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[Solved] Is this Copyright Notice Legit?
AltyAlt
Registered User new member
Registered User new member
So I just got this notice in an email relating to Cablevision's Optimum Online and copyright.
From: noreply@security.cv.net
Subject: Copyright Infringement: First Notice
While the FAQ seems to be the wording normally used, I found it odd that there's absolutely nothing specific included. No indication of IP, no mention of who the complaint is from or what file(s) it's about, not even a "Dear ___". It mentions that if I believe it to be false, that I could contact the copyright holder and "Contact information for the copyright holder is contained in the body of the complaint"… but there isn't any complaint attached.
From what I've heard, normally this is all information included. Is this a legitimate notice?
From: noreply@security.cv.net
Subject: Copyright Infringement: First Notice
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why have I received notification claiming that I’m distributing copyrighted material over the Internet or using pirated software?
Cablevision received a notification from a copyright holder that allegedly copyrighted material is being offered for distribution from your Optimum Online connection. This material may be in the form of movies, television programs, music, software, etc. There are many methods by which copyrighted materials are illegally distributed. For more information, please review the Tips to Avoid Copyright Infringement included with this document.
Understand that it is a violation of Cablevision’s Acceptable Use Policy as well as federal law to distribute copyrighted material without the express written approval of the copyright owner. If the notification is accurate, you are advised to stop sharing or distributing these materials immediately.
You should also know that Cablevision may take action at its own discretion or as required by federal law or court order should evidence of repeated infringement be presented.
This information is being provided to you as a courtesy. As your Internet service provider we are not in a position to verify the validity of the complaint.
How was it determined that that I should receive this notification?
The copyright infringement notification that Cablevision received from the copyright holder lists the infringed material, date, time and Internet Protocol (IP) address where the material is stored. IP addresses are assigned by Cablevision to your account and act as a network identifier much like a street address for your computer on the Internet. Cablevision matches the IP address identified by the copyright holder to our subscriber records to determine which subscriber account was assigned to that IP address at the date and time listed in the complaint.
Note: Your identity has NOT been released to the complainant, but may be if we are required by law to supply it.
Are you turning off my Internet service?
Not at this time. However, should evidence of repeated infringement be presented in the future, Cablevision may take action at its own discretion and as required by federal law or court order.
Am I going to be sued?
Litigation could be pursued at the discretion of the copyright holder.
I believe this accusation is false, what can I do?
Contact information for the copyright holder is contained in the body of the complaint. If you wish to dispute the accuracy of the report, contact the copyright holder directly. Doing so may require revealing your identity. You may wish to seek legal advice before initiating contact.
Under what circumstances will you release my information?
Cablevision will only release your information to the copyright holder when legally required to do so by court order.
Why is Cablevision doing this?
Cablevision must adhere to all laws governing the use of its services, including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that governs the rights and responsibilities of Internet service providers in relation to copyright infringement issues on its network.
I don’t understand why notification was sent to me, I do not use Peer-to-Peer (P2P) applications or share files.
Check with members of your household to see if anyone is sharing files. Review the files on any computer that uses your cable modem. Large collections of music, movies, or software files may indicate sharing activity.
There are other possible explanations for these notifications:
The complainant could have made a mistake and made an inaccurate report. Whether you wish to contact the complainant and reveal your identity is entirely your choice.
There is the potential that your machine has been used as a “warehouse†for copyrighted material by hackers without your knowledge. To reduce this risk going forward, we recommend you install firewall and anti-virus software. (An Optimum Online security package download is available at www.optimum.net/Lifestyle/MyComputer/Security.) We also recommend you keep your computer’s operating system up to date with the most recent patches.
Someone may be using your wireless connection without your permission. If you have set up a wireless network at home, we recommend you enable the router’s security features. Refer to the router user manual for specific instructions. In addition, you can run a free Network Magic security scan to find potential wireless network security and Internet security vulnerabilities across your entire network. (Visit the Security Center on Optimum.net for more information: www.optimum.net/Lifestyle/MyComputer/Security.)
If you have taken the aforementioned steps and ruled out these possibilities, you may want to audit the security of your system. If it is beyond your personal expertise, you can hire professional assistance.
We encourage you to take appropriate steps immediately. You are ultimately responsible for all traffic to/from your Optimum Online connection as well as the security of any devices connected.
Tips to avoid copyright infringement:
File sharing: The most common way of infringing
File sharing applications are the most popular way of finding and downloading music, movies, etc. on the Internet. However, the sharing of copyrighted material through these programs from your connection can be illegal, and may result in complaints from the copyright holders and, ultimately, personal liability. . Generally, any copyrighted file that is available for others to access through your Optimum Online connection could result in action by the copyright holder.
