Comments for The File Sharing Lawsuits Begin: Thousands Targeted at TekSavvy at http://www.michaelgeist.ca , comment 1 to 311 out of 20 comments http://www.michaelgeist.ca Wed, 22 May 2013 16:55:31 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50732 I'm surprised someone didn't mention this. Why can't the plaintiff apply for a group action so that the main/common items be heard in one trial and then just go after each person with the specific details for each case? - Fred Tue, 01 Jan 2013 14:46:05 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50641 Sal, I for one would like to see this go all the way to court so some of these questions could be settled. I think Canadians are more leveled headed than the litigious culture to the south. For the same reasons I doubt we will see voltage actually go all the way to a trial, though I won't rule it out completely. A trial would stand too much a chance of being thrown out or awarding small damages which would kill any hopes of profits from the 'demand' letters. Now, of course, if the true purpose of voltage's litigation is to protect their intellectual property then the loss of any profit from out of court settlements should not be a concern for them. 0_o - Crockett Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:44:41 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50566 My son complained that his download/upload stats seemed very high as he only does email and the occasional search. Turns out anybody within range could log on to his connection as he did not have it password protected. So if his neighbour downloaded a movie by using my son's IP who is responsible? Further, cracking WEP, WPA or WPA2 is now easily done with a variety of cracking programs available on the net. Dec. 20th issue of Windows Secrets tells how to get and use Backtrack to crack WPA2, supposedly the safest security setup for a wireless router. Of course they say to only use it to test your own router but there may be a few unscrupulous people who may try it on their neighbour. Also, my connection is used by my daughter-in-law, my son, two grandsons and my son-in-law when the visit and want to use the net. So according to this new law, who is responsible? In other criminal activity if my neighbour takes may car without my permission and hold up a bank or runs over someone I am not held responsible even though the car is registered to me. Does this carry over to IP addresses where someone can easily steal using your connection and thus your IP? There are so many seemingly vague areas and I'm surprised and disappointed that Teksavvy said they would not fight it in court. I am a Teksavvy client and not affected by this lawsuit. - Sal L Sat, 22 Dec 2012 12:42:00 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50440 There are many forms of Law ... you just need to learn which ones apply to you or a particular situation. Sharing is NOT against the law as there is no money exchanged nor a bill of sale made. It is not theft as it's only a copy of original work. Besides, there is registered commerce (via government), private commerce and anything outside of government ... big differences between them. Federal, provincial, county, city and local Laws don't apply to civilians unless they are performing a function of government AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME. They are made for anyone in the Government system (statutes, acts, legislation) so they don't abuse the Civilians or anyone else outside their jurisdiction. It is the LOWEST form of Law. See my previous links here for more ... and learn. After or as you learn you need to stand up for your rights or you will loose them. This is why we have Civil Rights groups. - Civil Rights Advocate Wed, 19 Dec 2012 12:43:02 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50422 This lawsuit should be overthrown until gov’t builds a proper firewall on consumer information when a foreign company requests for this data, especially from “Troll lawyers”. Its time to reset this law for a later date in 2013, Canadians have been warned and this alone should help the Film\Music\Media industry from further erosion on sales on growth. There are no assurances that you will not be charged and arrested when you cross over to the USA. These lawyers can easily find gaping holes and opportunities which will slaughter Canadians like lambs when they cross over the border. The Bail Bond itself will be equivalent to a house mortgage, since there is risk of you not returning to the states. The punitive damage is quite excessive which includes possibly jail time when you compare it to Canada and other nations. In 2013, you will read new stories on Dad going to jail, when going to Disney Land with wife and kids, in the states due his children downloading habits. The Federal and States laws do not necessary correlated with each other. For example, people that grow medical marijuana in a state where it’s legal are thrown in jail and sentence by the Federal government [https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/grant-full-pardon-chris-williams-man-facing-80-years-prison-legally-growing-medical-marijuana/PgtWfvFg.] The ISP should pass the information to a Canadian Privacy agency for them to submit the notice and legal action in behalf of the legal firm to protect the identity of individual from being prosecuted in a foreign land, especially for a 1st offense. - TeckSavvy User Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:22:33 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50376 JamesG, if by 'troll' you mean someone who is a verbose yet polite, pro-creator, anti **AA, anti copyright bullying, non (illicit) file-sharing, artist supporting copyright junkie dedicated to opposing the abuse of our legal system from a misguided self destructive navel gazing media industry ... then