I don't know if any of you heard from some people who have received a threatening letter from a law firm in London about file sharing. According to the news they have sent about 25,000 letters and asking to pay money starting from £500 - £750 for downloading a game/music/video.
Just be careful or better yet don't do anymore downloads.
You don't get done for downloading, the industry goes for the uploaders.
Anyway, you should be using Newsgroups
I only download things to test them, if any good I either put up a review somewhere to sell it myself, and if I'm going to use it full-time I buy it.
Keith - Administrator
and any threatening letter asking for money is IMMEDIATELY suspicious.
Kosher legal firms tend to sue people rather than blackmail them.
Some maties had letters like this from a Kosher law firm (all checked out at the time cant rember the details but could ask if needed) they ignored.
Oh lord why did you make so many clothes and shoe shops
what about personal/private use of downloaded movies about 1-3 movies a month? Is't bad?
Not an expert, I only try to help.
if its downloaded from bit torrents its still illegal. If its downloaded (and normally paid for) from regular sites its normally legal.Originally Posted by LadyJ
Its all about copyright protection and royalties.
OK thanks! will have to remind my husband.
Not an expert, I only try to help.
i file share 24/7 only ever had 1 letter from my isp
what did they said?i file share 24/7 only ever had 1 letter from my isp
Not an expert, I only try to help.
Technically yep, if they had the evidence you had downloaded one film they could prosecute.
But as Mr admin po leader of the flip uk web world says they really want to go after the people who make it avaiable. So if you allow people to upload films and of course if you a heavy user both downloading and uploading.
Oh lord why did you make so many clothes and shoe shops
my friend many years ago got an email from warner bros saying he had been downloading some film at a certain time and date, told him not to do it again.. but he just ignored it, and he use to download gigs a day and never got another letter, yes newgroups is safer than torrents
only thing ever happen to me, is themat tiscali capped my bandwidth, i just changed ISP
i think if the film has been broadcast on tv, its fair game, is it illegal to record it on your dvd recorder or sky box, if so then what are they meant to record then ??
I think you can keep for a set amount of time keep videos "legally". But many have videos recorded years ago im sure
Even at sports events its not allowed to take pictures or videos. But rarely would a steward actually do anything.
We all know many do it and unlikely to get any problems, but on a forum where many people dont know what actually is legal/ilegal as new residents in the UK we should warn just so they are aware.
I.e just as us brits may be not aware of all phill rules n regs
But im sure Lady J and her family can make a decision best for them
Oh lord why did you make so many clothes and shoe shops
A friend of mine got a letter from this firm (ACS:Law, they said it used to be Davenport Solicitors) accused her of alleged file sharing. So now they are asking her to pay for amount of money (as a settlement) for the damage it had caused to the file she downloaded/uploaded. The said file was a Scooter album and it was downloaded/uploaded back in 2008 and she had received the letter a week ago. If she won't pay the money in 21 days they would take her to court. I think it's a harrasment, the only evidence they got is an ISP. What if she hasn't got a secured network or if she has what if someone hacked it?
Apparently, this one doesn't care whether you do upload or download.
The ISP will not share it's information unless told to do so by a judge.
The companies sending these letters need to send proof beyond reasonable doubt, and then have a solicitor look at it.
Keith - Administrator
I agree
Not an expert, I only try to help.
Being a self-confessed Luddite, I shouldn't imagine this will apply to ME, since virtually the only time I use OUR computer is to pursue my "addiction" to the filipino/uk forum [as my "long-suffering"wife will surely testify!]
I dont wish to sound callous but its your problem if you had a unsecure network. You would then most likely have to prove you let someone else use your network.
Be like leaving your door unlocked and someone using your land line phone surely?
People have been proven to be in a location or make/recieve a call due to mobile/landline phone records so why not an ISP?
I hope your friend sorts out the problem with as little hassle as possible
Oh lord why did you make so many clothes and shoe shops
Hopefully your right and never have any issues like the ones mentioned. But as Joe posted the other day there are some devious people and software out there.Being a self-confessed Luddite, I shouldn't imagine this will apply to ME, since virtually the only time I use OUR computer is to pursue my "addiction" to the filipino/uk forum [as my "long-suffering"
From personal experince Phill kids like all kids like to put alsorts of screensavers and desktops on pcs and play online games. Even one email or im, clicking on a website for a few seconds if unlucky can leave you in danger.
So keep them eyes peeled and your av and os updated
Oh lord why did you make so many clothes and shoe shops
Hopefully your right and never have any issues like the ones mentioned. But as Joe posted the other day there are some devious people and software out there.
From personal experince Phill kids like all kids like to put alsorts of screensavers and desktops on pcs and play online games. Even one email or im, clicking on a website for a few seconds if unlucky can leave you in danger.
So keep them eyes peeled and your av and os updatedThanks for the alert, Andy. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Best to follow your helpful advice and be on my guard!
you beat me to it Andy,I dont wish to sound callous but its your problem if you had a unsecure network. You would then most likely have to prove you let someone else use your network.
Be like leaving your door unlocked and someone using your land line phone surely?
People have been proven to be in a location or make/recieve a call due to mobile/landline phone records so why not an ISP?
