I got a letter from Charter Communications (my internet provider) saying that unless I cease sharing files, they will terminate my account and that I may be subject to civil and criminal penalties. They go on to say that seven unknown (to me) persons downloaded things from my computer and THEN REPORTED ME! WTF? I dont want to be a non-sharer. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Bitzi does not provide any file-sharing software that could get you in trouble with your ISP and does not condone any unauthorized copying of copyrighted material.

I'm sorry, but any problems you're having due to use of other software aren't a legitimate topic for discussion here. And, if you are truly in legal difficulties, random forum postrs are rarely a good source of advice.

I have deleted the other responses to your question. Please use these forums strictly for Bitzi/Bitpedia-related discussion.

- Gordon @ Bitzi

sorry, my bad.

Cottontop - Not your fault. :)

File Sharing is not illegal - It only becomes illegal when you share copyright material

so it may be that the problem is that you are downloading more than your quota

I had a contract for unlimited downloads but there was a clause in the contract

it stated that if you download loads of stuff your service would be restricted at certain times of the day

I have a number of websites and uploaded and downloaded legitimate material all the time

so much so that my service provider offered to let me out of the 18 moth fixed term contract and invited me to find another service provider

Because of the Unlimited download contract there was actually nothing they could do - I did however find a better deal so took them up on their offer

I would also myself be curious to know if service providers are permitted to look at the content of any material you are downloading

to know if you are downloading copyright material they would need to look at the content of the download

But surely there are laws covering that as an Invasion Of Privacy

This whole download thing is a very tangled web - and if you download copyright material the spider will get you

In 2002, I downloaded Spider-man on my stepfathers' computer a few days before it came out. I thought it was cool to see the movie in his den days before anyone got to see it in the theater. A few days later, my stepfather got a call from Cox Communications (his internet provider) asking him to kindly remove that movie from his shared file. They didn't care that he downloaded it, and didn't want him to erase it, just not to share it anymore. As a result, he uninstalled the file sharing program from his computer. Didn't want any more calls.

I, of course, completely learned my lesson and have never again downloaded anything I wasn't supposed to ever again...

The way I see it then, that <i>ISP</i> has some problems with a lot of people. These testimonials should suggest that this firm should be avoided. They may be even in league with "higher powers" of the music world, or just as paranoid as YouTube and Wikipedia when it comes to copy-righted material.

If your ISP doesn't condone file sharing, it may be because you were spied upon, or because you are allowing someone to spy on you. I filter my file sharing appratus and I stay away from copyrights. Depending on which file-sharinf software you use, you can always get a unsafe-servers list or change apparatus. You may even ask Charter to not spy on your use or cite which terms of service you are breaking. I know I would.

ATT, my provider, helps me share file with server forums and lists.

For the best free IP Address blocker for restricting Big Brother (Media Sentry, RIAA, MPAA, etc.)Go to "http://www.phoenixlabs.com/" and download "Peer Guardian 2". After you install it. Follow the instructions given on the site to put in a blocklist that you can set up to update everyday. There are a couple of other features to it too. If you add the "ipfilterx" list into peerguardian2 It will update after you leave the screen where you pasted the URL in. and update automatically. Generate a cache to the URL. Afterward's you should have over 600 Million Buisness IP's blocked. Including the one's mentioned above. And one's like Universal, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, Paramount, etc. Be forwarned that this method is only about 95% safe. And that Peer Guardian 2 tries to keep all these IP's that track you and keep them from entering your PC and getting your IP address. But it is impossible always get them all. But do get found soon after coming into cross referrencing with Phoenix Labs. And Phoenix Labs/Peerguardian2 will not be held accountable for any copyright media that you maybe found with if the Peerguardian software fails to stop a certain IP address that tracked you to your PC. This is mean't to be only for added protection. Another fairly decent but slow P2P shareware program is called "Zultrax P2P" Which is the only free P2P program I have found that offer's 3 or 4 different types of Privacy protection method's. Still not 100% safe. But about 98% I would assume. Don't hold me to that though.

I realize this thread's old,but it can't hurt to add to it for the next Guy & what I've read so far seem to be rite on the money, but thats just My opinion.Understand what I'm about to add is just My interpetation of what I've read over the years but I'm like 99% sure that it too is rite on the money.

Charter Communications(CC)is a Cable ISP & most likely IS in league with what I'll call the Copyrite Van Guard & yes I guess it's possible for Your ISP to see what's on Your PC but Dude only if Your totaly slippin man.

Basicly You'd have to have Your Shared-Folder shared out to the whole world.

But as long as You have Your XP-Firewall or Your Routers Firewall configured correctly then the only (program/process/ip) that would be able to access that shared folder would be a user of a P2P client like Limewire,Frosty,ect & once limewire's designated to use a set of ports then no other process can send or receive data thru those ports except clients that are part of the Gnutella Network & if You have all Your ports closed except for the ones limewire uses then Your ISP can not see into Your PC.

However if You connect directly to a client/ip who is a proponent of the Copywrite Van Guard then of course they too would be able to see what You have in Your Shared Folder.But after all You connected to em(Slippin Again).

So this is where Peer Guardian comes in handy, because it keeps a Black-list of known Proponents IP's & helps You by not allowing You to even connect to em let alone share with em.

However one thing Your ISP can see is the dynamics of the Bandwidth Flowing to or from Your PC as well as it's destination & since each file-type(avi,mp3,rar)has it's own very destictive looking set of packets, then Your ISP can accurately deduce what type of file/s Your Downloading/Uploading (via Bandwith Throttling Software)

So if Your ISP can tell what type of file Your downloading & if it goes on for hours then its pretty obvious to Your ISP what your doing.

But there is a piece of software that will encrypt/decrypt data packets that are sent so that Your ISP's Bandwith Throttling Software won't recognize the files dynamics that are Downloading/Uploading.

Only problem with this idea is that the encryption software must be installed at both ends(sender & reciever)so that data packets can be sent encrypted & received decrypted & at this point not every one is using the software.

I would add that new users need to do alot more reading before they run out & buy a PC, 3MBps of speed,install limewire & start sharing files.Because copywrited files are all over the Gnutella Network & to think that any one of us won't end up with a copywrited file on our PC is straight lame.

So Lock it up & if You don't know how to Lock it up then You need to read & learn how to Lock it up NOW!!!

The site for PG2 is http://phoenixlabs.org/

Phoenixlabs.com is unrelated. A different lab.