Cnet.com reports that more and more ISP's will start tracking people that are on file-sharing networks and warn them or cut off their connection.
Record industries can't even the handle the big amount of people they need to track down, and privately held companies are now searching for people sharing files with autmoted software
These independent companies operate automated systems that can troll file-swapping networks looking for their clients' work. Once they find it, it is a simple task to figure out the Internet address of the computer that is offering the content to the world. The companies then cross-reference this information with the ISP that owns that Internet address and send a letter showing exactly which files are being shared, demanding that the subscriber be stopped. |
Using this information, ISPs can figure out who was using that address at that time. Some, like Verizon, are resisting the demands, saying that copyright law does not force them to monitor or respond directly to content that is on their subscribers' hard drives. Others, like Adelphia, quickly cut off their subscribers' connections.
Many, including DirecTV Broadband and Excite@Home, issue warning letters to their subscribers. If there is a second violation, the subscribers' accounts may be terminated for violating the ISPs' terms-of-service agreements, which generally bar using the networks for copyright violations.
You might think that this is the solution to stop people from sharing their files and it probably would, but there's still Freenet that promises anynomous encryted transfers.
Source: Cnet.com
