The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) have teamed up with the five biggest Internet Service Providers in America (AT&T, Verizon, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, and Cablevision) to push forward a six strike rule aimed at reducing piracy. This scheme is expected to go into effect Monday.
After failing to break everyone’s Internet with SOPA, (the stop online piracy act) the RIAA and the MPAA are trying to go after individuals who share copyrighted materials via BitTorrent. According to TorrentFreak.com, “Internet account holders will be warned if their connections are used to commit copyright infringement. After five or six warnings ISPs may then take a variety of repressive measures.”
What is meant by, “repressive measures” is not entirely clear. This could run the gamut from a reduction in download speeds to browsing restrictions. Reportedly, none of the ISP’s have agreed to disconnect infringers.
We will be talking a lot about BitTorrent and the copyfight here on WTN. As someone who has been personally affected by issues regarding copyright, I have some pretty strong opinions.
