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AT&T, Comcast To Join RIAA Team
suraj.sun writes "AT&T and Comcast, two of the nation's largest Internet service providers, are expected to be among a group of ISPs that will cooperate with the music industry in battling illegal file sharing, three sources close to the companies told CNET News. The RIAA said last month that it had enlisted the help of ISPs as part of a new antipiracy campaign. The RIAA has declined to identify which ISPs or how many. It's important to note that none of the half dozen or so ISPs involved has signed agreements. But as it stands, AT&T and Comcast are among the companies that have indicated they wish to participate in what the RIAA calls a 'graduated response program.'"
I'm sure that's right out of the CIA 'Robust Interrogation' handbook. When do they get to pulling out the fingernails?
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
Does this really surprise anyone given that AT&T was at the forefront of the illegal wiretapping scandal?
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine -- Robert C. Gallagher
It seems that the RIAA part would Imply the United States.
You mad
I've been thinking of ditching Comcast for Verizon (the only two broadband options in Philadelphia) - if Verizon is not on board, then I guess that seals the deal!
Missing original CNET News article link :
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10151389-93.html
Corporate america is creating a legal regime and prosecution system outside the law.
This has to be stopped.
the one that the RIAA operates in?
what does that last A stand for on your side of the pond, teabag?
http://slashdot.org/faq/editorial.shtml#ed850 Text here to thwart the filter.....
"Nobody owns the fucking words man." - James Dean
Encrypt everyting. No more tapping, HTTP ad injections and other shit. They have no right to your internet information.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power lost.
Assholes?
LAN parties are even better - more productive and a greater selection.
RS
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
Comcast et al are seeking cover to squash p2p to relieve their bandwidth problems. RIAA makes a nice scape goat is things go badly.
Wondeful, because there's no other crime that even comes close to music piracy.
Just imagine it, you get arrested and put in a cell with a dozen other people:
Cell occupant 1: "Hey pale skinny white guy, what you in here for?"
Cell occupant 2: "I bet he got caught jacking a 7-11"
Cell occupant 1: "That's what I'm in here for"
Cell occupant 3: "No shit, that's what I did last week, but I got caught today mugging someone"
Cell occupant 1: "So what is it boy?"
You: "I downloaded a Backstreet Boys album without paying for it.."
*all the other cell occupants slowly back away*
To do something right, you often have to roll up your sleeves and get busy.
Work out how much money the record companies think they are losing from piracy
Setup filtering on the ISP's networks to prevent file sharing.
charge people even more for their internet connections while throttling the speed.
Record companies get their money (well, so they think)
ISP's provide less service for more money.
Win win.
Unless you are a customer, in which case its a lose lose. Less access to music, less access to internet, pay more money.
This is the easy solution that will actually be implemented.
-- Senior Software Engineer, Attorney appearance services, locallawyerapp.com.
Given that the RIAA/MPAA create music and movies, and that telecoms are bundling TV channels as well as internet services, and the people producing the content for the TV channels are pretty much all members of the RIAA/MPAA or share their interests in protecting their copyrighted works, it's hardly a surprise that ISPs are willing to cooperate. In fact, I'm surprised more ISPs aren't.
Those ISPs that are purely providing connectivity and don't also have cable/satellite TV services among their offered products may hold out against the RIAA/MPAA a bit longer, but I don't expect that it'll last. The major players will bundle with content producers, and will comply with assisting in copyright enforcement in order to secure the revenue that their TV packages provide.
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
Nono, that's the first A.
"Recording Industry Assholes of America."
=Smidge=
First, there's the problem with measuring, "work out how much money the record companies make from sales." Whose numbers do you trust? Second, there's the issue of distribution of the money. Who gets what share of the money? Third there's the problem that once this system is put into place, there's no way of measuring how much money the record companies would have made this year if this system were not put in place. So how do you determine whether the amount should rise or fall year-to-year.
And if that weren't enough, it leaves no incentive for record companies to do anything useful ever again. They can just kick back and collect their checks.
Since we're stuck with ConCast, I'll have to do a lot more P2P if they're going to team with the Rabid Idiot Asshole Industry. I don't share any files the copyright holders don't want shared, but The Station's The Fog will likely be confused by ConCast and the RIAA by a tune by one of their artists by the same name.
If they try to sue me, I'll have Dave sue THEM for infringing HIS copyright, and I will also sue them for slander.
This should be fun.
Free Martian Whores!
These ISPs like to complain about the excessive bandwidth used by filesharers. I can only assume that once they start kicking these evil users off the system, my connection speeds will increase to the advertised rates, and soon they will be able to reduce my monthly bill.
