isp_complaints.md 4.7 KB
🪶 ➜ Welcome to the ISP Complaints
This is a child page from the main FAQ, that outlines what occurs when copyright holders complain about intellectual property to your ISP or web host.
📑 1 ➜ Allegations of copyright infringement
❔ How does my ISP know what I'm downloading, and why are only torrents the source of copyright infringement notices?
- ISPs do not track your downloading activities in order to penalise you. An ISP would have little incentive to arrest their subscribers for piracy on their own. After all, they operate a business and don't want to irritate their customers.
- Copyright trolls, groups who monitor the circulation of copyrighted information and deploy mass copyright litigation to collect settlements from individuals, are to blame. Because torrent technology is fundamentally open, these groups can only monitor torrents. A torrent tracker will broadcast the IPs of the peers who are present in that swarm allowing a third-party to intercept it.
- These copyright simpletons log all of the IP addresses present, then complain to the ISPs that own the IPs they logged, and the ISPs are expected to send the complaint to the account holder. However, ISPs will often merely pass on the concerns to the customer as a relatively pointless threat.
❔ How can I avoid receiving copyright infringement complaints?
- VPN Solution ➜ It is strongly suggested to use a paid VPN that binds to your torrent software with the kill switch enabled. If your VPN provider does not include a kill switch, you can perhaps try using a torrent software that does, such as qBittorrent. Keep in mind, if you are using a VPN, connecting to Netflix will fail, your banking institutions, including PayPal, will flag your account and potentially shut it due to suspicious login behavior.
- Direct Download Solution ➜ Because of the nature of encrypted technology (HTTPS) that is incorporated into modern browsers and most websites / servers, methods such as directly downloading from 1fichier, Gofile, MediaFire, PixelDrain, Zippyshare etc, are deemed extremely safe. This implies that no one can track or snoop on your internet traffic.
- Seedbox Solution ➜ A seedbox is a remote server that is configured specifically for torrenting; the server will handle all torrenting, ensuring that your IP never enters any torrent swarm. You can direct download the content to your computer after the torrent has been completed by the server.
- Private Tracker Solution ➜ Copyright holders target low-hanging fruit like public trackers (1337x, RARBG etc), which have millions of daily visitors and are thus a popular target. Using a private tracker reduces the probability of obtaining an infringement notification.
❔ If I don't upload, will my ISP be less likely to file a copyright complaint?
- No, it is unlawful to download or upload copyrighted content. (based on the laws of your nation). Though, uploading (sharing) copyrighted content is a more severe offence.
- If direct downloads were as easily monitored as torrent swarms, you'd be receiving copyright infringement accusations about their use as well.
❔ What should I do if my ISP has recently sent me a letter or email concerning copyright infringement?
- In most cases, ignoring a copyright infringement notification is the best course of action, followed by using a VPN and carrying on with your day. Ask your ISP what you can do to restore service if your internet has been cut off by them, but never admit fault.
- You may also just switch providers and terminate your current arrangement with your ISP, which will supply you with a new IP address.
- The consequences of content piracy differ by nation. What may be only an instructional warning in one jurisdiction may result in the cancellation of your internet access in another.
- Simple, everyday acts of piracy are not punished because they have no value to the copyright holders, both in terms of example and monetary value (they would lose more money in litigation expenses than they would receive in a settlement from you).
❔ My ISP has advised me to erase the pirated media from my hard drive after I was detected pirating. Should I do it?
- You are not compelled to do so, and your ISP is not aware of the contents of your hard drive. It'll be alright as long as you follow the recommendations outlined above to avoid receiving more copyright infringement alerts.