RedjackRyan
02-14-2007, 04:12 AM
From DSLREPORTS.COM
A leaked letter (http://www.ilrweb.com/viewILRPDF.asp?filename=ISP%20Letter) (pdf via Slashdot (http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/13/1833245)) notes how the RIAA is trying to get ISPs to put pressure on illegal file downloaders, in a new plan that would let ISPs offer 'guilty' p2p users a $1,000 settlement option -- provided an ISP holds on to 180 days worth of records for the RIAA. It looks like this is simply an RIAA effort to keep the process out of the courts, and grab some extra easy cash in the process. Later this month a website will be set up (www.p2plawsuits.com) where ISPs can direct targeted users to automate their settlement process with the RIAA, without all the muss and fuss of a trial.
As it stands, the RIAA either sues an accused file trader, or has the ISP send them a DMCA warning letter -- after which we've never seen any follow-up action taken (see one of hundreds of such examples from our forums (http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15700763)). Scared (and usually very young) users frequently visit our forums asking what they should do...apparently the RIAA is eager to create a system that lets those users shell out $1000 to make ammends -- without the RIAA having to do much legal footwork, or spend much on prosecution.
Techdirt (http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070213/123451.shtml) seems to be one of the only websites that remembers the RIAA's previous efforts to get around the subpoena process and the law -- an effort that resulted in an RIAA legal loss against Verizon (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/36600).
A leaked letter (http://www.ilrweb.com/viewILRPDF.asp?filename=ISP%20Letter) (pdf via Slashdot (http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/13/1833245)) notes how the RIAA is trying to get ISPs to put pressure on illegal file downloaders, in a new plan that would let ISPs offer 'guilty' p2p users a $1,000 settlement option -- provided an ISP holds on to 180 days worth of records for the RIAA. It looks like this is simply an RIAA effort to keep the process out of the courts, and grab some extra easy cash in the process. Later this month a website will be set up (www.p2plawsuits.com) where ISPs can direct targeted users to automate their settlement process with the RIAA, without all the muss and fuss of a trial.
As it stands, the RIAA either sues an accused file trader, or has the ISP send them a DMCA warning letter -- after which we've never seen any follow-up action taken (see one of hundreds of such examples from our forums (http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15700763)). Scared (and usually very young) users frequently visit our forums asking what they should do...apparently the RIAA is eager to create a system that lets those users shell out $1000 to make ammends -- without the RIAA having to do much legal footwork, or spend much on prosecution.
Techdirt (http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070213/123451.shtml) seems to be one of the only websites that remembers the RIAA's previous efforts to get around the subpoena process and the law -- an effort that resulted in an RIAA legal loss against Verizon (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/36600).