Content creators and ISPs have pulled the plug on the Copyright Alert System (CAS). The program, an effort to alert the public about illegal online content, lasted four years.
The Center for Copyright Information (CCI), which oversaw the program, said in a statement:
“After four years of extensive consumer education and engagement, the Copyright Alert System will conclude its work. The program demonstrated that real progress is possible when content creators, Internet innovators and consumer advocates come together in a collaborative and consensus-driven process. CAS succeeded in educating many people about the availability of legal content, as well as about issues associated with online infringement. We want to thank everyone who put in the hard work to develop this program and make it a success, including past and present members of our Advisory Board."
CCI did not say why it was shuttering the effort but did say its members "remain committed to voluntary and cooperative efforts to address these issues.”
ISPs used an alert system to warn web users about illegal content from peer-to-peer accounts and suggested sources about legally accessing content.
Skeptics had questioned how effective the Copyright Alert System could be in curbing piracy, partly because it was limited to monitoring peer-to-peer applications.
But backers of CCI were hoping it could persuade people to change their ways by pointing them to legitimate online content sources such as iTunes, Netflix or Spotify. That includes parents who were unaware their kids were pilfering gigabytes of copyrighted material.
(Photo via Rock1997. Image taken on Jan. 18, 2017 and used per Creative Commons 2.0 license. The photo was cropped to fit 3x4 aspect ratio.)
