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Canadian Record Industry Presses ISPs in Court

An anonymous reader writes "'Internet service providers have neither an obligation nor, in some cases, the technical means to help the recording industry identify 29 alleged music pirates, a federal judge heard yesterday.' The article continues, 'Shaw Cable, the most defiant company among the pack, poked holes in CRIA's case and accused the music industry of planning an extended fishing expedition for the purpose of forcing individuals into costly settlements before cases ever get to trial. This is the same strategy used by sister organization the Recording Industry Association of America, lawyers argued.'"

33 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. An (almost) happy Shaw customer by m0nkyman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Makes me almost happy to put up with Shaw's mediocre mail servers.
    GO SHAW!

    --
    ~ a low user id is no indication I have a clue what I'm talking about.
    1. Re:An (almost) happy Shaw customer by Intocabile · · Score: 5, Funny

      Real pirates use shaws amazing Usenet server. Arrr.

    2. Re:An (almost) happy Shaw customer by 0racle · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Ya I'm not sure how to feel either. On one hand the support sucks and in recent months I've had outages lasting from 6 hours to 3 days. On the other hand, they seem to actually care about things.

      I'm so confused.

      --
      "I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
    3. Re:An (almost) happy Shaw customer by Curtman · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Makes me almost happy to put up with Shaw's mediocre mail servers

      Trust me, as a former Shaw customer, and current MTS ADSL customer, their mail servers could be a LOT worse. LOTS worse. My guess is spam probably has a whole lot to do with the situation, but the mail server here goes down for an average of 2 hours per day, and at times its been down for several days straight.

      130 KB/s down and 20 up is terrible compared to what I used to get with Shaw too.

      Shaw! I've learned my lesson! I'll be coming back soon!

  2. Ouch by Rick+Zeman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Shaw lawyer Charles Scott, of Lax O'Sullivan Scott, said the cable company has a duty to protect the privacy of its customers, not to become a "private investigator" for the music industry by being forced, at its own expense, to analyze and hand over subscriber information

    I can hear the next argument: "Hand all of your data over and we'll analyze it...."

  3. Canada - Land of the free? by Zone-MR · · Score: 4, Informative

    Seems canada's status as the new land of the free may have been short-lived.

    1. Re:Canada - Land of the free? by c_oflynn · · Score: 4, Informative

      Actually they are suing uploaders ONLY - they have no legal ground to sue downloaders.

  4. Not a usual pirate activity... by BlueCodeWarrior · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, they're obviously wrong.

    Pirates don't go fishing, they go pillaging.

    judge:NEXT!

  5. We all know what happens next, don't we? by James+A.+J.+Joyce · · Score: 5, Funny

    ISP: "Look, it's not our job to scour our reams of data just so you can make up some dirt on our customers."
    RIAA: "You're right...guess you'd better hand it over to us."
    ISP: "No."
    Court: "Yes."
    ISP: "Fuck."

  6. Re:Small ISP by detritus` · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Actually being on a small ISP leaves you way more open to harrassment by the various authorities, as your ISP probably doesnt have the legal funds or will to fight off the large well bankrolled organizations such as the CRIA. At least large companies like Shaw, Telus, etc. already have a plethora of lawyers just chomping at the bit to fight any legal challenges

  7. Maybe its just me by An-Unnecessarily-Lon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    But is there not a right to privacy? If the RIAA can spy onto your shared folder is that not the same as looking into your house or mail? Are those rights not protected by the law? Lawyer Help me out

    1. Re:Maybe its just me by dartmouth05 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You have a right to privacy, of course, but not when it comes to your shared folder. Why? Because it is shared.

      This is very different from looking into one's home or mail. I am no RIAA apologist, but I certainly wouldn't fault them for looking at shared folders on P2P services and the like. When you share a folder, you've made the contents open and available to be downloaded or looked at by anybody.

      It's the equivelent of putting a big sign in front of your house saying "Come in, one and all", or opening your mail and tacking it on a bulletin board. In the first example, anyone could walk right in, and in the second, anyone could step right up and read your mail. Why? Because you've made your house and mail public.

      The same logic holds true with a shared folder--by sharing it, you've made it public.

  8. Wierd. by BrainInAJar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My ISP is actually defending my rights?

    What's going on here?.
    I figgured that when the lawsuits start flying north of 49, Shaw would be the first to belly up and hand over my name, based on their records so far (I had a few billing issues).

  9. Does Canada have a RICO-like law? by ArielMT · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I wonder if Canadians can sue CRIA for racketeering like one or two Americans are the RIAA.
    RIAA countersued Under Racketeering Laws.

    --
    It must be Windows. It needs half a gig of RAM and a hardware-accelerated graphics card just to run Solitaire.
  10. wrong by dsanfte · · Score: 5, Informative
    From the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, passed in 1982:

    Fundamental freedoms

    2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

    a) freedom of conscience and religion;
    b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
    c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
    d) freedom of association.


