Is the threat of being disconnected from the internet encouraging digital pirates to change their behaviour?

How the anti-piracy measures included in its Digital Economy Bill could work in practice.

The industry body’s commissioned its own research into the costs of the Digital Economy Bill’s copyright clauses.

The Digital Economy Bill has been having its first “line by line examination” in Parliament this week.

Maybe EU telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding wasn’t completely wide of the mark when she warned Spain over internet disconnections. Although the Spanish government says it has dismissed the idea of disconnecting individuals caught downloading illegal content from the internet, it has come up with new ways of severing communications services.
An estimated 3-4 million people [...]

The owner of a pub that doubles as a Wi-Fi hotspot has paid out £8,000 after someone illegally downloaded material subject to copyright laws on their premises. Meanwhile, a new survey shows that as many as one in five wireless users could be vulnerable to Wi-Fi hijacking across Britain.

It is not only campaigners who are concerned by the anti-piracy measures included in the Digital Economy Bill, legal experts are also at a loss to explain how the government can sanction giving future ministers seemingly limitless powers.
Patrick Gardiner, Media Partner at international law firm, Eversheds, believes that Lord Mandelson is probably trying to ‘future-proof’ [...]

Even though the Spanish government has reportedly already dismissed this option.

Hollywood movie studios are, for the first time, pressing Congress to pursue a ‘three strikes’ policy against internet pirates which could ultimately lead to disconnection for persistent offenders.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has written to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which is currently drafting proposals for Congress on how American broadband policy should [...]

One of the UK’s biggest ISPs says a late amendment to an European Union agreement on telecoms regulations means it’ll now be “almost impossible” for film studios and music labels to force ISPs to disconnect customers who are suspected of illegal files-sharing without obtaining a court order first. The so-called “Internet Freedom Provision” – deemed by the EU to “strengthen the rights of Internet users” – is part of a package of measures that could come into force as early as next year.

A new poll’s revealed more money is being spent on legal downloads by illicit file-sharers than law-abiding folk. According to the Digital Music Survey, fifteen per cent of the British population uses peer-to-peer software – and nine per cent will even admit to doing so in order to obtain copyrighted material they haven’t paid for. At the same time, it’s been shown that shutting down a major P2P site may only lead to a boom in alternatives as file-swappers try to fill the vacuum.

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.

“Three strikes” law allowing disconnection for illegal filesharers will be effective before the end of the year.

TalkTalk is taking its already-vocal opposition to Lord Mandelson’s plans to disconnect persistent illegal downloaders a step further today with dontdisconnect.us

The campaigning website outlines the rough proposals being outlined by the Government that could lead to disconnection and argues the steps are too draconian because they could see people wrongly accused and also see people [...]

The culture secretary has revealed the Government is stepping back from its new tough stance on illegal file-swapping, following widespread outcry against the move. Ben Bradshaw now says that a court order will have to be obtained by those wanting punish those they suspect of being persistent offenders – and that nobody will just be cut off “willy nilly.”

A report from the All Party Parliamentary Commons Group (Appcom) which calls on ISPs to filter the Net for malware and to put child-protection on mobile devices has met with some bemusement among internet providers.
On the one hand, TalkTalk and other ISPs have reported they are pleased with the report urging the government to reconsider [...]

Sky has broken ranks with leading rival ISPs BT and TalkTalk by revealing it thinks disconnection should not be excluded as a possible answer to piracy.
On the day the Government’s consultation on illegal file sharing closed, Sky supported the general direction the Government is taking and emphasised that it, unlike rivals, has an ability to [...]

Four hundred and forty-five million people in the world have broadband subscriptions. More than two million people have fibre to their home in Europe. And seven million people are pirating online media in the UK – or should that be more like half that? Samknows takes a look at some of the numbers racing around the press at the moment.

A new advertising campaign’s being launched to try and deal with what’s being called “Generation Y-pay,” using soft sell tactics and avoiding the sensationalism of previous attempts. At the same time, it’s emerged that a UK law firm is finally preparing to file its first court cases against online piracy – after sending out hundreds of letters warning alleged file-sharers it would do just that.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that there’d been a changing of the guard at the post of intellectual property minister – or that the role had been scrapped altogether. But David Lammy’s one of men who’s kept his position while the likes of Digital Britain architect Lord Carter and ex-Culture Secretary Andy Burnham have seen their former responsibilities reshuffled. And, despite Lord Mandelson’s moves towards tough new anti-piracy legislation, it’s refreshing to see he’s not changed his tune.