No. PeerBlock & Co. prevents banned IPs from connecting to you and downloading, but they have no effect on the tracker that has your IP and gives it to anyone who asks. PB might help if the case goes to court, as there is no real evidence that the accuser could download from you. Theoretically this could mean that you won’t be bothered at all (why send you a notice when other users exist from whom downloading was possible), but at the same time it could be the other way around – you’ll be accused to shake you up (you were using PB and probably though that nobody could have anything on you, so when a notice comes you might be too shocked to understand that your defence didn’t really fail).

For those who asked about the legality of direct downloads: cosult your local copyright laws, they are different in different countries. For example: in my county there is a paragraph in the copyright law that allows to use a copyrighted work, without specifing how the copy you’re using is accuired, without pay as we already have an “author tax” which exists on blank CD/DVDs/cassettes/VHSs and equipment needed for recording. So I can, legally, download movies from RS that others have illegally uploaded. Now, some might say that such a tax is worse, but for me, personally, this is an acceptable solution. I get my share, the authors get their share, if not from their creation then from the DVDs I’ll be using to store their creation ;)

I completely agree that this disgusting act is not just about making money, but scaring hundreds of thousands of others into paying for (defo in this case) absolute rubbish.

Our country recently passed a law that anyone ‘suspected’ of downloading pirate material can have all internet connection severed, no chance of future connection, and your only hope a trial paid for out of your own pocket. This was pushed through by corporate media lobbyists with a generous hand (more like wallet) towards the members of parliament.

The BBC is force funded by the taxpayer – the price of approx £150 a year for a license. Even if you don’t have or watch a TV, you must pay if you have a computer now (try proving you can’t watch TV over the internet!). Another law pushed through by a corporation. And if you don’t? How did you guess, a fine – £1,000. For 2008-09 the BBC got £3.49 billion from license fees alone, plus commercial interests and government grants (covered by taxpayer money of course!) of over £1.1 billion.

Now BT (British Telecommunications) are preparing for nationwide super internet. This is being given massive backing from the government (financially as well as vocally/legally) – apart from monopolising the entire internet in our country, it is likely we will be paying further license fees of their choosing, and further laws being passed in their favour, with all personal information held by a government funded telecommunications giant.

The companies and corporations are starting to make the laws now, and they will scare, blackmail, and ruin anyone to make money. It’s time to make a stand!

However, here’s where I have a problem. It seems, I’m responsible for everything that is downloaded using an internet account that I paid for. So if a brother, roommate, grandkid, maid, employee, spouse or anyone else using my wireless router downloads something, I’m going to get sued? I hope the gentleman that owns Volt never lets his kids, employees, cleaning lady, or grandkids use an internet account he or his company has paid for. If one of them gets an email with an embedded picture or video that’s copyrighted, he might get blackmailed into paying 2500 bucks for a 10 dollar picture.