US ISPs end ‘six strikes’ policy against internet piracy

The entertainment industry and internet providers have announced the end of the ‘six strikes’ program. This “education” program was established more than four years ago, with ISPs warning illegal downloaders up to six times.

The Center for Copyright Information does not provide a reason for discontinuing the Copyright Alert System. This organization brought together representatives from the motion picture industry, the MPAA, the music industry, the RIAA, and five major Internet service providers, AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon.

The policy was to issue a maximum of six warnings if illegal downloading was detected. If a downloader did not comply, the isp could voluntarily decide to reduce or shut down the internet speed. According to Torrentfreak, there are no numbers on how often this happened or other statistics that can give an indication of its effectiveness.

The participants nevertheless speak of ‘progress’, made possible by the collaboration of the entertainment industry and the internet sector. “CAS has succeeded in educating many people on the availability of legal content and topics associated with online infringements.” It is unclear what the participants’ next plans are.

The policy was introduced in 2012 and was seen as an example of how the industry could put in place an anti-piracy program on its own. For years there had been talk of a three-strikes law in France, but this has now been largely reversed. In the United Kingdom, a law was passed in 2010 for a three-strikes program. The British ISPs are about to start doing this.