US Internet service providers (ISPs) Verizon Wireless and Time Warner Cable will implement the new "six-strikes" Copyright Alert System in the US by the end of this month to stop online piracy.
The six-strikes plan was the collaborative work of the five US firms that include Verizon, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, Comcast, and Cablevision as well as representatives of copyright holders the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
All the parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that gives discretion to ISPs to determine responses to infringement when brought to their attention by copyright holders.
Verizon said it will first warn repeat offenders by email and voicemail and then restrict or throttle their internet connection speeds.
Time Warner Cable said it will use pop-up warnings to deter repeat offenders and then restrict subscribers’ web browsing activities by redirecting them to a landing page.
The six strike policy enables the ISPs to toggle an Internet service and recommend legal action for users that ignore warnings.
In September last year, MPAA and the RIAA partnered with the ISPs to launch the Center for Copyright Information (CCI), a body dedicated to deterring copyright infringement and advising consumers on legal file sharing options.
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CCI executive director Jill Lesser was quoted by TorrentFreak as saying that the main purpose of the alerts is to educate the public.
"Yes, there are ways around it, and yes there are other ways to pirate," Lesser said of the six strike policy.
