”
Read and cry.
Copyright is a basically immoral system, and lets not forget that the people who have milked this system for money don’t have a good given right to this system, they have a human given right, eventually the politicians (no matter how much money they get from these amoral industries) need to change the laws.
For now, remember: Copyright is theft
to be fair what a waste of paper!!!! at least send out emails as there environmentally friendly !!
Im defintly not part of that quoted percent.
Send all the letters you want, i need more toilet paper.
I will never stop.
This can actually be looked upon as a good thing. If people start receiving these warnings, the average person is gonna get scared and most likely stop downloading. As far as being prosecuted goes it won’t happen unless the proof is there. And that many people getting prosecuted is going to help out any ones pocketbook. But if it does go forward and works the outcome will be a significant decrease in downloading, which in turn will lighten up all the flack on illegal downloading. To be honest people oughta just buy the music they want for a paultry dollar then they will OWN it, and can do whatever the hell they want with it.
Typo: is NOT going to help out any
“What ever happened to the ‘interests’ of the consumer. They obviously have a giant ‘demand’ for TV shows, however there’s no ’supply’.” Anonymous
Anonymous..the demand is there, there are plenty of places to obtain legal copies of media. There is supply, people are just to cheap to take advantage of it.
“You need proof to prosecute people. Threatening me changes nothing.” Lol
Thank you Lol, that is absolutely correct. Can’t shit be done without proof.
“@7 , you mean you used to need proof. Democracy died some time ago now, the world is loving the new Chinese model.” James
You sir just need to STFU. Just STFU, there’s so much ignorance in that statement I don’t even know where to start.
“..where there is a “computer class” in which they teach that “piracy is unethical and illegal.
Now, this really needs to change. They need to start teaching the opposite.” Izumi-sense
No, no, it needs to continue, and you need to STFU as well.
All I see in these comments are a bunch of whiney ass thieves that are complaining because they are gonna get charged for music they are stealing. And if the truth be told, no charges will probably ever be brought against them.
I don’t support of represent or support the music/movie industry but I do know that stealing is stealing. Stop being cheap asses and pay the fucking 1 dollar per track. The crap you people are spewing out of your mouths is incredibly low and pathetic. El cheapos.
@ 39,40,41 TheToad
Your thoughts are abit premature. The Anti-Pirates won’t give up because they lowered downloading by 20%. Prosecution can happen and at the moment probably will happen.
It’s not about stealing, but there’s little point in explaining it to you. If you want to pay, go do so and get off are backs for it. The only one I hear bitching here is you.
It’s about stealing, but there’s little point in explaining it to you (sense you obviously don’t understand basic law). If you want to steal, go do so and stop bitching because you may soon face the consequences for it. Innocent until proven guilty. – TheToad
The tired old “it’s stealing” argument. Guess what, most of us who download music download enough of it where, even if we wanted to, we don’t even have enough damn money to pay for the overpriced CDs/low-quality MP3s for each album or song. So it’s not even possible we’d be buying everything otherwise… we’d just go without. Downloading gives exposure to artists, and if you never knew of them before, how can you be less likely to buy from them in the future or see their shows? The artists aren’t even the ones who decide on these legal actions or profit in any way from them, so it seems that the greedy record companies are the ones who feel they have the most to lose.
Besides, it needs to be remembered the main people we’re “stealing” from are not the artists, but those parasitical record companies that are the true enemies of the artists and, as this article shows, even democracy. Music will survive without them, the demand is obviously there, and everyone involved, from the artist to consumer, will be better for it.
@ 43 – TheToad
I don’t follow the ethics of others, not the ethics of the media business at any rate.
I spend my money on developing and other shit, if I spent money on all the music and software I use I’d be no where. I’d don’t charge for the stuff I do, I’ll happily share knowledge.
If I was paying directly to an artist and the REAL production cost I wouldn’t mind but it isn’t.
Alot of people think prositution is a legitimate business except when a pimp is taking a large amount of the cash. How is the media industry any better?
If these Government keeps phssing people off with their lackluster law-ls and pathetic rules, i expect nothing less than frustrated net-groups DoS-Attacking all of the governments servers/files.
Its a shame really, time for the french to find a new isp FAST.
#36
Kermode. i agree that copyright is becoming a annoying pathetic excuse to collect as much money as they can on so much as a minor mistake.
