Slashdot Mirror
Music Piracy Unit Raids ISP in BitTorrent Assault
renai42 writes "Australia's music industry piracy investigations unit has raided an Internet service provider in Perth, Australia in what it says is the first Australian assault on the use of BitTorrent technology for copyright infringement. Outgoing Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI) general manager, Michael Speck, said the raid was launched this afternoon at the offices of Swiftel Communications."
It should be noted that the company that got raided, is now called 'People Telecom'. There former name was Swiftel.
Guess it's time for file-sharing Aussies to switch to AOL.
here, which makes some mention of the law this was carried out under.
"The raids were conducted with rarely used search warrants known as Anton Piller orders which are used exclusively in civil proceedings. No police were involved, and the record industry sent its own investigators to carry out the search and seize evidence."
Screw you all! I'm off to the pub
For some reason I see the scene from Ghostbusters where the EPA barges into their business:
"Turn it off! Turn it all off!"
Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
There's also a discussion on Whirlpool's and Swiftel/People Telcom's forums.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
It's sorta like saying that "Before being apprehended, the chainsaw murderer went after the victims with a 2 HorsePower Black-and-Decker Deluxe Model Chainsaw (available at hardware stores near you)"
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Here is the Wikipedia explanation
And here is how it is done in Australia
It is considered the "atomic bomb" of IP rights enforcement, and is quite old. Because the defendent is not heard before the raid, it was removed from most laws until the new wave of harsh IP enforcement.
In Denmark this was implemented a few years ago due to pressure from the United States. This is another reason I do not like the US government: Now anybody having copyright, patents or trademarks can raid my private home if they can prove that it is likely that their rights were infringed upon.
Use the Steve Irwin voice:
I found these HUGE poirates, they grow up to six or seven feet hoigh and have these big computahs. Here's one with foity songs from that BitTawent, isn't she a beauty? Crikey, I gawts ta wank awff on that toight ass...
A raid! Quick hide those torrents!
The actors proceed to furiously bury floppies in desk drawers.
And Music Industry 'Piracy' Investigations for a title? What about Music Industry Copyright Investigations as a more correct name - oops, too easy to take the MICI out of them.
"Get off the cross - we need the wood" - Tori Amos
Many broadband ISP in Australia have uncounted content (does not coun't towards download quota) between users of the same state or where an ISP peers with an internet exchange (eg waix, pipe). This, in combination with often low download limits from ISPs, has lead to a situation where users of this ISP in question had setup bittorrent and direct connect facilities/servers for other users on their own computers (servers and the like are allowed on user connection in this ISP's respective AUP). This way they could exchange files without affecting their quota.
The people who raided the ISP in particular believed that the ISP had setup the P2P facilities for the users (which isn't the case).
Interestingly the hubs and groups who were using these facilities were pretty low key, you would be lucky to find two or three seeders per torrent (for example). I am amazed that they even botherd to do the raids, the people involved number in the dozens only. We aren't talking a Aussie suprnova or anything...
Posting anon for obvious reasons.
...provided the user has BitTorrent software or software or a protocol equivalent to BitTorrent.
Ah, ZDNet.
I'll bet two RIAA settlements and half a donut
/. general public: Check
Starting post with arrogance: Check
this is merely ZDNet's inability to differentiate between journalism and editorializing.
Attack of major corporation: Check
Of course, they are hardly alone in this deficient behavior, and are in the company of many prestigious (and formerly prestigious) media outlets.
Attack of major media: Check
It's obvious to all but the tinhat crowd (and ZDNet)
Attack of
Second attack of major corporation: BONUS!!
that the police did the raid.
Arrogance of knowledge of another country's legal system: Check
Hmmm witty sig or funny sig? Maybe elitest techy sig!
Australia doesn't have a bill of rights.
Correct
The government can do as it pleases.
Not correct. There is plenty of accountability. Australia is not an autocratic state lacking checks and balances by any means. If a government oversteps its mark, there are numerous avenues by which they can be constrained.
Screw you all! I'm off to the pub
it's called the slashdot two-step! anybody can dance to it. the idea is just to keep moving with your keyboards in any way you can to justify piracy.
For example, in response to this message, you can ignore the main point, and concentrate on the minor linguisitc point that I used the term "piracy" instead of "copyright infringement." See, you can do it.. it's easy!