Virgin Media/BPI sents 800 'downloaders' letters

[mehimandher]

From register

<snip>The BPI has written to 800 Virgin Media customers warning them to stop sharing music files or risk losing their broadband connection.</snip>



http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07...tters_numbers/

[Nicosia]

car phone warehouse got it right they are refusing to co-operate VM should do the same instead of losing customers for this as well as losing them to the capping

[haydnwalker]

They aren't actually going to cut users off though....yet

Originally Posted by ThinkBroadband.com News Article

Confusingly the envelope warns that if people do not read the letter they risk their broadband being disconnected, but Virgin Media tells Newsbeat there is "absolutely no possibility" of bans or taking legal action.

Full article ==> HERE

[cimt]

Originally Posted by Nicosia

car phone warehouse got it right they are refusing to co-operate VM should do the same instead of losing customers for this as well as losing them to the capping

So you don't want Virgin to stop illegal downloading? You got something to hide? In all honesty, I think it's a good thing. Hopefully it'll slow down the heavy downloaders.

[Nicosia]

Originally Posted by cimt

So you don't want Virgin to stop illegal downloading? You got something to hide? In all honesty, I think it's a good thing. Hopefully it'll slow down the heavy downloaders.

nothing to hide i havent downloaded a mp3 in ages but i do sometimes download some music, not very offen anymore.. i think more heavy users are the ones on xbox and ps3 using the b/w not downloading music

[dev]

to anyone who wants to cancel over this, are you also moving out of the uk? after all we have police here

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by Nicosia

car phone warehouse got it right they are refusing to co-operate VM should do the same instead of losing customers for this as well as losing them to the capping

Because ignoring illegal file sharing means it doesnt happen

Virgin Media are doing this to hold off complaints from copyright holders all the other ISP's do this but dont take it to the press I download but if I get a letter I wont be angry as VM dont advertise COME WITH US AND DOWNLOAD ILLEGAL files

[PeteTheMusicGuy]

Yes that’s right some of the other ISP'S have been doing this for a very long time. You are in breach of your TOS if you infringe on another persons copyright so if the ISP gets a complaint they should be taking action. VM are just after a little easy publicity

It's nice to see VM take stance but I think they would have been smarter saying nothing in the press and letting the latters go out. No offence to VM. but I'm sure it might have been picked up by the papers anyway

[Nicosia]

thats good maybe enough heavy downloaders will be stopped that are downloading illigall files will be throw off their VM connexction so they can stop the capping

[brundles]

Originally Posted by darthlinux

Virgin Media are doing this to hold off complaints from copyright holders all the other ISP's do this but dont take it to the press I download but if I get a letter I wont be angry as VM dont advertise COME WITH US AND DOWNLOAD ILLEGAL files

You mean you weren't one of those people that was going to sue Microsoft when they blocked a modded 360 from XBox live?

[cablestrider]

I've not downloaded mp3's for so long now - what little the wife allows me to listen to in the tiny spare time i have left these days is all bought through iTunes. I'll get (maybe) an album or two every 3/4 months.

Okay, I know the word torrent wasn't mentioned, but this along with p2p programs like limewire are usually what they refer to. So does VM assume that all torrent traffic is illegal traffic?

After all, torrent is just the method to get something, like ftp or http. So now i'm starting to worry about this - i download a LOT of torrents. All legal and no music or holywood movies or whatever. It's usually the better and FASTER way to get your file anyhow..

So i'm thinking are they blindly assuming that any torrent downloader is a pirate? Which is wrong, surely??? How would they prove your downloads are illegal anyhow?? I've nothing to hide and if VM want to monitor me then go ahead but what about privacy?

I'd hate to get home later today to find a VM letter waiting for me! lol

[icestar2]

Originally Posted by cablestrider

I've not downloaded mp3's for so long now - what little the wife allows me to listen to in the tiny spare time i have left these days is all bought through iTunes. I'll get (maybe) an album or two every 3/4 months.

Okay, I know the word torrent wasn't mentioned, but this along with p2p programs like limewire are usually what they refer to. So does VM assume that all torrent traffic is illegal traffic?

After all, torrent is just the method to get something, like ftp or http. So now i'm starting to worry about this - i download a LOT of torrents. All legal and no music or holywood movies or whatever. It's usually the better and FASTER way to get your file anyhow..

So i'm thinking are they blindly assuming that any torrent downloader is a pirate? Which is wrong, surely??? How would they prove your downloads are illegal anyhow?? I've nothing to hide and if VM want to monitor me then go ahead but what about privacy?

I'd hate to get home later today to find a VM letter waiting for me! lol

Its not VM checking anyway its the BPI and then they pass the information to VM to warn there customer's. No they cant assume all Torrent traffic is illegal and you dont have anything to worry about if everything you get through torrents is legal.

[dev]

Originally Posted by cablestrider

I've not downloaded mp3's for so long now - what little the wife allows me to listen to in the tiny spare time i have left these days is all bought through iTunes. I'll get (maybe) an album or two every 3/4 months.

Okay, I know the word torrent wasn't mentioned, but this along with p2p programs like limewire are usually what they refer to. So does VM assume that all torrent traffic is illegal traffic?

After all, torrent is just the method to get something, like ftp or http. So now i'm starting to worry about this - i download a LOT of torrents. All legal and no music or holywood movies or whatever. It's usually the better and FASTER way to get your file anyhow..

So i'm thinking are they blindly assuming that any torrent downloader is a pirate? Which is wrong, surely??? How would they prove your downloads are illegal anyhow?? I've nothing to hide and if VM want to monitor me then go ahead but what about privacy?

I'd hate to get home later today to find a VM letter waiting for me! lol

if you read, VM aren't the ones doing the checking. what happens is:

you download a torrent and being downloading whatever the torrent is for
bpi also download the torrent, get the list of people connected
check the list for VM IPs and send the list to VM with the torrent name / date / time / etc
VM check who had the IP then and fire off a letter

[bmxbandit]

Originally Posted by icestar2

Its not VM checking anyway its the BPI and then they pass the information to VM to warn there customer's. No they cant assume all Torrent traffic is illegal and you dont have anything to worry about if everything you get through torrents is legal.

...assuming they're more competent than the RIAA efforts at identifying infringers, anyway! How long before VM take their lead and send a letter to a printer, or a homeless / deceased person?