Is your online activity being monitored in SA?

[rpm]

Is your online activity being monitored?

Local industry experts speak out about online piracy and Internet traffic monitoring

[Th0r]

Its not a ISP's job to stop pirating and this is not right

You pay for it you can do whatever you want with it is how I see it

[theone]

Why must Internet Service Providers, as mere conduits, have to bear the brunt for a failed or failing business model?”

We’re not going to run around and stop allowing the internet to do what it does for people.”

Some very encouraging statements.

[Gaz{M}]

What a sensationalist, fear mongering headline that has nothing to do with the article.

Can I ask rpm/mybb to please change that piracy graphic. Ghostly apparitions and compact discs have nothing to do with the issue. Also, it is called file sharing, not piracy. Piracy is stealing from ships.

[theone]

Lol! Arrr

[robgun]

I completely agree.... Freedom to do as one pleases on the internet is what makes the internet great. Monitoring activity only serves to restrict the freedom of the internet and would break down the free flow of information which is imperative for continued development.

[Kosmik]

It's like asking a petrol station to monitor what people do with their cars. Here's fuel, how you drive and behave is up to you.

[saffakanera]

Oh boy, er, I have to go make some calls..

[robgun]

Oh boy, er, I have to go make some calls..

Careful what you you say, someone may be listening....

[CaffeineKing]

I am still amazed at how much noise is made about piracy but little or no attention is given to the roadblocks put in place buy software, music, tv and movie companies for those who would like to buy their wares legally. Why does South Africa not have access to the iTunes store. Looking at the US version of the store you can buy series passes to TV series for around $30. I would happily pay this for access to good quality digital versions of a TV series. The same goes for music. If you want to buy the latest international music legally at the right quality you need to lie to an international site and tell them you live somewhere like the UK.

I just find it ironic that the copyright owners are so up in arms about the levels of piracy and yet they are the primary reason we can't purchase their wares legally.

Another case that left me dumb struck was trying to purchase a Windows 7 Profesional Upgrade (No comments necessary about the devils spawn. Still need to own it legally unless you want to get harassed by BSA). I was told by Microsoft that they are not selling the upgrade option to South Africa. We have to purchase a full license. Why don't we qualify for the upgrade option? Does Microsoft really have the right to get upset when South Africa's piracy rate is so high? The upgrade is available to the US at $199 (about R1450). Yet we are expected to pay double that for the retail version. Now I know that DSP versions are available if you have a mate prepared to break their DSP agreement with Microsoft but why should someone have to break a contract so that we can get legal software at a reasonable price.

So to relate this back to the article, everyone could save themselves a lot of trouble by making the legal route as easy as possible. Piracy will always be an issue but at this stage I think the priorities of the copyright holders are wrong.

[ANiMOSiTY]

Clearly MyBB has nothing better to write about, since they're forever trying to cover "piracy issues"

SA has among the smallest number of internet users-to-population ratios in the world.
There are more important issues to fret about, than internet piracy.

[Th0r]

Careful what you you say, someone may be listening....

Or might want to know why you spend money on phoning that person

[YAPOC]

Clearly MyBB has nothing better to write about, since they're forever trying to cover "piracy issues"

SA has among the smallest number of internet users-to-population ratios in the world.
There are more important issues to fret about, than internet piracy.

If you ask me, mybb sold out long ago.

[ANiMOSiTY]

I am still amazed at how much noise is made about piracy but little or no attention is given to the roadblocks put in place buy software, music, tv and movie companies for those who would like to buy their wares legally. Why does South Africa not have access to the iTunes store. Looking at the US version of the store you can buy series passes to TV series for around $30. I would happily pay this for access to good quality digital versions of a TV series. The same goes for music. If you want to buy the latest international music legally at the right quality you need to lie to an international site and tell them you live somewhere like the UK.

I just find it ironic that the copyright owners are so up in arms about the levels of piracy and yet they are the primary reason we can't purchase their wares legally.

Another case that left me dumb struck was trying to purchase a Windows 7 Profesional Upgrade (No comments necessary about the devils spawn. Still need to own it legally unless you want to get harassed by BSA). I was told by Microsoft that they are not selling the upgrade option to South Africa. We have to purchase a full license. Why don't we qualify for the upgrade option? Does Microsoft really have the right to get upset when South Africa's piracy rate is so high? The upgrade is available to the US at $199 (about R1450). Yet we are expected to pay double that for the retail version. Now I know that DSP versions are available if you have a mate prepared to break their DSP agreement with Microsoft but why should someone have to break a contract so that we can get legal software at a reasonable price.

So to relate this back to the article, everyone could save themselves a lot of trouble by making the legal route as easy as possible. Piracy will always be an issue but at this stage I think the priorities of the copyright holders are wrong.

Exactly

[Nefertiti]

+1

most of the music I like are imported, which means I pay double for a cd. why cant I just buy it online? Stupid music distribution agreements. I thought I'd try emusic but we are now completely blocked from the site. if only those artists sell their music directly, i'd buy their music in a heartbeat. but for now I just do without, so a lost sale for these people.