Got this from a friend this morning and thought I'd share it with the .org, Informative information.
Kind of long but good info.


In light of all that's happening concerning the RIAA cracking down on
file-swapping, I e-mailed my ISP (Charter Communications) to ask them what
their stand is on it. Here is the reply I got. Lots of useful info here,
so you might wanna check it out.


Original Message:

As an internet user, I was wondering what Charter Communications' stand is
on the RIAA sending out supoenas to get a person's personal information.
Also, I'd like to know if Charter Communications has received any of these
subpoenas and how they are responding. Although I do see the RIAA's point
on some of the "music sharing" matters, I personally think that they are
overstepping some boundaries & should not be able to bully ISP's as they
have been.





Thank you for contacting Charter Communications Technical Support.

Charter Communications

News Alert - Copyright Infringement

As you may have heard in the news, the Recording Industry Association of
America (RIAA) has recently started serving subpoenas on Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) to get the names of Internet users who are trading music
without owning a legal copy. Charter wants to bring this to your attention
so that you can protect yourself and your family from potential legal action
from the copyright holders, such as recording companies and movie studios.

Recent news stories related to RIAA subpoenas:

Music industry wins approval of 871 subpoenas
http://www.usatoday.com/t...uits_x.htm

RIAA's Subpoena Onslaught Aimed at Illegal File Sharing
http://www.washingtonpost...Jul18.html

Jailing the Pirates
http://www.washingtonpost...Jul17.html

Record industry sends out subpoenas
http://news.com.com/2100-...26676.html


Can I get in trouble for downloading music or movies off the Internet?
Sharing movies and music over the Internet is a popular, widespread
practice. However, copyright holders for the movies and music believe that
this violates their copyright. Recently, copyright holders have received
some court decisions in their favor and have become more active in pursuing
music and movie sharers, which is why Charter is bringing this to your
attention.

Who is at risk?

Any Internet users who exchange music, movies or other copyrighted material
over the Internet are at risk. KaZaA and Gnutella are the most common
file-sharing programs. Anytime you or a family member downloads music from
the Internet without paying for it, you are at risk of being accused of
copyright infringement by a copyright holder. If your computer is not
secure, you are also at risk that a stranger could "hack" into your computer
and use it for copyright infringement.

What might happen?

The copyright holders have computer programs to help them identify the IP
addresses (computer numbers) of Internet users who are exchanging music or
movies. The copyright holder can then subpoena the user's ISP to request
the name and address of the customer who was using that IP address at that
time. Then the copyright holder may initiate legal action against the
customer.

How can I avoid being accused of copyright infringement?
The safest way to avoid copyright infringement is to discontinue using free
music and movie sharing over the Internet and to remove the programs from
your computer. For help on how to remove them from your computer, please
see our instruction sheets:

Aimster: (also known as Madster) KaZaA:
Bearshare: LimeWire:
Gnutella: Mactella:
Gnucleus: Morpheus:
Grokster: SwapNut:
IMesh: WinMX:

You will also want to make sure you have a secure firewall and up-to-date
anti-virus software on your computer. (A firewall is a software or hardware
tool that protects your computer from intruders.) This will minimize the
chance of someone "hacking" into your computer and using it for file
sharing. You can find security tools at the Symantec Security Center
http://nct.symantecstore....rter.html.

Of course, you will want to make sure that every family member who uses the
computer cooperates with your security plan. Often parents who have secured
a computer are surprised to learn that their teenage son or daughter has
opened it back up for file sharing.

What gives copyright holders the right to come after me?
The copyright holders are pursuing Internet users under the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA). You may review a U.S. Copyright
Office summary of the law at this web site:
http://www.loc.gov/copyri.../dmca.pdf.

Will Charter give out my personal information to the record companies?
Charter Communications complies strictly with its Privacy Policy,
http://charter.com/site/r...p#privacy. Charter will only disclose
customer information when required to by law. Charter has filed objections
with the court for all of the DMCA subpoenas it has received. If Charter
must disclose a customer's identification to a copyright holder, we will
attempt to notify our customer first. This will give the customer the
opportunity to retain legal counsel and attempt to prevent the disclosure,
if desired.

Are there ways to download music and movies that won't get me in trouble?
There are a number of Internet sites that offer you the opportunity to
download entertainment for a fee. Some of this money pays the royalty fees,
which takes care of the copyright obligations. You should make sure to use
a reputable site to ensure that the money you are paying is actually being
used to prevent copyright infringement. Here are links to some of the most
popular sites:

Music: http://charterzone.charte...lmusic.asp

Movies: http://www.movielink.com/...Home.jhtml


Why would I receive a DMCA warning letter from Charter Communications?
In addition to subpoenas, the copyright holders also submit Copyright
Infringement Notices to all ISPs, including Charter, under the DMCA. These
DMCA notices advise Charter that a copyright holder believes one of our
customers has been sharing or posting material without permission. Charter
Communications will notify the customer if we receive this notice, but we
are not obligated to disclose the customer's name to the copyright holder.
If a customer has a history of repeat infringements, Charter may be
obligated to discontinue Internet service. Charter never looks for
copyright infringement; we respond to notices submitted by copyright
holders, as the law requires.

