UK NEWS

ONLINE PIRACY CRACKDOWN TO TARGET PARENTS

Crackdown on online piracy

Friday July 25,2008

By Louise Barnett

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Parents could be punished if their children download music or films illegally.

The warning came yesterday in a new crackdown on online piracy.

Internet providers and music bosses have joined forces to combat a practice they say will cost the industry £1billion over the next five years.

In the past year alone 6.5million Britons downloaded music and films illegally, in breach of copyright agreements.

Many are thought to be under 16.

Yesterday Britain’s six largest internet service providers – BT, Virgin Media, Orange, Tiscali, BSkyB and Carphone Warehouse – agreed an anti-piracy alliance with the British Phonographic Industry.

It’s a great thing that new technology lets young people explore popular culture in a way my generation could not. But this freedom cannot extend to allowing people to think they can access content for free

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham

They will be able to spot the most prolific downloaders and hundreds of thousands of letters will be sent to bill-payers. They will be warned that their illegal activity has been detected.

This may be the first time that many parents hear that their children have been downloading illegally.

Households which ignore the warning letters may then be subject to online monitoring.

Further sanctions will be imposed on those which continue the illegal downloads.

This could include their internet connection speeds being cut.

The providers have also pledged to ensure their customers know it is illegal to share music and other media which is protected by copyright.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham said the success of Britain’s creative industries depended on a workable copyright system.

“It’s a great thing that new technology lets young people explore popular culture in a way my generation could not.

“But this freedom cannot extend to allowing people to think they can access content for free.”

TYPICAL LABOUR LUVVIES

25.07.08, 9:07pm

Let's not worry about all the kiddie porn and predators on the net.
Let's not give a thought to the gangsters and terrorists making money out of the porn sites.
Let's not give a thought to the terrorist groups who use the net to drum up their hate message.
Let's not even worry that this country is going to hell in a handbag.
Let's concentrate on stopping people downloading music and movies that they are never going to go out and buy in the first place, if they can't download them they will borrow them from a friend, or buy them from those rather naughty terrorists at the local markets we've heard so much about...

Or maybe they will just hide their IP addresses and download it anyway.

But of course, Mr Brown would want to help out the luvvies at the music and movie industry as much as he can because after all these wonderful people are his donators.

There are plenty of free sites on the net that allow you to download the software to hide your IP address, if in doubt pay £15 and buy the software.

Job done.

• Posted by: gokhuveg • Report Comment