There are no other broadband ISPs in many places, including where I live. Hell, I don't even get to choose DSL -- cable is the only option.
AT&T and Comcast know this. They don't give a shit about their customers, because they're usually the only game in town. So the only option is to abandon broadband entirely and stick with a dial-up, spend ridiculous amounts on a leased line, or spend even more ridiculous amounts on satellite Internet (which has lag times that are way too high for VoIP or online gaming). If there were another option I'd be jumping on it in an instant.
When will these companies realize who their customers are? It is the subscriber.
If they'll give my information to a corrupt trade organization whose strategy is suing grandmas, kids dead people and folks without computers, who else would they be willing to sell my personal information to?
They are either getting some money from the labels to do this to offset the customers who they are going to piss off, or they are counting on being a natural monopoly in certain markets. That or they've sold more broadband at cheap prices to get folks off dial up and realized that they can't turn a profit when you have folks choking down their connection. If Net Neutrality wins the day, and they can't throttle or shape the user's traffic any more, the only recourse companies will have is kicking their "excessive" users off the plan by either invoking the AUP or getting the RIAA to sue them into being a non-customer so they can let the *AA look like assholes instead of the ISP.
Forgive my spelling from time to time. I'm often posting during short breaks.
Oh great. Another batch of "that does it, I am ditching Comcast". Note also that they didn't even have to do anything yet, just put out a press release, and the troublemakers (sharers in this case) are busy playing the Crack Suicide Squad - which is exactly what's required from the point of view of the ISPs. Just get them off your own lawn, and report progress to RIAA. There's always enough lemmings (who don't know and don't care) to pay the bills.
Now, if the comments were running to the side of "that does it, I'm getting Comcast accounts for everyone and the dog and sharing like it's 1999", that would make more sense as a response. Otherwise, get used to the periodical pronouncements - they don't cost anything and are having at least some effect.
I can assure you, the best way to get rid of dragons is to have one of your own.
Yuo hit the nail on the head. A company like Verizon can suddenly gain market share if they announce they will NOT join with the RIAA and condemn what Comcast and AT&T are doing.
Suddenly, everyone that does not like it has a very strong reason to switch to Verizon (where they can) even if rates were higher.
but honestly, corporations today are ran by weasels. They dont care if they screw the customer, their only care is if the next bonus is large enough to buy a new vacation home.
They hate you as a customer. Completely and utterly hate you. If they did not then they would stand up for you instead of rolling over and playing dead.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
This too shall pass. A couple of observations. First, P2P accounts for between one-third and four-fifths of internet traffic, depending on the entities collecting the data and the regions from where the data is collected. Either way, it seems like a lot. Second, internet usage continues to grow. People love YouTube, just wait until the quality improves. How many people are watching Netflix's Watch Now as a result of if being available on so many systems? Third, the economy will prevent many, if not most, ISPs from adding additional bandwidth. Thus, in order to keep up with increased legitimate demand without adding more capacity, it makes since that ISPs would want to reduce demand from file sharing. Simple, really.
Make love, not reality television.
Liable-- don't know-- do they alert the authorities? hell yes
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=utilities+telling+police+marijuana+growers&spell=1
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
That's it. I'm so sick of these companies I'm going to get ClearWire, I don't care if it's slower at least it's independent and not in bed with the Government/RIAA.
Is there a way to force a City to provide more than one telco and cable provider? It's got to be possible, how is this done, or what is the best way to go about changing this?
Bringing liberty to the masses. - http://freetalklive.com/
Fuckers
I agree with your basic premise that the vast majority of filesharing involves "technically illegal" material.
A better analogy would be if you broke into my house and copied all the contents of my laptop and/or ipod and then left. I tell the police that my data has been stolen but can't prove it, since its all still there.
Its difficult to apply logic and reasoning based on physical goods to bits of data which can be reproduced perfectly and VERY easily.
You can't accurately gauge how much "damage" has been done because technically nothing was damaged. The sharee still has a perfectly usable copy of what ever was shared with whomever and the copyright "owner" is out no more revenue than they would be if the sharee sold the CD used. In the second sale example the seller is responsible for removing the contents from their systems, however since RIAA can't invade your home and seize your computers (yet), enforcing that obligation on the seller is impossible. Granted this analogy has its problems and to be accurate the seller would have to be able to sell an infinite number of copies, that however brings us back to my previous statement about laws designed to regulate physical "things" can't be applied to something which can be infinitely copied perfectly. If I could push a button and produce an identical copy of a car, is that stealing?