Is there anything that I can do to contest a DMCA notice?
Yes, if you feel that the copyright holder has accused you in error, you may
file a DMCA Counter-Claim. The DMCA
http://www.loc.gov/copyri...n/dmca.pdf tells you what information
you must include in your counterclaim. When Charter receives a
Counter-Claim that meets the requirements of the DMCA, Charter will process
it following DMCA guidelines.

Where can I get more information?
For more information about the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, you may
want to refer to the U.S. Copyright Office website:
http://www.loc.gov/copyright/.


How to Disable your File-sharing Software:

Aimster: (also known as Madster)

(Windows):
1. Click Settings.
2. Click the Transfers tab.
3. Set Max Aimster Uploads to 0.
4. Click OK.
(Mac):
1. Select the Shared Folders tab
2. Select any items visible in the Folder Path area and click Remove
3. Exit
Bearshare:
1. Choose Setup menu .
2. Click Sharing.
3. Click the Sharing Tab.
4. Choose all items below where it states Share the files in these
directories and their sub-directories.
5. Click Remove.
6. Click OK.
Gnutella:
1. Choose Setup.
2. Click on Shared Files.
3. Remove all folders from the Shared Files menu.
4. Uncheck Allow Incoming Connections.
5. Click OK.
Gnucleus:

1. Select Preferences. under the Edit menu.
2. Click Share.
3. If any items exist under Shared Directories select them
4. Click Remove.
5. Click OK.

Grokster:

1. Select Options. under the Tools menu
2. Click the Traffic tab.
3. Under Bandwidt, set the maximum number of simultaneous uploads to 0.
4. Select the Disable sharing of files with other Grokster members check
box.
5. Click Ok.


IMesh:

1. Select Options. under the Preferences menu.
2. Click Share under Category.
3. If checked, remove the check in the Allow other users to view my shared
files check box.
4. Click OK.
5. Click the Media Manager tab in the iMesh main window. In the directory
there will be gray boxes next to drives indicating that there is a shared
subfolder within the drive or folder listed.
6. Expand each drive until you find subfolders that are checked.
7. Unselect all checks.

KaZaA:

1. Select Options. under the Tools menu.
2. Click the Traffic tab.
3. Under Limits, set the maximum number of simultaneous uploads to 0.
4. Select the Disable sharing of files with other KaZaA members check box.
5. Click the Advanced tab.
6. Select Do not function as a SuperNode.
7. Click OK.

LimeWire:

1. Select Options. under the Tools menu.
2. Click Sharing.
3. If any items exist under the Shared Directories select them
4. Click Remove.
5. Clear the Extensions box under Shared Extensions.
6. Click Uploads.
7. Set Max Upload Slots to 0.
8. Move the Upload Bandwidth slider to 0%.
9. Click OK.
10. The System Tray dialog box will appear.
11. Select No, close the program and abort file transfers.
12. Click OK.

Mactella:

1. Clear the Enable sharing check box
2. Point to Preferences under the Edit menu, and then click Connection.
3. Under Bandwidth Use, move the Uploads slider all the way to the left.
4. Click the More settings
5. Under Push Packets, click Routed.
6. Click OK.
7. Point to Preferences under the Edit menu, and then click Transfer.
8. Select the Queue Downloads check box.
9. Click OK.

Morpheus:

1. Select Options. under the Tools menu.
2. Click the Traffic tab.
3. Under Bandwidth, set the maximum number of simultaneous uploads to 0.
4. Select the Disable sharing of files with other Morpheus members check
box.
5. Click the Advanced tab.
6. Select Do not function as a SuperNode.
7. Click OK.

SwapNut:

1. Select Options. under the Tools menu.
2. Click the Sharing tab.
3. Clear the Extensions box under File Sharing.
4. Click the Shared tab.
5. If any items exist under Shared Folders select them.
6. Click Remove.
7. Click OK.

WinMX:

1. Click Shared Files.
2. If any items exist under File Path select them.
3. Click Remove Path.
4. Select Share Settings under the Settings menu.
5. Clear the File Types To Share box.
6. Click OK.





If you have any additional questions regarding your internet service or need
further assistance with it, you may contact us by calling the telephone
number listed on your bill or work order. Additionally, you can find your
local contact information on the web at:
http://www.charter.com/se...ontact.asp

Thanks Again,
Technical Support Team
Charter Communications



Original Message:

As an internet user, I was wondering what Charter Communications' stand is
on the RIAA sending out supoenas to get a person's personal information.
Also, I'd like to know if Charter Communications has received any of these
subpoenas and how they are responding. Although I do see the RIAA's point
on some of the "music sharing" matters, I personally think that they are
overstepping some boundaries & should not be able to bully ISP's as they
have been.