Canadian ISPs and VPNs Now Have to Alert Pirating Customers

[steven36]

Starting today Canadian Internet providers are required to forward copyright infringement notices to their subscribers. This notification scheme provides a safe harbor for ISPs but is also expected to result in a surge in piracy settlement schemes. The new law further causes trouble for VPN providers, who are now required to log customers for at least six months.

​

After years of public and private discussions, Canada started implementing a new copyright law in recent years.

The law introduced great improvements in terms of fair use and non-commercial file-sharing, and also adopts a “notice-and-notice” policy for ISPs that goes into effect today, January 2nd.

​

Under the new law Internet providers are required to forward copyright notices they receive from rightsholders to their customers. Providers who do not comply, including VPN services, face damages up to $10,000.

​

The notice scheme creates a safe harbor for Internet providers, protecting them from copyright holder lawsuits. For Internet subscribers the effects are limited to warnings, which is less draconian than the “strikes” systems other countries have implemented.

​

University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist, who has been a critical follower of the copyright law changes, notes that despite its modesty people should be wary of the negative consequences these notices may have.

​

“I think they’re generally a good solution – proven effective when used informally and far less draconian than takedown systems. That said, there is the danger of potential abuse that will be need to be monitored,” Geist tells TF.

​

Among the most prominent concerns are the so-called settlement schemes where copyright holders ask pirating subscribers to pay a fee. These have become relatively common in the U.S. and are now expected to expand into Canada.

​

One of the companies that helps rightsholders to collect settlements is CEG TEK, and they are already gearing up to enter the Canadian market.

“We have been conducting tests in the Canada market and see positive results with ISPs. We look forward to a full-scale launch in the new year,” CEG TEK’s COO Kyle Reed informs TF.

​

These settlement notices are a “significant concern” according to Professor Geist. He says that the law currently doesn’t prohibit copyright holders from sending them in, but that subscribers’ identities are shielded.

​

“The law does not preclude the inclusion of a settlement demand, though Canada has a cap on liability for non-commercial infringement and the sender of the notice obviously does not know the identity of the subscriber,” Geist tells TF

​

“ISPs would seemingly be required to send these notifications, but there is nothing in the law that would stop them from advising subscribers on the context of these notices,” he adds.

​

The new notice-and-notice system also has a great impact on VPN providers. The new law requires them to identify pirating customers so they can forward the infringement notices.

​

To be able to do so the companies have to retain access logs for a minimum of six months. This mandatory data retention is expected to lead to a customer exodus as it makes it impossible for providers to guarantee people’s anonymity, a key feature of any VPN service.

​

As we pointed out before, the new law requires VPN providers to implement an extensive logging and notice policy to deal with takedown notices. This will prove to be quite costly or simply impossible, especially for smaller companies that are sometimes run by individuals.

​

Many VPN providers assign shared IP-addresses to their customers, so even if they wanted to there is no option to accurately identify a copyright infringer. For these companies the only option will be to shut down, or move the company outside of Canada.

​

During the months to come it will become apparent what impact the notice-and-notice system will have on businesses and customers.

​Source. https://torrentfreak.com/canadian-isps-vpns-now-alert-pirating-customers-150102/

[steven36]

Good luck with that, Liberal's can be bribed by Hollywood just like Conservatives , Maybe if you elected some members of Pirate Party of Canada you may make a difference but other than that nothing short of big protest before laws ever hit the books really does any good. Most of the time laws that passed are hard to reverse . In most cases if they get reversed it could be decades to ever happen . While it hurts Canadian VPNS . It makes Canadian ISP no longer liable for what you download by sending you a notice Politicians are crooks whether Liberal or Conservative. At lest you guys can use some vpn from some other country that dont have logging laws yet and ward off the anti piracy trolls. ;)

[AlexCross]

I wonder what will happen if the customers will cancel their internet subscription and switch to 4g to have network only on their phones.Let's see then if isp will still be on the other team.

[steven36]

I wonder what will happen if the customers will cancel their internet subscription and switch to 4g to have network only on their phones.Let's see then if isp will still be on the other team.

Well cell phones unless a burner were you buy minutes are not safe , they can pinpoint your exact location . By far more worse than any computer. They have vpns for phones just like pcs . Its a wonder that almost everyone is not in jail that use these devices . If it were not for privacy laws I guess most would be . But still it dont mean government dont have logs of your information waiting to bite you in the bud one day. :)

​

​Edit : The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday upheld strong powers for police to conduct warrantless searches of a suspect’s cellphone upon arrest in a narrowly split ruling. Here is a quick look at key points

Full article

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/12/11/key_points_in_supreme_court_decision_on_cellphone_searches_without_warrants.html

​

In Canada they can search your phone without a warrant.

​

​

[The Owl]

its the way everything is going slowly but surely driven by greed of the "Big Businesses" a slippery downward spiral.

[OrioNeXus]

VPN is Vigilant Pirate's Network.... ^_^ :lol: wat use would they have if users receive these nagging notices for copyright infringement :unsure: :(

[SB7]

mmmh I wonder if this applies to VPN's that aren't based in Canada but have exit nodes in that Country ? Technically, by providing an exit node they are operating in that country ... as they are purchasing services from a Canadian supplier and using that to conduct business on their soil.