News Group Posting
Never post copyrighted material to USENET groups or other interactive forums.
Be wary of pirated software
Be very wary of using software that has been “crackedâ€, “patchedâ€, or “hacked.†Only use software acquired through legitimate channels, such as the software manufacturer’s website or an authorized distributor.
System security is important
Keep your system secure. Hackers have been known to take over user’s machines and turn them into depositories for the distribution of copyrighted material.
Make sure you follow these four basic steps:
Install a software firewall. Many of these will alert you when someone attempts to access your computer without your knowledge.
Use anti-virus software and keep the definitions up to date. (A free Optimum Online security package is available at www.optimum.net/Lifestyle/MyComputer/Security.)
Keep your operating system updated with the latest security patches. For Windows users, we recommend using the Windows Update shortcut found on the Start Menu or visiting www.windowsupdate.com and follow the instructions there. Once a week should do it.
Be wary of strange email attachments or downloaded files. Do not run the file unless you trust the source and know what the file does.
Why have I received notification claiming that I’m distributing copyrighted material over the Internet or using pirated software?
Cablevision received a notification from a copyright holder that allegedly copyrighted material is being offered for distribution from your Optimum Online connection. This material may be in the form of movies, television programs, music, software, etc. There are many methods by which copyrighted materials are illegally distributed. For more information, please review the Tips to Avoid Copyright Infringement included with this document.
Understand that it is a violation of Cablevision’s Acceptable Use Policy as well as federal law to distribute copyrighted material without the express written approval of the copyright owner. If the notification is accurate, you are advised to stop sharing or distributing these materials immediately.
You should also know that Cablevision may take action at its own discretion or as required by federal law or court order should evidence of repeated infringement be presented.
This information is being provided to you as a courtesy. As your Internet service provider we are not in a position to verify the validity of the complaint.
How was it determined that that I should receive this notification?
The copyright infringement notification that Cablevision received from the copyright holder lists the infringed material, date, time and Internet Protocol (IP) address where the material is stored. IP addresses are assigned by Cablevision to your account and act as a network identifier much like a street address for your computer on the Internet. Cablevision matches the IP address identified by the copyright holder to our subscriber records to determine which subscriber account was assigned to that IP address at the date and time listed in the complaint.
Note: Your identity has NOT been released to the complainant, but may be if we are required by law to supply it.
Are you turning off my Internet service?
Not at this time. However, should evidence of repeated infringement be presented in the future, Cablevision may take action at its own discretion and as required by federal law or court order.
Am I going to be sued?
Litigation could be pursued at the discretion of the copyright holder.
I believe this accusation is false, what can I do?
Contact information for the copyright holder is contained in the body of the complaint. If you wish to dispute the accuracy of the report, contact the copyright holder directly. Doing so may require revealing your identity. You may wish to seek legal advice before initiating contact.
Under what circumstances will you release my information?
Cablevision will only release your information to the copyright holder when legally required to do so by court order.
Why is Cablevision doing this?
Cablevision must adhere to all laws governing the use of its services, including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that governs the rights and responsibilities of Internet service providers in relation to copyright infringement issues on its network.
I don’t understand why notification was sent to me, I do not use Peer-to-Peer (P2P) applications or share files.
Check with members of your household to see if anyone is sharing files. Review the files on any computer that uses your cable modem. Large collections of music, movies, or software files may indicate sharing activity.
There are other possible explanations for these notifications:
The complainant could have made a mistake and made an inaccurate report. Whether you wish to contact the complainant and reveal your identity is entirely your choice.
There is the potential that your machine has been used as a “warehouse†for copyrighted material by hackers without your knowledge. To reduce this risk going forward, we recommend you install firewall and anti-virus software. (An Optimum Online security package download is available at www.optimum.net/Lifestyle/MyComputer/Security.) We also recommend you keep your computer’s operating system up to date with the most recent patches.
Someone may be using your wireless connection without your permission. If you have set up a wireless network at home, we recommend you enable the router’s security features. Refer to the router user manual for specific instructions. In addition, you can run a free Network Magic security scan to find potential wireless network security and Internet security vulnerabilities across your entire network. (Visit the Security Center on Optimum.net for more information: www.optimum.net/Lifestyle/MyComputer/Security.)
If you have taken the aforementioned steps and ruled out these possibilities, you may want to audit the security of your system. If it is beyond your personal expertise, you can hire professional assistance.
We encourage you to take appropriate steps immediately. You are ultimately responsible for all traffic to/from your Optimum Online connection as well as the security of any devices connected.