    So yes, we do indeed have freedom of speech, and it is protected.
    --
    occultae nullus est respectus musicae - originally a Greek proverb
    1. Re:wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, since Google is apparently too difficult for you to use, allow me to enlighten you.

      The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is our constitution. It was signed into law by King Pierre in 1982, shortly before he was assassinated by Joe Clarke. Clarke enjoyed a breif stint as PM (kinda like a president, only with complete power), until he was dethroned by Brian the Black. Brian tried his best to destroy the will of the Canadian people, and he was deposed in a bloody coup lead by Jean Cretien. (Brian actually escaped the coup with his life, by setting up Kim Campbell as a puppet PM, just before the revolution.)

    2. Re:wrong by Deliveranc3 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Actually Canada has more restrictive measures in place to limit the press than the U.S.

      However we hardly ever use it and they are censored all the time. So we over legislate and underegulate.

      They on the other hand lie, then conceal. No complains on this one, Go CANADA.

    3. Re:wrong by Dashing+Leech · · Score: 3, Informative
      Basically, you can say whatever you want until someone considers it "hate speech"

      That's not true. There are many examples of limitations of free speech, in both Canada and the U.S. Hate speech is only one of them. For example, it's illegal to joke about bombs in an airport, and you'd be charged for yelling "fire!" in a crowded theatre. Limitations on free speech must be shown to be reasonable and be an absolute necessity to protect individuals or groups from harm.

      "Hate speech" only refers to speech that is intended to incite violence against individuals or groups. You can certainly claim that the Holocaust didn't happen (even if you'd be wrong). What you can't do is follow up with statements that Jews should be harmed for creating this "lie".

  11. Re:Retreat and regroup by ScrewMaster · · Score: 3, Interesting

    No ... any good strategist will tell you, don't let your enemy have anything for free. Make him pay for it. These industry groups have only the legal tools that government grants them, and they've only gotten those because there was no organized resistance. Keep the pressure on: don't let them take anything from you without a hard fight. Shaw is taking the proper stance, because once a precedent is set it's that much harder to correct later.

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  12. The reason is by mabu · · Score: 3, Funny

    Shaw is too busy spamming the rest of the world to care about cooperating with an investigation.

  13. Words for the wise by Hal+The+Computer · · Score: 3, Funny

    Always remember:

    Pillage first, then burn.

    --

    int main(void){int x=01232;while(malloc(x));return x;}
  14. Used CD stores the next to go? by spyrochaete · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I haven't bought a new album from a retail record store in years and years. Whenever I desire a peice of plastic (which is frequent enough) I'll pick it up at a used store, earning the artist and label no money anyway. How long until second hand shops are shut down by CRIA?

    Anyone who thinks Canada is freer than the States is full of crap. We are simply 1 or 2 years behind our big fat brother downstairs. We'll adopt every law they enact (file swapping) and maintain every nonsensical law they uphold (marijuana posession) until the end of time. Why? Because we don't want Dubya to drop a W-bomb on our various beaver hatcheries.

    All hail America Jr., land of the slightly freer (until 1 year later).

    In the mean time, keep doing what you do. Make a statement by defying the law. Protect yourself while you do it. Use PeerGuardian 2.

  15. Brand new law in Italy is gonna hunt down sharers by SilveRo_kun · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yesterday an anti-piracy "decreto di legge" (for the moment only for movies, but it will be extended) was passed (the final step before it becomes a law). It is somewhat like the new european law, but it is stricter with sharers. The ISPs are by law forced to hand over to the "Guardia di Finanza" (cops) the info on the sharers whenever a copyright owner complains (the law says that if they don't comply, they can be fined for up to 250.000 euros). The sharers will then be fined "simbolically": (1500 euros), and the information of the fined sharer will be published (!!!) on a national newspaper!! Yup, no kiddin', Italy sucks, and if you know italian you can check for your self here: http://www.beniculturali.it/download/DL_Cinema_PCM 12032004.pdf
    More info can be found here: http://punto-informatico.it/p.asp?i=47374 , but unfortunately it's all in Italian (I am waiting to find an article in english to submit the story....)

  16. Nice to see some support from ISP's by xot · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Whether Shaw Cable has a messed up network or they respect the users privacy, its nice to see ISP's stand up against the music industry for a change instead of whimpering in a corner.
    At least they are not going out of the way to get some poor kid sued for a million dollars!

    --
    Lord of the Binges.
  17. Re:-99 (flame troll) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    As funny as that is, the real reason is that Videotron is owned by Quebecor, who sells music. So the CRIA going after filesharers is in their best interest. Whereas a company like Shaw, with no ties to the music industry, is telling the CRIA & co to fuck off and stop badgering their precious customers (after all, Shaw would much rather swindle us out of our money first!)

  18. Re:I'm Not Canadian, Thank God by orthogonal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So how does this story affect 'My Rights Online'??

    Damn slashdot editors think your rights are the same everywhere.


    Because a precedent created anywhere -- but especially in Western democracies -- will be used as justification for the same legislation or rulings elsewhere.

