Trying to force ISP's to police their user's internet traffic, as a means to stop piracy, is phenomenally stupid. All they've managed to do is make the internet worse for the average user while forcing a dramatic increase in the sophistication of piracy technology.
Hell, I would argue that the state and quality of pirated media is in some ways the best it's ever been and the recording and film industries have indirectly contributed to that. Talk about irony.
I agree. But I would go further and say if other industries didnt have more complex schemes and locked down IP (eg car manufacturing), people would def build their own shit with current tools. Its always the greed of those not willing to invest in innovation that keeps progress away. Media piracy and FOSS culture are the only real challengers to greed imo.
If it's an actual human right how come it gets cut off if you don't pay your bills?
I used to work for a water company in an admin role and one of the things that I learned was we can't actually cut people's water off because it's a safety issue and a human right to have access to water at all times. If people didn't pay their bills all that really happened was they got threatening letters but nothing ever actually happened to their water supply.
Also cutting off water is a pain because you have to physically send an engineer out to go do it you can't do it remotely. At least not in 2011 when I last worked there.
I have the basic right for a roof over my head but doesn't mean I don't have to pay my rent. If I get thrown out of my house I still have basic rights, including food, water, clothing, housing, medical care and other necessary social services, including internet access as it is required to have interaction with government social services.
Water will only stay connected if it has medical emergency, otherwise it will be disconnected when bills are not paid and no reaction from the customer. One can ask for water containers before disconnection. Water company's are required to give each person in the household a minimum of 3 liters per day for 4 days. Government will intermediate between company and customer for re-connection through a debt counselling program.
Major record labels sued Verizon on Friday, alleging that the Internet service provider violated copyright law by continuing to serve customers accused of pirating music.
They say that "Verizon has knowingly contributed to, and reaped substantial profits from, massive copyright infringement committed by tens of thousands of its subscribers."
Cox received support from groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which warned that the big money judgment could cause broadband providers to disconnect people from the Internet based only on accusations of copyright infringement.
While judges in the Cox case reversed a vicarious liability verdict, they affirmed the jury's additional finding of willful contributory infringement and ordered a new damages trial.
"Yet rather than taking any steps to address its customers' illegal use of its network, Verizon deliberately chose to ignore Plaintiffs' notices, willfully blinding itself to that information and prioritizing its own profits over its legal obligations."
The lawsuit also complains that Verizon hasn't made it easier for copyright owners to file complaints about Internet users:
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