AfterDawn: News

ISPs reluctant to co-operate with RIAA

After an appeals court ruled that RIAA cannot get subscriber details from internet service providers without filing a lawsuit first, RIAA has been forced to look alternative means to fight piracy.

The organization has contacted ISPs asking them to issue warnings to users who are engaged in infringing activity. The service providers would not have to hand out subscriber details to RIAA -- just send a warning email to the subscriber using an IP address that RIAA provides.



"Specifically, when we determine the IP address of an infringer, we would like to send you the IP address along with a Notice of Infringement that you would forward directly to the subscriber matching that address," the RIAA wrote. "You would not identify the subscriber to us. However, we believe if you forward the Notice to them it will dramatically increase awareness and effectively discourage continued infringement."

It seems, however, that RIAA doesn't have too many friends among the ISPs, since not a single ISP has replied to RIAA's proposal. That is not to say that the ISPs will not respond, but obviously they are interested in exploring other alternatives as well.

Source: internetnews.com

Written by: Jari Ketola @ 16 Jan 2004 11:54

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• 7 comments

• Nephilim

  First RIAA acts like a complete thug to the ISPs by threatening them with legal action if they don't cooperate but now they actually expect the ISP's to be their buddy? RIAAs stupidity borders on perverse.

  16.1.2004 15:00 #1

• cleft

  There are several compelling reasons for ISPs not to co-operate.
  
  One is the fact that most folks get broadband for a reason, that is to be on p2p applications. Without p2p usage we would just as well have 56k and save money. So there would be far less demand for broadband and the money would dry up for the service.
  
  Two is that RIAA started coming in, as you say, like a thug. Demanding that those ISPs turn in their customers within a limited time. Most ISPs don't have huge staffs that they can just let go to do these searches and RIAA in no way offered to pay for the data, the time the employees needed, and for the effort they requested. The ISPs saw that once it started there would be no end to the deluge that was to come.
  
  Three, something the RIAA should have learned, is that customer loyality is a fragile thing. Once damaged, customers go elsewhere and don't return. The US automakers learned this in the mid-seventies and eighties. They lost near 30% of their market share to shabby manufacturing and repair abilities.
  
  Four, the legality of the RIAA's grounds were, are, and since have been proven in court not to be solid. It took challenging in court to remove the financial cloud hanging on the horizon for the ISPs.
  
  Five, I don't think anyone has ever said that the RIAA was brilliant in their applications and methods. Perversely, they are their own worse enemies. I would never have known of p2p without their help in advertising the existance of such programs.

  16.1.2004 19:51 #2

• six.6.six

  I think what we have here is the ISP's are smarter than the RIAA... See they dont sue there customers LOL!

  17.1.2004 09:24 #3

• Nephilim

  I've got a whole mess of dog turds out in the backyard that have more sense than the RIAA.
  

  Gigabyte 8INXP, Intel P4HT 3.06
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  M-Audio Revolution 7.1

  17.1.2004 10:02 #4

• Motomatt

  I am doing my part not buying CD's.. how abut you?

  17.1.2004 21:14 #5

• cleft

  Absolutely, I learned to beat the "buy the ablum again" syndrome when I got a reel to reel in the 70's. Still listening to them and putting them to whatever format that I wish. Other than the lack of choice in paying the RIAA for the prefigured in tax added to the media I buy for recording they don't get a dime more from me. I don't want their crap so they don't get my money with the above exception. They can keep their copyprotection crap that they are ashamed to put on the label to tell you it might not work in your player...

  18.1.2004 07:24 #6

• amrik

  This whole debacle boils down to RIAA = stupid.

  18.1.2004 12:09 #7