Comcast Terminates Accounts of Persistent Pirates

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If you are a Comcast subscriber that likes to repeatedly get busted downloading pirated content, you should probably start shopping for a new ISP....soon.

Under the DMCA Internet providers have an obligation to take action against persistent pirates. While the law doesn’t define under what circumstances this should happen, Comcast is very clear about its policy. Talking to TorrentFreak, the Internet provider confirms that subscribers who are caught for “repeated and egregious” copyright infringement will have their accounts terminated.
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The beauty of the American justice system is crimes and torts need to be proven.

Until now.
 
i've not used anything ever and i've yet to get caught, beside now days all major channels shows their show on their website for free excluding HBO and starz and netflix being $15/month it's still cheaper than paying $50 for basic channels.
 
How about not downloading the content to begin with? Why not just spend a few dollars and pay to watch the stuff you want legitimately? People do work hard to make the content you enjoy so why not give them what's due?
 
trparky said:
How about not downloading the content to begin with? Why not just spend a few dollars and pay to watch the stuff you want legitimately? People do work hard to make the content you enjoy so why not give them what's due?
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That's assuming it is available in the region he/she is in.

I recall a post on [H] within the last year that talked about how availability plays a big role in the number of downloads.
 
Not supporting piracy in any way, but when the cable cartels keep increasing prices, refuse to offer a 'pick your own channels' option, and content owners want to keep charging you multiple times for the same content, is it any wonder?

The argument that piracy hurts sales has been handily debunked many times, yet they still continue to use it.
 
But for those people who live in the USA most if not all content is available on NetFlix.
 
trparky said:
How about not downloading the content to begin with? Why not just spend a few dollars and pay to watch the stuff you want legitimately? People do work hard to make the content you enjoy so why not give them what's due?
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Most likely because his money is not good enough for them because he lives in the wrong location.
 
trparky said:
How about not downloading the content to begin with? Why not just spend a few dollars and pay to watch the stuff you want legitimately? People do work hard to make the content you enjoy so why not give them what's due?
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Who's to Say I'm not paying for the content. I want to watch it at the gym while I'm running on the treadmill. I subscribe to cable plus HBO and showtime. Where is the service that will allow me to watch the show I subscribe to at 5 pm in a gym with no data connection? Bottom line is I'll make sure I'm paying for the content I watch, but if it isn't on the format I want I'll obtain it. I don't feel guilty in the slightest about it either, its not like I'm not paying for the content. If that makes me a "pirate" then idgaf, personally I have no moral objection to it.
 
A DMCA take down request is not an admission of guilt or proof of wrong doing
this is bullshit
 
PinkyThePig said:
Usenet and/or private trackers.
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and everyone saying this over and over is why usenet is full of encrypted/password protected archives and dmca take downs

everyone seems to have forgotten the first rule of usenet
 
trparky said:
How about not downloading the content to begin with? Why not just spend a few dollars and pay to watch the stuff you want legitimately? People do work hard to make the content you enjoy so why not give them what's due?
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What about when a show I set up to record gets interrupted for some "special announcement" or "severe weather"? What about if I want to watch the latest episode of Revolution when I'm at the gym (which I recorded on my DVR at home)? What about if I'm paying for cable and there is a power outage during the show I was watching or the cable channel goes dark?

There are so many legitimate reasons for possibly downloading a show that the media companies don't take into account. Sure, there are also a lot of "illegal" reasons people download them also like not being available in their region, don't subscribe to premium channels, etc. But to just throw a blanket statement out there that people should pay for a show.. when they may have already paid in their cable bill is just wrong....
 
So long as it's people who really are downloading pirated content--and not just generic torrenting (which can be used for any number of legit things)--I'm actually perfectly okay with this. If it's explicitly outlined in their TOS, and users agree to the TOS, I see no scenario where this is wrong.

I feel very strongly that media and content providers need much better delivery systems to consumers. But I can't fucking stand it when people think they're entitled to content without paying for it. But I also feel very strongly that the DMCA is crap and the affiliate litigious groups like the RIAA are worst of today's scum.
 
FLECOM said:
and everyone saying this over and over is why usenet is full of encrypted/password protected archives and dmca take downs

everyone seems to have forgotten the first rule of usenet
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That started happening quite a while back. The issue is those that grew up around usenet in the 80's/90's got jobs as RIAA/MPAA lawyers. Now even finding legit large files can be a chore.
 
My thoughts are that if the content can't be acquired legally then I can live without it. It's their loss, they had a chance to get my money and they refused it. Sure, it would be nice to have that content but not at risk of having a long drawn out court battle which I don't have the money to be able to fight if one comes my way.
 
PinkyThePig said:
And that's why you don't use the pirate bay.

Usenet and/or private trackers.
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No such thing as "private" trackers in reality, all perception , just how you can get into a "private tracker" so can these companies and then get to see everyone who is downloading what!
 
The law says "repeat infringer's", not "repeat recipients of allegations of infringement".

If the US government can shutdown a website without due process i.e. Megaupload then what is to stop a US isp from terminating someones account without due process or even before the person has been found guilty of infringement in a court of law.
 
Bubby said:
The beauty of the American justice system is crimes and torts need to be proven.

