Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has claimed that the government will cut off repeat piracy offenders from the internet, starting summer 2011.
Showing a shocking lack of basic knowledge of how internet technology works, Lord Mandelson wants repeat offenders' internet connections disconnected within 15 months from their offence.
Details on how this will be policed, funded and how repeat offenders will be stopped from connecting to the internet via a different ISP (using a different name/identity where necessary) were not outlined.
Mandy outlined how the cut-off plan will be a two stage process. Stage one is receiving a warning letter, following by an (indefinite) number of further warning letters, threatening action if the ISP account holder continues to download illegally.
Stage one: steal underpants
Stage two will be legal action taken by the rights holder against persistent offenders, who will also be placed on a "serious infringer list" - with Ofcom acting as the organisation to hear appeals.
Ofcom will report quarterly to the Secretary of State, and is charged with reducing piracy in the UK by seventy per cent.
Lord Mandelson admitted this was a "three strikes" policy.
"Technical measures will be a last resort and I have no expectation of mass suspensions resulting," said the Business Secretary.
ISPs and rights holders are apparently going to share the costs of administering Mandelson's new policy.
TechRadar has contacted a number of leading ISPs in the UK today for further comment.
"We need to make breaking the law an unnecessary risk. All the rules need to be sensible and need to be up to date," Mandelson said, noting that moving a purchased song from a CD to iPod or from a computer to an affiliated iPod was still technically illegal.
Morally unsustainable
Mandelson was clear that: "Taking people's work without due payment is wrong. It is not just morally unacceptable but it is unsustainable... The days of consequence free online infringement are over."
"I'm a big defender of an economy based on making things… in terms of added value the difference between making a car or a plane or a television programme or computer game is a meaningless one."
You can see more on Mandelson's controversial Cabinet Forum Conference this morning online.
Your comments (3) Click to add a new comment
konsume
October 29th 2009
3. UK broadband is so messed up it is unbelievable.
1, the government wants everyone to be able get high speed broadband so they introduce a phone line tax in order to pay for it.
2, Most users don't know how to configure wireless routers.
3, So how does the 3 strike rule work in a family home? Does the actions of one family member stop the rest of the family using the internet?
4, ripsnorter - what happens when an innocent person is beaten up? remember we live in a country where if you beat up a burglar they can take you to court.
Alert a moderator
shyguy
October 28th 2009
2. I can only see this working if, when these people came round to your house, you were allowed to fend them off. If you manage to get 3 strikes on them first you'd be able to keep your internet connection... Now, isn't that progress?
Alert a moderator
ripsnorter
October 28th 2009
1. How about if the government were to send somebody round to pirates' homes and beat the **** out of them instead? Smacking them a few times around the head with a baseball bat would even preserve the original 'Three Strikes' idea. It's a low-tech solution, I admit, but think of the jobs it could create. Britain might have lost the broadband race but we could still show the world we haven't lost our ability to innovate.
Alert a moderator
Tell us what you think
You need to Log in or register to post comments