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AT&T Tells Us Their Six Strikes Won't Include Throttling
Just Click Through Warnings, 'Educational' Material

Yesterday we noted that despite the copyright industry's new "six strikes" anti-piracy campaign launch, just one ISP had bothered to put anything about the plan on their website. AT&T sent us a statement justifying their lack of website information by saying they intend to communicate directly with impacted users. The company did however send us more detail on their implementation of six strikes, which they confirm launched this week. Leaked documents highlighted most of the details of AT&T's program last October.

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AT&T noted that unlike Verizon -- they won't be throttling user connections, but they will implement a click through process (similar to Time Warner Cable) requiring you to click on an acknowledgement of "educational" materials provided by the Center for Copyright Information before continuing browsing. This occurs as part of a user's fifth warning.

"Beginning this week, AT&T will begin accepting notices from content owners who have reason to believe our residential wireline broadband Internet customers are sharing copyrighted material unlawfully using peer-to-peer services," said AT&T. "Our commitment remains with our customers and that is why the approach we developed is focused on customer education rather than punishment."

As with other ISP implementations of six strikes, users can protest the accusation by paying a $35 fee, though nothing actually happens after the sixth warning. The hope is that the program scares enough kids (after parents received numerous notices on screen and off) that it makes some kind of dent in piracy without resorting to user disconnections -- something carriers don't want for obvious reasons. Most serious pirates will of course use VPN or proxy services to hide themselves from the prying eyes of their ISP -- if they aren't doing so already.

Though the CCI has claimed otherwise, it remains unclear if the data collected during the alert process (and the user acknowledgement that they did, in fact, pirate content) will ultimately be used as part of lawsuits. The AT&T six strikes data leaked last October (see screenshot above) did make references to potential legal action by the entertainment industry after the fifth warning.
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brianiscool
join:2000-08-16
Tampa, FL

brianiscool

Member

Scare

Don't let these ISP's bother you !

King Boo
@charter.com

King Boo

Anon

Re: Thank you browser add-ons

they bother me all the time with their slow ass speed.
brianiscool
join:2000-08-16
Tampa, FL

brianiscool

Member

Re: Thank you browser add-ons

How can that be if your on charter?

nonamesleft
join:2011-11-07
Manitowoc, WI

1 edit

nonamesleft

Member

Be responsible att, and...

be responsible for your crimes first! Guess that "Rethink possible" slogan is an oxymoron. Is this educational material something they stole from someone else?

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall

MVM

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

said by nonamesleft:

be responsible for your crimes first! Guess that "Rethink possible" slogan is an oxymoron. Is this educational material something they stole from someone else?

So two wrongs make a right? I hardly think so.

skeechan
Ai Otsukaholic
Premium Member
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170

skeechan

Premium Member

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

Maybe not but it certainly makes them hypocrites along with the MAFIAA members who were caught pirating.

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall

MVM

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

said by skeechan:

Maybe not but it certainly makes them hypocrites along with the MAFIAA members who were caught pirating.

Maybe so, but that doesn't make pirating excusable.

skeechan
Ai Otsukaholic
Premium Member
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170

skeechan

Premium Member

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

Sure, but it is a matter of priorities. We apply more resources to stopping murder than jaywalkers. That doesn't mean jaywalking is okay. AT&T and the MAFIAA should be applying their resources to their own wrongdoing before applying resources toward 13 year olds downloading Happy Birthday.

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall

MVM

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

said by skeechan:

Sure, but it is a matter of priorities. We apply more resources to stopping murder than jaywalkers. That doesn't mean jaywalking is okay. AT&T and the MAFIAA should be applying their resources to their own wrongdoing before applying resources toward 13 year olds downloading Happy Birthday.

I don't think ISPs should be policing their customers. Leave that to the proper authorities. That being said, it seems that the ISPs are being ordered to do this. I don't think that AT&T and other ISPs are doing this of their own free will.

skeechan
Ai Otsukaholic
Premium Member
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170

skeechan

Premium Member

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

Ordered by whom? No one is big enough to 'order' an MSO or telco to do anything. Even when the FCC tells them to do something they don't roll over for it.

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall

MVM

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

said by skeechan:

Ordered by whom? No one is big enough to 'order' an MSO or telco to do anything. Even when the FCC tells them to do something they don't roll over for it.

Ordered by the court system. Either that or the threat of suing by the RIAA or MPAA. Either way, just by the way the ISPs are going about this, they are not taking it seriously, and neither should we.

skeechan
Ai Otsukaholic
Premium Member
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170

skeechan

Premium Member

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

That is beyond the purview of the court, they can't make law or policy and no court has such nationwide jurisdiction aside from the Supreme Court.

Besides, Orders of the Court are public record and we would know about it.

You could be right about the threat of litigation however the MAFIAA isn't big enough to threaten the MSOs and the telcos. The MSOs lawyers can beat up the MAFIAA lawyers. The MSOs and telcos aren't actively facilitating piracy in that they comply with DMCA requests.

Twaddle
@sbcglobal.net

Twaddle to skeechan

Anon

to skeechan
"No one is big enough to 'order' an MSO or telco to do anything."

Don't be too sure of that statement. If the right people want something to happen in the US of A it will happen or people will commit suicide, have accidents etc. Please recall J. Edgar Hoover and his antics, many completely illegal. Even MSOs or Telcos can bleed.

skeechan
Ai Otsukaholic
Premium Member
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170

skeechan

Premium Member

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

The MSOs and Telcos only fear the left side of FCC and even that fear is waning. Congress along with the legislatures of the 'several states' has been bought and paid for.

nonamesleft
join:2011-11-07
Manitowoc, WI

nonamesleft to Nightfall

Member

to Nightfall
said by Nightfall:

said by nonamesleft:

be responsible for your crimes first! Guess that "Rethink possible" slogan is an oxymoron. Is this educational material something they stole from someone else?

