Internet Service Providers to Implement Pirate Notification System

Internet Service Providers in the US are reportedly working on implementing a copyright infringement notification system to flag subscribers who download or upload copyrighted material via peer-to-peer services.

According to a report issued by The Associated Press, the Copyright Alert System will allow copyright holders to prompt internet service providers to deliver a notification that the IP address is involved in illegal file exchanges.

It is commonly known that publishers often monitor uTorrent trackers and collect IP addresses involved in exchanging copyrighted materials such as games, music and movies. Under the new system, publishers will be able to submit these IP addresses, along with the time the infringement has been detected, to the Internet Service Provider. The ISP looks up who had the specific IP address at the respective time and notifies them that they are breaking the law.

The report mentions that a customer can get notified six times before losing their web connection. The first two notifications will serve as educational warnings. If the user does not stop, the provider will take more drastic steps, such as throttling their connection, or redirecting their Internet traffic to a page that requires them to acknowledge that they have been notified.