Tips to avoid copyright infringement:
File sharing: The most common way of infringing
File sharing applications are the most popular way of finding and downloading music, movies, etc. on the Internet. However, the sharing of copyrighted material through these programs from your connection can be illegal, and may result in complaints from the copyright holders and, ultimately, personal liability. . Generally, any copyrighted file that is available for others to access through your Optimum Online connection could result in action by the copyright holder.
News Group Posting
Never post copyrighted material to USENET groups or other interactive forums.
Be wary of pirated software
Be very wary of using software that has been “crackedâ€, “patchedâ€, or “hacked.†Only use software acquired through legitimate channels, such as the software manufacturer’s website or an authorized distributor.
System security is important
Keep your system secure. Hackers have been known to take over user’s machines and turn them into depositories for the distribution of copyrighted material.
Make sure you follow these four basic steps:
Install a software firewall. Many of these will alert you when someone attempts to access your computer without your knowledge.
Use anti-virus software and keep the definitions up to date. (A free Optimum Online security package is available at www.optimum.net/Lifestyle/MyComputer/Security.)
Keep your operating system updated with the latest security patches. For Windows users, we recommend using the Windows Update shortcut found on the Start Menu or visiting www.windowsupdate.com and follow the instructions there. Once a week should do it.
Be wary of strange email attachments or downloaded files. Do not run the file unless you trust the source and know what the file does.
While the FAQ seems to be the wording normally used, I found it odd that there's absolutely nothing specific included. No indication of IP, no mention of who the complaint is from or what file(s) it's about, not even a "Dear ___". It mentions that if I believe it to be false, that I could contact the copyright holder and "Contact information for the copyright holder is contained in the body of the complaint"… but there isn't any complaint attached.
From what I've heard, normally this is all information included. Is this a legitimate notice?
AltyAlt on
0
Posts
But otherwise, there's not much to tell from the message itself.
Are you, in fact, sharing copyrighted material via your Internet connection?
Basically: a rights-holder told Cablevision "Someone from the IP block you use for your subscribers is breaking our copyright, deal with it." Cablevision then sent out an email - usually just to you, possibly to other people as well if their IPs were flagged too - saying "Someone claims you're breaking copyright, we cordially suggest that you knock that shit off." If you (and any other involved parties) do indeed knock said shit off, then the complaint is resolved, and nothing else is done about it. If, on the other hand, you or others persist in such shit, or if you write Cablevision back demanding to know the details of the complaint, further action might be taken, and you probably wouldn't enjoy it. Even if you think you're entirely innocent of any wrongdoing, it's not worth arguing with a warning, because there's always the possibility that somebody used your computer, or snuck onto your wireless connection.
ISPs these days basically go out of their way to provide you with warnings and excuses, up to a point - just look at all that stuff about "we're sure you didn't do it, but make sure your virus definitions are up to date to prevent this accident from happening again!" But if you kick up a fuss, or if they get more complaints about you in the future, your ISP will cut you loose.
So, knock it off, and be more careful with your downloading and/or network security in the future.
just cause a link says www.yahoo.com does not mean thats where it leads.
You can find this out by hovering the mouse over the link, somehow viewing the properties. try not to click them.
Pretty standard.
It's just a blanket, "Hey your IP came up as doing something someone complained about. Now you know we're watching, so stop it."
Think about if there's anything you've done that might be in this area, and also like it says, check your anti-virus and malware detectors.
Is your wireless open?
It's legit, stop downloading illegal shit. If you haven't been, then start checking your wireless connection (if you have one) to find out if someone is illegally on your server downloading shit.
While you're there, secure the wireless. If you're using WEP, switch it to WPA. WEP will keep a careless/stupid neighbor from connecting to you by mistake, but it won't stop somebody who actually wants to use your connection for something.
Bit torrent is not private by any means. Most P2P programs aren't, but bit torrent makes it entirely transparent. Encryption doesn't help, all that can help do is mask the traffic. Anyone on the torrent can still see your info. There are some ways to block possible searchers, but they're nothing even close to foolproof and every illegal download is like a game of Russian roulette. It's less about if you'll get caught than when you'll get caught.
Edit: Also, false alarms do happen. Rarely, but it's possible. I actually got an ESA infringement notice that named the torrent info and everything for a demo, not a full game. With no specific information in there, you can't prove this is the case, and it's very rare because copyright organizations have been charged with fraud and libel for doing this, so they usually double check these things.
More importantly, stop making things available for others to download.
I was hoping that, without any specificity, it was some sort of pre-emptive scare-tactic blanket message to a range of customers.
In this case, I'll check with everyone in the house, double check wireless security and logs, etc.
This can probably be locked up now.
Torrenting works both ways. If you're downloading, you're uploading.
Not always.
Unless you switch it off, but generally.