Sites like Youtube are a unfortunate example of this i think i have lost count on how many companys sued that video site, google is the only thing preventing that site from being sued out of existence.
#43
Toadboy. im seriously getting sick and tired of this overused `digital theft` argument downloading a file made from binary CODE and stealing a physical OBJECT from a store are not the same, otherwise we would be seeing 70,000,000 people steal from stores daily.
@Meocross, Lol Toadboy? It’s TheToad. Further more I’m gettin’ sick and tired of people complaining because they think they are entitled to someone elses work without paying for it, when they choose to charge for said product. If they choose to charge for it that’s their right. If you choose not to pay for it then you aren’t entitled to download it. It’s the same thing with software. What disgusts me the most is that people think they can break laws just because they don’t want to pay for something and then come in here and whine like a little bitch. It’s the law.
I don’t like big corporations anymore than the rest of the world does but if that’s how an artists wants to do business then you need to respect that.
If you really want to make a difference, vote with your wallet.
@ Toadboy, oh no wait It’s TheToad… Your the lame one who gets hit by lighting in that xmen movie right?
Well they give free condoms down at the clinics, that’s got more value/use than a song but in most places a song costs more… even on a crappy jukebox in a bar.
and “vote with your wallet”? Yeh fair enough I’ll ’steal’ music so I can actually afford to. If you don’t give a crap about any of the stuff a site like this stands for then why are you here? honestly? You were one of the loner kids at school right? couldn’t even fit in with the nerds?
@Toadboy
Oh, I’m feel so sorry about those greedy b*stards who want to extract all the money they can from the population.
Now, on to how things should be:
They get their money from donations, or from live performances, etc. The fact is that it is about the freedom of the people to do what they want with it in socialization. Copyright is inherently against socialization i. e. human-human interaction. Even if you buy a CD, you don’t own it because of copyright. It still belongs to someone else. Now, this is just absurd. I mean, you have this CD in your possession, why shouldn’t you be able to do what you want with it? You should be able to share it with others as much as you want.
these guys are totally sore loser
have no hobby, control freaks. paranoid, and retarded
I don’t understand why the ISPs are the bitches of the media industry. I would think that piracy would in fact be quite profitable to the ISPs, as pirates are more likely to shell out the extra money for a high speed connection than the casual internet surfer, or even the gamer.
Mmm… do you really think that ISPs will cut the tree where they are sitting, kicking its own customers? it’s like the bar that will kick you out when you are drunk but you are always welcome back to get drunk again there.
@TheToad and everyone else who thinks this is just against people who download copyrighted material without permission. This will affect even legal P2P traffic and Internet access. REMEMBER, no proof may be needed for punishment to be dished out. This affects everyones freedom and should not be tolerated. It will get worst instead of better if something is not done to correct the injustice that has occurred and will occur again and again. One thing that can be done is to support the artist who offer free downloads of music and then even buy their music. Show the music industry that the old system is dying and that there is a better way to do things now and in the future.
Just a technical note, enabling encrypted torrent traffic in torrent clients does not solve the problem, because the client encrypts only packet headers, not the whole packet. Level 7 Deep Packet Inspection, which I suspect will be used by UK ISPs, analyzes the whole packet and discovers p2p traffic.
However, an easy and cheap way to prevent such inspection is to use a commercial VPN, located in a foreign country, with a pptp tunneling or any other method of low/average or high encryption level. This method has been experimentally proven to be ultimately succesful against level 7 deep packet inspection. To say it all, just with 128-bit encryption all filters by italian ISPs are not effective anymore (many Italian ISPs limit heavily p2p traffic with packet inspection)!
Configuring a VPN client is a matter of a couple of minutes.
Kind regards.
TBH, my school doesn’t seem to have spammed me with too much anti-piracy bullshit, and quite a few teachers have shown us clips from movies, which they clearly seem to have downloaded.
Often they even offer sarcastic denials of any piracy on their part :P
But then I guess that’s the exception?
“no proof may be needed for punishment to be dished out.” – Eddie Wilson
Stop fear mongering you fool. That may be the case in whatever third world failure of a nation you’re living in. I’ll say this once again people, nothing can be proceed in court unless proof is obtained. Learn to read, and reread the article. Intimidation is their goal.
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