Originally posted by: Gravity
Obviously bittorent has been targeted by the mpaa as a main site for unauthorized distrobution of their movies. I got a letter from the isp (cox) statin that I had a file that was in violation.
Anyone else have this experience? Any advice on how to proceed?
Thanks,
Gravity
Originally posted by: db
"Have you guys been in his house and seen this "alleged" file and see this Movie?
If not, then you do not have any more proof than the MPAA"
![]()
Very bad advice, Ignorance is not a defense.If this is a registered letter, be careful. Otherwise, ignore it.
Originally posted by: Tabb
Originally posted by: Chadder007
The DMCA has become one of the worst laws ever made. Companies are starting to abuse it like a mofo now.
Yea, its stop people from doing illegal things. Thats really bad!
Originally posted by: Gravity
Obviously bittorent has been targeted by the mpaa as a main site for unauthorized distrobution of their movies. I got a letter from the isp (cox) statin that I had a file that was in violation.
Anyone else have this experience? Any advice on how to proceed?
Thanks,
Gravity
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.
Originally posted by: AnyMal
Why do people get pissed when someone reminds them that they are breaking the law?![]()
No, but they are now.............Originally posted by: Geekish Thoughts
Are they after IRC users much? That's where I download almost all my stuff.
Listen to GagHalfrunt. Admit your guilt and STOP doing it the way you've been caught. Be safe/smart.Originally posted by: Gravity
Bump for the a.m. crowd.
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Originally posted by: db
"Have you guys been in his house and seen this "alleged" file and see this Movie?
If not, then you do not have any more proof than the MPAA"
![]()
What makes you think the MPAA lacks proof? They've been smacked down for acting on bogus file names before, but they've also got people out there scouring the networks checking files. An mpg is viewable if only a small portion is present, you don't need the entire file to see what's on it. All it takes is an MPAA spy on BitTorrent to get 10 megabytes of the file, which equates to about 1 minute of movie. He/she can check the content, confirm that it's copyrighted and trace IPs. There's no guarantee that they KNOW it's a pirated file, but this is not the time to thumb your nose at the accusations and say "prove it!!".
Face it, trading in copyrighted material is illegal and they're watching. If you're going to do it you need to be smart about it. There are ways to protect yourself, using BitTorrent is quite obviously not a good way to do it. Answer the letter with the standard "Ooops, I wasn't aware that file was copyrighted, I'll never do it again. Please accept my monthly payment as a sign that I've learned my lesson". That'll get Cox off your back, just be smart enough to not get caught next time.
Originally posted by: CTho9305
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Originally posted by: db
"Have you guys been in his house and seen this "alleged" file and see this Movie?
If not, then you do not have any more proof than the MPAA"
![]()
What makes you think the MPAA lacks proof? They've been smacked down for acting on bogus file names before, but they've also got people out there scouring the networks checking files. An mpg is viewable if only a small portion is present, you don't need the entire file to see what's on it. All it takes is an MPAA spy on BitTorrent to get 10 megabytes of the file, which equates to about 1 minute of movie. He/she can check the content, confirm that it's copyrighted and trace IPs. There's no guarantee that they KNOW it's a pirated file, but this is not the time to thumb your nose at the accusations and say "prove it!!".
Face it, trading in copyrighted material is illegal and they're watching. If you're going to do it you need to be smart about it. There are ways to protect yourself, using BitTorrent is quite obviously not a good way to do it. Answer the letter with the standard "Ooops, I wasn't aware that file was copyrighted, I'll never do it again. Please accept my monthly payment as a sign that I've learned my lesson". That'll get Cox off your back, just be smart enough to not get caught next time.
Bittorrent sends chunks with checksums. If you send just one chunk (256kb or less sometimes) and the checksum matches, I personally would consider that beyond reasonable doubt that you are in the process of violating the law (you don't have to be a seed to be sharing illegal stuff).
Originally posted by: BlipBlop
Exactly. Many of these fools don't even know what the law in question is, but already have their pants down and their sphincters open. "Yessir! I'm a good little citizen! Whachoo say is surely good fo' me!".
"Unless the complainant notifies us that it has filed an action seeking a court order to restrain you from engaging in the allegedly infringing activity prior to the expiration of those ten (10) business days, Cox will reactivate your account."
Correct. It just happens to be an infringing file the vast overwhelming majority of the time. Note that the poster has yet to say or imply whether or not the accusation is true. How he responds would primarily depend on whether it was true.The other problem with this is that this does not constitute actual proof on theor part that you have an infringing file in your possesion. They merely "captured" a file with the NAME of something that they say is their property. However the file may be something completely different.
This was illustrated in a case in a College recently where the Professor was falsely accused of having a file and it was a report that just happened to have a similar name to a song.
