US-based Verizon does not look on too kindly on those who download stuff illegally, otherwise known as pirates (digital ones, that is, as these folks probably do not have their sea legs with them), considering how they take advantage of technologies such as BitTorrent in order to steal copyrighted material. It seems that Verizon will first issue a warning to repeat offenders via email and voicemail, and if said offender fails to turn from his or her wayward behavior, then Verizon will crank things up a notch by restricting, or in other words, to “throttle” their Internet connection speeds.
As for Time Warner Cable, another US internet service provider (ISP), they will take a softer approach in terms of tackling piracy by using pop-up warnings in order to deter repeat offenders. I guess that approach would not work too well, as nothing is quite as frustrating as having your speed throttled that you would not want to download stuff illegally any more. The other three major US ISPs, AT&T, Cablevision, and Comcast, too, will work together to bear down on illegal downloading as well as sharing of copyrighted material.
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