Now the Government’s put a timetable in place for its plans to disconnect persistent online pirates, one ISP is considering a counter-attack that could see more than individual file-shares up in court. TalkTalk says it may resort to legal action if Lord Peter Mandelson continues with his plans – and it’s not the only one unhappy with the business secretary.

The industry body representing the UK’s record companies has just announced this is already the “biggest ever year” for sales of singles in Britain. Meanwhile, figures from the Motion Picture Association of America show that movie takings are, on the whole, rising. With Lord Peter Mandelson expected to outline the Government’s plans for dealing with illegal downloading tomorrow, what price piracy?