Eircom to block filesharing websites

layke

I'm fuming tbh, well not really because I'm sure most of you know how to get around these sort of filters. In fact one quick google will tell you loads of ways, but still it's a tad sucky.

Dunno if this has been posted yet (I can't see it anywhere) but basically Eircom have bent over the table and taken it from the RIAA.

P.S first person to agree with this gets a dead arm.

Eircom to block Pirate Bay

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'Automatic' music label salute

By Austin Modine • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 23rd February 2009 18:57 GMT

Eircom, Ireland's biggest internet provider, has agreed to block access to any website the music industry says is responsible for illegal music-swapping.

In a letter sent to ISPs across the country last week, the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) disclosed the deal and warned others to follow suit or face legal action.

Bowing to legal pressure from the music labels, Eircom had earlier settled to implement a French-style "three strikes" rule to disconnect customers repeatedly accused of illegally accessing copyrighted material. But a recent letter revealed IRMA's more worrisome scheme against internet piracy.

IRMA - which represents the "big four" labels; EMI, Sony-BMG, Universal and Warner - will compile a list of websites the group claims harbors illegal music sharing. The labels will then file a court order to attempt to force other Irish internet providers to block access to the site. Eircom's compliance will be automatic.

Under the settlement deal, Eircom has agreed not to oppose any court applications to blacklist websites. Speaking to The Sunday Business Post, an Eircom spokesperson confirmed IRMAs claims of the provider's automatic compliance.

The music labels said the notorious den of P2P, The Pirate Bay, will be the first website targeted under its new censorship regime before it moves unto "similar websites."

IRMA's letter demanded other Irish ISPs join blocking websites on the music group's list or they'll face a lawsuit the same as Eircom. ®

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/23/irma_demands_irish_isps_block_access_to_piracy_sites/

thelordofcheese

I agree with this.

aidan_walsh

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055495262

turgon

Theres a thread bout this in politics, but Im surprised the CT nutjobs haven't latched onto it yet. 1984 here we come and all that.

Donald-Duck

turgon wrote: »

Theres a thread bout this in politics, but Im surprised the CT nutjobs haven't latched onto it yet. 1984 here we come and all that.

Yeah, eircom have had a great term in government this year

eamon234

You can thank Paul McGuinness & Co - this whole thing has nothing to do with the Irish Music "industry". It's the fatcat publishers protecting their millions.

K-9

I wish they'd put a block on repetitive threads.

li@mo

And to think I used to own part of eircom........I cant believe since i left them......theyd go down hill so quickly.

far2gud

li@mo wrote: »

And to think I used to own part of eircom........I cant believe since i left them......theyd go down hill so quickly.

Eircom were always a sham! they will only make a half arsed effort blocking the most obvious sites.

Rb

far2gud wrote: »

Eircom were always a sham! they will only make a half arsed effort blocking the most obvious sites.

Is that not a good thing?

Eircom are fairly liberal, in fairness to them. People are going nuts over them bringing in the "three strike rule" and while it's certainly not a good thing, it beats what the record companies wanted; the personal details of everyone they found downloading copyrighted material so they could personally bring them to court which, iirc, is what they do in Britain.

tony1kenobi

The sooner the better as far as I am concerned.If all those thieving eircom customers are denied my download speed will improve. I want that U2 album before it's available. I won't listen to it. I just want to steal it.

BaconZombie

http://www.chicadelatele.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/the-pirate-bay.gif

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

thelordofcheese wrote: »

I agree with this.

Why? Not all files are copyrighted.

BOFH_139 wrote: »

http://www.chicadelatele.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/the-pirate-bay.gif

Brilliant. They will never ever stop filesharing. Ever... They have tried to ban this before, it failed so badly.

Savman

Eircom covering their asses tbh. No way would they have the manpower to devote tons of resources to something like this, I'd say this is a PR spin to keep the record companies off their backs.

Sea Sharp

So how exactly does this work. Going on torrent websires will be blocked or torrent traffic will be blocked?
Lucky I'm on NTL

Never fear, where there's a will there's a way.

ixoy

What would happen if some enterprising people put up loads of illegal warez on their Eircom homesites - would Eircom have to block itself?

jaffa20

GaNjaHaN wrote: »

Lucky I'm on NTL

You sure about that:p

Sea Sharp

where there's a will there's a way . Torrents aren't the only way to get files anyway.

Terry

BOFH_139 wrote: »

http://www.chicadelatele.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/the-pirate-bay.gif

Was just about to post that.
Gave me a good laugh earlier.

I'm going to buy some sony made blank CDs, borrow some sony BMG music and record it.
Are sony going to have someone follow me back from the shops and then watch over me to see what I do with the blank CDs and the music I borrowed?


Edit: Do not link to ways to get around blocked sites.

BaconZombie

Boards BBS FTW

Edit:

Now running at 9600 bps

GaNjaHaN wrote: »

where there's a will there's a way . Torrents aren't the only way to get files anyway.

skelliser

so irma will effectively decide which sites i can and cant go to!
IRMA GTFO!!!

