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Thu, 24 Sep 2009 BT: Piracy clampdown could cost broadband users £25 each

Mandelson to propose forcing ISPs to do more to fight the problem

Carrie-Ann Skinner PC Advisor

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Labour's propsal to tackle internet piracy by tracking illegal downloaders and cutting-off Internet access could cost Brits an extra £25 a year, insists BT.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson is trying to push through the scheme to tackle illegal filesharers that was first detailed in the government's Digital Britain report, which was released earlier this year.

However, BT has estimated implementing the technology to track illegal downloaders and then contact them and implement a suspension is likely to cost around £1m a day.

BT's consumer division chief John Petter said that ISPs would not be able to swallow the entire cost, and would have to pass some of it on to consumers.

"We feel that instead music labels should develop new business models," said BT.

"At the moment, they just want to outsource all their problems to ISPs. Legislation before the introduction of Digital Britain did allow music labels to go after people that downloaded copyrighted music, but they did not take advantage of it because it would have generated bad PR for themselves."

The Department for Business said it had issued a consultation on the proposals and has "asked industry for reliable figures on both the damage caused by file-sharing and on the cost these obligations will involve".

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Comments received


Tom said on Thu, 24 Sep 2009

Governments and successful computer strategies just don't mix.

Steve said on Thu, 24 Sep 2009

It's hard to uderstand why the British government is bowing down to big business to screw their own citizens. Big business is trying the same in the US but so far no luck but I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen there either.

CB said on Thu, 24 Sep 2009

What a surprise! The people who pay for the copyrighted material they use will have to pay again for those that don't bother.

It isn't only the big music companies though, people seem to be focussed on that too much!

phil said on Thu, 24 Sep 2009

The other problem I foresee if they do bring in ISP's monitoring for illegal downloading is that the serious downloaders will either hide there ip address or highjack someone elses connection so they get the blame. Just wandering round our estate at home there's a good half a dozen poeples routers that you could use that arn't encrypted. the joy of wandering round with an iphone when walking the dog!

Kevin said on Thu, 24 Sep 2009

@phil

How so very true. I'm sure half of the people that receive cease and decease orders, and orders to pay costs haven't got a bloody clue why they received the letter in the first place!

As usual, it's gungho approach to solving the problem. Let's tax the public or increase costs so it can be implemented. And there's me thinking I had a bad eduction.... Utter lunacy.

Gabriel said on Thu, 24 Sep 2009

"We feel that instead music labels should develop new business models," said BT.

AMEN!

Might not be a bad idea to avoid France's "guilty until proven innocent" three-strikes approach, too.

alexander said on Fri, 25 Sep 2009

Mandelson must have been promised a big backhander for pushing this I would imagine.

John said on Tue, 29 Sep 2009

Anyone know which constituency elected Lord Mandelson?

Good old British democracy, eh?

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