Tuesday, November 29th 2011

File Sharing: Big 5 Aussie ISPs Gang Together Against Their Customers

Well, it looks like Big Content finally got to them, because Australia's five major ISPs (Telstra Bigpond, iiNet, Optus, iPrimus and Internode) are all ganging up together in a group called The Communications Alliance to screw over their customers in the name of Big Content. They are going to start sending out warning letters to their customers on mere accusations of copyright infringement, as part of an 18-month trial. These warning letters, termed "educational notices" to spin them as some sort of favour to their customers, would be sent on apparent evidence of infringement, based on IP address - that same method that has proven to be so unreliable, especially against home users, many times over. If their customer still doesn't get it, after three of these "educational notices", the copyright holder gets to enjoy pursuing the "offender" through the courts. The real tragedy, is the way that all this is based on an assumption that file sharing causes lost sales, as they state themselves that the effect is impossible to prove and hence rely on statutory damages. Big Content has never proved it and indeed several studies have shown that file sharing doesn't actually hurt sales and often has a positive effect, as we reported here. The big surprise out of this lot, is to see plucky ISP iiNet in this hall of shame since they were the ISP who'd fought the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) who had argued "that the ISP infringed copyright by failing to take reasonable steps - including enforcing its own terms and conditions - to prevent customers from copying films and TV shows over its network." - and actually won.
Source: ABC News
Add your own comment

42 Comments on File Sharing: Big 5 Aussie ISPs Gang Together Against Their Customers

#26
eidairaman1
The Exiled Airman
majority of users of those ISPs will abandon them plus stock holders will start selling their stocks for other companies, not a good move for those idiots, instead of hogging money why not increase the services, provide better quality service
Posted on Reply
#27
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
qubitIt is right JD, because the evidence is all based on the IP. What other way have they got? Have a read of the article I pointed to which explains why going IP address is such a faulty method.

Big Content of course, don't give a shit about this, just as long as they can intimidate people with it.

Our Aussy friends such as Wolf and Mussels must be really pissed off about this and who can blame them?
internode is the only ISP on the list i'd touch, and their quotas are so low download quota wise, that i bet they just want to scare off their heavy users.


like most aussies, i'm waiting on the NBN to roll out - that'll teach these ISP's, when the pricing field is finally competitive.
Posted on Reply
#28
laszlo
just the IP and traffic related is not enough to sue anyboby;what if the IP is allocated to wifi router which is not secured? they need evidence from hard drive otherwise nada
Posted on Reply
#29
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
laszlojust the IP and traffic related is not enough to sue anyboby;what if the IP is allocated to wifi router which is not secured? they need evidence from hard drive otherwise nada
i repair lots of machines, and often once i get the OS booting again their torrent/emule/frostwire etc clients fire right up and start downloading.

my IP address gets pinged for copyright infringement, when i did nothing illegal.
Posted on Reply
#30
qubit
Overclocked quantum bit
Musselsinternode is the only ISP on the list i'd touch, and their quotas are so low download quota wise, that i bet they just want to scare off their heavy users.


like most aussies, i'm waiting on the NBN to roll out - that'll teach these ISP's, when the pricing field is finally competitive.
It sounds like Internode don't want any customers at all...

Sorry, what's NBN? :confused:
wolfAlso it's Aussie
Oh duh! Sorry, I missed that. :o One of our helpful mods fixed my embarrassing blunder. :toast:
Posted on Reply
#31
Jack Doph
qubitIt sounds like Internode don't want any customers at all...

Sorry, what's NBN? :confused:




Oh duh! Sorry, I missed that. :o One of our helpful mods fixed my embarrassing blunder. :toast:
NBN = National Broadband Network. A government initiative to get internet to every household in the country. In itself quite a good idea, but the implementation may be a little dodgy..
More info HERE
:toast:
Posted on Reply
#32
slyfox2151
CrusaderEven if they track you down to your IP, they can't prove it was you who downloaded said file(s); With numerous people in the house, weak or unsecured wireless, regular visitors (house LANs, etc), it could have been anyone.
They should not be able to charge you on that. Unless of course, they search your personal computer and find it (they'll need me at gun point to even get that far, wankers).
it doesn't mater who downloaded the files, its upto the internet account holder to make sure his/her network is secured.

they may not be able to charge you for copy right infringement... but the isp sure can disconnect you.
Posted on Reply
#33
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
qubitIt sounds like Internode don't want any customers at all...

