In the first decade of the 21stcentury, technology made it possible to download music, movies or televisionsshows from the Internet to your computer. Before this, you had to go to a musicstore physically and purchase an album or CD if you wanted to hear the latestfrom your favorite artists. With this new technology, the entire scope of howyou obtain your music has changed.
But as the technology advancesrapidly, unlawful downloading sites also places on a huge number. And withthese, internet users who illegally download online could soon receive warningnotices from the nation’s five major internet service providers. Consumers whoare using peer-to-peer software are the number one target this week of theCopyright Alert System.
Whose IP address has beendetected sharing files illegally will be prompt by an Internet service providerwith which will be given up to six chances to stop before the warning noticetake action.
Furthermore, internet serviceprovider will temporarily slowing their connection, or redirecting Internettraffic until they acknowledge they received a notice or review educationalmaterials about copyright law. Consumers who maintain they have been wronglyaccused would be forced to pay $35 to appeal the decision. The fee would bereimbursed if they prevail.
Proponents say the focus is ondeterring the average consumer rather than chronic violators. The director ofthe organization behind the system, Jill Lesser of the Center for CopyrightInfringement, said in a blog post Monday that the program is “meant to educaterather than punish, and direct (users) to legal alternatives.”
Each Internet provider isexpected to implement their own system. The program gives each customer five orsix “strikes” after music or Film Company has detected illegal file-sharing andlodged a complaint. The first alerts are expected to be educational, while thethird and fourth would require the customer to acknowledge that they havereceived the warnings and understand their behavior is illegal. The finalwarnings are expected to lead to “mitigation measures,” such as slowing aperson’s Internet connection speeds.
Officials involved in the effortacknowledge it’s unlikely to stop the biggest violators. There are ways todisguise an IP address or use a neighbor’s connection that is unlocked. Publicwireless connections, such as those offered at coffee shops, also won’t bemonitored.
