ISPs Forced To Turn Off Pirates?

The recent decision by the Australian Federal Court that stood by Aussie Internet service provider iiNet against Hollywood studios was seen globally as sending a message that ISPs have no obligation to monitor copyright infringements by customers.

Lawyers who studied the judges’ findings told the Sydney Morning Herald that was not the case. The findings emphasized that in the specific iiNet case, the studios did not prove the ISP had condoned copyright infringement.

But if studios improved the quality of the copyright infringement notices to ISPs, even if they bore the cost of ISPs putting up the notices, then ISPs are obliged to disconnect offenders or suspend them from the Internet.