[Enigmatism]

In Prison, a total lack of privacy is a punishment. In the civilian world that is losing it's privacy more and more, it is an introduction to modern slavery and fear. So whats wrong with a total lack of privacy? Ask any prisoner why they hate it. Privacy allows people to act how they are truly whereas a total privacy invasion causes people to act how they are TOLD to act. People close their blinds and lock their doors at night for privacy. They close the bathroom door for privacy. They lock their room doors on occasion for privacy sake. Changing rooms in stores have privacy.

What message does it send to the world if we have less and less privacy? Conform or get in trouble. Forced behavior modification is what it all ends up being.

[steven36]

mmmh I wonder if this applies to VPN's that aren't based in Canada but have exit nodes in that Country ? Technically, by providing an exit node they are operating in that country ... as they are purchasing services from a Canadian supplier and using that to conduct business on their soil.

Some VPNS allow p2p on USA servers but some vpns dont like cyber ghost has p2p blocked on those servers . When I p2p I only use servers that dont be much in the news about copyright laws I wont be using any Canadian servers to p2p anymore .

[The Owl]

VPN = Virtual Private Network

try looking up Tunnelbear

https://www.tunnelbear.com/

there is a minimum free bit or a UNLIMITED pay bit that is very cheap and IMHO worth every penny

[SB7]

VPN = Virtual Private Network

try looking up Tunnelbear

https://www.tunnelbear.com/

there is a minimum free bit or a UNLIMITED pay bit that is very cheap and IMHO worth every penny

I think you may have missed the point of the thread ...... Tunnelbear is a "Canadian" VPN provider ( Toronto) and thus is now covered by the new laws that demand 6 months of metadata retention and "notice and notice" and they are required by law to give up your identity whenever they get a notice etc... If they use shared IP's then they will have some difficulty meeting those requirements without some large changes in how they operate. I wouldn't touch a US,UK,or Canadian VPN provider with ten foot pole..

I haven't gone "naked" on the interweb in 4 + years ... I use a NL/SE VPN provider that works very well

[Olexijl]

Hello,

Wanna know something about PureVPN (http://www.purevpn.com/). Does this one log you?

[SB7]

Hello,

Wanna know something about PureVPN (http://www.purevpn.com/). Does this one log you?

For good overview of VPN's and what they do and don't do for you ...

h__p://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/

I am eagerly awaiting the 2015 report.

Interestingly, purevpn didn't even respond to torrentfreaks simple questions... make of it what you will, but , personally I would choose not to use them given that there are many others who did respond with adequate answers.

Quote From PureVPN :

"

File Sharing Activities and DMCA Notices

You agree that you will not perform any kind of illegal file sharing activities including copyrighted material in jurisdictions where it's illegal by law namely United Kingdom (UK) , United States (US), Canada, Australia and others. We actively block sharing of copyrighted materials/torrents on our servers as per changing global web policies to keep our service in compliance. As of now, we allow file sharing on Turkey, Sweden, Romania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany (de1 only) and Russian servers. PureVPN complies with all DMCA notices and in this regard forbids its clients to refrain from such activities."

They do log some info and would turn it over to an authority having jurisdiction ".... Fat chance I'd use them. I mean you are on this site , so that implies a certain type of behavior on your part :-) LOL

There are other VPN's that log nothing so they have nothing to give up if presented with any requests.... my advice.. use one of them.

[nIGHT]

There are other VPN's that log nothing so they have nothing to give up if presented with any requests.... my advice.. use one of them.

Anyone that knows any VPN that log nothing? Please list it here. :)

[steven36]

There are other VPN's that log nothing so they have nothing to give up if presented with any requests.... my advice.. use one of them.

Anyone that knows any VPN that log nothing? Please list it here. :)

If your interested in a vpn . Most all sites tells you if they log are not in there privacy policy. Some countries do not require logging for vpns . The only ones Ive ever heard of causing trouble for anyone plainly state they log . And they never had to take no people to court yet for something as petty as p2p . The ones that do log that gave info out were court orders against hackers .

[SB7]

There are other VPN's that log nothing so they have nothing to give up if presented with any requests.... my advice.. use one of them.

Anyone that knows any VPN that log nothing? Please list it here. :)

Systematic blockage ? You know exactly what I'm getting at.. Let me ask you this, would you use VPNs that state they log or ones that state they don't ? If you trust no one then it would be a coin flip and you would just as easily choose the ones that state they do log and will follow DMCA's and will turn you over if asked ? I think not. If you look at purevpn they state they do log and actively block content etc .... vs PIA, IPV, Mullvad , PIO, PRQ etc... who all state they do not keep user logs, or any log for that matter. Let me quote PRQ " 1. No. We do not log anything and we only require a working e-mail address to be a customer."

You can ,of course, choose any VPN you like ... or not that is entirely up to you. The question was asked about PureVPN ... and I provided my opinion with a link for the poster to follow do their own research

[nIGHT]

I use cyberghost, but not really sure if they really don't take logs as well as other vpn's.

A combination with Tor network may provide additional layer of anonymity but still have doubts with it.

Is there a better way or a combination of solutions that may increase anonymity?

Had asked this a lot of times but still someone might have thought or tried something.

[FreeRyde]

I'ts oscar screener season!

I downloaded 10 DVDScr today...

Waiting for my email.

P.S.

Band of Brothers and The Pacific miniseries' just found a good home too.

Looking forward to watching them again.

Much better res than last time.