UK File-Sharers Get a Stern Warning
Virgin Media, a major Internet services provider (ISP) in the United Kingdom, has sent out warning letters to suspected music file-sharers who have infringed on copyright. Approximately 800 letters have been sent out so far in an envelope marked, "Important. If you don't read this, your broadband could be disconnected." According to the BBC's Radio 1 Newsbeat, Virgin Media now say that their threat of disconnecting customers from the Internet was a "mistake", and they are merely running an "education-only" drive.
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which represents the British music industry and is equivalent to the RIAA in the United States, has collaborated with Virgin Media and other ISP's to try and clamp down on peer-to-peer file sharing. However, other ISP's have refused to sign up with the BPI which could result in them being taken to court for not stopping their customers illegally sharing copyrighted music.
Could this be the start of things to come or is the BPI just flexing its muscles?
Comments
Unlike in the U.S., I think any further mistreatment of the music consumers in the U.K. will lead to some sort of revolution or counter-active movement, especially among the kidulthood generation. However, big organisations like the RIAA have most older generations in the U.S. tamed to do as it pleases. So I think while the kids there do go about doing their “misdeeds”, they don’t want to get in trouble, because very little people will stand beside them when they’re taken to court by either the RIAA or MPAA.
Maybe I’m ignorant, but I just think generations in the U.K. laugh at Threat Letters from BPI.
The problem with these stern warnings is that they are going out to anyone who downloads MP3s including those that have only downloaded music they have paid for via legal sites and those that have downloaded licence free MP3s such as podcasts and stuff from the BBC.
Greedy good for nothing authority that can,t accept … The best things in life are free …