Verizon – corporate copyright cop
p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- Verizon is cooperating with the entertainment cartels in what amounts to a virtual US (insert number here) Strikes and you’re Off The Net copyright enforcement action.
It’s acknowledged “multiple offenses could result in a service interruption,” says CNet News.
“We’ve cut some people off,” it has Verizon Online spokeswoman Bobbi Henson admitting.
“We do reserve the right to discontinue service. But we don’t throttle bandwidth like Comcast was doing. Verizon does not have bandwidth caps.”
UPDATE:-
However, “Verizon confirm they are NOT booting users who engage in P2P piracy,” dslreports’ Karl Bode tells p2pnet.
And in a dslreports post, “in subsequent conversations with Verizon, Broadband Reports has learned that Verizon is neither booting people from the network for excessive use (common among carriers like Comcast or Qwest), nor have they booted any users who receive one too many DMCA letters,” he says.
The last time Verizon was accused of bring a copyright cop, the RIAA was responsible.
“Verizon, the second-largest phone company in the US, is expected to begin issuing RIAA ‘copyright notices’ to customers accused of illegally downloading songs,” said p2pnet last November, quoting another CNet News item.
Verizon’s letter campaign was part of a test, said the story going on, “Jonathan Lamy, an RIAA spokesman, confirmed the existence of the test but declined further comment.”
Thin end of the wedge
Verizon’s move is plainly the thin edge of the Three Strikes wedge the entertainment cartels are trying to drive between governments and the people who elected them.
Today, as p2pnet reported, “Digital piracy remains a huge barrier to market growth and is causing a steady erosion of investment in local music,” said IFPI boss John Kennedy, going on >>>
Governments, led by France, South Korea, Taiwan, the UK and New Zealand led the way in 2009 by adopting or proposing legislation to tackle piracy. It is vital these efforts are seen through to their conclusion and followed by other governments in 2010.
He failed to point out the “legislation” is “part of a massive, multi-billion-dollar, last ditch effort on the parts of Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony Music, and Disney, News Corp, Time Warner, Viacom, NBC Universal and Sony Pictures, to gain control of how, and by whom, ‘product’ is handled and distributed online.” we said.
Jordan Carter, deputy executive director of Internet New Zealand, recently summed it up like this >>>
Big music and movie interests, and other content producers, are conducting a global campaign to put their interests ahead of citizens rights to use the internet and to not be subject to unreasonable and arbitrary penalties that do nothing for public interest.
‘We are not working with them on this’
In December, 2008, the RIAA used Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal as its mouthpiece to claim it would no longer be suing individuals.
Instead, it annouonced a ‘graduated response’ — a three strikes and you’re off the net — plan which would use ISPs as corporate enforcers against their own customers.
The RIAA claimed it had the major ISPs onside, implying implementation was a done deal.
But last January, 
“We are not working with them on this,” Verizon spokeswoman Ellen Yu was quoted as saying in Wired.
Comcast declined to comment, referring inquiries to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, which represents “dozens of cable internet providers”. Group vice president Brian Dietz said he couldn’t confirm any deals, said the story.
AT&T, “declined comment through a spokesman, and Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Charter Communications, did not return repeated phone calls for comment”.
Now, “Verizon says it isn’t actually monitoring what its customers download on the Internet,” says CNet, adding:
“Rather, copyright owners are capturing Internet Protocol addresses and requesting that Verizon send out e-mail warnings.
“Henson, who did not disclose how many such warnings Verizon has sent, was careful to note that her employer does not give information about its users to copyright owners without ‘due process,’ which means that Verizon must receive a court order before it would hand over any contact information. She also added that customers who believe they received an email warning in error could contact Verizon.”
So who’s supplying the IP addresses?
Stay tuned.
..… and identi.ca
p2pnet music downloads – and stuff
CNet News – Verizon ends service of alleged illegal downloaders, January 20, 2010
dslreports – Verizon Is NOT Booting P2P Users Off Of Network, January 21, 2009
p2pnet – Verizon as official RIAA copyright cop?, November 13, 2009
CNet News – Verizon tests sending RIAA copyright notices, November 12, 200
p2pnet – Digital music sales skyrocket by 940%, , January 21, 2010
global campaign – New Zealand ISP says No! to 3 strikes scheme, November 9, 2009
as its mouthpiece – Big 4`s RIAA to drop mass lawsuits, December 19, 2009
Wired – Top Internet Providers Cool to RIAA 3-Strikes Plan, January 5, 2009
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Net access blocked by government restrictions? Use Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto. Go here for details.
January 21st, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Verizon Is NOT Booting P2P Users Off Of Network
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Verizon-Is-NOT-Booting-P2P-Users-Off-Of-Network-106529
January 21st, 2010 at 4:01 pm
This is misinformation spread by the parasites of the entertainment corporations. We are not entertained and we are going to let them know that in a drastic and brutal way.
Are you ready parasites?
January 21st, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Geez! Easy on the bug spray, RW!
