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It seems like most countries are getting more serious about the illegal downloading and the protection of intellectual property, after the UK recently proposed disconnecting ‘pirates’ from the Internet – Australia is now considering following suit.
I guess this is just the start, laws will become more heavy handed and draconian as most of it is driven by money…even though a lot of artists now say they suspect they sell more albums because people have heard their music online.
I mean just look at Sean Kingston and Souljah Boy who got famous from Myspace.
The Government will examine new legislative proposals being unveiled in Britain this week to target people who download films and music illegally. Internet service providers (ISPs) there might be legally required to take action against users who access pirated material.
The music industry estimates 1 billion songs were traded illegally by Australians last year.
Under the three-strikes policy, a warning would be first issued to offenders who illegally share files using peer-to-peer technology to access music, TV shows and movies free of charge. The second strike would lead to the offender’s internet access being suspended; the third would cancel the offender’s internet access.
The three strike system is similar to the proposition in UK to disconnect after an initial warning and a temporary suspension.
Australia has never had the best Internet for downloading anyway as bandwidth is fairly expensive and most ISPs charge by the MB.
She said action had been taken to remove illegally downloaded tracks from blogs, Cyberlocker and BitTorrent sites but this had failed to stem the estimated 2.8 million Australians downloading music illegally last year.
“Because P2P file sharing involves these music files sitting on individual people’s computers, there is very little that MIPI can do to remove those files or stop them being shared,” she said. “That’s why we have been pushing a proposal to internet service providers for a commonsense system of warning notices which, if unheeded, would ultimately result in a user having their account suspended or disconnected.”
National Internet Industry Association chief executive Peter Corones said his members’ reservations over the three-strikes and code of conduct proposals would be discussed with Mr Conroy this week.
I wonder who will be next following these laws? And how will this change the way people use P2P? Bring on the encrypted tunnels? Or private VPNs to other countries to download using their IP address?
Either way it’s something keep an eye on.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Wuching says
funny how I haven’t heard of that yet
ZaD MoFo says
Give them ther dime and they will stop shouting what they call a crime.
They dont want to stop illegal traffic of data,
they want to stop unpaid traffic of data.
Pantagruel says
Encrypted torrent download is no problem, simply turn it on (check http://torrentfreak.com/how-to-encrypt-bittorrent-traffic/).
Or try Zultrax P2P, they claim encryption on their Zepp network.
The only thing this will give rise to is encrypted nntp (some NNTP providers are offering encrypted connections to usenet) and the revival of private FTP sites. In this case most likely sFTP to obfuscate the up- and downloaded files.
Pantagruel says
What will be next, stopping the general postage service just because old style SPAM get’s spread through it? Stop UPS from delivering packages, they might be delivering bombs or so.
Encrypted p2p/torrent will be the next thing as wil the revival of private FTP sites and secure tunnels (vpn/sFTP) to exchange your files.
I pity the Aussie’s paying by the Mb is no fun.
Bean Avenger says
Encrypting your traffic is the nuclear option, it’s not something you should reach for immediately, because if you do then you’ve already lost. Laws have been passed and you’ve been pushed aside, it’s an uphill struggle from there on and you’ll be made to look like a marginal element.
If I was in Australia or the UK right now I’d be damn sure to start lobbying the MP’s (or whatever they have in each respective country) to try and make them see the heavy handedness and draconian methods this policy entails.
If YOU don’t lobby, then someone else will, and we all know who those people are and what they want.
zupakomputer says
I still don’t see how they intend to monitor the traffic, and check the contents also so as to determine if it’s a media file, and then also visit the website or server it’s being downloaded from to check if it’s an illegal copy…..
obviously that can all be done – but it can’t feasibly be done per each user. The only scenario I can see that is feasible there is if an artist or a copyright holder knows there’s a copy of their work being given away or sold online, and they haven’t authorised it, and they then contact the ISP provider or similar to get it removed or stop anyone accessing it.
