AT&T, Comcast & Verizon In Talks To Get Much Tougher On Piracy

The RIAA may finally get the cooperation they have been looking for from ISPs.  AT&T, Comcast and Verizon are reportedly close to striking a deal with music and media companies that would establish new and tougher punishments for customers who refuse to stop using their networks to pirate music, films and other intellectual property.

No deal has actually been struck, according to CNet, but the parties are reportedly closer to an agreement than ever before. In Europe, some officials have suggested that ISP involvement is both a privacy and human rights issue.  But in the U.S., the Obama administration has long called for tougher action and reportedly helped to initiate the talks between the ISP's and rightsholders.