Peer-to-Peer File Sharing
Peer-to-peer file sharing, or P2P, refers to the sharing of files over the Internet. P2P is a very controversial topic, and Cox is one of many broadband Internet companies that have taken steps to inform their customers about their rights, responsibilities and risks in this area.
Some Internet customers choose to use popular P2P services like Grokster, Kazaa and eDonkey to swap copies of music and other files. The Recording Industry Association of America, which is an association of music publishing companies, has challenged many of these P2P cases in court. In one of the most significant rulings, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the RIAA could sue P2P for encouraging copyright infringement by Internet users of the service.
Peer-to-Peer File Sharing – Cox Customers
Since 2004, RIAA has filed a number of lawsuits against groups of Cox High-Speed Internet customers. In each of these cases, RIAA filed suit against unnamed Cox customers who are only identified by a number and by some information related to copyrighted music files. RIAA has given a number to each defendant and also lists an IP address that was obtained during the course of the RIAA’s investigations. RIAA asks the Court for permission to find out the identity of each of these individuals, doing so through a subpoena to be served on Cox.
Peer-to-Peer File Sharing – What Cox Customers Should Do if They Receive a Letter
If you are a Cox customer and you receive a letter indicating that your identity is being sought, it’s very important to treat the matter very seriously. If you do receive a letter and do not want your personal information revealed, then you must consult an attorney who is experienced in copyright law. Your attorney can try to file a motion with the court to raise objections without releasing your name, but this must be done before Cox is required by law to provide the information.
Peer-to-Peer File Sharing – Cox’s Position on Your Privacy
Cox Communications places great value on their customer’s privacy. This can be seen in their Online Privacy Policy. However, the fact that Cox respects customer policy does not mean that Cox supports copying material without permission. Cox attempts to educate their customers about the safe and proper way to use the Internet, and encourages all of its customers to respect the rights of others just as it respects the privacy rights of its customers.
When Cox receives a valid subpoena requesting personal customer information by a certain date, the company has to comply. For more information about this very important issue, please refer to Cox’s pages discussing this topic.
