Copyright Alert System
The Copyright Alert System (CAS) is a U.S. anti-piracy measure developed and deployed by the Center for Copyright Information.
Under the system, content owners (RIAA and MPAA acting as representatives) will contact participating Internet Service Providers (ISP) with an IP address of a subscriber found to be sharing files illegally. The ISP will then take actions based on the circumstances.
The first alert for a subscriber will result in an e-mail to the account holder, explaining that the account has been used to share files illegally. It will contain information about checking computer and network security, and will provide links to the legitimate music and movie outlets on the Internet.
The second alert is largely the same as the first, although it will contain an "underscored educational message."
The third alert will again deliver an e-mail to the account holder with more or less the same information, but this time the subscriber will have to acknowledge that the alert has been received. This is designed to ensure that the subscriber is aware of the third copyright alert as well as the previous educational alerts.
The fourth alert will produce the same result as the third.
The fifth alert may result in "mitigation efforts," which could involve...
- Temporary reductions of Internet speeds
- Redirection to a landing page until the subscriber contacts the ISP to discuss the matter or reviews and responds to some educational information about copyright
- Other measures that the ISP may deem necessary to help resolve the matter.
The sixth time an alert has to be sent to a subscriber, then the Mitigation Measures will automatically occur.
The Center for Copyright Information maintains that the high number of alerts means that most offenders will cease the activity long before mitigation efforts are carried out.
