Downloaders Beware! Update
Well, folks, it happened again. Cox Cable suspended our cable internet service because of a complaint regarding BitTorrent downloads on my account. Hubby downloads TV shows from file-sharing sites so we can watch all of our shows in high-def without watching commercials. He stopped downloading pay-TV programs from HBO because they lodged a complaint back in September.
This time it was NBC that complained. NBC?! We pay for cable; we pay to receive NBC programming. If we miss a show and want to download it, I don’t see the problem. We’ve already paid for the privilege of watching the show, haven’t we?
The Cox Cable has a “three strikes and your out” policy; three complaints and they shut off your internet service permanently. We’ve already had two, so we’re shopping for alternative arrangements.
Hubby and I had a huge argument over this. I think that he should stop downloading programs. He thinks the cable company is in the wrong. Personally, I don’t feel like spending money on an attorney just so he can demonstrate how right he is and how wrong the cable company is. It’s not worth the time, money or trouble. This particular issue is not important enough to me to fight the system.
We were able to cope before BitTorrent came along. I say we bail on BitTorretns until the networks stop hassling people for using the technology.
There are other ways of getting any programs we miss, such as using our DVR, recording with My HD-130 HDTV computer card, or signing up for TiVo. If we decide we need to see a season we missed, we could wait until the show is released on DVD.
This issue makes me sick, and it’s not just the TV networks who complain. The recording industry has sued thousands of people for sharing music files, including a woman who claims she is “internet illiterate ”. Are lawsuits from the TV networks far behind?
I think I’ll go read a book.
This time it was NBC that complained. NBC?! We pay for cable; we pay to receive NBC programming. If we miss a show and want to download it, I don’t see the problem. We’ve already paid for the privilege of watching the show, haven’t we?
The Cox Cable has a “three strikes and your out” policy; three complaints and they shut off your internet service permanently. We’ve already had two, so we’re shopping for alternative arrangements.
Hubby and I had a huge argument over this. I think that he should stop downloading programs. He thinks the cable company is in the wrong. Personally, I don’t feel like spending money on an attorney just so he can demonstrate how right he is and how wrong the cable company is. It’s not worth the time, money or trouble. This particular issue is not important enough to me to fight the system.
We were able to cope before BitTorrent came along. I say we bail on BitTorretns until the networks stop hassling people for using the technology.
There are other ways of getting any programs we miss, such as using our DVR, recording with My HD-130 HDTV computer card, or signing up for TiVo. If we decide we need to see a season we missed, we could wait until the show is released on DVD.
This issue makes me sick, and it’s not just the TV networks who complain. The recording industry has sued thousands of people for sharing music files, including a woman who claims she is “internet illiterate ”. Are lawsuits from the TV networks far behind?
I think I’ll go read a book.
posted by Patricia at
Friday, November 10, 2006
1 Comments:
Hiya MommaSquid
I'm sorry to hear that this happened to you. I think that your husband is right in that there is no legal leg for Cox to stand on over this, however, they do provide the cable and I'm pretty sure you'll find somewhere in their contract to you that they reserve the right to cancel your account with them for any reason. Even attempting to stand up to them over this will just end with your loss of cable and going to court will simply result in a long, expensive, legal battle. Unless you become part of some joined class action lawsuit against them and someone else is footing the bill. But during it all, I doubt your cable company will provide you cable while you fight them.
I was informed that having or downloading this stuff is not illegal, its making it available for others to download that gets you. Most torrent software automatically begins sending the stuff back out (else the whole torrent network collapses). Now this is backroom legal info here and although I've heard this is how it works I certainly wouldn't assume it as fact because as you and I both know people tend to make up rules about things depending on how they want the rules to be in absence of any real knowledge of laws.
I agree with how you feel on this. You paid for the service, so what's the big deal? Sounds like another brainless "no tollerance" policy and they aren't looking at what you are downloading, just the fact that you are downloading it. But unless you are willing to go to the matt over this it might just be simpler to no longer do it. I completely understand your husbands frustrations. Where our roles reversed my wife would probably be trying to convince me to just let it go.
Hope everything works out for you. Our cable company just got swallowed up by Cox, so I'll probably start hearing about things like this happening to people around here soon.
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