Government to attack download pirates

12 Feb 2008

Comments: 2

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The governement plans to clamp down on internet pirates

The government is reported to be planning to clamp down on media piracy by cutting internet access for people who download copyrighted material.

A proposed "three strikes" system would force internet service providers to police those using their connection to illegally obtain music, films and other protected content.

Further reading

A first offence would result in an emailed warning, followed by suspension and contract termination for the second and third infringements.

The proposals are expected to form part of a Green Paper consultation on the UK's creative industries, due to be published next week by the Department of Media, Culture and Sport. Details of the paper were first reported by The Times newspaper, which claims to have seen a leaked draft of the document.

The UK Film Council estimates that illegal downloads costs the industry £800m in 2005, while The British Phonographic Industry said music piracy totalled £165m in the same year.

Reader comments

ridiculous

if that kind of thing happens i think a lot of internet companies will lose a lot of custom. That's why most people have the internet so they can download. I know for a fact i will cancel my internet
if this is made law the internet is there for use of all different kinds of things its ridiculous that this is going to happen.
Maybe if they made going to the pictures a lot cheaper and hiring out
DVDs then maybe people would not download as much as they do. Most of the films made nowadays are so rubbish who wants to pay to watch them
Certainly not me anyway

Posted by: tony  18 Feb 2008

Priorities

There are far more important things regarding the misuse of the internet that the government should be dealing with before they even think about media piracy. The government don't seem to care as much when the little people are wronged, but any injustice to industry and they pull their finger out. I doubt the entertainment industry is going to have a lean christmas because of media piracy.

Posted by: Bob Dylan  17 Feb 2008

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