this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2024
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[–] [email protected] 71 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 64 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

More proof that streaming has become cable with more steps. Piracy is ramping back up to the point that corps are needing to put on a big showy fight.

[–] oDDmON 36 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yeah…also coincides with said corps throwing ads on everything. Think they’d learn.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

It's not them who should learn. It's us. That it's always a game of profit maximization as that's what the system incentivises. For public companies, if something can be made worse to maximize profit extraction, it likely will be. If something can be made more expensive, it likely will be. Most companies don't make products or serve customers. They make money for and serve their major shareholders. They know what they're doing. We don't.

[–] [email protected] 48 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Again? Jesus, just give up you fucks.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago

Their salaries depend on not giving up.

[–] aelwero 39 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The movie companies said they were not planning to go after these people in court

Worlds most prolific story tellers tellin stories;)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

They just want to talk!

[–] [email protected] 28 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Wouldn't things like torrenting records and "movie piracy websites" used fall under fifth amendment protections? They're being asked to provide a record of the piracy they've committed.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I thought Reddit was down to just sell data to whoever was willing to pay for it. Where do 5th amendment protections fall under that circumstance?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

I can't speak to that, but a lot of the information the article says they are looking for they couldn't find via reddit. They'd have to compel Mr. S personally to get a lot of this stuff:

  1. All written communications with RCN concerning piracy from Oct. 1, 2017 to the present.
  1. Payment records to RCN from Oct. 1, 2017 to present.
  1. All personal computing records pertaining to usage of BitTorrent from Oct. 1, 2017 to the present.
  1. All social media account usernames used including for Reddit, Twitter and Facebook January 1, 2016 to present.
  1. All Reddit posts and messages from Jan. 1, 2016 to the present
  1. Records of all movie piracy websites (including but not limited to YTS, 1337x, RARBG, Torrent Galaxy, The PirateBay) that were used at your Internet service.
[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

…and who the hell keeps personal computing records of anything, let alone when a particular protocol is used? “Mmm-hmm, yes, let me just write this down, February 20, 2024, 14:28 US CST, used BitTorrent to torrent all of the bits.”

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Lawyers would fight it, but it would probably boil down to "No such records exist". But they aren't looking for your personal records- this would be your browser history, connection logs, that sort of thing. Which means your PC(s) could be seized as evidence to extract any relevant info.

[–] BassTurd 7 points 10 months ago

I have never visited any of those sites and my only social media is the reddit account you have. Sorry I can't provide logs because 1. I never did those things and 2. My browser clears all data on close. Also, BitTorrent is a legal software to use, I use it to download Linux distros. If you would like my payment and communication records with RCN, you will need to subpoena them to have the records handed over. Anymore questions, movie people?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

No, the fifth amendment says no person "shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself". Anything you've voluntarily said on reddit is fair game. (And this is a civil case anyway.)

[–] FartsWithAnAccent 13 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

The USSC has ruled that the 5th amendment extends to civil cases as well as criminal.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They are asking for records of the redditor using and downloading from public trackers.
This basically incriminating themself when revealing the information.
I'd argue that would come too close to it. Though I am no lawyer.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

You're not protected against evidence you've created. I quoted the actual text of the amendment for a reason. You can absolutely incriminate yourself by creating evidence of a crime, but you cannot be compelled to be a witness against yourself.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The sad part is, a few years ago I gladly paid for the Disney Hulu bundle along with HBO. Now it's all gone to shit and they never even improved the Disney Plus app. My subscription payments are long gone and I'm better off for it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

If I can pay a single reasonable fee and have access to literally everything, I do.

If I could do that without having to go through the effort of finding everything myself, I would absolutely pay for that. I used to stream because it was better. I can’t afford that now though, and not everything is even available.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

i seek the film company's history of smelly backroom deals

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

*Especially with politicians.
Every payment (and donation) made from 1980 to present in regards to any political party or directly related to one.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

These are public records. It's the indirect payments, such as to a PAC or free good publicity, that aren't tracked.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The US is not the only country in the world?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

RCN is in the US. The lawsuit was filed in the US. The filmmakers behind the lawsuit appear to be based in the US. Reddit is based in the US.

Like it or not, this is a US story. There may be other, similar stories about other countries, but this one is US.

Also, if your country has less protection from political corruption than the US, you probably have bigger problems than piracy.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

Aw, isn’t that precious

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

This is now the 4th time they're trying? Give it up already...

[–] grue 6 points 10 months ago

From the article:

The plaintiffs have always maintained that they don’t intend to pursue legal action against the targeted Redditors. Instead, they’re seeking information to support their lawsuits against RCN and other Internet providers.

The motion to compel shows that the movie companies are seeking the following information from Mr. S, who is not necessarily the Redditor:

  1. All written communications with RCN concerning piracy from Oct. 1, 2017 to the present.

  2. Payment records to RCN from Oct. 1, 2017 to present.

  3. All personal computing records pertaining to usage of BitTorrent from Oct. 1, 2017 to the present.

  4. All social media account usernames used including for Reddit, Twitter and Facebook January 1, 2016 to present.

  5. All Reddit posts and messages from Jan. 1, 2016 to the present

  6. Records of all movie piracy websites (including but not limited to YTS, 1337x, RARBG, Torrent Galaxy, The PirateBay) that were used at your Internet service.

[–] _sideffect 3 points 10 months ago

That one redditor is screwed