Hello I live in Canada I recieved an email from isp regarding a movie I downloaded complaining of the copyright infringment.The isp sent them an email to confirm they sent me an email.The isp policy is not to give out personal info.I am concerned what all this means thanxs.

It means stop doing that, dummy.

Seriously, lay low for a while. This is the warning letter that your ISP sends you to make the MPAA happy. If you keep it up, they might suspend your account.

If this is a "slap on the wrist", cease and desist, then take it and be thankful.

The scenario:

You download something on P2P filesharing.

Since this also share the parts you have already got, your IP address is then noted by a copyright protection snooper and reported.

The complaint goes to your ISP, and (in "slap on the wrist" mode) is forwarded to you, so you stop.

IF aiming for more severe enforcement, but with the negative publicity that entails, then they would be demanding your details from the ISP.


Get caught a second time, and you could be up to your neck in it!

I doubt email is a legitemate form of communication regarding jurisdictial matters.

Personally i would reply with a remark that i don't accept emails, but only accept signed original letters as the only form of communication regarding jurisdictial matters and ignore all other emails.

Then again, most ISP's are scared chickenshits that would just close your account.

Canadian ISP's don't reveal your information to anybody (unless you live in Quebec), because of the current strict privacy laws. The letter is a warning telling you that you've done something very naughty and they know, because somebody tracked your IP address.

If you read carefully in your Terms of Service document (Telus, Shaw, Rogers, etc. provide these online for your convenience), your ISP indicates to you that they can cut you off if you violate their TOS, by say... downloading things you shouldn't. So don't feel too secure thinking I'm Canadian, there's no RIAA up here, because your skating a very thin line.

Here's what to do:
- stop downloading TV episodes thinking its your right, because you missed it and you don't know how to work a VCR
- stop downloading movies and spend the 2 bucks renting the DVD
- stop downloading music, because the RIAA and CRIA don't have a sense of humour

If the above three things don't work for you:
- stop downloading with your current p2p client, becuase its obvious you don't know how to use it or your using the wrong one and they got your IP address and tracked you back to your ISP

Your ISP did not send them personal info. The way it works is that you've been caught downloading what I think is a pirated movie or mp3. The Canadian version of the RIAA has logged your IP and traced you to your ISP.....your ISP traced it to your account so they sent you an e-mail along with a copy to whoever concerned, with your IP tagged - Your IP and e-mail are hardly personal info - much like your phone number, name and address which are public info.

The only way ISPs are required to provide info is from a court order.....

Since you are in Canada, from what I understand, they have strict laws in regards to P2P, which are illegal.....or something like that.

What ISP is it if I may ask ?

An e-mail IS a legitimate form of communication - In this case it is a friendly reminder from your ISP and he should be thankful. His ISP can suspend his account, in which case they would send him a written and signed letter as by using his connection to engage in illegal activity he has violated his acceptable use policy under copyright infringement. Now ISPs are fully aware what most broadband users do with their connection they just want to cover their arses and abide by the laws.

As long as the e-mail is clearly identified with a verified and valid source and contains contact information it is legitimate and legal.

i got one of these about a year ago, don't be too concerned, all it says is some anti-p2p IP logger caught your IP somewhere and notified your ISP. most likly its nothing unless you get a supena in the mail ^_^ but my isp disables service after two so-called infringements. just don't jump on anything new and try to use protowall / pg2

sue them for spaming!!!
this is an illegal email, threatening you. its not legal to blackmail, or threat people.
i am sure you can find a way to protect yourself.

OH PLEASE. Calm the fudge down. You have no legal defense when your ISP is kind enough to notify you that they caught you breaking both the law AND their terms of service. It's like when a policeman gives you a written warning - do you sue the police department for "threatening you" with a ticket next time they catch you? Well, judging from your response maybe you do.

ISP's are partners in crime with people who illegally download copyright protected material, they know full well that it's one of the main reasons people want high speed Internet and market their services accordingly. They have no interest in enforcing copyright law, they simply word their ToS and send out these letters in order to cover their own asses.

they didnt catch him breaking the law. someone on the side of the road watching cars go by yelled at the police officer, pointed to his car, and said "that guy was speeding a few days ago"

Slight difference ckin, there is evidence that he has been doing it where as in the example you have given there is not. He was most probbly caught by one of the relevant organisations they contacted his ISP and his ISP contacted him mainly as Horse has said to cover their own arses. In case it goes to court they can turn around and say we warned him so they can't be named as co-defendants.

The TOS of mine says I get 3 warnings for an incident unless it is considered too bad (terrorism, harrasment, stalking, child porn that sort of stuff), I spoke to them and as far as they are concerned if I am doing such a thing and I am caught and they are informed each file would be classed as a seperate incident.

I love your reasoning Horse, AOL Time Warner, as in Warner Brothers, is in league with people downloadng their stuff illegally, I would love to see that one play out in court and I mean that it would be interesting to see. Don't forget a lot of these large organisations are tied to each other to some greater or lesser extent.

Most of them aren't though, not outside the US anyway. Besides, they're both arms of the same conglomerate with conflicting interests acting fairly independently of each other, so it's not as implausible as you're suggesting anyway.

IIRC it is currently legal to download content in Canada, so would this email have only been sent should the file be shared on his PC? Or does just downloading the file constitute the email?

are you using any P2P service? if so, consider stopping your uploads. Downloads are explicitly allowed by Canadian copyright law *if* you are doing it for private, non-commercial purposes.

The propaganda campaign says it's illegal no matter what the LAW says.

Or you can try PeerGuardian!

It's a fallacy to believe that PeerGuardian is going to make you immune to getting caught out, not to mention that it'll block many perfectly legitimate and safe peers at the same time, thus having the potential to decrease your download speeds.

Safer. That's all. Not "completely safe". Not immune. But safer.

Tell them it was your grandmother and she wont do it again

Yeah heh

i use hide IP, and still have a 70ko download, I do not see any change when I spoof my Ip.
Not sure if it is safe or not, I am not downloading anything illegal anyway.

So why change your IP? to avoid spam mail, and spywares.

No such thing as really hiding your IP address. They can still always trace you to your internet provider, which in turn knows who you are. I suspect that the only real way is to hide yourself is to tap into someonelse's internet conenction, which I think is a worse offense. And changing the internet provider will not resolve the problem, he was caught and his identity can be reveled if the one complaining/pressing charges decides to pursue the matter further.

I wouldn't worry about it, as long as you don't say anything incriminating.

The onus of proof in any legal action is for them to show that you were the person behind the IP downloading prohibited content. Not easy.

Your ISP can, of course, decide to terminate your contract with them if they think you're too much of a liability.