Free for a Fee

That system—which many originally feared would result in people having their Internet cut off—is now officially dead. The CAS, as it was known, didn’t have much teeth, and it didn’t really result in people losing their Internet access, either. Today, it’s no secret that online copyright infringement runs rampant.

The program primarily tried to combat infringement as follows: Internet subscribers could get two notices for “educational” purposes that their accounts had been used to commit infringement. Upon a third and fourth notice, the subscriber was required to respond and acknowledge it. On the fifth and sixth notices, consumers might have their Internet speeds throttled. The plan left it up to the rights holders if they wanted to sue copyright offenders.