[Red Moon]

Looks like the nanny state is here to stay.

Users face Net ban in crackdown on pirates

People who illegally download films and music will be cut off from the internet under new legislative proposals to be unveiled next week.

Internet service providers (ISPs) will be legally required to take action against users who access pirated material, The Times has learnt.

Users suspected of wrongly downloading films or music will receive a warning e-mail for the first offence, a suspension for the second infringement and the termination of their internet contract if caught a third time, under the most likely option to emerge from discussions about the new law.

Broadband companies who fail to enforce the “three-strikes” regime would be prosecuted and suspected customers’ details could be made available to the courts. The Government has yet to decide if information on offenders should be shared between ISPs.

Six million broadband users are estimated to download files illegally every year in this country in a practice that music and film companies claim is costing them billions of pounds in lost revenue annually.

Britain’s four biggest internet providers – BT, Tiscali, Orange and Virgin Media – have been in talks with Hollywood’s biggest studio and distribution companies for six months over a voluntary scheme.

Parallel negotiations between Britain’s music industry and individual internet providers have been dragging on for two years.

Major sticking points include who will arbitrate disputed allegations, for example when customers claim to have been the victim of “wi-fi piggybacking”, in which users link up to a paid-for wireless network that is not their own. Another outstanding disagreement is how many enforcements the internet companies will be expected to initiate and how quickly warning e-mails would be sent.

International action in the US and France, which is implementing its own “three-strikes” regime, has increased the pressure on British internet companies and stiffened the Government’s resolve.

Ministers will make an explicit commitment to legislate with the launch next week of a Green Paper on the creative industries. A draft copy, obtained by The Times, states: “We will move to legislate to require internet service providers to take action on illegal file-sharing.” A consultation paper setting out the options is promised within months.

A spokesman for the Internet Service Providers Association said it remained hopeful that agreement over a voluntary agreement could be reached: “Every right-thinking body knows that self-regulation is much the better option in these areas.”

Roz Groome, vice-president of antipiracy for NBC Universal, welcomed the prospect of new laws. “We welcome the signal from Government that it values the health of the creative industries and takes seriously the damage caused by widespread online copyright infringement. We call upon ISPs to take action now. They must play their part in the fight against online piracy and work with rights owners to ensure that ISPs’ customers do not use their services for illegal activity. Piracy stifles innovation and threatens the long term health of our industry.”

Ed Vaizey, the Shadow Arts Minister, said: “David Cameron called on the internet providers to address this issue last summer. The credibility of the Government’s latest threat is undermined by the fact that ministers have spent so many years dithering on whether to legislate.”

The commitment forms part of a Green Paper on the creative industries entitled The World’s Creative Hub to be launched by Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary, and Gordon Brown next week.

Other high-profile elements include a pledge that children will be entitled to five hours of culture a week overseen by a new youth culture trust. The pledge will give children the right to learn a musical instrument, visit art galleries and museums and even make films.

Other pledges include setting up a new international conference modelled on Davos, entitled the World Creative Economy Forum, and supporting a new £200 million film centre at the South Bank in London. A spokeswoman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “Early drafts of our creative economy programme document were circulated to stakeholders for comment. The content and proposals for the strategy have been significantly developed since then and a comprehensive plan to bolster the UK’s creative industries will be published shortly. We will not comment on the content of the leaked document.”

Source: The Times

[Mrluvaluva]

Just heard this on the news. I am screwed at work then. Lol.

[Xander]

Oh well, i will still continue. Most downloading programs will still be fine to use. i got nothin got nothing to worry about

to the goverment.

[Captain.Remy]

I will still continue too, Im' nothing without my torrents lol

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Mrluvaluva
Just heard this on the news. I am screwed at work then. Lol.

Work might be screwed when they lose there net access..... but then again more work might get done.... LOL

[Redmond]

Just scare tactics, they will never be able to fully clamp down on it. Instead of always trying to stop people downloading music and tv shows/films they should create a proper service where all this stuff is available for a small price, so then for example UK viewers who want to watch US shows or vice versa can watch the shows as they air and not have to wait a year for them to become available on British TV.

