ISPs to act as anti piracy police?
12 February 2008, 12:40 PM
#1
ISPs to act as anti piracy police?
BBC NEWS | Business | Illegal downloaders 'face UK ban'
People in the UK who go online and illegally download music and films may have their internet access cut under plans the government is considering.
A draft consultation Green Paper suggests internet service providers would be required to take action over users who access pirated material.
Under a "three strikes" rule they would receive an e-mail warning, suspension, and then termination of their contract.
Six million people a year are estimated to download files illegally in the UK.
Music and film companies say that the illegal downloads cost them millions of pounds in lost revenues.
The proposals are part of a Green Paper - a consultation document issued by the government - on the creative industries that is due to be published shortly.
The government proposals were first reported by the Times newspaper.
Voluntary scheme
The Times suggested that broadband firms which failed to enforce the rules could be prosecuted, and the details of customers suspected of making illegal downloads made available to the courts.
According to the Times, the draft paper states: "We will move to legislate to require internet service providers to take action on illegal file sharing."
Internet providers are no more able to inspect and filter every single packet passing across their network than the Post Office is able to open every envelope,
Internet Service Providers Association
Some of the UK's biggest internet providers, such as BT, Virgin and Tiscali have been in talks with the entertainment industry over introducing a voluntary scheme for policing pirate activity, but no agreement has been reached.
So far, they have failed to resolve how disputed allegations would be arbitrated - for example, when customers claim other people have been "piggybacking" on their internet service.
'No liability'
The Internet Service Providers Association said data protection laws would prevent providers from looking at the content of information sent over their networks.
ISPs are no more able to inspect and filter every single packet passing across their network than the Post Office is able to open every envelope," the association said.
"ISPs bear no liability for illegal file sharing as the content is not hosted on their servers," it added.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said that early drafts of the document had been circulated among stakeholders.
"The content and proposals for the strategy have been significantly developed since then and a comprehensive plan to bolster the UK's creative industries will be published shortly," it added.
"We will not comment on the content of the leaked document."
People in the UK who go online and illegally download music and films may have their internet access cut under plans the government is considering.
A draft consultation Green Paper suggests internet service providers would be required to take action over users who access pirated material.
Under a "three strikes" rule they would receive an e-mail warning, suspension, and then termination of their contract.
Six million people a year are estimated to download files illegally in the UK.
Music and film companies say that the illegal downloads cost them millions of pounds in lost revenues.
The proposals are part of a Green Paper - a consultation document issued by the government - on the creative industries that is due to be published shortly.
The government proposals were first reported by the Times newspaper.
Voluntary scheme
The Times suggested that broadband firms which failed to enforce the rules could be prosecuted, and the details of customers suspected of making illegal downloads made available to the courts.
According to the Times, the draft paper states: "We will move to legislate to require internet service providers to take action on illegal file sharing."
Internet providers are no more able to inspect and filter every single packet passing across their network than the Post Office is able to open every envelope,
Internet Service Providers Association
Some of the UK's biggest internet providers, such as BT, Virgin and Tiscali have been in talks with the entertainment industry over introducing a voluntary scheme for policing pirate activity, but no agreement has been reached.
So far, they have failed to resolve how disputed allegations would be arbitrated - for example, when customers claim other people have been "piggybacking" on their internet service.
'No liability'
The Internet Service Providers Association said data protection laws would prevent providers from looking at the content of information sent over their networks.
ISPs are no more able to inspect and filter every single packet passing across their network than the Post Office is able to open every envelope," the association said.
"ISPs bear no liability for illegal file sharing as the content is not hosted on their servers," it added.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said that early drafts of the document had been circulated among stakeholders.
"The content and proposals for the strategy have been significantly developed since then and a comprehensive plan to bolster the UK's creative industries will be published shortly," it added.
"We will not comment on the content of the leaked document."
12 February 2008, 01:20 PM
#4
Since digital alternatives were made available such as itunes etc people are probably now buying more legal tracks than ever before, but now they have a choice of just downloading tracks they like as opposed to buying an album with 2/3 good tracks and 10 pieces of crap, or some over priced cd single for £4.50 which contains 2-3 versions of the same single.
Let's face it piracy has been rife for years, long before the internet in the days of copying tapes etc, if anything the internet has bought a medium in which people can now buy legit music/movies.
Same with Tv shows/movies etc they are moving towards on-demand downloadble options and the industries don't like it.
They need to concentrate on putting out some quality stuff worth buying, as with any business in any industry the customer base/needs is changing, the way people spend is changing and they need to change with it, they need to realise they can no longer make billions of profit from flogging you crappy cd's and stop blaming the internet for everything.
People who do download pirate stuff won't necessarily buy stuff legit if they had to pay, they get it because they can, if it's not available then they'll do with out, this idea won't magically make the music/movie industry millions of extra revenue it will just **** off customers and the ISP's who will be losing customers.
Anyways a lot of pirate stuff comes from Malaysian factories etc, so the people that actually profit from it won't be affected.
Anywho, rant over.
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