Many broadband users naively assumed that if they stopped using Kazaa and switched to Bit Torrent they'd be out of range of what they view as the great unblinking eye of Sauron - the RIAA. That simply hasn't been the case, as many peer-to-peer users slowly realize that while Bit Torrent is a revolutionary file trading client, it offers no better privacy than more traditional p2p distribution methods.

Anyone with a Bit Torrent client can clearly see the IP address of every other user connected to the same tracker. Whether coming via Cox or Comcast, the DMCA letters are all generally the same. Both recent examples target torrent film and television episode downloaders, and both inform users they won't suffer any punishment if they simply delete the offending material.

"We are writing on behalf of Cox Communications to advise you that we have received a notification that you are using your Cox High Speed Internet service to post or transmit material that infringes the copyrights of a complainant's members," the letter politely informs one Cox user.

"Cox will suspend your account and disable your connection to the Internet within 24 hours of your receipt of this email if the offending material is not removed," the letter adds. So far we're not seeing many providers taking this step no matter what the recipient does.

The MPAA is being more polite than the RIAA (no lawsuits) for the time being, because film downloads have yet to become as popular as music trading. Films generally range from 500 megabytes to several gigabytes; caps and slower speeds acting as a deterrent for now. But as the film industry begins to feel the tugging at their purse-strings, you can expect these letters to become far less cuddly.

"Protecting" users from the film and music industry is slowly becoming as big of an industry as those industries themselves. The promise of anonymity is becoming a big selling point for companies promising everything from anonymizing software and "stealth" p2p clients to anonymous DSL. The majority of traders have simply fled to IRC.