So two wrongs make a right? I hardly think so.

No...Where did you see that?

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall

MVM

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

said by nonamesleft:

said by Nightfall:

said by nonamesleft:

be responsible for your crimes first! Guess that "Rethink possible" slogan is an oxymoron. Is this educational material something they stole from someone else?

So two wrongs make a right? I hardly think so.

No...Where did you see that?

By addressing AT&T's wrongdoings "first", its a simple insinuation.

nonamesleft
join:2011-11-07
Manitowoc, WI

nonamesleft

Member

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

said by Nightfall:

By addressing AT&T's wrongdoings "first", its a simple insinuation.

So what! You want to praise them?

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall

MVM

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

said by nonamesleft:

said by Nightfall:

By addressing AT&T's wrongdoings "first", its a simple insinuation.

So what! You want to praise them?

At this point, neither side should be praised or scolded. Pointing out the skeletons in a company's closet and using it as a reason to pirate is just as faulty as pirating in itself. Its wrong on both ends.

skeechan
Ai Otsukaholic
Premium Member
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170

skeechan

Premium Member

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

Only one side needs scolding and that is the hypocrites at AT&T and the MAFIAA pirates.

nonamesleft
join:2011-11-07
Manitowoc, WI

nonamesleft to Nightfall

Member

to Nightfall
said by Nightfall:

said by nonamesleft:

said by Nightfall:

By addressing AT&T's wrongdoings "first", its a simple insinuation.

So what! You want to praise them?

At this point, neither side should be praised or scolded. Pointing out the skeletons in a company's closet and using it as a reason to pirate is just as faulty as pirating in itself. Its wrong on both ends.

I never mentioned pirating, your just taking what I said out of context. I don't pirate anyways! So get off it!

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall

MVM

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

said by nonamesleft:

I never mentioned pirating, your just taking what I said out of context. I don't pirate anyways! So get off it!

Talk about taking what you say out of context. I never mentioned that you pirate.

I think we both did a little bit of that there. I apologize for doing that.

nonamesleft
join:2011-11-07
Manitowoc, WI

1 recommendation

nonamesleft

Member

Re: Be responsoble att, and...

said by Nightfall:

said by nonamesleft:

I never mentioned pirating, your just taking what I said out of context. I don't pirate anyways! So get off it!

Talk about taking what you say out of context. I never mentioned that you pirate.

I think we both did a little bit of that there. I apologize for doing that.

Yeah, I checked, your right, I apologize for doing the same.
axus
join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC

axus

Member

Maybe it's meant to be ineffective

So copyright cartels can say "We tried", and proceed to lobby for a law, instead of this industry agreement. Then, the big ISPs will already have the infrastructure in place, and it won't be a huge burden on them to follow that law.

It's another huge barrier to entry for smaller ISPs, though.
turtlespeed
join:2013-02-21
united state

turtlespeed

Member

Six Strikes is meant to be a joke Right!!!

So, if an AT&T Internet Subscriber Believes they are Wrongly Accused who gave AT&T the Right to Prevent that Subscriber from hiring a Lawyer and Suing them in Court. The Courts have Already found that an IP address Is Not A Person how can anybody get into trouble over anything since the Courts Ruled an IP Address is not a person. I think Six Strikes is just meant to be a Joke??? There will be thousands of Lawsuits I predict and Six Strikes won't last 6 Months.

gjrhine
join:2001-12-12
Pawleys Island, SC

gjrhine

Member

Dear ISP

send me my 6, I'll click through all and we'll be all done OK?
turtlespeed
join:2013-02-21
united state

turtlespeed

Member

The Key Is Lawsuits, then Six Strikes Goes Away!!!

If you are Wrongly Accused Sue it's that Simple, Lawyer will be Lining up for FREE to take your Case They use the Net Too Remember. Remember, an IP Address is Not a Person. It's a Slam Dunk!!

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru

MVM

Re: The Key Is Lawsuits, then Six Strikes Goes Away!!!

said by turtlespeed:

If you are Wrongly Accused Sue it's that Simple, Lawyer will be Lining up for FREE to take your Case

Good luck finding a lawyer to work pro bono or on a contingency basis fighting an accusation to your ISP that, at worst, results in a stern popup telling you not to do it again, or else you'll get another popup...
ndwbr
join:2003-07-10
Atlanta, GA

1 edit

ndwbr

Member

thwart with VPN?

Just one question: won't a simple VPN service (e.g. StrongVPN) and/or compressed/encrypted files (are torrents compressed/encrypted? -- follow up: sure they are: »bit.ly/nyAZdn ) easily thwart any attempt on the part of big brother to determine what is being downloaded? I think this is a big hoax and they are simply trying to intimidate people into believing they have the ability to track every byte that you are downloading...

DeathK
Premium Member
join:2002-06-16
Cincinnati, OH

DeathK

Premium Member

Re: thwart with VPN?

said by ndwbr:

(are torrents compressed/encrypted? -- follow up: sure they are: »bit.ly/nyAZdn )

This part doesn't matter since some copyright holders set up bogus seeds for their own content and see what IP's are downloading/sharing.

Now, if you're on a VPN the IP they see doesn't lead back to you.

David
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL

David

Premium Member

VPN

VPN and it won't matter.
ndwbr
join:2003-07-10
Atlanta, GA

ndwbr

Member

Re: VPN

i don't buy it - how can an ISP read encrypted data

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