Anti-Piracy Firm Offering ISPs Money For Outing File-Sharers

Posted by Soulskill on Saturday January 17, 2009 @03:20AM from the if-at-first-you-don't-succeed,-open-the-checkbook dept.

mytrip points out news that an anti-piracy firm called Nexicon has been offering financial incentives to ISPs in exchange for having the ISPs police their own networks for copyright infringement. Nexicon would offer their services (for a fee) to help the ISPs pinpoint users who are illegally sharing files, and then give the users an option to "settle" through their "Get Amnesty" website. The revenue generated by such settlements would then be shared with the ISPs. Jerry Scroggin, owner of a smaller ISP in Louisiana, is still skeptical, saying, "I would still wind up losing customers. I would also have to pay Nexicon for this ... I have to survive in this economy but I don't have the big marketing dollars that bigger ISPs have. I have to fund 401(K)s and find ways not to lay off people. Giving free rein to the RIAA is not part of my business model."

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Re:they pitch an interesting plan by McGiraf · 2009-01-17 03:52 · Score: 4, Funny

"(or extorting, threatening to sue and selling "protection") your customers has never been an effective business model. "
Tell that to the real Mafia.
Short Term Gains! Sell Out Your Customers! by erroneus · 2009-01-17 04:03 · Score: 4, Funny

They may not be your customers for long, but we will pay your Tuesday for a customer sell-out today!
Re:Huh, madness by Zerth · 2009-01-17 04:10 · Score: 3, Funny

I've got a few customers I wish I could do that to.
Unfortunately, that is probably a crime. Especially since I'm not an ISP, so I'd have to crack their wireless router.