ADSL accounts cut off

VJB 449 said:
Care to show us if anyone in SA has ever been convicted of this 'crime'?
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Okay, probably not. No one's been convicted of it in SA so it's not illegal? Then I don't know why sites like newshost are so careful and private and almost got shut down a while ago. I do know that safact monitor selling copied games in the Cape Ads for example, and those games are obviously downloaded from places like the newsserver.

My point was just that, IMO, downloading what is in all likelihood copyrighted material off the newsservers is probably illegal. I'm not saying people can't use all their local bandwidth how they want etc.

I suppose there's no point replying anymore if you guys just want legal proof.
 
Garyvdh said:
you and Abe keep throwing the words legal and illegal around. Please tell us which legislation you are referring to. You tell us to stop beating around the bush, but you guys are the ones making these vague references to something that is supposedly illegal.
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If it was software he was downloading, running pirate software is illegal AFAIK. At best it can be a case for trademark infringment. If you think it's not then you are welcome to fight that battle.

Listen, it doesn't matter. For all I care, it could be downloading the "Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning" trailer 20000 times. At the end of the day, if he is comfortable for those questions to get raised, thats up to him. Starting legal proceedings against MWeb has the potential to do just that.

I am not making any vague references. He said he used it for NNTP traffics. Thats puts it at around 99.999999999+% chance that there was some "pirate" software somewhere in the 1.3TB. You can talk around the matter as much as you like to try and justify it to yourself. You can say that it is Linux ISO's, etc. It's no skin of my nose. I will happily keep paying for things that I decide to use on my computer because I make a living off selling software. If you or anyone else feel comfortable doing something else, thats your decision.
 
How about this....

Is SAIX or IS News Servers illegal in South Africa?? Yes/No – No, why would two of the biggest ISP in the country have them if they are illegal... Think for yourself people.

Seeing that some are hammering on software the whole time, what is to stop me to go to a friend or a reseller of any kind of software getting the software from them, installing it but only using it for testing... Also it’s not like someone is downloading it for the reselling purpose. MS allows downloading of most there full version software on trial base for 120day. What’s the difference if it’s on a news server or from ms server?

Then movies and series.... If it’s so illegal to download, why in Peets name would people like DSTV, Fox Network and all other major Satellite or cable companies bring out a PVR systems which you can record all of those and allow you to watch them later?? Same goes for Samsung and Sony which makes blue ray records with build in hard drives to record from TV... Seriously some of you people really need to think further then your noises... Why are downloading movies and series any different from recording them from satellite or cable any different?
 
So you guys can't point to any specific legislation or instances that make it "Illegal'? You just think it is illegal because someone told you so? So you accused someone on this board of doing something "illegal" based on speculation? Nice!
 
Garyvdh said:
So you guys can't point to any specific legislation or instances that make it "Illegal'? You just think it is illegal because someone told you so? So you accused someone on this board of doing something "illegal" based on speculation? Nice!
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Nope, using copied software (even for private use), if thats what he is doing, is in breach of the Copyright Act 98 of 1978.

Clause 19B(2) doesn't help as you still need to have the software in your lawful possession.

(2) The copyright in a computer program shall not be infringed by a person who is in lawful possession of that
computer program, or an authorized copy thereof, if—
(a) he makes copies thereof to the extent reasonably necessary for back-up purposes;
(b) a copy so made is intended exclusively for personal or private purposes; and
(c) such copy is destroyed when the possession of the computer program in question, or authorized copy
thereof, ceases to be lawful.
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Whether it's illegal or legal is not dependant on anyone being prosecuted.
 
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lordnokon said:
Is SAIX or IS News Servers illegal in South Africa?? Yes/No – No, why would two of the biggest ISP in the country have them if they are illegal... Think for yourself people.
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There is nothing illegal about news servers or downloading itself. It what is being downloaded and what you do with it that has the potential to be illegal. In much the same way, it is illegal to murder someone with a gun, but the gun itself is not illegal.

Seeing that some are hammering on software the whole time, what is to stop me to go to a friend or a reseller of any kind of software getting the software from them, installing it but only using it for testing... Also it’s not like someone is downloading it for the reselling purpose. MS allows downloading of most there full version software on trial base for 120day. What’s the difference if it’s on a news server or from ms server?
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Thats up to the author of the software to decide how he/she/it wants to license it.

In hindsight, my message wasn't worded correctly. You would be the only one who really knows whether what you were doing was illegal or not. My message was just one warning of the possible implications of starting a legal case with MWeb. IMO, you have every right to demand your money back for this month, you should not need a lawyer for that. Taking it further then that has risks associated with it. At least they cut you and didn't let you go over and then try and charge the 30c per meg or whatever the rate was.
 
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hehehe i feel guilty with this though i canceled my account as soon as i found out, a good 1TB of stuff downloaded with my account, was good while it lasted
 
Interesting, ludjer - I see you are in Silverlakes in Pretoria, and clearly you're on ADSL. I take it GTS (Goal Technology Solutions') 200mbps Broadband Over Powerline crap never took off eh ? ;)
 
Many MWEB ADSL subscribers are left without Internet access because of ‘high usage’
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Garyvdh said:
mweb's reputation?

they just dragged it through the mud again.
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Garyvdh said:
btw, high usage??? 100 Gigs a month? There are some ISPs in the USA who recently started capping usage... their cap? Try 250 Gbs a month. so don't come with this "high usage" crap. South Africans have had to live with these throttled caps for years now and we are sick of it. We want to live in the real world. This is going to come back to bite you. You could have handled this a lot better mweb.
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Once a snake, always a snake. Funny finding this thread thinking about mweb and its throttling...
 
Necuno said:
Once a snake, always a snake. Funny finding this thread thinking about mweb and its throttling...
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Definitely a worth thread-necro :D
Yeah, I remember 2009 and Mweb and local "uncapped" get OOB suprise.
 
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