    It's a matter of record that on controversial issues, one nation's courts or legislatures will look to what is the prevailing opinion in other democracies -- witness some of the U.S. Supreme Court's various opinion on capital punishment, some of which make reference to the prevailing climate of opinion in Europe.

    And it's not mere coincidence that the European Union and Australia is passing laws that look a lot like the DMCA; given world-wide trade, one nation will pressure another nation to bring its laws into conformance with the first's, or into conformance with some international treaty.

    So wherever the bell tolls, whether in Canada or Germany or your own homeland, the bell tolls for you. It's in my direct interest to see that my neighbors' rights are secured in their countries, so as to provide a good example to the legislators and judges in my own country.

  19. Re:why? by LordK2002 · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Because
    1. Little Johnny may not know that that nice music player he downloaded is offering music for upload.
    2. Little Johnny may know that he is offering songs for upload, but not realise that it is illegal.
    3. Little Johnny may not know what "upload", "sharing" etc means, and just knows he has to have lots of shared files to get onto that cool music site.
    4. You get the picture.

    K

  20. damn you videotron by WildBeast · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm no mp3 downloader and I frankly think that most music sucks but I'll be switching to Bell as a matter of principle.

  21. Re:Unlikely by siegloffclark · · Score: 4, Insightful

    that would relate to a specific patient record - or at worst, a limited class of patient records. wouldn't take a big brain, or unlimited hours, to track it down. consider, however, trying to pin down the patient who walked into the er sometime between a wednesday and friday last august in one of two hospitals in new york. and the only thing you know about them is that they wore a jacket emblazoned with he number 16 and a name. and now imagine that you were a visitor to one of those er's during that time, and you loaned some guy your jacket. you were both caught on the hospital video system wearing a jacket fiting the description ... ever been the target of an investigation?

    --

    disclaimer: anything i write is just my opinion, however brilliant or correct ;)

  22. What I dont get is.. by anethema · · Score: 4, Informative

    Are the CRIA making sure to go only after the P2P users who have uploaded?

    I ask since...possesing copies of music you dont own, including P2P downloading is TOTALLY LEGAL here in canada. (first link is to the govt site explaining fair use, explaining you can copy any music, even music you dont own, as long as YOU are the one making the copy)

    Fair use covers the fact that I can 100% legally borrow my friends cd's and copy them. He, on the other hand, CAN NOT make a copy for me.

    So I guess Canada is not totally regressing into the USA :)

    --


    It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.
  23. Copying is perfectly legal in Canada by AchilleTalon · · Score: 3, Informative
    Accordingly to this document we can conclude private copy is perfectly legal in Canada. We are paying extra money on copying media (selected media, listed in the document). The Copyright Board of Canada has recognized in 1998 it is not possible to effectively control private copy and has then decided to impose a fee on a selected list of media. The fees were just revised.

    However, the Internet and disks are still not considered taxable medias. Sueing peoples make no sense. What they should do, it is to trying to convince the Board to include Internet and disks in the list. And the money should go to the artists rather than to the recording industry.

    Personnally, I would be willing to pay some amount for the artists, but not for the industry which seems to me always harder to justify. Dinosaurs became extincted because they were simply obsolete given the new living conditions on earth. The recording industry is simply becoming obsolete, not the artists, and I don't see any reason to perpetuate the mascarade...

    --
    Achille Talon
    Hop!
  24. Broadband Tax? by qtp · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I thought that Canadians paid a "broadband tax" to cover the cost of "pirating".

    Has anyone else here heard of this?

    How can the record companies go after someone if they are already receiving a handout from the government to cover that loss?

    Am I completely wrong about this?

    Wouldn't this be "double jeopardy" if you've paid your share for using broadband, but they are still sueing users?

    --
    Read, L
  25. Re:note to mods, parent is funny by xsbellx · · Score: 5, Funny

    I would but the parent's facts are a little off.

    King Pierre first obtained power in 1968 after a bloody internal power stuggle within the palace. This reign was interupted by a short period (June 1979 through March 1980) of insurrection led by Joe Clarke. King Pierre was then able to muster the proper forces and return to power until March of 1984. At this time, an squable within the royal family led to a distant cousin, John Turner, briefly (June 1984 through Spetember 1984) seized power.

    Turner was violently overthrown in September 1984 by Brian Mulroney (some said he was Ronnald Reagan's bastard brother). Mulroney held power until June 1993 at which time tensions within the country had reached a boiling point. Mulroney, realizing his days were numbered, installed Kim Campbell as puppet leader.

    Lady Kim was able to hold power for a remarkable 4 months until deposed in November of 1993 by Prince Jean Chretien, a close cousin of the former King Pierre.

    Prince Jean was able to rule with an iron fist until December 2003 when he was deposed by Duke Paul Martin in a bloody internal power struggle whose waves are still agitating the normally placid Canadian politcal waters.

    For details, please see this site.

    --
    If VISTA is the answer, you didn't understand the question