I especially liked how you placed the artists first in your list of who we are wronging when you know damn well that they are the LAST people on the list. And lets not forget that when the money does actually show for the artist, RIAA and the like charge the artists for things like breakage (WTF? last time I checked, we weren't using records in the mainstream anymore)
I posit a different approach.
Download all the music you possibly can. But go to the shows when the artists come to your town. It used to be that the music was essentially advertising for the artists when they come to perform. So by stealing the CD you are hurting RIAA but by patronizing the shows and buying the merch at the shows more money goes directly to the artists.
OH NOES! that means that being a musician might actually require some dedication and GASP...TALENT!!! It used to be that being a successful musician meant producing a quality product and touring for your money.
Am I stealing when I learn how to play my favorite song on the instrument of choice?
How far do you go down this road? Am I eventually going to get charged a fee for humming or singing the "hook" of a song?
Lowid or not, you shouldn't be scared to post your opinions in the open just because people here might disagree with you. If you have been here long enough and contribute regularly and competently you can afford a little Karma to play devils advocate.
We all became Citizens in 1983. The only British subjects left are people who were a British subjects on 31 December 1948 who did not become a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, a citizen of a Commonwealth country, a citizen of Pakistan, or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland (and had made a claim to remain a British subject in 1948).
If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me
Exactly. I live in Atlanta, and I have Comcast cable internet. There are no other cable internet companies. And there is exactly one consumer-priced DSL comany. And you know who that is? AT&T! Fuck!
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!!!
It makes me so mad that I want to go blow up the DSLAM or CMTS or whatever. FUCK!
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
Or, even more likely, RIAA will sign on about 75% of the ISP market, then start a vindictive, focused litigation campaign against the customers of the last 25%. The relatively lighter treatment given to AT&T and Comcast customers will drive customers from the 25% stalwarts to the 75% sell-outs. This divide-and-conquer strategy works pretty much all the time, as long as consumers keep buying with their short-term, rather than long-term, interests in mind. Just look at laid-off Wal-mart employees who continue to shop at Wal-mart.
So after this doesn't work will the RIAA simply resort to some how introducing legislation that will allow them to go house to house, break in the door, and demand money at gunpoint based solely on the basis that the residents have a pc with an internet connection?
"Sure, laugh..." I said.
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
Oh, the humanity! That made me laugh out loud. Loved it. Will you be here all week? I mean, really, how does someone come up with the crazy idea that record companies do something useful?
And AT&T and Comcast get exactly what they want:
1. No more illegal file sharers on their network
2. Less traffic (ie no P2P) so they can then oversell the service even more than they do today
3. Not be bothered by the RIAA
4. Profit!!!
(Note the unnecessary ??? step)
Forgot to post anonymously did you?
:)
That little check box is quite important sometimes
Questions and answers for just plain folks:
Want to download stuff with far less risk? Get a usenet account from a premium provider. Tunnel past your ISP. Download what you want. Enjoy.
Want to know what's there? Hit binsearch.info and see. Maybe you'll find what you need and be able to obtain it easily.
Want to help your ISPs avoid bandwidth problems? Download all you can from their usenet servers.
Want to risk all sorts of crappy involvement with the RIAA, the legal system, and potentially lose your internet connection? Just install any old p2p software and have at it.
Questions and answers for ISPs:
Want to help your business avoid bandwidth problems? Make sure you do a good job of running in-house usenet servers.
Want to screw yourself and your customers, impress technically unsophisticated observers with your faux commitment to the rule of law, and make everyone's life more difficult? Outsource or drop all usenet service and cooperate with the RIAA.
Question for Slashdot:
Why, in the lists above, is the last option the one most often exercised?
From the DMCA Safe Harbor Requirements
"We shared our files via USENET ! And we LIKED IT!"
And we still like it, too.
Newsguy subscription : US$8.95 a month.
One time fee to NZB Matrix : US$10.00.
Being almost impossible to trace by the MPAA/RIAA: Priceless!
(Yes, you do need an NZB client . Mac OS, Windows, Linux all have clients. It's almost as easy as using BitTorrent!)
Guaranteed! This comment 100% Anthrax free!
Nono, that's the first A.
"Recording Industry Assholes of America."
=Smidge=
Here's a Letterman-style Top Ten list (feel free to come up with more):
10. Reprehensible In All Activites
9. Reproduction Is An Abomination
8. Rotten Industry Attacks All
7. Rats Infesting American Artistry
6. Recording Industry Artistic Abuse
5. Rabid Industry Attack Animals
4. Ripping Is Anti American
3. Ripping Indies An Asshole
2. Reducing Innovation And Achievement
And the number one answer:
1. Racketeering Is An Asset
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.