Again though – I’d have to point out the same thing as I did with the bot-herders that were paid affiliate monies from machine they infected with adware – why aren’t the affiliate payers, or in this case the file hosters, being pursued – since clearly their IPs and other info would be as known of as those accessing and using their services are known.
What I mean is it seems mighty suspicious that if they have a problem with these things, why only go after the ones making use of it, and not the providers of it. I smell a “rat”. I smell some government types etc in bed with the providers.
On another note entirely – and I’m sure this’d be popular with anyone reading here who isn’t already aware of how to go about this – how do you set up your own ISP, or get a secure network link that you can host a server from but that isn’t from an ISP business account?
Related to that – how do you get an ISP that lets you monitor traffic using things like ICMP messages…..apparently you need to pay for a hefty business T3 or T1 line and rental, which is even pricier than the fastest home broadband is.
I know it’s possible to use websites to run things like tracert, but it’d be vastly preferable to be able to use a command line input directly.
Even checking with ISPs directly, the best answers I can get to those kind of questions are: you need to be a business, as in a proper registered etc trading name and everything – just to get a proper network line that doesn’t block ICMP commands and so forth….
there’s some gaming-specific ISPs that detail what traffic they prioritise and suchlike, but they’re the only consumer-level ISP that even mention anything important and worthwhile like that.
Obviously – all those ISP comparison sites don’t provide that kind of info either. The helpdesk folks don’t even know what you’re talking about when you ask them about it….
Pantagruel says
@zupakomputer
True, the majority of the ISP is geared towards the average internet user whom has absolutely no need for this kind of ‘advanced’ network monitoring/traffic shaping/etc. They just want to surf/mail/have the kids use the download quotum and the ISP caters this need. The few ISPs that are more knowledgeable (and block a bit less ports/protocols) tend to ask a higher price for connection speed X Mbit than the average ISP making then a dying species.
I don’t even bother to call the helpdesk or use the online fill in form, their response is too slow. If you get a real human being on the line (after pressing atleast 6 digits on your phone) they will have to transfer you to a colleague (or even twice) and you still end up explaining him/her why the answer is not satisfactory (yes I know it’s no fun if the costumer knows more about a particular piece of software/protocol than you.
Shill says
Another country falls down…
Please note it is also discussed in France actually
J. Lion says
“Arrrh, scurvy dogs be huntin’ pirates Aye. They be after mi lucky charms!”
@ZaD MoFo – not sure if it’s unpaid traffic unless they are borrowing someone else’s wireless.
@Bean Avenger – would those who lobby against this be censored or even jailed? Different country – different method of ruling.
Pantagruel says
@Shill
True, spoke a french mate today, he asked if we’d be getting the same weird shit as they. He was kinda sour when I told him about the plans the UK/Australia had.
If your French is up to it, go search lemonde.fr you will find the abstract an article pointing into the same direction regarding the amount of leeway lawenforcers should be granted to tackle terrorisme and internet related crimes.
James C says
Why is it the music and movie industry get there laws passed
in no time. It not like there a large percentage of gross national product of any country. They demand alot for people earn alot who do little for a country.
Its even worse in Ireland the Aholes dont even have to pay tax.
So the boring Bono of U2 with his 100
Zebulon says
It doesn’t matter what government agency tries to do to regulate these things, this has been an ongoing problem for years. So no matter what they do there will always be pirates, period !!
J. Lion says
@Zebulon
Pirates sounds bad, a euphemism could be “Robin Hoods” – steal from the rich and ….
zupakomputer says
On the plus side, wireless (satellite for example) internet and even world-marketplace landline link-ups are clearly going to come down in price more and more, and be more easily available, so in the long run anyway it’s futile for any national-boundary-based laws to be passed that attempt to govern the internet.
