Guest c4evap Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 NEWS FLASH Ten internet service providers have been ordered to hand over the details of 150 UK customers accused of illegally sharing software. The High Court order follows a 12-month covert investigation by the Federation Against Software Theft (Fast). Among the internet providers are BT, NTL, Telewest and Tiscali. Over the next two weeks, they are expected to provide the names, addresses and other personal details of the alleged file-sharers. 'First wave' An undercover investigator working for Fast in a project codenamed Operation Tracker identified 150 people suspected of illegally sharing software. Most file-sharers use false names and e-mail addresses. So the software anti-piracy group went to the High Court to force the internet providers to hand over customer details. We expect to be bringing these actions anytime and anywhere we see software being misused Julian Heathcote Hobbins, Fast legal counsel The federation said it would approach the police and Crown Prosecution Service once it has the personal information. "We can easily take down links, but this does not tackle the root causes of software piracy, because the links will reappear elsewhere in a matter of hours," said John Lovelock, director general at Fast. "Instead, we plan to take action a lot further, making an example of the perpetrators to stop them from stealing and passing on the intellectual property of our members for good." The federation accuses the 150 individuals of breaking copyright law by uploading software and sharing it online. Penalties for the illegal communication to the public of copyrighted works, including software, can attract a maximum punishment of up to two years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Julian Heathcote Hobbins, Fast's senior legal counsel, said the court action was "only the first wave of an ongoing strategy". "We expect to be bringing these actions anytime and anywhere we see software being misused," he said. According to the anti-piracy trade group, the Business Software Alliance, about a quarter of software used in the UK is an unlicensed, counterfeit or pirated copy. Thoughts? c4 B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StitchInTime Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 According to the anti-piracy trade group' date=' the Business Software Alliance, about a quarter of software used in the UK is an unlicensed, counterfeit or pirated copy.[/quote'] That's a lot of software. :o Then again, I don't suppose it's too much of a surprise. I've never acquired any software illegally by downloading, though, not that I'd know where to do that anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mav Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 I've often thought "it's almost worth it..." when thinking of moving to Canada. File sharing is legal there unlike the States or most places in the UK. First time I've heard of a large bust of such over in Europe. Guess every country and nation has their own version of the RIAA/MPAA :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StitchInTime Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 I've often thought "it's almost worth it..." when thinking of moving to Canada. :( Gosh, it's going to get awfully crowded around here. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest c4evap Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 I've often thought "it's almost worth it..." when thinking of moving to Canada. :( Gosh, it's going to get awfully crowded around here. ;) Not if you guys get a strictly conservative gov't. c4 ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steveo Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 Their current Conservative government, recently and only just elected, is still well to the left of the American Deomcrats and is more in line with the current movement of the UK Conservative party, which has shifted to a moch closer-to-centre since we, the party, elected David Cameron our leader. The chances of any major shakeup in law and a move to the right, although in my books not such a bad move, is unlikely, and those who've already booked their file-sharing flights over need not worry for the time being. It's not like they have enough of a majority to push through unpopular legislation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenebrae Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Inevitable really - and to be honest, file sharing of copyright material isn't big or clever... just cheap and easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFMF Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 OH DEAR!!! - I'M WITH BT!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnifex Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I'm with UKOnline, they haven't been mentioned.... but I'm still worried. Unless you've already had an email warning you of action then I wouldn't worry too much, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFMF Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Thankfully - i haven't received any emails - lets hope i never do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenebrae Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 I'm not sure how much protection it offers but I never go on Internet without Peer Guardian 2 - blocking over 800 million IPs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypha01 Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Crap, my dads my NTL and that is where I go to download all these wonderfull TV shows on niteshdw :( At home I'm on dialup on UKonline and that is where I tend to download music. There must be some kind of software to stop IPs from getting this kind of information, as such I believe it breaches privacy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bones2097 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 crap!!!! i'm taking you guys down with me!!!!!!! lol :) btw Tenebrae how does blocking millions of ips stop your isp monitoring your traffic????? anywho guy don't worry if you got adls i doubt they'd press charges cause you were seeding at 10KB/s :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenebrae Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 It doesn't - it stops people like the RIAA and MPAA from connecting to your computer and twigging you're an evil file sharer. How to stop your ISP - acts of sabotage, I imagine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meateater Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 This incident is focused on people who are sharing software, right? TV junkies like us should be relatively safe, right? I found this little quote on a forum debating the usefulness of PG2: "This is obvious, all it says is to use both PG2 and a firewall. . . anyone who thinks PG2 is good enough without a firewall is crazy. I get remote system attacks ALL THE TIME that PG2 never blocks. It's also how the RIAA/media sentry gets their "proof" that it was you. They hack your computer and take screenshots showing it was you and what you were doing (at least in some cases)." Does this happen on a regular basis? How easy is it for them to do this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyran Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 now thats scary but i imagine more for the p2p than bitorrent cos p2p keep all their files in one place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnifex Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 now thats scary but i imagine more for the p2p than bitorrent cos p2p keep all their files in one place DUDE! If you think there is ANY DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER between the two then you REALLY should go learn what you're doing. Torrents ARE peer to peer, why do you think there are seeds and PEERS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougthenut Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Another good reason to swap to Linux. I'm old school, I worked on mainframes over thirty years ago when software was "free" inasmuch as it was provided by IBM, Olivetti or whoever you bought your computer from. If necessary, it would be specially written for the customer so that the hardware would provide the service required. Then along came Bill Gates and turned it all upside down. Linux has stuck with the original philosophy, that's good enough for me. Bye bye Microsoft, you've p****d me off once too often! Piracy, pah! You're the biggest parasitic pirate of them all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostShadow Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Good thing i have Comcast, it may be less stable than Charels manson on crack, but they know how to keep my info private. I think that this is getting out of hand. People need to realize that if you are gonna make ANY thing that could be put into digital format it WILL be. Copyright is a joke nowadays. These ppl like the MPAA need to back off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonHelton Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Another good reason to swap to Linux.... Redhat Linux: $999.00 USD :stare: :stare: :stare: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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