Spear

I work in the media, I've had my work stolen and put up on torrent sites, and guess what? I don't mind, and my companies doing just fine. But it's in the name of people like me who don't agree with this, that we now have a private industry group dictating what people can and can't see, what they can and can't read. They have no legislative backing, elected oversight, transparency or method of recourse. Are IRMA going to reimburse all the people whose legal content is going to be blocked?

towel401

GaNjaHaN wrote: »

So how exactly does this work. Going on torrent websires will be blocked or torrent traffic will be blocked?
Lucky I'm on NTL

Never fear, where there's a will there's a way.

probably something easy to bypass. its in their interest - they don't want to lose all those juicy customers

BaconZombie

This is just the beginning and open the flood gates to all sort of stuff been censored .

Following the way things are going the unmentionable sticky on the top of all the Boards Forums could cause Eircom to block BOARDS.ie!!!!!!

Furthermore, The Pirate Bay (or any other sites Ericom intend to block) have never been deemed illegal in Ireland. This has to be seen as a very worrying development. So, open the floodgates, everyone is going to want sites blocked soon and if you’ve got enough cash, it’s on the cards with Eircom. At the very least, let’s hope Eircom is going to make its list of banned sites public, along with their reasons for blocking each and every site, properly referenced under the law.

And let’s hope the rest of Ireland’s ISPs stand up for themselves.

Dartz

Ah well...

Here's the thing. There are few ways they can do this. Finagle their DNS to block connections outright. This would be the cheap and easy way. It would have no impact on performance. It would also be easily evaded.
This would discourage casual filesharing... but the real downloaders would never be stopped.

Or, they could try filtering each an every data packet going through to see if it's from a Torrent website. Which basically means 56k speeds for the entire Island. Also, it means they can block more and more of the internet. Internet resellers harming your local HMV? Block the resellers.

Or some sort of hybrid approach. Thing is, how well would customers take to an obvious degradation of their service?

This is going to be a ****ing **** for anime fans though. Very little is sold here, a little more might be shipped here... but if you diont want to wait 2-3 years for a poorly dubbed DvD... which might not show up at all even.. how are you supposed to get it translated but by downloading a fan-translation of it?

towel401

well it means the people who pirate stuff for a living will have work once again. kind of good with the recession

/goes looking on ebay for an industrial sized DVD+Blue ray duplicator

skelliser

what company/multinational would want to set up their european headquarters in the one european country that is effectively censoring part or parts of the internet?!

knowledge economy eh!

towel401

even companies use TPB from time to time. of course they have to do a pretty good job of pretending they don't

Rb

skelliser wrote: »

what company/multinational would want to set up their european headquarters in the one european country that is effectively censoring part or parts of the internet?!

knowledge economy eh!

Jaysis you dug deep for that one, eh?

The move won't have any bearing on investment here, unless a company that specialises in pirating music is looking to set up, they might think twice.

skelliser

Rb wrote: »

Jaysis you dug deep for that one, eh?

The move won't have any bearing on investment here, unless a company that specialises in pirating music is looking to set up, they might think twice.

well im talking about the bad press these companies may get for setting up in ireland.

Look at China!

Dman001

Wouldn't it be illegal blocking these websites? After all, these websites aren't doing anything wrong, but the users who upload copyrighted material are doing something illegal. I have the right to download something non-copyrighted from these websites and they are taking away this right by blocking the website.

thelordofcheese

Dman001 wrote: »

Wouldn't it be illegal blocking these websites?

Nope, it's in Eircoms T&C (or soon will be) and they are well within their right to enforce that.
Don't like it? Switch ISP.

Also a lot of you fail at basic reading comprehension.
What eircom are doing isn't just blindly taking orders from record companies, all they've said is that when record companies lodge a court order to have these sites banned, eircom won't lodge an objection (effectivley waiving their right to go - it's not us, we're just the content provider)
The order still has to be decided on by a judge, and make sure that the order complies with Irish and EU law(s).

Given that previous attempts to ban TPB in italy failed, i can imagine something similar would happen here.

Nehaxak

Don't understand why people are blaming Eircon for this, It's IRMA you should be blaming, not Eircom

AlmightyCushion

skelliser wrote: »

well im talking about the bad press these companies may get for setting up in ireland.

Look at China!

There are american isps (and probably others as well) that throttle torrents. The blocking of websites like the pirate bay would have no bearing on the vast majority of companies decision to locate in a country.

skelliser

throttling happens in ireland as well.

maybe im overreacting abit but im fuming about it.
This is a shameful thing eircom are doing.

Rb

skelliser wrote: »

throttling happens in ireland as well.

maybe im overreacting abit but im fuming about it.
This is a shameful thing eircom are doing.

What, saving themselves from a lawsuit that could cost themselves millions?

Take your anger out on IRMA and the courts, not Eircom, they're merely doing what the courts are telling them to.

skelliser

Rb wrote: »

Take your anger out on IRMA and the courts, not Eircom, they're merely doing what the courts are telling them to.

WRONG!

This is an out of court agreement between eircom and irma, the courts have nothing to do with it.

Rb

skelliser wrote: »

WRONG!

This is an out of court agreement between eircom and irma, the courts have nothing to do with it.

