Norwegian ISPs Refuse MPAA’s Request to Disconnect Pirates
Written by Ernesto on March 28, 2008After being blown off by the Norwegian police, MPAA lawyer Espen Tøndel is now demanding that ISPs disconnect Norwegian file-sharers from the Internet. According to IKT Norway, an interest group for ISPs, the lawyer has sent a letter to Norwegian ISPs on behalf of The Norwegian branch of the MPAA.
In the letter, Tøndel asks the ISPs to notify customers who share copyrighted content, and threaten to disconnect them from the internet. Tøndel also attached a document that supposedly links the IP-addresses of seeders to copyrighted works.
It seems that Norway is not alone in this, Jim Williams, the MPAA’s senior vice president opted for a similar disconnection policy in the US yesterday. IKT Norway is not too happy about the letter though.
“In a constitutional state, the police and the prosecuting authority have the job of investigating and indicting, not lawyers and communication engineers”, says Hallstein Bjercke from IKT Norway, in a press release.
“Most of the big ISPs in Norway are members of IKT Norway and we will support the various ISPs as best we can against what we see as a preposterous demand from Simonsen”, Bjercke adds.
He asks the ISPs to contact IKT Norway instead of answering the law firm’s letter. “In our opinion, Tøndel asks the ISPs to assist them in their private investigation on filesharers. Tøndel’s law firm asks the ISPs to use personal information about their customers in a way that would be a breach on the Norwegian laws on personal information and personal privacy, in addition to breaching the contract between individual customers and their respective ISP.”
“What Simonsen is actually asking for is confessions from the alleged filesharers, which can be used against them if Simonsen decides to sue”, Bjercke said.
IKT Norway makes it clear that the Norwegian ISPs will not take the role of investigator and judge against their own customers. “To give that kind of responsibility to the ISPs is like asking the mailman to control the contents of every letter and package he delivers,” Bjercke says.
IKT Norway is now checking into the legality of the law firms private investigation and the legality of connecting personal information to the customers of Norwegian ISPs.
(translation by Stian Andreassen)
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Serves them right, stupid people. Why don’t they chase some real pirates instead of interfering with their customer base and the Internet. But that’s right, that’s too hard isn’t it? Just make legal threats and everyone will fold up like a pack of cards, right?
We don’t want your interference and you’ll find that we all band together and buck like a mule. Your puffed up power is in your head, not your muscles.
This is not a movie. Real life is not so accommodating. You should learn the difference. I know they shouldn’t have encouraged you by letting you win so many cases. See that’s the carrot, and now you’re along for the ride. It’s all part of the game in legal circles. Brace yourselves, you’re going down.
[quote comment="321622"]laugh if you will but these are the people that are gonna be spying on us 10 years from now -_-[/quote]
In America, yes. But America isn’t a country, it is a giant business. The rest of the world are completely sane and will not tolerate that crap.
You spy on us, we spy on you. On a Norwegian newspaper (Dagbladet.no) the comment box have been turned into a place where everybody post info about Espen Tøndel. Full name, adress, cell phone number, e-mail, how many kids he has, what car he drives, how much income he had last year and so on. We take revenge!
[quote comment="321639"]I think the internet should be banned and re-started with anti-pirating measures.[/quote]
Good Luck on that one buddy. While your at it, Mt. Everest is in my way, be a good fellow and move it for me will ya please?
…and here i thought the internet was an “open” culture now why is there a power struggle to try and control an “open” culture?
Isn’t the internet the future to communications? If ISPs start disconnecting their customers, who will view/use their content?
at very least Esepen Tøndel and his crew, scares away some shares. and in their eyes i guess that can be seen as good.
… Where does MPAA get the idea that they have authority over everyone in every country? They aren’t even part of the government. They are a lobby for movie companies. Give me a break.
We gotta make sure the MPAA stops bullying foreign governments and ISPs world wide. We can stand up to them!
Nothing has value.
Honestly, I dont feel any responsibility towards society. I dont feel obligated to respect the conduct of business or other aspects of finance. I dont respect property. I could not care less about “the law”. Justice means nothing to me.
Modern world, you treat me with so little respect; you have created a monster, a sociopath. Me? I have lost the idea of a me, I`m nothing but a loop that constantly feeds irrational needs.
You thought you could make a profit out of me. Consume/consume. But you failed… and we all lose.
(ps. not sarcasm or anti-p2p. Just poetry. Fuck us all, and best wishes.)
Espen Tøndel is a shame for Noway.
99% prosent of those who know of him thinks he’s an idiot.
I’D LIKE TO MEET THIS GUY SO I CAN TAKE A GIANT SHIT ON HIS FACE, YOU KNOW LIKE HOW EVERYONE ELSE DOES.
“In a constitutional state…”
You know.. a constitution is just a piece of paper..
…at least for some peeps the country which MPAA comes from it is just that…
Norway is cold, immoral, ugly, dirty and the people wreak! Sure the love torrents!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
FUCK YOU, ESPEN!
Født Navn Postnr Poststed
1954 TØNDEL, ESPEN 0778 OSLO
Formue Alm.inntekt Skatt Skatteår
965531 3576353 1156755 2006
185000 2331800 793402 2002
615000 2857700 1158585 2001
For you English speakers, in 2006, Espen’s savings was: 965 531 NOK, his income: 3 576 353 NOK and tax paid: 1 156 755 NOK. He’s making a lot of money by suing pirates, probably gets it all from MPAA! Bastard.
RIAA break laws, MPAA break laws, IFPI break laws, MD break laws, filesharers dont break laws they share digital information witch copyright laws have not adapted to.
Not to mention breaking copyright is a civil matter not criminal as investigating without a license, Network sabbotage, distorsion, blackmail, bribes etc etc.. list is extremely long by now and have they been penalized for breaking the law yet? no ofcourse not…
Consumers should be penalized for sharing with others what they bought and own, corperations, parasites and dinosaurs should all get a soft towel whiping their ass as they walk around spewing shit.
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Here’s the funny thing.
Tøndel is an asshole.
Norwegian ISPs think Tøndel is an asshole, so they’ll be making sure HE is the one who bends over in the end.
Now, I ask of you - compare this reaction to IP infringement claims from a Norwegian ISP to those of American ISPs and realize that you Americans are royally fucked. And, interestingly, we Norwegians are the ones who actually *have* royalty. ;)
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