'Six-strikes' copyright alert system takes effect in the United States

Bittorrent users in the United States will now be subject to the "six-strikes" copyright alert system. Customers of AT&T, Cablevision, Verizon, Time Warner Cable, and Comcast will face "mitigation measures" if a movie studio or other copyright holder asserts that they were illegally downloading a copyrighted work.

Theoretically the program will affect all users who pirate copyrighted material, though studios and other content owners can only really easily track bittorrent swarms. The program features escalating tiers of warnings, starting out with a simple notice that they were found to be downloading copyrighted material.

The second tier will see users facing more invasive measures, such as being forced to watch a video. The final tier of punishment can see users having their download speed reduced, though no service can be disconnected as a result of these accusations. Users can appeal for $35 to the American Arbitration Association. If a user wins the appeal, the fee is refunded.