Cox Communications sends cease and desist email

[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?

 

[KLin]

do a search, there's about 4 threads from the last 2 months on the legality of downloading tv shows.

 

[Ausm]

1) Tell them to goto Hell

2)Apply KY to your backdoor

3)Allow MPAA to enter

😉

Ausm

 

[Kaervak]

Originally posted by: elbosco
Apparently I can use tivo to record tv shows but I can't download them off the internet? Isn't that a little odd?

If the studios had their way, you would even be able to own a Tivo. The reason they flip out about downloading them versus recording them is it's much easier to distribute them when they're on your computer than when they are on your Tivo.

 

[elbosco]

Well, I've gone ahead and deleted the episodes but I still think it's odd that such a fuss is made for tv shows, especially one where it's halfway through the season and there are no dvd's available to purchase.

I'm willing to bet that a substancial amount of users here download top gear episodes each week, despite the legal nature of it.

Oh well.

 

[FFactory0x]

Why delete them. Not like they will know if there still on your computer or not

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[mugs]

http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: elbosco
Well, I've gone ahead and deleted the episodes but I still think it's odd that such a fuss is made for tv shows, especially one where it's halfway through the season and there are no dvd's available to purchase.

I'm willing to bet that a substancial amount of users here download top gear episodes each week, despite the legal nature of it.

Oh well.

The difference is Top Gear doesn't air in this country🙂

 

[RaDragon]

How'd they know what you downloaded? Did they snoop on your computer?

 

Originally posted by: mugs
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

That page has no mention of broadcast television or radio shows on it.

Copywrite laws have gotten out of hand.

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: elbosco
Well, I've gone ahead and deleted the episodes but I still think it's odd that such a fuss is made for tv shows, especially one where it's halfway through the season and there are no dvd's available to purchase.

I'm willing to bet that a substancial amount of users here download top gear episodes each week, despite the legal nature of it.

Oh well.

The difference is Top Gear doesn't air in this country🙂

A tv show by any other name would still smell like feet.

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: RaDragon
How'd they know what you downloaded? Did they snoop on your computer?

My guess is MGM is monitoring the online distribution of it's shows through bit torrent.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: elbosco

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: elbosco
Well, I've gone ahead and deleted the episodes but I still think it's odd that such a fuss is made for tv shows, especially one where it's halfway through the season and there are no dvd's available to purchase.

I'm willing to bet that a substancial amount of users here download top gear episodes each week, despite the legal nature of it.

Oh well.

The difference is Top Gear doesn't air in this country🙂

A tv show by any other name would still smell like feet.

huh?😕

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: mugs
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

That page has no mention of broadcast television or radio shows on it.

Copywrite laws have gotten out of hand.

No specific mention of them, but it still applies to the OP, and it's good for anyone to read. Most people have very little understanding of copyright laws (whether the law is right or not notwithstanding).

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: elbosco

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: elbosco
Well, I've gone ahead and deleted the episodes but I still think it's odd that such a fuss is made for tv shows, especially one where it's halfway through the season and there are no dvd's available to purchase.

I'm willing to bet that a substancial amount of users here download top gear episodes each week, despite the legal nature of it.

Oh well.

The difference is Top Gear doesn't air in this country🙂

A tv show by any other name would still smell like feet.

huh?😕

Let me rephrase; A tv show is still a tv show despite what country it is aired in. Who's to decide tv show A is permissable to download while tv show B must be avoided like the plague?

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: mugs
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

That page has no mention of broadcast television or radio shows on it.

Copywrite laws have gotten out of hand.

No specific mention of them, but it still applies to the OP, and it's good for anyone to read. Most people have very little understanding of copyright laws (whether the law is right or not notwithstanding).

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

 

[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.

 

[Qwest]

is it stargate the movie they could have confused this with?

also, change the ports on your bittorrent client immediately.
please tell me you arent using ports 6881-6889.

 

[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.

 

[Babbles]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: mugs
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

That page has no mention of broadcast television or radio shows on it.

Copywrite laws have gotten out of hand.

Yes, damn them for trying to keep control of their intellectual property. They should do everything for free.

As an aside, I have downloaded more than my share of stuff in the past. However, I know straight up what I did. What kills me is not people who download stuff but rather those that download media then try to justify what they did by complaining about how laws are 'unfair' or media 'art' should be free for everybody or some other crap along those lines.

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: binoculaz
is it stargate the movie they could have confused this with?

also, change the ports on your bittorrent client immediately.
please tell me you arent using ports 6881-6889.

It's possible but I highly doubt it.

I did change the ports for bit torrent but soon changed them back to 6881-6889 because the downloads were faster.

I learned my lesson 🙁

 

[shopbruin]

Originally posted by: elbosco

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: elbosco

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: elbosco
Well, I've gone ahead and deleted the episodes but I still think it's odd that such a fuss is made for tv shows, especially one where it's halfway through the season and there are no dvd's available to purchase.

I'm willing to bet that a substancial amount of users here download top gear episodes each week, despite the legal nature of it.

Oh well.

The difference is Top Gear doesn't air in this country🙂

A tv show by any other name would still smell like feet.

huh?😕

Let me rephrase; A tv show is still a tv show despite what country it is aired in. Who's to decide tv show A is permissable to download while tv show B must be avoided like the plague?

because makers of shows in say, asia really don't care if people (for now) are downloading their eps in the US, but care a big deal if they're doing it in asia. that's how i'm still getting all my korean dramas.

 

[elbosco]

Originally posted by: Babbles

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: mugs
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

That page has no mention of broadcast television or radio shows on it.

Copywrite laws have gotten out of hand.

Yes, damn them for trying to keep control of their intellectual property. They should do everything for free.

As an aside, I have downloaded more than my share of stuff in the past. However, I know straight up what I did. What kills me is not people who download stuff but rather those that download media then try to justify what they did by complaining about how laws are 'unfair' or media 'art' should be free for everybody or some other crap along those lines.

I don't condone nor deny the illegal nature downloading software, music, and other media, but who is being hurt by downloading an episode of a tv show that I missed?