Topic: 30,000 UK ISP Users Face Threat Letters For Suspected Illegal File Sharing

[Simon]

More on this here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8381097.stm

[Delgado]

If I got a letter Id go to Court and face the b*****ds.


 

[Rik]

The risk, for any of us, is the legal bill.

[chorleydave]

What will happen to pubs etc. who offer free Wireless internet?  I live right in the shopping precinct in Chorley town centre and, although I have my own connection, I can freely connect to the Cafe Bar's WiFi, Subway's WiFi and another which I haven't yet managed to locate the exact whereabouts of, from anywhere in my flat.  I don't watch many movies and I am not into games but, if I was, I could download 24/7 at not cost at all to myself. 

[Rik]

I think it will spell the end of free wifi, the risks will be too high to the provider, unless they institute their own traffic monitoring.

[Reno]

I think it will spell the end of free wifi, the risks will be too high to the provider, unless they institute their own traffic monitoring.

I don't think so rik. All they would need to do is force the users to sign a contract on sign up removing the stores liability. It would then be up to whoever was looking to uncover the person doing the crime. The coffee shop wouldn't need secure logins they would only require the flash of an id or clubcard or whatever. Anonymity is the main perk of an internet café.

Besides, if the powers that be think this sort of approach will end piracy they are fooling themselves. There are millions of people on at any one time sharing files. They would need the power and resources to monitor each file passing over the networks. That includes files that are encrypted or have had their extensions changed. It would require a system more intrusive then that of communist china. It would literally be an end to private data. I don't think the UK has gotten that bad just yet.

[Rik]

I don't think so rik. All they would need to do is force the users to sign a contract on sign up removing the stores liability. It would then be up to whoever was looking to uncover the person doing the crime. The coffee shop wouldn't need secure logins they would only require the flash of an id or clubcard or whatever. Anonymity is the main perk of an internet café.

They'd also have to log the MAC of every machine, and ensure it wasn't spoofed, surely? Otherwise, the lawyers would argue that in the absence of being able to prove innocence, you're guilty. I know the justice system is meant to work the other way round, but there are times when, in the UK at least, it doesn't.

It would literally be an end to private data. I don't think the UK has gotten that bad just yet.

Trust me, our lot are working hard towards that goal.

[Simon]

File sharers will soon find a way round any method used to stop them.  It's just a game of cat and mouse.

[sam]

File sharers will soon find a way round any method used to stop them.  It's just a game of cat and mouse.

yeah, such a waste of effort.

[Reno]

The politicians have to look like their doing something. 

[Simon]

I wonder who is actually paying the costs of fighting this?  If it's the music industry, it could be arguable that it's costing them more than it's worth.

[sam]

it'll be us. I bet. We are paying for ourselves to be caught... hmmm

[Simon]

Britain at it's best!   

[GillE]

I should imagine Mandelson is going to fund it with the broadband tax which the government will introduce in this session of Parliament.

[Simon]

Of course!