[kwlug-disc] Internet pirates, torrent downloaders beware: Canadian ISPs must send customers copyright infringement allegations | CTV News

[B.S.]

On 01/05/2015 10:29 PM, CrankyOldBugger wrote:
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a VPN negate this problem?
>
> On Mon Jan 05 2015 at 9:01:14 PM Khalid Baheyeldin <kb at 2bits.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Here is the article about what went into effect Jan 1st, per
>> discussion during meeting.
>>
>> Internet pirates, torrent downloaders beware: Canadian ISPs must
>> send customers copyright infringement allegations
>>
>>
>> http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/illegal-downloaders-beware-you-may-get-a-shock-in-2015-1.2169729

 > Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a VPN negate this problem?

No. Certainly you should not trust it. And remember, just because they 
didn't, doesn't mean they still can't, or won't. Nor that they don't 
have other recourse and avenues of pursuit. In that sense, nothing's 
changed.

Not speaking from experience. Other guesses and guessers welcome.

I do take note of the 6 month period, though ... if you did it more than 
6 months prior, add a couple weeks for snail mail, you're not going to 
get a letter on it - or at least that's how I read it.

The nature of the consequences will be different. Whether one cares is a 
different story.

For example, searching free public vpn will get you hits, and I've been 
seeing ToU you have to agree to before being able to proceed wherein you 
promise not to do such things. So, presumably the worst case 
consequences there would be they would deny you further use of the VPN. 
(Don't forget many agreements include agreement to be responsible for 
any liability they get called on, due to your actions. And they won't be 
using the 'cheap' lawyers, no doubt.)

On the other hand, your ISP receiving such letters due to your actions 
may decide to cut you off rather than put up with any chance of 
continued aggravation. Read your ToU and you'll usually see something 
like: we can cut you off for any reason any time and you have no 
recourse. Finding another VPN may be trivial, but unexpectedly having to 
hook up some other ISP would be a supreme PITA.

And for all we know, ISPs collaborate on some form of client blacklist. 
Never mind their privacy policy statements. So it could become a matter 
of whether ANY ISP will sell to you.

I don't expect even a paid VPN will be much different than anything 
above. I suspect one should keep their ears to the ground (DSL Reports?) 
for things actually occurring, as opposed to the OP article - when's the 
last time someone got a ticket for jaywalking? Authority != enforcing.

Don't mean to fear monger here, I don't imagine anything's really 
changed. Time will tell, I suppose.

One of the things I wonder is whether this covers streaming. Wherein, in 
theory, you never captured the whole, to come under this. Guess the 
definition of 'downloading' would have to be examined.

I also wonder if anything changes if you do it via TOR. If you could 
even live with the speed degradation.

Was over on the XBMC site, now Kodi, not long ago - the Forum Rules / 
ToU are interesting. Discussions that surround how to violate copyright 
will be banned - with criteria examination. e.g. If you could see the 
content over the web, however you managed that (e.g. vpn, proxy), you're 
OK. Similar if the methodology applies for legitimate uses as well. e.g. 
Some web site offers some content for free, without restriction. (The 
whole we didn't do the violating, we don't host, there is value in the 
knowledge and algorithms, and so on.)

Regardless, even without being a bad downloader, people should be 
running blocking software based on blacklists or today's methodology du 
jour. If there's no reason for you to visit a foreign language site (not 
speaking the language), no reason to accept the traffic either, and the 
likely nuisance nonsense coming from somewhere within it.

If you want to see the garbage, set up ssh with logging on a standard 
port, only accepting certificates (that you won't ever issue). And watch 
the logs take over your storage.