Pantagruel says
@Zupakomputer
True internet in concern of Mbit/sec is getting only cheaper and cheaper. Even when you seem to be beyond the reach of cable or adsl, a satelite dish is quite a viable option (they even have companies providing 2-way (up- and downstream) satelite system.
Ssshhh don’t wake the dog, the US has, before, expressed the sentiment to want to be regarded as the grandfater of the net and would very much like to head the internet police force (much like they seem to do right now regarding oil and precious resources). After the American invented computer (the always forget Charles Babbage was British) and the first paper stored data system (they consider Jacquard’s mechanical loom to be for sissy’s, who nitts anyway. He actually got it from Basile Bouchon (son of an organ maker, Bouchon adapted the concept of music automata controlled by pegged cylinders to the repetitive task of weaving)
zupakomputer says
I do like the old paper-punched modules with the valve tubes.
& I find something oddly comforting and strangely familiar in watching the likes of Colossus operating away. There’s something about the way they move – like how fly’s move, they seem to skip parts of movement and just appear in the next location without having travelled to get there.
Not sure if you’re refering to ‘that’ with the ‘shh’ bit….?!……but that guy ain’t that other guy; that other guy’s sort of looking through his eyes is all, and I did not realise it at the time or I’d have well, sorted it right out. Damn I’ll feel a right idiot if you’re weren’t meaning what I think you maybe were; just ignore this paragraph if it sounds like gibberish.
Pantagruel says
@zupakomputer
I’ll ignore it, basically because I can make nothing of the paragraph.
The Ssshhh don
zupakomputer says
Just to be extra clear here, I had meant fly’s when they walk, not when they fly.
But yeah, it’s probably a good thing you didn’t know what that other paragraph meant. I hope no-one knows what it meant, cause if they do then that is baaaaad. Real bad. So bad that (etc etc)
Pantagruel says
@zupakomputer
Feel free to explain yourself ;) I catch your drift regarind the walking of fly’s, I haven’t taken that much time in analyzing their way of walking.
zupakomputer says
Oh I just thought you maybe were refering to my Bush comment elsewhere here;
just something that someone I used to know was involved with, and another person made an interesting comment in regard to it.
eM3rC says
Pantagruel I loved your comment about stopping the mail/Fex Ed systems because they might be transporting dangerous packages!
I would recommend reading my post about this in the UK ban article for my views on this, but I still have a side note to add.
If a system like this would be developed its effectiveness would be almost useless. I mean come on whats more important, catching someone who has downloaded like $20 worth of songs or spending millions if not billions of dollars a year to establish a whole new branch of the government to monitor this kind of activity. Hackers I can see the government trying to slow down, pirating on the other hand… just plain stupid.
Here’s a fun little quote I though I might add (although it does not really relate to the topic)
“Quoting one is plagiarism, quoting many is reasearch”
Pantagruel says
@eM3rC
True, the effectiveness would be zero. It’s quite funny to see how ineffective the RIAA/MPAA is in prosecuting copyright offenders, eventhough their budget seems to be unlimited.
But the thing is bureaucrats aim not to solve the problem but simple provide a ‘solution’ that appears to work (without giving shit about the costs). It all has to do with FUD. Bureaucrats will want to create Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt so people will listen to them. They then will come up with a partial solution to the problem they themselves have created and herald they have squashed the problem (and move on to creating the next ‘hurdle’). The people will reward them for handling the ‘crisis’ by re-electing them. The same goes for the music and video industry. They state that artists (and they themselves ofcourse) are earning less and less, the reason being piracy and the distribution of their ‘property’ through digital means other than they control/get their cut from. As a solution they start a wild goose chase (actually more of a witch hunt) to bring down these bad music/video exchanging internet users. It’s rather funny they have, so far, only put some small fries on the stand.
It’s funny that they are so preoccupied with the protection of old shit (see ‘the mickey mouse’ law) and are not investing in new and innovative products.
Indeed bringing/slowing down hackers is by far more sensible.
