Ireland's Largest ISP Settles With Record Industry 222
An anonymous reader writes "In what has been billed as a world first, four music companies and Irish ISP Eircom have agreed to work together to end illegal music downloading. The Irish branches of the record companies (EMI Records Ltd, Sony BMG Music Entertainment Ltd, Universal Music Ltd and Warner Music Ltd.) brought a High Court action against Eircom last March which has resulted in this settlement after eight days of trial. Eircom will be implementing a three-step process — informing a subscriber that their IP address has been detected infringing copyright; warning the subscriber that if they do not stop they will be disconnected; and finally disconnecting the user if they fail to heed the warning. Which technology they will be using to spy on their customers is currently unknown. EMI and the other record companies have recommended US-based Audible Magic, which (among other things) claims to block copyright violating web content from sites like Youtube and MySpace. However, digital surveillance is nothing new in Ireland and Eircom may have already tested and implemented the necessary technologies."
Re:A comparison (Score:1, Informative)
Not only eircom (Score:1, Informative)
"Eircom is pleased with the settlement [irishtimes.com]as it does not have to add software to its network, which could interfere with the broadband service. It also doesnâ(TM)t run the risk of running foul of privacy laws by having to provide details of its subscribers to the music industry."
"As part of the settlement, the record companies will supply Eircom with the IP addresses of all persons who they detect illegally uploading or downloading copyright works."
"Other ISPs contacted by The Irish Times last night could not confirm if they would implement the system. A spokeswoman for 3 Ireland, which has 130,000 mobile broadband customers, said it would be âoehappy to look into the matterâ."
The main problem here is that eircom has the local loop and provides the connectivity for all the land line based ISPs in Eire. How will this interfere with the other ISPs?
As for commodore64_love's advice of using dial-up, there are fewer dial-up ISPs here than broadband and once again there's the problem of going via shitty old eircom.
Re:A comparison (Score:5, Informative)
Then don't download pirated content and you should be fine.
Oh really? Where exactly does TFA say you have to actually download anything to get disconnected?
But this agreement now denies Eircom's own customers all future access to due process when accused of infringement. All that is needed to terminate an Internet connection is three accusations from a narrow set of third-party companies.
Not As Invasive As It Seems (Score:1, Informative)
OP here. I did some more digging around after posting this. It seems that Eircom will not be providing any additional information to the record companies as a result of this settlement. They will simply be acting as an intermediary between the companies and their own customers - issuing warnings after being provided with offending IP addresses and timestamps.
Where the record companies get these IP addresses is up to them (apparently they will be using Danish company DetecNet - the new MediaSentry). Of course the potential problem here is: what is the accused and disconnected customer's recourse if the timestamps are incorrect, or they happen to share their Internet connection with others?
This settlement seems to give the record companies a new vehicle to punish P2P users whom they catch, without having to pay lawyers. Eircom also gain because the have an excuse to disconnect heavy P2P users.
Reading Material [siliconrepublic.com]
"Effectively, a third party will be hired by the labels to find out who are the largest illegal P2P downloaders. They will then come to us with the IP addresses of the suspected parties.
"We wonâ(TM)t reveal the identities of the users, but we will contact them and if they fail to comply we will follow the process agreed with the music industry. Currently the industry pursues these individuals in the court. We will now begin a three-step process that will begin with the issuing of a warning.
"The labels have agreed to pursue similar deals with other ISPs in the marketplace," the Eircom spokesman said.
Re:I've said it before (Score:1, Informative)
or, get everyone to download music forcing eircom to disonnect everyone.:) somehow i can't see them them ditching customers in this day and age