Naughty filesharers will be excommunicated
The UK Government has a big idea: crack down on file sharing by forcing Internet Service Providers (ISP) to police their users. The proposal is contained in a Government consultation document (known as a Green paper) on the Future of the Creative industries.
The plan includes a US -style 'three strikes and you're out' policy whereby an ISP will warn a customer twice before before terminating their contract. First with an email, then with suspension, and finally with termination. ISPs that don't fall in line will be prosecuted and file sharing data handed to the courts, according to The Times.
ISPs are used to being told to police online acitivity, but remain convinced that self-regulation is adequate. The point out that relevant packet-sniffing technology needed would also increase costs and they are not keen on being seen as 'enforcers' for the police.
Meanwhile critics suggest there are lots of loose ends: How will arbitration work? How will ISPs cope with encrypted files? How does this fit into the data privacy Act? Will ISPs share details of offenders?
But the proposal looks more like a case of political kite-flying than anything. The British political elite is notorious for such activity in recent years, seemingly enjoying the PR benefit of looking tough (and/or innovative) yet invariably diluting propals or even dumping them subject to intense lobbying.
The most likely outcome is a watered-down, semi-voluntary plan kept in the public eye with occassional terminations of known offenders over the next two years. If that fails the Government will be hoping that by then the music and film industries will have come up with more attractive approaches to downloading that reduce the clamour for legislation.
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