Rightscorp Gets Cocky, Threatens All US ISPs Copyright troll Rightscorp is getting cocky after a Judge last week upheld a $25 million piracy ruling against Cox Communications. Though Cox has had an anti-piracy system in place since 2008, US District Judge Liam O'Grady ruled that Cox's efforts were largely theatrical, and as a result the ISP has forfeited its safe harbor protections under the DMCA. This unique interpretation of the DMCA combined with O'Grady's failure to seriously address Rightscorp's unethical tactics and pre-settlement threats has left a number of ISPs rather nervous.

Rightcorp was quick to push its perceived advantage in a statement threatening other ISPs. "For nearly five years, Rightscorp has warned US internet service providers (ISPs) that they risk incurring huge liabilities if they fail to implement and enforce policies under which they terminate the accounts of their subscribers who repeatedly infringe copyrights,” the company said in a statement. “Over that time, many ISPs have taken the position that it was simply impossible for an ISP to be held liable for its subscribers’ actions — even when the ISP had been put on notice of massive infringements and supplied with detailed evidence. There had never been a judicial decision holding an ISP liable.” Rightscorp CEO Christopher Sabec shared the company's enthusiasm, but took things further by issuing a blanket threat. “With this final Federal Court ruling, not only has our position on ISP liability been confirmed, but our Company’s technology and processes for collecting and documenting evidence of peer-to-peer copyright infringement on ISP networks has been validated as well," Sabec said. “As we have consistently told ISPs, we stand ready to assist those ISPs that desire to work in a constructive way with the copyright community in order to reduce the massive infringements that occur every day on their networks,” the CEO stated, before bringing out the real threat. “But our company has also amassed a vast amount of data documenting infringements that have occurred over the past five years on the network of essentially every ISP in the country. That data will be made available to copyright holders that wish to enforce their rights against ISPs that are not inclined toward a cooperative solution." That's a massive threat from a company that has increasingly been losing money as its often under-handed legal tactics have consistently run into problems in the courts previously. For several years Digital Rights Corp (aka Rightscorp) has been trying to turn copyright infringement notices into a revenue stream, sending accused pirates letters telling them they can avoid court battles if they just pay a $20 fee. Critics have consistently ridiculed Rightscorp's assumption of guilt by IP address. The group has also run into legal problems with it's en masse attempts at driving settlements, with numerous ISPs accusing the organization of being little more than a shake down operation. As the Cox case proceeds Rightscorp appears eager to push its advantage, but this latest threat is certain to get the attention of several of the deeper pocketed ISPs (Verizon, AT&T, Comcast) who won't be keen on losing safe harbor protections or thrilled about being threatened. The group has also run into legal problems with it's en masse attempts at driving settlements, with numerous ISPs accusing the organization of being little more than a shake down operation. As the Cox case proceeds Rightscorp appears eager to push its advantage, but this latest threat is certain to get the attention of several of the deeper pocketed ISPs (Verizon, AT&T, Comcast) who won't be keen on losing safe harbor protections or thrilled about being threatened.







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Most recommended from 59 comments

shmerl

join:2013-10-21 14 recommendations shmerl Member They were asking for it? They'll get it. Now all ISPs will band together and will pool resources to bust this troll.

TheTechGuru

join:2004-03-25

TEXAS 8 recommendations TheTechGuru Member Good Luck Once Internet Access is Reclassified as a Public Utility... quote: "For nearly five years, Rightscorp has warned US internet service providers (ISPs) that they risk incurring huge liabilities if they fail to implement and enforce policies under which they terminate the accounts of their subscribers who repeatedly infringe copyrights, Good luck with that once internet access is reclassified as a Utility and thus a right. This would be no different than asking a electric provider to terminate someone's electric service because they are using it to power lights to grow illegal plants...



I don't think ISP's should be involved in these matters at all. Good luck with that once internet access is reclassified as a Utility and thus a right. This would be no different than asking a electric provider to terminate someone's electric service because they are using it to power lights to grow illegal plants...I don't think ISP's should be involved in these matters at all.

battleop

join:2005-09-28

00000 8 recommendations battleop Member I'll ask again... Where is the law that says I have to disconnect a pirate from my network? The only thing I see is if the rights holder supples a legal subpoena then we have to turn over the user's information. There is nothing I've ever seen that says I have to disconnect someone just because they say so.

karlmarx

join:2006-09-18

Moscow, ID 5 recommendations karlmarx Member One judge interpretation This is just one judges interpretation of the law. That's it. It was the SAME judge who issued the original opinion. It won't stand up when it's contested by any other judge. Rightscorp has been smacked down by almost every other judge. Let's be honest, if anyone with half a brain thought this would stand up, RIHT, which currently has a market cap of just 5.0 million their stock price would have quintupled. Since the market movers, along with everyone else is expecting this ONE JUDGE's interesting take on the DMCA to be overturned, Rightscorp is just spewing more lies.

Zenit

The system is the solution

Premium Member

join:2012-05-07

Purcellville, VA 4 recommendations Zenit Premium Member Prepare to be destroyed by Comcast

Comcast does not want the extra financial and legal burden of this troll, it is cheaper to just destroy them.



This troll outfit must be stupid to illicit the wrath of Comcast + the rest of the ISP industry. They do not stand a chance.





Comcast already disregards Rightscorp notices, and strips out the ransom demands before notifying customers.Comcast does not want the extra financial and legal burden of this troll, it is cheaper to just destroy them.This troll outfit must be stupid to illicit the wrath of Comcast + the rest of the ISP industry. They do not stand a chance.