Japanese ISPs The Latest To Bow To Pressure From The Entertainment Industry

from the but-how-will-nuclear-secrets-be-leaked-now? dept

It's no secret that the entertainment industry's anti-piracy strategy over the past year or so has focused increasingly on putting legal or peer pressure on ISPs to handle the problem, and there have been quite a few "success" stories (though, the long-term impact may be a lot less successful). The latest is that a bunch of Japanese ISPs have agreed to cut off the users of the incredibly popular "Winny" file sharing application (found via Slashdot) if the entertainment industry alerts them to the IP addresses of excessively heavy users. The ISPs will try to send warning messages to the account holders, but then will cut them off (either temporarily or permanently) if they don't change their usage. It's not clear how carefully the ISPs will review the information sent to them by the industry, or what form any "appeals" process might take. This is unlikely to be particularly effective, but Winny has long been a target in Japan. The creator of the software was found guilty of violating copyright laws even though there are plenty of legitimate uses of the software. Still, however, the press likes to focus on the more sensational data leaks that happened via Winny, including Japan's nuclear secrets.
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Filed Under: blocks, copyright, entertainment industry, file sharing, isps, japan, jasrac, winny


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  1. identicon
    sonofdot, 17 Mar 2008 @ 7:45am

    What about the guy who invented the "copy" command

    Shouldn't someone be suing the guy that invented the "copy" command? In fact, there are many copy commands, in various operating systems. I can use any one of them to copy "protected" content from one device to another. How long before that becomes "illegal" to use?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Just Me, 17 Mar 2008 @ 8:16am

    Copy command

    Don't worry - I'm sure soon enough there will be a Vista "security feature" that prompts you every time you try to copy a file and queries a db of protected content somewhere.
    Then they will be able to track everything you use that copy command on.

    ...all in the name of security mind you.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 17 Mar 2008 @ 9:30am

    Re: What about the guy who invented the "copy" com

    Not long now my friend. If you have been following everything with the Net Nutrality , and copy rights stuff from the RIAA/MPAA (which i am sure you have). You will remember the news story about the couple in Tuscon AZ that are in court right now squaring off with the RIAA over 52 or 54 music files that he ripped to his computer and converted them from .WMA to .MP3... The RIAA is trying to make it illegal for anyone to rip to there computer, and also make changes to copy righted material. It's not going to be long before you see them trying to abolish the Copy, and Paste functions.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Keybored, 17 Mar 2008 @ 10:11am

    In the name of security

    Ya know what? If it gets that stringent, and I'm sure it eventually will, just stop using the computers. Who needs all this electronic shit anyway, I'm going outside to ride my bike and play with Fido. The stock alerts will still be there when I get back...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Ajax 4Hire, 17 Mar 2008 @ 10:52am

    DRM Copy, it for the children...

    we need stronger copy protection!
    Its for the children!

    Its for the children!

    Its for the children!
    maybe if I say it enough it will make sense.

    Its for the children!

    not working, keep saying it until it sinks in.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Ajax 4Hire, 17 Mar 2008 @ 10:59am

    One day, someone will be illegitimately wronged

    A business will blocked by a spineless ISP due to a paper tiger "take-down" notice.

    Money will be lost, true grounds for law suit.
    Real damages that can be assessed against both offending parties: ISP and issuer of "take-down".

    It is sad that it takes a court-order to get someone to do the right thing. How litigious the US has become where any action s requires a waiver; any upset is met with lawyers in suit. When businesses like an ISP respond to the fear of law suits.

    The end is near;
    or maybe has already
    and we missed it in our rush to sue.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Tortel, 17 Mar 2008 @ 10:59am

    How about...

    How about we search the computers of all the people that work for the RIAA and see if they have copyrighted material. I bet you that most do, and they will still continue to push for all this BS.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    George, 18 Mar 2008 @ 7:46pm

    Makes Sense

    Isn't this the solution we want. It allows content makers fight copyright theft, without forcing ISPs to look at the information packets. It's a good compromise. sure it's bad for those stealing movies, but then again, they're stealing. And it's better than the alternative.

    P2P puts a lot of strain on networks. We want to increase broadband deployment but the cost of starting an ISP is so large that sometimes it isn't profitable to start networks in rural areas and P2P adds to that cost. Take Brett Glass owner of Lariat an ISP in Laramie, WY. He bans P2P because of the strain and cost it adds to the network. That may be extreme, so Japan's going after pirates may strike a good balance. Here's the link to how P2P affects smaller ISPs by Brett Glass.

    http://www.brettglass.com/ITIF/

    link to this | view in thread ]


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