Millions of file sharers to be warned
Broadband providers to warn music pirates
Thursday, 24 Jul 2008 09:29
Six of the UK's biggest internet providers have agreed on a plan with the music industry to tackle illegal downloading.
The plan will involve the service providers sending letters to thousands of the most prolific downloaders warning them that their activity has been detected and is being closely monitored.
Over the past year, 6.5 million Britons are thought to have downloaded files illegally.
The cost of such activities is estimated to cost the music industry £1 billion over the next five years.
In an effort to tackle the problem, the six biggest providers - BT, Virgin Media, Orange, Tiscali, BSkyB and Carphone Warehouse - have all signed up to a government drive, the memorandum of understanding (MOU), addressing unlawful file sharing.
Reports suggest that those caught downloading illegally and continuing to ignore warnings could be subject to 'online surveillance' as well as having their internet speeds reduced.
Fergal Sharkey, the former Undertones singer and chief executive of British Music Rights, said: "This is something of a step into the unknown for the internet providers, music industries and ministers.
"But we can't go on without it - no business can survive after losing as much revenue as the music industry has."
Under new plans being formulated by the government, internet users who choose to download music could pay a £30 annual charge.
Minister are understood to be backing the proposals, whereby large swathes of now-criminal internet users could have their activities legitimised, allowing them to download from the peer-to-peer sites they currently use without breaking the law.
John Hutton, business secretary, and Andy Burnham, culture secretary, will unveil proposals for a new deal between internet service providers and the music industry today, but the levy plan remains firmly in the government's long-term sights, according to insiders.
Virgin Media, which is already involved with the BPI targeting file sharers, is backing the move but reiterated it is not aiming to cut people's broadband connections off.
A Virgin Media spokesperson said: "We share the government’s desire to address the issue of on-line copyright infringement without infringing our customers’ rights.
"We believe the steps set out in the MOU represent a sensible process for finding a balanced approach."