[Mrluvaluva]

Originally posted by Red Moon
Work might be screwed when they lose there net access..... but then again more work might get done.... LOL

Never!

[Matt08]

Originally posted by Xander
Oh well, i will still continue. Most downloading programs will still be fine to use. i got nothin got nothing to worry about

to the goverment.

Your ISP will still be able to see if you use a downloading program. So say if you went on Limewire and downloaded a song, then your ISP would be able to see.

[Xander]

Originally posted by Matt08

Your ISP will still be able to see if you use a downloading program. So say if you went on Limewire and downloaded a song, then your ISP would be able to see.

True, but if you think of how many people use limewire/utorret you find its a large majority of people and its doubtful that they are going to find everyone.

[Matt08]

Originally posted by Xander

True, but if you think of how many people use limewire/utorret you find its a large majority of people and its doubtful that they are going to find everyone.

Even though they might not catch everyone, you could be one of the ones that they catch out. I'd rather download legally than face court and a large fine.

[Matt10k]

Sh*t!! I'm gutted! I use limewire and other torrents to download stuff all the time. I can totally understand why they are doing it but that doesn't stop it totally sucking

[Matt08]

One good point is that if they're going to start clamping down on the people that download it, then shouldn't they be closing down these websites that provide illegial downloads?

[Matt10k]

I'm wondering how they will send me a warning email though when my email account that comes with the computer doesn't work? I'd of course keep downloading until I got a warning email otherwise.

[Matt08]

Originally posted by Matt10k
I'm wondering how they will send me a warning email though when my email account that comes with the computer doesn't work? I'd of course keep downloading until I got a warning email otherwise.

They'd probably send you a warning through the post as well.

[Spike]

Originally posted by Matt08
One good point is that if they're going to start clamping down on the people that download it, then shouldn't they be closing down these websites that provide illegial downloads?

Yeah they should be closing down the websites instead of punishing the people who use them. How am i supposed to know the downloads off these websites are illegal

[Matt10k]

Right, only one thing for it then... Everyone, if you want something, better get it now while you still can! Got a week

[Matt08]

Originally posted by Spike

Yeah they should be closing down the websites instead of punishing the people who use them. How am i supposed to know the downloads off these websites are illegal

Well, most songs/albums/TV Shows/films are copyrighted, so when you go and download them from the net, then you're infringing copyright laws. So any company/organisation who own the copyright to the certian thing could take someone/ a website to court and they could face legal charges for downloading it illegially.

[KKBL]

but they cant close down Limewire theres nothing illeagal about Limewire its just that "some people" are uploading copywrited music/films etc

[Matt08]

Originally posted by *Cathal*
but they cant close down Limewire theres nothing illeagal about Limewire its just that "some people" are uploading copywrited music/films etc

Then Limewire have to take some of the responsibility, as they're not removing the illegial content.

[Sarah.]

Nothing will stop me from downloading Lost. If they want to stop people downloading US shows, then show them on UK TV the same time as the Americans, and not everyone has Sky.

[Matt08]

Originally posted by mrs_rko
Nothing will stop me from downloading Lost. If they want to stop people downloading US shows, then show them on UK TV the same time as the Americans, and not everyone has Sky.

I was reading up on Torrent websites, and apparently there's nothing illegial about them as long as they don't allow users to download copyrighted material.

[Matt10k]

Originally posted by Matt08

I was reading up on Torrent websites, and apparently there's nothing illegial about them as long as they don't allow users to download copyrighted material.

Limewire isn't illegal either on it's own. It's the copyrighted material that is illegal and without it both are kind of pointless.

[Callum]

Does it matter if I use Ares?

[Matt10k]

Originally posted by Callum
Does it matter if I use Ares?

Haven't heard of it. I use bitlord but if you are using it to download copyrighted files then it won't matter what you are using, unless of course, you have some sneaky way of avoiding detection

[Stu]

Just sit back , download some torrents , grab some popcorn , and watch this not work.