Verizon to forward RIAA notices to file-sharing customers

Verizon, a large ISP in the United States, together with the Recording Industry Association of America, is going to commence a test in which it will send letters to their customers who are suspected of file-sharing.

While such cooperation is not unique, it is significant as Verizon has been one of the more hesitant ISPs when it comes to cooperating with the entertainment industry to enforce copyright. It has a history of opposing anti piracy legislation. Verizon has even fought the RIAA in court when the latter demanded that Verizon released the identity of one of its customers that was a suspected chronic file-sharer.

This is not the first time, though, that Verizon works together with Big Content. In 2005, it struck a deal with Disney of a similar nature, forwarding letters to alleged file-sharers. In exchange, Disney allowed Verizon to broadcast 12 of Disney’s channels over its network.

In an article on CNET, a Verizon spokesperson said: "We recognize the importance of copyright and the need to enforce those copyrights. 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."

The RIAA abandoned their policy of starting lawsuits against individual file-sharers last December. Instead, it now tries to convince ISPs to cooperate and adopt graduated response policies. This has not yet yielded any formal agreements.