GetAmnesty.com: MPAA Extortion at its Finest
Written by Ernesto on August 27, 2007The MPAA and their fellow anti-piracy organizations send out thousands of infringement notices. Only a fraction of these are played out in court, and those that do make it into court are settled at an early stage. So why not circumvent the whole legal system, and gently coerce people to pay for “amnesty”?
This is exactly what the suits at the MPAA must have thought, because they asked Nexicon to develop a program to convert infringement notices into cash.
The GetAmnesty program is a combination of both enforcement activities and efforts to turn infringers into paying “customers”. It tracks down copyright infringers by using a wide variety of methods. But, instead of sending out the regular infringement notices, they now include links for people to get amnesty. Basically they are asking to pay them an X amount of money, and they promise drop everything and go away.
Here’s what you read on the website, and allegedly in the infringement notices:
If you receive a notice that means that we have evidence of you infringing a copyright holder that we represent. Please stop and consider what such a paper trail could do to one’s future. We understand that this notice may come as a bit of a surprise to you, but we sincerely believe that signing our agreement is in your best interest.
I’m not sure how we’re supposed to call this.. extortion? Intimidation? They are clearly trying to scare people into giving their money to the copyright holders without clear evidence.
They might have an IP address, but this doesn’t mean anything. The MPAA, or any other anti-piracy organization can’t sue someone simply because he or she pays the bills for the internet connection. Several cases (example 1/2) were dropped already because of this argument. An IP address is not a person.
Andrew Norton, a spokesperson of the US Pirate Party, said in a response to TorrentFreak: “These efforts to continually alienate their consumers will not do major rights holding groups any favors. Programs such as this are thinly veiled extortion efforts, and represent further efforts by media cartels to shore up their crumbling business models by intimidation, and violation of users rights.”
Norton continues: “It is impossible for any program to determine if something is infringing copyright, or if it comes under fair use. With the recent probes into the john-doe lawsuits and their usage, it is clear that this is a pathetic new method to try and shore up the outdated perceptions of the rights holders, rather than trying to adapt and change to suit the times. It is no longer the 1940s, and unlike FM, media conglomerates cannot wish or bury the internet, and modern technology.”
The MPAA and other content owners will use these methods because it’s an easy way for them to make money, and they save quite a bit on legal costs too. In fact, the RIAA already uses a website called P2Plawsuits where people can settle their cases online. I seriously question the legality of these extortion tactics.
GetAmnesty.com was launched a few days ago. If people receive infringement letters with links to this site, please contact us. In the meanwhile you might want to take a look at what SiteAdvisor says about GetAmnesty… Phishing or other scams … and that’s exactly what it is.
Update: The MPAA oficially denies having anything to do with GetAmnesty.
Previously: TorrentSpy Blocks Searches From US Visitors
Next: Congressman wants ISPs to be Copyright Police
70 Responses (Add yours or TrackBack)
Pages: « 1 2 [3] Show All
The MPAA is not directly involved in “getamnesty.com” maybe I don’t know. This I know the MPAA is a current coustomer and they and there members who are not currently involved in the getamnesty.com program will be watching it very closley. The bottom line is that Getamnesty.com is alive and moving forward. Lets see what happens.
the mpaa, currently, is neither a coustomer nor customer of nexicon, plain and simple. you continue to talk out your ass regarding this.
getamnesty will amount to nothing…that’s zero, zip, nada. nexicon has always been short on delivery, the people who run it are no better than worthless, with zero credibility; and ga is a last desperate gasp at keeping the lights on. if the rumors are true about the nature of its “early adopters”/”customers”, the mpaa members wont touch it with a 10′ pole. and furthermore nexicon’s sins will furthermore alientae from any mainstream customer base.
come on, have you actually talked to the these close watchers?
what about the competitive offerings from the more established vendors in the space like mediasentry and baytsp?
logistep is trying to do the same thing europe?
why would rightholders trust the nexicon lackey’s over them?
you are nothing more than a delusional shill.
hey nexidronian,
afraid to come out and play today???
sorry for calling you a “delusional shill”
i meant delusional PIMP!
more copyrighted material to protect. maye they are making this up.
i doubt they are making up news about the “studios” they have signed up, since that would be outright fraud. after all porn is copyrighted too. but if you think mpaa members are going to buy into getamnesty after nexicon starts to “bill” for pirated adult flicks, than i have a bridge to sell you.