Sorry, what's NBN? :confused:
fiber network not owned by telstra. atm every ISP must lease bandwidth off telstra, since they literally own every last phone line in Au.


if telstra oppose file sharing, then it trickles down the tree - but on the NBN where every ISP has equal standing and pricing, there wont be as much pressure from the big boys to do the same
Posted on Reply
#34
TurdFergasun
not news coming from an island of convicts. what would you have them do, fight their genetic dispositions for criminal behavior? lunacy! lead on mr murdoch lead on!
Posted on Reply
#35
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
TurdFergasunnot news coming from an island of convicts. what would you have them do, fight their genetic dispositions for criminal behavior? lunacy! lead on mr murdoch lead on!
need i point out that america is a country of criminals who rebelled against their government?
Posted on Reply
#36
TurdFergasun
you're missing one very important distinguishing feature of that situation. americans weren't there because they were criminals. they just happened to be criminals, and scumbags. there is a slim chance that a good number normy's were there because they wanted freedom. nobody that got sent to the australian penal colonies was there for freedom related reasons other than to have it revoked, and these weren't your average scumfucks either, these were the ppl like charlie bronson who were too psycho and violent for the overcrowded british penal system of the time. all joking aside it's a real page out of the fascist's handbook of regime building whats going down in australia right now, whether it's the copyright laws, the regular laws or the seemingly universal acceptance of the mistreatment of aboriginals.
Posted on Reply
#37
sixequalszero
Haven't they already been doing this? I've received these types of emails several years ago.
CrusaderEven if they track you down to your IP, they can't prove it was you who downloaded said file(s); With numerous people in the house, weak or unsecured wireless, regular visitors (house LANs, etc), it could have been anyone.
That's irrelevant, it's your service, your responsibility.
Posted on Reply
#38
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
sixequalszeroHaven't they already been doing this? I've received these types of emails several years ago.



That's irrelevant, it's your service, your responsibility.
if your car is stolen and used in a robbery, are you criminally responsible for the robbery? "your car, your responsibility"
Posted on Reply
#39
Jack Doph
TurdFergasunyou're missing one very important distinguishing feature of that situation. americans weren't there because they were criminals. they just happened to be criminals, and scumbags. there is a slim chance that a good number normy's were there because they wanted freedom. nobody that got sent to the australian penal colonies was there for freedom related reasons other than to have it revoked, and these weren't your average scumfucks either, these were the ppl like charlie bronson who were too psycho and violent for the overcrowded british penal system of the time. all joking aside it's a real page out of the fascist's handbook of regime building whats going down in australia right now, whether it's the copyright laws, the regular laws or the seemingly universal acceptance of the mistreatment of aboriginals.
OK.
I wasn't going to reply, but as I'm fiercely patriotic, I find myself in a postion where I can no longer bite my tongue.
Apologies to my fellow Aussies, but this is a dig I cannot let go unreplied.

Before you go to sleep thinking "I've put those dimwitted criminals that call themselves Australian in their place", you're far better served by actually researching, before making your wild claims that are both highly inaccurate and demeaning in nature.

Australia is the *only* country involved in all major wars since the Boer War (look it up if you don't know what that is).
My entire heritage is Dutch, with a sprinkling of Indonesian thrown in, so none of your offensive comments should mean anything to me, but they hurt my Aussie pride nonetheless.
My own mother was freed from a Jap camp in WWII. Not by the Americans, or the Canadians, or anyone from the northern hemisphere. She was freed by the Anzacs - led by the Aussies and backed-up by our Kiwi friends (we poke fun at them, as much as they do at us, but we look after each other like blood brothers in times of need).

None of us have a clear conscious. None of us can claim purity of heart in what our history is or even what we may have achieved in our collective lifetimes as individuals.

What matters is where we are now.
I think it's fairly obvious and probably fair to state that most governments around the world behave in much the same way - they are there to further themselves, before the people that elected them in the first place. It seems unavoidable somehow :/

Again.. Do your research - seek the truth, but above all: show some respect son.
Please
Posted on Reply
#40
qubit
Overclocked quantum bit
@Jack Doph

Good post, well said. :toast:

Bottom line is that every country has it's greatnesses and shames and it's wrong to put individuals down based on where they come from.

Anyway, that's enough off topic. If anyone would like to reply, please do so in PM or start a thread over at General Nonesense and link to it here.
Posted on Reply
#41
Jack Doph
Thanks Q.
I do apologise, but some things.. I just cannot let go of.

Point still (back on topic), I suppose, is the fact that we are being led by those that know the least, to lead the ones that know the most (or close enough to it - even if by everyday use of said services)

I value my privacy and that of those around the world.
This kind of killjoy attitude serves only to suit the few and endanger the many..

There has to be a better way, right?
Posted on Reply
#42
sixequalszero
Musselsif your car is stolen and used in a robbery, are you criminally responsible for the robbery? "your car, your responsibility"
Of course not, but your metaphor is invalid. If I left my shotgun on the front lawn and it's used in a robbery, I would absolutely be responsible for the harm that would come from it.
Posted on Reply
Add your own comment
Jan 10th, 2025 12:23 EST change timezone

New Forum Posts

Popular Reviews

Controversial News Posts