Official Ares Free Download

It’s now routine for Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony Music’s RIAA to use taxpayer- and fee-funded schools across America for marketing and copyright extortion, with staff and administrators acting as unpaid help.

However, it’s moved its activities up one significant notch.

“Verizon, the second-largest phone company in the US, is expected to begin issuing RIAA ‘copyright notices’ to customers accused of illegally downloading songs, “according to sources with knowledge of the agreement,” says CNet News.

“The sources, who asked for anonymity, said Verizon’s letter campaign is part of a test, which is expected to begin on Thursday,” says the story going on:

“Jonathan Lamy (right), an RIAA spokesman, confirmed the existence of the test but declined further comment.”

The RIAA has for years been persecuting innocent men and women, and even young children, accusing them of being criminals who ’steal’ Big 4 ‘product’ by sharing it online.

That  no money changes hands and no one has been deprived of anything he or she used to own  is never mentioned, and the RIAA is able is able to pillory its victims — none of whom have ever been found guilty of anything — in the mainstream media without due process, and without them ever having been near a court of civil law.

Verizon’s move is plainly the thin edge of the Three Strikes wedge the entertainment cartels are trying to drive between governments and the people who elected them.

As  Jordan Carter, deputy executive director of Internet New Zealand, recently summed it up:

“Big music and movie interests, and other content producers, are conducting a global campaign to put their interests ahead of citizens rights to use the internet and to not be subject to unreasonable and arbitrary penalties that do nothing for public interest.”

And if the report of Verizon’s decision to target its own customers on behalf of Big Music is accurate, it’s not only significant, it also amounts to an about-face.

In December, 2008, the RIAA used Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal  as its mouthpiece to claim it would no longer be suing individuals.

Instead, it began touting a graduated response — a three strikes and you’re off the net  — plan which would use ISPs as corporate enforcers against their own customers.

The RIAA claimed it had the major ISPs onside, implying implementation of the scheme was a virtual certainty.

However, this January, “We are not working with them on this,” Verizon spokeswoman Ellen Yu was quoted as saying in Wired.

Comcast, “declined to comment, and referred inquiries to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association” whereupon, “The group’s vice president, Brian Dietz, said he could not confirm any deals …” The NCTA, “represents dozens of cable internet providers,” said the story.

AT&T, “declined comment through a spokesman,” and Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Charter Communications, “did not return repeated phone calls for comment”.

Now, for Verizon, “it appears that the company is expanding the antipiracy relationships it has with the entertainment sector,” says CNet, adding:

“In past years, as many of its competitors began to lock arms with entertainment companies, Verizon appeared to hold back. Verizon fought the RIAA when the group went to court to force the ISP to turn over the name of an alleged copyright violator. Verizon also opposed antipiracy legislation important to the film and music sectors.

“Verizon’s attitude toward antipiracy seemed to change in 2005, when the company quietly agreed to forward notices to suspected illegal file sharers on behalf of Disney. In exchange, Verizon received the rights to transmit 12 of Disney’s TV channels over its broadband network.

“Several other ISPs have recently begun forwarding copyright notices on behalf of the film studios, according to the sources who spoke to CNET. It’s not yet clear which other ISPs are involved.”

If Verizon, or any other ISP, starts acting on behalf of the Big 4 they’ll be ratting out their own customers, the people who keep them in business.

Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony Music  have been doing it for years, under the mistaken impression  they’d be able to get away with it ad nauseum.

They were wrong, as plummeting sales and drastically deteriorating relationships with the people who used to buy corporate ‘product’, prove.

Stay tuned.

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