SIX STRIKES: HOW IT WORKS

Six Strike Rules for the New Copyright Alert System

I received a number of queries to yesterday's post - 'Copyright vs. Piracy" - in regards to the new Copyright Alert System's six strikes and you're out rules. Here's the way it will work.

Users suspected of accessing pirated content on peer-to-peer networks will receive increasingly aggressive notifications and eventually be subject to punitive action.

Strikes 1-2:  In response to notices from a copyright owner, an Internet Service Provider will send online alerts to subscribers that their account may have been misused or involved in copyright infringement and will provide information about legal sources of music, film, and TV content.

Strikes 3-4: Similar to the first two alerts, with addition of a "conspicuous mechanism" such as a click-through popup notice or landing page requiring the subscriber to acknowledge receipt of the alert.

Strikes 5-6:  At this point, ISPs may resort to more punitive "mitigation measures" that may include temporarily throttling Internet speeds or blocking access until a subscriber contacts the ISP to review copyright laws and how to obtain digital content legally.

So that's it.  Will it work? And, more importantly does it solve the piracy problem.

Best
Jim Lavorato