AOL has banned all MP3 servers on their private chat rooms. But thats because they're corporate vermin.

Hopefully, mIRC servers will not ban this?

Many IRC servers (that's IRC - not mIRC), already do ban filesharing channels. Not because they are necessarily against filesharing, but because they are against the use of a chat protocol being polluted with it.

There are no such things as "mIRC Servers", they are IRC servers, and are all run independently. mIRC has no influence over their policies.

DALnet and QuakeNet, two of the biggest networks have both banned using their networks to trade copyrighted files, as have many others.

"vermin" is equivilent to someone who follows the laws? Interesting choice of words. I'd personally say the people who are illegally downloading and STEALING the copyrighted music to be the vermin, but that's just me.

ok ok. damn.

Did you just call yourself vermin?

:tongue:

DALnet has banned ALL filesharing channels, regardless of what files are shared there.

The network I use has never allowed the transfer of illegal files. The MP3 format, while not always, is most often used as a means of storing ripped music. I am not about to go into bat for the record industry, given that most elements of it are just capitalist swine but at the end of the day the law is the law and there is a precendent being set by many networks that they have a responsibility to make sure their networks are not being used for filetrading (of illegal files).

Naturally, the networks owned or sponsored by corporations are moving first simply because they have the means to cough up when sued.

Its my understnading that a company must take all possible steps to prevent illegal activity taking place within its grounds (and yes, wihtin its networks) UNLESS it is unfeasable for the service.

IE you wouldn't hire armed men to stand around your shopping mall on the off chance armed bandits would rampage thru it, as it'd cost too mcuh and scare away all the normal customers.

Google has more info relevant to this and kazaa, read up on the rullings of RIAA v. everybody in past cases to fidn out more

IRC servers don't have to prevent filesharing, many don't. Some prevent it anyway either because they'd prefer not to risk legal action or because of the stigma of DoS attacks that is often associated with filesharing (largely untrue), or possibly because they actually believe IRC should be for chatting. In any case, there is no legal requirement or precedent on IRC servers and filesharing.

Bottom line: Some IRC networks stop filesharing, some don't. I highly doubt that there will ever be a point when all networks agree on the situation.

heh, bringing up the typical cliche opinion about IRC politics - does any network ever agree on any subject?

Personally, I'm against file sharing on IRC because, I believe Watchdog used the best word, it "pollutes" the network. It actually starts to annoy me when I think somebody is sitting in one of those channels, mindlessly typing commands heh.

I don't agree however, with all of the RIAA's rigmaroll about how so-called "musicians" are losing millions of dollars/pounds every year because of the huge increase in file sharing. The reason I don't agree? Because I can't feel sorry for Madonna just because she's worth $10,000,000 rather than $15,000,000 because of it. Boo-hoo, I can't pay the bills for my 7 bedroom luxorious mansion...I don't think so :P

Let's face it, none of the people that have their music illegally downloaded are exactly hard up, are they? No. However, on IRC it just looks ugly, and the sooner networks such as EFnet and IRCNet ban file sharing, which I doubt they will, the IRC world might be that one step closer to being a nicer place

</corny>

Regards,

Well, although I am not against file sharing, I do have to disagree with that. If you own a successful car dealership & people are stealing cars from your lot, is it ok because you have plenty of money and don't really need anymore?

As far as polluting the network, if you're not in the channel with the file servers seeing all the message that pollute the channel, what difference does it make to you?
It uses no more of the servers bandwidth than a large, active channel, or a large, active trivia channel.

That's basically the same position I take. I couldn't possibly care less about that RIAA, their policy of bullying and 'tricking' companies and individuals into exposing private details for their own profit and their ongoing propaganda campaign of manipulated 'facts' and blatant lies surely hasn't won them any sympathisers in my house. Yet I still don't want to see filesharing on IRC. Personally I've found that filesharing often does detract from the chatting on a network, (if you'll notice, the word 'pollute' was actually used by me). Not to mention IRC and DCC are a poor excuse for a real filesharing protocol. There are literally dozens of complaints about ACKs, speed control, and troublesome resume features each week yet still people insist on attempting to use IRC for filesharing. It amazes me that people can be so stubborn that they will continue to use something that's bad at a task and complain about it rather than use a proper tool for the job.

well when i first got my computer(before realising the laws about kazza etc) i used to open mirc and kazza and half of the time 1 of them ended up not responding because my computer isnt good enough to handle it:\, so maybe they use mirc so they dont have to open more programs :tongue: