UK Lawmakers Finally Getting Around To That Illegal Downloading Thing

The latest news from the front lines of the miserable war of attrition that is the illegal downloading dispute: Lawmakers in the United Kingdom will present legislation next week which would require ISPs to take action against illegal downloaders, prompting thousands of former OiNK users to perk up their ears and put on their Whining Caps.

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.

Really it should read “Users suspected of wrongly downloading films or music will receive a warning e-mail for the first offense, and a sound beating for being so foolish upon the second infringement.”

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.

All in all, this legislation seems pretty fluffy considering that illegal downloading is essentially tantamount to stealing (release the outraged justifications!). It’s a blessing that the worst you’d probably have to endure is a a canceled Internet contract.

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.

Perhaps Britain’s music industry should have spent those two years trying to figure out how not to charge fifteen dollars (or pounds, in this case) for a disc that cost about five cents to physically produce.

Wait, whose side are we on, anyway?

Internet users could be banned over illegal downloads [Times of London Online]