The Digital Economy Act passed in the UK, as you know, and it’s pretty terrible. One of the more spicy sections of the law involved peer-to-peer use, and how it basically makes ISPs responsible for what their customers download. So if HBO finds that you’ve been download “The Pacific,” (really good show, by the way, much to my surprise) it can contact your ISP, who’s then responsible for telling you to knock if off. If not, you face a truly horrible punishment: you’re sent to Stoke! (That’s a joke, people!)
Even though we’re a hot eight months away before the ISPs have to be ready, they’re all getting ready right now.
The situation will work like this:
1. You download “The Pacific”
2. HBO finds out, gets mad, contacts your ISP
3. Your ISP tells you to knock if off
4. You refuse
5. HBO contacts your ISP again
6. Your ISP tells you again to knock it off, if not it can throttle your connection or disconnect your line
That’s the gist of it.
So there’s that, and the impending death of Usenet, and your days of downloading TV shows and movies illegally are coming to an end.