I am quite fond of the remark: “Copy and improve”
zupakomputer says
What about using proxies to avoid being detected?
Thing is though – I’d intended to try some proxy sites today, from a connection where I can actually get decent internet speeds for downloads etc (not for music, legal or otherwise – just apps like are listed here), but – since they all use meta keywords that say things like ‘proxy’ in them……they don’t work.
What’s the point of saying you have proxies that can get around censor stuff like websense, when you then put the very keywords into your websites meta and descriptor, which are exactly what the likes of websense uses to block sites with…..
I can’t get on darknet there either, cause it must have ‘hacking’ or something to do with ‘hack’ in the meta.
For proxies do this – have sites with the keywords that list them, so’d they show up insearches; but then DON’T indicate in the meta or anything else of the actual proxy site / page itself that it is a proxy service, and don’t put any info in it that would flag it as a grey-area kind of place on the web.
James C says
@zupakomputer
Can’t use a proxy, most open proxy’s are used to spy on user’s, and general you wont know who is operating the proxy(eg.Government Agencies, RIAA). Tor(http://www.torproject.org/) is much better than a traditional proxy(is encrypted and bounces through 3 host) but still has some of the same flaws
(http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/09/anonymity_and_t_1.html)
Pantagruel says
Japan will be following suit as well.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080315TDY01305.htm
/quote
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The nation’s four Internet provider organizations have agreed to forcibly cut the Internet connection of users found to repeatedly use Winny and other file-sharing programs to illegally copy gaming software and music, it was learned Friday.
The move aims to deal with the rise in illegal copying of music, gaming software and images that has resulted in huge infringements on the rights of copyright holders.
Resorting to cutting off the Internet connection of copyright violators has been considered before but never resorted to over fears the practice might involve violations of privacy rights and the freedom of use of telecommunications.
/quote
zupakomputer says
@ James C – that’s my view on: all software (& hardware) anyway! (probably used to spy / gather info, and at any rate unless you have the source code and also know it as well as who programmed it, you’re never really going to know any better anyway what the hey it might be up to)
What I was meaning was that – when I’m at college and want to look at websites such as this one here, darknet, I can’t do that because they use software like ‘websense’ to block websites by reading what is in their keyword meta html.
So I had a list of proxies and thought I’d use those to circumvent it – only to discover that they use keywords in their meta that flag them as being proxy sites; therefore the ‘websense’ blocks them as well,
so when they claim to be all about getting around things like ‘websense’ they haven’t done their homework very well or they wouldn’t advertise in the meta that they are proxy sites.
Tor sounds interesting, and another name that also has resonant import in offline reality too (Damballah was another one mentioned here recently – a voodoo snake-gods name! Glastonbury Tor is a very special place of the Avalon Isle).
@zupakomputer says
@zupakomputer
I’d used to run a proxy on my home network and just connected to that from school, worked fine for me. if you deside to give it a go, run the server on port 80 so the traffic doesn
James C says
@zupakomputer
That was me sorry:)
zupakomputer says
Lol, I was just looking up IP spoofing when I saw your comment.
Seems like another way to be anonymous but it tends to be associated with attacks only.
Servers@home is definitely something on the cards for me for the future..
zupakomputer says
That was my comment there, in case it’s ‘awaiting approval’ cause you thought someone else posted with my username.
Bogwitch says
@paulette,
I would be interested to hear how you suggest that pirates are caught. Since the Internet is worldwide, it is going to be virtually impossible to stop piracy.
The only way I can see that piracy can be reduced dramatically would be to have said artists and producers reduce the amount of royalties they expect to make from their product to a point where the pirates cannot make a profit from it. There will always be pirates that do not make any money from downloading copyrighted content but the high price of IP has, IMO, created these pirates.
Personally, I would prefer for, music performers specifically, to provide their musical content for free. This way thay could, in theory, build up a large fanbase, who would be prepared to pay cash to see them play live. That’s going to take a ballsy artist to attempt that!