The Copyright Alert System, also known as the “six strike” system, is a cooperation between ISPs and copyright owners such as movie studios and record companies. The conceit is that the system is just “informing” users that they are illegally trafficking content. “When people share digital files, they can violate copyright law often without being aware that they’re doing so,” says the narrator of a video produced by the Center for Copyright Information, the group administering the new program. The participating ISPs are juggernauts Verizon, Comcast, AT&T, Cablevision, and Time Warner, meaning most Americans will be affected by the new program. THE CONCEIT IS THAT THE SYSTEM IS JUST “INFORMING” USERS THAT THEY ARE ILLEGALLY TRAFFICKING CONTENT Most users of peer-to-peer networks — the focus of the new program — probably know when they’re downloading illegal content. The difference is that these users will now get a “copyright alert” that will function as intimidation, punishment, or a gentle reminder to do the right thing, depending on how you look at it. The CCI did not respond to a request for comment. There are rumors of “deep packet inspection,” probably set off by a tweet from file-sharing overlord Kim Dotcom, but in fact the ISPs aren’t watching their customers’ traffic. The reality isn’t quite as Big Brotherish nor as high-tech. The system starts with copyright owners monitoring peer-to-peer networks such as BitTorrent, looking for their own content. In the porn …