[Infowarrior] - MPAA Negotiates With ISPs to Disconnect or Penalize Copyright Offenders

[Richard Forno]

MPAA Negotiates With ISPs to Disconnect or Penalize Copyright Offenders
By David Kravets EmailMarch 27, 2009 | 4:34:00 PMCategories:  
Intellectual Property

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/03/mpaa-asking-isp.html

Hollywood studios are negotiating with broadband providers to take  
action against customers caught downloading movies repeatedly.  
Penalties range from redirecting infringers' browsers to an anti- 
piracy message and disconnecting them entirely, a movie industry  
source familiar with the talks said Friday.

The revelation came as the Recording Industry Association of America  
is talking with the same ISPs to get them to adopt a "three-strikes"  
plan and cut internet access to repeat infringers of music copyright.  
The RIAA proposal aims to make music fans stop trading pirated  
material, while limiting industry lawsuits that target individual  
offenders who face court damages of as much as $150,000 an infringement.

A source familiar with Hollywood's negotiations says the movie  
industry's plans, which could be announced as early as next month, are  
still fluid and nothing has been finalized. The source, who requested  
anonymity, said the ISPs ultimately could decide on a range of  
proposed sanctions, including suspending service to those found  
sharing copyright material.

"Our efforts are focused on educating consumers who receive  
infringement notifications for illegal downloading about where to find  
high-quality, legitimate content on the internet and on effective ways  
to deal with repeat infringers," the Motion Picture Association of  
America said in a statement. The association, which is the lobbying  
agency for the Hollywood studios, declined to elaborate.

The major ISPs, however, have thus far balked at terminating their  
clients.

The studios and ISPs are also discussing "browser redirect." The  
browser of a suspected copyright scofflaw would point to the internet  
service provider's terms of service agreement that informs users they  
risk losing internet access for illicit conduct. Violators who lose  
service potentially face reconnect fees as well.

"Everybody," the source said, "is trying to figure out what the best  
approach is."