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Japanese Internet Providers to Ban File Sharers

by Tim Stevens on March 17, 2008 at 09:10 AM

Japanese Internet Providers to Ban File SharersDebates are raging around the world regarding exactly what role Internet Service Providers, or ISPs, should have when it comes to the illegal swapping of music or movie files. In the U.S., Comcast has already taken steps to block those who would share files, while Verizon has made it clear that it has no intentions to monitor those it provides service to. In Japan, though, the debates are over, as the country's four ISPs have decided to start using software to find, monitor, and potentially disconnect file sharers.

According to the Yomiuri Shinbun newspaper, ISPs have indicated that anyone caught sharing files will be given a warning, upon first offense. Future detections will result in file sharers being temporarily disconnected from their Web access. Those who share files illegally after repeated warnings will lose their Internet connection permanently.

What's unclear is just just many offenses it will take to lose one's license to surf, and whether the ISPs will be punishing only illegal file sharing over peer-to-peer networks or all file sharing.

Japanese surfers will find out next month when the new plan goes into action.

From TechCrunch

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Tags: big in japan, BigInJapan, Copyright, Internet, ISP, MPAA, online music, OnlineMusic, piracy, RIAA

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