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With the major US ISPs all signing up to Hollywood and the music industry's proposed six-strikes system, one ISP is taking copyright policing even more seriously.
Six-strikes gives ISPs a guideline on how to deal with repeat copyright infringers. ISPs have a wide range of penalties that they can dish out, but none so far has felt that permanent Internet disconnection is appropriate given the nature of the crime.
ISP Mediacom disagrees though. The ISP will temporarily suspend the account of anyone who has received their second infringement notice, and after a third one, permanently ban them from ever signing up again. This makes Mediacom's copyright policy one of the toughest yet in the US.
While users have the ability to file a counter-notification, but having your connection hijacked, in Mediacom's eyes, is not a valid excuse at all.
When asked about Mediacom's policies, digital rights activists the Electronic Frontier Foundation told TorrentFreak that users should, if they can, change their ISP immediately. "DMCA notices are merely accusations - they are not proof of wrongdoing, and ISPs should not treat them as such. Where possible, I would urge customers of any ISP that has a strict three-strikes policy to vote with their feet and find an ISP that puts its customers first," says EFF’s Corynne McSherry.
Six-strikes gives ISPs a guideline on how to deal with repeat copyright infringers. ISPs have a wide range of penalties that they can dish out, but none so far has felt that permanent Internet disconnection is appropriate given the nature of the crime.
ISP Mediacom disagrees though. The ISP will temporarily suspend the account of anyone who has received their second infringement notice, and after a third one, permanently ban them from ever signing up again. This makes Mediacom's copyright policy one of the toughest yet in the US.
While users have the ability to file a counter-notification, but having your connection hijacked, in Mediacom's eyes, is not a valid excuse at all.
When asked about Mediacom's policies, digital rights activists the Electronic Frontier Foundation told TorrentFreak that users should, if they can, change their ISP immediately. "DMCA notices are merely accusations - they are not proof of wrongdoing, and ISPs should not treat them as such. Where possible, I would urge customers of any ISP that has a strict three-strikes policy to vote with their feet and find an ISP that puts its customers first," says EFF’s Corynne McSherry.
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