UK backs away from 3 strikes plan
p2pnet news view P2P | Politics:- Entertainment industry efforts to bulldoze governments into imposing anti-file sharing measures on local populations continue to come unglued.
Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony Music, on the one hand, and Disney, News Corp, Time Warner, Viacom, NBC Universal and Sony Pictures, on the other, want administrations to act as taxpayer-funded agents, with ISPS in the role of copyright cops, providing information on their own customers to the cartels.
US, British, Australian, New Zealand and South Korean governments are among those which have tried to toe the Big Music and Hollywood line. But fierce and an ongoing opposition, mainly from online communities, is blocking all attempts to get what’s being called the ‘Three Strikes’ business plan onto government books.
By way of example, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French movie and music studio representative, himself accused of copyright violation, is now on his fifth — or is it sixth? — attempt to ram the corporate Three Strikes plan through the national assembly.
In the UK, Lord Peter Mandelson fronted for the record companies and movie studios in a major scandal.
But now culture secretary Ben Bradshaw (right) says “controversial measures to tackle illegal file-sharing will be watered down,” according to the Guardian, which goes on:
“He told the House of Commons culture, media and sport committee that rights holders will have to obtain a court order before punishing persistent offenders by reducing or cutting off their internet connections.
“Earlier this year, business secretary Lord Mandelson said that internet service providers would be forced to hand over information on customers who used illegal sites heavily to music companies and film studios so that they could take action.”
Bradshaw also said anyone targeted would also have the right to appeal against the decision.
“Those concessions will be seen as an attempt to assuage the concerns of those who believe the proposed remedy is heavy-handed,” says the story, adding »»»
Currently, those who download content illegally most often are sent warning letters demanding that they stop. Internet service providers and content owners have long been in dispute about whether ISPs should hand over confidential information about their customers, and who should meet the cost of disconnecting them.
Bradshaw defended the solution, however, which is likely to be contained in a Digital Britain bill this year, assuming enough legislative time can be found in the current parliamentary session.
“The suspensions to which you refer would be a very last resort for serious … infringement” he says in the Guardian post. “It wouldn’t just happen … on the basis of an accusation.”
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi
copyright violation - French prez Sarkozy busted for pirating music, October 9, 2009
fronted – Mandelson: shying away from 3 strikes deal?, September 25, 2009
major scandal – Big Music vs The Invisibles, September 25, 2009
Guardian – Government measures against illegal file-sharing to be watered down, , October 20, 2009
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