Comcast and AT&T to partner up with RIAA and monitor illegal file-sharing

[Grant A.]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11424_3-10151877-90.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5

They DO realize that they will be breaking several privacy laws, right?

[smartboyathome]

Oh crap, I'm on Comcast. I hope that some of the distros I download via bittorrent won't be considered illegal.

[Mason Whitaker]

Glad I have Road Runner <_<;

[damis648]

*Murders Self*

Why must they do this to us?

[shadylookin]

won't this mean losing their immunity? ISP's were given immunity if their users illegally shared files. Now if they're actively packet sniffing their users aren't they now responsible if one of them slips through and violates the law?

I imagine they're only doing this because they overstated the abilities of their network and want an excuse to get rid of customers that use a lot of bandwidth(they've already been caught throttling torrents).

[Therion]

They DO realize that they will be breaking several privacy laws, right?

Really? Which one(s), exactly?

They're not talking about looking at YOUR computer in particular, this would be done at the server level. And since you don't own the server, you don't own the data ON the server, your ISP does. And if your ISP decides to cave in and cooperate...

[Mason Whitaker]

won't this mean losing their immunity? ISP's were given immunity if their users illegally shared files. Now if they're actively packet sniffing their users aren't they now responsible if one of them slips through and violates the law?

I imagine they're only doing this because they overstated the abilities of their network and want an excuse to get rid of customers that use a lot of bandwidth(they've already been caught throttling torrents).

Would it not be fun to stage a protest by a large group of people downloading stuff at the same time who are Comcast and AT&T customers? :P

[domokunrox]

Microemacs and Pine, use it.

[hanzomon4]

What like upload a fake mp3 of some copyrighted work that when played would say something like.... oh I don't know... "get your nose out the crack of my *** att"(perhaps I should bleep "att")

[MikeTheC]

This will ultimately only come back to bite them.

Savvy tech folk have very, very long memories, and activist tech folk have a fairly long reach.

I'm just waiting for the U.S. government to decide to nationalize the Internet infrastructure and ISPs along with it.

[shadylookin]

This will ultimately only come back to bite them.

Savvy tech folk have very, very long memories, and activist tech folk have a fairly long reach.

I'm just waiting for the U.S. government to decide to nationalize the Internet infrastructure and ISPs along with it.

ultimately though that doesn't matter because comcast is a monopoly in most areas. If I could have jumped ship when my previous cable provider made a deal with comcast I would have, but there's simply no other alternative where I live :(

[zmjjmz]

Luckily there's Verizon FiOS in my area :/

[swoll1980]

I imagine they're only doing this because they overstated the abilities of their network and want an excuse to get rid of customers that use a lot of bandwidth(they've already been caught throttling torrents).

Not getting rid of customers, but rather reducing the bandwidth their using. A huge chunk of bandwidth is being chewed up by illegal download addicts that are downloading things 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I think this is a scare tactic to try, and control some of these people. Either way I don't give a crap seems to me the only ones affected by this are the ones breaking the law, and if they don't like the rules they can buy leases, and start their own isp

[3rdalbum]

I hope Comcast and AT&T users start illegally sharing one particular video file involving a cup and two girls...

[handy]

I'm just waiting for the U.S. government to decide to nationalize the Internet infrastructure and ISPs along with it.

That goes against the grain, in the land of privatisation.

They thus far don't even have national health.

[swoll1980]

That goes against the grain, in the land of privatisation.

They thus far don't even have national health.

Or nationalized anything for that matter. I'm 99% sure that 10 people control the prices of everything in the US

[Frak]

Which ISP was it that said "No" because they said that they should be the ones to get paid for monitoring their users and not the RIAA? Maybe it was Verizon...

Anyways, I can either choose AT&T or Washington Post in my area. Washington post is already in RIAA's bed anyway.

[hanzomon4]

I was going to try there U-verse but now it's rnc for me.