Six strikes Online Piracy Program Set To Deploy This Year

The next time you download a pirate copy of the latest Hollywood flick, chances are you won’t get arrested, but you might receive a nice warning from your Internet service provider. It’s part of a new initiative spearheaded by the US government and ISPs throughout the country.

Last year, a new entity called the Center for Copyright Information was formed. The CCI teamed up with what is believed to be every major service provider, including Comcast, to develop a new six-stage system. About 75% of all online users are represented by the ISPs involved. It’s referred to as the “six strikes” program, but officials stress that it isn’t a legislative system.

What that means is, even after six so-called “strikes,” it doesn’t automatically mean a user will lose their connection or face prosecution. There are punishments associated with repeat offenders, though, but those details are still being hammered out. It’s unlikely to go far beyond Internet throttling, talking with your ISP, or having some educational documents sent your way.

The program, officially called the Copyright Alert Sysem, is being touted as an “educational” platform with the mindset that a lot of online piracy offenders may not realize what they’re doing is illegal, or if they do they might not realize the risk and implications of the process.

Every ISP will have the freedom to set up its own method for alerting users when they receive a strike, and for creating the associated penalties. Details beyond that are few and far between, but the CCI affirms that the system will be up and running by the end of the year.