Verizon to Begin Forwarding RIAA "Copyright Notices"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 13, 2009 - 9:17am.

San Francisco - Mobile operator Verizon Wireless will this week begin sending "copyright notices" on behalf of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), to subscribers suspected of illegally downloading songs, CNET News.com reported, citing sources with knowledge of the agreement. The letter reportedly urges the recipient to delete the content they distribute, but does not include threats of potential service interruptions as a penalty.

CNET noted that similar letters have been sent in the past by ISPs including AT&T, Comcast and Cox, and that "several other ISPs have recently begun forwarding copyright notices on behalf of the film studios," according to sources.

"We recognize the importance of copyright and the need to enforce those copyrights," a Verizon spokesman said in a statement to CNET.

"Without that enforcement, intellectual property won't be generated at all. At the same time, it's important for our customers to be assured that they won't have their privacy rights trampled."

http://www.riaa.org