AfterDawn: News

US States want P2P companies to educate consumers

United States attorneys general from 47 states and territories have sent an open letter to peer-to-peer vendors. In the letter the AGs demand that P2P companies should do a better job in warning users of the dangers of trading illegal files.

The demand is much in the lines of "Warning! Hot coffee is hot!" and "Warning! Smoking endangers your health." Some companies have already warned their users about the possible consequences of sharing illegal content, but that's not enough. "However, more needs to be done by your companies to warn your P2P users as to the specific legal and personal risks they face when they use P2P technology for the illegal ends of disseminating pornography and 'sharing' copyrighted music, movies and software," the letter says.



The letter demands, for example, that centralized filtering systems should be implemented to remove illegal content from the networks. P2P trade group P2P United CEO Adam Eisgrau said, that implementing filters is against the nature of P2P software. "That cannot be done without radically changing the innovative nature of this software," Eisgrau said.

According to MPAA and RIAA the entertainment industry loses billions of dollars each year to piracy. However instead of trying to take advantage of the possibilities offered by P2P, the industry has adopted the way of trying to intimidate everyone away from their P2P sharing habits.

Source: NetworkWorldFusion

Written by: Jari Ketola @ 9 Aug 2004 12:19

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• 11 comments

• vans12

  most people all redy know it is not legal. it wont stop pepople. Now if it says you may get a fine of up to what ever amount then that would stop more people.

  9.8.2004 13:00 #1

• jaygizzy

  go back to school son

  9.8.2004 13:31 #2

• Motomatt

  According to MPAA and RIAA the entertainment industry loses billions of dollars each year to piracy. However instead of trying to take advantage of the possibilities offered by P2P, the industry has adopted the way of trying to intimidate everyone away from their P2P sharing habits
  
  Wonder why this is ? Maybe because the technology will put them out of buisness?

  9.8.2004 16:57 #3

• neewbie

  Having some company warn you about sharing you files being illegal isnt going to stop ANYONE!! most people do know that it is illegal. I think if they want to stop people sharing files over the internet the, RIAA and mpaa should take more actions.

  9.8.2004 23:03 #4

• giddynar

  Its a dreadful shame the entertainment industry is loosing money, I feel so sorry for these poor underpaid entertainers,
  What will they do if they have to work for a living, like millions of others?
  And these billions they are loosing, how do they keep the industry going, it a good job when a industry con loose billions and still stay in business.
  Does not Greed rear its ugly head somwhere.

  10.8.2004 01:52 #5

• neewbie

  They earn millions and milllions of dollars. They are so rich and it doesnt matter if they loose so much money, u do music for the love of doing it not for money.....

  10.8.2004 02:01 #6

• D-block

  Spread the wealth and the fun around
  I think they should they stop complaining and take some money of the $20.000.000 paychecks :)

  10.8.2004 04:26 #7

• neewbie

  Thats exactly my point. Music is made because the artists love wat they are doing and the love music not for money, if you are in it for money you are a sellout.

  10.8.2004 04:41 #8

• punx777

  i belive the artists/directors ect. should be happpy that their movies are being seen.

  10.8.2004 07:14 #9

• zombdog

  I believe that the authors, musicians, artists, and filmmakers are glad that their work is getting out there. But I think the problem is this: it costs a lot of money to make a movie. If your movie (album, book, etc) does financially well, the bigwigs take notice, and you get more money to make more movies (albums, books, etc). When smaller bands or independent films are made, they usually comprimise and take less pay just to get their work out there. They do get paid for their work, but if they don't sell enough to get the totals they deserve, the production company isn't going to let them make more stuff (and we're left with only the multimarketed crap that the industry thinks we should hear). It's unfortune that it's the cooler more indie stuff that seems to propigate the best through the underground and P2P networks, and the work that's hit the hardest. If I download it and I like it, I'll support it by purchasing the DVD, CD, book, etc. If I don't like it, well, I was able to make an informed decision since I knew exactly what it was that I didn't want to buy.

  13.8.2004 11:23 #10

• lazygig

  Actually, these letters are stupid, its not illegal officially. Some judges feel it is, some feel it isn't. Its a topic of controversy. They're trying to get people to stop doing it by saying its illegal. Technically, you're not doing anything illegal until either you or the source you're downloading from have made a profit.

  13.8.2004 16:46 #11