Have You Been Accused Of Illegal Filesharing By ACS:Law?

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Have You Been Accused Of Illegal Filesharing By ACS:Law?

Tackling illegal downloads or speculative invoicing money making racket? by SoftwareGuru London solicitors ACS:Law have been ordering UK Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to hand over customer details. ISP customers, often parents, are then sent an aggressive letter claiming that the user's IP address (think of it like a car number plate) was logged downloading content illegally. The letter claims that the user must pay a fine of £500-£700 as settlement or face going to court. The BBC news website has plenty of stories from people who say they have been wrongly accused and have suffered terrible stress as a result. There's been plenty of debate online as to how tenuous the relationship is between an IP address and an individual user. In the highly unlikely event that legal proceedings are made, it's very easy to highlight how unreliable IP address evidence can be. After all, it's not exactly difficult to switch a car numberplate now is it?
	Spotlight on User Details Headlines making the news this week have brought the subject of data protection law and regulatory failure firmly into the spotlight. Technollama.co.uk - ACS:Law: This is what regulatory failure looks like The Guardian - BT in privacy row after sending customer data to ACS:Law BBC News - Lawyers to continue piracy fight This is just a sample of the many stories available online covering this topic. You don't have to be a lawyer to know that being asked to pay a £500 fine for alledgely downloading a movie without paying for it, which would cost only a few pounds to buy on DVD, is a profitable business model. Even if only a small percentage pay - eg. elderly people who would rather pay than endure the hassle of defending their innocence in court - for the price of a letter it's easy money. The fact is that the majority of big scale file sharers is made up by a small minority who are tech-savvy enough to stay ahead of any legal or ISP monitoring mechanisms. The Government needs to acknowledge this and stop allowing legal firms to profit from scaring alledged one-time offenders into paying fines.
Data Protection Act Actions speak louder than words. While companies will tell you that they take customer privacy seriously, how they handle your data internally and share it with other companies may paint a very different picture. As Technollama puts it, "While the operational details of the Digital Economy Act are still under consideration by OFCOM, this would be a perfect time to continue to stress the point that all forms of digital evidence about infringement should meet the highest standards of security and reliability." Most of us use the internet daily or at least regularly so surely it's time to contact your local MP and ask them why companies are not complying with the Data Protection Act? If enough people made their concerns clear to their local MP, something might just happen to ensure that there are less victims in the future. Leaving aside the practises of ACS:Law, the best way to keep a clear conscience is to find the cheapest prices for legal downloads and if you really need a product, pay for it. UK student software online stores such as Software4Students are helping families purchase software legally at low prices. Family internet connections can filter inappropriate content via the router as well as via software installed on the PC. Technology is evolving quickly so it's worth taking the time to ensure personal privacy isn't compromised by companies more concerned with making profits than upholding your digital rights. Make sure your local MP knows how you feel about this important issue. Buy Office 2010 download today for only £38.95 - limited time offer.

Have You Been Accused Of Illegal Filesharing By ACS:Law?

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