DMCA NOTICE

Bad news: someone on your network downloaded file(s) without proper permission. This activity is recognized by internet providers (Comcast, AT&T, etc.) and alerts the content owners as part of an effort to curb copyright infringement (“piracy”).

Good news: based on how widespread this problem is, they likely won’t pursue this legally (consult your attorney if you are concerned, we are not lawyers), but you are at risk of getting in trouble either through your carrier or through the owners of the copyrighted material that you downloaded.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions:

Why did this happen? Fast office internet connections are great places for employees that want to get their favorite shows or movies onto their computer. Typically, we receive notifications from an internet service provider when they receive notification of a violation of their terms of service.
Who did it? If it’s worth having us search, we may be able to isolate it to a particular computer or device and let you know who the person(s) likely are. This depends on what network equipment you use. Your HR team will need to have the actual discussion with your employee as it may have legal or other employment implications which are outside of our responsibility.
What did we actually “do” wrong? You likely acquired creative material (usually music, TV show, or movie) that you didn’t pay for.
What can we do to prevent it? Make your acceptable use policy known to employees when they join. If you don’t have a policy, ask us for a sample. Also, ask Mann if your hardware will allow you to restrict or limit this type of traffic on your network.
Anything we need to do now? Ask us to review your current setup. Create a policy if you don’t have one.
Does this make our internet slow? This type of traffic impacts both download and upload speeds in the office. With the right equipment we can use traffic shaping to limit the bandwidth used by these services or block it entirely.