yeah I can see it ;) - Crockett Tue, 18 Dec 2012 01:24:03 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50375 @Neil Grunt made the list too, so I must to have earned a special place in his/her heart for some "hitherto unknown" reason. :) For my part, I just like to take every to point out the (important) differences between copyright infringement and theft, as well as assert that copyright law needs a lot of work if it is ever going to reflect public norms. @JamesG I am glad you are feeling confident and I hope you are correct: for the sake of everyone's privacy on the Internet, for the sake of ISPs like Teksavvy, and Internet businesses like Google, for the sake of individuals who want to act even remotely like an ISP as part of the normal use of the Internet (Skype uses P2P technology; should I have to log that?), for the artists who's reputations with their fans suffer for their publishers' legal shenanigans, and for the everyone else (consumers who make art, and artists who consume) who still can't just press "play" and "create" after 20 years of this knuckle-dragging. (Use this time constructively for your fight, and please keep us informed when you can. I wish you lots of luck.) @guy You might be interested in the writings of Andrew Orlowski of theregister.co.uk. I believe he originally came up with the word "freetard." He might be willing to license his idea for you to use in your own writings. https://torrentfreak.com/are-pirates-freetards-111005/ - Grump Tue, 18 Dec 2012 01:21:14 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50374 you say: Where were you this morning when TekSavvy stood up and defended your lazy selves? many didn't have time to respond nor get to court. many didn't have the info or resources, and so on. - judge failed to give 30 days to teksavvy as it needed to verify info and another 30 to customer to respond via paper signed in blue ink - teksavvy failure to show order to affected customers - judge failed to show explicit and verifiable proof from plaintiff Voltage/Canipre - if teksavvy discloses customer then: far reaching problems for customer as authorities now have Name & reason to put customer on watch list & harass in every way in all jurisdictions, (driving, purchasing, selling, Chidlren's Aid Society, schools, jobs, work, taxes, etc.) => before this the customer was anonymous and free to do according to civil law and as they wished - how can they use a federal law made within weeks retroactive prior to it against civilians (outside their jurisdiction)? if names are disclosed (and maybe even if not) there are numerous people who are preparing CIVIL action against teksavvy & marc (CEO), judge, plaintiff, federal government, pm Harper and his wife, for trespassing on their civil rights and inherent rights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqD_pTaL2V0 so you see it's not a simple as you may think - Civil Rights Advocate Tue, 18 Dec 2012 01:11:36 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50372 Hey 'Linda' and 'Tanya'. I really hope you didn't just make posts using someone else's name and admit to crimes to get them in trouble cause that'd be low, even for the likes of some of the people that routinely troll these threads (looking at you Crockett :) If you are real people, and you're actually so stupid that you admitted to charges on the Internet, well I'm still pissed off at you. Where were you this morning when TekSavvy stood up and defended your lazy selves? Wait a minute, were you guys the heavy-set African-American woman and the gal in the hooker-boots? /troll Hey Voltage trolls, we got our adjournment and in January we're going to show that you're evidence is bunk. You're not going to get a single name out of TekSavvy and we'll set a precedent c-blocking every single copyright troll in Canada. Booya! - JamesG Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:18:35 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50362 Maybe Steve has Grump and Grunt mixed up? - Neil Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:36:19 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50361 @Linda Green I'm curious, what specific part of Mr. Geist's blog do you view as instructing people to infringe copyright? @Steve Are you calling me a troll in the Internet sense, or the legal sense? Either way, I'm very curious what makes you feel that way. (I don't actually think we've ever spoken directly.) Can you provide a quote? I'm a pretty polite person. I don't (think) I've ever called you a troll, or suggested that you are posting under a number of pseudonyms for money. - Grump Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:01:54 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50358 @Sid "This blog is the online version of the National Enquirer, it's for entertainment *not* facts." Or tear stained letters from remorseful 'mothers'. - Perplexed? Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:35:25 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50357 Linda, This blog is the online version of the National Enquirer, it's for entertainment *not* facts. - Sid Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:30:54 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50356 Linda Green said: something ... I just instructed my kids to only use the ADSL account to download stuff as its going through a VPN and use the Cable internet for regular browsing. I don't need no studio of falsely accusing my kids of breaking their copyrights so they might as well hide ever download. I also tell them if one of the 500+ dvd's I own is not on the network drive go ahead and download it. We paid for it, we'll watch/use it anyway we can in the privacy of our own home. - end user Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:13:52 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50355 @Linda Green "My