When your mother finds out you have illegaly downloaded skin flicks she will not be happy.Would every p2 to p2 user who has not downloaded porn please stand up.
nexidronian,
perhaps you have drawn upon personal experience in your first point, but your second is, i have to admit, valid. but then again it falls ginourmously short of any direct factual support for nexicon, and the joke that is getamnesty. also it does nothing to dilute the poison that this market strategy will do to kill off any mainstream rightsholder opportunity. just search ‘porn’ though this sight to see how the vanguards of porn copyright are fighting piracy.
nexicon is expecting to identify more than a million instances of piracy of its current customers material in the first month.
so they have 1 million public ips that they allege pirated skin flicks at a specific time - the vast majority of those ip addresses are dhcp leased by the isp. so what are they going to do with those spam isp admins with c&ds with alink to getamnesty? how are they going to get the personal info of the alleged infringers who dont comply or ignore? a few fools macy actually plunk their credit card down in the beginning, but the scheme will lose credibility fast and when a few decide to proactively take exception…nexicon sins will come to the surface and it will be crushed.
You may not believe it but some of thoses alleged pirates will get their day in court.
just like tanya andersen?
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070604-riaa-throws-in-the-towel-in-atlantic-v-andersen.html
just for moment, stop being nexidronian, and be your own man.
now think about the resources the riaa is losing this battle with. where is this pissant penny stock company going to get the its own resources to with the same tactics?
what makes you think that nexicon is even up to the task technically and businesswise to have the capability to sustain a real effort that would make than a few thousand bucks, while the riaa playing an already mediocre hand?
nexicon is nothing but a bluff? and it is ignorant dopes that don’t call them on it…that allows there meger existance to keep going..
dude call their bluff sometime and watch their house of cards implode.
if you don’t plenty of fileshareres will do what ms. andersen did and watch what happens.
$220,000 so much for all you closet legal experts. even though i think the fine is excessive. should have settled.
nexidrone
wtf are you talking about? tanya anderson fought the riaa with help of the eff, and the case was dismissed, there wer no fines
on the contrary, she has filed suit to be compensated for her legal fees and damages due to the abuse of process. furthermore, she was granted class action status for her suit. this kind of fight will be coming nexicons sooner than later and when they go to court they will be obliterated for their sins of past an d present.
i’ll bet that nexicon wants these fellas beind them:
http://www.queerty.com/porn/titan-cracking-down-on-porn-thieves-20071003/
dont you know if you stick around sooner those nexicon guys, youll end up witha sie 7 poopshoot?
Jammie thomas -220,000
indeed ms. thomas is one win and a case law precedent, but at what cost. with legal fees and expenses, i that the net after was positive, but much further on the contrary. and not all cases have gone “so well” for the riaa.
the overall point here is that cases like ms thomas cost money, which nexicon does not have and i dont the porno guys will be able to stomach. the riaa has deep pockets and so does the eff, nexicon and their smut peddling friends on the other hand, do not. moreover, what makes you believe nexicon capabilities are on par with mediasentry (riaa’s vendor) a subsidiary of a very well capitalized company?? sorry dude they just are not, it really more of a business issue than technical, management is just plain impotent, which led to its demise out of the mainstream rights holder market.
furthermore, nexicon has already played a dirty hand with getamnesty that they continue to…just look at the website for pete’s sake and their is plenty of dirt under the covers that they will be shown to be a farce in any courtroom if it ever comes to that.
The intention is not to prosecute everyone who pirates material. Just those who chose not to pay for it after being identified. companies will eventually pay for the deterrent factor.
at the cost of trying these cases at a high 6 fig to low seven fig loss, i doubt it. i grant you, there may be more than a few fools that pay the $25 settlement, but a contingency fee based business model is not sustainable…either the deterent factor works or its a paper tiger as i have suggested; either way the programs value will diminish over time and will generate enough revenue to cover the lawsuits some of the alleged pirates wit wild hairs up their asses will bring, with the likes of the eff and chilling effects coalition right by their side.
and this assumes (as you do so blindly) the program and the business behind it has done eeverything by the book…nexicon has not been an honest broker and has already comitted public sins that will ultimately impeach its credibility in any court of law. furthermore, i repeat, nexicon is run by lazy ass penny stock swindling dopes so if anything can be f’d up by the company, it will, despite how grand the idea is or the prototype is. have you actually seen the technology work over time at the scope and scale of management’s claims…or are you just another dupe who give them your $$$$$$$ and take their word for it….just like other fools have for almost a decade, with less than zero to show for it. is track record a consideration in your investments?
*****ommision***
and will **NOT** generate enough revenue to cover the lawsuits some of the alleged pirates wit wild hairs up their asses will bring, with the likes of the eff and chilling effects coalition right by their side.
Nexicon Signs Global Media and Entertainment Company to Contract
“The reports assist the company in identifying the illegal download of some of its blockbuster films and television shows. ”
More porn. Must be “vivid” HAHAHA.
1 references to this post
Pages: « 1 2 [3] Show All
Add your response