[LINK] When private cops get out of hand...

Richard Chirgwin rchirgwin at ozemail.com.au
Sun Apr 15 15:20:27 AEST 2007


Rick Welykochy wrote:
> Michael Still wrote:
>
>> What would you do if your ISP canceled your account because someone else
>> said to? Oh, that's right -- you'd threaten to sue them, and then find
>> an ISP that cared about its customers.
>>
>> Isn't this a good thing? Customers end up moving to ISPs which don't
>> suck, and the sucky ISPs get hammered in the process.
>
> Exetel broadband specifically prohibits copyright infringement.
>
> If you upload multi-media files to your Exe website, a robot will
> delete them. Runs nightly. You can request that a specific file
> be excluded from the robot because you own the copyright.
>
> If you download copyrighted materials and they monitor the download,
> you are given three warnings. Thence your account is immediately
> terminated and you may be handed over to the authorities.
>
> I wonder if Linkers know of other ISPs with similar terms? This
> of course is different from a third party requesting your
> account be banished.
Yes, it certainly is different. In the Exetel case, there is a specific 
T&C item which Exetel is acting upon.

In the MIPI proposal, my contract with Telstra (say) for a fixed line 
would be subject to MIPI oversight, even if my ISP were different. MIPI 
is not an agency of government, it is not the police, and it has no 
legislative standing - but it is proposing acting as an agency with a 
right to require that someone's phone line be disconnected.

As you observed in the first post, Rick, this would take legislative 
change - but there's no doubt that MIPI wants just such a legislated 
power. It absolutely should not have that power.

RC



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