husband and I are furious that a law professors website has been instructing people to avoid their responsibilities and even to download content from the Internet due to the new limitations on non-commercial infringements." And where exactly did this 'instruction' take place? Please cite your example? Certainly not from Prof. Geist, you will not find one. This is an open forum where anyone can post an opinion, that as far as I know is still a right of free speech. If there is an opinion here that offends you, then you are welcome to read no further. I find little here that advocates breaking the law, rather the discussion has been about the behavior of some who manipulate the law & courts for their own gain. As for your son, it is your responsibility to teach him morality & ethics. It is also incumbent on you to monitor his behavior. You can try to blame others but perhaps you should look inward instead. - Perplexed? Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:57:42 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50354 Hopefully the judge lets CIPPIC intervene, that is a hell of a letter they submitted. Speaking of used dvd sets I found this at a pawn shop yesterday but forgot to grab it http://www.amazon.ca/Alfred-Hitchcock-Masterpiece-Collection-Saboteur/dp/B000A1INJE $29.99 BABY talk about money saving!! God I love buying second hand entertainment. While HULU plus has Alfred Hitchcock I don't actually own it and anytime they feel like not providing it its over it. This way I RIP the dvd's or download them and own them for as log as I own the DVD set. People ask me why I buy so many dvd's and all I can say is no virtual service will ever be around for ever and since you're pay a subscription once its over you got nothing. The only thing I have to worry about is keeping an eye on the HD and make sure I have backups or my backups :) - end user Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:25:42 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50353 Hello Tanya, Much to our dismay and disappointment our son has downloaded movies and thought he could lie his way out of it. We had a family meeting over the week end and he told us about this site and another called torrentfreaks, what an absolute shame indeed. My husband and I are furious that a law professors website has been instructing people to avoid their responsibilities and even to download content from the Internet due to the new limitations on non-commercial infringements. I've been talking to some parents and we will be holding a meeting after the holidays to see if we can contact an ethics board to report Mr Geist. I wish the very best for you and your family. Happy holidays, Linda Green - Linda Green Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:20:19 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50352 "I think your intent was to (mis)inform ignorant people ... That judge and case had nothing to do with voltage". True, but it had everything to do with copyright trolling and MY opinion that voltage has no real desire to litigate through to a trial. Which was my point, repeatedly. I may ultimately be wrong in my opinion, but then you may be in yours. There is not much more to be said at this point, we'll have to wait and see. So yes, this is getting banal & silly. I'll let my (and other's) comments stand for themselves. Finis. - Crockett Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:15:35 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50351 there are 2 systems at play here: 1. civil = private = what you do on your own time 2. federal = government = registered business if you are not a government employee, government agent or doing a function of government AT THE TIME and have not sold anything for a price and there is no receipt or bill of sale or invoice of it you do NOT fall under federal, government, registered business law ... you are actually doing civil / private activities which the federal government has no jurisdiction over. this land is made up of men and women ... which do not need to be government employees or agents thereof. it is a CHOICE to be part of government in any way. when you do register in any way you have the OPTION of performing a function of government .. you are not one by default. It is why civil law is above federal/government law. it is why even federal judges are called public servants. (emphases on SERVANTS ... your servants) sharing anything is NOT a federal or government function ... but a private one between men and women under civil jurisdiction. so Voltage, Teksavvy, judge and whole federal system is blowing smoke. this whole thing is designed to get your name into the public where federal law can put you on a watch list, most likely on no-fly list, harass you and your family and even your friends, stalk you and charge you for any infraction under federal, provincial or local law .. as the government is doing to many civil rights groups, unions, citizens, protesters, and anyone who opposes the conservative / big business backed ideology. as a civilian it is your duty to learn your rights and stand up for them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK6matfk0jc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjLmJHvscEo after learning the 2 links you can contact an attorney or many civil rights groups across canada if you're still not sure. a lawyer won't help as they are part of federal system and will suck you further into it. - Civil Rights Advocate Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:07:20 +0100 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6718/125/#comment-50350 freetard, I love it! can i borrow that? please. Its perfect for these folks and the angle theyre taking. I knew id get a laugh out of seeing where this thread went! - guy Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:48:27 +0100