Canadian ISP Fights Back Against Copyright Trolls 66
An anonymous reader writes "Distributel, an independent Canadian ISP, has fought
back in a file sharing lawsuit by opposing a motion
to disclose the names of subscribers alleged to have engaged in file
sharing. The company did not oppose a similar request in November
2012, but says in court documents filed on Friday that several
factors led to a change in position after it received another
request for more names. Those concerns include evidence of
copyright trolling, privacy issues, and weak evidence of actual
infringement by its subscribers. The decision to fight back points
to mounting ISP frustration in Canada with file sharing lawsuits
that come after the Canadian government sent clear signals that such
actions were unwelcome."
Re:Trolls... (Score:4, Informative)
Yes, they are trolls.
Re:Umm... (Score:4, Informative)
I found the summary easy enough to understand, though that's perhaps due to my knowledge of the current stare of copyright in Canada.
Basically when the last copyright bill was shovelled through parliament the government promised that it wouldn't lead to individuals being charged for private infringement. To try to guarantee that they put in place a cap of a maximum of $5,000 for ALL past infringements combined making the act of sending a lawyer after someone potentially more expensive then you could possibly recoup in court. (Also note that is a maximum, and the minimum is substantially less. The court is unlikely to award everyone the maximum penalty as that wouldn't differentiate between someone copying a few movies, and copying every movie ever made)
Re:Trolls... (Score:5, Informative)
I can tell you from having lived and worked in several countries and in several languages that the American mindset is not to be found outside the US. In the same way as most developed nations take universal health care as a given, so there's a general assumption that society's institutions exist to serve society's ends. They don't particularly operate in the service of free enterprise, and most people would be astonished if you were to suggest that they should. That, it seems, is a particularly American position. I'm not judging it as good or bad - it's brought about good outcomes as well as bad ones - and of course I'm not saying that every American takes this position, but it is certainly particular to the US.
Re:Trolls... (Score:4, Informative)
Perhaps in the US it is big business. In Canada, the maximum fine (and settlement) is $5000 *total* for any and all works pirated up to the point of punishment, so long as the defendant is an individual and not a corporation. The government has recommended the minimum fine of $100 be used in all but the most egregious repeat cases.
Voltage has already found the cost of acquiring the information on each IP address outstrips the likely amount they will recoup. They're pissed about that already.