Now that the first year of the newly implemented “six strikes” Copyright Alert System has come to an end, the Center for Copyright Information has shared the results. In 2013, CCI sent out more than 1.3 million alerts to 722,820 user accounts. Of those alerts, 72% fell under the “educational” category, which indicate the first two of the six strikes. Only 8% of those users went on to reach the mitigation stage, which leads CCI to believe that the alerts are deterring most users from continuing to engage in piracy.
Internet service providers and the entertainment industry are ramping up their joint initiative to crack down on online piracy without going through lengthy court proceedings. In 2013, Internet providers sent 1.3 million notices over alleged copyright violations, according to the first statistics on the Copyright Alert System, which were released Wednesday. People who continue to illegally share songs or movies face gradually increasing sanctions. According to the report, 60,477 people last year received a fifth “strike” and 37,456 received a sixth “strike.” Under the program, Internet providers enforce “mitigation” measures for the fifth and sixth offenses. Offenders who reach those stages can be forced to review copyright education materials before accessing the Internet or have their Internet speed reduced. The program is expected to double in size this year.
