Will your ISP block your Internet if you are accused of file sharing?

That is exactly what the Recording Industry Association of America has asked Internet providers to do. Apparently, some are willing to cooperate. Under this plan, if the RIAA accuses you of illegal file sharing, you will have your Internet service terminated after receiving warnings. This practice is already underway in some other countries. Illegal file sharing is wrong, but having the RIAA as the judge and jury is a violation of American's rights. This plan would only be fair if businesses in the music industry have their Internet terminated if they falsely accuse someone.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10203799-93.html

“”AT&T first to test RIAA antipiracy plan by Greg Sandoval

Updated Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. PDT to include quotes from AT&T and information about Comcast and Cox.

Updated Wednesday at 10:37 a.m. PDT to include a statement from an AT&T spokeswoman who wished to correct what she had previously said. She says now that the company asserts in the letters that it has the right to terminate a policy. She said, however, the company has no intention of doing so.

Updated Wednesday at 3:40 p.m. PDT: AT&T says that it won’t ever terminate service of customers without a court order. To read more updated information about this, go here.

AT&T, one of the nation’s largest Internet service providers, confirmed on Tuesday the company is working with the recording industry to combat illegal file sharing.

At a digital music conference in Nashville, Tenn., Jim Cicconi, a senior executive for AT&T, told the audience that the ISP has begun issuing warning notices to people accused of pirating music by the Recording Industry Association of America, according to one music industry insider who was present.

Early Wednesday morning, an AT&T spokeswoman confirmed that Cicconi made the statements.

In December, the RIAA, the lobbying group of the four largest recording companies, announced the group would no longer pursue an antipiracy strategy that focused on suing individuals, but rather would seek the help of broadband providers to stem the flow of pirated content. The RIAA said an undisclosed number of ISPs had agreed to cooperate but declined to name them. In January, CNET News reported that AT&T and Comcast were among the group.

Sources told CNET on Wednesday that a Comcast executive confirmed that the nation’s second largest ISP is working with the RIAA. At the same Nashville conference where Cicconi spoke, the Comcast exec said the ISP has sent 2 million warning notices to customers accused of infringement by entertainment companies. The sources have also confirmed that Cox is a member. (You can read more about that here: “Comcast, Cox join RIAA antipiracy campaign.”) “”

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10204514-93.html?tag=mncol;txt

“”AT&T exec: ISP will never terminate service on RIAA’s word

Updated at 5:05 p.m. PDT to include explanation of RIAA’s graduated response, quotes from RIAA, as well as information about how some ISPs had already implemented their own type of graduated response.

Jim Cicconi, a senior executive vice president at AT&T, says much has been written about his company’s relationship with the music industry and some of it is flatly untrue.

This much at least Cicconi wants customers to understand: “AT&T is not going to suspend or terminate anyone’s policy without a court order.” “”

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