MPAA Snooping? (1 Viewer)

[John Sturge]

MPAA Snooping For Pirates
For anyone that cares or missed it, an article about MPAA going after pirates.

The MPAA uses special monitoring software from San Diego-based Ranger Online. The automated software provides the Internet address of the file-swapper, which the MPAA forwards to the relevant Internet provider.
The MPAA then asks the provider to contact the user with an ultimatum: Remove the copyright files from your computer or have your service disconnected. Almost everyone served with a cease-and-desist letter by their Internet provider complies, Jacobsen said. The group said it does not keep records of how many users have actually been disconnected, though at least one recipient has fought back.

I seriously don't mind it. What do you think?

 

[MikeAlletto]

But Hollywood studios worry that the rising number of broadband connections and improved video compression techniques will open the door to runaway piracy.

Yeah just like the VCR did. Those VHS pirates were everywhere. Uh uh...ok...whatever. Then the studios realized that people will actually BUY the movie if they put it on tape and sell it. $Cha-ching$.

The MPAA and studios still don't get it. People are tired of paying for crappy overpriced cd's. People are tried of spending $8-$10 to go see an overhyped 15 minute commercial prefixed movie that ends up sucking. They keep ignoring the facts that cd sales with Napster were actually higher. If the stuff is good...people will buy it.

I just bought 2 cd's last week. The first I've bought in a long time. Dave Matthews and Counting Crows. The Dave Matthews cd is really good. Only about half of the Counting Crows one was. I won't be buying their next cd. Tired of getting a cd with only 3-5 decent songs on it and paying $15 for it. If I would have known that ahead of time I wouldn't have wasted my money on it.

As far as people "stealing" movies. I don't buy into their claims they are losing money. The people who steal the movie either have already seen it in the theater and just want it before it comes out on dvd. Or they never want to see it anyways and just have it as bragging rights to their friends.

The MPAA has no right to snoop on an individuals PC to see what they have and then threaten them. Oh and don't even get me started on Roadrunner and their "always on" broadband. Yeah, it's always on as long as you aren't always on and as long as you don't download a lot.

 

[Todd H]

I find it interesting that hackers can now get life in prison, yet the MPAA wants to do the same thing and not be held accountable. Unacceptable.

 

[Dennis Reno]

Anyone remember when the studios claimed they were working on a Napster alternative to allow people to purchase and download songs online? Someone even mentioned the ability to create custom CD's. Years later... nada.

Now the MPAA wants to become the secret police of the 'net!

 

[Kevin P]

As I recall, the RIAA wanted to do something even more insiduous, as in hack into people's PCs and delete MP3s! I think that proposal got shot down as I haven't heard anything of it recently.

Still, there's always workarounds. A pirated movie on a P2P network doesn't have to look like a pirated movie at first glance. This trick will only stop the dumb file sharers who leave files like "LordOfTheRings_1.mpg" on their shared drive!

KJP

 

[Ryan Wright]

Anyone remember when the studios claimed they were working on a Napster alternative to allow people to purchase and download songs online? Someone even mentioned the ability to create custom CD's. Years later... nada.

Actually, they already have set this system up. Link Removed It's going to fail, though. You know why? For your monthly fee, you get x number of downloads and x number of "streams", meaning you can only listen to a song a certain number of times. You also get the following great benefits:
1. You can only burn a certain, tiny percentage of the songs you "buy" to CD.
2. You can only listen to most of the songs a certain number of times per month. After that, you're charged extra money every time you want to hear a song.
3. You can't transfer the songs to other computers, or listen to them in your car (except for that small percentage that you're allowed to burn to CD).
4. When you cancel your subscription, you lose all of the music you've previous purchased. That's right: The songs you "buy", well, you don't really get to keep them! Once you stop paying your $10+ per month, every song you've previously purchased expires immediately and you can't listen to it ever again.
Yeah, there's a "good faith" effort to sell music online. What a load of shit; who would subscribe to that?! It's DivX all over again.
I once downloaded a movie off the Internet before it was in theaters. Yep, I admit it: I'm a movie pirate. The movie was "American Pie 2". Someone had taken a 4:3 aspect ratio video camera into a pre-screening. They had then compressed it for download. End result?
- The movie was 4:3.
- You could see people's heads and hear them talking. Every once in awhile, someone would get up and walk in front of the screen.
- Both video and audio quality was so poor, it almost wasn't worth watching.
But I watched it anyway. I was in such anticipation of the movie, I just had to see it before anyone else. I also saw it in theaters and bought the DVD. Yeah, I'm a "pirate" alright. I illegally pre-screened a movie and somehow that puts me on the same level with people who rape, murder and pillage on the high seas.
I also "stole" from the industry. The MPAA would have me believe that poor Jason Biggs is going to go hungry because I watched this movie. Nevermind that I saw it in theaters and bought the DVD, I still "stole" from them.
Well, I call bullshit. I didn't steal a thing, and I'll do it again if I get the urge.

 

[Thomas Newton]

As I recall, the RIAA wanted to do something even more insiduous, as in hack into people's PCs and delete MP3s! I think that proposal got shot down as I haven't heard anything of it recently.

Check today's CNET news stories. It seems that a draft bill to let the RIAA and MPAA attack computers, with immunity from state and federal laws, might be introduced in the House before long.

By the way, the sponsors also have another bill that would sharply restrict Fair Use & First Sale Doctrine. For instance, if you made a videotape of a broadcast TV show, it would become illegal for you to give that tape to your Mom.

 

[MickeS]

The MPAA initiative, where they track the IP adress and sends a cease-and-desist letter is the least intrusive at least, and I understand them. It IS an illegal activity after all.

But I wonder how they're going to do it, practically. I mean, there are hundreds of thousands of people doing this. I can't see the ISP's being interested in spending all their waking hours sending out cease-and-desist letters.

/Mike

 

[Rob Gardiner]

MPAA Admits to Unauthorized Movie Copying
MPAA Finds Itself Accused of Piracy

The standard the MPAA is using for itself appears to be at odds with what the organization sets out for others: "Manufacturing, selling, distributing or making copies of motion pictures without the consent of the copyright owners is illegal," the MPAA's website says. "Movie pirates are thieves, plain and simple. ALL forms of piracy are illegal and carry serious legal consequences."

 

[BrianW]

The DMCA allows the copyright holder to demand the ISP to turn over the personal info of alleged pirates, so the copyright holders can take action (like sending a cease-and-desist letter). On the word of the copyright holder, under penalty of perjury, the ISP is also required to disconnect service to anyone alleged by the RIAA (again, under penalty of perjury) to be a pirate. The ISPs balked at this, and having the ISPs send the letters is a precedent-approved short-circuit compromise to the injunctive penalties called for by the DMCA. Although the ISPs now have to send the letters, and even disconnect service when commanded to do so by the copyright holder, they no longer have to turn over the personal information of their customers. Verizon, I believe, is the ISP that fought hardest to keep from having to turn over their customers' information to the RIAA.

I've read several articles (sorry, no links, but I'll post them if I find them) about false accusations being leveled against individuals who have committed no crime. One case I remember in particular involved a research scientist whose entire staff's VPN access was shut down on the RIAA's allegation that he was a pirate. All his research came to a screeching halt. As it turned out, one of his data files was simply given a name that had a passing resemblance to a pop song title. Nevertheless, it took months of red tape to clear his name and restore his service.

Funny, though... I don't recall reading any articles describing how anyone in the RIAA has been indicted for perjury for making these false accusations.

 

[Hunter P]

Um, yeah, good plan.
Even if they convince your ISP to disconnect your service and give up that revenue, so what? Just go sign up with another provider who likes money.