Well, After hundreds of GB of torrents downloaded, I slipped up. I've been changing around linux distros recently and i believe i configured my VPN wrong or forgot to turn it back on after doing something. Well, I finally got hit with a copyright warning. Just your typical "we had to send this" type of warning but none-the-less, I slipped up.

Sharing this because the day before it happened, I read a post about not only having your killswitch on but also binding your client to you vpn interface for situations like this. Needless to say I didn't take that precaution. For those who are on linux, I found a great post about how to set this up on reddit and wanted to remind people to "double wrap" because why not be safe lol.

The steps were more or less as follows (for QBitTorrent at least):

Tools -> Preferences -> Advanced Settings
Under "Network Interface", select your vpn interface. To test, check what shows with your vpn on, and then turn it off and re-navigate to this part to see what dissapeared. Thats likely your vpn interface if the name wasn't clear. (Do not be seeding/downloading torrents while doing this in case).
To test, download a non-copyright torrent like the Ubuntu ISO torrent. In the middle of download, disconnect or close your vpn connection. This should stop the download.

Not sure if reddit links are cool here but here is the guide source if anyones interested. Binding VPN to Torrent Client

Stay hidden!

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] kirk781@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 4 days ago (8 children)

Copyright warnings are fairly common in developed nations like much of western Europe and say, US right? Do they result in prosecutions as well( would it be worth it for an ISP to take an individual user to court and spend time and money on it?)

[–] sexy_peach@feddit.org 10 points 4 days ago

In Germany you don't get warnings, you'll have to pay a fine immediately and if you get caught again you signed a notice that you'll pay absurd amounts then.

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 13 points 4 days ago

No prosecutions in many many years.

But, with the new oligarchy dictatorship in progress... I would not be surprised to see Sony get some bills passed to have ISPs cut you off permanently.

[–] Shimitar@downonthestreet.eu 9 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Mostly us stuff, never heard of one in Europe

[–] ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I got one a few years ago (Europe), but you just throw them out, they're meaningless threats without action behind and to my knowledge no one has been convicted based on one ever in my country. But if you torrent copyrighted material without a VPN here, you'll definitely be getting them.

[–] Jomn@jlai.lu 3 points 4 days ago

France put in a place the Hadopi in 2010 (now part of the Arcom) specifically to target people torrenting copyrighted stuff.

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 7 points 4 days ago

I don't believe the ISP would have legal standing to take you to court, as they don't hold the copyright.

They're in the middle, being told hy copyright holders that someone using their service is violating copyright, and they must "do something".

Eventually they may shut off your service, but I haven't heard of it happening since the early 2000's.

[–] can@sh.itjust.works 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

In my experience in Canada, no, not at all. I've only had two but the impression I got was the ISP is legally obligated to pass the notice along and nothing more. The companies complaining are likely American and the ISP want to keep me as a regular paying customer.

[–] Lysergid@lemmy.ml 5 points 4 days ago

In Poland you can download but not allowed to upload/seed. I don’t know is that the way law written or it’s just not enforced.

[–] black0ut@pawb.social 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You don't get warnings in Spain, I have never seen one or met anyone who saw one. And I have seeded hundreds of TiB of linux ISOs from a home computer.

[–] shasta@lemm.ee 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Are those distros copyrighted?

[–] black0ut@pawb.social 4 points 3 days ago

They may be

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 3 points 4 days ago

Prosecution only happens for criminal offences here and copyright infringement would be a civil matter. I have not heard of civil actions against downloaders for years though I may be out of the loop. The notices scare people off and some ISPs might kick you off under their terms of service but they don't take people to court.

I have never seen a copyright warning. My old, old ISP never forwarded them on principle. And now there are VPNs.