MPAA/RIAA's ' 6 strikes ' anti-pirate policy coming soon ... be afraid

[taustin]

Originally Posted by InsulinJunkie72

Some of the other articles over the past year or not (CNET and some other news outlets) noted the parties finally agreed due to some backstage arm-twisting from the White House. It's basically a back-channel law, with more PR protection for the administration if it goes over like a lead balloon.

Except it's not a law, and has no legal force whatsoever. The reason it was done this way is that the mafIAA has tried, several times, to get this passed as a law, and their pet congresscritters have been handed their collective ass each time by the voting public.

This is purely voluntary on the part of the ISPs, to be enforced as they see fit, and there is nothing to stop them from withdrawing from it at any time. In other words, it is exactly the same as things have been (pretty much all ISPs have included in their terms of service a provision that allows them to cancel the account without notice if you do something illegal with it - this is actually less restrictive to their customers, not more, in that it requires more notice and more chances).

This is marketing hype, and nothing more. It's certainly a poor substitute for a law that they can't get passed.

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Shouldn't there be a distinction between those who are distributing/selling the material and those who are receiving/buying it?

Yes, and we should also make a distinction between those who distribute and those who sell the books.