A coalition of copyright holders and ISPs like Comcast and Verizon this week signed up for the "Copyright Alert System," which will provide notices to consumers if they are suspected of illegal downloading.

Many ISPs already provide warnings to users if sketchy behavior is detected, but the Copyright Alert System is intended to provide a standardized approach that all ISPs will use. But how does it actually work? Is my ISP going to be snooping on my Web activity to catch me illegally downloading an episode of "Dexter"? Will ISPs hand this info over to the RIAA and MPAA so they can sue me? We took a look at the new plan and some of the top questions that have emerged since the announcement.

What's going on?
Record labels, movie studios, and ISPs have joined forces for an industry-led warning system that will notify users when they are suspected of illegally downloading music, TV shows, or movies.

I thought this was already happening. Isn't that how all those people got sued?
Yes, but in 2008 the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) abandoned its practice of suing individuals for online piracy in favor of working with Internet service providers to track down offenders. Since then, ISPs have issued warnings on their own terms, but this agreement creates one system that major ISPs will follow.

How exactly does my ISP know what I'm downloading?
Your ISP is not keeping tabs on your Internet activity. If you distribute or download a file over a P2P network, however—from the latest episode of Game of Thrones to Transformers 3—that file includes an IP address associated with your account. Available technology can identify pirated content on these networks, and when it's found, the content holder will contact the ISP with the IP address.

Then what happens?
Your ISP will associate that IP address with the account on their network.

Great, so my ISP is handing over my information to record labels and movie studios?
The group said it will "never provide any personally identifiable information to copyright holders" unless required to do so via a subpoena or court order. It will instead start the process of notifying you that suspicious activity has been reported on your account.

How will my ISP notify me?
After the ISP receives the complaint and identifies you via IP address, it will send an online alert, likely via email, with a warning that your account might have been used for downloading illegal content. The message will include educational resources for how not to be a pirate.

What if I just delete the email?
If you read it and stop illegal downloading, you're good. But if you read it, delete, and continue downloading, there are more alerts in your future. These alerts are being referred to as the "six strikes" plan because ISPs will warn you at least five or six times before they take any action. The second alert will look much like the first, but alerts three and four will require you to acknowledge that you've received the message, probably through a click-thru pop-up notice.

Do I want to know what alerts five and six entail?
If you continue to blow off these warnings, ISPs might turn to "Mitigation Measures," which could include temporary reductions of Internet speeds or redirection to a landing page until you contact your ISP to discuss the matter. ISPs have the option not to implement these measures, however.

If I'm still ignoring them, will they shut down my account?
The group said this alert system "does not, in any circumstance, require the ISP to terminate an Internet subscriber's account." They point out, however, that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act already requires ISPs to have a termination policy in effect if they want to take advantage of the law's "safe harbor" clauses. That way, if a copyright holder sues you for illegal downloading, the ISP can say it took measures to stop the activity and cannot be held liable for your activity.

What if I'm getting alerts but am not actually downloading anything illegal?
The system allows you to request an independent review before any of those mitigation measures are put into place, but it will cost you $35.

How is this like the "three strikes" law in Europe?
Three strikes? No. Six strikes? Maybe. The group claims the alert system is not similar to laws that cut off users' Internet service after three piracy incidents. Why? "This creates no new laws or formal legal procedures and it does not require account suspension or termination," the coalition said.

Is my ISP participating?
Participating ISPs include AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon.

Who is backing this plan?
Associated companies and groups include: Motion Picture Association of American and MPAA members like Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal Studios, and Warner Brothers Entertainment; Independent Film & Television Alliance; Recording Industry Association of America and RIAA members like Universal Music Group Recordings, Warner Music Group, Sony Music North America, and EMI Music North America; American Association of Independent Music; and the ISPs.