Virgin May Try '3 Strikes' for File Sharers

File-sharing site ordered to permanently disable software

(NEWSER) - File-sharing site LimeWire has been effectively killed off by a court order. A federal judge has issued an injunction ordering the service to permanently disable its software and to end the sharing of unauthorized music files, the Wall Street Journal reports. The popular site was found liable for copyright infringement on a "massive scale" six months ago. More»

Internet providers strike deal to penalize pirates

(NEWSER) - Media companies and Internet providers have agreed on a system to put the brakes on the service of users of illegal file-sharing services. The ISPs have agreed to alert customers up to six times if they believe their account is being used to illegally download music and movie, Reuters reports. After repeated warnings via email or pop-up windows, offenders will have their Internet speed slowed down or could find themselves redirected to an educational page about copyright law. Consumers will be allowed to appeal and ISPs won't be allowed to disclose their identities to the entertainment industry. More»

Company vows to find out their real names

(NEWSER) - If you illegally downloaded The Hurt Locker, now might be the time to delete. The Oscar-winning film's production company Monday filed suit against 5,000 John Does who illegally shared the movie, and is now trying to get the sharers' Internet service providers to reveal their names, CNN reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Under new ownership, the beleaguered file-sharing powerhouse Pirate Bay is going legit through an innovative payment model, the AP reports. The new system will involve user fees, but users can work those off—or even earn a profit—in part by sharing their computers' storage capacity with the Pirate Bay network. Details will firm up when the new site launches next month. More»

(NEWSER) - Sweden’s Pirate Party scored a major victory last night, capturing one of the country’s 18 seats in the European parliament, AFP reports. The party—which advocates for the legalization of peer-to-peer file sharing, stronger digital privacy protections, and reforms in copyright law—was formed in 2006 and saw its membership triple to 48,000 after founders of the Pirate Bay file-sharing site were convicted in April. More»