I hope your friend sorts out the problem with as little hassle as possible
well i disagree Andy there is no law saying you need a secure wireless network, so not my problem if someone used my unsecured wireless router to download a scooter album
yes like scouser keith said they would need to contact your ISP.
i would probably write back to them telling that i know nothing of IT, only know how to turn the pc on, and i have only just found out from a friend my wireless router is unsecure, and now its secure, but i have never downloaded any scooter album nor would i want to
and if i was taken to court, that would be my defence, must have been some scouser using my unsecured router
you beat me to it Andy,
well i disagree Andy there is no law saying you need a secure wireless network, so not my problem if someone used my unsecured wireless router to download a scooter album
yes like scouser keith said they would need to contact your ISP.
i would probably write back to them telling that i know nothing of IT, only know how to turn the pc on, and i have only just found out from a friend my wireless router is unsecure
and if i was taken to court, that would be my defence, must have been some scouser using my unsecured router
But is igornance a defence?
I would not want to be the one to test it.
Look how many people have been prosecuted because they claim their children used the pc in download cases. Still prosecuted the parents.
No one says you have to lock your car, and take the keys out but it would be hard to prove someone stole your car and had an accident then put it back unless they had stolen the keys. Ie its common sense surely? Same with pins numbers the banks big reason for pin numbers was it meant that if someone used the account they knew the code and that you were not supposed to allow anyone to know it. Of course card cloning meant many people get quite rightly compensation in most cases but if you said you didn't take precautions to protect it or gave someone the details you would be at fault.
I wonder what the ruling would be if you had an unsecured wirless connection and used online banking would it invalidate any insurance/protection. As if you read the t and c's of most i et you would find yo must run av, antispyware, update pc and most likely use secure connection? I remember at least one police force was reporting you if you leave a house or car unattended with a window/door open to insurance companies (not sure how but i rember the report well)
But depends as you say on the laws view and what they think.
The police and courts in the UK seem to think tracking where people are with mobiles and if they made calls makes good evidence. Surely they have to prove the phone not cloned or borrowed, or do they?
I doubt the law firm would take it all the way but who knows. A law firm threatened to sue my firm and other partner companies, as they said it costs us near to nothing and gives the juniors something to do (an actual quote) Luckily we were covered our tracks with good audit trail keeping and the issue was sorted. Law firms big and small make money from nothing a lot of the times, very few doing bad at the present...
Of course you would have wiped all the hdd's in your house to nth degree.
Could you claim that no youtube/google etc account signed in your name had never searched for a scooter album.
youtube had to release their logs a while back i think? I dont follow filesharing it bores me to be honest so early noughties i think only old blokes do it now
Most people spotify, last fm or stream somehow it seems
Go for the plead igorance but make sure you get proper legal advice i would have thought cases on this matter are setting precedent at the moment and i would not want to be the test case with possibly a judge who doesn't get technolgy or one that thinks he does..
Good luck and worth checking out with the CAB at least just in case that there is no issue.
Oh lord why did you make so many clothes and shoe shops
I have thought about this.... but how would a scammer know the details of any downloads or even if teh peson had a computer!I agree
Some may be genuine "threats" - but back in the UK, I recall there woul dbe a blitz of publicity on TV or some kid aged 10 was being threatened with jail if not paying a ridiculous high figure for a downloaded film!
As an aside on the high cost of downloading music and films etc,.
there are also pirate programmes being downloaded or discs copies.
My S I L works for a bank in Sydney as an IT manager. I just legally bought a full version of Microsoft Office 2007 for less than GBP£20.
If Microsoft applied a similar price (a single licence ie use on only one computer) to all their software... nobody would bother about using pirate software. They would get more revenue and have to spend less on anti piracy.
Same applies to films and music downloads.
Each computer has an IP number ( such as ( IP 435.234.765.09 ) they are normally "provided" by the ISP.
Most web sites doing forum and downloads use the ISP to identify the origination of the user computer.
A lot of pirate software and even donwloaded films or photo images can drop a trojan on any computer - which will allow an hacker to have hidden control of you computer. Scam emails tend to use this hiding away method. Hackers use it to avoid being caught.
So even if somebody did hack into a machine or an unsecure network allowed anybody to use your IP to to anything illegal. Its the owner they come after and HE/SHE would to prove either they were not in the property or that their computer had been compromised.
These days internet and computer technology is more advanced and hiding away is getting less of an option.... although there are some applications available that can and do hide you IP !!!!
that may be true in law, but as i said there is no law that says you need to secure your wireless router, so ignorance is not a defence as you've committed no crime..
if you leave your keys in the car while your warming it up, on a winter morning and turn your back for a mo, and some scally scouser nicks your car and commits a crime using it, do the police prosecute you ?
If it was I'd have filled your PC with gay pron and informed your wife
and if i was taken to court, that would be my defence, must have been some scouser using my unsecured router
Keith - Administrator
If you wish to download and break the law then use a secure proxy site such as those in Hide The IP, the premium service supplies Elite proxies, untraceable.
Keith - Administrator
what did they said?
quoting fair usage policy
so it was youIf it was I'd have filled your PC with gay pron and informed your wife
So where would the law stand if you left your PC on and used YOU as a DECOY server. i.e. someone uploaded a trojan, uploaded stuff and downloaded stuff to many other people. Do they come around to your house?
It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm all out of gum.
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