On the day that the controversial six-strikes anti-piracy scheme launches in the US, a petition has been launched by musicians to ask major companies to stop advertising on piracy networks.
Companies including Adobe, BMW, Google and TuneCore are targeted in the letter which calls them out for posting advertisements on peer-to-peer websites, even if it is unintentional, because it can earn the piracy site owners a lot of money.
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Advertising on these sites encourages others to exploit our work for economic gain without a return to us. It deprives us of the opportunity to build communities with fans when they visit illegal sites to obtain our work, rather than our sites. It also gives consumers a false sense of security by lending an air of legitimacy to these sites. And, it rewards activities that are illegal," reads the open letter.
You can add your name to the petition here.
Meanwhile, the six-stikes anti-piracy scheme launched in the US yesterday.
Internet users will receive a series of warnings if they conduct illegal file sharing, and after six strikes, will receive a punishment. But what exactly does that mean?
Torrent Freak claims to know some of the punishment policies:
"AT&T will block users' access to some of the most frequently visited websites on the Internet, until they complete a copyright course. Verizon will slow down the connection speeds of repeated pirates, and Time Warner Cable will temporarily interrupt people's ability to browse the Internet.
"The two remaining providers, Cablevison and Comcast, are expected to take similar measures. None of the ISPs will permanently disconnect repeat infringers as part of the plan."
How do you feel about major companies funding music piracy by advertising on P2P websites? Do you think the six-strikes policy will have a positive impact? Let us know what you think in the comments.