Until now.
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That is the beauty of the American justice system. However this is not about justice, no one is being charged with a crime. There are very few cases involving copyright infringement that have been criminal in nature, they've all been civil cases. An ISP dumping you for ANY reason has nothing to do with the justice system either, in the same way if you set up a hate mongering neo-nazi KKK page on GoDaddy they have every right to violate your first amendment rights by refusing to do service with you.
 
FLECOM said:
and everyone saying this over and over is why usenet is full of encrypted/password protected archives and dmca take downs

everyone seems to have forgotten the first rule of usenet
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I thought that was just people trying to be douchebags and getting a few bucks by directing you to the website which after you fill out a survey (i.e. makes them money) will net your a password (or at least that's the claim)
 
trparky said:
How about not downloading the content to begin with? Why not just spend a few dollars and pay to watch the stuff you want legitimately? People do work hard to make the content you enjoy so why not give them what's due?
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I pay a few bucks to watch the shows I want.. I just dont pay a cable provider as its not a few bucks... It would be 120+ a month..
 
trparky said:
My thoughts are that if the content can't be acquired legally then I can live without it. It's their loss, they had a chance to get my money and they refused it. Sure, it would be nice to have that content but not at risk of having a long drawn out court battle which I don't have the money to be able to fight if one comes my way.
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I'm with you. Most of the stuff on TV is garbage anyway.
Why anyone pays for cable is beyond me. You'll spend 33% of your time watching commercials; you should be the one getting paid, not the cable company.
 
I think I can get Frontier here...less speed but a lot cheaper. Go ahead, Comcast, stop getting 80 bucks a month from me.

I doubt this has happened very often, they would be stupid to throw away money.
 
Somewhat related. New South Park had dealings with the cable company

"Well you don't like it you should just change to another cable company, oh wait there are no other cable companies *rubs nipples*"
 
I do in fact have a NetFlix account and I stream and rent DVDs like crazy. I rent whole TV shows on DVD or stream it and binge watch it until I get caught up with what's on live TV.
 
I did the whole binge watching of whole TV shows with shows such as NCIS, NCIS: LA, The Big Bang Theory, and a number of other shows.
 
I just do not get why these companies that are losing so many subscribers who are cutting the cable do not seem to realize WHY.

It's like the music execs who kept saying the digital revolution wouldn't happen.

If people could simply choose the channels they wanted , if they could get the content online LEGALLY through that service, and didn't restrict it to regions.

In this day and age people do not like to wait, if there's a new episode of Game of Thrones out Jim Bob who lives in a country that doesn't show GoT until 3+ months later isn't going to "wait" for that episode when he can just d/l it .

I do not get why premium companies like HBO/Showtime/Starz do not offer people the ability to subscribe to just their service outside of a cable contract/satellite plan and get it straight from the source online. A good 720p/1080p d/l that's good quality that people can put on their tablets to watch whent hey want or stream to their tv's, etc.

As it stands if you want HBO you gotta sub to a package which will run you a lot more.

So those kinds of companies are losing money (and a lot of it) by keeping the services tied to an old and archaic concept that might have worked back when people had no other "choice" but to get cable/satellite but the times, they are a changing.

They can either keep a hold on these outdated practices and go the way of the dinosaurs or they can be smart, offer a GOOD fair price for their content and allow people to get it how they want rather then forcing them to put down a ton of money for a bunch of crap they don't want just to get it.

It seems like most of these content businesses have forgetting that the customer should be the one you WANT to please, not the one you want to blackmail/threaten to get money out of them.
 
farscapesg1 said:
What about when a show I set up to record gets interrupted for some "special announcement" or "severe weather"? What about if I want to watch the latest episode of Revolution when I'm at the gym (which I recorded on my DVR at home)? What about if I'm paying for cable and there is a power outage during the show I was watching or the cable channel goes dark?

There are so many legitimate reasons for possibly downloading a show that the media companies don't take into account. Sure, there are also a lot of "illegal" reasons people download them also like not being available in their region, don't subscribe to premium channels, etc. But to just throw a blanket statement out there that people should pay for a show.. when they may have already paid in their cable bill is just wrong....
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Not that it matters.....

But you pay for the content through their service how they want you to view it. The beauty if what they did was get you to sign the contract agreeing to it. Right or wrong,...

Special announcements and severe weather happen across the board, though you may not care about it, others do. Again, you agreed to the service. You also agreed to watch the shows on their equipment, just because it doesn't fit your time slot, doesn't make it legal for you to DL and watch it on other hardware. Power outages happen, you can always call them and ask to credit you the time, and going dark is an agreement as well.

Hate to sound like that, but people really need to read and understand what they are signing and how it affects them. The unfortunate truth is how we view things, how they view things, and how the law really reads isn't always in agreement.
 
What will eventually happen is the cable companies are going to end up doubling or tripling the price of their internet service and then turn around and say that they are giving you cable television for free through some kind of proprietary VOD service. Oh, and they will have commercials you cannot fast-forward or skip like you can with a DVR.
 
Even when something IS on Netflix, it might not be there tomorrow or next week. When it comes to streaming, Netflix is a joke.
 
I don't put any stock into this. My room mate who couldn't turn on a computer without aid got a notice from time warner when WoW first started using peer to peer downloading....
 
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