Eircom have threatened to disconnect any customers found to be illegaly downloading music via limewire or other such applications.
Is it really possible for them to know if what I'm downloading is copyrighted, and if they follow through on this won't it mean cutting off a huge amount of their subscribers.
Almost everyone I know uses Limewire to download the odd song or album here and there, are Eircom going to get us all?
They have said they will implement a 3 strikes and you're out policy, so I might just continue to see if I get a strike!
It's all getting a little too Orwellian for me.

I remember seeing something like this on the news a while back, saying that ISPs were going to be checking for Limewire use etc.

Nothing that I know of ever came of it.


Even so, I never use Limewire anyway, too many viruses and fake files on there for me to be bothered with

This is similar to the 3-strikes policy operated by BT, Virgin and a few other UK ISP's.

In short, yes, its very easy for them to see what you're downloading, indeed they are required to do so in the UK, with the system of voluntary data retention which derives from Part 11 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. But as for enforcing any actions beyond a "dont do it anymore" letter, things are sketchy.

The fact is its easier to find songs on Youtube, Myspace, Bebo and the like these days, and in that case its the uploader who needs to be chased, but thats a monumental task.

Beautiful!

althought i dont use any of them!

Does this include downloading torrents?

If so bye bye eircom, hello convict cloths

Apparently, following a legal dispute between Eircom and some big record companies like EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner, they made an agreement whereby the record companies would provide Eircom with the IP addresses of people they knew to be downloading illegal music.
It's all here in this article >> http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0129/1232923373331.html
So the Record companies are monitoring us too? Sounds a bit more like a scare tactic to me. Maybe there will be examples made of one or two people that download terabytes of content, but I would be surprised to see small time downloaders like myself ending up in stripey overalls.

First part of your post - all true, folks. They went to court and agreed that Eircom would help the record companies by putting a stop to illegal downloaders. A few years back Eircom took cases against some individuals who were big file sharers; now they're able to get the guys at the other end, it seems.

I think they'll pursue it. Remember, EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner took Eircom to court, so they obviously want it stopped.

id say so, its all IP related tho im not an expert, anything you download to your computer...(your IP) adds up in your monthly allowance so i presume so