Relating to the Verizon file sharing supoena...

[TCO]

Originally posted by BustaMike
I've seen firsthand what these RIAA 'agents' do. Lately they have mostly been targeting college dorms where users have easily traceable static IP's. My sister got a message from UA res life saying they had been contacted by the RIAA antipiracy unit and unless she stopped sharing files her internet access would be terminated.

I think it's important to note that the RIAA doesn't seem to care what you download (mostly because they have no way to track it). They seem to target people based on what they're sharing. This is easy to do. Someone could just create a Kazaa login and look at what some user is sharing. If they find copyrighted stuff, they track the IP and report it.

The freakin' RIAA Nazis are so crazy though, that my sister got this notice when she was only sharing 10 files. That is ridiculous. They went after her because her IP was easily traceable instead of going after someone like oh... I dunno... me who shares thousands of files but regularly turns on and of the cable modem to get a new IP.

And as far as that 'stealing' crap, I will argue to the bitter end that filesharing increases record sales. There is a large amount of evidence to support this.

Doesn't matter whether it increases sales or not. The music is copyrighted. It is stealing.

[BustaMike]

It's previewing. I want to give something a listen before I buy it because I want to know if it sucks or not. Call it a test drive. With the massive amount of **** the music industry cranks out right now, I think that's acceptable.

[Agathon]

Has there actually been a prosecution yet that proves that file sharing is illegal? Everyone assumes it is but I don't know if there is actually a legal precedent for this. I'd be interested to know.

And don't boast about piracy or this thread will get deleted

[TCO]

Originally posted by BustaMike
It's previewing. I want to give something a listen before I buy it because I want to know if it sucks or not. Call it a test drive. With the massive amount of **** the music industry cranks out right now, I think that's acceptable.

It is theft.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by GP

It is theft.

Well then - where's the legal record??? I'd really like to know.

[Dinner]

Out of curiosity does the RIAA know for sure that the files being traded where copy righted? If all they know is that files were being traded then what is to say they weren't trading public domain files?

[BustaMike]

Yes, they can see the file names from the users they look at, so if the file says Metallica - Crappy New Metallica Song, they can be pretty sure it's a copyrighted file that's being shared.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Agathon


Well then - where's the legal record??? I'd really like to know.

Crimes are not based on "record-keeping".

[Agathon]

Originally posted by GP

Crimes are not based on "record-keeping".

No but in our countries a law has to be tested by going through a court trial to create a "precedent". Until a law is tested this way it isn't clear how it is going to be applied and whether it is constitutional.

All I want to know is whether this has actually happened yet.

[Panag]

Originally posted by Asher
IP addresses are publically visible.

hi ,

yeah right , ......

have a nice day

[Dinner]

But how do they know it isn't a parady of the crappy new Metallica song? I mean wouldn't they have to go to this guys house and check his hard drive to make sure he had the stole goods?

Personnally, If I was him then I'd upgrade to a new hard drive, keep my old one at a friends house, and deny any copy righted material ever changed hands. The burden off proof is on the prosocuter not the defendent.

[Panag]

https://www.cyberscrub.com

[TCO]

Originally posted by Agathon


No but in our countries a law has to be tested by going through a court trial to create a "precedent". Until a law is tested this way it isn't clear how it is going to be applied and whether it is constitutional.

All I want to know is whether this has actually happened yet.

I think the legal questions have to do with complicity of the ISPs and such. No serious question that copying music itself is a violation of copyright.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Ned
Also, the IP addresses for Verizon are dynamically assigned to most users. Verizion actually may not be able to answer the question of who had so and so IP address on so and so date at so and so time.

If they follow normal security and logging procedures, they can. It's no problem to match a phone number to a specific IP assignment, as long as the dumps are still around.

Also, a lot of dial-up hosts that offer specific plans (like limited use hourly vs. unlimited) have separate logs for account tracking from their access logs. If you make an initial request a year later, you're obviously out of luck, but assuming that RIAA gave Verizon notice that the IP was engaged in illegal activity and that they obtained a subpoena shortly thereafter, then Verizon is obligated to maintain those records while the legal proceedings drag on.

[Dinner]

What is to say the phone company can intentially begin using random assignments and not record the records just so they can then avoid liability. After all the RIAA would have to prove a crime was commited and if the records don't exist that would make life a lot harder for the RIAA.