Going after the porn pirates...

[Jacob]

Is this the beginning of the end? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20852157

[Ed Anger]

Looks up from from redtube.....

Peer to peer? How ancient.

[Martinus]

It's like going after people who photocopy printed newspapers. 

[Syt]

As long as nudevista isn't affected I don't care.

[DGuller]

   Porn is disgusting.  Which other sites should I be careful to avoid?

[Barrister]

Is this the beginning of the end? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20852157

The article doesn't even mention the really distasteful part of such a strategy.

The company (Golden Eye in this case) generally has no interest in suing anyone, ever, for possessing the infringing porn.  Instead this is a naked extortion play - give us money or we'll allege in public that you accessed porn on the internet.

A lot of these kinds of attempts are slowly being thrown out of the US.

Now I'm all in favour of cracking down on pirates - porn or otherwise.  But you have to do it in a good faith manner to attempt to actually cut down on piracy.

[Jacob]

Yeah, it does strike me as an attempt at extortion which is pretty shady.

[Neil]

It's not like they're the first people to try and turn old-time morals into money.

[Martinus]

Is this the beginning of the end? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20852157

The article doesn't even mention the really distasteful part of such a strategy.

The company (Golden Eye in this case) generally has no interest in suing anyone, ever, for possessing the infringing porn.  Instead this is a naked extortion play - give us money or we'll allege in public that you accessed porn on the internet.

A lot of these kinds of attempts are slowly being thrown out of the US.

Now I'm all in favour of cracking down on pirates - porn or otherwise.  But you have to do it in a good faith manner to attempt to actually cut down on piracy.

Dear god, in this day and age the mere suggestion that someone may access porn on the internet would ruin careers, relationships and entire lives.

[Neil]

Dear god, in this day and age the mere suggestion that someone may access porn on the internet would ruin careers, relationships and entire lives.

If you're a politician or a church guy it could.  They won't get money from everyone they try and extort, but maybe they'll get enough to stay afloat.

Isn't blackmail a criminal act though?

[Barrister]

Dear god, in this day and age the mere suggestion that someone may access porn on the internet would ruin careers, relationships and entire lives.

If you're a politician or a church guy it could.  They won't get money from everyone they try and extort, but maybe they'll get enough to stay afloat.

Isn't blackmail a criminal act though?

You have to threatened to do violence for it to be extortion, legally speaking.  "Give me $500 or I'll tell your wife/employer what kind of stuff you whack off to" wouldn't qualify.

[Martinus]

Dear god, in this day and age the mere suggestion that someone may access porn on the internet would ruin careers, relationships and entire lives.

If you're a politician or a church guy it could.  They won't get money from everyone they try and extort, but maybe they'll get enough to stay afloat.

Isn't blackmail a criminal act though?

Well, if you build your career on hypocrisy, prepare for that to end up biting you in the ass.

As for your question, there is a fine line between blackmail and enforcing your rights while leveraging the other party's desire to avoid publicity.

[Barrister]

Dear god, in this day and age the mere suggestion that someone may access porn on the internet would ruin careers, relationships and entire lives.

If you're a politician or a church guy it could.  They won't get money from everyone they try and extort, but maybe they'll get enough to stay afloat.

Isn't blackmail a criminal act though?

Well, if you build your career on hypocrisy, prepare for that to end up biting you in the ass.

As for your question, there is a fine line between blackmail and enforcing your rights while leveraging the other party's desire to avoid publicity.

Seriously Marti.  Would you want the kind of porn you look at to suddenly laid bare for the world to see, all while attached to your real name?

[DontSayBanana]

For once, a big to NJ.

2C:13-5. Criminal coercion
a. Offense defined. A person is guilty of criminal coercion if, with purpose unlawfully to restrict another's freedom of action to engage or refrain from engaging in conduct, he threatens to:

(1) Inflict bodily injury on anyone or commit any other offense;
(2) Accuse anyone of an offense;
(3) Expose any secret which would tend to subject any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or to impair his credit or business repute;

...

[DontSayBanana]

Long story short, I hope that Golden Eye realizes a lot of US states don't necessarily require the threat of violence for it to be criminal blackmail.