ISPs told not to disconnect music pirates
26 Jan 2009
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The UK Government has abandoned plans to force internet service providers (ISPs) to ban users found gullty of illegally downloading music.
Intellectual property minister David Lammy said the idea had been scrapped because the legal issues involved were too complex.
Lammy, speaking to The Times in advance of the publication of a report on the future of Britain's digital industries, said the music industry and ISPs have yet to agree on how best to deal with online music piracy.
The MP also said that illegal downloaders should not be arrested.
ISP British Telecom said in a statement: "We're still hopeful that an amicable solution, without the need for legislation, can be reached."
Comments
Well I'm with ''virgin media'' and no matter WHAT it is you download ... they told me last night (from India no less) that my broadband speed was cut from up to 10mbps (usually hovers around 9.6)
to 2.1 mbps because my son had downloaded a file around 3gb in size between the hours of 12noon and 10pm.
The file in question was 'dawn of war' a legit computer add-on file.
I was told by the guy that it was okay to download before 12 noon and after 10pm ... not within these hours though.
To get back to music and movie industries, in this day and age how the heck can they justify the prices for cd's and movies ? jings talk about greed...
GetCarter - thats absolutely fair and true, but to some extent your post mixed legality with morality. If we get into the morals of the situation, imo we are in far muddier waters, and thats what i was trying to say.
al7478 - its still theft, regardless of whether you like what they are offering or not or even agree with it. If you take it without paying, its theft, plain and simple.
If you don't like the product on offer, then don't buy it and certainly don't steal it!
GetCarter - playing devils advocate, one might suggest that many of those people are in teh music business.
Charge me more, song for song, than an album cost back in the days when people still went to shops - im thinking teh grunge and britpop eras - and give us lower quality?
Id call that immoral.
Surely its still theft at the end of the day, no matter who it is from.
Why should it be considered ok if someone doesn't want to pay for something, if you stole from a shop, you would expect to be prosecuted, why should this be any different? It would appear that some people have little or no morals.
Sorry, posted to soon. meant to follow that with a big "bravo"!
and then to say that there are ways and means of identifying the files folk download, as ive seen a letter sent to a punter from their isp, pointing it out.
"I believe the solution is in charging less, improving the quality and trying to make friends with customers rather than intimidating them."
I think the problem is that the Music business and film companies have made themselves hate figures but having endless news items appear in all the media in which veiled threats are issued about the consequences of piracy.
I couldn't give a monkeys, I resent these endless threats and scare mongering, especially as it has been going on for fifty years or more.
I believe the solution is in charging less, improving the quality and trying to make friends with customers rather than intimidating them.
I also wonder if the figures are correct because as I understand it lots of legitimate file sharing takes place all the time. How is it possible to distinguish these from illegal ones?
95% of all music/movie downloads are illegal ...it's not right but it's absolutely impossible to legislate properly against.
Most people will NEVER pay for a download whilst the alternative is available free....even less so now in the midst of the worst recession in modern times
People will cease illegal downloading when they simply can't access such sites ....is that ever likely to be feasible?
Computer Misuse - just read it. point taken lol!
dont download myself, but have long believed the law here is no entirely clear to most.
Its like if you rent a car & break the law in it (say, speeding) you would not expect the rental company to take away the car & end your rental contract - they are obliged to help the law identify who was driving at the time, but its up to the renter what he does with his rental! Same for ISPs - its up to the user how he uses the connection, after all, he is paying through the nose for it. If he then breaks laws using that connection its up to the law to make that call, that has nothing to do with the ISP - They should only be obliged to assist the law find law-breakers if any law was broken - my 2 cents...
Ah cheers...ill have to investigate the computer missuse thing - never heard of it, but i thought copyright was a civil issue...
Technically, it is a criminal act - pick your choice of laws, from Copyright to Computer Misuse...
didnt think illegal downloaders could be arrested anyway? civil matter innit?
ive probly missed summat...