Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sharers

Re:Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sha... by diminoten on Friday November 08, 2019 @04:37PM (#21487087)

I agree, I don't think the individual pirates are ever going to be in any real trouble. HOWEVER, while it's impossible to find every person who improperly listened to a concert without paying for a ticket, it is not impossible to find every person who improperly obtained a video file for content they haven't paid for.

Just something to keep in mind as we talk about this; you can actually find the people who did it, and there's actual (digital) evidence, if the government ever decides to change its mind on the issue.

Let me be clear; I don't give a shit if someone pirates digital media. But I do think it's a personal failing of mine that I don't care.

I do, in principle, believe in the concept of intellectual property, and I do, in principle, believe someone who owns an idea can decide to only give it to people who have paid. However, on a purely practical level, I cast no judgement towards anyone who violates that belief, even though I do understand that it does cause real, tangible harm.

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Re:Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sha... by sjy on Friday November 08, 2019 @06:39PM (#21488127)

It’s not just enforcement challenges. There is no law that gives you the right to prevent someone from ‘improperly’ listening to your concert, because restricting that freedom is not seen as a necessary condition for the continued existence of concerts.

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Re:Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sha... by LinuxBender on Friday November 08, 2019 @04:51PM (#21487214)

Out of curiosity, do people only torrent, or is usenet still a thing? For the longest time, usenet providers would not log read access, only writes.

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Re:Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sha... by LeoNatan25 on Friday November 08, 2019 @04:55PM (#21487256)

Usenet is still around, and there is content, but for archival purposes, torrents are still a lot more convenient. Years back, publishers started issuing take downs to Usenet provides on specific binary posts. So, as all cat&mouse games go, there were private NZB forums/sites which posted encrypted content and provided the key to members.

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Re:Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sha... by tstrimple on Friday November 08, 2019 @08:31PM (#21488896)

I'm actually much happier with my usenet setup than I ever was with torrents. I use tools like Sonarr and Radarr to subscribe to and automatically download content from usenet. Since it's automatic, it's easier to pick up content before DMCA take down notices. Especially because usenet will allow me to use my full bandwidth instead of relying on a trickle from peers.

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Re:Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sha... by LeoNatan25 on Friday November 08, 2019 @08:38PM (#21488934)

It depends on the torrent tracker. I've settled down on several private ones, which normally max my 200mbps connection right away. The reason I prefer torrents is the back catalog. With Usenet, it was very difficult to find older content. Also, the content that is uploaded there is scene stuff, which for 15 years now, isn't the most quality stuff (technically). With torrents, the library is always there, and plenty of versions to choose from.

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Re:Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sha... by LinuxBender on Friday November 08, 2019 @06:21PM (#21487969)

Nice to hear it's still around. I suppose more folks would then use burner cards with VPS providers + torrent and just sftp down their loot. I can't imagine torrenting from home is safe.

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Re:Netflix, HBO and Cable Giants Are Coming for Password Sha... by LeoNatan25 on Friday November 08, 2019 @04:49PM (#21487196)

I do also believe that a comprehensive intellectual property is necessary (not necessarily abolishing it), so I sleep soundly.

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