Rightscorp Threatens Every ISP in the United States (torrentfreak.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Following a court win by its client BMG over Cox Communications this week, Rightscorp has issued an unprecedented warning to every ISP in the United States today. Boasting a five-year trove of infringement data against Internet users, Rightscorp warned ISPs that they can either cooperate or face the consequences. "For nearly five years, Rightscorp has warned US internet service providers (ISPs) that they risk incurring huge liabilities if they fail to implement and enforce policies under which they terminate the accounts of their subscribers who repeatedly infringe copyrights," the company said in a statement. "Over that time, many ISPs have taken the position that it was simply impossible for an ISP to be held liable for its subscribers' actions -- even when the ISP had been put on notice of massive infringements and supplied with detailed evidence. There had never been a judicial decision holding an ISP liable."

Comments

Tiny dog barking up big tree

[Anonymous Coward]

If you threaten the safe harbor status of the ISPs you are going to get stomped.

Re:Tiny dog barking up big tree

[greenfruitsalad]

This is not Sparta, this is USA. People you are thinking about are not called Leonidas and Gorgo, they're probably named Todd and Leshaniqua. And therefore there will be no stomping other than by a rich corporate boot.

Can I sue the government for drug smuggling?

[jellomizer]

Nearly 100% of the drugs that are smuggled are going over the public motorways.
Unlike the popular Slashdot opinion I am all for Intellectual Property rights, however the ISP should focus their work on moving the data not being the judge of it.

Re:Meh. Take the Trump approach.

[Archangel Michael]

OR take the Clintion "What Difference, at this point, does it make" approach. I didn't _________ (fill in the blank scandal lie)

You wanna put an end to this?

[fustakrakich]

Demand that the ISPs become common carriers.

Might be a blessing disguise

[Facekhan]

Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, Cox, TW, all sued into bankruptcy, then the government steps in and nationalizes the last mile infrastructure. FTW!

Re: The BIG problem..

[Anonymous Coward]

Wrong. Eventually they will label all traffic they can't snoop as terrorism, and that will be enough for them to raid your house.

Shit like this is what will destroy the Internet

[kheldan]

As someone else said: one direction this could go, is that ANY traffic that isn't sent in the clear could be classified as some sort of copyright infringement. That would even include https:/// traffic, since technically an ISP is not supposed to be snooping on that; under current laws they would be committing a cybercrime if they did. Also anyone using TOR or any other onion-routing network would have to be considered potentially infringing on someone's copyright, since it's encrypted and therefore they would have to assume that it's something illegal. Add to this the well-known fact that technology-ignorant (or just power-hungry; you be the judge) politicians, government officials, and law enforcement all would love it if all encryption was outlawed (except, of course, for them, and doubtlessly the rich 1%, who will have 'exemptions' because they're 'important' or somesuch bullshit; but I diverge..) and everything was sent in the clear -- even banking transactions, I'm sure, since they want to know where every penny you have is going (you might be funding terrorism, or buying something illegal!), all of which would essentially make the Internet completely unusable for any serious purposes; after that point only a fool would use it for anything, knowing that every single byte that goes in or out would be sifted and analyzed even worse than it is right now..

Nope, nope, nope.. 'Rightscorp' needs to be destroyed, completely erradicated; they are part of the Cancer that is killing the Internet; they are why we can't have nice things. Them, them, fuck them. ISPs should not be part of law enforcement. ISPs may be the gateway to the Internet, but they should not be the GATEKEEPERS.

Less than $5M

[TechyImmigrant]

Take a look at the market cap..
https://finance.yahoo.com/quot...

For less than $5 Million dollars an ISP could buy these idiots out and fire them.