Cox Communications sends cease and desist email

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: elbosco

Originally posted by: SludgeFactory
yes search for the threads. Downloading TV shows is illegal, ATOT-sanctioned Top Gear links notwithstanding. It depends on the rightsholders as to how aggressive they are in pursuing action against you.

Let me guess, you were using BitTorrent, which happens to have a huge bullseye painted on it right now.

yep 😱

No more tv for me, then.

Time to switch to emule.

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: Iron Woode

Originally posted by: elbosco
Here's the deal: I just received an email from Cox stating they received a complaint from MGM that I downloaded material, subsequently infringing the DMCA, and that my service will be cancelled if the obtained material isn't removed.

Here the kicker: the only thing downloaded on my pc were 4 episodes of Stargate Atlantis. How is that illegal? Apparently I can use tivo to record tv shows but I can't download them off the internet? Isn't that a little odd?

Anyways, I'll go ahead and delete the 4 shows if it'll make MGM happy and hopefully I'll keep my internet connection.

Cliff notes:
1. I download 4 episodes of Stargate Atlantis
2. I receive cease and desist email from isp stating they will shut down my account unless I delete the obtained materials
3. wtf?

your only solution is to move to Canada, where evrything is legal. 😉

And give up 60*F winters? Never!

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: elbosco
Here's the deal: I just received an email from Cox stating they received a complaint from MGM that I downloaded material, subsequently infringing the DMCA, and that my service will be cancelled if the obtained material isn't removed.

Here the kicker: the only thing downloaded on my pc were 4 episodes of Stargate Atlantis. How is that illegal? Apparently I can use tivo to record tv shows but I can't download them off the internet? Isn't that a little odd?

Anyways, I'll go ahead and delete the 4 shows if it'll make MGM happy and hopefully I'll keep my internet connection.

Cliff notes:
1. I download 4 episodes of Stargate Atlantis
2. I receive cease and desist email from isp stating they will shut down my account unless I delete the obtained materials
3. wtf?

You really dont' need to post cliff notes for a post with only 3 paragraphs and 5 sentences.

With the attention span that some people people have, I'm sure it didn't hurt.

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: BannedTroll
1. No commercials which the advertisers pay for you to see
2. It is easy to redistribute
3. They sell DVDs of every half way decents show now. If you can download it why would you buy it?

All valid points except I was downloading episodes from a show halfway into its first season, so there was no other way to view episodes other than trying to catch them airing on the scifi channel.

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: pallansar
If you have a cable internet connection through Cox Cable, then why not just download your favorite episodes from their newsgroups service? You're paying for it anyways.

I stopped using newsgroups a while ago. I guess it's time to dust off nbpro.

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: Dopefiend
*cough*Protowall*cough*

How does that work?

<-- noob 🙁

 

[elbosco]

My main concern is not knowing what's going to happen. Should I just ignore the letter? Call Cox?

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: elbosco
My main concern is not knowing what's going to happen. Should I just ignore the letter? Call Cox?

it's a cease and desist letter, no ? Just stop sharing it and don't share anymore content (ie. don't use BT since you're in effect sharing what you are downloading) and you should be in the clear. I don't know about responding to the letter unless it asks you to...

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: elbosco
The sad part is I had just read parts of the DMCA for an essay I wrote for English. I should have delved deeper.

It doesn't have anything to do with the DMCA.

And to answer your question about Top Gear, it's still illegal but apparantly they tollerate it.

But what does the DMCA have to do with England? Its not internation is it; er, at least for foreign sourced media.

The BBC have a presence in the US, so it is highly possible for them to bring a case, should it ever warrant it.

I personally think they should put TG on BBC America or something. Going by the TG threads here surely the ratings would be awesome!

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: elbosco
My main concern is not knowing what's going to happen. Should I just ignore the letter? Call Cox?

it's a cease and desist letter, no ? Just stop sharing it and don't share anymore content (ie. don't use BT since you're in effect sharing what you are downloading) and you should be in the clear. I don't know about responding to the letter unless it asks you to...

Here's part of the letter:

"Dear Customer,

We are writing on behalf of Cox Communications to advise you that we have received a notification that you are using your Cox High Speed Internet service to post or transmit material that infringes the copyrights of a complainant's members. We have included a copy of the complaint letter. Pursuant to the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"), which is codified at 17 U.S.C. § 512, upon receiving such notification, Cox is required to "act expeditiously to remove, or disable access to" the infringing material in order to avoid liability for any alleged copyright infringement. Accordingly, Cox will suspend your account and disable your connection to the Internet within 24 hours of your receipt of this email if the offending material is not removed."

So I would assume I would be in the clear since I deleted the episodes in question, no?

 

[Chadder007]

Send them back a Cease and Desist letter telling them that they were not invited to be viewing data that is trasmitted by your computer without beforehand having written consent.

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: Chadder007
Send them back a Cease and Desist letter telling them that they were not invited to be viewing data that is trasmitted by your computer without beforehand having written consent.

I'm pretty sure there's a clause in the customer agreement that allows them the right to do so.

 

[Chadder007]

Originally posted by: elbosco

Originally posted by: Chadder007
Send them back a Cease and Desist letter telling them that they were not invited to be viewing data that is trasmitted by your computer without beforehand having written consent.

I'm pretty sure there's a clause in the customer agreement that allows them the right to do so.

But does it allow MGM to do so?

 

[Zebo]

I got one at work. I guess TV is illegal now too.:roll: But mines from all the studios. We cease.

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: Chadder007

Originally posted by: elbosco

Originally posted by: Chadder007
Send them back a Cease and Desist letter telling them that they were not invited to be viewing data that is trasmitted by your computer without beforehand having written consent.

I'm pretty sure there's a clause in the customer agreement that allows them the right to do so.

But does it allow MGM to do so?

It's their intellectual property, they can do whatever they want to it as they see fit, including monitoring the distribution of their tv shows.

 

[Chadder007]

Also its illegal to distribute copyrighted data digitally in whole based on DMCA....Bittorent transmits the data in bits and pieces and not as a whole from just one person (usually)

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: Chadder007
Also its illegal to distribute copyrighted data digitally in whole based on DMCA....Bittorent transmits the data in bits and pieces and not as a whole from just one person (usually)

It doesn't really matter now. I got caught, end of story.