DAYTON -- The battle over illegal online downloading is taking another turn, this time your Internet speed is on the line with a new alert warning system.
With just a few clicks people can access copyrighted material like movies or music without paying a dime. A quick search online shows thousands of âhow toâ videos to download copyrighted media illegally.
âI think a lot of folks donât believe theyâre being tracked, and their behaviors are known [by others]. Now theyâre being notified that we know you are doing this and you need to stop,â said Thomas Skill, Chief Information Officer, University of Dayton.
Instead of costly lawsuits, Internet and entertainment companies are taking a different approach to crackdown on illegal downloads, and that could impact parents who may not know what their kids are doing online, or someone with an unsecure Internet connection.
The âCopyright Alert Systemâ or âSix Strikes Systemâ went into effect Monday. The system gives would-be violators five warnings theyâve been caught illegally downloading. On the sixth attempt, the downloader could face a $35 fine, have their Internet suspended for a few days or see their Internet connection reduced to dial-up speed.
âItâs probably going to help take a good number of folks out of play; I donât think itâs going to be a total solutionâ said Skill.
Skill oversees UDâs computer system. He is optimistic about the new alert system since the University once handled its own downloading problem in a similar fashion, and it worked. But not everyone is sold on the idea.
âPeople are going to still record and download, until they find whatever files theyâre looking for. It might be affective, but it really depends on the user,â said Laurence Oliver of Dayton.
Creators of the alert system admit itâs not foolproof and savvy downloaders can find workarounds. They are hopeful the system will at least encourage more legal forms of getting media online.
Each Internet provider allows accused illegal downloaders to prove their innocence. Verizon, for example, takes the case to an arbitrator; while others, such as Time Warner, have the accused speak to a customer service representative and agree to not illegally download again.
With just a few clicks people can access copyrighted material like movies or music without paying a dime. A quick search online shows thousands of âhow toâ videos to download copyrighted media illegally.
âI think a lot of folks donât believe theyâre being tracked, and their behaviors are known [by others]. Now theyâre being notified that we know you are doing this and you need to stop,â said Thomas Skill, Chief Information Officer, University of Dayton.
Instead of costly lawsuits, Internet and entertainment companies are taking a different approach to crackdown on illegal downloads, and that could impact parents who may not know what their kids are doing online, or someone with an unsecure Internet connection.
The âCopyright Alert Systemâ or âSix Strikes Systemâ went into effect Monday. The system gives would-be violators five warnings theyâve been caught illegally downloading. On the sixth attempt, the downloader could face a $35 fine, have their Internet suspended for a few days or see their Internet connection reduced to dial-up speed.
âItâs probably going to help take a good number of folks out of play; I donât think itâs going to be a total solutionâ said Skill.
Skill oversees UDâs computer system. He is optimistic about the new alert system since the University once handled its own downloading problem in a similar fashion, and it worked. But not everyone is sold on the idea.
âPeople are going to still record and download, until they find whatever files theyâre looking for. It might be affective, but it really depends on the user,â said Laurence Oliver of Dayton.
Creators of the alert system admit itâs not foolproof and savvy downloaders can find workarounds. They are hopeful the system will at least encourage more legal forms of getting media online.
Each Internet provider allows accused illegal downloaders to prove their innocence. Verizon, for example, takes the case to an arbitrator; while others, such as Time Warner, have the accused speak to a customer service representative and agree to not illegally download again.
