myblackwrx

iTrader: (1)

Virgin Media gives pirates three strikes and you're out alternative

After last month's "three strikes and you're off the Internet" announcement in the UK was made official, it seems the large ISP Virgin Media will be the first to implement the plan.

Although record labels have been pushing for a plan like this for years, it is not even known yet whether the actual measures are legal. The government is expected to have a meeting on that very subject sometime next month. Despite this fact, BPI and Virgin say they will enact a pilot program using the infamous "three strikes and you're off the Internet".

A spokesman for Virgin Media said: "We have been in discussions with rights holders organisations about how a voluntary scheme could work. We are taking this problem seriously and would favour a sensible voluntary solution...the BPI has teams of technicians to trace illegal music downloading to individual accounts. It will hand these account numbers over to Virgin Media, which will match them to names and addresses."

BPI plans to send warning letters for first time offenders, a temporary suspension of Internet services for the "second strike" and finally a full disconnection for the final strike.

which isp will be next?

boxst

But it is very difficult to Police. They cannot block/monitor all Bit Torrent traffic as it will slow their network to a crawl so you are reliant on the BPI (or whatever the movie one is called) putting out dummy files and then tracking the IP's that connect to it.

Using private trackers or not being the first to download files should stop you getting caught (not 100% of course, but they are going to look for 'low hanging fruit' first).

Steve

myblackwrx

iTrader: (1)

And of course the amount of ISPs that won't give a damn i think Virgin are making a big deal out of it because of their ISP/record company status.

i'm sure if they do get shirty with downloaders there are plenty of isps that won't.

messiah

Mate of mine got caught like that - Codemasters release a dummy version of Colin McRae Dirt and he got caught DLing it from a swedish site - got a letter through the post about 6 months later asking for £1024 (they reckonned he DL'd it twice - £512 each time). When he first told me the figures I though he was talking about buying RAM

bob269

Isnt that technically entrapment?

ozzy

In the US you have to prove the motive first in order to use entrapment as a defense. Not sure what the rules are here in the UK or whether there's a difference between Scots law and the rest of the UK.

For example, if you download something illegally, did the authorities entice you to do so? was it their idea rather? were you unwilling before they enticed you?

I think it's reasonable that they would do something like that to track illegal downloaders. A bit like marking dodgy money or etching stuff to track stolen goods.

messiah

I suppose so, but his solicitor didn't get him off - although he did get the fine reduced to £512 as he only DL'd it once.

boxst

He PAID?! I'm astounded. Did it go to court?

Steve

ScoobyDriverWannabe

Heard of a few people getting doen for downloading Colin McRae. Didnt think they used a dummy version though just though they joined the torrent swarn and got the IPs of the people downloading & sharing it.

I wouldnt feel so safe about using private trackers either. Recently a large amount of people on a certain private tracker have recieved emails from their ISPs following studios getting in touch with them after finding users downloading their material.

They seemed too be mainly from a US ISP called BAYtsp something or other but there was a user from Zen recieved one recently.



The thing about that virgin media plan is they are incorporating News group access into their service. Which makes things allot harder if not imposible for people too track & monitor file sharing.

ISP To Voluntarily Disconnect File-Sharers, Offers Free Usenet | TorrentFreak

Virgin Media Denies Doing a Deal to Disconnect Pirates | TorrentFreak
Seem too be denying it now

messiah

He just admitted it and said "fair cop"... Don't know if this was on the advice of his solicitor though.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Soooooooo, Virgin will cut off my internet if I'm caught three times?

And lose my full account with TV, phone etc on it too?

Can't see it, they'd be cutting their own throats

Alcazar

Sonic'

Happened to a guy at work too for a different game, Telewest (at the time) told him it was a scam, so he ignored it, then Telewest got back in touch and told him they did have an order requesting his details and that the court summons was genuine so he paid up

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

This is a LIE VM have stated they have NOT agreed to such an agreement !!

FACT

myblackwrx

iTrader: (1)

well that's good to hear.
I did post hoping that you would have something to say about it

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

Cable - News - Virgin denies 'three strikes' agreement - Digital Spy