After several significant delays, the entertainment industry and most of the nation's largest ISPs are set to launch their "six strikes" graduated response anti-piracy efforts starting today. Sources familiar with the plan timetable have told both Daily Dot and Torrent Freak that six strikes starts today, and a new Center for Copyright Information website run by the entertainment industry appears to have been freshly launched for the occasion (see new video, below).
Different ISPs are expected to launch their slightly different versions of the six strikes plan throughout the week, with anonymous sources saying that Comcast will be the first -- launching today.
Problems with the program have been well outlined by groups like the EFF, including the assumption of guilt before innocence, the reliance on often-unreliable IP evidence, and the need for the accused to pay a $35 fee to protest their innocence.
Several sources I've spoken to in the industry aren't thrilled about the negative press they're going to be getting for these plans, privately acknowledging they doubt piracy will be curbed significantly. Carriers fought against severing Internet connections as punishment -- something originally proposed by the entertainment industry. I've confirmed nobody is tracking "strikes" if a use moves between ISPs. And, barring lawsuits the industry claims won't happen, there's also no "end game" to the six strike plan; after being repeatedly warned users stop getting notifications or receiving punishment.
As such, the effort seems designed to focus primarily on scaring kids into ceasing file trading after mom and dad receive scary letters or browser pop-up notifications. Most pirates will be flocking to BitTorrent VPN and proxy services, who'll surely be loving the massive new business opportunity as six strikes gets off the ground and users flee the prying eyes of their ISP. The question remains: now that six strikes is launching, will the plan slowly expand to include additional bad ideas, such as service disconnections and lawsuits using collected data?