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
42 Comments on File Sharing: Big 5 Aussie ISPs Gang Together Against Their Customers
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.
my IP address gets pinged for copyright infringement, when i did nothing illegal.
Sorry, what's NBN? :confused: Oh duh! Sorry, I missed that. :o One of our helpful mods fixed my embarrassing blunder. :toast:
More info HERE
:toast:
they may not be able to charge you for copy right infringement... but the isp sure can disconnect you.
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
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
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.
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?