[Mike F]

Story

The final piece of the federal Copyright Modernization Act took effect on Jan. 1, requiring Internet service providers (ISPs) and website hosts to relay letters from copyright holders to customers associated with the unique Internet Protocol (IP) address where the illegal downloading is alleged to have occurred.

While such notices do not carry any immediate legal ramifications, Internet lawyer Allen Mendelsohn told CTV’s Canada AM that they do serve as “a warning” that a copyright holder has noticed illegal downloading activity at your IP address, and could decide to sue.

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The ISP or website host must also keep the notification letters for six months, should the copyright holder decide to sue. However, the ISP or website host cannot hand over your personal information unless a lawsuit is launched.