It's time for America to get rid of the Copyright Alert System and replace it with the Canadian alternative responsible for a sharp decrease in piracy, an anti-piracy group has said.
Canadian Internet users that are alleged to have infringed copyright by downloading and sharing media online have begun receiving notices forwarded from their Internet Service Providers. While there are still controversial aspects of the program, a group is calling for the system to be replicated in the United States and to replace the comparably ineffective Copyright Alert System (CAS).
The Internet Security Task Force called last week for the U.S. to adopt a system more like that of the Canadian Copyright Modernization Act, citing data that shows a sizable drop in piracy activity on Canadian ISPs.
The data come from GEK-TEK International, which is a firm based in Los Angeles. GEK-TEK monitors online piracy and its business is to extract fees/settlements from alleged Internet piracy for its clients. It's main clients are Nu Image and Millennium Film and it has around 125 clients in Canada, and no doubt it would like to expand its horizons to more content owners.
Here are the figures attributed to GEK-TEK from Canada:
"We've always known the Copyright Alert System was ineffective, as it allows people to steal six movies from us before they get an educational leaflet. But now we have the data to prove that it's a sham," said ISTF member Mark Gill, President of Millennium Films.
"On our film 'Expendables 3,' which has been illegally viewed more than 60 million times, the CAS only allowed 0.3% of our infringement notices through to their customers. The other 99.7% of the time, the notices went in the trash."
There is controversy over the system in Canada, however, such as the use of notices to seek settlements from alleged pirates.
Sources and Recommended Reading:
Internet Security Task Force Calls for End of Copyright Alert System (PR-May 12, 2015): www.prnewswire.com
Canadian Piracy Rates Plummet as Industry Points to Effectiveness of Copyright Notice-and-Notice System: www.michaelgeist.ca
The Internet Security Task Force called last week for the U.S. to adopt a system more like that of the Canadian Copyright Modernization Act, citing data that shows a sizable drop in piracy activity on Canadian ISPs.
The data come from GEK-TEK International, which is a firm based in Los Angeles. GEK-TEK monitors online piracy and its business is to extract fees/settlements from alleged Internet piracy for its clients. It's main clients are Nu Image and Millennium Film and it has around 125 clients in Canada, and no doubt it would like to expand its horizons to more content owners.
Here are the figures attributed to GEK-TEK from Canada:
- Bell Canada - 69.6% decrease
- Telus Communications - 54.0% decrease
- Shaw Communications - 52.1% decrease
- TekSavvy Solutions - 38.3% decrease
- Rogers Cable - 14.9% decrease
"We've always known the Copyright Alert System was ineffective, as it allows people to steal six movies from us before they get an educational leaflet. But now we have the data to prove that it's a sham," said ISTF member Mark Gill, President of Millennium Films.
"On our film 'Expendables 3,' which has been illegally viewed more than 60 million times, the CAS only allowed 0.3% of our infringement notices through to their customers. The other 99.7% of the time, the notices went in the trash."
There is controversy over the system in Canada, however, such as the use of notices to seek settlements from alleged pirates.
Sources and Recommended Reading:
Internet Security Task Force Calls for End of Copyright Alert System (PR-May 12, 2015): www.prnewswire.com
Canadian Piracy Rates Plummet as Industry Points to Effectiveness of Copyright Notice-and-Notice System: www.michaelgeist.ca
