Jama: Three words - Usenet, Usenet, Usenet. With Usenet there is no upload so no sharing which means you are not distributing.

cokemaster:

kritical:

Lets say your Coffee Table gets destroyed, do you have the right to just go out and steal a new one? That's idiotic, you buy insurance, it's no different with a Computer Game.

Ah, but now you are comparing a physical object with a digital object, where an item can be copied without any effect. Further more, you are buying only a license for the game. However if you loose your CD's - buy a new CD with a new license... go figure.

kritical:

When you buy a game you are well within your rights to backup the CD if you can't keep it in a safe place.

From digital copyright bill:
The increasing popularity of legitimate online music services such as Coke Tunes,

kritical:

When you buy a game you are well within your rights to backup the CD if you can't keep it in a safe place.

Cameronn:

Note action is only taken from the major companies which are well known and reputable (these are checked prior to action being taken). The source/report is provided in the email to dispute the infringement. If the person is unwilling to contact them and clear the matter the infringement stands. Yes there is a small chance you may not have downloaded said content. Traffic accounting & Net flow logs can be checked to confirm the type of traffic done. Most people do not dispute the infringements because they know either they or someone has been downloading illgeal content.

• The company is not well known (but has a legitimate grievance with copyright infringement). There are lots of small software houses out there, as well as one man companies. If there is a complaint will WXC sever the internet connection?
• You run a public hotspot?
  
• Someone violates copyright on GPLed or opensourced software and then uses a WXC connection to initially upload it to a website? If there is a complaint, will WXC sever the internet connection?
  
• A user posts text or images on forums which exceeds fair use. Do owners of content (who might not actually be companies) get the same treatment? If there a complaint, will WXC sever the internet connection?
• Someone posts an copyrighted image on a forum (seen it many times) and someone complains (obviously they are using a WXC connection)?
  
• A user uses instant messenger to exchange copyrighted content? If there is a complaint, will WXC sever the internet connection?
  
• Someone uses pirated software which phones home or declines activation (with a invalid serial or known crack). There is the strong possibility that the user has downloaded it off the internet. If there is a complaint, will WXC sever the internet connection?
  

• The complaint is without merit
• The complaint is faked. If the connection is dropped for a faked noticed, will the accused get an account credit covering at the time that their internet connection was down?
  
• If settlement is not fore-coming and someone takes their computers to be examined by a specialist, will WXC revoke said black mark? And since they are making the allegation on the advice of an email from a 'major company' which has made mistakes in the past, can the accused invoice WXC and the major company for the costs involved?
  
• In the examples above, you are able to show that posting a sample of text falls under the definition of fair use?

Most people do not dispute the infringements because they know either they or someone has been downloading illgeal content.

cokemaster:

• The company is not well known (but has a legitimate grievance with copyright infringement). There are lots of small software houses out there, as well as one man companies. If there is a complaint will WXC sever the internet connection?

cokemaster:

kritical:

When you buy a game you are well within your rights to backup the CD if you can't keep it in a safe place.

That is providing that you are able to... most if not all cd's come with 'copy protection'...

freitasm:
Not according to the current New Zealand legislation. You are not allowed to "place shift" the contents of a CD, not even for backup purposes.

cokemaster:

Cameronn:

Note action is only taken from the major companies which are well known and reputable (these are checked prior to action being taken). The source/report is provided in the email to dispute the infringement. If the person is unwilling to contact them and clear the matter the infringement stands. Yes there is a small chance you may not have downloaded said content. Traffic accounting & Net flow logs can be checked to confirm the type of traffic done. Most people do not dispute the infringements because they know either they or someone has been downloading illgeal content.

So what happens when:

• The company is not well known (but has a legitimate grievance with copyright infringement). There are lots of small software houses out there, as well as one man companies. If there is a complaint will WXC sever the internet connection?
• You run a public hotspot?
  
• Someone violates copyright on GPLed or opensourced software and then uses a WXC connection to initially upload it to a website? If there is a complaint, will WXC sever the internet connection?
  
• A user posts text or images on forums which exceeds fair use. Do owners of content (who might not actually be companies) get the same treatment? If there a complaint, will WXC sever the internet connection?
• Someone posts an copyrighted image on a forum (seen it many times) and someone complains (obviously they are using a WXC connection)?
  
• A user uses instant messenger to exchange copyrighted content? If there is a complaint, will WXC sever the internet connection?
  
• Someone uses pirated software which phones home or declines activation (with a invalid serial or known crack). There is the strong possibility that the user has downloaded it off the internet. If there is a complaint, will WXC sever the internet connection?
  

There are some question marks over the 'if the person is unwilling to contact them and clear the matter the infringement stands', as you may be well aware, there are situations in the US where people have been taken to court for copyright violations, only to find that the evidence and witnesses used are questionable or misinformed. Obviously in situations like this, they will not clear you unless you pay their 'fee' (which you can do online now!).

What will WXC do if:

• The complaint is without merit
• The complaint is faked. If the connection is dropped for a faked noticed, will the accused get an account credit covering at the time that their internet connection was down?
  
• If settlement is not fore-coming and someone takes their computers to be examined by a specialist, will WXC revoke said black mark? And since they are making the allegation on the advice of an email from a 'major company' which has made mistakes in the past, can the accused invoice WXC and the major company for the costs involved?
  
• In the examples above, you are able to show that posting a sample of text falls under the definition of fair use?

Please note, that I am not a fan of copyright infringement myself, I purchase my songs from Itunes, buy software online (VM fusion was great value for money by the way), rarely use peer to peer applications short of downloading opensourced projects - however I have serious concerns when I see action taken like this and I'm reading rather disappointing articles about the way infringements are handled in the US. I hope that WXC takes all reasonable effects to ensure that people are not falsely accused and should someone get accused who wants to clear their name, provide a means where they can clear their name here in New Zealand rather than having email debates with an offshore company.

Most people do not dispute the infringements because they know either they or someone has been downloading illgeal content.

I know, I've seen it happen many times (not from the receiver end) ;)