Internet, Media Companies Agree on Anti-Piracy Method

Well, it's better than being sued. The nation's largest Internetproviders have come to an agreement with Hollywood and the music industry on how to fight online piracy. Media companies will notify Internet providers of illegal file sharing, and then the Internet providers will send a series of warnings. After the fifth or sixth such warning, the downloader's Internet connection will be slowed to a crawl. While the companies say it's less extreme than litigation, critics are concerned that the tactic can be used without having to prove allegations of piracy in court.