Ok, well would you actually prefer they just handed over your personal details to the IRMA/Music companies so they could take you to court personally and probably leave you with a bill you can't possibly pay?

Is that what you want? If not then you should *probably* stop whinging because that's the only realistic alternative.

skelliser

Rb wrote: »

Ok, well would you actually prefer they just handed over your personal details to the IRMA/Music companies so they could take you to court personally and probably leave you with a bill you can't possibly pay?

Is that what you want? If not then you should *probably* stop whinging because that's the only realistic alternative.

WRONG AGAIN!

isp have consistantly said they will not monitor internet activity as it is against certain privacy laws and not part of there business models nor can they hand over information about me, under the data protection act, without my prior consent.

i think you should *probably* stop posting about issues you clearly know nothing about.

papajimsmooth

They can take our lives, but they can never take our INTERWEBZ :pac:

javaboy

skelliser wrote: »

WRONG AGAIN!

isp have consistantly said they will not monitor internet activity as it is against certain privacy laws and not part of there business models nor can they hand over information about me, under the data protection act, without my prior consent.

i think you should *probably* stop posting about issues you clearly know nothing about.

I could be WRONG but I'm pretty sure you can't hide behind the data protection act if an appropriate court order is issued against the ISP to hand over your details.

Rb

skelliser wrote: »

WRONG AGAIN!

isp have consistantly said they will not monitor internet activity as it is against certain privacy laws and not part of there business models nor can they hand over information about me, under the data protection act, without my prior consent.

i think you should *probably* stop posting about issues you clearly know nothing about.

That's it, you beat that drum and see what good it does.

So, out of interest, what action are you actually going to take over this?Or, like most internet warriors, just sit at the keyboard and complain with a little on your face?

skelliser

javaboy wrote: »

I could be WRONG but I'm pretty sure you can't hide behind the data protection act if an appropriate court order is issued against the ISP to hand over your details.

Your gone way of topic, this is about eircom allowing irma to police the net, and
Who said i was hiding anything!!

I'm annoyed cause where does this stop, if a industry lobby group(irma) decides certain sites are affecting their business, which is the case here, whos to stop other lobby groups getting other sites blocked. Like for instance hmv blocking access to play,com because it also affects its business.

javaboy

skelliser wrote: »

nor can they hand over information about me, under the data protection act, without my prior consent.

javaboy wrote: »

I could be WRONG but I'm pretty sure you can't hide behind the data protection act if an appropriate court order is issued against the ISP to hand over your details.

skelliser wrote: »

Your gone way of topic

I was rebutting your point. So if I'm off-topic, you were too.

Epic Tissue

What is next? Youtube?:eek:

skelliser

javaboy wrote: »

I was rebutting your point. So if I'm off-topic, you were too.

I was dragged off-topic by another poster;)

AlmightyCushion

skelliser wrote: »

I'm annoyed cause where does this stop, if a industry lobby group(irma) decides certain sites are affecting their business, which is the case here, whos to stop other lobby groups getting other sites blocked. Like for instance hmv blocking access to play,com because it also affects its business.

The likes of the pirate bay are pretty much 99% pirated material. Play are a completely legit (as far as I know anyways) company. They are two completely different things and if anyone tried to get play blocked because it's affecting music sales they'd get laughed out of a court.

skelliser

Rb wrote: »

That's it, you beat that drum and see what good it does.

So, out of interest, what action are you actually going to take over this?Or, like most internet warriors, just sit at the keyboard and complain with a little on your face?

tbh not much.
all iv done so far is read the relevant discussion in the broadband forum where i noticed someone has set up a facebook group which i have post in another site to try and spread awareness and support.

Iv also posted on this thread to refute claims you made about blaming the courts. Someone could have read your post and thought the courts had ruled on this issue which they havent.
Thats why i refuted you so strongly. No personal attack on you was intended its just that we dont need the wrong information being spread.

skelliser

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

The likes of the pirate bay are pretty much 99% pirated material. Play are a completely legit (as far as I know anyways) company. They are two completely different things and if anyone tried to get play blocked because it's affecting music sales they'd get laughed out of a court.

So my analagy is way off, i accept that.
But can ya see where im goin, in little baby steps, whos to say down the line that something like that could happen if this is allowed to happen.

javaboy

skelliser wrote: »

So my analagy is way off, i accept that.
But can ya see where im goin, in little baby steps, whos to say down the line that something like that could happen if this is allowed to happen.

They are completely distinct and separate things. It's not even a case of baby steps leading to the likes of play.com being blocked.

One situation involves illegal activity, the other doesn't.

skelliser

javaboy wrote: »

They are completely distinct and separate things. It's not even a case of baby steps leading to the likes of play.com being blocked.

One situation involves illegal activity, the other doesn't.

i accept my analagy is wrong but the jest of what im trying to say is that this is blatant attempt at censorship.
when and where will it stop?

the pirate bay site and other sites have yet to be proven in a court to be illegal sites, this is currently being adjudicated on in sweden iirc and the result is expexted soon.
It looks like tpb will win tho.

This is a very serious issue and needs to be stopped.