State Super-DMCA Too True

Mon Mar 31 20:50:50 UTC 2003

Thus spake "Jack Bates" <jbates at brightok.net>
> Granted, 99% of the oversell problem with home users has now
> become piracy. It's no longer the one or two power users, but
> everyone and their dog that is computer illiterate but can still install
> p2p software or at least use it if their friend installs it for them.

Some ISPs (such as mine) have fixed this by enforcing 'no p2p' clauses in
their AUP.  Specifically, p2p apps share content to the rest of the Net,
which means it is a server -- and running servers is an AUP violation of
nearly every 'residential' service agreement I've seen.  Others add explicit
prohibitions for p2p apps in the AUP in case a user disables serving
content.

A few get sneakier, rate-limiting customers below the speed they
purchased if they become a nuisance.  After all, the marketing material says
you get "up to 1.5Mb/s", and 128kb/s meets that definition legally if not
ethically.

S

Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking