[Infowarrior] - AT&T, Comcast 1st to help RIAA snooping?

[Richard Forno]

AT&T, Comcast 1st to help RIAA snooping?

http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/01/28/att.and.comcast.help.riaa/

Both AT&T and Comcast should be the first Internet providers to give  
in to the RIAA's monitoring program, according to sources speaking  
with CNET. Three separate contacts allege that the respective DSL and  
cable providers have tentatively agreed to forward warnings when the  
RIAA believes its songs are being shared illegally and would volunteer  
to punish repeated offenders. These could include user-specific  
traffic throttling and even suspension or a permanent disconnection  
after multiple alleged infractions.

Neither AT&T nor Comcast has signed a formal agreement and could still  
withdraw, the insiders claim. Among the issues still remaining are  
financial compensation for the lost revenue from customers forced off  
the network as well the cost responsibilities for warning notices.  
None of the parties involved have been asked to inspect traffic  
themselves.

Both of the two companies as well as four other, unnamed providers are  
said to be worried about being discovered collaborating with the RIAA  
and may avoid committing to a deal to avoid the negative press and  
customer defections that would likely follow from the association. The  
RIAA has hurt its reputation through its previous tactic of collecting  
information independently and resorting directly to lawsuits, which in  
multiple instances have resulted in mistaken accusations as well as  
countering racketeering lawsuits that charge the RIAA with unfairly  
forcing customers to pay large settlements rather than contest  
threatened copyright lawsuits in court.

Neither Comcast nor RIAA is willing to comment. AT&T won't either  
confirm or deny its involvement but maintains that it believes  
"consumer education" is the solution to thwarting music piracy and  
that it wouldn't automatically cut off access to its customers.

Most American Internet carriers have until now been hesitant to  
actively cooperate in enforcing copyrights and often defend themselves  
with safe harbor, which relieves them from taking responsibility for  
piracy committed on their networks. France currently implements a  
"three strikes" system promoted by the RIAA's European equivalent, the  
IFPI, that imposes a strict escalating punishment system which  
disconnects users after three distinctly identified violations.