The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and five major Internet service providers (ISPs) funded the Center for Copyright Information (CCI) and are hoping to enact its so-called “six strikes” anti-piracy Copyright Alert System by the end of the year. However, there was widespread criticism of the digital risk management firm chosen by CCI to act as the independent body investigating the validity of claims of copyright infringement against file-sharers. In a blog post published on October 30, 2012, CCI Executive Director Jill Lesser wrote that Stroz Friedberg’s former employee lobbied on behalf of RIAA that raised questions about the impartiality of the risk management firm. “We are, however, sensitive to any appearance that Stroz lacks independence, and so CCI has decided to have another expert review Stroz’s initial evaluation of the content community’s processes,” Lesser wrote. “We will be selecting the additional expert promptly and will make that information available.” Lesser noted that CCI would release Stroz Friedberg’s initial report “to enable interested parties to review it for themselves.” Lesser told the technology news website Ars Technica in September 2012 that the Copyright Alert System is supposed to be an educational program that would teach consumers and “steer online users toward legal content.” Lesser said each ISP will have its own mitigation measure, and a user will be given the opportunity to conduct an independent review. Critics contend that much like the wildly unpopular Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), enforcement targets of the “six strikes” program will be arbitrarily selected by the content owners. Users fears that the Copyright Alert System will negatively impact the public’s First Amendment rights. Robert G. Klein Klein Trial Lawyers
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