14 February 2008
People who illegally download films and music may be subjected to disconnection from the Internet under new legislative proposals to be unveiled next week. Internet service providers (ISPs) will be legally required to take action against users who access pirated material.
Users suspected of wrongly downloading films or music will receive a warning e-mail upon the first offense, a suspension for the second infringement and the termination of their Internet contract if caught a third time, under the most likely option to emerge from discussions about the new law.
Broadband companies who fail to enforce the “three-strikes” regime would be prosecuted and suspected customers’ details could be made available to the courts. The Government has yet to decide if information on offenders should be shared between ISPs.
Six million broadband users are thought to illegally be downloading in the UK every year. Music and film companies claim this is costing them billions of pounds in lost revenue annually.
Britain’s four biggest Internet providers (BT, Tiscali, Orange and Virgin Media) have been in discussions with Hollywood’s biggest studio and distribution companies for six months over a voluntary scheme.
Major sticking points include who will arbitrate disputed allegations, for example when customers claim to have been the victim of “Wi-Fi piggybacking”, in which users link up to a paid-for wireless network that is not their own. Another outstanding disagreement is how many enforcements the Internet companies will be expected to initiate and how quickly warning e-mails would be sent.
International action in the US and France, which is implementing its own “three-strikes” regime, has increased the pressure on British Internet companies and stiffened the Government’s resolve.
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