The government's launched a crackdown on illegal downloading

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/3 ... ownloading

The government's launched a crackdown on illegal downloading

Do you ever get suspicious that more people in your school or office talk about Game of Thrones than subscribe to Sky?
Well you're not alone.

The government's launched a new crackdown on illegal downloading, and as part of it they're planning to introduce tougher sentences for internet pirates.
It comes days after claims the company behind Game of Thrones has started sending out its own warnings to people who steal episodes.

(continued)

[pErvinalia]

They should sentence downloaders to transport to Van Diemen's Land. They would feel right at home here...

[Svartalf]

where they would worsen the habits of the local convicts and freeloaders?

[cronus]

They should make examples of prolific down-loaders and maybe one or two less prolific. It is better to be feared than loved.

[PsychoSerenity]

Illegal downloading will continue so long as content producers/providers refuse to offer decent flexible services. They want to keep absolute control of the market like they used to be able to do despite technology moving on and taking away their natural monopoly. Well the price for that is a black market.

For the last three years at least, each time a new series starts, I've looked for a way that I could conveniently legally pay for, download and watch Game of Thrones within a day or two of it being broadcast. As far as I can tell there's still no legal way for me to do this without moving house (I live in a shared house and the landlord controls all utilities) and getting a complete Sky subscription package with loads of shit I don't want.

The stupid thing is - other business models do work. I haven't used a pirate copy of a computer game in about a decade, because I've been able to get what I want, when I want, and at a fair price through Steam or direct from developers. Why is it so hard for the film and TV industries to get with the times? But instead they just push for stronger copyright laws and get governments to crack down on them.

[cronus]

Give someone like you six months and that'll stop it. You wouldn't steal a car.

[pErvinalia]

Come to Oz. The producers of Dallas Buyers Club tried to extort money out of illegal downloaders here and the courts told them to get stuffed. And then made them pay costs.

[cronus]

It's time to get tough on down-loaders of illegal content. Send in the army. Demolish their homes. And make them pay. And pay bigtime. I'm not kidding. You let them have a inch and they'll take a mile. They are the true nazis. They are stealing from actors of ethnicity. They need their fingers cutting off....cutt everything off. Then they'll understand and those who are also involved in this massive theft will understand. Don't steal. Don't steal.

[pErvinalia]

Kill their family and pets too.

[Brian Peacock]

I don't torrent any more since my ISP took to blocking indexing sites and certain proxy services. Then again I haven't missed it.

[piscator]

Index sites through vpn.
Require peer encryption.
Stay away from honeypots.

Governments have to enforce IP. At the end of the day, IP is one of those "Faith and credit" things that are raison d’êtres and core competencies of government. They'll go all Crumple to do it if it becomes an issue.

As of yet, it's nowhere close to "an issue" that requires martial law and public dismemberment.