Media.com Mediacom "Dictatorship of Internet/Cable", their rules...you pay Bettendorf, Internet

Tig,

This gets handled at a corporate level and is then updated to your account. The first violation does not incur any penalty beyond a warning. Whether the paperwork was thrown out, misplaced, etc makes no difference as the 2nd violation more than 7 days after the first then forces your account to be suspended for the repeat violation. To resume service the 2nd violation paperwork must be signed and on the paperwork it does state a subsequent violation will have you terminate your service. If you are under contract and you have a 3rd violation you are not holding up on your end of the contract to keep the service and can incur an ETF or early termination fee.

"A THIRD VIOLATION will automatically be
grounds for immediate and permanent termination of my internet services with
Mediacom Communications Corporation or any of its entities. "

The problem is not whether you ended up paying for it or have a legitimate copy, the problem is downloading and/or uploading illegal copies of the file that the copyright holder has found through whatever means they use to track it. If you were not a part of this downloading/uploading your IP should never have gotten to them in the first place for them to send to us stating that there was a violation of their copyright. If you file the dispute and show that you purchased it that may persuade it to go in your favor, but once disputed it is no longer between you and Mediacom.

I'd ask a lawyer to look this paperwork from Mediacom over before signing it. Looks like it opens you up to all kinds of litigation.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act Counter Notice 
File Sharing Activity 
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
WHEN YOU SEND THIS NOTICE TO MEDIACOM COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION 
OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES (MEDIACOM), MEDIACOM WILL FORWARD THIS 
COUNTER NOTICE TO THE COPYRIGHT OWNER AND/OR ITS AGENT THAT FILED A 
NOTICE OF INFRINGEMENT WITH MEDIACOM (COMPLAINING PARTY).  THUS, 
THE COMPLAINING PARTY WILL KNOW YOUR IDENTITY WHICH MAKES IT 
EASIER FOR IT TO INITIATE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST YOU INCLUDING, BUT NOT 
LIMITED TO, A COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT LAWSUIT SEEKING MONEY 
DAMAGES .BY SUBMITTING THIS COUNTERNOTICE TO MEDIACOM YOU 
EXPRESSLY ACKKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO 
MEDIACOMS FORWARDING OF THIS COUNTER NOTICE TO THE COMPLAINING 
PARTY. 
Contact Information
(All must be provided for notice to be valid) 
First Name:                                                                        Middle Initial: 
Last Name:   
Address:                                                                               Apt. Number: 
City, State Zip:   
Phone Number:   
Email:   
IP Address   
Infringed Work    
Reporting Agency   
Mediacom Acct #   
This form is my response to notification to me by Mediacom of a Complaint received about 
the use of my Mediacom Online service (Service).  Specifically, the Complaint states 
that I have stored on devices attached to my Service, material that either by its presence or 
by the ability of others to copy, infringes the complainants copyright.  This counter notice 
responds to the allegations of the Complaint with respect to the following material: 

Thank you Tom,

But I disagree with your statements. Your violations procedure is NOT straightforward. The "first" violation I was told not to worry about it, that it was a way your company made sure people had updated routers/passwords.

The second violation...I have yet to receive written confirmation. Your company turned off my internet, and we spent hours/lost income before even YOUR staff knew why we were cut off. If your own people can't figure it out, how am I supposed to? If your "rules" are straightforward, why did you turn me off and still 10 days later I have no written notice?

As far as being able to dispute this...YOUR staff (3 different people) said A) you can try, but we won't help you, and B) we don't update our records and remove so called violations if I am able to show we paid for the download in question.

I have contacted the company your staff "said" I should, but again...not sure: nothing in writing. They were helpful, and are checking into their records. (at least they are trying...which is more than I can say for your company)

You are the ONLY person in your company so far who states what you have...

We do have a pretty straight forward policy in regards to DMCA violations. You are welcome to dispute any violations with the copyright holder making this claim. You can email me at SocialMediaTeam@mediacomcc.com and I will send you the document to dispute your violation and we will take action pending the outcome of your dispute with them.

Thanks,
-Tom
Social Media Relations Team
Mediacom Communications

I am posting this on behalf of my neighbor. She was terminated from mediacom after 9 years of service because someone hacked into her router and downloaded illegally. She even paid the Geek squad big bucks to install a new router to help secure her network. It didn't help, and about 7 weeks ago she was turned off. I know my neighbor and I know she did not illegally download. She was extremely upset over the accusations.

Two weeks ago mediacom called her and offered to sign her up for $19.95 a month. When she stated that she was terminated, the rep said they didn't know anything about that. She even spoke to a supervisor and they said they could re-sign her up. She decided to do it even with the way she was treated (we don't have many alternatives in our area). Last night I was trying to help her get back into her old mediacom email address and we couldn't log in. She called support and they said it was because she was terminated from mediacom and that she wasn't supposed to have service. Now they want her to return her modem and are going to shut her off again!

I can't believe a company would treat a long time customer this way. I know she is not the first person to lose service because of a supposed breach of service, but to turn her off again after they re-signed her is just too much.

Basically the answer I got is that 3x is Mediacom's policy for terminating and there is nothing to be done. My response:
I have to say I find your reply very disappointing. Your company made the decision to call her and ask her to sign up again. The words used were, "We're reaching out to former customers". She didn't approach you. I don't see why you can't ignore policy this once and make an exception. She cancelled Verizon to sign back with you. I have no idea if she incurred a financial penalty because of her decision to give Mediacom another chance.

Mediacom's response:
The DMCA is a federal law and I cannot go around the policies Mediacom has set for customers who have repeat violations.

I know the DMCA is a federal law, but they don't set the rule that 3x you're out, Mediacom does, correct?