News

U.S. ISPs Start Alert System for Unauthorized Downloads

Internet service providers, such as AT&T and Verizon, are beginning to implement The Copyright Alert System this week. The warning system will alert users if their IP addresses have been linked to allegedly unauthorized file-sharing through peer-to-peer software. The user will receive up to six warnings before the ISP will takes further actions, including slowing the users connection and redirecting internet traffic. The provider will continue these methods until the user acknowledges the notices or reviews educational materials about copyright law.

Users who wish to challenge their ISPs on the charges must pay a US$35 fee, which is refunded if the review finds in their favor. Each ISP is expected to implement their own system. The first warnings serve to educate the user, while later warnings require the user to acknowledge they have willfully committed an illegal act.

Jill Lesser, the director of the Center for Copyright Infringement, the organization behind the system, said in a blog post Monday that the program is "meant to educate rather than punish, and direct (users) to legal alternatives." Other officials involved in the system's creation acknowledged that it is unlikely to stop the biggest violators.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news tip

Source: Yahoo! News