Gosh, that sounds a bit of a slippery slope

 

The ISP is entitled to check that its private property isn't being used for unlawful purposes. We all have that right.

 

ISPs have a condition in their Terms of Service prohibiting copyright infringment. AT&T's reads;

 

You are prohibited from infringing, publishing, submitting, copying, uploading, downloading, posting, transmitting, reproducing, or distributing software, video or audio content, or any other material that is protected by copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, any other type of intellectual property rights, trademark laws (by rights of privacy or publicity) or other proprietary right of any party unless you own or control the rights thereto or have received all necessary consent to do the same.

 

The ISP is also entitled to check that the its ToS aren't being breached.

 

 

Wait for the innocent to be affected more than the guilty as usual

 

Good valid point, well stated!

To be honest - with the risk of being banned most likely - If content is available but is too highly priced/ out-of-reach of average consumers yet aimed at average consumers then if the average consume can therefore obtain the item easily alternatively, they will.

 

This policy probably won't work. It is just another item in the PR machine to 'scare' people into submission.

 

Remember the average person downloading items 'ilegally' - although the exact definition is subject to debate - is doing so at their own time expense, if an item is priced reasonably and easier to consume then they will go elsewhere.

It's sort of interesting to see how private companies have taken over what really should be a governmental function.

 

I really have a hard time seeing what business it is of an ISP to monitor the activities of their customers.

 

Typical of corporate America, there are no protections for the little guy. No right to be heard. No right to respond. No right to confront your accuser. No right to a hearing. No right to be represented by counsel. Once you are accused, guilt is not only presumed, but conclusively established. It's worse than dealing with th telephone company, or the DMV. Of course, we all know, corporate America NEVER makes mistakes...

 

Worse yet, people probably will not even be told what items they allegedly downloaded illegally. You will just get an e-mail basically saying, "You have been bad." And when you repond to ask: "But what did I download illegally?" the response will be, "You have been bad." It's something right out of a Kafka novel.

 

Big brother watches what you do online. If the all seeing eye does not like it, your access is limited. If the all seeing eye is not really sure what it has seen, your are presumed to be doing something wrong.

 

Next time you download a livery from Avsim, or a model of an aircraft, or a scenery, keep in mind that you probably are pirating someone else's intellectual property. Or at least they might claim you are pirating their stuff. And your ISP might limit you access to the internet because you were downloading pirated property from Avsim.

 

Of course, what's next? If they can just cut you off based on an accusation that you did something they did not like, what else can they do? Perhaps you find your access limited because you make a post, like this one, critical of corporate America? Perhaps if you express support for the wrong political party? Perhaps if you read the wrong blogs or log onto sites that express opinions they do not like? Perhaps if you purchase products online that do not give a cut to them?

 

And why? To stop child pornography? Nope. To prevent identity theft? Nope. To protect people from fraud? Nope. To prevent cyberstalking? Nope.

 

It's all about protecting the profits of their corporate friends.

 

Of course some people will like these policies. Then again, some people LIKE living in a police state.

Good points High Plains Flyer. This could spell "a new spring" for copyright trolls. Remember that guy who tried to claim most of the repaints uploaded to Avsim as his copyrighted property? Can't remember his name anymore. Avsim called his bluff, but what if an ISP buys into that sort of stuff it could lead to a lot of... well you get the drift. Look forward to a new line of scams:

 

"Hi there mr. Avsim user, I got your e-mail from a list I hacked my way into. Send me money or I'll claim that you pirate stuff and get your ISP to choke your internet speed."

Musicians don't work for free it hours and weeks to create one song and to steal I would be pist. Glad they are doing this now it's theft to download illegally.

 

I am a musician (guitarist). I give my demos out for free. Now if I was super famous, it's an issue, but NOT a big one that I would actually care about. Name an artist who lost all their money from piracy? Virtually none. In fact, they all complain about their 1.4 million dollar cars not having gold plated rims. The music world is in such great support from this 7 billion people world that pirating one song is like losing a strand of hair. But then again, quite a handful of people pirate but it still doesn't affect the fact that record companies are always getting revenue (UMG, SME). Like no joke, stealing work would get you ######, I would too. But when it comes to music and television, then it shouldn't be a major problem because ALOT of people will buy their products. I just see this as company greed.

 

Just my 2 cents.

This Topic Is Under Special Surveillance

 

I can see where this topic is going soon.....

Remember the average person downloading items 'ilegally' - although the exact definition is subject to debate - is doing so at their own time expense, if an item is priced reasonably and easier to consume then they will go elsewhere.

 

Yep, provide people with a good experience, and they are usually happy to hand over their money. Thanks to iTunes, Amazon, Spotify Pandora and similar options, music piracy is dropping.

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2029476/music-piracy-is-down-a-lesson-for-hollywood.html