Illegal Downloading

Illegal Downloading

With incredibly fast internet speeds, the thrill of having a newly released music album or movie on your desk-top, MP3 player or phone is a sure possibility. However, downloading these files illegally has potential consequences.

RTC often receives notification from research companies that investigate illegally downloaded material. These companies search the internet looking for music, movies, software, and documents that are downloaded without permission from their owners/ producers. Programs can be retraced back to the IP address downloading the illegal content. After determining the source, cease-and-desist letters are sent in the form of a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) violation to the owner of the IP address. As a local internet provider, RTC acts as the "owner" of many internet customers' IP address.

As a service to you, RTC will inform you if an alleged violation has been traced to your IP address. To avoid any legal issues, we will then ask that you remove the illegally downloaded material from your computer. In an effort to avoid possible misuse of your wireless connection, we advise that you secure your wireless internet with a confidential password. This will ensure that your service will not be affected by someone using your internet service maliciously.

In the event that illegal downloads continue to be traced back to your IP address after an initial warning, RTC reserves the right to disconnect your internet connection.

For a small fee, RTC can assist you in securing your wireless router. If you have any questions concerning this matter, or if are interested in signing up for our High Speed Internet service, please contact us at 706.965.2345.