UK ISPs Tackle File Sharing
July 24, 2008 | by Christopher Nickson
Six big UK ISPs have signed up to a government plan to tackle illegal file-sharing — and develop legal music services.
According to the BBC, six of Britain’s biggest ISPs have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform aimed at eliminating illegal file-sharing.
The six, who will be named later today, will begin by sending letters to customers believed to be engaged in illegal file-sharing. But that’s only one step, and it’s believed that the companies have signed up to take further steps to eliminate the piracy. The Memorandum reportedly also commits the ISPs to developing legal music download services.
To date, BT and Virgin Media have sent letters to customers identified by music body BPI as illegal file-sharers, and the BPI has called for persistent offenders to lose Internet access under a “three strikes” rule, although most ISPs oppose that action.
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Kevin on Jul 29th, 2008 at 2:33 PM:
One thing...
The act of "file sharing" is not in, and of itself, illegal. Copying/making backups of files that are purchased is not illegal. Sharing your purchased files without selling them is not illegal.
Cracking/hacking code in software to get around registration/serial authorization is illegal. Pirating (the selling of these hacked/cracked goods or copies of originals) is illegal.
File sharing does not equate to pirating or stealing.
Shouldn't Blockbuster, Netflix or Hollywood Video be questioned in regards to the legality of their business plan/structure?
After all, aren't they purchasing something and then selling it to others, over and over and over again?
What's the difference with my sharing a DVD movie, that I purchased, with (a) friend/s and not charging any money for said "sharing?"
I see a double-standard... and I see an artificial law being heavily enforced by the MPAA, RIAA and Federal governments of the world. This is ridiculous.
If you're going to file a lawsuit with someone, why not take it up with the Sonys, Toshibas, Yamahas and Panasonics of the world? Were it not for them, we wouldn't have the CD/DVD/Blu-Ray recorders that we do... we wouldn't have had the tape recorders that we used to have...
While we're at it, file some suits with AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo, and the rest of the companies around the world that make file sharing possible.
The world's becoming a socialist's haven... and that's one reason Obama can go to hell. ;]