Think the Internet defeated SOPA? Think again. It appears as if ISPs will be implanting their own measures, thanks in part to the RIAA, to shut people out of the internet if they illegally download anything. The story is up on RT who has the details on what most major ISPs in the US will have in effect starting July 12th:

The end result largely settled on consisted of a “graduate response” approach, a plan that would mean culprits could be issued a series of warnings for illegally downloading suspect material which, after a certain number of offenses, would lead to “mitigation measures,” connection speed throttling and termination of service.

The worst part is that it will be automated, and of course that could never cause errors and people being accidentally banned from the ‘net:

“Each ISP has to develop their infrastructure for automating the system,” Sherman said. They need this “for establishing the database so they can keep track of repeat infringers, so they know that this is the first notice or the third notice. Every ISP has to do it differently depending on the architecture of its particular network. Some are nearing completion and others are a little further from completion.”

There’s already a petition up against this. Hopefully if word spreads it’ll get as big a backlash as SOPA and PIPA did.